Guess which dwarf I am today? (Other title: The news that isn't)

A few weeks ago I made a vague reference to something that could be good but I didn't want to jinx it. Well, at this point, I've surpassed the good feelings and don't really feel like anything I say here could jinx anything, at this point.

I had a job interview on Jan. 31. An interview within the Alcatraz corporation but not on this campus, but in Northern Civilization. It would have amazing hours, killer benefits, be permanent full time, and make about double to double and a half (can I have double and a half???) the money as what I do now. When I interviewed it was like the job description was plucked right off my resume. I am PERFECT for this job. It was made for me.

I could barely constrain myself from drooling over this job (though I did manage.) I thought I interviewed like a pro. I was there for 3 hours, met the team, and given the tour. She told me she had 1 other candidate to interview and she would submit names to her director. She left me feeling like it would be my job but she was going through the process of interviewing because she had to. Of course, she didn't give it to me but it just felt like she was going to hire me. The interview was THAT good. At the end she said I should know an answer either way, by Feb. 11.

Well, Feb. 11 has come and gone with no answer because the director went on vacation. She got back on Monday, Feb. 14. Though a woman on my current campus who works with the woman I interviewed with said she liked me. The woman I interviewed with liked me, that is. Yes, with all these women and no names, I realize this is rather convoluted.)

Then, on Wednesday, I ran into the woman who interviewed me here on my campus (she was here for a meeting). We made small talk and I just bluntly casually said I was waiting to hear from her. She said, and I quote, "I submitted my candidate list to N***** and am just waiting to here from her." Then she wouldn't make eye contact with me. Our chat before had been fine before that but then she was all lack of eye contact and skittish with me. From her body language, intonation, her non verbal cues, and her word choice, I am pretty sure this is not going to be my job.

And we do not have some sort of company HR procedure that wouldn't let her tell me there. She could've said my name was on the list. I think the omission is the answer. She might not want to tell me in the middle of a cafeteria lunch that I didn't get the job but there would be nothing wrong with telling me I was on the list with the other candidates.

I've decided what's worse than the interview is the not knowing.

And I still don't know. I would be satisfied with a "no" at this point, just to put me out of my misery.

Guess it's not such a great, big, wonderful newsy possibility after all.

Grumpy Maggie

Thursday's thoughts (aka random stuff in my head)

One of the things on my 40 before 40 list is take ballroom dancing lessons. We called to arrange the first lesson and the instructor's name is... Sam. It's fate. I also get a new pair of high heels for this adventure. I'm nervous. I hope I don't barf on Sam the Dance Man. Nor on ITSam...

I chaperoned a field trip today. It was on a bus with all boys. I must be long on patience and have a higher tolerance for their stupid boy antics than I care to admit. Other teachers don't feel that same way. Tomorrow when we meet to do the behavior report, I am going piss off the other faculty members because I don't think the kids should be in trouble for doing "kid" stuff.

I have my first foster parent class tomorrow night and I'm really excited. And nervous. And scared.

Many folks have recommended CDs and I've been listening. Mumford and Son, Lady Gaga and Cherry Poppin' Daddies. I'm diggin' it all.

I saw a play today, as part of the field trip, and it was THREE and a HALF hours long. My butt really hurts. And I'm a gold medalist in sitting and this was even too much for me. But the play was freakin' awesome.

Does anyone else have "Angry Birds" as an app? Everyone I know said I should get it, and ITSam is playing it as I type and is having a hoot. I don't get it....

My big plans for Sunday are to read all the blogs on my favorite lists because I've been slacking. I'm really sorry for not reading you guys. I still love you even though I'm lame.

I cannot believe I no school Monday. I have an entire day off. I am NOT going to work any job at all. Mac has school and ITSam has to work. I might try and bribe Daddy-O to leave so I can use the house for the day.

Speaking of apps, I would take recommendations of apps that are MUST HAVES. I don't have nearly enough apps. I'm lacking in the app department. And speaking of apps, I need to promise myself to learn one a day because I don't know much about the ones I do have. UGH!

