Instead of saying what I'm thinking...
I'm pretty sure no one wants to hear the thoughts that are running through my head right now. Sometimes it is just best to sleep on things, you know? Especially when you have PMS and you're being bombarded in every direction and it seems like you don't know what is going to set you off. I've just had some new issues and bad feelings and then that caused old issues to resurface. (Have you ever seen that movie "What Lies Beneath?" Anyhow...)
It was just a shitty day. I just didn't want to deal. And if tomorrow doesn't improve significantly, I am heading south until I find a swim-up tiki bar and the rest of you will just have to deal, OK?
And there might be words before I leave. Just sayin', that's all.
Let's not tell my priest about this, OK?
We don't tell my parish priest lots of things, but we'll keep this on the down-low. As you know, he wants me to be a nun. He thinks I'd be a fabulous nun. I think I like boys, booze, my own clothing and money too much to be a nun.
So, I take the "Which World Leader Are You?" quiz. And the damn thing thinks I should be a nun too.
What Famous Leader Are You?personality tests by similarminds.com
Seriously, though, I feel very special and privileged to be compared to Mother Teresa even if it's a stupid online quiz. Maybe I can be helpful and kind like Mother Teresa but still cuss like a sailor, wear my own clothes and have sex like everyone who's not a nun.
OK, it's late and I'm pissed...
Normally a good rant would have links, but I can't even go back and read all the bullshit again and besides the links on Yahoo news die and/or change way too much.
I really dislike our president. Everything about him gives me the creepy crawlies. Not only does he make America a really shitty place to live, but he gives this appearance of being some type of leader and people listen to him. That's what makes America such a nightmarish hell-hole of a nation.
And luckily I'm pretty white, because it would absolutely suck to look like you were of any other ethnicity in this country right now. I'm not saying it's better to be white, because I don't believe this. I do believe America was supposed to be a melting pot. You know, back when cool people like Thomas Jefferson ran the show...
My brother lives in South Florida. And, of course, he asked Senorita Benitez to marry him. They are planning what they affectionately call "The Hicks and Spics Wedding." At least they have a sense of humor about it. I think that putting rednecks and Mexicans in the same room could be a very tense evening.
I don't know if you've noticed, boys and girls, but it's not a good time to be Hispanic in this country. I'm torn on the whole immigration situation. Part of me thinks if you want to be in a country, then follow the proper channels. But that's not as easy as it sounds. You see, Senorita Benitez is now a resident alien with a work permit in our fine nation. But when my brother met her, she was on the verge of being deported because she was an illegal. The problem was that her family moved here when she was young and she didn't know she was an illegal until some very official-looking men arrived at her work and publicly humiliated her and tried to send her back to a country that she had not been in since she was a toddler. She had no family there and was barely an adult and they didn't care. Luckily it's all figured out, but not everyone in La Familia Benitez has been so lucky. One of her cousins is in the process of getting deported right now. Did I mention this boy's in his teens and has NO family in Mexico? Oh well. Sorry about your luck.
I guess some would make the argument that illegals are in this country filling up our schools and using our resources without contributing their fair share. That's absolute horseshit. You know why? Because lots of illegals pay taxes into the system, and how many of them do you think file a return to get that money back? Did you guess zero? Good job.
Regardless of how someone got here or whether or not they have papers that say they can stay, it's two-thousand-freaking-six boys and girls. There are so many people working in deplorable situations. They are not safe. They are not making a decent wage. But here they are in America, the great land of opportunity, doing shitty jobs that no American would ever want. And folks don't want to give them worker status because the price of a head of lettuce would go up. It's all ridiculous and it makes me very sad.
I don't know where you live folks, but I get reports of what is going on in Florida from my brother and I read about what is happening in California. This country is on the verge of a race war.
Enter our freaking jack-ass president. His comments on Friday on this national anthem project the hispanic entertainers are working on pissed me off to no end. This is what he said:
"I think the national anthem ought to be sung in English," President Bush told reporters Friday, "and I think people who want to be a citizen of this country ought to learn English, and they ought to learn to sing the national anthem in English."
There's a reason the United States doesn't have a national language, although I'm sure Bush and his cronies (except maybe his brother's Mexican family) would like one. English, of course. America is a melting pot. It always has been, and I hope it always will be. If people don't want to learn English that's ok, even though it'll be harder on them. I see the value in keeping your own heritage and culture. You don't have to speak English to live here. It's neat to sit on a crowded subway train and hear the different languages. Just last week in Nashville, I heard conversations in at least three languages at the grocery store. I thought about how great it is that America is a place where everyone is accepted.
And then our President basically tells folks they aren't welcome if they don't speak English. Well, thank God they couldn't understand him. How about if you are from Texas and went to Yale and still can't speak proper English you have to go? How do you like that strategory, Mr. President?
I'm just pissed about the whole thing. Maybe I'm more pissed because I now have Hispanic family members. But probably not really. It's a civil rights issue. It's a social justice issue. Hell, it's just good manners.
