Let Me Tell You A Tale

Let me tell you a tale of market basket.  Okay, I know it seems like we have been down this road before.  But not unlike many roads around here, this one has had some construction and the route has been altered. 
We all know of my fondness for market basket, and more importantly my fondness for grocery shopping in general.  Some days I swear it is the bain of my existence.  But we must eat so I soldier on.  We were low on just about everything so I could put off the inevitable no longer.  I asked my adorable husband for an hour so I could go to my torture chamber without my adorable child.  Unfortunately the adorable husband had a prior commitment and could not afford me the hour I requested.  I pack up the adorable child and head out to conquer market basket.
The trip started off not too bad.  There was a stray cart abandoned near my car so after I parked I gathered that cart, stuck my cart cover on it, unloaded the child and off we go.  I am one aisle into the store when I realize that the cart has a hinky wheel.  Decision time....do I back track and switch cart or keep on keeping on.  I was not in the mood to fight the incoming stream of shoppers so I made the decision to keep going.  What the heck, at least I would get an upper body workout while I was there.  Jeff and I proceeded on to the deli and seafood counter.  Usually a cluster f*@#k but today not too bad.  I picked number 68 and they were on number 64.  I skipped to the seafood counter while I waited for my number to be called.  Of course I asked for my fish order just as the deli guy is shouting 68.  I am so good at multitasking that I was able to tell fish lady what I wanted then deli guy with little confusion.  That is until fish lady tries to give me .75 of a pound of fish when I asked for a pound.  I said "Its ok if its over".  So fish lady gives me 1.30 pounds of fish.  No big deal, haddock really does cook down anyway.  And if we are going to eat a large portion of anything I would prefer it to be a healthy food like a delightful flaky white fish.
We leave this section of the store and I wrestle my way through the rest of the store.  I really should have switched this damn cart!  Jeff has been his usual self.  Shouting "HI" to anyone within his view and the telling them he was "shopping".  This approach is met with mixed reviews.  Most people if of the elderly variety love talking to him.  Now we approach the dreaded check out lines.  They are dreaded for two reasons.  One is all of those stupid basket of crap they have as you enter the line.  Of course all of them are placed at the perfect height for a toddler sitting in the shopping cart.  So after I get hit in the head by a couple bottles of parsley I manage to get near the conveyor belt and start loading the groceries.  This is when my adorable child morphs into a frickin octopus.  I swear he grew an additional 6 arms.  Now that we are actually in the line he is at the perfect height for all of that candy.  I am trying to unload the groceries as fast as is humanly possible  and keep his hands in the cart.  Needless to say he grabbed the lip of the box of m&ms and pulled.  Ah, the joys of shopping.
We manage to make it outside with neither of us bleeding.  Once we get home he has to help me unload the groceries.  Its actually kind of cute because he tells me what every item is that he takes out of the bag.  And I don't have to bend over and empty them myself.  Okay, all the groceries are unpacked and we survived to tell another tale of market basket.
Let's skip ahead to 4:30.  Its time to start dinner prep.  I take the fish out of the fridge and open the package.  Holy crap!  Did fish lady sneak a little fish stink in there when I wasn't looking?  No doubt this fish has to be bad.  WTF!!!!  $7 worth of fish and I have to chuck it out.  Not to mention I am chucking out my whole dinner plans now.  Everything else has been put in the freezer for a later use.  Now I got food poisoning once when I was pregnant and I wasn't going down that road again.  As pissed off as I was I wasn't going to take any chances.  This is not the first time I have bought fish, go to cook it and find it to be bad.  I mean what do I have to do, ask to smell the fish at the counter before I buy it?  Don't get me wrong.  I so would.  I hate wasting money on food.
So now that I am digesting the pizza my adorable husband went out to get us, I managed to sneak in to the home office and type out this blog.  I hope you all enjoy the telling of the tale of market basket.  Like going there isn't bad enough, but to buy rotten food?  That's just the cherry on top of the sundae.  Til next time........

