“Growing old is mandatory; growing up is optional.”  ~Chili Davis

It has arrived.  The day upon which I embark on a little adventure I like to call

“Holy Crap I’m Forty”. 

Yep.

Seriously, it is a very difficult concept for me to wrap my brain around.  How can this be?  Why, just last week, I was 21, right?? Or so it seemed.

Somebody once said forty is the new 30. Frankly, 30 kinda freaked me out, so I’m gonna say that 40 is the new 29.  Call it denial if you would like.  I can be okay with that.

Just roll with me here.

I wish I could flail my arms in the air and say “Yippee, I’m 40!”  But honestly, at this point in time, the main thing I’m feeling is, well, pretty flabulous.  And if I flailed my flabulous arms, anyone in my vicinity might be seriously injured, so we’ll just skip that!  I am very out of shape.  I’m moderately stressed. And by golly, the economy is nothing, if not uncertain.  So what’s a girl, er, middle-aged woman, to do?

Here are some things I’ve noticed of late:

• Recently, I have found some disturbingly random hairs growing inappropriately on my forehead…that is to say, somewhere in the space above my eyebrows and below my hairline, I’m having to pluck.  Something’s just wrong about that.  Thank God for tweezers is all I can say.
• Things creak when I get out of bed or walk up the stairs.  Sadly, it is neither the floor nor the stairs which is creaking.
• I don’t remember the last time the lady at the grocery store carded me when I came through the line with my bottle of Pinot Grigio.
• I say a lot of things my mom used to say to me that I swore I’d never say. (i.e., “Because I said so”,  “I’m not every one else’s mom”)
• I won’t give you the details, but my “cycle” has begun to change significantly.  I even think I had a hot flash yesterday.  Not kidding.
• I have to break out the 1.00 magnifiers occasionally and keep a pair in my purse and by my bed.

On the other hand, there are some things, that come along with being in your teens, 20s and 30s, that I’d just as soon not have to endure again:

• Making reallllllly dumb decisions due to being young and naive
• Dating
• Planning a wedding…boy, would I do A LOT of things differently (I’d keep the same sweet guy though!)
• Childbirth (Adore my precious ones, but wouldn’t want to do it again)
• Learning how to deal with passive aggressive people
• Learning that people are always going to judge you
• Learning that people are always going to give you unsolicited advice
• Learning to ignore the aforementioned judging and advising

There is a lot to be said for turning forty.  And the flabulousness could, with a lot, and I do mean a lot, of work, be turned into fabulousness.  Not that I am not, even at this moment, simultaneously flabulous AND fabulous. BUT, I would perhaps feel more fabulous if I were less flabulous…but, I digress…

Happy Birthday to Me!  I’m facing the big 4-0 head on!  Now let’s eat some cake, cause y’all know how I love me some cake!

Today commences another year’s standardized testing aka torture.  I know I complain about it a lot, but honestly, I have now decided that it’s not so bad because there is no homework during testing weeks! That’s a BIG “thumbs up” here in mi casa!

Meanwhile, Emma has celebrated her 11th birthday!  So hard to believe.  She is growing up before my eyes…they both are… and turning into such wonderful people.  I really LIKE my children.  I love them like crazy, but I really like them as people.  I like hanging out with them.  They are such cool kids.

There was the obligatory sleepover birthday party.  Complete with going to the pool, making our own pizzas and decorating flip flops.  I think the girls had a good time.  Personally, I was exhausted.  But I’m glad Em was happy.   

In other news, thanks to my high school buddy Yvette, I have discovered another cool something here on the world wide web…Pandora Radio.  This is SO COOL!  It is free and you can basically customize your own radio station.  You have to check it out.  I have created an 80s station that I am LOVING.

Life is busy around here.  Emma is playing softball, seems like a lot. But she is having fun.  Their record is currently 3-7, but they have improved tons since their first game.  Think Bad News Bears-ish.  But now they are fielding that ball and getting some hits.  Go Her-icanes!   

