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Wednesday, August 31, 2011

Wednesday Thoughts

I've been criticised lately for saying in this blog that I'm kind of looking forward to fall. Let me rephrase: I honestly and truly wish summer would never end! But since it will (but not for several more weeks), I'm trying to embrace it. Plus, it's still warm out. Therefore, it's still summer. So there's no need to really think about fall yet. Unless you want to (which I kind of do).

In other thoughts, I've been wondering lately if I watch too much tv. Since it's rerun season, I've mostly been watching tv on dvds or online, with Big Brother being the exception. Of course, my main obsession right now is the Brady Bunch, as you know. But I've watched all the episodes I own so I guess I'll have to move on soon - anyone have any suggestions of shows I should watch next?




Since I've been blogging a lot lately, I've been trying to think of new things to write about. There's still a lot you guys don't know about me. My mental colander (filter) will still keep some things from coming out - personal things, and other stuff (I could go on a bit about gross subjects but I shan't*,**). But I'm definitely willing to be a tiny bit more open.

Case in point: here's a little tidbit most of you don't know about me:

I don't like uppercase "I"'s. I much prefer lower case "i"'s. The upper case "I" just isn't as pleasing to the eye as the lower case i. It feels pretentious or something. But of course I use it anyway, because I'll never be as free as e.e. cummings to do whatever I want with the English language.

At this point in writing this post, I have an urge to go back and delete the last paragraph. But i think i'll leave it as it is.

And lastly in Wednesday Thoughts, I'm excited to be blogging more. Don't worry, I will try to stay away from super boring subjects like which letter is my second least favorite after the upper case "I." But I will tell you more about things I like, things I'm thinking about, and who my favorite reader (of this blog) is. Also, who my least favorite reader is. If there is any subject you'd like to hear my thoughts on, please feel free to ask (insert cricket noises here).

Happy Wednesday!

*I said "shan't." Just wanted to make sure you saw that so you know how smart I am.
** I'm referring to barfing, which I have some funny things to say about. But I like you guys too much to do this to you, sadly.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Oops

Woooeeee! Remember that time I wrote that super grouchy, grumbly blog post about what a bad mood I was in? Yeah, me too. Sorry about that! That was the worst. Monday was just being mean yesterday. I'm feeling a bit better this morning though so I thought I'd write a quick post about ways I beat bad moods. (Or at least attack them the best I can.)

Here are my favorite ways to beat a bad mood/bad day:
  • Sleep! I went to bed early last night and it definitely helped!
  • Watch tv shows that make me laugh (examples: The Brady Bunch, Sabrina, 30 Rock, Psych, Parks and Rec)
  • Bake something delicious
  • Wear a cute outfit (does this one only work for women?)
  • Shop for healthy, delicious foods
  • Talk to friends/family
  • Go for a walk
  • Write a nice note to someone 
  • Make plans for fun events (like my fall bonfire)
If you're in a bad mood and none of those things help, maybe my senior picture will?

I can't believe this picture is on my blog twice now.

If you're in such a sour mood that even that awesome hair can't help, here's one more attempt. This is a quote from Alice, the maid on the Brady Bunch, to Greg. She's talking about Marcia, who is suffering from low self esteem: "I know she's groovy and you know she's groovy, but she doesn't know she's groovy!"  If that doesn't cheer you up, I don't know what will.

What are some ways you fight a bad mood?

Monday, August 29, 2011

What not to do when you're already in a bad mood

  • Look up pictures of exes who are happily married
  • Think a lot about the next presidential election
  • Weigh yourself
  • Think about how old you'll be on your next birthday
  • Make a doctors appointment
  • Watch hurricane footage
  • Take your car into the shop
  • Stick to your diet
  • Take computer to get fixed, find out it is probably not fixable and needs to be replaced
  • Rethink blogging every day because of days like today
  • Debate about faking cheerful
  • Decide not to
The good news, however, is that I got my pictures back from my Hawaiian vacation with the Brady Bunch and if it's possible to do so (computer issues), I will post them later this week. I think you'll like them.

Sunday, August 28, 2011

The Three C's

This weekend was my cousin's second reception - the first one was in DC where he got married last week. This one was held at my aunt and uncle's house.

