Swimming in December

Greetings from them wet soggy state that is Alabama. Today would have been the perfect day to stay in bed with a good book (had I not been so lazy and actually gone to the book store and bought one...still haven't bought the new House of Night book...shame on me) or finish up that knitting project that I'm giving as a gift tomorrow. Nah! I'm writing from the freezing comfort of my desk at work, and pretty darn happy about it. Yeah, did you see it? Alabama is apparently the 9th happiest state in the U.S. It feels good to come in near the top of some list!! And what a list to be near the top, I mean how can you not be happy about being one of the happiest states? If you ask the people who research the education standards across the U.S. they'd tell you its because we don't know any better! We'll take it though however we can get it, and with a smile on our face! I hope the other people here at work read that article and come in in a good mood today!

Its been forever since I've been here. I know, and I'm sorry!! I have a good reason for not getting to greet you all in almost two months too! I managed to join the world of the working class. I've been tucking back stories that at least make Jang soon laugh (but I worry about her because she has a sense of humor like mine). I can't go into details here but I promise soon (this weekend--with my fingers crossed) I'll sit down and share a story with you. Have you heard the one about the missing bathroom mirror or the one about the sexy lights? You will.

Happy Fall!

I know, I know, the official start of fall was last week. Today, however, is the first day of October, and to me October says fall. I've started on my daughter's Halloween costume. Last year saw 10 yards of tulle, I'm going to see if we can top it this year! I've bought my first mum of the season and who knows, today may have a pumpkin purchase tucked in somewhere! Last year I think we had 6 pumpkins, I'm going to see if we can top it this year!

With the fall season comes cooler weather, beautiful new colors and somewhat crazier animals. You know the ones! Especially squirrels, those little devils dart across the road on their search for tasty bits. For example one almost lost it's life this morning as I was taking my daughter to school. Who knows, if that squirrel had bothered to look more like a leaf I might have slowed down sooner or swerved more suddenly. As it stands we all made it out alive; it on the side of the road (I swear) chewing on some tasty bit, and my daughter and me in the car wondering what in the world just happened and why of all times is the thing choosing to eat now.

And now as a final thought... be nice out there. Nice matters. Nice always matters. In the car, on the sidewalk, in stores, and in gardens. We may not have to like people, what they do or how they act, but we can choose to be nice. And who knows being nice to that one person may set off some kind of chain.

And as a final final thought October is also breast cancer awareness month, so don't forget to get out there and support the women in your community. Run, walk, donate, wear pink as often as you can, get tested, encourage others to get tested, lend where you can, offer a shoulder where you can't lend.

Now, if you'll excuse me I'm off to enjoy the cool morning by looking for pumpkins!!

Mother Knows Best.

I was relating the lesson of the hybrid to my mother as we were in the car last week because she doesn't do the whole computer thing (meaning that she logs on to balance her checking account and then logs straight off). And just to prove that mother knows best she turns to me and suggests that maybe I should consider trading in my car for a hybrid so that I could have a better shot at running down my jogger! Again, seriously I'd never knowingly run down a fellow human, but you can see the application of the lesson of the hybrid, right?! Not to mention I've noticed several "clip worthy" joggers in my area. I can just see my trophy case now.... (I keep it in my cave next to my "club").

Saving Leaves and Lives

Ok, you are all going to think that I'm a bit crazy or you may think that I need my eyes checked. I can't think that I'm the only person in the world who has done this though. I'm driving along when I see something scuttle across the road and I swerve (not violently) to avoid the little critter, only to realize that its a leaf. I swear it looked like a lizard! This isn't the first time that its happened, I have to admit. In fact I have to face the fact that it may happen more often now that we are coming up on fall. My best friend laughed at me and asked how I'd explain wreaking the car over a leaf. I don't know!! Of course I laughed at her the day that she told me that she was almost run over by a hybrid car because they are so quiet that she didn't hear it coming. Yeah, I laughed at her! I mean how can you not hear a car coming right? No, she was right. As I was walking across the bookstore parking lot (by the way don't read new books while crossing a parking lot) one almost hit me. I swear I didn't hear the thing coming!!! I called her to apologize. Because I laughed at her being run down by a hybrid I can only hope that because she laughed at me for saving the life of a leaf that the same thing doesn't happen to her. I want you all to drive safely and watch out for leaves and hybrids because they really can sneak up on you.

Ouch! That hurt!

I am not the most graceful person in the world. I don't dance, and quite frankly I have trouble walking across a smooth stable surface without inflicting pain to myself or someone thats standing near me. I ran track and cross country for many many years and survived to tell the tale (I was much better in the water... I mean you can't really fall down in water, ok, you can but its really hard). Yesterday morning I woke up to the melodic sounds of my terriers barking at who knows what. Sheesh! I jump out of bed ready to race to shut them up before they can wake anyone else up... and fall on my face! Really. My right foot was sound asleep, you know, one of those deep sleeps that if it were a person you'd have to use buckets of cold water to rouse it. Now my right foot is the beautiful color of a ripe plum, and about the size of one too! I feel like a 90 year old woman running a marathon (I'm sure I look that way too).