Jacob is working hard too…we began the summer countdown a little while ago…back at day 40.  Today is T minus 20 and counting!  We are all SO ready for this year to be over and move toward our homeschool plan for next fall.  He is excited.  And so am I.  Excited but nervous.  I’m not sure how it is all going to look, but I am going to make it work.  I always say that whatever God calls you to do, He equips you to do it.  And there is no other way that I’d be fixing to homeschool except that it is a God thing.  Trust me.  I was one of “those” people who always truly admired those who could homeschool, but I wasn’t one of them.  Well, here I go.  Yes, I hear God (and some of my friends) laughing too.  I’ll keep you posted. 

Emma however, will be going to public school.  She was accepted into a local middle school of the arts.  So, she is really excited about that…in spite of the fact that none of her friends are going.  She says she’ll be lonely; I say, not for long. 

But let’s just get through the next 20 days, eh?  And then breeze on into the summer.  Anybody else out there feeling me on this?? 

So I broke down and cleaned the carpet this week.  I mean, the in-laws are coming this weekend and all…otherwise I probably would have waited another six months.  It was pretty gross before I cleaned it and I’ve gotta say it doesn’t look much better post-cleaning.  What is up with that??  I would really like to have some wood floors throughout my whole house.  Carpet is evil.

Unless you live under a rock, you know that American Idol is in full swing.  I am a huge fan.  But, I didn’t get to watch last night…and it was MOTOWN night too!  OH, how I do love me some MOTOWN!!!   What’s a girl to do??  Search the world wide web, that’s what.  I was able to view the contestants’ performances on You Tube.  My faves for this season are…Allison, Danny and Adam…in that order.  For your viewing and listening pleasure, here is my favorite performance of the evening…

Granted Adam did that WAY bizarre over-the-top Ring of Fire rendition last week…it was just WEIRD…but this, THIS was pure genius.  Second favorite performance of the night was Allison’s Papa Was a Rolling Stone…WOW.  That girl has got some PIPES!  Holy COW! She blew the roof off!  Did I mention she’s only 16 years old??!

Meanwhile, we have navigated through an interesting week around here.  Sensory issues abound.  Did y’all know that there are shiny happy people everywhere?  How DARE they laugh and enjoy themselves??  UGH.  Poor Jacob.  He spent all of last week at home…y’all recall the flu that visited us.  So, he had the week at home.  In the quiet house.  Didn’t wear his earplugs at all.  Only to return this Monday to the onslaught of 800 squealing, giddy, pubescent 6th, 7th and 8th graders.  It was not pretty.  We are in the process of trying to make some adjustments for him at school.  We are also trying to schedule a listening therapy called Auditory Integration Training (AIT) which has been successful for some people on the autism spectrum with noise sensitivities.  At this point, we are desperate to help him.  It hasn’t been easy for him to get back in the groove.  I guess the saving grace is that we have a 4 day school week…oh, the beauty of the teacher workday…so we’re easing back in.  We will get through the next two months and then we are making some major changes.  More on that later.  Haven’t got the whole plan formulated just yet.  I’ll keep y’all posted. ;-)

And with that, I’m off to the Home Depot to find some twine to repair the trampoline net…again. 

Cough cough cough

So Jacob is still home with me this week.  He is feeling much better, but I am still concerned about the germ spewing he does every time he hack hack HAAAAAACKS, and I feel his school would appreciate me containing said germs to my own home.  I should add that he’s still looking mighty pasty. 

Selfishly, I like having him home to dote on.  We have managed a little bit of schoolwork.  He has rested well the last two nights and is so good about taking all the meds I am currently pushing on him. 

Just call me his dealer.  Or Elvis.  Whichever. 

He has only left the couch on rare occasions.  I think he can wear himself out just walking to the bathroom.  I can see the light at the end of the tunnel now though…just hoping and praying that nobody else gets it.  The Germ-X abounds in my house!!  Emma got home from school today and has sanitized about 6 times…without being asked.  Now there’s a kid who doesn’t want to be down with the flu! 

I was fumigating the kids’ bathroom today and it occurred to me that I was finding these random blobs of toothpaste EVERYwhere.  I ask you, HOW does one get toothpaste on the wall, door, sink, floor, cabinetry, mirror and tub??  Seriously.  I imagine the kids dancing an Irish jig around the bathroom whilst flinging their toothbrushes around in the air.  Michael Flatley’s got nothin’ on them!

Or maybe it’s just been a really long time since I’ve cleaned the bathroom. 

OY. 

Either way, toothpaste blobs are on my poo list.