I worry about our nation. We are going down a bad path. I just worry that the president's comments will contribute to the anti-Hispanic sentiment in the country these days. And he's always alleged to be a "uniter, not a divider," and that's sure as hell not something a uniter would say.
And besides, have you ever been to an NHL hockey game? They sing "Oh Canada" in both English and French. I'm not saying that we always sing the national anthem in Spanish. I'm just saying it's not that crazy to want to do it. Hell, if I wanted to sing it in Czech you couldn't really stop me.
My mom probably made the best comment about this whole thing. She said: "Until we all learn Sioux, Navajo and Cherokee, we probably shouldn't go around telling Hispanics to learn English."
Score one for mom.
Sorry about the rant. Back to roses and posies after I get some sleep.
So I just got yelled at...
... for not updating my blog. I'll see what I can come up with before everyone sends out the search party.
I got back into town at 2:15 a.m. on Monday. (Well, I guess it was Tuesday.) I had a great trip to Nashville, but had no idea where to start in chronicling my adventures. So many great things happened while I was gone, so many ideas ran through my head.
But when I got back, I was having a hard time getting the thoughts out the way I want to. I've been having major writer's block lately. I wrote a chapter of my "book" only to chuck the whole thing and go back to the drawing board. Nothing seems to be coming out right, nothing seems to be working. So I've just been taking a break.
Things at home are not great, and I'll look forward to having an official date to leave. I am waiting to find out what Karen's current roommate is doing, which is fine because I am not in a rush. I just need to know that I am on track with getting moved. Tomorrow needs to be a huge packing day. Most of what I've done lately is thrown out crap I do not need anymore.
I've had a few job leads, but for the most part I am waiting until I get settled. I do have a few questions about my unemployment, and I do need to call my career counselor Chris sometime next week to get that all straightened out.
We went to Fall Creek Falls last weekend. It was awesome. I did a lot of hiking and had a lot of fun. It was an interesting trip, but it's going to get its own post, probably tomorrow. All in all, I had lots of fun with Sonya and I really enjoyed the pecahhhhhn pie I got at Whitt's. It was just nice catching up with her, and I'm sure we'll spend lots of time together when I get to Nashville.
Let's see. What else for my mini-update.
Oh, mission accomplished with my study-hall note. So, there's one (OK, maybe three or four) big weights lifted off my shoulders.
I will write more soon. Just wanted everyone to know that I am alive and life is still proceeding as planned.
My dating personality
OK, so CoffeeBigPlz clued me in on this dating personality quiz at www.okcupid.com.
The results are frighteningly accurate, so I'll post them. Oh, and this was fun. And there are LOTS of fun quizzes there.
The Sonnet
Deliberate Gentle Love Dreamer (DGLDf)
Romantic, hopeful, and composed. You are the Sonnet. Get it? Composed?
Sonnets want Love and have high ideals about it. They're conscientious people, caring & careful. You yourself have deep convictions, and you devote a lot of thought to romance and what it should be. This will frighten away most potential mates, but that's okay, because you're very choosy with your affections anyway. You'd absolutely refuse to date someone dumber than you, for instance.
Lovers who share your idealized perspective, or who are at least willing to totally throw themselves into a relationship, will be very, very happy with you. And you with them. You're already selfless and compassionate, and with the right partner, there's no doubt you can be sensual, even adventurously so.
You probably have lots of female friends, and they have a special soft spot for you. Babies do, too, at the tippy-top of their baby skulls.
ALWAYS AVOID: The 5-Night Stand, The False Messiah, The Hornivore, The Last Man on Earth
CONSIDER: The Loverboy
Today I've been very productive...
Probably not productive enough, but I've spent probably the last 4 hours or so looking for jobs, sending some networking emails, etc. I don't know why, but it hit me today that I really need to find a job. Not like I didn't know that, but for some reason today I really felt like I should find one. I guess I'm starting to panic a little. I know I have a good plan, but perhaps all the nay-sayers are getting to me.
I have tons of stuff to get done in the next two weeks. I am shooting to be out of here two weeks from tomorrow. We will see. I have a lot to do, and somehow I've gotten wrangled into helping my aunt at work again tomorrow. And now my trip to Nashville is going to be longer than the two days I'd originally planned. I found out there is a big career fair on Monday morning, so I'm going to go to
Fall Creek Falls with Sonya and her family for the weekend. Then I'll hit the career fair on the way out of town and come back to Ohio for more packing fun!!!!
I just hope I can get everything done. I am not a big fan of leaving loose ends. I think that's part of why I was so miserable here...
Isn't it ironic?
That Tom Cruise and Brooke Shields both had new babies on the same day. Well, allegedly Katie delivered Tom's baby; I still don't get that. I just thought as mean as Tom was to Brooke that it seems ironic that their babies would arrive the same day.