People have asked me a lot if this has been hard for me, since my cousin and his wife are young and I guess I'm a bit of a spinster, by Mormon standards. People looking at me sadly is my favorite.

Honestly, it really hasn't bothered me at all. I love my cousin and his wife a lot and I've just been genuinely happy for them. They're a great couple and the fact that they found each other gives me  hope that I can find someone well suited for me.

But I did find that their Michigan reception was slightly harder for me, emotionally, than their DC reception was. I think this was because I knew a lot of people at the Michigan reception. A lot of older adults who I've known my whole life were there, along with friends I haven't seen in years, and having to answer questions about my own life and looking at their worried eyes (which I'm sure I was probably imaging) made me feel a tiny bit more bummed out than I expected I would.

Luckily there were three things there that cheered me up: cupcakes, chickens, and kids. The three C's. The place was over run with all three. The night before, my sister and I made almost three hundred cupcakes so there were more than enough of those. I had nothing to do with making either the children or the chickens though.

My cousins are raising chickens at my aunt and uncle's house, which is where the reception was being held, and the chickens got as much, if not more, attention than the bride and groom. They'll never get so much attention as they did yesterday as they tried to go about their business in their coop. There were two that were completely goofy looking. One was beautiful and would have been a sure thing if entered into a chicken beauty contest.

Some of the guys went into the coop and dared each other to catch one. We all watched and squealed as they almost got them, then laughed and mocked when they ran away in fear as a chicken flapped its wings and ran. Two guys did catch one and gave us all the chance to pet it. Usually my only experience with chickens is when I'm eating them so this was a nice change. I always knew chickens were delicious, but I didn't realize what great personalities they had.

So all in all, it was a good experience. Did I feel old and single? A little. Did I pet a chicken? You bet I did. So I guess in the end, it all balanced out.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

National Mall

It's strange the things I choose to blog about. Major things go by in my life without a mere mention on here. If you didn't know me better, you'd think the biggest thing in my life was Prancing Leo. But since I'm blogging every day for the time being, you'll find out a bit more about my day to day life. I can't promise it'll be interesting, but it's happening, people. There's no point fighting it.

Last week I went to Washington, DC for my cousin's wedding. I have been there several times before and I love seeing the sites. The night before the wedding, we had a free evening so we decided to head over to the National Mall.

Though I have been there before, it was a totally different experience seeing the Washington Monument and the Lincoln Memorial (my favorite) at night. Side note: whenever I see the Washington Monument I think of Forest Gump (when he made that speech there). Other things that remind me of Forest Gump? Shrimp, ping pong, boxes of chocolates, riding lawnmowers, knee braces, and anyone named Jenny.

 We also visited the World War II Memorial and the Vietnam wall. But I couldn't get good pictures of them because it was so dark. I absolutely love the Lincoln Memorial. There's a feeling of reverence there.The back of the penny really doesn't do it justice. If you guys haven't been to Washington, DC, you really should. (Day or night.)


The Washington Monument

As seen from the World War II Memorial

The Lincoln Memorial as seen on the penny...

The Lincoln Memorial



I wasn't the only one taking pictures.
 
Imagine my surprise when I ran into an old friend!
 
My only regret is that I had some mud on my shoe and to get it off, I kicked the side of the Washington Monument pretty hard. If you heard of any structural damage to the Monument this week, I had nothing to do with it. (Dumbest joke ever! I honestly can't believe I'm publishing it!)

Friday, August 26, 2011

Foraging

Bird Hills Park is one of my favorite parks in Ann Arbor, and definitely my favorite place to go on hikes in this area. The trails there lead through an ever changing forest. It seems every time I go there, something has shifted - new things have grown, trees have fallen, colors have changed, and so forth.

Bird Hills Park

A coworker of mine is new to this area. The other day he told me that he recently discovered this park and has been loving it. He also told me that earlier this week, he found a 16 pound puff mushroom there. To show me just how big that is, he opened his arms in the fullest embrace he could to indicate where the mushroom would fit. Then he told me that he's been eating his way through it this week, cooking it in various ways for meals. Did you hear what I said? Eating his way through it. I asked him if he was sure it wasn't poisonous. He said he was sure. This is what I love about humans!! They do the craziest things!!

not my coworker.