"A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book."  ~Irish Proverb

The FLU has landed.  Right here in the cuckoo's nest.

Right here on my poor baby boy.  So pitiful.  Baby girl was sick with the creeping crud last week, and thankfully, she has now recovered--with the exception of the occasional hacking jag.  But my boy is feeling like doo-doo, y'all!  A nostril swab (aka brain stab! YIKES!) has proven that my boy has contracted Influenza "A"...I suspect from the kid next door who has been down with the flu for over a week now.

I can't recall any of us ever having had the actual full on for real flu before.  Oh, we've had stuff before...real bad cruddy stuff.  But to actually be diagnosed with "Influenza"...well, there's something just a little bit more medically alarming about that.  Plus, it just tops off an already foggy, dreary, rainy day!  Good times.

I went to my local drug store and picked up all the prescribed pharmaceuticals, as well as a boat load of hand sanitizer and new toothbrushes for everyone!

I'm envisioning my whole house and its entire contents being lifted by some ginormous crane and lowered into a big 'ole vat of hand sanitizer.  Like a flea dip...or a flu dip, if you will.  <insert cheesy grin here>

Let the fumigation begin! 

"Weekends don't count unless you spend them doing something completely pointless."  ~Bill Watterson

Yellow--

My car is yellow.  (No, I didn't get a new car.  The Edge is doing just fine, thank you very much!)  The pollen is out in FULL force down here in the South!  Complete with sniffy nose and scratchy throat.  <a la Pacino, "Say hello to my little friend"--->Zyrtec!>  Hubby and Jacob take their allergy meds all year round.  As for Emma and me, we just get all puffy-eyed and drippy-nosed once or twice a year.

All that yellow has "We All Live in a Yellow Submarine" looping through my brain.  Not my favorite Beatles song, by any means.  I like "Imagine" a whole lot better.  It makes more sense anyway. 

But whatever.

Friday Funny--

I saw something over at my other home (Facebook) this morning and wanted to share it with all 3 of my readers over here.  Y'all may be aware of my affinity for Chick-Fil-A...but this describes it oh, so well.  Please enjoy the vocal comedy stylings of Tim Hawkins, who is hilarious.  Please go visit his site or search him on You Tube, you won't be disappointed.

Meanies--

So I was headed over to pick up Emma from school while ago.  The elementary bus had just dropped off here in the 'hood and so there was a gaggle of elementary children spread across the road and sidewalk.  What do I spy but some little bully grabbing another kid by the wrist and bashing him in the stomach with his knee? 

I couldn't control myself.  I rolled down my window...

"Hey." <kid is ignoring me> 

"HEY!" <meany is still ignoring me and STILL abusing the other kid>

"HEEEY YOU!" <got his attention, but he's giving me the "who me??" look>

He's lucky I didn't get out of my car.

"ACT RIGHT!"  That's what I said to him.  Act right.  Kinda dorky, but I made my point. 

Well he stopped beating up the other kid.  And he moved away and was looking all around like "I didn't do anything".  <UGH.>

This is the VERY reason my children do not ride the bus.  Kids often do not get called out on their bully-ish behavior.  And other kids aren't going to tattle lest they be the bully's next victim.

I hope that kid goes home and tells his mama that some crazy lady was yelling out her car window at him for no apparent reason.  I would be more than happy to explain it to her.  <insert maniacal grin here, complete with hand wringing>

There's no excuse for it. Period.

That is all I've got to say about that.

Torture Update--

We all survived the "torture" (aka testing) this week.  Emma, however, came down with some horrible 103 fever/sore throat/headache virus and, wouldn't you know, missed the second day of testing.  The HORROR.  She spent the day at the doctor having a strep test, chest x-ray and blood draw.  Negative strep and everything else looked alright. We did come away with an antibiotic though.  I think the doc was concerned about her rattle-y sounding lung.  She was able to return to school today and finish up the test.  Shwew!  Wouldn't want her to miss the "Precious" (a la LOTR's Golem) testing, now, would we?!  It's done for now...that is until late May, when they will have the second go round.  More on that later, I'm sure.

And now, I am off to begin the weekend...