Am I wrong in hoping that Tom is the one that gets post-partum depression this time? Asshole.
Just trying to figure out which baby name is dumber: Suri (Tom & Katie) or Grier (Brooke). I wish I were a celebrity so I could give my kids stupid names.
OK, I wonder...
...does my family realize my door is open, and I can hear every word they are saying?
This has been a very long week. You see, the perfect brother is back from Florida until tomorrow. So, of course, if he is here then we all get to hear how perfect he is.
Some highlights:
Of course, EVERYONE is going to Florida for his wedding. He's perfect. It's going to be a great wedding. Blah, blah, blah.
I am still worthless and lazy, in case you were wondering. Now I am also the world's worst roommate and completely and totally insane for going to a strange city with no job. Oh, and I'm pathetic because the state sent me to a career counselor. And so many other things I'm just too pissed off to rehash.
I can't wait to get the fuck out of here. I am so sick of it. It's been the longest year of my life. The daily self-esteem boosters are really more than I can handle. I need to get away from the negative energy. I told someone the other day that I'd rather be homeless than live here. I just don't get why they think I'm such a loser for finally following my hopes and dreams. So many other people believe in me. Some of my cousins and my aunt, my career counselor, my friends, my former co-workers. Why can my parents and my brothers not believe in me? I am sitting here ready to cry just thinking about it. Luckily it makes me want to go and work my ass off to prove them wrong. Seriously, if I have to work 3-4 jobs to make ends meet, I will. I just can't do this anymore. There are no jobs here, and no one really wants me here. What other choice do I have?
So, don't expect lots of posting from me in the next two weeks. Assuming that Karen and I get along this Friday when we meet, I am still planning to get down there early May. I was worried about some obligations I have here like Sunday school, but they will live without me. It's time to do what's best for Laura now. I've put my dreams on hold for other people for far too long.
The update I promised...
I suspected at some point there would be things that I wanted to keep to myself as soon as I got done squealing like a girl with a couple of my closest confidantes. This morning when I promised an update I didn't have much to report. Now I do, and I can't. I hope that makes sense. Sometimes you just don't want to share everything with anonymous folks on the Internet. (And yes, I know that at this point some of you are not anonymous and truly are my friends. That's why I posted anything. Because you've been begging for updates.) Just know that I am a very happy girl and life is grand. And the hair currently still is not yellow. Not that I care. It's so not about hair. But the sideburns need to stay.
Fun with whiskey!!!
As most of you know, I am a big fan of whiskey. I'll write more about my adventures later, but I had to share the recipe for what I was drinking last night. I think it's my new signature drink. (I know every time I try a new drink I declare that result. Sue me.)
Washington Apple:
One part Crown Royal
One part Apple Pucker
One part Cranberry juice
It tastes just like a Granny Smith apple, which is my absolute favorite fruit.
I also found out you can make a Caramel Washington Apple by making it a shot and coating the inside of the shot glass with caramel syrup. Yummmm.
The. Best. Coleslaw. Ever.
I am just going to attack my list of things I wanted to talk about as the spirit moves me.
On Wednesday we picked Lance up at the airport. Since we were going to "the big city," we decided to stop at a real restaurant to eat. I can't remember where we wanted to go originally, but we ended up at O'Charley's. I'm a big fan of O'Charley's but I never remember that I am not a huge fan of their baked potato soup. I also just found out by going to their Web site that they are big in the Southeast. Needless to say, I'll probably be sick of O'Charley's after a little while in Nashville.
Anyhow, if you haven't figured it out, The. Best. Coleslaw. Ever. lives at O'Charley's. It's new. It's called Island Cole Slaw, and it's fantastic. In addition to all the regular things that make coleslaw great, it's also got chunks of pineapple and mandarin oranges. I loved it.
I also loved the Chocolate Chip Cheesecake. The only way to make either chocolate or cheesecake better is to mix them together. Heaven on a plate, for only $4.95.
Catching up...
I haven't been missing; I'm just beyond busy.
As you know, I volunteered all day Wednesday with no computer access, so no updates. And even if I'd had computer access, frankly I was too busy. And after we got done Wednesday, we went to pick Lance up at the airport. I've been spending the last two days hanging out with him, and of course this is a very busy week at church. In fact, I am heading there in about a half-hour for rehearsal for the Easter Services and my cousin Keith's confirmation this evening.
Remind when I have more than a few seconds to write that I want to hit the following topics:
- My volunteer experience
- Moving and why my family doesn't seem to believe in me
- Karaoke Night and new things to do with Crown Royal
- Church-y stuff
- A little update on the yellow-haired boy (and no, the update is not that his hair is yellow again. At least I don't think it is, but I'm sure I'll get a full report soon enough!)
- The Big Diet and the end of life as we know it (or at least the part where I eat lots of chocolate!!!!)
- The. Best. Coleslaw. Ever.
- Maybe a few news articles that made me want to bitch.
