A big family, a reading addiction, and the occasional celebrity scandal are the ingredients of life that create one woman's opinion on just about everything.

Thursday, February 23, 2006

Was it good for you?

Did you feel it? I did and it felt GOOD! I'm dancin'...you read it right. I'm dancin'!! In fact I just twirled--TWICE! I have a new assistant and she starts on Monday. The world is a wonderful place.

The guy I live with goes to days next week, we should be able to get horizontal (*gasp* be in bed at the same time!!) in the very near future so things are definitely looking up.

BTW, I'm going to a bridal shower on Sunday afternoon (who has a shower on a Sunday afternoon for cripes sakes!!) for a 20-something bride. Any survival tips?

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Tuesday, February 21, 2006

Things that are driving me crazy and WHY I can't blog...

You know I really would rather be nice than not nice. On the other hand, I hate suck ups, synchophantic boot lickers...yuck! But on the whole I would much rather inhabit an environment where the people try to be nice to each other. However, recently this hasn't been the case in my world. Sometimes taking the high road sucks...really, really sucks. Let me just say, it takes alot of energy to be nice when you really would really rather smack someone up the side of their head.

In fact, I have a whole random list of things that are bugging me lately, so if you aren't interested in petty complaining, you shouldn't read any further. It is my current mood. I'm trying to purge so in my "real" life I'm not a complete and utter she-bitch shrew! : )

1. My beautician is moving to Wyoming. Yippee...good for her. However I get my hair cut and colored every 4 weeks. She is coming back every 5 weeks and wants me to adjust my appointments to every 5 weeks. I don't want to wait every 5 weeks. I want to be a bitch and get a new stylist and she can go pound sand. I have serious grey roots at 4 weeks...no way I want to wait another week. She suggested I touch up on my own. Huh?!!! WTF, do I go to a shop for if I want the mess at home? I love my stylist, but I don't feel like being nice and accommodating her lifestyle change.

2. Since I was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis it feels like I have a gazillion doctors appointments. Besides the regular annual which involves, lab, mammogram, and sonogram...all separate appointments, I have to get my eyes checked by opthamologist every six months and an optometrist once a year. I go to the rheumatologist every 3 months and get my teeth cleaned twice a year. Or at least this is what I'm supposed to do to be responsible about my health. Now my doctor wants me to add a visit to the gasto-enterologist for a colonscopy because I'm 50. For cripes sakes I have a job people!!! Do you know how much time I have to take off for all these damn appointments...keep track of them and reschedule them when some lab or doctor has a schedule change? It's taking up waaaaay too much time.

3. I hate how guilty I feel about griping about doctor appointments. I don't have anything terminal. I'm lucky what I have is treatable. I just resent the time it sucks out of my life. So I waste more time feeling like a shmuck.

4. How come I'm the only one of the four people I live with who seems to care if the house is a sty? Okay, the guy I live with cares when he's home, but the two male children...not so much. It's aggravating! I hate being the house cleaning police. I'm getting a cleaning lady!

5. While I'm exercising more and eating better. I don't feel like I have my diet and exercise routine organized enough for maximum results. If I don't have the time and energy to blog, I sure as hell don't have to time to further organize this area of my life. Of course, my mom always used to say "We find time for the things that are important to us." Guess this isn't as important as...oh making a trip to the bookstore for instance.

6. I still don't have an assistant hired at work. I've approved two candidates, but I have to wait for background checks from the main office. This is driving me really crazy because there just aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done.

7. Traffic. Where I live is experiencing another huge growth spurt. We have new stores, malls, homes sprouting every where. Every week it seems one has to adjust how long it takes to get from one point to another. So a trip that used to be 10 minutes could be double that. I haven't adjusted to all the trip/distance changes yet and still have a tendency to underestimate how long it will take to get from point A to point B. I hate being late and I can't understand where the hell all these people are coming from!

8. My husband has a great job he loves, while I'm happy for him...I don't love it so much. Since the first of the year he is on this fabulous (NOT!) schedule of two weeks on days and two weeks on nights. Is it any wonder we can't get schedules adjusted and things organized around here? This seriously deteriorates the sex life. For two weeks of the month we aren't sleeping or working on the same schedule.