So, long side swept bangs are in.   Ask my 10 year old or any of her HSM3-loving friends.  Last year, she started the short bob trend after getting all her hair cut off for Locks of Love.  Then a few more friends cut their hair.  Well, a year down the road, one of Emma's friends has started the long side bangs trend.  And though Emma is usually not too pressured by her peers to conform when it comes to her appearance (except that time when she was 7 and begging to get her ears pierced because her friend did), she was totally digging the side bangs.  She wasn't begging, but I could just tell.  She was Jonesing for the side bangs.

Friday afternoon, we headed up to a chain salon up by the grocery store.  (It was convenient, okay).  I needed to take Jacob too, because every morning in recent days, he has woken up looking like the Great Horned Owl had visited him in the night, but the week had been a long one and a Friday haircut wasn't happening for my boy...don't know what I was thinking.  Emma and I walked up to the shop, I believe it is called "Famous Hair", and I looked in the big window.  Who did I see but my old friend MAGGIE!  My original Hairmate, who I was LOVING a few months ago, who then "moved on".  When they "move on", the salon they have left will not tell you where they have moved TO.  And then, there you are.  Lost.  Without your hairmate. What a sight for sore eyes!  I walked in there and hugged her neck!  I said, "where have you been girl??!"  THIS time, I have gotten her personal real live cell phone number, so if she gets a wild hair and moves on again, I can track her down!  SCORE!After that, Maggie cut Emma's hair and it looks ADORABLE.  I am so happy to have found my Maggie again. 

Friday night, we went over to my friend Torri's house--my sweet friend Torri who has just been a ray of sunshine to me since we moved here.  We had such a blast!  Going to have a dinner/game night with friends is not something we ever do and it was a really great time.  Clyn had fun too and best of all, Jacob had a wonderful time!  I was amazed. Good times.  

Hope we can do it again soon.

*Here is the part in the blog where I give a SHOUT OUT to my young friend Allie, Torri's beautiful daughter, who reads the blog.  HOLLAAAA!* 

Jacob did get his haircut yesterday (finally!  So then I could do the annual Christmas card photo shoot) and we got our Christmas tree.  We are real tree people.  Every year, I have twinges of thinking...this is the year we go artificial.  But then the family gets all testy.  And we get a real tree and it smells so great and I absolutely love it.  That is, until January when I have to drag it's fire-hazard-needle-dropping self out of the house.  Then I hate it.  But for now I love it and it is beautiful and as the Peanuts Gang would sing, "Christmastime is here."

"Birthdays are good for you.  Statistics show that the people who have the most live the longest."  ~Larry Lorenzoni

Random things I learned today:

Kanye West has been arrested for smashing a paparazzo's camera.  One can hardly blame him, really.

Ron White, of Blue Collar Comedy Tour fame,  also arrested--for drugs. It's a shame.

There are ants living in my husband's car.

Matt Damon apparently hates Sarah Palin.  Why does he need to know if she thinks dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago? Why?

Ike is barreling down on Texas and it doesn't look good. Yet thousands refused to leave.  There's a lot to be said for living above sea level...as much as I love the sea.

Gas went up 50 cents since yesterday.

The cast from Footloose reunited today on the Today show. A cult classic from 1984.  Raging lunatic religious parents and teen rebellion. Good times. Good times.

Jacob wants to know why cheese is called cheese.  I've honestly never thought about it. Have you?

New printers must be attached to your computer by USB cords now.  Yet, said USB cords are sold SEPARATELY.  You THINK you are getting a deal on a 70 dollar printer, but then you are forced to spend 35 more on a USB cord. SUCH a rip off.

Family night fun = playing Apples to Apples Jr. with the family.  You should try it.

And to all a good night.

Nothing witty to say today.

No great quote.

Tired.

Car still broken.

Hence, not visiting the gym = feeling like a blobby slug.

Frustrated.

Tired of looking at cars on the internet. 

Too. Many. Options. 

So. Much. Money.

Catchy songs to kids' shows shouldn't be allowed.

  Currently singing Disney Channel's Phineas and Ferb theme-song.  SIGH.  Now I'll never get it out of my head.

At least not until Miss Montana comes on.

It's the best of both worlds, you know. 

Great.  Now that's looping through my brain. 

Grilled, baked or broiled.

Should be cooking supper, but lacking motivation.  Only so many ways one can prepare chicken when your people won't eat a casserole. 