In case I don't talk to you before tomorrow, have a great Easter. And if you're having major withdrawals from me, you may have to get used to it in the next few weeks of throwing things in the trash, running errands, packing and getting settled in a new locale. I cannot even explain how much I need to do.
But now I need to get in the shower and dart off to church! Ciao!
Career counseling and surprise volunteer work...
So, I got up bright and early and rushed off to my meeting with my career counselor. She and I had a good chat and she suggested some great resources to help me in my job search. And God love her, she set up my profile so I won't have to worry about getting interview calls in Ohio once I move. She thinks I am right on track and I'll be fine once I get moved.
I've been very busy getting stuff ready to move. I have some loose ends to tie up and plenty of packing to do. I also have to figure out what to do with my storage locker of belongings in Detroit. Oh, and my friend up there who was helping me move? He got a DUI and is not allowed to do that right now. Blech. I'm also working on things like Web sites and business cards so I can start networking the minute I get to town. I am going to hang my shingle out for the freelance gig, but I know it's not going to pay the bills anytime soon. However, it's great to get my name out there and my cards. You never know what kind of job leads it might turn into.
I made the mistake of answering my cell phone while I was out running errands today. It was my aunt and she needed me to come in and help at her work. The lady who was working left and they were in a lurch. It was a very busy job and time flew by. But I have to go back tomorrow. And all I can think about while I'm there is how much I have to do before I move. Plus they yelled at me for getting a cell call. They call me and beg me to come in. I rushed over there. Do you really think I had time to put my phone on vibrate? Or that I even remembered before it rang?
So, that's all the excitement here today. I have decided that come Monday I am back on the diet in a big way. I have my customized menus already sent to my email!
More unemployment fun!!!
Did I ever tell you all about my mandatory unemployment training? I don't think I did. That's OK. I'm probably repressing the memories.
I have a follow-up trip tomorrow. I like my career counselor, so I think I will discuss some stuff with her. It wasn't terrible stuff to learn, but it's useless here. There just aren't jobs here. I'll be fine once I get moved.
Moving. I have sooooo much to do in the next few weeks. I am just going to have to start making a list and getting it done.
In a related note, I think that Karen and I are going to get along just fine. When we were coordinating a place to meet she asks me if I would want to meet up for dinner. Then she asks me, "How do you feel about Greek food?"
Honestly? I'd change my middle name to "Opa!" if my mother wouldn't kill me. Well, I can check "find good Greek restaurant" off my Nashville to-do list! Yay!!! First round of flaming cheese is on ME.
Speaking of which, I'm pretty sure my family thinks I'm crazy but they seem to be taking this moving stuff pretty well. I suspect they think that I will be back in three months with my tail between my legs.
Well, it's past even my bedtime and I have to be up at 7 to get ready for my very early appointment. (I love when they pass the sign-up list around while I'm in the ladies' room!)
Oh, and I found out what my surprise present is. It's making me a little wobbly to think about it, but there's still a little more to be done. I'm going to work on it while I am in town tomorrow. I should also drop my "good suits" suits off at the cleaners.
And remember my missing navy blue jacket? I just realized it MUST be in mom's sewing room, because it lost a button a few months ago... Bingo. I'll have to follow-up on that when mom's awake. Frankly she'd kick my ass if I went looking right now.
Did you miss this?!?
I've been a Caribbean Countdown Photo of the Day slacker lately. I am still very excited about going, although we are still not sure when we'll get there. It'll be soon enough. My schedule is really starting to get packed though!!!
I made it out alive!!!
So yesterday you'll remember I was going with my grandma, my mom and my mom's two sisters to go freeze my tookis off at the Cleveland Indians game. I actually had a lot of fun, but I wouldn't be me if I didn't share all the adventures with you.
My aunts call and tell us to be ready at 11:15. I am running a little behind because Julie had sent me over to KennyLand to investigate something. Apparently a girl I barely know (whom I'm guessing is a nervous talker) put up a post that said "Please Laura Jo don't hate me." Now, of course, I need to go read that. The gist of it was something like this: Ran into the yellow-haired boy. Told him you loved him and only came to shows to see him and some other great crap. Here's a picture. Yikes. I'm thinking that's not good. I don't know her. But I'm guessing from the subject she realized maybe she laid it on a little too thick. I was kind of nervous about it, but everyone thinks that it's about damn time that he figure these things out if he didn't already know. And honestly, you'll remember that he's my self-esteem twin and I'd guess from what she told me about his reaction that he has a really hard time believing that any woman could think he's the hottest thing since sliced bread. Oh, who am I kidding? He's like 800 times hotter than sliced bread!!!!
But now back to the baseball game. My aunts ended up being late, so it didn't really matter that I was also late. I took plenty of clothes with me, but I didn't put them all on right away. Why? Remember when I stayed at Grandma's and their house was 612 degrees the whole time? Well, they keep their car about 5 degrees warmer than the house. So, we're driving along cooking like Thanksgiving turkeys and I mentioned Grandma promising we could go to Cracker Barrel. I'm not a huge fan of Cracker Barrel, but I suck at making chicken and dumplings and they do a good job. About once a year it sounds like a good place to go. I was excited when Grandma told me we were going to Cracker Barrel.