Maybe I'm making too big a deal out of it, but I would never trust myself to pick a mushroom from the wild, eat it, and not die! Would you? This story really caught me by surprise. I love when people do unexpected things (and don't die). I wish I had a more colorful personality! If I challenge myself to be spontaneous, does it still count as being spontaneous?

PS, If I'm in the hospital (or worse) next week with mushroom poisoning, you will know this goal was ill conceived.

Thursday, August 25, 2011

Just like you

This man looks like
he's plotting to murder me.
You know what makes me nervous? When someone says, "I know someone who looks just like you!" My first thought is always, "my gosh, I hope I never see that person!"

It's not because I hate the way I look. I've pretty much come to terms with my looks. But I guess I'd rather not think too hard about what other people think my strong features are. And when it comes to look alikes - in what ways do we look alike? In the good ways, or the bad?

Apparently there are several women in the metro-Detroit area who "look just like" me, or so I've been told. My insecurities tell me that seeing these women will only confirm my suspicions, and that it would be like seeing a live caricature of myself. I have no interest in meeting these women. Ever.

But the other day my friend Vaughn told me he met someone who "reminds him of" me. "Reminding" someone of me is ok since he was just talking about her personality and not her appearance. So I prodded a little bit to get more information from him. Here's how the next part of the conversation went.

V: I met a girl who reminds me of you.
Me: Oh yeah? She sounds amazing. In what ways does she remind you of me? And be careful.
V: She talks a lot.
Me: Hmm. What else?
V: She doesn't think my racist or sexist jokes are funny.
Me: Good. She shouldn't. They're not funny. What else?
V: She's a Democrat.
Me: Ok. What else?
V: She's feisty and she likes to fight with me.
Me: Sounds like me. Is she hilarious?
V: She thinks she is.
Me: HEY!

I then lectured him on how funny I am until he believed me.

Have you ever been told you look like someone? Did you ever meet that person? How was it?

*I'm actually "Independent" but I'm not a Republican so I guess to some people that means I'm a Democrat. (Also, I'm kind of a Democrat.)

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Wednesday Thoughts

My foot's been hurting for the last several weeks. I don't know what I did to it but I'm hoping it's fractured because I'm bored with all my other problems.

About one minute into the new Maroon 5 song, "Moves like Jagger," I knew I had to either embrace it or turn it off right then and there because I knew that if I kept listening, I would never get it out of my head. I made a decision to embrace it and I can't go back, even if it means singing that song in my head until the day I die. I would advise you to listen to it at your own peril. I really liked it for about 36 hours but I already feel myself turning on it. I'm not even going to link to it - that's the kind of friend I am.

I'm still watching a lot of The Brady Bunch these days. I'm going through a Brady Bunch phase - I'm sure I'll get tired of it soon. I just got season four which means we'll be heading off on our Hawaiian vacation soon. I have so much more to say about the Brady's, but I'll get to that in a later post. For now all I'll say is this: Greg made some very unfortunate wardrobe decisions.

NO, Greg!!! NOOOO!!!!!! Tassles? Strings?

But other than that, Greg is pretty groovy.

In other thoughts, pretty much the whole country felt an earthquake yesterday 'cept me. I must have a low center of gravity like Anne Veal (Arrested Development joke in case you're not in the know). My coworker, Justin, felt it but at first he thought he was just jittery from his allergy medicine. He didn't realize his life was in danger until someone told him later. That's how strong it was in Michigan.

I'm on day three of daily posts and I feel some truths trying to leak out but I'm trying to hold them at bay - truths like the fact that I'm not in a good mood every day, and I get overwhelmed with things sometimes, and I think I might be slightly lactose intolerant. But those things are all top secret so I hope they don't leak out.

Happy Wednesday.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

I only know three jokes

I only know three jokes. One of them I just learned from Saturday Night Live recently. Another I heard from Karl Pilkington, and the last one I read on a Laffy Taffy wrapper. Each and every one of them is comic gold. And bonus: they're all short enough for me to remember!