This call may be monitored

You know when you call somewhere business-like they always have that message that your call may be monitored for quality assurance (when you know they are really recording it in case you go off on someone and they  all play it back at the end of the day for a good laugh)?  Well have you ever wanted one to actually be recorded or monitored?  Neither have I until  a few days ago.  I had to call a business to update my account and let them know of some lifestyle changes.  When I got to the part that I'm leaving my husband (and I swear that this is the truth) the lady who answered the phone said "well, good for you!!" and then tried to pretend that she was coughing.  I laughed and told her that it was totally ok that she said that and, in fact, I really appreciated it!  We ended the conversation with her encouraging me, and telling me that she was going through the same thing, and that it was possible to have the life that we are dreaming of after the dust settles.  I laughed and laughed and was so thankful that she answered the phone that day.  I like to think that maybe they monitored that and had a laugh at the end of the day.

The Benefits and Risks of Emotional Binging.

I'm not one to really let loose and let people know exactly what's on my mind.  I don't like to yell, make a scene, or  generally even be noticed. I mean, hey, you can really hurts someone's feelings if you're not careful.  I'm never one for hurting people's feelings if I can absolutely help it and even in that case I try to soften the blow.  In fact, I've been told by several different people that I'm long suffering because I tend to sit on my emotions.  There are, however, times when you just can't sit on those emotions and you have to let loose.  The chance that whoever encourages these emotional outbursts deserves them 100%.  One of these outbursts happened to me today, right in the middle of Wal-Mart (which is home of all things crazy so maybe its a good thing I was there and not somewhere else). I instantly felt better, because this guy has had it coming for a while. Of all things, mom was proud of me and told me that I still held back to much.  She also reminded me that if you sit on your emotions to long you'll eventually end up with a burned bottom!

The Hosta Garden

A little back story wouldn't hurt.  Will I turn 30 this December? Yes.  Did I decided to leave my husband recently? Yes.  Do I still stand behind that decision?  Yes!  Am I scared?  Sometimes yes.  Do I get frustrated? Yes.  Will I make it? YES!  

Ok, all that said there are things to be learned here.  I got so upset the other day and realized that I needed an outlet before my emotions ran me over (Lets face it, jogging would have been a great outlet, but I'm so not going there!  Not yet anyway.) So what do I decide to do?  Tend my sister's neglected hosta garden in her back yard (really, in hind sight jogging would have been easier).  To say that my oldest sister is not a gardener isn't a lie, there were more weeds in that garden than there were hostas.  

I started pulling, then I started thinking, then things started to make sense.  My motto up until that point had been "Be the duck-let things roll off your back".  I was channeling my inner duck when the thinking part hit me square in the face, because there were a lot of weeds, but interestingly enough there were a lot of hostas too!  In fact the more weeds I pulled I realized that there were NEW hostas coming up under the weeds.  Then the old saying thrive where you are planted crossed my mind.  You know what?  I decided right there that if these crazy little plants could come up under the oppression of all those weeds, then darn it so could I.  I'm going to thrive where I've been planted.  Being a duck is ok, but being a hosta isn't half bad either.  

Of modern day cavewomen and utter disappointment.

I have a errand that I run (and by run I mean get in my car and drive to) that I take care of every Friday morning.  Ok, so I go to the ATM, but it happens every Friday morning usually around 6 a.m.  I take the most direct/shortest path to my nearest bank and that route just happens to take me across the path of the most beautiful man I have ever seen.  Well, I haven't actually seen his face I haven't made it past his most beautiful abs.  I'm pretty sure he has dark hair. In fact I often joke that if his washing machine were to break he could just do his laundry right there on his own chest and stomach!   I've very clearly stated my desire to start running (and by desire I mean pipe dream). So how to meet this beautiful running man?  Pull a cavewoman and clip him with my modern day club...MY CAR!?!  No, I'm kidding that might actually hurt him, and he couldn't run any more, but its a nice fantasy.  This Friday morning dawns and I jump in my car ready to go sight seeing, and he isn't there?!  What?!  Did someone else beat me to the punch (clip?).  I'll be sure to get up earlier next Friday morning to check.  Good thing ATMs are 24 hour. 

Lets get this started!

Many many months ago, my wise and funny best friend suggested that maybe just maybe I should start a blog.  I mean, hey, if she calls for crazy updates weekly she may just have a point.  Of course when one looks at their own life we rarely see what's funny.  To us its just daily life and we get to laugh at it (if we so choose), cry about it (which feels good if you really need to), or stare it straight in the face and wonder what we're going to do about it.  I often choose to do all three (sometimes all at the same time).  So heres to you Jang Soon!  You can all check back often for your daily (hourly,weekly, monthly) dose of crazy!