Who sang that? Who starred in what?

Sometimes when I watch movies, TV or listen to music I start to think I have one foot in the Old Camp, and I don't really like it.

I hate it when I see a "famous" actress or actor and I have no idea who this person is, what they starred in or why they're even considered talented. My students mention an album or artist and I have no idea who it is.

I'm not firmly living in Old Camp yet though, because usually I can figure out who these people are if they kids keep talking and explaining. I think the fact there's so much I don't like to watch or listen to so I know it excludes me. My students keep me in the loop and I read Entertainment Weekly which helps me. I think.

It just makes me feel old. I was watching the Golden Globes last night and so many actresses and actors of my generation are now playing parts that are usually for older people. Yes, that means the people of my generation are old. Instead of being the hot leading ladies they're moms. Hey, hot moms, but still moms. Or grandmothers. That's the things that sucks; when my idols are playing grandma. Ick. (Yes and I know that technically I am old enough to be a grandmother because Mac is 18...). And there were a bunch of kids I didn't know at all- Mac explained and then it "clicked" but.... well, yeah.

As far as music goes... well, I find I say things like "that's noise not music" or "turn that crap off" or "Turn it down; it's too loud" or "who????????????????"

I just hate anything that makes me feel old. I really do. And right now I feel like I'm entering the world of strangeness and... possible Old Camp.

Mags

40 for 40

I have to say that "great minds think alike." I'm completely not kidding. This is the weirdest irony. It's like a giant "jinx, you owe me a Coke" moments. I've been playing around, writing a post about doing 40 things before I turned 40. I was going to post it this week, beg readers for ideas after they read the "rules/limits" publish the list on the Monday after Thanksgiving (Nov 29) and start on the list Dec. 1. BUT, guess what? BRAGGER already posted a list asking for suggestions from readers of 50 things she should do before she's 50. Now I feel like a big, plagiarizing, copycat.

I debated whether or not to give it a whirl & I decided what the heck! And I also emailed Bragger who gave me the green light to go forth and blog. (this isn't the first time she and I have had similar, tandem post topics. I swear you read enough of a person and you can become one with the blogger portion of their brain) And I'm going to mention Bragger frequently in this post because she did it so well the first time and... well, why should I recreate the wheel?

I want to do 40 new things that I haven't done before, before I turn 40 next Sept. 26. I'm scared for turning 40, and not really looking forward to it, hate the horridness that is that number, but I have to do it; turning 40 is better than the alternative. In an effort to not dwell on the old part, I've decided to try and do 40 things I've not done before.

I would love help from you. Please give me some suggestions! This is not a contest and there are no prizes if I do something you suggested. And while there are no RULES to your suggestions, there are some guidelines because, as Bragger put it, these suggestions should be "reasonable" (Bragger). Guidelines are as follows (you know I love to bullet things!):

• Affordability. I don't make much over minimum wage an hour so money is an issue. I don't have a ton of money and sponsors so I need to keep costs for these things reasonable and affordable. If you want to give me a suggestion and then provide all the funding, I would seriously consider that, but until that happens, please keep costs to a minimum.

• I can't quit my job or take lots of time off to do stuff. Please keep "time" in mind when suggesting. (Though if someone would like to fund a summer in Italy, we could certainly work that out!!!)


• The 40 things don't have to be adventurous, death-defying acts (Bragger). I don't do heights and I don't do scary. If you've read here long enough, and if you read my "old" blog, then you really do know I will not parachute out of a plane, ride a roller coaster, bungee jumping or any of that scary crappola. Not this girl.


• "It has to be something I have some control over, so it would be a waste to put 'win the lottery' as one of the 40 things" (Bragger). As would get married. Or publish a book.


• "I would prefer that items on the list not turn into lifetime commitments" (Bragger) like having a baby or getting a pet or getting married.


• Nothing that would be considered ridiculous or stupid. Silly is okay but stupid-- uh, no. Like get married or have a baby or touch spiders.


• It cannot include things that have pain associated with them, like another tattoo. I also cannot get anything pierced because Daddy-O said I would be moving out (If I do move out before 9/26/11 I cam totally getting my nose pierced, though) if I came home with a piercing. OUT- not even threatened me with the Shed but OUT.