Today was a spring teaser as far as the weather goes because it was 61 degrees outside. that's right. You read it right. 61 flippin' degrees. I was one happy lady! I love the smell of wet, warm earth.

Can anyone else tell I'm really struggling to find blog topics lately? I've been waiting on an answer to my "big news" before I say anything. Because it might be sad, pathetic NO news. Ideas are welcome as far as blog ideas go.

random queen,
Maggie

33. Take a Yoga class

I finally did it; I probably won't do it again, but I finally did do it once.

I went with four friends. I felt moral support was important. And I also thought having a number of friends along was a good idea so I had people who would carry me to the ambulance waiting in the parking lot if I couldn't get un-pretzel.

I don;t think I my mind works in the right way for yoga. I appreciate the stretching and relaxing. I appreciate the mind set people should have about yoga but... well, I just couldn't get centered. I was very self conscious and found it hard to focus on relaxing. I was worried about my big butt in the air, even though I had a friend behind me. I couldn't lay there in a room full of people with my eyes closed; that was weird to me. And the lingo, the name of the positions, and new age music made me want to giggle. I wanted to be serious but I couldn't find my focus or find my center.

I could do all the positions and the instructor gave some interesting information about yoga. I liked the bending and the stretching parts. But the quiet and the dim lights, the funky music, and the over all 'granola' mindset (that's Mac's terminology) wasn't my thing.

It was so much fun that all my friends- two people from Alcatraz, my SisIL, and XRayGirl- went with me, though. It was good camaraderie.

I think part of my problem, other than being self conscious, was we had all made so many jokes I was having trouble being serious when I needed to be. We made jokes about "Downward Facing Dog". We wondered what would happen if someone farted. We wondered if we could get tangled and never get un-tangled.

I saw a zumba class in progress and I think I'm more of a zumba girl than a sitting -in -the -dark- with- candles- on- a -mat- trying- to- get- my- leg- behind -my -head- in- a- weeping- tree- position -yoga girl.

Maggie

Favorite lyrics

I love the following lyrics. They either make me laugh or cry or give me the good kind of chills.

1. "Will ya hose me down with holy water, if I get to hot? Will you take me places I've never known?"- Meatloaf, "I'd do anything for love"
2. "I'm a bitch, I'm a tease, I'm a goddess on my knees." - Meredith Brooks, "Bitch"
3. "And in the midst of sailing ships we sink our lips into the ones we love, that have to say goodbye."- Train, "When I Look to the Sky"
4. "She is frequently kind, and she’s suddenly cruel, she can do as she pleases, she’s nobody’s fool, but she can’t be convicted, she’s earned her degree"- Billy Joel, "She's Always a Woman"
5. "To my heart he carries the key, Won’t you tell him please to put on some speed, Follow my lead, oh, how I need, Someone to watch over me."- Gershwin, Someone to watch over me

There is so much more to music than just the music. I love music and the performance part. I love in the song "I Don't wanna miss a thing" when Steven Tyler breathes on the lyric "I could stay lost in this moment forever", right on the word forever. It is so sexy.

Broadway show-tune lyrics get a category all their own. I love them separately but they compare differently because of the word choices. Broadway tunes string together stuff that could never make the mainstream but show tunes make me HAPPY!

One time a former Sam and I were split up. He went to drown his sorrows at our favorite bar. Well, the bartender called me at 2:23am and asked if I could please do something. (Yes, it is sad to know that the bartender at that Sam's favorite bar had my number since I had been called to get him so often). I asked what he had done now and she said he had played "Lady is a tramp" 13 times in a row on the jukebox. I dragged my tired ass out of bed, drove across town and picked him up. I didn't deserve it but I love the story. Every time he and I had split, he listened to a lot of Sinatra. That was his thing for me. (I was the only woman who drove him to Sinatra- that, my friends, is a damn compliment!)

There is a song called "Crash and Burn" by Sheryl Crowe. Every time I hear this song played, I cry. I sob. But I like it.

I am sure I will come up with more lyrics but right off the top of my head these are always reverberating around as my all time favorite lyrics. Do my lyric choices reflect my personality or some subliminal subconscious? Regardless, I just love music. What are your favorite lyrics?