1. Did you hear about the peanut who went to Central Park?
It was a salted.

2. Q: What is Bob Marley's favorite kind of doughnut?
A: Those with jam in.

Americans might not get that joke since we don't call it jam, we call it jelly. Luckily I'm a highly educated person so I didn't need it explained to me. You can try to tell me you didn't need it explained either, but since I already explained it, I'll never believe you.

3. Q: What did the orange ask the banana to do?
A: Tickle its navel.

Ok, that one makes no sense. I guess I forgot some parts of it. I think I messed up what the orange originally said. Maybe there was no banana involved. But I got the punchline right. Take my word for it, it could have been really funny.

I only know two jokes.

Monday, August 22, 2011

Post a Day

What if I blogged every day for an undisclosed amount of time* just to see what came out? Would you keep reading? Or would you be overwhelmed? Can you only take me in small doses? Don't answer that question. Or any of them, really. My point is I'm going to blog every day for a little while and see what happens.

I think that if I blog more often, more of my personality will come through and I will have less of a filter. This worries me a little bit. I guess it'll either make you like me more, or like me less. You probably won't like me just the same though unless you already know me in real life. In which case you'll either like me the same or like me less.

I should warn you, most of my thoughts these days involve the following: making plans to avoid dying alone, wondering whatever happened to Mr. and Mrs. Brady's first spouses, feeling sad about summer coming to an end, feeling guilty for not reading the books friends have loaned me, wondering if it's "loaned" or "lent", wishing Big Brother was on five days a week instead of three, getting excited about fall, thinking about boys/men/whatever I'm supposed to call them at this age, wondering if I should change my hair style, and some other stuff that I don't care to share. Now that's the stuff I'm worried will leak out. I'm curious if it will.

Will you indulge me with a poll? I'm curious how many of you who read this blog know me in real life. If most of you already know me, it will change the things I write. Is it incredibly vain to post a poll about this? I guess since I'm writing in a blog about me by me, it's a little late to worry about vanity. So I'm going to post it. Hop on over from google reader for one sec and take the poll, if you would.

And I'll see you all....tomorrow.

*Till I don't feel like it anymore, basically. Or when I accidentally miss a day and ruin everything.

Sunday, August 21, 2011

Fall Road Trips!

I'm starting to really look forward to the fall. The colors, the candy (corns), the football, the hot chocolate, the pumpkins, the coziness, etc... It's going to be magical. I'm also looking forward to some road trips I am thinking about in the fall. Some of these are already in the works, some are just ideas, some depend on if you invite me to come visit you or not. So far, here's what I'm thinking about for fall road trips:


1. Chicago, Illinois. This one is in the works. I am meeting a very good friend there for a short three day trip in mid September. We're going to see the Tigers play the White Sox one night, and the rest of the time we're going to do the Chicago tourist scene - the bean, the Navy Pier, Chicago style pizza and so on! I am really excited about this trip! Drive time: 4 hours.



2. Fallingwater: Mill Run, Pennsylvania. This is a trip I'm considering for the fall. This is the famous Frank Lloyd Wright home that was built over a waterfall. I know very little about Frank Lloyd Wright, but I know I want to visit this house at some point in my life! I have friends who have visited it and they tell me it's a must-see. And fall seems like the perfect time to go! Drive time: 6 hours.


3. Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum Fall Festival, Weston, West Virginia. This trip sounds like fun, but isn't planned yet and quite frankly, I might be too scared to go anywhere near this place. A friend of mine recently went on a ghost tour of this asylum as part of a week long road trip she took down the coast. The week before she left she told me she was just doing it for her friends but that she didn't believe in ghosts. This past week she told me that after doing the tour, she doesn't know what she believes anymore. This asylum was in operation from the mid 1800's till the late 1990's and very mysterious things happen there now. Its ghost tours are very popular. I'd most likely not do a ghost tour, since I don't like messing with that stuff. But I think their fall festival, which they hold on the grounds, sounds like a lot of fun. I picture it being exactly like Lucy Fest, from Bride of Boogedy. And if it's not, I will be very disappointed. Drive time: 6.5 hours.



4. Pictured Rocks, Michigan. This trip is in the planning stages and I can't wait! A friend of mine is organizing a camping trip there in September and I'm really excited about it. I've only explored Michigan's upper peninsula a little bit and Pictured Rocks is one of the places I've always wanted to see. It's going to be beautiful! You should come. Drive time: 7.5 hours.