Hold This and That

Went for a brisk walk with my little man this afternoon.  Brisk because of the gale force winds that seemed to be pushing us the whole way.  I knew it was windy before going out but it looked too nice to stay inside.  It was a very pleasant walk.  Perfect temperature, the wind didn't make you freeze and my little guy got to see all of his favorite sights on the way.  Thank you bus, ambulance and motorcycles for driving by us.
For dinner tonight is pizza.  I didn't feel the great urge to cook today so takeout it is.  I like to have a salad with pizza.  I feel like the roughage balances out the dough and cheese.  Lately I have resumes my love affair with greek salads.  Of course I can't just order the salad.  I have to say hold the olives and the onions.  I have never liked olives(texture issues) and onions can either agree or disagree with me and I usually don't have a say in the matter.  Some places all I get is lettuce and feta cheese.  Great salad you're thinking right?  But some places throw in a couple cucumber wedges and maybe a stray tomato.  If its a really fancy place they throw a pepperoncini on top.  Of course I don't eat those either.  Most times its lettuce and feta.  What I really like is the dressing.  If its a creamy greek dressing I am in heaven, the oil based ones are just plain gross.  I will avoid ordering whole establishments if they only offer their "house" dressing and its oil.  So, the moral of the story is I get a salad to balance the dough and cheese and end up eating lettuce and cheese with dressing on top.  Hmmm, I sense an oxymoron there.  Yup, welcome to my world.  Hold the sarcasm.  Until next time......

Has It Really Been That Long??

Hey there!  According to the records of this blog I haven't posted since July!  Has it really been that long?  I guess facts don't lie.  Let me offer you my apologies and in the next breath tell you that I cannot promise consistency.  Not that my life is any more important or hectic than any one else's, but it is my life and I have the privilege of deciding how to spend my time.  Now don't get me wrong, I do love each and every one of you.  I am so grateful to all my followers for taking their time to read this.  But when its a toss up between spending time on the computer or spending time resting, I will most often choose resting.  Its really the only time of the day where I get to lie down and close my eyes.  As any mom of a toddler knows, this is vital to our sanity.  I promise to try harder and give all of you a small piece of entertainment in your day.
So rainy days make me want to bake.  This is my prime baking time of year.  It warms the kitchen and fills the house with such delightful aromas.  The issue is that I of course only bake what I like.  And if I like it I want to eat it.  On a cold rainy day what is more comforting then a warm baked treat?  I try to organize my baking with David's schedule at the firehouse.  That way I can have a little taste and send the bulk of it off with him.  If only the weather would organize itself with his schedule too then there wouldn't be any conflict in that area of my life.  And who couldn't use a little less conflict in their lives?  Mine seems chock full lately.
So, I am proud to say that I resisted the urge to make the oatmeal cookies that I have been craving.  Since I still have apple crisp left from my last baking extravaganza.  The good news is that its almost dinner time and my oven will be occupied by the turkey meatloaf we are having for dinner.  If I am not going to bake the next best thing is warm yummy comfort food.  Of course this recipe calls for ground beef and I am switching that for ground turkey.  I really try to limit the amount of read meat we eat.  Since we had steak earlier this week tonight its turkey.  I am sure it will be fine.  And the ground turkey was on sale this week.  I am looking forward to it.  I have to admit my favorite part of meatloaf is making meatloaf sandwiches.  Yummy!!  I think cold meatloaf is better than hot.  But that's just me.
Well there it is folks.  My newest blog since July!  Nothing exciting, but let's face it, I am a stay at home mom to an almost 2 year old.  How exciting can my life really be?  There are some exciting installments coming soon.  Stay posted.  Until next time.....