Love a casserole myself. 

Without casseroles, I would have been a hungry kid.  Seems like we used to eat them a good bit.

Tuna casserole. 

Vowed never to eat it again. 

Haven't.

Sarah Palin must have 40 different pairs of specs.  My husband thinks she's hot. <insert raised eyebrow here>

Michelle Obama busted a move on Ellen yesterday.  She's got her groove going.

Didn't pay attention to what their men-folk were doing. Hmm.  What does that say about me?  I think it means I must be shallow.

I really do care about politics.

Really.

That's all I have to say about that.

"The trouble with weather forecasting is that it's right too often for us to ignore it and wrong too often for us to rely on it."  ~Patrick Young

I'm wondering if this Hanna is going to make an appearance here in the Low Country or not.  I've spent the majority of the day running around town to various "home improvement stores" like a rooster with its head cut off trying to find something to tie down this new trampoline of ours.  Ironic timing, I'd say.  We've only just assembled the thing and now it seems we should have waited.  Hmm.  Ain't no way I'm going to spend another hour disassembling only to spend 7 more hours REassembling, people.  So, I reckon we are going to look for some way to turn it over and stake it down to the ground.  Don't want an Iowa repeat. (Tornado blew away our last trampoline a couple of years ago...into a neighbor's fence.  At least it wasn't into our neighbor's HOUSE! SHWEW!)  Having no luck locating tie downs for the tramp, I instead purchased my share of water, bungee cords and batteries.  Tomorrow will resume the tramp tie down search.  At least I wasn't the only one out there making hurricane prep, so I don't feel as though I am overreacting.  There was a line to purchase generators at one of the home improvement stores...I wasn't in it.  I'm not saying those people are overreacting.  I might end up wishing I had been in that line before it's all over.

Meanwhile, we have the bluest skies I've seen in a while, complete with poufy cotton clouds that look like they are smiling at me...literally.------->   Temps have dropped a tad bit.  This morning when I took Emma to school (7:15 AM) we needed jackets.  It's weird.  You would not THINK a hurricane is on the way.  I won't be fooled.  I'm going with the Boy Scout Motto:  Be prepared.  Or as my mama used to say: It's better to have it and not need it, than need it and not have it. 

Truer words have never been spoken. 

"You can't be friends with a squirrel.  A squirrel is just a rat in a cuter outfit." ~Sarah Jessica Parker as Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City

Take it from my friend Sarah:  You can never trust a squirrel. 

Or even worse--a bored country squirrel.  I always knew squirrels were shifty little critters.  Always looking like they are up to no good.  Just waiting till you aren't looking.  Now I know it's true.  Another reason to trust my woman's intuition.

Sarah tells me that, thanks to a pack of bored country squirrels, she now has her car in the shop awaiting $700 in repairs.  Repairs to some wiring that no longer connects.  Chomp chomp chomp, little squirrels.  Forget about those acorns, buddy.  They've moved on to bigger and better things...I don't know about you, but I'm thinking of taking up squirrel hunting.  Don't let that cute outer exterior fool you; they are out to get you.

In other news, I have returned to the gym after a summer hiatus. My treadmill experience informed me that I was grossly out of shape.  I am determined to run a 10K next spring so when I realized that I could really only run about 2 minutes at the time (walk 5, run 2, rinse, repeat), I knew the road to get to the 10K was going to be a long one.  I also knew I was in desperate need of some new running shoes.  How did I know?  My feet were screaming it at me.  So I hit the showers and then hit the shoe store.  No excuse now.

And that's all I have to say about that. 

Today begins day 6 of the 2008-09 school year here.  We are slowly adjusting.  And I do mean sloooowly.  Luckily for us, there's a holiday Monday.  Sadly, we already really need a vacation day. 

Here's to vacation days.  Just steer clear of the squirrels.  Cheers.

"Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into."  ~Henry Beecher, Life Thoughts, 1858

So the kids are back in school and I'm trying to reconfigure my life.  The whole getting-back-in-the-groove-thing doesn't come too easily to me.  They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree and this is true for Jacob and me in the transition department.  Frankly, we are all walking around here like a bunch of zombies at the moment.  I think my lights were out by 9:30 last night and I am still having trouble functioning today.  Sad.