Now anyone who knows me also knows that while I adore the kooky and kitschy I'm a pretty buttoned down person. I like order. My brain just does not function well in chaos. These things that are driving me crazy equate to a lot of chaos in my head. I feel pre-occupied and distracted most of the time. As a result, I'll probably have to add another doctor's appointment soon...the psycho therapist I'm going to have to put on retainer before I go completely cuckoo.

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Tuesday, February 14, 2006

So you say it's Valentine's Day...

Here it is Valentine's Day. My sister was telling me how a friend of hers says Valentine's Day and her anniversary are the two big days she and her husband celebrate each year. My comment was..."Wait until she has celebrated 25 or more of them, she might change her mind." While this couple has been married for 17 years and still gets a kick out of celebrating Valentine's Day, I wasn't insinuating that we shouldn't celebrate the day nor am I one of those who think it is a day of crass commercialism. In fact, I love Valentine's Day. I think it is a very cool phenomenon. A whole day set aside just to let our nearest and dearest know we love 'em.

Hey, if you feel like it is a day that is only about chocolate shops and flower shops making money, then you probably shouldn't buy flowers, candy or cards and contribute to the moral decay of those of us who do. I for one think it's awesome that we have a day, a whole day set aside in a holiday to just say...."Hey, you know what you are special to me and I love you! Pretty cool...don't you think?

I don't know about you, but I don't think one can have too many people loving them. To have a whole separate holiday where we celebrate that is just unf***ing believable. So here's to us...the lovers out there who celebrated our day today! Happy Valentine's Day!

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Saturday, February 11, 2006

Winter Olympics

So it's here...the Winter Olympics. Have you been watching? We watched part of the opening ceremony. Frankly, we thought alot of it was awful. I'm half Italian, and all I could think about at the beginning of the ceremony was how the late night comedians were going to have a field day with jokes about Italians.

Imagine my surprise when the LA Times gave it pretty glowing reviews this morning. I guess I should have watched after the parade of nations...which for me is usually pretty fascinating because there always seems to either be some newly formed republic that was formerly something else. I like getting a little geographical and historical update while watching. But this year, I just couldn't stay awake for it. So I missed the torch lighting, the fireworks, and Pavaroti. Can anyone tell me why he dyes his hair so black?

While I did make it through all the ceremony in Salt Lake City four years ago, I thought the little "child of light" thing was hokey. This time those guys in red with the rocket fire bugged the crap out of me. Was there any real point? Does the opening have to be a bigger and bigger spectacle to get viewers? I always wonder what people in other countries are thinking. Are the Olympics over produced every where or just here in the good old USA? Why is it that we have to be so unbiased in our reporting. Is every other country's coverage about their own atheletes or about all the world atheletes? Are we reporting the Olympics for the world? Really I don't know the answer and could be arsed to find out. I'm just wondering.

Of course so far we've loads to be proud of...one skeleton competitor banned because of a hair growth product that masks steriods. For God's sake, how do you get all the way to the the Olympics competing around the world in world class events and not know the drug you are taking for your hair growth is going to get you banned. I don't feel sorry for the athelete, I feel sorry for his family, friends and community that have supported him all these years to find out he can't keep track of the rules.

Then there's Bode Miller. Isn't he a surly gem? Shut up and ski! If you don't like the press...shut up and ski! Oh? You want sponsors? They want you to cooperate with the press? Then just shut up!! Skiing has given you a great life. Get over yourself, make nice so you keep your sponsorships, and go ski...which is what you say you want to do. He is 29 years old for crying out loud. Grow up!

Which brings us to Michelle Kwan who took an Olympic spot and petitioned to go to the Olympics without competing nationally because of an injury. She was granted a position on the US Olympic team and now she's had a tough first day practicing and is considering dropping out. Okay, I listened during tonight's telecast to Scott Hamilton who said "until you've walked a mile in those shoes". This is Michelle's third trip to the Olympics. She didn't know she was going to be scrutinized and have pressure? Come on! While I do believe the pressure is pretty intense for her and she is, rightfully so, concerned about her groin pull, I can't believe she wasn't aware of these issues before going to Torino. Now she's "listening to my body"? Take a private practice and chill out! If she is going to drop out I hope it's sooner than later so someone else gets a chance to prepare and participate.

