Today's Horoscope

This is so right on the money, it scares me.....And it's from the internet, so it has to be true!

Instead of focusing so much on what would make you happier, spend some time thinking about what makes you unhappy -- whether it's the way a certain person treats you, your love handles or those dishes in the sink. Once you identify those targets, you can fix them -- and make yourself happier! So talk to that person, beef up your exercise routine and start cleaning up. Your happiness is in your hands

It's funny because the Great Expectations post I did the other day will have at least two more parts. One, about how someone is treating me and the other about my slothlike habits. hmmm. And I won't even mention anything about my hands and happiness....

Be Careful What You Wish For.....

As per Miss Carnivorousness, here are my feet. Post-pedicure.

Please note the cute mole on my middle toe of my right foot. It's how my mother was going to identify me if I was ever stolen.

Great Expectations, Chapter One

Lately I have been struggling with ways to improve me and my life. I can’t seem to come up with any solutions. Well, maybe I’ve thought of some solutions, but none are quick fix and will require actual work on my part. But I want a quick fix. Doesn’t everybody? I just keep going back to the basic question – Why does my life suck so much? I think the answer may lie in one word: Expectations.

Twenty years ago I was a recent college graduate (okay, it was an Associate’s Degree, but it’s still a degree!) and a new mom to the most beautiful baby boy ever! And I had great expectations for both of us. I was raising him alone, but just knew I could do it. I was smart, had common-sense, old-enough to know better but still young enough to not make the same mistakes my parents did, this was going to work out just fine. We would be happy, we would be a family, life would be good.

He was a colicky baby, but we made it through that. He was a strong-willed toddler who would throw a fit for just about any reason, but we made it through that. He had some behavior problems in pre-school, we got through that. Kindergarten was smooth sailing. The struggle with behavior was past us. He’d learned. Whew.

Then he went to first grade. And it was a return to the old ways. His teacher couldn’t control him. He was disruptive in class. We went to the pediatrician for ADD testing. He didn’t have it. So sorry professional teacher person, my kid is NOT going on drugs.

Second grade was good. I decided that the first grade teacher just sucked and life would be good again. Well, it wasn’t. Third grade it all went to hell again. I just couldn’t figure this out. He was fine at home. We got along good. He was a bright and fun child. Why was school such an issue for him? I still haven’t figured this one out.

Junior High brought a whole new set of problems. The biggest one being the fact that he decided that lying to me was the best route to take. In everything. Which was really dumb, because I figured out 99% of the lies. Eventually.

High School was bad. Really bad. He didn’t go to classes. Got in trouble with drugs, alcohol, the law. Two friends committed suicide. One friend died by passing out and choking on her own vomit.

He spent time in “reform school”. After the first visit, I figured he had learned his lesson and would never want to do that again and he would straighten up. I was wrong. He was back within 9 months. This time was a blessing in disguise because had he not been there, I don’t think he would have graduated from high school. Funny thing though. Both times he was there, he was on the honor roll. I know this kid is smart.

Okay, now, finally, this time – he has to have learned, right? No. He did great while he was on probation, I will give him that. But as soon as that was done, he started in with the destructive behaviors again. This led to problems at home and me telling him he had to move out. He did. The problems continued. He got in trouble with the law again. Spent a night in REAL jail. He has to have learned now for sure!! He went to court, got probation along with deferred imposition. All he had to do was stay out of trouble for 18 months and the whole thing would be wiped off his record. No problem. This would be a wise thing to do – a chance to wipe a stupid mistake off of your record – who wouldn’t want to do that? Well, anybody, but not my son.

So where are things now? Today or tomorrow, my baby will be transferred from county jail to the state penitentiary.

This was never part of my Expectations.

To be continued.....

Girly Girl

I had a pedicure today. I'd never done that before. It was great!!! My toenails are all pretty in pink and my feet are as soft as a baby's butt. I don't treat myself to things like this....ever. Seemed like an excellent way to start my 4 day weekend!!

The weather is crappy, so this little vacation will mostly be spent indoors. I'm going to finish my accounting practice set, clean my house, knit, read, watch movies and sleep. Ah what fun!

Gumption

gump·tion n [origin unknown] 1: shrewd practical common sense esp. as actively applied to the problems of life 2: enterprise, initiative syn see SENSE

A couple of weeks ago, I watched the movie The Holiday. I just loved it. I am Iris in so many ways. Except, of course, that I look nothing like Kate Winslet. (dammit). Here is a quote from the movie that tells you who Iris is:

"I've found almost everything ever written about love to be true. Shakespeare said "Journeys end in lovers meeting." What an extraordinary thought. Personally, I have not experienced anything remotely close to that, but I am more than willing to believe Shakespeare had. I suppose I think about love more than anyone really should. I am constantly amazed by its sheer power to alter and define our lives. It was Shakespeare who also said "love is blind". Now that is something I know to be true. For some quite inexplicably, love fades; for others love is simply lost. But then of course love can also be found, even if just for the night. And then, there's another kind of love: the cruelest kind. The one that almost kills its victims. Its called unrequited love. Of that I am an expert. Most love stories are about people who fall in love with each other. But what about the rest of us? What about our stories, those of us who fall in love alone? We are the victims of the one sided affair. We are the cursed of the loved ones. We are the unloved ones, the walking wounded. The handicapped without the advantage of a great parking space! Yes, you are looking at one such individual. And I have willingly loved that man for over three miserable years! The absolute worst years of my life! The worst Christmas', the worst Birthday's, New Years Eve's brought in by tears and valium. These years that I have been in love have been the darkest days of my life. All because I've been cursed by being in love with a man who does not and will not love me back. Oh god, just the sight of him! Heart pounding! Throat thickening! Absolutely can't swallow! All the usual symptoms."