Danger Will Robinson

There was a tragedy at my house this morning.  No one was hurt but my toaster oven didn't make it.  Oh my beloved Delonghi toaster oven I will miss you so.  I know you're all probably thinking I am off my rocker but the truth is I did love that toaster oven.  I will give you the back story to the toaster oven.  I threw a little tv lingo in there.  Wonder how I am learning tv lingo?  That blog will come a little later.
Anyhow, I digress.  What a shocker!!! Please hold the collective gasp of amazement.  Now hold the collective smirk of sarcasm.  I digress again.  So, I got married at the ripe old age of 23 and subsequently got divorced at the ripe old age of 26.  When we split he took whatever had been given to us from his family or what he bought while we were married.  Which left me with a bed, bureau, couch and love seat.  I had no appliances other then the ones that came with the house.  I had no source of amusement other than books and my alarm clock.  This was obviously before the days of these smart phones that could have played music and games and whatever else you could think of.  This was also before wi-fi so it wouldn't have mattered anyway.  Soon after my court date my dad came to visit me.  He brought me a microwave that was extra at my parent's house and the toaster oven.  We then went shopping at Sears and he bought me a tv and entertainment center, I bought a DVD/VCR combo unit.  I could once again watch tv while sitting on the couch that I was able to keep.  It literally looked like someone had started moving in and hadn't finished yet.  But that was my home.  A few months later I bought my ex out for 20k and kept the house.  Best move I ever made.  Rolled my student loans, and car payment into the mortgage and I was financially stable.  Mentally stable was a whole other story.
So, that toaster oven was a gift from my dad.  It served as my main source of cooking when we renovated the kitchen in the house we are in now.  It made Jeff one meal or another at least once a day.  We had been through a lot together.  I knew the controls so well I could practically set it blindfolded.  David and I were in the kitchen this morning making breakfast.  He threw some toast in the toaster oven and went to the stove to cook some eggs.  All of a sudden I heard a snap crackling sound and I looked over to the counter.  I saw sparks shooting out of the control panel and smoke was starting to billow out of the toaster.  David rushed over and pulled the plug out of the socket right as the toaster fizzled out.  I was sad.  But grateful at the same time.  On many occasions I would throw Jeff's lunch in there then go get him from his nap as it was cooking.  That could have started a real fire.  Which would have been awful to say the least.  What the heck would I have done?? One can only wonder.
After lunch Jeff and I made the trek to Bed Bath add Beyond to purchase a new one.  Like I said I used it all the time so it had to be replaced immediately.  Much like when Jeff broke the coffee pot.  I had to go that day to replace it.  I did a little research on line and read some reviews to see what make and model had what I wanted.  I made a list to bring with me because Lord knows I would not have remembered them.  Now what irks me about BB&B is that their online selection is vast and varied.  Their store selection not so much.  They had 3 of the 6 that I had listed.  We all know that BB&B has 20% off coupons, which truthfully is the only reason I shop there.  And you can't use their coupons online.  And you have to pay shipping.  So even though I might like to purchase something from there online it goes against all my shopping principles.  Which means I have to make do with the store selection or shop on Amazon.com. 
There I am debating over whether to purchase a $99 dollar toaster oven or a $179 toaster oven.  Do I really need to spend that much?  If it lasts another 10 years it's worth it? Those controls look complicated, translation--David won't know how to use it.  Back and forth and back and forth I am tossing these options in my head all the while cursing that they don't have the other ones I wanted to see.  I made the trip to the store they should at least have the full selection on line.  Why don't you lose the whole section of Yankee candle and put in more small appliances?  Good idea, right?  I bought the $99 dollar Cuisinart.  It got mixed reviews but I have had Cuisinart coffee maker for 6 years now and have had no issues with it so I trust the brand. 
I like new things, I mean who doesn't?  But I am not crazy about new appliances.  I like the ones I have and would prefer just to replace it with the same one.  Now, I have to learn how to use the new toaster oven then show David about 40 times.  We'll see how it works out.  I'll keep you posted.  Until next time...........

Who's The Judge?

Long time no see.  I guess the heat has gotten to my brain.  I have been very absent indeed.  I really have no excuse.  There is A/C in the room where my computer is.  I guess I am just kind of tired when I am running after Jeff all day that in the afternoon I like to kick my feet up and relax.  I have been trying to get through Pride and Prejudice without feeling like a complete moron, and there are some new summer time shows on TNT and USA that I have dvr'd.  I know, I know none of these things is more important than my readership.  Alas, my will power lags as the humidity rises.  Yet, let's not dwell on things of the past and just enjoy each others company now.  Says the one who has been absent.  Pish posh, let's move on.
So, I was talking to an acquaintance of ours today.  Back story is his wife left him and their child a while ago.  Like almost a year ago, a while ago.  Recently I saw a moving van in front of their house.  Using my best spy tool, which is taking Jeff for a walk, I managed to overhear the child saying that she was back.  Now I try very hard not to be judgmental and the truth is I fail more than I succeed.  Here is this guy looking happy, and talking about trying to work things out and I am thinking "What the hell is he doing?????"  Of course I didn't say that to him but I was thinking it the whole time I was talking to him.  I don't know if I could do it.  I don't know if I could take that person back.  I mean do you just forget all the heartache and not to mention what is it doing to the kid?  She's left before, what if she does it again? Obviously it is not my place to interject my opinions into anyone's relationships.  I have learned the hard way not to do that even if asked because the truth is that person just wants to vent not get your advice.  Even if they say, "I want your advice".  They already have a preconceived notion in their head and really they are just hoping that you agree with that notion.  Am I right or am I right?
I would like to be less judgmental of others.  Even if its simply to not comment on the atrocious outfit I see or behavior I witness.  It's a lot harder than it looks.  For now I am working on not letting my judgment show on my face.  I am a very expressive person so this is a monumental task for me.  I can only get better if I try.  So I try and try and the try some more.  Probably why I am too tired to blog.  Maybe not but it sounds like a good excuse.  Hey, don't judge me!  Ha ha.  Til next time........(and who the heck knows when that will be)

