where did that good idea go?

I hate that I think of great topics during the day and as soon as I sit down to blog, I can't remember a thing? I usually try to write myself a note but then I leave the note at work and can't remember it until I see if the next day and then forget again... well, you get my drifts.

What's worse is when I remember to bring the note home and I can't remember the details. I jotted one or 2 words and then I think "what hell was that supposed to be about?" It's all Greek. What was I going to say that I thought was blog worthy about "Pandas"? Hell, what even made me think that? So I think through the whole day trying to key in on the word Panda and draw nothing. Then I'm frustrated because I obviously had a good idea with Pandas but can't focus on something else because I'm concentrating so hard on Pandas that I can't come up with anything else.

Or my all time favorite idiot moment when it come to blog topics: I remember the topic and I sit down and start to write only to come up with about 1 paragraph. 1 very short paragraph. Okay, it seemed like a super idea to the point where I remembered it but I can't get anything else out of it. Nothing,. Nada. Zip. Zilch. The one paragraph blog post. yeah, right.

I swear I should have an entire blog dedicated to blog ideas gone awry. The ones that can't be developed or the single word or phrase that was once part of my brain that's gone. The single paragraph blog posts. Ugh!

Writer's Alzheimer's? Or just a blocked writer?

Mags

Caution: lemon can cause... crazy?

Since I started making shakes for breakfast I like to add flavors and lemon seems to be my favorite. I just want to say that.

Also, I'd like to point out I've never been diagnosed with a mental illness. I'm just sayin'.

So, am I the only one who talks to herself? And I don't just mean talk... I mean... well, entertain herself, and not in that sexual way, either! Let me just give a "for example."

I made a shake in the morning and it was lemon flavored. I was driving to work and drinking the shake and I started saying the word "lemon" over and over in different voices, different accents, doing impressions. Then I started singing the lemon song. I don't KNOW a lemon song, but I made one up. Yep.

And about half way to work, I discovered what I was doing. And I stopped. Then I started berating myself for being such an idiot. But I was doing the berating aloud. And occasionally reminding myself how yummy my lemon shake was- sort of interjecting that happily while I yelled at myself for chanting lemon.

I'm not crazy. I swear.

This is why I should just shut up and turn on the radio in the car in the morning, right?

Mags

Change isn't always good

I don't want a new blogger interface. I can't cope with the blogger change! What's wrong with the old one? I hate Google! I need to go and hide for awhile.

I'll be back.

Mags

Why do we 'snap'?

The day starts out normal and then something small happens and all hell breaks loose. Why does this small thing send us over the edge?

I missed school yesterday and today was nuts. I had students all day long needing something from me other than library books: when is art club, what are we doing at art club, why can't we have books over spring break, where was I yesterday, will the library be open over spring break, is the crocheting group going to meet this week... then the can I talk to you, can I have a magazine, will you cover a class for a meeting... EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEK!!!!!!!!!!!

I was calm and cool and collected with the kids all day even though I wasn't feeling 100% normal yet. It's not their fault they're so needy today and that I wasn't running long on patience.

Then I got home and snapped. A clothing company sent my dead mother of 4.5 years a catalog and we're requested to be off their mailing list many, many, MANY times. This was nuts and I "lost" it, I guess we could say. I found their 800 number and called and gave hell until someone got her off the list. The operator on the phone didn't like me any more than I liked her or her company or her crummy attitude. (I want to say I didn't chew at first. I was nice and she was snotty so then gloves were off.)

Seriously, I had a good day. It was busy but not a bad day at all. I have no idea what made me pop but I did.

Another friend of mine had the same thing today, too. He's looking for a new job and everything was going along swimmingly for him and suddenly he "snapped" this afternoon when a prospective employer called him and wanted to know why they couldn't reach any of his references and wanted him to call all his references and have them call the potential employer. He was at his current job and it was awkward. Then he learned than his insurance payment was screwed up and he snapped. Not at me, but just snapped yelling and growling in frustration.