Another great character in the movie is Arthur, played by Eli Wallach. He is so adorable!! I just wanted to pick him up and put him in my pocket. Anyway....He introduces Iris to early Hollywood, by giving her a list of old movies to watch. One theme that seems to run through these movies is that the leading ladies all have GUMPTION! And by the end of the movie, so does Iris. She becomes the leading lady of her life.

Time for me to do that too.....I'm not sure how, but I'm gonna do it!!!!!

Pineapple Salsa

I went to a tupperware party a couple of weeks ago. Haven't been to one of those in YEARS! But, one of my friends is starting to sell the stuff, so I went to her party. The best part of the whole thing.....Pineapple Salsa. Here is the recipe:


1/2 cup crushed pineapple, undrained
1/2 cup chopped sweet onion
1/2 cup chopped red pepper
1 tbls. chipoltle seasoning

Mix this all together, let sit about 24 hours. Yum. It's good on chips. I'm gonna try it on chicken sometime soon. If I ever get around to making a decent meal again.




I had a great time chopping the vegies in my new chopper. I may be in love with the chopper.

I brought my salsa to work yesterday so others could try it. One of my co-workers decided to spill it all over my cubicle. I had used a too strong onion, and woo-whee, did it ever smell in here. Oh well, it was funny. But you probably had to be here.

Short Stories

School Daze

After much contemplation, I have officially changed my major from Human Resource Management to Accounting. My accounting teacher was so happy she almost peed her pants. Guess I have a "natural ability" for accounting. Good to know. Took me 46 years to discover my special purpose. Better late than never. This means 2 more years of school (or so). Two more years of student loans. Two more years before I have to start paying them back. I should really quit school though, I got a B+ for a mid-term grade in Intro to Business.

The Island of Dr. Moreau

I think I have finally became an actual slug. I'm pretty sure if you checked my DNA, it would be slug-DNA. I have gotten so damn lazy lately. Just walking to the fridge has become effort. I wasted the entire weekend doing NOTHING. Worked at the crap-job, watched Night at the Museum and the first disc of Entourage, watched mindless television, played Word Mojo, talked on the phone. I did NO laundry. Cooked one decent meal. Ran the dishwasher. Somedays, I really despise myself.

Homeward Bound?

My parents may be moving back to my hometown. The place of my birth. I would be thrilled if they did. They looked at a house there a couple of weeks ago. My junior high crush showed it to them. Mom: "He still has the prettiest eyes." Dad: "Sure is missing alot of teeth. " Me: "Not interested anymore." Dad wants to move there, Mom doesn't. I would feel like I have a home again.

$49.81

I filled my gas tank last night. It hurt.

How does someone who never does anything figure out a way to drive less???

Wear Purple for Peace Day!

I just love an offbeat holiday! And this is one I can really support! It's a great cause and I own purple shirts!

Wear Purple for Peace Day

When: Always on May 16th

It's Wear Purple for Peace Day. You'd think that this day originated in protest of a particular war or conflict. Or, perhaps it should have been conceived by the UN, or another peacemaking or peace keeping group. Our extensive research found no evidence supporting the origin of this holiday stemming from these sources.

Rather, we found this day to be a stellar event. It seems some of you out there fear that aliens from outer space consider earthlings to be too hostile (you've got that right). As a result, they have yet to visit or make contact with us. So, some of you (originators unknown) decided to promote world peace by establishing Wear Purple for Peace Day.

The goal of Wear Purple for Peace Day is to make the world a peaceful place and, of course, encourage alien species to make contact with earth.

Do you want to meet aliens for another planet? Me, too! So, lets all wear purple for peace today.

Next Blog Roulette

I was just playing "next blog" roulette, hoping desperately to find something good to read.....No luck. Oh well, guess I'm not the only boring blogger out there today. Of course, about half of the blogs were not in English, so they may have been the best blogs ever and until I learn every other language out there, I just won't know.

But, as I was doing this, I managed to flag my very own blog. Wonder what happens now? I find my own blog objectionable.

Think I should just go home.....

This, That and the Other Thing....

Been gone too long....Of course, not much happening, it is still my boring life we are writing about here after all!

Tb is in jail. I don't have the money necessary to bail him out. Nor would I even if I did. Time for him to start acting like an adult. He is one after all.

School is going okay. I don't like my Intro to Business teacher. He's a nice guy, but not a good night school teacher. We have 11 weeks to cover a 20 chapter book. It's taking him two nights to get through a chapter. Ugh. Somebody needs to light a fire under this dood.

Accounting is going too well. I really should have tested out of Accounting I. I'm debating about changing my major from Human Resource Management to Accounting. The school has just started a Bachelor's program in accounting. I like numbers better than people. They are easier to figure out. The worst part about the accounting class - - - Every Thursday night I do accounting all night long in my dreams. So, should I take this as a sign that I should be an Accountant when I grow up? Or does this mean that if I do switch to accounting, I will dream accounting EVERY DAMN NIGHT???

Crap job has been uber-crappy lately. I just don't see how they are going to get things fixed there. But, on a good note, I am now only working every other weekend. Whew.

I want to move to a 1 bedroom apartment. Can't find one. Argh.

Same old shit....Different day.