Except Grandma lied. She does this sometimes. But now I am going to freeze to death and there are no chicken and dumplings. Urrrgggh.
The car ride was fun. They just got XM radio, so we played a game where they covered up the receiver and we guessed at the names of the songs. It was pretty fun. I did surprisingly well.
Really they needed me to get them into downtown Cleveland and to the stadium. If I hadn't gone they'd STILL be looking for it. Every time they go to a city, they are very much "country bumpkins go to town." I can't wait to see them when they come to visit me, although of all the cities I've lived in, Nashville has more than its fair share of country bumpkins going to town. And good golly miss molly, there's no subway system for them to navigate. That's ALWAYS fun.
It was cold at the game. Whoever thought putting a ballpark that close to a lake was a good idea needs to be slapped. Baseball in April in Cleveland wasn't exactly brilliant either. It was so unbelievably cold. It was 37 degrees when the first pitch was thrown out. I couldn't bring myself to drink beer and eat hot dogs even though I was starving because I got screwed on Cracker Barrel and EVERYONE knows I save all my points for the day when I know I'm eating out. (Yes, I know that is really bad, but it works.) My aunt did buy some hot cocoa for us. And I went to the gift shop and waited in the longest line I've ever seen to buy a pink Indians bucket hat. My head was cold and I don't do ball caps. The gift shop was running low on the following items: big, fuzzy Indians blankets, those blue knit headbands to keep your ears warm and toboggans. People were buying things to keep warm.
We stayed until the third inning. We left our seats and kept moving around to seats that were still in the sunshine. A lot of folks left after the Indians made a home run early in the game. We toughed it out until the top of the 4th inning, but then Grandma had enough.
We got back in the car and somehow managed to get out despite the way they pack you in at those private lots by the stadium. We drove on up the highway (again with me getting the hillibillies out of the big city), and then we drove out to the suburbs where we stopped for dinner at the Outback Steakhouse because grandma needed a blooming onion. The food was good. Actually my steak was one of the best steaks I've had in quite a while. I just don't understand why other people cook the hell out of steaks. The redder the better. I pretty much just get my steak brown on the outside before I eat it. And yes, I know I'll probably get e. coli or mad cow disease but something's going to kill everyone.
While we at Outback, I've decided that I think I will just always call the ladies' room "Sheila" now. It seems like a grand idea. Unless you're grandma and you weren't really sure if you were a "bloke" or a "sheila." Luckily she figured it out.
On the way back I got a couple of phone calls, including one about a present but it's arriving in the mail in 3-4 days. Is it a present like the last
present or something else? That present could easily be e-mailed. Hmmmm... I will keep you posted if there is anything worth reporting. There really hasn't been lately, but life is grand. It'll all work out if it's supposed to.
But then it was 900 degrees in the car and I fell asleep until I got home. What a long day!
I'm getting cold just thinking about it...
So, yesterday it was 74 degrees. My grandma asked me if I'd like to go to the Indians game with them today. I can't stand the Indians (or anything about Cleveland, really, but that's for another day). The American League is pretty good though. Surely they're playing someone I enjoy watching. With the interleague play of the last few years, that ups the odds, right?
Or maybe they're playing the Twins. Yay.
In the meantime, the temperature dropped. The
high in Cleveland today is supposed to be 41. I was too frightened to look at the low. I don't even like to watch football in this kind of weather. Now that I think about it, the only good thing about watching baseball is going to the ballpark on a summer day, having an ice cold brewski, some roasted almonds and a hot dog. For some reason, I am way too cold to think about paying $7 for 12 oz. of Miller Lite. I'm really not sure about this whole scenario.
Maybe I'll just stay home. Mom keeps bitching and moaning about cleaning my room. That is fine. I need to start packing and cleaning is definitely part of that process. I think I'll stay home and clean. It's somewhat warmer in here. I've got a lot to do before I move in 23 days.
I just need to keep repeating that: 23 days, 23 days, 23 days. I am so about to go Lizzie Borden on my parents. Why, oh why, would any self-respecting 30-year-old woman think that living with her parents was a good idea?!?
On the plus side, I got a
present today. I think Toma will agree with me that it's "easily Top 10!"
Coffee (lots o' coffee), kids, Kenny and other fun stuff
So, I left you this morning to meet up with
CoffeeBigPlz and Junior for breakfast. Who knew breakfast could take 5 hours? Oh well, it was fun, although Junior is a very impatient little superhero. Guess he didn't know we could stop time too, eh?