I see this happen with Mac; he's happy and content one minute and then next he;s biting the heads off live chickens. I see it in my students all the time.

I just wonder what causes us to go over the edge over something small and insignificant yet we can be pelted with lots of BIG things in the course of a day and never lose our cools. I don't know, either.

But snap we do and snap we will...

But we won't be getting any more of those stupid catalogs.

Mags

Journal prompt

I'm brain dead for a topic for today so I just googled journal writing prompts to see what I would get. On thing I hate, as a writer and as a teacher, is that all journaling topics are so personal and force self reflection. The times when I turn to a journal topic is when I don't want to be self reflective.

In all honesty, I had a GREAT day and then Mac had a shitty night at school and he talked about it with me. He wasn't mean or nasty to me (for once) just shared about his class experience which ten grew into a why he hates himself conversation. Or rather, he conversed and I listened and felt bad. So my super great day just feels so distant because my only child is so unhappy and miserable and I can do nothing to help him; his issues are greater than me.

So I turn to google to give me something NON Personal journal topics and instead find myself inundated with self reflective personal introspective junk.

In my last year of teaching I bought a fabulous book that was titled something like "Journal Topics for the Classroom that are not introspective nor personal." I loved that book. I know many of students hated being given a topic that forced them to share with me if they didn't want to. I tried variations and lots of things worked through the years but then I found this book and it was fun and different and creative. I got some great ideas and some great writings from my kids, too, which was the whole point. And until you teach high school and have kids write personal stuff to you, you haven't "lived" *Yes there's sarcasm there. Frankly. it was sometimes (often) scary to read student personal journals, especially when they decided to trust you. So I loved the book with its silly topics. And if I couldn't found that book right this second, I wouldn't pulled a topic out of it and wrote.

Hmmmmmmmmmmm, gee this whole post about not having a topic turned out to be a post. Has that sort of Seinfeld-esque quality to it, eh?

And here I thought I was going to resort to writing about the topic "are you afraid of the dark? Explain" Guess I can save that one for another day.

Mags

Now you see them...

While I'm a fan of change, and I think my itchy feet and wanderlust and lack of money are the root cause of all my issues lately, I've been thinking about routine lately. Or, more accurately, I've been thinking of people who are part of my routine.

When I lived in Northern Civilization, I drove to work the same way ever day, and at about the same time. I usually was put together but sometimes I put lipstick on at a stop light. But there was a guy I saw every day who always was shaving at the stop light. It got to the point where we would wave at each other every day because we followed each other down the road. We weren't neighbors (though we could've lives near each other but in a spread out city it's to tell) but as I pulled onto the main road it was usually behind or in front of him. It was an especially busy road and if I timed it right, he would stop and allow me to pull in front of him, if it would work out. We always waved. If it was "have the car window down" weather, we'd say "TGIF" or "have a good one" or "nice weather." When I moved, I always wondered what happened to him & I wondered if he thought about me and my whereabouts.

Even then I had a Starbucks I went to all the time and in a city of 1/2 million people, the baristas knew my face to make me my "usual." And I go to that one when I got to N.Civ., since it's my favorite one and if the right people are working, they still remember even though it's 7 years later. Now, how awesome is that?

I go into the Speedway gas station almost every morning for coffee (since there's no Starbucks in my town--- though--- the Starbucks that's 25 minutes from my house have several baristas who know me not only by my drink and pastry order but by NAME as well!!!! *ahem* !) and the same girls are working. I know their names and they know mine. They ask how school's going, I ask about their kids. They tease me about having Fridays off and I joke with them about their pizza perks. They notice when I get a new haircut and vice versa. One of the girl's is going to have a baby and another's kid had chicken pox. They even ask if I've been okay if I haven't come in for a few days. It's really nice to see those familiar faces.

