In the on deck circle

I'm copping out.  I'm posting about what I'm not posting.  But, on the upswing I hope to grow some ambition (like I'm growing my nails, that stuff from Avon really does work!) and actually start crack-a-lacking back to the writing.

Brewing in my noggin' currently:
- The NFL Draft (this weekend) I haven't heard much about anything but Stafford but I'll throw my two cents in any way, we can always spill into general NFL -- like KC trading Tony Gonzalas (so, who actually plays there now?) or Kyle Orton and Jay Cutler switching teams ... OR Michael Vick getting out of jail and possibily being reinstated to the league.
- Grey's Anatomy and why Izzy should die.  No, I don't dislike Izzy.  In fact I loved the Izzy & Denny story line (yes, he's dead--but she saw him because she has cancer so don't you feel bad about bitching about the story line now?) I don't respect Katherine Heigel and would rather she leave the show, but I do like Izzy.
- Turning 26 shortly and the cliche that was my quarter life crisis at 25
- Blogs and sites I love, as proof of how I'm entirely addicted the Internet.

And now, it's nearly 10.  And I'm tired.  I'm going to listen to a little music, go to sleep and hope for better things tomorrow.

Good night and happy painting.

I bet I won't be able to wear chopsticks again (darn!)

The first shampooing after a haircut I always use way too much shampoo.  If you already didn't know this about me, I have very thick hair.  So thick that in it's natural state, it takes at least 6-8 hours to dry.  I don't bother with a blow dryer, it barely makes a dent.

When I got my first perm, my head hurt from the weight of the hair and curlers.  The curl only stayed in around a month. Even trying to curl it more than a flip in or out is pointless.  It's so heavy that it will not hold the curl, no matter how much product you try to cement it in place.

The first time I went to my stylist I told her she would have to thin out my hair.  She said yeah, sure we can do that.  She didn't get it.  When the pile of hair was around an inch high and she wasn't even close to done, she finally understood.

I don't so much need a hair cut, but more a trim, style and thinning out.  Afterwards, it's great though ... like, wow this must be what it feels like to have normal hair.

Sadly, I broke two nails today

It's finally warm enough to walk around outside for more than three minutes at a time without risk of frost bite, so this weekend I spent a fair amount of time mingling with Mother Nature.  She, of course, sent me home with a lovely gift of lingering allergies. 

Let me tell you folks, I'm fighting the good fight.  Runny nose, sniffy nose.  Sinus pressure, sneezing, itchy and watery eyes.  ... but I'm also being a baby about it.  I'M MISERABLE!!!  And all I want to do is stay in bed and sleep.  But I don't.

In the epic battle against my allergies I made chicken noodle soup from a Ramen Noodle Pack.  Now this might bring back the old glory days for some, but I hate Ramen Noodles.  In my entire college career I never ate them.  So where does my loathing come from?  It's the "base" my dad uses for his "soup," or more acurately described as "let's throw every leftover from the fridge in a pot of boiling water with Ramen and eat it for like six meals."  I suppose it's just easier to refer to it as "soup" even though it's inaccurate. I refer to it as slop in a bowl, not to be confused with slop on a stick.

So I think I would make my Dad's heart proud to know that I was making Ramen.  Of course, he'd doctor it more (celery and leftover green beans, corn, chicken or turkey (or both), celery salt, extra noodles, rice ... I'm sure I'm leaving something out).  He might also turn his nose up at the garlic and ginger I added.  No, on second thought, he would be less disgusted if I had put a pancake in ... but ginger and garlic?  For shame.

Blink 182's back in the studio, which is really f'ing great.

Ever the Same.

I'm starting to pull out of the March lulls.  Only took nine days into April.  It's official, March is the new February.

I'm suddenly craving a glass of wine.  And I know I have some Sauvigan Blanc chilling in the fridge.  So convenient ... so ready to come out and splash into a glass.  Is 9:46 a bad time to have a glass of wine??

Mmmmm, good decision.

So, I was at Perkins probably three weeks ago.  At the table right across from us was a family.  The grandparents, their three daughters and three grandchildren.  The daughters were taking their parents out for an Anniversary meal.

Throughout the meal I was struck at how very condesending each daughter was towards her parents.  If I were to guess I'd say they were around 80-90, but seemed to be very healthy and high functioning.

First, Big Hair on the end tells her Mom that she doesn't have to eat her bun.  "See, I don't like my bun, I just put it right there.  They give it to you if you want it or not.  So you don't have to eat it Mom."  Of course though I see "Mom" eating her bun later in the meal.  Hadn't Big Hair ever heard of carbo loading?

Then The Middle Child said to her Mom,  "Mom next your fork is a steak knife.  See, you use it like this. Big Hair, Mom was trying to use her fork to cut into her steak."

Halfway through the meal, Big Hair gave her Dad the talk about not eating all his toast.  She must really have something against bread.

I'm sure they were all well intending ... but if I were mom & dad I wouldn't have been amused at the eating lesson.

Because tomorrow's another day

I just stepped outside to put the garbage out and I was struck at how peaceful it was.  The moon is out and high above, shining between two towering pine trees.  The air is crisp, yet comfortable ... assuring me spring is on the way, it's just taking its time.  But what made me pause was how quiet it was.  No crickets or insects yet.  No cars or any other sign of the white noise of life that usually surrounds us.

I appreciate those rare moments where there's harmony and the universe gives you a sign that you're okay, right there in that moment is where you are supposed to be.

Life seems to be going at a million miles per hour and no matter what I do I can't catch up.  With everything.  Work projects, housework, dishes.  Books to read, movies to see, scrapbooks left undone, blog posts left unwritten, the sheer mass of web sites and blogs left unexplored.

No matter how much time there it is, it is never enough.

We went to a conference this winter and heard Paul Wesselmann (The Ripples Project) speak.  He really gave us all a shot in the arm.  He told us to do more tomorrow than what we did today.  Now, in this specific instance he was referring to exercise ... but I think I'm finding harmony applying it to life. 

Didn't get all my clothes put away? Well, I'll put the rest away tomorrow.  Not in the leaving to tomorrow what could be done today sense.  But in the way that there's a finite amount of time--in a day, in a life.

And how we spend that time is our choice---we can choose to react or be depressed or discouraged about what life throws at us.  Or we can choose to act--to be the best person we can be in that moment.

And in this moment ... I feel better knowing that.  Thanks again, Paul!!