At the beginning of September, I took on a part-time contractor job (as in “contracted position”, not as in “plumber”) and officially completed my transition from working “partly outside of the home” to working at home, full-time. (It’s full-time when you count all of the things I’ve got my grubby little paws on.) I LOVE IT. As in, I can’t even describe how much I love it. As in, most of the time I don’t even feel like I’m working because I like what I’m doing so much. As in, often I look up from my laptop and think, “I really need to quit fooling around and get to work!”…
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Xanadu At Drury Lane: Magic!
Back in August of 1980 I was eleven years old and really excited to see a new movie starring Olivia Newton John, “Xanadu”. I had enjoyed her music for a long time but after seeing her in “Grease”, I was a Superfan. Perhaps my Superfan status is the reason why, when most of the general public thought that “Xanadu” was one of the worst movies ever*, I (and my sister, too) fell head over heels in love with it. I loved the plot, the Greek mythology elements, the music, the wardrobe (even the legwarmers), all of it. I mean, come ON. Look at this and tell me that you aren’t…
- Confessions, Do I Really Want My Readers To Know This?, How To, I've Got Mad Skillz, Too Funny To Ignore
The Best AND Creepiest Way To Discourage A Door-To-Door Salesperson. Maybe.
We have lived in our current home for nearly twelve years. Our neighborhood is on the smallish side, and our elementary school is smack-dab in the middle. Both of my boys attended that school from Kindergarten through fifth grade (D started Kindergarten there when we were living in a rental home in another subdivision nearby). One of the things I love about this neighborhood is that it feels a lot like Mayberry: it’s quaint, neighbors know neighbors (for the most part), and until the last couple of years it was not very transient compared to other areas in my town. I have seen lots of kids grow up here alongside…
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Very Funny.
I am struggling. Okay, that sounds/reads a little on the melodramatic side. (I can’t help it. My mom didn’t call me Sarah Bernhardt for nothing.) There are big problems in the world…and this post is not about one of those. It’s about a big problem in MY world, and something that has been, as of late, causing quite a bit of consternation–and no, I did not misspell (or mean) constipation. Ready? *deep breath* I don’t know how to be funny. Yes, that’s it. (I warned you.) Here’s the thing: people tell me all the time how hilarious I am (apparently). But I’m not. Honestly. I usually think my ability to…
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Guilty Pleasure #52
With the exception of when I am running in a hundred different directions and have little time to shop for food, I love the grocery store. I’m not sure when it started, though I know it wasn’t when I was a kid. More often than not I would choose to sit in the car while my mom went in to get what she needed. (Keep in mind that in the 1970’s this was very normal.) Anyway, at some point when I became an adult I really started to enjoy the grocery store (except for that one time that lady touched my meat and I bubbled over to the degree that…
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Spring Cleaning
I’m not sure if it’s a result of helping to deal with M’s belongings, my recent doctor’s appointment showing that my blood pressure is still way too high, or the season itself but I have the itch to declutter and reorganize again. Everything. The ups and downs of the weather since last fall have made it necessary to keep clothing for every season in the dresser drawers, and I’m about done with using the force of my body weight to close them: they’re getting cleaned out. The boys have clothing hanging in their closets that–I’m sure–is way too small for both of them: they wear the same size now so…
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Go West, Young Man!
Today Jim and I did something I really couldn’t have imagined doing even a couple of years ago: we put D on a train that would take him away from us for the entire summer. He was hired to be a backwoods ranger at a Boy Scout High Adventure ranch in the mountains of New Mexico, something he’s wanted to do since he visited that same ranch for the first time a few years ago. After applying but not getting an offer last year, he was over the moon when he got the great news this year. When he called to tell me, I could hear the unadulterated joy in…
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If Only My Card-Carrying Teenage Music Fanatic Self Could Have Carried Cards Like These…
When I was a teenager in the 80’s, music videos were a new phenomenon. (Wow, that sentence screams old.) The launch of MTV in 1981 (who remembers which video was played first? The answer is at the end of this post.) made it possible for music fans everywhere–especially teens–to enjoy their favorite acts at a higher level than ever before. The visual experience of music videos back then was something to behold: most videos had a storyline and were shot like mini films. Most teenagers watched MTV during every waking moment, waiting for their favorite videos to appear in the rotation. Or maybe that was just me. For me, one…
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Reveal Day!
YOU GUYS. Something interesting happened on Friday. Besides Jen coming over to happily renovate my garden, that is. Are you sitting down? I helped her (well, as much as she would let me), and I HAD FUN. I know. I can’t believe it either. I was ready to live-blog the heck out of Friday. I was looking forward to Jen’s visit but not the gardening part. The level of complaining I had assumed I’d reach would have been epic. It would have made great material. My post would have been titled “The Angry Gardener.” Alas, I tweeted a few times and just…went with it. Although I am not suddenly going…
- Confessions, How To, I've Got Mad Skillz, My Friends Have Mad Skillz, Proud Moments, Something That Could Change Your Life
How I Do All That I Do, Part One
I’m a busy girl. This has already been well-established. (If you’re new here: Hi, and welcome! Trust me. I’m busy.) I am often asked “How do you do all that you do???” The person asking the question usually has a wide-eyed look and typically shakes her head in disbelief, most likely because she thinks I’m certifiably crazy for taking on as many things as I typically do. The question makes me very uneasy because honestly–though I am proud of my own accomplishments–I am not the type of person to toot my own horn in the company of others. Still, I am always flattered and I smile, thank them for asking,…