Not only do I see the same employees on the same shift, I see the same customers; I'm in the early group so I see the truck drivers fueling up delivery vehicles, nurses, whomever. We're the "have to be at work by 8am" group. I see teachers from other schools. I see the people who are getting off of 3rd shift. I see the grandma who takes her grandson to pre-school on Tuesdays so he gets a Krispy Kreme from the big glass case as a special treat on those days.

There's a small coffee shop in town and I can go in and they know my name and my drink. Several cashiers at Wally World know me (I'm ashamed to admit that). I can call the bank and two of the tellers recognize my voice. I even have become friends with a woman who used to work the early AM shift at McDonald's and she got a new job but we liked each other so much we stay in touch! And there are several restaurants in town who recognize me and can ask if I "want the usual"! My Pizza Hut delivery guy says hi to me when he sees me in public, and asks how my dad and son are!! (I think that means I have PH delivered waaaaaaaaaaay to often!) I won't even mention how personally acquainted I've become with people at the video store and the public library!

So, while I give living in a small town a rough time, and I clamour about the boredom of a routine, there's something nice to be said about seeing the same friendly faces over and over again.

Maggie

New Year Resolutions in June- is that anything like Christmas in July?

I have decided two things that I'm going to do with my life, starting this month.

First, I'm giving myself permission to say "no". I'm gonna stop doing stuff I don't want to do. I find I end up doing a bunch of crap that I don't want to do. I often say yes out of guilt, because it's the "right thing" to do, or because it's expected. I'm not gonna do it any more. I'm only going to do things I want to do.

Secondly, the other thing I'm going to do is diet. I already wrote about that so i don't need to go into it again, though I really do appreciate all the thoughtful, encouraging and positively helpful comments from everyone already!

And there are 80 days until Mac leaves for college. Thank goodness.... I'm sure this has something to do with weight loss and saying no.

Mags

It sounds so Nancy Drew: "The Mystery of the Refrigerator Art"

A few weeks ago I was fussing around on my blog and was going to write a post. I got interrupted so I wrote myself the words "refrigerator art" in the blog body and thought that would tip me off when I had time to go back and write the post. I saved it as a draft and went on my merry way. Now I have time. I'm back. And I have NO idea what I was going to write about at all.

Right now the words "refrigerator art" have no meaning to me whatsoever. I've read my blog posts a few days before and after the date I saved it to see if there was something that triggered that thought process. I hit a few of my fav blogs and re-read their posts around that same time. Nothing. I have no idea what my intent was. I can't even find anything about "art" or "refrigerators" to see if I was using some fun, little play on words.

I thought I could challenge myself and come up with something anyway, about refrigerators or art. Ummmmmmm, well..... okay. Let's just say I've kicked it around for a few days and if I was a student and this was my writing prompt I would be in big, frickin' trouble.

I even went to look at Daddy-O's refrigerator to see if there was something there. We have a collection of weird magnets advertising businesses or places people have gone on vacation and brought back a magnet, like a guitar stamped with Graceland. There's also a magnet of Marilyn Monroe. Apart from the magnet art, there's an assortment of take-out menus, Mac's school calendar for the rest of the school year, some expired coupons, a couple of note pads, and a bag that held veggies but is there as a reminder to me to get that same kind next time I go. There's a beer bottle opener, too. And there's a couple of photographs of family friends. Nothing that looks like art. No pictures drawn and hung up. No all A report cards. Just a bunch of junk that does NOT resemble art. Unless you would consider it modern art. I don't.

Because I'm anal retentive like that I looked at ITSam's fridge, hunting for inspiration and all that's there is a strip of pictures he and I had taken at a photo booth in the mall. Nothing else.

Wonder if Van Gogh or Picasso's moms put their artwork on the fridge?

I have three pictures that Princess made for me in her advanced art class and those are hanging up in my library, not on a fridge but on a file cabinet. She also has work on display in a local art show here in town. But I don't think either of these is the idea I had.

Anyway, so the mystery of "refrigerator art" remains. I still have no idea what I was going to write about, even after all the investigation.