I find it funny, and I do not mean in the "ha ha" sort of way, how you get the back-to-school supply list, put together by and distributed by your school, and once school starts, there are all these "oh by the way y'all need this too" items.  I have now made two additional school supply shopping trips.  Today was one such trip.  I made it fun though. 

Don't get me wrong, I DO enjoy some shopping.  I think of myself as a bargain shopper.  Now, I may not necessarily NEED what I'm buying, but it is a BARGAIN, so that makes it okay.  At least that's my rationale.

I have recently joined up over at Flickr, upon the recommendation of my Spaces friend Sheila.  She has me hooked.  I made today fun by making it part of my "This Is Today" project over at Flickr.  You take a photo every day for 365 days and post it to the group.  So I spent part of my day out looking for photo opportunities and had fun with it.  I can only capture so much with my little Canon Powershot SD600, but it does a pretty snappy job, if I do say so myself.  Today's entry is to the left.  I was treating myself to some Chick-A-Lay.  (Follow the link to find out why I love Chick-A-Lay so much.  But one of the reasons is that they always have fresh cut flowers in little vases on all the tables in the restaurant.  It's the little things y'all.)  Dorkily, (don't think that's a word, but work with me) I whipped out my little camera and was inspired to snap a few photos.  People were staring but I didn't care.  I am exploring a new creative side of myself.  Then later when I stopped by Staples, I found myself looking longingly at all the fancy cameras.  But who can pop a big ole honking Nikon in her purse, eh??  Those photo ops can happen when you least expect them.  I think it will be a challenge to try to stick with it for 365 days, but hey, that's part of the fun.  I've hung in there for 9 whole days already!

And now is the time when I suppose I should be a good mother and go start dinner and supervise the homework situation.

“I will not play tug o' war. I'd rather play hug o' war. Where everyone hugs instead of tugs, Where everyone giggles and rolls on the rug, Where everyone kisses, and everyone grins, and everyone cuddles, and everyone wins.” ~Shel Silverstein

We are T Minus 8 days and counting here.  The back-to-school train is pulling out of the station whether we like it or not.  We made a brief visit to Jacob's school today to get a feel for the lay of the land in 8th grade world.  His classes are a little more spread out this year, but he'll have it down cold after a few days, I am sure.  (Positive thoughts, everyone!)  I have my reservations about it all, but I don't say anything in front of Jacob about it...he's anxious enough as it is. 

Sooo, ONWARD people!

What else...we've been having a bit of fun here at the end of summer.  We enjoyed a trip to visit some of Hubby's family in Emerald Isle, NC.   We took a boat ride (not fun--blogworthy in and of itself, but not today) out to a sand bar, with a family friend, and hung out there (super fun).

We went to see Journey to the Center of the Earth...in 3D no less. It was entertaining.  I confess to being more than slightly startled at one point.

We completed a puzzle...1000 pieces!!  "Birds of Your Back Yard" Grandma sent it to us a while back and I thought...Hmm, THAT looks kinda overwhelming!...But I finally pulled a folding table out of the garage, set it up in the living room and decided we would just leave it until that sucker got finished!  Well, it took us probably 2 weeks, but we did it!  Mostly Jacob and me, but it was fun.

We got the kids all registered for school.  Found out who the teachers are, and in Emma's case have contacted ALL our many friends to see who is in her class.  Turns out that one girl from last year (that we know of) is in there with her.  I'm sure there will be more, but she makes friends easily and I am sure she'll be fine.

Oh, and we've been watching quite a bit of the Olympics.  Tell me, people...was that opening ceremony amazing or what?  I've got to give China their props...they have gone above and beyond anything I've ever seen before. Amazing.  And any of y'all who saw it too, know exactly what I am talking about.

Here's a fun tidbit--One of my childhood friends is coming on her annual family vacay to where??  Super South Carolina, that's right.  We've known each other since we were about 9 years old--thanks to our parents who have known each other for many many years.  Our birthdays are within 2 weeks of each other and we usually communicate once a year around that time.  She now lives in Pennsylvania and I haven't seen her in probably 11 years-ish.  She is one of those people who you just pick up where you left off even if it's been 11 years since you saw each other.  Where she'll be is only about 2 hrs from us, so we're going to head up and hang out.  I know it will be a blast.