• I also hope that you will take what you know about me into consideration and suggest things that are "Maggie Like".

I'm sure there are other "guidelines" I could suggest. Right now, though, these are the ones that sound reasonable and make the most sense. I was talking to Mac and Princess the other night about this concept and they helped me start the list. Now, I edited what they said because some of it is stuff I already did (like learn to belly dance- I took classes on this, thank you very much) and stuff that was not affordable (go to all Disney Theme Parks, including Disneyland and EuroDisney) or was ridiculous... or inappropriate. Here are the ideas they suggested.

1. cook dinner every night for one month (Mac's idea, which was followed by cackling, hysterical, rolling on the floor laughter, and punctuated by a snide snort)
   
2. take a zumba class
   
3. take ballroom dancing lessons
   
4. learn to juggle
   
5. read a book by a Russian author (in the English translation)
   
6. take a mini-road trip to somewhere I've never been
   
7. give someone else a makeover (facial, style hair, give a mani- and a pedi-)
   
8. Leave a couple books around in public places with inscriptions that they're free to those who find them
   
9. Mail a postcard to "Post Secrets"
   
10. bake cookies to send to troops, and then send them (rather than eat them all myself)
    
11. make a Baked Alaska
12. get highlights in my hair
13. take a pottery class
14. make bread once a month
    

Just because I have this started list doesn't mean that all 12 of these things will make the final cut. I want YOUR ideas and YOUR suggestions. So, please please please- feedback is wanted!

I can't wait to hear what you suggest!

Maggie

Work Cited: Bragger. "I Need Your Help." Bragger. Blogspot, 2 Nov. 2010. Web. 21 Nov. 2010.

An aside: if you haven't already and would like to vote for my blog as one of the best of 2010, I would appreciate it! Please and thank you! And go here to vote!

Today is my birthday

Happy birthday to me,

Happy birthday to me,

Happy birthday to meeeeeeeeeeeee,

Happy birthday to me!

I have no idea what I'm going to do with my day. I'm 39 years old today. OMG, 39. Yeah, I know there are some of you who WISH you could be 39 again. Whatever.

I could be all depressed and whiny about life because I'm 39 and... well, you guys read here, so you know. And Yes, I realize, it could be worse.

Yes, age is a state of mind and all that freakin' blah blah blah...

So, I'm 39 and I have no idea what I want to do today. I feel like as an adult it shouldn't be any big deal. It's just a birthday and everyone has them. But, still.

I do know that right now, I'm going to take a shower and get dressed and then read a book and drink more coffee. That's my big birthday plan. For now.

I hope you all have a great day! (Yesterday was the first day of fall, right? I certainly hope that means the temperature will no longer be climbing into the 90s like it did on Thursday!) S0 enjoy your day- I will!

Mags

A picture doesn't always say a thousand words but...

I have a picture of ITSam and Jack hanging in my classroom. Well, I have a whole host of pictures: Jack and ITSam, Mac, Daddy-O and mom, the Divine Ms. K, Fab Finn, XRay Girl and Me, Curley and Me, Gulo and Me, Lilith and Me... so I have a bunch of personal photos on a shelf above my desk.

The students were looking at them and one asked me if "that guy" was my dad. And I said yes and went on to explain that I took that photo a few Christmases ago; hence the Santa hat. And the kid looked again and said, "Oh the guy in the Santa hat is your dad? I thought the bald guy in the striped shirt was your dad."

The "bald guy" in reference here was actually ITSam. Oooops.

The kid said I look like I'm about 28 years old and Sam looks like he's about 60. Most of the rest of the class agreed.

I giggled. I shared the story with Sam later. Funny enough, he didn't see the humor in it.

Mags

When it rains, it pours

A funny thing happened yesterday when I went to the movie theater. I went to see Just Wright. It was about 10 minutes from the ending when the power in the theater went out due to the thunderstorms. So we all just sat there, me alone, with all the other couples, waiting. When the power came on about 5 minutes later the credits were rolling. Some guy in our theater went to talk to a manager so we sat a bit longer and the credits stopped and the movie started over again from the beginning. When the manager figured that out and got it reset for the third time, the power went out again!!!