Some mysteries are never solved.

Maggie

Worthless Layabout that I am

I feel almost sinful for what I did last night. The only thing that would've made it better is if someone would've let me eat an entire pan of gooey brownies.

I got home from work/ school at 4pm. I put on my jammies and sat on my butt on the couch. Daddy-O and Mac fixed an early supper, which I ate. And I didn't even offer to help clean up and I didn't feel guilty about it either (though I did fill the dishwasher before Daddy-O cooked...)

I went back to the couch and finished Mac's FAFSA. Then I watched movies and read email and played Boggle on my phone.

ITSam came over and we watched a movie and then he left and I went to bed.

I was a complete bum who put on pj's at 4pm. And I really don't care.

I feel like I've been going 3000 miles an hour for the last month. I've physically felt like poop, completely wiped out. I've done two jobs the last 4 days and then had my big program for the Mardi Gras party. Add all the personal stuff like FAFSA, broken cars, Princess, money, taxes and just life, it's been a VERY STRESSFUL time. I told Daddy-O it was a good thing I lived with him (and respected him enough to not drink like a fish in his h0use) or I would've become an alcoholic in the last several months due to stress.

Last night's veg out session was awesome and I plan on doing a few more of those in the upcoming weeks.

Mags

Lady of Leisure day

Today I have no school. We have a 'winter break' day. We didn't have enough snow days to date to take it away so I actually have the day off tomorrow while all other schools in the county- Mac's included- have to go to school.

My big plan for the day involves doing nothing but things I want. Which means I'll probably spend quality time in my pajamas, reading, drinking coffee and reading some of my back dated fashion magazines (which is a 40 before 40 item...). I might scrapbook, or not. I might read blogs, or not. I might answer emails, or not. I might watch movies, or not. Whatever I do, it will be what I want and it will be fun.

I worked hard this weekend with ITSam's help. We cleaned the attic, and got about 80% finished. I can now see the floor again. We actually dusted and vacuumed. we found a place to put almost everything. I still need to clean my closet but this is a huge undertaking. We also overhauled Mac's half of the attic (with his help.) I've done copious amounts of laundry all weekend so there will only be about 2 loads left today and I may or may not do them. ITSam cleaned the bathroom and I did dishes. He mopped the floor and I put away all that laundry. We worked hard. We did play some but mostly is was a cleaning weekend, all so I can be a bum tomorrow.

I got some super nice sheets for Christmas with a high thread count; these are a luxury and feel like silk. We put them on my bed. I shaved my legs. I have clean jammies. I have some of my favorite creamer and a clean coffee cup. Let the relaxing commence!

Maggie

Where did the time go?

Here's the deal. I forgot to blog. Well, let me clarify. I didn't forget I just kept running out of time.

Curly and I went out together and got caught up since we hadn't been together for months. We had lunch, coffee, shopping and a bookstore visit.

After I dropped her off, I met ITSam and we went to Northern Civilization for a Valentine's date. We hit Best Buy for stuff for dad, and then a bookstore, the bakery and then dinner. After that we went to a chocolate shoppe for dessert then home.

It's late and I suddenly thought I didn't have a post written and scheduled to post. I sat down to write one now and I can't think of a thing. I also don't have the brain power to write anything thoughtful even thought I have some really good ideas.

I thought I would write about one of my 40 for 40 items but it's going to involve pictures.

I could write about dinner late night but I don't have the energy to form coherent, angry sentences.

So, I'll be posting this post about why I'm posting a crappy post about nothing.

And I don't promise that tomorrow will be much better because I'm driving a transport and leaving early and arriving home late. But I'll try.

Upcoming posts will feature:

• learning to say no and my busy schedule
• a bad dinner at Applebees and poor service from, who else, Wally World
• the horrors of job interviews
• political hope
• the refrigerator
• a 40 before 40 item
• Princess Update
• age

So, until then, here's a apology post for writing about nothing...

Suffering from brain dead-ness,

Maggie

What's in your wallet?