And just cause I'm feeling random at this moment--

Some things I've come to believe recently:

• Bactine LIES...it TOTALLY stings.
• As do band-aids who advertise "no sticking to your owie". PSHAW!! LIARS.
• Watching the Olympics is addictive.  Who knew beach volleyball was so fascinating??
• School should be 3 months of the year and summer should be 9 months.
• The summer book club my friend Torri and I organized for our daughters and their friends might have been more for us than for them!
• There are a lot more things in my life that are beyond my control than I thought.
• Having breakfast for dinner ROCKS.

That's all folks.

"Life is an endless struggle full of frustrations and challenges, but eventually you find a hair stylist you like."  ~Author Unknown

----------

As a woman, it is no easy task to find someone to cut your hair. 

CORRECTION:  It's easy to find A SOMEONE to cut your hair, but to find THE SOMEONE who you LOVE to cut your hair, well it's something kin to, say---the quest for the Holy Grail.  It is the quest for...your "hairmate".  Finding your hairmate is an important choice in a woman's life...call me superficial, but your hairmate is as important as who you choose to be your gynecologist or your babysitter or your dentist.  Your hairmate has to be someone you trust.  Surely I am not the only one who feels this way.

We search and we search.  We bravely give ourselves to someone--hoping that he or she is THE ONE, only to have our hopes dashed.  And we pick ourselves up and we wipe our tears and we continue on in our endless quest, dejectedly hopping from one salon to the next.  Emptiness and disappointment ensue.

But then!  Oh JOY!  You find someone, THE ONE, who is your hairmate.  You know when you've found that special someone, because when you sit in their chair and you are completely relaxed, excitedly awaiting the end result.  Now, we all have our horror stories, don't we, ladies??  Once, you came home with a perm-gone-wrong or a He-man short 'do, when you were going for a "Hey man, come hither" 'do.  Or GASP, even worse, you come home with a mullet disaster 'do.  But when you find THE ONE, there are no worries.  You trust them totally and without hesitation to do with you what they will. 

Sadly, when you move across the country, you lose your hairmate.  And tragically, the search begins anew.  The painful search.

Luckily for me, I found my hairmate.  Right here in my new town.  Didn't have to look very far.  And I didn't have to hock the family silver each time I went.  My hairmate, and cheap too!!  It was a dream come true.  Her name was Maggie.  Maggie was great.  Maybe you remember her?  She's the one who cut Emma's hair when she donated it to Locks of Love last fall.  She was adorable and always had me cracking up the whole time she cut my hair.  The last cut she did for me, was my favorite yet.

So, yesterday afternoon, I visit my home salon, to take Emma in for a cut and to my HORRIFIED surprise, I am told that Maggie has "moved on".  MOVED ON!!!  What??!  How could she do this to me??  What did I ever do to her that she should treat me so cruelly??  Take my heart, bleeding from my chest and stomp it on the ground, why don't you?  She was my HAIRMATE for goodness sake!  And now, now, she's just a fading memory.  The worst part is, I didn't even get the chance to day goodbye. 

Call me a drama queen, but, what's a girl to do? 

"Well," said Pooh, "what I like best," and then he had to stop and think.  Because although Eating Honey was a very good thing to do, there was a moment just before you began to eat it which was better than when you were, but he didn't know what it was called.  ~A.A. Milne

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I am jumping for joy.  LITERALLY.  MUCHO happy dancing here at mi casa.

Picture it people...well, if there are any of you people who still stop by here, that is...I am almost teary-eyed as I sit here, IN THE COMFORT OF MY OWN HOME, typing the first blog in for-freaking-ever on my NEW PC. 

Let the HALLELUJAH chorus begin.

Wait for it.....yep, yep, I hear it.

MAN!  No more creepy people at the library.  No TIME limit. The comforts of home.  SIGH.

It is a beautiful thing.

So, I see BIG CONGRATS are in order to  Mr. and Mrs. Skrumshz.  Welcome sweet baby!  WOOHOO!  That's the only thing I know at the moment about any of my blogee friends.  I am hoping over the next few days to do some major blog-walking and get caught up on all my PEEPS!  Oh how I've missed you all!! 

Here are a few points of interest that y'all have missed over the last little hiatus...