We met at Waffle House. I really need to get off the Waffle House. They only thing I like there is some version of steak and eggs (today was an omelette), and while it was tasty (but greasy, of course!) I knew that it was a bad idea. Urggh. Every freaking time. At least this time, I was smart enough to eat Rolaids right after breakfast, so I didn't get violently ill. My polar fleece smells like greasy hashbrowns. And our waitress? Well, I out-coffee'd CoffeeBigPlz simply because our waitress had serious issues with waiting on us. So, moral of that story? Next time I want to go to Waffle House, tell me no. It only sounds tasty until about 6 hours after I've been there.
Anyhow, CoffeeBigPlz and Junior were just how I imagined them. I recognized them by his gameboy. I kid you not. And they hadn't been there 15 seconds before he told me about his desires to be a computer programmer. He's an excited little chap, but I did like him. I was glad that I didn't have to take him home for me at the end of the day. I like kids, and I like the idea of having kids, but I hope that maybe I'll have some calmer kids if that day ever comes. But what a smart little guy he is, probably too smart for his own good.
So, here I am meeting this woman I only know from here and emails. It was a little odd, but I felt like we were old pals. We are very similar, even though she's a little older than I am. I told her that we can't be twins because I can't build my own iPod (luckily, I've commissioned her for this task!), so really she is my geeky alter-ego. Who likes Star Wars. I saw Return of the Jedi when I was 8. Surely that has to count for something.
Junior and I chit-chatted about Harry Potter (his mom also says it like an English person!) and we played the silverware letter game. He's very tricky! Those lowercase letters got me EVERY time!
We ended up on an adventure because we somehow got on the topic of food (I think it was creative suggestions for spinach) and we both realized we NEEDED to go to Trader Joe's!!! It was one of those days I wish I had a job because I really could've spent A LOT more money there. Of course, if I had a job then I wouldn't have been able to have breakfast with someone I met on the Internet in Indiana on Thursday. Or at least I don't think so... But I did buy a few of my favorite things. They didn't seem to have my fat-free brownies. Urggh. I did get garlic hummus and pita. I didn't understand CoffeeBigPlz's disdain at my hummus purchase, until she explained that she thought it was something totally different, sounded more like haggis to me! I could've come home with a case of wine and about 600 cans and bottles of beer, but that might've been bad. I don't have anyone here who appreciates a good Australian red, so I either have to get crocked off my ass on wine or waste about 3/4 of a bottle. So, in the best intersest of my budget the hardest thing I got was organic cranberry lemonade. I also got some chocolate, but it wasn't my normal kind and it didn't really blow my skirt up. Oh well, it was ok, but not worth wasting calories, and we all know how I feel about that.
On our way to Indy, we passed the Verizon Music Center where a certain hot, balding cowboy will be making an appearance in September. I've promised my friends that stop regardless of what happens with The Yellow-haired Boy, and you'll remember a while back
Sheri and
One4JC mentioned joining me. And, of course, the three of us decided to drag CoffeeBigPlz along. She's not a country fan, but we figured she'd make the sacrifice to hang with us. Sheri's bringing the whiskey, so she's in. I just hope that we don't frighten One4JC because some of my girls are a tad bit crazy and I think everyone will be in the house that day. We just won't make her pee in the woods with Julie. Well, I finally talked our last hold-out into joining us that day. I figured she'd at least eat my magic Jello. And besides, this gal loves ALL music. Don't let her fool you with her anti-hillbilly stance. She is a musician, and everyone knows that all musicians appreciate all genres. And, of course, folks like JT, Buffett and Cash who supercede genre and just are. It makes them better musicians, and she's quite talented. I got to hear some of her stuff. And it's always fun watching people get all excited when talking about a Fender! I explained to her that she is a rock chick, and all rock chicks can appreciate Kenny's show. After all, Wannebo did production on Van Halen before he joined up with KC. This ain't your grandpa's country music: Big stages, lots of huge screens, swings, lights, and rock intros. Seriously, Clayton should be in a rock band and he plays the hell out of that Les Paul.
But turns out that someone was hiding a deep, dark secret about her musical tastes. As I am leaving Ricker's after our bathroom break, she announces she has four -- count 'em, four -- country songs on her iPod. She says that one of them is even in her favorites play list. Her play list that she listens to all the time. Is it Cash? Lorrie Morgan? Reba? Wynonna? All those folks made the iPod. (Well, Wynonna is missing...) All excellent choices by the way.
However her favorite country song? Her top country song? The one she listens to almost every day?
She Thinks My Tractor's Sexy.
I thought she was goofing. I honestly thought she put Kenny on her iPod to impress me. She had no idea it was Kenny. Honest, she didn't. I was impressed. So, then I closed the deal on the Indy show. I said, "Well, then you simply have to see him sing it live." They're in. I'll have to see if the pre-sale gods will hook them up for Indy. Fingers crossed, but I think I've used all my luck. I'd like to sit on the lawn with my cooler and drink all day, but others have grander plans for me. It's just fun to make a fruity rum drink and catch up with my friends, new and old.