Does anyone other than me have a whole bunch of crap in your wallet?

Daddy-O gave me one of my mom's old wallets, ironically one I had given her as a gift and he hung onto it since it was pink and covered in shoes. I was getting ready to switch all my stuff from one to another and I didn't realize how much crap I had stuffed inside this thing.

After throwing out expired coupons, by train tickets from Italy when I was there in March 2009, old receipts and gum wrappers, I started sorting all the stuff to see what I needed to keep and what I could toss out.

Of course I have the obligatory family and friend pictures but I think I need to update these. The last one of Mac, he's about 10 years old. I found a picture with an old boyfriend that I dated more than 10 years ago.

Then there are all the "cards" and I don't mean credit ones. Seriously, every business these days has a card for something. I have a Kroger card which nets me discounts in the store. I get frustrated because I think they should just sell the stuff for the discount price and do away with the card process. The times I've been in line when someone hasn't used a card either the cashier lets the person use hers or someone in line hands theirs over. Stupid idea, I think.

I have a Panera Bread card that nets me random free desserts or drinks. I have a Hallmark card that gives me free merchandise, and I have a Speedway card which lets me earn points to spend on stuff in their store from fuel to candy to food. I think it's my most profitable of the three because I've gotten free gasoline lots of times, and more free drinks than I can count. I like my movie theater card because I get free popcorn!! I also have some other "cards" for other stores but half the time I can't remember to get them out until it's too late.

I have a stack of coffee house punch cards. With each drink, get a punch and then the 11th is free; I have these for 4 locally owned "mom and pop" type of coffeeshops. Of course there's my special gold club membership Starbucks card. It has my name engraved on it, I'm such a good customer. Buy 15 drinks and get a free one. You have no idea how many freebies I got last year. I'm embarrassed to even admit it. Now they give me free oatmeal, pastries and product discounts because I'm such a good customer. My Gold Starbucks Reward Card is like other people's Platinum American Express Card- I can't leave home without it!

I also have my Chamber of Commerce card which gets me discounts all over town. I have a driver's license of course, insurance for my car proof card thingy of course, Mac's health insurance card (new and 2 old ones...), my ATM card, a prayer card with the B-Attitudes (I always like that phrasing- it sounds like a band), and my ACLU membership card. Yes, when someone accuses me of being a "Card carrying member of the ACLU" I can pull it out and say "Why yes, yes I am."

There's also the obligatory piles of receipts to enter in my checkbook.

No wonder there's no money; who has the room even if I had any?

Maggie

Lipstick Jungle

Pardon the gratuitous product placement, but as you can see, I have lots of "lip products." I'm not sure how it happened. I used to have 2 identical lipsticks, one in my purse and the other in the bathroom in my cosmetic bag. I used to have 4 identical Chapsticks, one in my purse, one at work, one in the bathroom, and one in the night table drawer. I have no idea when my lip coverage started multiplying.

It took years for me to find the right shade of lip stick, that goes with my hair and skin coloring and that I actually like. It's a bit brown but it does look good on me. I used to buy Mary Kay but it's expensive so I found a nice L'Oreal that works and is about a third of the price!

This time of year my skin, lips included, are so very dry. I try to keep something on them at all times. I've been on the quest for the perfect lip balm (not lipstick, mind you) for years and I think I finally found it. But first, a recap of what's worked and what hasn't!

These'll do:
The blue Chapsticks are located in the bathroom and in the night table drawer. And I like the blue one because of the smell and because it feels softer going on, which I realizes sound silly. It doesn't feel like a layer of wax sitting on my lips; it feels like it sinks in and moisturizes, unlike the black label one.

I bought the pink Chapstick Not pictured- I used the last of the tube up- sorry!), straight up and honestly, because of the glitter in it. I thought that was cool. I'm an idiot. But once I bought it I liked it because it has just a touch of color, it smells right and it was glittery. It also serves its Chapstick purpose, too.