Where else should I go this fall? Where are you going to go this fall? And which of you are going with me to the haunted insane asylum?

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Wednesday Thoughts

Last night my friend Sarah and I attended a Sound of Music sing-along at the Michigan Theater. In case you're wondering, it's exactly what you'd think: 600 people singing along with The Sound of Music. And let's be honest, something like that could go either way. At the start of the movie, I sighed and said, "oh, I love this movie."  Sarah said, "I just hope these people don't ruin it for me."

It was a truly unique experience. Here are some thoughts I had during the movie.

* It's funny how as you get older, you see things differently. For example, last night I felt much more sympathy for the Baroness than I used to, though I have always felt bad for her. Why is the Baroness seen in such a bad way? She didn't do anything to Maria (I mean, {spoiler alert} except when she sort of encouraged her to leave). But she didn't do anything that any women in love wouldn't do. And yet, {spoiler alert again} she still got dumped for a younger woman! Sigh. It's so sad.

The Baroness, in happier times.
What? The Captain loves me?
I didn't mean to be so adorable!
Why, whatever shall I do?

* Maria's awesome. Ignore what I said before. (I'm complicated.) She's a great mother figure to the kids, she's chipper and sweet, she has a beautiful voice (I think if Julie Andrews sang to me every night before bed, my life would be 85% happier), and she has good taste in men because.....

* The Captain is dreamy. Am I right, ladies??

Even nuns can't resist him.

* The best song to sing along to was the first song the nuns sing in Latin. I hope that's not the last time I sing in Latin.

* The worst song to sing along to was "Climb every mountain" because it just sounds ridiculous to try to sound like that nun with the beautiful operatic voice.

* The funniest song to sing along with was "The Lonely Goatherd" because of the yodeling. Little known fact about me: I'm awesome at yodeling (at least, in my own head I am).

* You know that super tense scene at the end when the von Trapps are hiding from the Nazis in the abbey, and barely missing the beams of the Nazi soldier's flashlights? Well, someone in the back of our theater started shining a flashlight around the theater during that scene. It really broke up the tension. Slash added to it because I felt like I was about to be caught.

In conclusion, movie sing-alongs? Two thumbs up. The first time people started singing along, I jumped about a mile because I got caught up in the movie and forgot about singing along. But after that, it was fun, a little embarrassing, and hilarious. I'd highly recommend it.

I was thinking about what other musicals I'd like to go to sing-alongs for and my top three would be Annie, Fiddler on the Roof, and Hairspray. What about you?

Happy Wednesday.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Grand Canyon or Bust

As you all know, one of my dreams is to go to the Grand Canyon. Well, since I couldn't make it happen this year, I figured I'd have to go for second best: go there with the Brady Bunch. So I ordered season three of that series and began my adventure.

Pit stop!

You guys, besides just enjoying the beauty of the Grand Canyon, I learned so much. For one thing, Mr. Brady has the patience of a saint, Mrs. Brady has a mullet, and Alice keeps her sense of humor in all circumstances even when riding a mule into the canyon, which she did not like. Here are some other things I learned from my Grand Canyon adventure with the Brady's.

1. Do not, under any circumstances, trust an old prospector. If he tells you that Jesse James signed the inside of the old jail cell, don't go in there with your entire family to see if he was telling the truth. Just don't. But, if you are the trusting type, and end up stuck in there, tie all your belts and socks together to make a lasso to get the key off the hook across the room. Or if you're Mrs. Brady, just whine, "Miiiiikkkee! Do something!!"


I was so happy, I didn't even mind that we were gonna die in there.

2.When you finally get to the Grand Canyon, you need to listen when Mr. Brady says that the Grand Canyon is the wilderness and not a playground. And that means you, Bobby and Cindy. We all had quite a scare when Bobby and Cindy followed a Native American boy (well, we called him an "Indian" boy but that's because it was 1971) and got lost. We couldn't find them anywhere! Mr. Brady only seemed mildly perturbed the whole time we searched for them but I'm sure he was freaking out under the surface. We eventually did find them, with the help of Greg's tracking skills and the Indian boy (who had run away from home) leading them back to camp.