So, when I'm usually pretty enthusiastic to watch the Olympics...winter or summer...the US atheletes in Torino have me in a bit of a snit. Hopefully over the weekend watching and reading about the events I will lose some of my cynicism and enjoy the games. So are you watching the Olympics?

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Tuesday, February 07, 2006

Tired? I'll tell you about tired...

I'm so tired I don't have the energy to find a picture online of a really tired and wiped out person to put in this blog. You know it's tough to be up beat and sassy when you are just wrung out.

Having survived my first rent week as Manager, I think I did pretty well. I practically camped out at work, but that's not the point is it? I got the work done. Oh yeah, to us productive minded OCD people it's all about being productive. Oh and responsible...and accountable. Oops, don't want to forget...winning!! That's a big one. So what with all the work and anal obsessing about everything, I'm pretty tired.

I like to just post whatever pops into my head at any given moment. Which might explain why no one hardly ever visits my blog. On the upside I can say pretty much whatever I want because there's nobody to read my ramblings and complain. Also, I say pretty much whatever I want because, well, it IS MY blog after all. There are a few friends and family that love me and out of loyalty dutifully drop by. Hey, like my house, the more the merrier. Just be prepared for me making my point without using Map Quest...it's not going to be the most direct route.

Hey one thing that happened that has me happy as bees knees is that I love taking pictures with my new phone and being able to email them. This is especially handy for work. I'm really loving my new phone.

So that's it. I'm tired, have no time for reading, and love my new phone. Oh, and Valentine's Day is next week. Don't cop an attitude about the commercialism of Valentine's Day. Do you know how many people Hallmark employs? Well, me neither, but it's alot! And like I wrote in a couple of Valentine cards I sent out this year, what's not to like about a holiday that's all about love and includes ritual gift giving of chocolates and flowers? Sounds like a winner to me!

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Friday, February 03, 2006

Will somebody please tell me...

What makes a blog site or post entertaining for you? I have such a wide range of sites I visit...despite my small list noted on my blog page. There is such a disparity in what I find interesting or attractive about my favorites. One of them, Mary's Blog, I visit because it's my sister. I think she is funny and smart. But that's not why I like her blog.

I like her blog because it seems so real and is accessible to my real life. Not because she's my sister either. She's younger than I am so I get to see a younger POV of the stay at home Mom. I stayed at home with my kids too and it's interesting to see the differences and the similarities of how she deals with those challenges. She has an interesting mix of people who hang out there and I love that.

On the other hand, I like Karen's blog because it makes me feel connected to other women who enjoy the same sorts of books I read. Everyone there has strong opinion and I love the feeling of belonging to a community of women with opinions...about absolutely everything! It is often funny, frequently irreverant, and most of all honest. I wouldn't miss a post...and the comments are just as enlightening and entertaining.

Of course, I've mentioned Jennifer Crusie here many times. Now she and Bob Mayer have formed a collaboration to write books together. Their first book together, DON'T LOOK DOWN, comes out in April and I can't wait to read it. Ms. Crusie just tickles my funny bone. Because we are of a similar age she presents a familiar frame of reference. Besides how could I not like someone who watched ANGEL? I thought I was the only closet 40-something watching it. It was my guilty pleasure. Then there was Spike...

See, there I go again completely off topic. Anyway, she and Bob have a web site together Crusie/Mayer and are doing a blog He Wrote, She Wrote as well as her own Argh Ink. On their collaborative blog site there are more frequent posts (almost every day). I find their adventures a hoot and a great escape at lunch hour to transport me away from my work doldrums.


And while I can see with my new work schedule it is going to be harder to post very often myself. I'm so grateful for all the places that I can visit with the click of a button and be so enriched, enlightened and entertained.

Is that too much sucking up?

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