Yuck!:
The Bath and Body Works lip gloss was a gift and I just threw it in my purse one day. I don't wear it very often because it makes my lips feel gooey. And it's not a good color for me. Yes, it had glitter but gooey trumps glitter. (Princess LOVES the lip glosses from B& BW and doesn't think they're gooey at all. I wish I would've just given it to her before I used it!)

The thin stick of lip balm is not the right shade of pink and doesn't last very long. But I can feel it working, to the point of a hot/ cold tingling feeling. Maybe that's the menthol in it? It feels funny.

The long pink lip gloss has a wand. Someone gave it to me. It's also gooey but it smells nice. It doesn't do anything for lip moisturizing, though.

THE WINNER:
I think the best lip balm of all time are the small round ones. No these are not sex toys, but lip balms from eos. I love love love these. I stumbled on them completely by accident. I was reading a back issue of Elle and there they were.

First, they are so cute and fun looking. They have a nice scent but not color. They're organic! There's sunblock, 15 SPF, in them. They really work for moisturizing AND they're long lasting. I don't feel I'm applying them every few minutes. There's Shea butter in it. It's gluten free, for those who need that, and it's NOT tested on animals- how cool is that!?!

Since I saw it in Elle I figured it wasn't going to be available around here, in my small Midwest town. I figured it was a Bloomingdales product or some other exclusive store. I also figured it was going to cost around $50 bucks. OMG- so not true! These are sold at Walgreens, Krogers, Meijers, Wally World, and CVS!!!!!! And get this, the price is just $3.49 each!!!!!!!! This rocks!!! (Bragger, you totally must get some of this for the biking season!!!!!!! And if you have none of these stores near you, let me know!!!!!)

I love love love mine! I have the Sweet mint, Summer Fruit, and Honeysuckle Honeydew. I want the Lemon and the Tangerine, but I can't find those around here, and I've been to about a dozen places for those two 'flavors'. I got Princess the Summer Fruit and I think she's going to need the whole collection as well.

This stuff rocks. I'm gonna toss the yucks in the trash, finish using the Chapsticks I have, and never buy anything other than the eos lip balms again!

And my lips are so kissable!

Pucker up,
Maggie

Watching movies should be easy

I'm a bit weird (read: OCD), for sure. I've know this for a long time, but there are moments of "clarity" when I see how bad I actually am. For example...

I have a movie blog called Reel Reviews 2010. I don't think anyone ever reads it but me, but that's okay (even though it has a freakin' super cool template). I'm a list maker so it suits that need. I'm also one who likes number goals. As the year has progressed, I decided I wanted to make sure that by Dec. 31 at midnight that I've watched 200 movies. That wasn't my goal at the beginning of the year but because I taught those movies classes this summer, my numbers are waaaaay up so this is an attainable, and should be fun goal.

There is a week left in October and I need to see 4 more movies this month to stay on track of my goal of 200. Right now I've watched 176 movies for the year. I need to see 4 more this month, and then 10 in Nov. and Dec. each to come to an even 200.

Let's further add to this. I use the labels feature that blogger provides and I happened to be bored at work the other night (at my second job, not at teaching) and I was looking at all the labels. I noticed that I had watched 7 Tom Hanks movies, 6 Morgan Freeman, 5 Nick Cage, and 8 Johnny Depp movies. So I decided that I wanted to round all those guys off to an even 10. So of the 24 movies I still need to watch, I have to see 3 Hanks, 2 Depp, 4 Freeman, and 5 Cage films.

To take my OCD just one step further, as if I'm not insane enough, I was looking and I watched Toy Story 1 and Toy Story 3, but not two. So one of my Hanks movies' has to be Toy Story 2 so I've seen them all. I need to do that with National Treasure 2 since I saw the first one. Same with Angels and Demons since I finally saw DaVinci Code.