3. Another thing I learned is that Indians love inviting campers to come to where they live for a rain dance and naming ceremony. Chief Eaglecloud invited us all over as a thank you for encouraging his run-away grandson to come home. The Chief gave us all Indian names which was so cool! Mom (er, Mrs. Brady) was named Yellow Flower with Many Petals. Alice was named Squaw in Waiting. I was named Girl Who Crashed Vacation. I didn't like that one, so he offered me another: She Who Vacations Through DVDs. It stung, but was accurate.

4. Brady's stick together. Through getting tricked by old prospectors, losing members of our family, convincing a young Native American boy that his dream of becoming an astronaut can come true, and so much more, we only got closer as a family. I only had to take one more step to become an official Brady, and I did it happily.


I can't imagine that seeing the Grand Canyon in real life could be any better than going there with the Brady's. Next up, Hawaii!

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Splinter

Around the first of August, I started hearing a buzz word all around me. I've overheard several people say it in stores as I've done my shopping, I've had people say it to me (though I've begged them not to), and though I've tried very hard not to say it myself, I'm afraid it has maybe passed my lips more than once this month. And worse even than that is the way it haunts my thoughts whenever I look at the calendar.

Have you guessed yet what it is? It rhymes with splinter. Just take away the "spl", and add a "w."

It's ridiculous that this word is already being spoken of in hushed tones, in voices filled with fear. I'm convinced all my friends in Michigan are suffering from ptsd after this past splinter we experienced. And by experienced I mean survived.  And by survived I mean, barely.

I have decided that I am going to try, TRY to not obsess over its arrival. After all, it's only the second week of August! And not only that, but fall comes before splinter and fall is the most glorious and beautiful season of them all. October is the winner of the Ms. Month beauty pageant year after year.



The other day I was thinking about the differences between summer and winter.* It was night time and I had just gotten out of my car. I noticed all around me the buzzing and chirping of insects. There's a constant hum that comes from the cicadas and the grasshoppers in the summer. I'm sure you all know that sound well. I contrasted that to the sound of the outdoors at night during the cold months when a blanket of snow is covering the ground. Complete silence. I'm always caught off guard by how still and silent winter nights are. And really, it's one of the magical things winter has to offer.

To my fellow Michiganders suffering from ptsd and dread, I have these things to say to you:

1. It's only mid August, so calm down.
2. Fall is next and you know how wonderful fall is.
3. We'll survive winter together, I promise.
4. If you keep talking about winter like it's right around the corner, I will.break.your.fingers.

Got it? Now go back to your summer fun.

*Much like Harry Potter with Lord Voldemort, I decided to say the real name to take away its power.

Thursday, August 11, 2011

What I do to entertain myself at work II

There are two things I can't teach you to do: blow a bubble or whistle. All I can tell you is that you pretty much just sort of purse your lips together and blow. But beyond that, I don't know what to tell you.

Luckily for me, when I was six years old, my best friend Lisa taught me to blow a bubble. It was thrilling. And 23 years later* it still is. Today I blew a bubble so epic, it burst on my glasses. My glasses. Just to clarify, the eyes are significantly higher up on the face than the mouth.

Undeniable evidence. It wasn't easy to get off.





Oh, and in case you were curious, the sticky man is still up on the wall. Three weeks later!

I know you've been dying to know!      



What have you been doing to entertain yourself today?

*See what I did there?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Wednesday Thoughts

I was told recently that I have a Michigan accent. I don't know how I feel about that. I'm not ashamed to sound like I'm from Michigan because I love the mitten state, as you all know. But there's something about having any kind of accent that doesn't sit well with me. Do you know what I mean? I love other people's accents, but it seems like most people aren't willing to admit they have one. We all want to sound like the generic national news anchors or the actors in our favorite sitcoms. But I'm not exactly sure why.

Speaking of regional differences (or whatever), one of my friends posted this map on Facebook earlier today. It's a map showing what people across the country call what we in Michigan refer to as "pop" but which some of you crazies call soda or coke. The same friend who told me I have a Michigan accent has been trying all summer to get me to say soda instead of pop. It's not happening.