So the deal was that everyone would get a rain check (no pun intended, I think) ticket if we show our ticket stubs. Only when I got to the theater I paid for my ticket and the ticket taker's machine ran out of paper so they gave me a receipt rather than a ticket. So when I gave the ticket agent my receipt instead of a stub, he gave me my cash back instead of a rain check ticket to see any show I wanted. But I still don't know how the movie ends!!!!!!!! If you saw it, can you tell me? Is that crazy or what?

And I think I went a little crazy to do what I did next. I was standing in the lobby of the movie theater with about 100 other people who were trying to decide if they should make a run for it or just stand there and wait for the rain to subside. Well, I thought, "WTF". I started walking and... well, the rain was warm and it was warm outside, like falling bathwater and I just stopped and turned in circles with my arms out and face upturned to the sky. I was jumping in the puddles and hooting and hollering and all the people in the theater started clapping and cheering me, laughing and pointing, and suddenly a couple guys ran out and then a few more people ran out and started doing the same thing! I led a mini revolution: man verses nature! It was awesome!

Gotta make my own fun, right?
Maggie

On another note...

Age

Curley was downright mean to me last night. She said, "You're almost 40." I couldn't believe she had the nerve to point that out. I told her i was taking my toys and going home. I told her she might as well tell me I have ugly shoes and my butt looks big in these pants! Almost 40 years old! That cheeky girl. I'm only 38!

Okay, no I'm not really mad at her, I swear. And I guess, I know, that 38 is closer to 40 than what I would like to admit. Ewww!

I've been thinking a lot about age lately, maybe because Mac is going to be 17 in nine days or because there's a man I have an interest in (more about him later!) who's a bit older than I am. Or because I'm almost 40 and this isn't where I wanted to be in my life. It could be any of these things, I suppose, that makes me think of age of late.

Age is interesting, with the limits it sets. For example, Mac wanted to go to Vegas for this 18th birthday because he thought he was going to be old enough to gamble. The legal gambling age in Vegas is 21. He can buy a lottery ticket in the state where were live at age 18 but no gambling in Vegas. He kept banging on about how he would be old enough at age 18 to vote and to be drafted but he couldn't drink or gamble, none of the fun stuff. I reminded him he had a whole year to wait before doing any of those milestone things.

I also think adding to the age thinking thoughts is because Mac is looking at colleges. My baby is looking at universities! How did that happen!?!

I have to keep reminding myself that age is a state of mind- how old do you want me to be? How old do I feel? Sometimes I feel like I'm 17, other times 25 and other times... 101.

One of my favorite movies of all time, When Harry Met Sally, has Sally in tears talking about getting married and kids and time running out. She says to Harry, "And I'm going to be 40." He says, "When?" Sally: "Someday!" He then goes on to point out she'll be 40 in eight years. I used to think that scene was hilarious! I also used to remember when I was 32 and could say that! For some reason, now it doesn't seem nearly as hysterically funny as it used to...

One upside to my age is that asshat fucktard Sperm Donor turned 48 yesterday. He will always be older than me and if his health stays the way it is- poor- and mine the way it is- good, except for the teeth- he'll die before me.

But really! I have my best friend point out that I'm almost 40! I thought I should start counting backwards on my next birthday; I say that all the time, though and for some reason no one else ever seems to remember I'm taking younger birthdays, rather than older ones.

However, this is a week to feel young no matter what. It's spring break! I don't have to go to school. There is something about being on spring break, specifically, that makes me feel young. No trips are planned for me or anything that would involve Florida and beaches, but the idea that I, like most kids (and other teachers) in America, have a whole week off, is awesome. This is a week to feel young!

Even if Curley thinks I'm going to be 40... soon...
Maggie Mae

Can I be the Princess today? (my answer is 'hell YEAH'!)

This is it. I'm almost 40. I can't believe it. I have two more agonizing years in my 30s after today and, well... then I'll be 40.

Tonight 9 of my family and friends are joining me for dinner. That's very cool. I have no idea what else I'll do since I'm almost 40.

But as for today, I'm 38. 38 years old. I want a pony. And yes, I said 38 years old, not 8!!!

And if I can't have a pony, can I have Johnny? Please? Ok, 'prolly not, but I do have cake candles to blow out and a wish to make...!

So happy birthday to me!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wow.

Ms Maggie Mae O'Sullivan, the birthday girl