I hear a rumor that she's going to buy Kenny's other CDs and do her homework. I also hear that she's hoping he'll redeem country music for her. That's a tall order, but Kenny's brought a lot of folks to the party. I have to remember to email her the list of CDs she needs to get. I'm afraid that the early days will frighten her and it's not like she needs to know those songs for the show.
We also ended up talking about Kenny and Renee, which is always an interesting time. I'm just gonna bite my lip on that topic for right now.
I had a long ride home, but I finally made it. It sucked to leave Indiana behind after all the fun. We talked about things like NLT, and I just hate that I don't get to do fun things like that, although I don't think there's anyway I can drink JQP under the table.
Regardless, all the fun kept my mind off the reality of the craziness that is my life that set in somewhere around Dayton. At least Rosalie laughed. I am patiently waiting for Jen B to call me, but my mom is on the phone with my brother, the chatty Cathy who works midnights and will be good to go until about 2 a.m. Let's hope that she either falls asleep or answers any beeps she might get!
Speaking of my brother, did I mention I have to be in his wedding? He's invited the Hermanos Benitez to be his groomsmen, so Estella is asking me to be a bridesmaid. Oh great joy. This folks, is why I am getting married in Vegas. I'm not a big fan of pomp and circumstance. (Isn't it cute how I say that like I'm actually getting married someday. Cute.)
Lastly, I got home to see Karen left me a comment on the blog. I am so glad she did. I think we are going to get along very well, and I'm looking forward to meeting her. She seems like a great person, and I hope that it works out. Not just because I am ready to move. I just have a good feeling.
That's it for now. I'll keep you posted on all the fun stuff in my life. I hope Jen's persistent and no one gets pissy with her. I owe her. I'm gonna have to come up with a good thank you.
Or maybe not?!?
Ouch. This is today's horoscope:
You could get rather discouraged today, for it seems like everything you say is either misinterpreted or it just comes out wrong. You may think that you would be better off if you stayed silent, but that won't work either. You might have to move slower than you prefer in order to make sure that everyone truly understands what's going on.
I guess we'll see. Although I was thinking yesterday that slower was better, so maybe this is a good thing.
Oh happy day!!!
Just a quick one, because it is almost time to leave Amy's humble abode after many days of soaking up her hospitality while I was an invalid. My eye is healed enough that my contact lens is no longer producing a searing pain in my left eye. I am mended. I also have to go home and go to that mandatory training (second notice!) that I missed for my unemployment. I got out of it last time because you'll remember that's when I was on my deathbed. If I miss again, they will take me off the dole, and we simply can't have that at this juncture.
On my way back to Southern Ohio, I am having breakfast with
CoffeeBigPlz and her son. I am so excited, although I wish that
her lovely sister could join us. On the plus side for these girls, when Amy left today, she says, "I'll see you in Fort Wayne in June."
She's such an optimist. I have told everyone I have three concerts left on my schedule: Nashville, Chicago and Indianapolis. If you want to see me, your best bet is to be one of those places.
Although Jen B's report last night was not hideous. I guess I'll know more soon enough. Things could change, but I'm not betting the farm on it. We'll see... But for now: Nashville, The Windy City and Indy. Repeat after me, and we'll all start to believe it.
OK, this is interesting...
So, I'm babysitting today. Amy's at work and Camm and Cassie are back and wanted to hang out with me today. I am sooooo not ready for kids. I thought I was when I played with my friend Angi's son Ben over the weekend, but I am thinking I was wrong. I had a dream that I made the kids breakfast, but really I didn't. You know, one of those dreams where you wake up and think "Was that real or a dream?" But they didn't say anything. Until lunchtime, when they said, "But we haven't had breakfast yet." Oops. I really suck at this kid-watching stuff.
At some point I need to go home. Maybe tonight. Maybe tomorrow morning. My bank called today. They were a little disturbed by the number of transactions I'd made in Anderson, Indiana. Was everything OK? Am I truly in Anderson or did my card get stolen? Nope, I'm still here.
I need to try to find my old landlord's phone number and call them. Just realized that they never called me back to give me a new total on my final costs and tell me where to send the money. It was due April 1. Of course, I've been home about 20 minutes in the last 2 weeks, so that explains a lot!!!
Let's see, what else? Not much to report. Trying to stay sane. Getting organized so I can move again in 26 days. Wow. I'm actually kind of excited, although there is sooooo much to do before then!
The Waiting Game...
When I worked in politics, I never got nervous until the polls closed. You could throw whatever mud you wanted to at my candidate and as long as there was time for us to spin it, I was OK. But once the polls closed there was nothing I could do. No more babies to kiss, no more lit pieces to pass out, not one more voter I can convince. Once the polls close, all you can do is wait for the results to come back and hope for the best. There is nothing left that you can do.