In other thoughts, what is it about hearing someone got stuck in an elevator that's so funny? Not just "someone," but someone you know. I mean, what could be worse than getting a stuck in an elevator? But two of my coworkers got stuck in one this week and none of the rest of us could stop laughing when we heard about it, even though in one case, the person was pretty upset by it. I mean, it's not funny, right? So why is it!? (Both coworkers were perfectly fine and not stuck in there very long, for the record.)

My last thought today is this: it's tomato season and I couldn't be more in love with tomatoes these days. When you eat a fresh garden tomato, it makes you wonder what right that nasty pinkish thing you've been buying from the grocery store has to call itself by the same name. I went to the farmers market this morning and bought more tomatoes than I'll probably be able to eat (but not all of these. Just almost.):


I see many tomato sandwiches in my near future and I couldn't be happier about it.

Happy Wednesday.

Monday, August 8, 2011

Today...

...I'm loving these two songs: Roll Away Your Stone by Mumford and Sons, and Out in the Twilight by Tally Hall.

....I'm dying to watch this week's episodes of Big Brother to find out who's going home. If any of you watch BB let me know! An evil friend of mine decided to drag me down with him this season by getting me addicted to it. I'm disappointed in myself because now I can't be one of those smug people who say, "I don't watch reality tv." It's so hard because I love being smug!

...I started out with a plan to eat granola and fruit for breakfast until someone brought in donuts from Washtenaw dairy. But I only had half of one. And if I eat another half later, it still only counts as one half. Those are the rules of halves when applied to donut consumption.

....I'm looking for a good yoga studio in Ann Arbor. One that focuses on meditation and breathing. Anyone know of one?

....I'm thinking about how I used to think everyone who liked A Prairie Home Companion was pretentious but now I like it. It's like I don't even know myself anymore. It happened so gradually. But I don't like the whole show, and that makes me feel better about it.

...I'm moving forward with my goals to have a happier life by nurturing good relationships, getting away from bad ones, and making healthy goals for body and mind. I hope it lasts. Why are good goals so hard to keep? Don't I want to be happy? Why are we our own worst enemies?

...I'm thinking about how judgmental I am for what I said about people who like A Prairie Home Companion. It's just hard though because judging is so fun.*

What are you up to today?

*sarcasm translates in text, right?

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Why aren't you married yet?

Do you think the question "Why aren't you married yet?" is meant to insult or compliment? When I'm wondering it about a single friend of mine, I mean it as a compliment. But when I'm asked it, I feel insulted. Really insulted, actually. Not to mention irritated. My mind races through possible answers, from the sarcastic to the painfully honest (by which I mean feelings of self doubt/low self esteem or remembrances of relationships that didn't work out). I usually just land on, "I don't know." Because really, is anyone expecting an honest answer when they ask you that? And do they deserve one? What do they want you to say?

How do you react to that question?

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Sexist-off

My good friend Jesse knows that if there's one thing that gets me worked up, it's sexist comments. They get me all kinds of riled up! Jesse takes full advantage of this for his own amusement. Today I responded to a text he had sent me calling me a punk. I demanded an explanation but his explanation wasn't good enough for me and the following textversation ensued. It's more of a "sexist-off" than anything. He won.

I don't normally share things like this but it made me laugh and I thought some of you (men, especially) might find it amusing. I told Jesse I could change his name to protect his identity but he said he didn't really care if people knew it was him.

Jesse's texts are in gray, mine are in green.


Men!! (I was not trying to make out with him, for the record!)

The Social Network(s)

 Smug actor from that overrated movie
I enjoy my social networks. They give me something to do when I'm bored, they provide me with a way to stalk guys I'm crushing on (go ahead and judge me, but I know you do it too), and they give me something to do when I'm bored.

Here are my feelings about the social networks I'm involved with:

Facebook: Love/hate. Facebook almost gives me too much information, leaving me feeling more disconnected from people in a strange way. It's nice to see what my friends are up to - especially friends who live far away. But seeing what they're up to and not being a part of it makes me feel more distant from them sometimes. Do any of you experience this? Other than that, I like Facebook and the things it has to offer. If asked to deactivate my Facebook account, I would find it very difficult. I'm not proud of that...