And I know if it all doesn't happen this way, I will actually be slightly freaked out and upset. So I'll obsess about it until I get it done. I even went so far to make a list of possible Depp, Freeman, Hanks, and Cage movies I could watch to fit my needs. (I'll spare you the list...)

Oh yeah.............. I'm normal. Right. Completely.

Maggie

PS- feel free to join the movie blog to follow my progress, if you want!

New Obsession

My new "crack" is fashion magazines. I'm not sure what caused this latest addiction but it's an addiction for sure. I remember when it began but not the why behind it.

One day early this summer I was at Half Price books, one of my most favorite books store on the planet when I found the 50cent magazine rack. I started flipping through and there were a bunch of issues of fashion magazines that I never really read with ferocity. I always thought I should be a lover of Vogue since it was Carrie Bradshaw's Bible but I could never justify spending $5-$8 for a magazine full of clothes that I couldn't wear since I'm a plus size. But there at Half Price books were loads of fashion magazines for just 50cents each. So, I thought 'what the hell' and grabbed a month old copy of Vogue and In Style.

And the obsession began.

Now every time I go I comb the racks and piles looking for the month old copies of Elle, Vogue, W, In Style... I just LOVE them. And there are clothes in there I could wear, and would wear! There's make up tips and shoes galore. And jewelry! And beauty tips and secrets. I've become a huge fan. There is very little of that crap that usually pepper the pages of typical women's mags like sex advice, celeb gossip, or diet tips. These magazines are pretty much strictly, straight up, all about the shoes, clothes, purses, accessories, jewelry, make up and hair. It's terrible, I know, but I just can't help it. I'm addicted. I just sit and pour over the pages, book marking things I think I could wear, searching the 'net for something in my size just like the pants on page 412 of Vogue. I wonder what's happened. I actually KNEW when fashion week started. I actually looked on CNN to watch clips. I can identify a Dior gown at 20 paces. I'm completely and totally hooked!

Addicted so much so that the other day when I was at Wal-Mart the new Vogue, In Style and Elle have the new fall fashion issues out and I couldn't wait. I just had to have copies. And at Wall World magazines are cheaper than the cover prices so I got them for about $4 each-- AND they were each about 600 pages since it was the TOTAL fall issue on 600 in styles for the season. I bought them new.

I actually have piles and piles of magazines all over my room and in the bathroom. All less than a year old.

I blame Vanity Fair because I've been a reader for years and I think it was my gateway drug magazine of choice. Next you'll be seeing me on the street corner, holding a sign, "will work for newsstand fresh fashion mags."

Do you think I need a 12 step program?

Maggie

A day for me, and me alone

I didn't go to work yesterday. I was beat to hell after the insane weekend. From Saturday morning at 7 am until Sunday night at 11pm I got about 4 hours of sleep. So I stayed home yesterday. I asked for a sub last week just in case I wanted to be off, and I was never so glad about anything in my life.

I got up at 7am to get Mac up and to say good-bye to Daddy-O. He was headed to Texas today, for at least 30 days, maybe longer. He was driving for the first time and should be there sometime today.

After the two of them were off, I read a book and feel back asleep until around 10:45 am. I fussed on the computer until around noon. It was awesome. I stayed in my jammies on the couch with no one home. I had the windows open and caught a great breeze.

ITSam brought me some lunch. Then I took a nap. For three hours. I thought I was tired but I didn't know I was THAT tired. But it felt so good to do nothing. Just nothing.

I finally took a shower and gabbed with mac after he got home from school. Sam and I went to run errands and have dinner. We rented some movies. I just chilled and was super mellow.

I love mellow. I want to do mellow for about 5 or 6 more days. Or weeks. Or years. I want to be hired to be mellow.

But today is back to the grind at Alcatraz.

Maggie

That stupid fortune cookie! And about my laptop...

And there's another one popping up with that whole "Old friends reappearing" crap............

Haven't heard from this Sam since the beginning of October and out of the blue, he's going on a trip and is staying about 50 miles from me; he wanted to see if I wanted to have dinner.