That's where I am right now. Today I went to the post office and sent my note off to be passed during study hall. It said everything it needed to say. Everything the last one should've said but didn't. My friend who's in charge of passing said she's not leaving the arena without that envelope being placed directly in his hands. She seems to think that things will be fine. I'm cautiously optimistic. It's not like my life hinges on this or anything. It'd just be nice. And seriously, I see no harm in two people who live in the same city getting together to have a cup of coffee, which is the offer that's on the table at this point.
So, this means that the ball is in his court, completely and totally. I just have to wait and see if he picks it up and plays or if he kicks it out of bounds. So, I wait. And Marti pointed out to me that with this being the busy time of his life it might take a while. I'm just gonna put it back up on the shelf and be pleasantly surprised if he calls. Frankly I am so busy with moving that I probably won't even have time to think about it.
I hate waiting. I'm not very patient. And I am so freaked out that I am going to get an answer I really don't want to hear. Sometimes silence speaks volumes. At least now, regardless of what happens, I can say that I put out the effort. I saw what I wanted and I went after it. I tossed the first pitch out there, but will he hit a grand slam or strike out?
So, I hear people are looking for me...
Yes, I am still alive. Yes, I feel bad for totally abandoning y'all for like 5 days. I had good reasons, honest.
I thought I told y'all about the big Kappa Phi conference last weekend. It was my last hurrah, as I am done with my job as Public Relations Coordinator. I was term-limited and frankly that's OK because I needed a break. I had toyed with the idea of running for president and I didn't do that for two reasons. 1) I don't really have time right now with moving and finding a new job and 2) there's a bit of notoriety of certain people being selected before the elections and if you aren't one of those people you are out of luck. So honestly, there was absolutely no point. But the girls who were elected were great and very capable and I had a nice four-year run. If I'm settled by next June and have time, I can consider a national office. To be honest, the national newsletter editor is retiring in June 2007, and I think I'd really like that position. I think I'll drop a note to our national president and let her know that. We'll see...
The conference went well. The camp was nice as far as camps go. The food was fantastic and the staff bent over backwards for us, which is a major improvement from the camp where we hosted the event in 2004. The Executive Director lived on-site and he was beyond helpful whenever we needed his help, even with stupid things like the DVD player not working for movie night. The only real issue was that it is a summer camp, and it definitely was not summer. So, it was cold. I froze during the day; I froze in the shower; and I froze while I slept. I was cold. I'm sure it's great when it's 90 degrees outside...
The best part of the conference was the theme for the upcoming year. It is "Get Out of the Boat." I don't have all the Bible verses in front of me, but basically our challenge in the next year is how we can get out of the boat that holds us back and keeps us from realizing our full potential. I had to think a lot about my hopes and dreams and getting over my fears this weekend. I also had 60 of my sorority sisters reinforce that I am
not crazy for moving to a strange city (not that it's really strange...) with no job and no permanant place to live. I have money in my savings and there are plenty of jobs there were I can truly realize my full potential, probably for the first time in my life...
So, I came back ready to get out of the boat. Toma called me last night and said that she was glad I came home fired up. And I am fired up. I sat down here Sunday night and decided to find a place to live in Nashville, and I'm going down in a few weeks to meet the woman who will probably be my roommate for the summer. I'm pretty excited. We are already really getting along, and I think it's a good fit. The apartment is over near Belmont, so it's right in the heart of everything. So close to Music Row. Not that I need to be there. I was very happy with Antioch, but I like the idea of going down for a few months and trying it out. If it works, I'll be realizing my hopes and dreams. If it doesn't, then I move back to Ohio with my tail between my legs, having taken the most expensive summer vacation ever.
I figure while I have your attention that I'd explain why it's taken me until Tuesday to write. You see, I had a bit of a contact-lens mishap, and this is the first day I've felt well enough to stare at this white screen to write. In fact, I haven't actually made it home yet, although I'm going to try today. When I woke up Sunday morning, I was in such excruciating pain that I couldn't keep my eye open. I was supposed to drive home 4 1/2 - 5 hours, but it just wasn't happening. I barely made it to the Walmart that was 10 minutes from the camp to get my sexy eye patch and some eye drops. When I left Walmart, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to log 240 miles. So, I called Amy, who lives less than an hour away and asked if she was up for company. She was, so I've been in Anderson for 2 days now. I think I am going to try to go home today, but it's finally bright and sunny here! My mom told me to take my time, and that is what I'm doing... It's nice to catch up with Amy. I wish the kids were here, but they are off on a spring-break adventure with their grandma.
I told Amy as soon as I get settled, I am buying this shirt for Cassie and Cammeron:
Oh, and one last thought, since I'm getting out of the boat and all... I wrote the note for Jen B to pass during study hall. It's breezy but it lays it out there. I'm mailing it this afternoon so she can pass it off in Omaha on Thursday. I'm excited to just go for it, but nervous as hell. Anyhow, fingers crossed and a few prayers if you can spare them. Marti suggested I pray to St. Anne as I sealed the envelope, so that should help!