Myspace: LOVE! I'm kidding. I set up an account for this years ago and haven't been back since.

Twitter: Love, for real. Twitter is hilarious (depending on who you follow, of course). I follow some pretty funny people so I always get a laugh when I log on. My only problem with Twitter is that not enough of my actual friends are on it (hint,  hint). If you're looking for me on Twitter, you can find me here (link).

Google+: And this brings me to the reason for writing this post. I signed up for Google+ maybe a month or so ago and I've spent about ten minutes total on it since. I just can't really get into it. I know some of you (cough*Brady*cough) love it, but I don't really understand why, and I also don't really understand how it works. Do you guys think it will be as big as Facebook? Bigger? Do you like it? Someone please talk me into caring about Google+.

I'm also curious: which is your favorite social network, and why? Which is your least favorite?

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Wednesday Thoughts

Mullet J Lo is the best J Lo
Today I did one of my favorite things - went to the hair salon and got my hair done. Going to the hair salon isn't just about beautifying though - it's about so much more. Like:

1. Catching up on my celebrity gossip. I read a People magazine from cover to cover today. I know who pulled off what outfit and who didn't, I know who Zach Galifianakis is (kind of), I know what jeans look good for my body type (actually, I just skimmed that one), and I know all about J Lo's divorce (which made me sad).

I have a secret confession about J Lo. I like her as (wait for it...) an actress. Or rather, I like her as an actress in Enough. If you haven't seen that movie, you have to! It's so good! Oh, and I like her in The Wedding Planner too. But that's it. And Selena. But that's all. She wasn't bad in Maid in Manhattan. That's it though. For real. Was she in any other movies?

2. Getting my hair shampooed is another reason I love going to the salon. What's better? Getting your hair shampooed (with a good scalp massage), or getting a back massage? Correct answer: scalp massage/shampoo. Heavenly.

3. Catching up on gossip with my hair stylist.

4. Looking fabulous.

In conclusion, I'm happy tonight and my hair looks better than it ever does when I style it myself.

In other Wednesday Thoughts, every now and then I hear something that creates a lot of imagery in my mind, like "BRAINS" - the clinic in Grand Rapids that inspired so many drawings from me awhile back. This week inspiration struck again. This time it was from something Congressman Emanuel Cleaver of the Congressional Black Caucus said. I think you know what I am referring to - when he called the debt ceiling deal a "sugar coated satan sandwich."

A sugar coated satan sandwich. I mean, what is that?! Without getting into the politics of it all (I think we've all had enough with the debt ceiling), I'll tell you what it could be: Or rather, show you:


a surprise in the middle!

With fries on the side



Happy Wednesday!

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Summer Magic

I've had many magical nights this summer. Some I've told you about, some are too personal to write about, and one I will tell you about right now.

As I mentioned in my previous post, for one night while I was in Ludington, some friends came up to visit. These friends had never been there before so even though they arrived after dark, I took them to Lake Michigan to see the beach.

We waded into the water, gasped at its coldness and dug our feet into the soft sand. Since we were near the lighthouse, my friends suggested we walk out to it. I protested because it's a half mile walk out into Lake Michigan, and walking out there in the dark made me nervous. They insisted though and I caved.

And I'm so glad I did. It was magical out there. When we got out to the lighthouse we saw that there were only a couple other people there - some fishermen. We leaned against the lighthouse and looked at the stars. The stars were so bright out there, with no man made light to take away from them (the lighthouse only has a pale green light shining). I didn't have my camera with me, and couldn't have captured it anyway, but I suppose it looked something like this:


                       


As we leaned back and looked up, we talked about the constellations for awhile, but the conversation slowed as we got caught up in just looking. And when we were talking, conversations were interrupted frequently with gasps as we repeatedly saw shooting stars. I can't remember the last time I saw a shooting star but I saw three that night. Unfortunately I forgot to make wishes on the second two, which I regretted because if I had remembered I would have wished for more shooting stars.

I bet you're wondering what my first wish was, but I can't tell you because then it won't come true. The rules of wishing are very stringent and I must obey.

But I digress. A warm night, a bright starry sky, great friends, listening to the waves rolling past, while looking at shooting stars? Summer magic at its finest.