• The new guinea pig, Zippy, who joined joined us last month, is still doing well.  Freely eating, pooping and peeing as all good guinea pigs are want to do.  At least I reckon that's what they do anyway.
• Big Red is still functioning quite nicely, thank you very much.  Although I hesitate to write that.  Just thought y'all would like to know.
• Have enjoyed much company this summer.  I mean now that we live in a place that is near a cool place to vacay, more peeps come to see us.
• Emma was awesome in her dance recital this summer.  She received a trophy from the dance studio for being the "Modern Guru".  No lie.  That's what the trophy was for.
• In addition to having much company, we have enjoyed a couple of short trips.  To Myrtle Beach and to the in-laws and to hang with my BFF Kristi for the 4th of July at the awesome campground.  It was most excellent getting to watch the fireworks from the boat!

Hmm.  What else.  I am just so stoked about my new machine.  Can y'all tell?

Soon, I'll have some pics to post, but after all, I did just get the puter today, so haven't quite gotten there.  Still figuring some things out! Soon though. Soon.

"Before you put on a frown, make absolutely sure there are no smiles available."  ~Jim Beggs

"A smile is the universal welcome."  ~Max Eastman

Some of my sweet blogland friends have so kindly asked as to the state of Big Red.  So nice of y'all to care about her like that!

Well, my new friend, Gene, aka 'mechanic dude',  finally found a starter that would fit my car...took him three tries.  Apparently, my car has to have "special" parts.  Red is special like that.

I would like to say that this week, I have had my little Pollyanna-ish-rose-colored-glasses outlook on life confirmed, yet again.

First, we had CVS girl, Alicia.  Now, we have Gene.  Not only did Gene fix my Big Red, BUT, he also drove Red to my house after it was fixed and carried me BACK to his garage so we could settle up.  How nice was that?  I love when people do nice things that they really don't HAVE to do.  B & E Automotive, you ROCK.

I was having a conversation about this very thing with my sis-in-law, Amy this morning...no, not the pregnant one, the other one. (Baby STILL has not arrived...they will induce next Wednesday if nothing happens before then.)  She was telling me about quite the OPPOSITE experience she had at a Mickey D's in her town the other day.  It seems that she approached the drive-thru window, where not one of the drive-thru "ladies" uttered the first word to her.  They did not SPEAK.  They did not smile at her, did not thank her or tell her to have a great day.  Not only that, but as the one drive-thru girl put her hand--with her unnaturally long bright green air-brushed fake-fingernails--out the window to take Amy's debit card, she looked at my SIL like a deer caught in the headlights, with her mouth hanging open like she was about to catch some flies or something!!! Amy said she was so hypnotized by the bright-green-air-brushed-Guinness-Book-of-Records-length nails, that she couldn't bring herself to say anything to the girl...or her manager who was pre-occupied with a milkshake machine crisis.  So as she drove away, she looked at the number on her receipt and promptly called the manager of the place, who then proceeded to make various excuses for the behavior of her employees.  Is it so much to ask for people to just offer you the minimum courtesy??  I think not.  It's really not so hard to just smile and say hello to someone...even when you don't feel like it.  A:  It will make you feel better if you do.  And B:  People will want to patronize your business!  Come ON!  It's just good customer service.  That's all I'm saying.  Just SMILE people!!  It's NOT that hard.  Really, it's not.  That's all I have to say about that.

Moving on...

We are off to visit the in-laws this weekend.  So this morning I have been busy running errands and doing laundry and such.  AND while multi-tasking just a few minutes ago here at my desk (IM-ing with my friend, paying bills, blogging and talking to my sis-in-law on the phone--the pregnant one--all at the same time!),  I spilled my (cold) COFFEE all over my shirt and my jeans.  Now, of course this would be the time where all my pants, well the ones that currently FIT ME anyway, have been laundered and are drying.  SO, I changed my shirt.  And remained in my coffee laden pants.  My pants seem to be drying now, but I carry with me the aroma of COFFEE.  On my pants.  My pants have coffee breath.  Not cool.  And now, I must take Lubie to the birdie-sitter, in my coffee pants.  Nice.  I love my java...but I don't love it enough to wear it as my Ode De Parfum!  Oh well.  No choice at the moment. 

And so, again, the Pollyanna in me finds the silver lining--at least the coffee didn't spill on my keyboard.