9. Eat at a restaurant I've never been to before

On Saturday night, in honor of Valentine's Day, ITSam took me to a Japanese steak house to celebrate. I've never been to this place before but I had always heard good things about the food there. I had no idea what all it encompassed, either, so I was a little nervous but excited about it.

Not only did we have a great meal and lots of fun, I also have a chance to cross something off my list- eat somewhere I've never been!

And I had a chance to learn how to use chopsticks... that should've been on that list, too!

Four couples (that we didn't know) were seated family style around a HUGE grill. A woman (in a kimono) took our drink and dinner orders. Drinks first. I just had soda because Sam was going to drink Saki and I was going to drive. Then he changed his mind so I was going to have a mai tai but Sam mentioned something about dessert and I decided I didn't want to "spoil" my dessert.

Meal choices were steak, chicken, shrimp or combos of this. All dinners came with a house soup, a house salad, and a shrimp appetizer. I decided to have the steak and chicken combo.

The waitress brought our soup. I wasn't a big fan; it was very gingery and peppery, neither flavors am I a fan of. The soup was lettuce with shredded carrots on the top and some sort of weird orange dressing. I wasn't a fan of that either. Sam was worried. I didn't complain or make a fuss and I tried everything.

Then we had a shrimp appetizer and I swear I could've eaten about 174 of those. They were grilled and spiced with... good spices. I LOVED the shrimp. Then the main dish was steak and chicken which was grilled to perfection and seasoned impeccably. I was in food heaven. This came with fried rice and seasoned, grilled veggies (mushrooms, onions, bean sprouts, zucchini). It was all marvelous! My mouth is still watering over it all and I really do want more- now! While I loved it all, I think next time I go I'm getting the steak and shrimp! Yummers!

What was extra cool was the fact that we had our own personal chef who performed our food preparation! It was so cool. He chopped, sliced, diced, and cut all the meat and veggies in front of us. He tossed the food around. He tossed his knives around. He threw shrimp tails in the air and caught them in his pocket. He tossed a lemon in the air and caught it behind his back on the prong of a fork. He was just fun and creative. He told funny jokes. It was just a neat "cutting" performance, food preparation as performance art.

Next on our food agenda, was dessert. After dinner at the Japanese steak house, we went to a local chocolatier. They had three collections of chocolates they're featuring this winter. It's all gourmet chocolates and just divine. I had never been here either! I looked at the dessert menu and they had tons of elegant desserts with chocolate of all kinds and sorts, along with their homemade vanilla gelato. It's an amazing dessert list. One thing that's on the list is sipping chocolate; this is only on the list during winter while all the others are year around, so I chose something a little different!
I've never had sipping chocolate. It's 3 ounces of liquid. It's 80% melted chocolate with a shot of steamed milk. It's like drinking a melted chocolate bar. It's completely decadent and RICH! I had to finally have a glass of water with it. It was scrumptious. And did I mention Sam bought a box of chocolates and let me pick out a pick out a pounds worth of whatever I wanted to fill it?

It was a lovely, fun night filled with good food, fun entertainment, and a wonderful evening with a great guy!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Three down and 37 more to go,
Maggie

Tired, tired, tired

How is it that I can't get enough hours in the day to make my world go around?

I drove to the southern part of my state to pick up some kids who got a home pass visit. I get paid to make this trip. I got to bring Princess along to ride shotgun. It was almost 60 degrees. The sun was out. The girls were all awesome. I had a good car to drive. We rocked it out to Lady Gaga on the way home. We laughed and giggled lots.

But we left at 745am and arrived home at 5pm. I took Princess to get picture prints made so we can scrapbook on Wednesday. Then Mac and Princess went to church youth group together. I had to stay the entire time, because of Alcatraz rules. (I waited in the car for 2 hours) Then I took her home, got pizza, saw my Bro & SisIL then finally made it home to eat, blog, do a load of laundry and watch some Grammys (which suck). I just sat down; I even stood up to eat dinner and it's just now 9:55pm.

I love all the time with Princess.

I am soooooooooooooo tired.

Love,
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