At first I thought it would be no big deal and made dinner plans. Then I spoke with my Bro and we made arrangements for the entire fam-damily to gather around Daddy-O for his birthday for dinner. So I had to cancel dinner with that Sam, which really didn't bother me at all, frankly.

I knew XRay Girl and I should've just eaten the Mexican food along with the drinks last week...

Blame the fortune cookie mojo, cuz I ain't got game right now...
Mags

And so far so good- Curley's wonderful son got my computer working. Tall Guy is my HERO!! Huge pink lipsticky kisses and hugs, Tall Guy!!!!!!!! Thank you! I seem to be TroHo free!

The accuracy of fortune cookies

The other day XRay Girl and I went for Chinese food and of course we had the complimentary fortune cookie before we left.

Now, I read somewhere that the only way your cookie fortune would come true is if you actually ate a piece of the cookie. Has anyone else heard that part of the lore? Okay, so anyway, I usually never eat a piece of the cookie until I actually read the fortune just in case I got something dumb. I know that's silly but..... I just can't help it.

Since I was with XRay Girl and we were chatting away and I popped a piece in my mouth and then read my fortune, without even thinking. I had already swallowed or I would've spit that sucker right on the floor. My fortune was "Old Friend will come back to you." Now this doesn't SOUND like a bad thing, right? It could be good in a few ways, but to me, old friends resurfacing are never positive- that usually spells trouble. Because those "old friends" are usually of the male persuasion that I slept with. Any other old friends I might have aren't really people I want to see either, but the kicker of that, is usually they don't want to see me either! And there aren't many "old friends" that I don't stay in touch with already someway or another so....

Now if I try and put a positive spin on said cookie's prediction, it could be telling me that DNice is moving back to the Midwest from the Wild West, which is a hellva lot closer, like 2800 miles closer (which is totally awesome!). But I already KNEW this so it's not predicting any sort of fortune! A fortune cookie isn't called a "reinforce what you know" cookie!

Yes, I know this is a freaking fortune cookie, but hello??? Isn't that why we read them!? I do realize it's a good thing all Americans aren't like me with the whole worrying about the fortune cookie thing because then China could be taking over the country, one Asian Buffet at a time.

HERE'S THE THING!!! The very next day, which would be May 6, I get an email from... an old Sam. Damn it! This is a very sexy Sam (for those of you who knew me a long time ago, he was aka 'The Moor'). A very persuasive Sam. A Sam who, while we sort of dated briefly and we used each other more for bootie calls (notice I said each other) than anything else and I haven't heard from him since I was living in the Wild West, out of the clear blue I get an email from this particular Sam. And we shot emails back and forth and I made it clear I am not interested in sleeping with him, he still emails. He's the guy who takes that as a challenge and wants, now, to go out to dinner, dancing, to a movie. He's proposed lots of things, said he'll come to town or we can meet half way between where were live and "hang out" or I can come to his place for a BBQ and watch movies, just as old friends.

Now I've been celibate for over 420 days and I'm not ready to throw that away for just a bootie call. Even though he is hot..................

I knew we should've gone to Applebee's for dinner. Damn fortune cookies.

Love,
"Sister Mary Maggie Mae"

If you're reading this....

then I just didn't feel like blogging yet. I did some pre-blog planning.

I had my dental surgery yesterday so Monday night I wrote this blog post and scheduled it to post. I figured if I felt like blogging, I would. If something happened to me, Curley has strict instructions to blog that... well, that something happened to me. But if I was fine but didn't want to write, then this would publish.

And since this did publish, then you can assume I am fine, but am in pain, tired, sore, out of sorts and just plain don't feel like sitting down and writing when I feel like this.

Back to regularly scheduled plans tomorrow- then I can give the bare bones details of my surgery. Very bare bones. Oh hell, all I'll probably do is kvetch and whine!

And if you have a need to read something I wrote, then visit my current book state of mind here.

The un-blog post poster,
Mags