Quiet But Not Always Peaceful

I got some unexpected quiet time this morning.  David was heading out the door and Jeff was having a little fit because he wanted to be with his daddy.  This scene usually ends with David having to leave and Jeff waving bye bye daddy through tear stained cheeks a I try to distract him.  All while avoiding spilling my hot coffee on him because I am usually holding my I love mom mug when all this transpires.  But today David said put his shoes on and he can come with me.  I don't think anyone could get a pair of sandals on a toddler faster.  Don't get me wrong, I adore my son.  But morning quiet time is a precious commodity and I will not waste any opportunity to get it.  I get Jeff's sandals on and bring him out to David's truck and say, "Here you go.  He wanted to be with his dad.  Thanks!" David says to me, "Yeah he's sick of you."  Of course that leads me to ponder the question can your kids get sick of you. I will wait for all of you with older kids to get up from the floor when you fell there laughing and finish my thought.  Can kids this little really get tired of their parents?  I think it has more to do with the dad being the "fun"one out of the pair of us.
Anyway, I didn't spend too much time dwelling on it.  I liked the answer I came up with and I was alone so did I really care how I got that way?  Ummmm, no.  Ahhh, peace and quiet.  What shall I do?  Well the dishwasher needs to be emptied.  I can do that a lot quicker with Jeff gone.  Ok, that's done.  Now I can clean up the breakfast dishes and wipe down Jeff's high chair tray.  That's a lot easier without a toddler pulling on your legs or trying to push you away from the sink so you won't stand there.  That's always funny when he tries that one.  If only the dishes would magically do themselves.  Now off to change the sheets in Jeff's crib.  But I don't have time to wash his blanket before nap time and the spare is in the laundry too.  Shoot-guess that will have to wait.  Back downstairs to make my Target list.  Gotta figure out when to get there.  Probably Thursday since Jeff has his 18 month checkup tomorrow.  Ok, let's sit and enjoy your coffee now.
Damn, its gotten cold.  Dump that one out and make a fresh cup.  It doesn't taste as good if you warm it up in the microwave.  Now, let's sit and have a nice cup of oh the boys are back.  My quiet time is done.  And I didn't manage to sneak any peaceful time in there.  Oh well, at least I got some things done.  Now to get Jeff down for a nap and hop in the shower so I can scoot out to acupuncture.  Whoever said stay at home moms have it easy should have their own comedy central special.  Yeah, they are that funny.  Note the heavy sarcasm.  Until next time.......

You're Eating What??

I was flipping through the channels the other night and a show on TLC caught my attention.  It's called Freaky Eaters.  It followed right after the show My Strange Addiction.  It's like a two hour glimpse into a world our mother's cautioned us about.  The kinds of people we were told not to stare at when we saw them in public.  Yet somehow it's ok to make a tv show about them.  On the strange addiction show people have tendencies to a menagerie of oddities.  This particular show I found myself watching had one woman who ate couch cushions, yes the foam inside the cushions, one woman who ate ajax, and one woman who ate toilet paper.  It was sickening but fascinating at the same time.  The ajax lady lost all her teeth from eating the cleaner.  She had been doing it for 30 years.  The cushion eating lady refused to stop even after seeing a therapist and being rushed to the ER.  She simply switched from couch cushions to the less obvious eating the padding in her bras.  She had eaten 2 couches and a chair since she started eating the cushion.  The toilet paper lady would open a package in the store of a brand she hadn't tried and would eat it right there!
As if this wasn't weird enough, then I got sucked into the show freaky eaters.  Its one of those things where you want to stop looking but you just can't.  It's akin to rubber necking at a traffic accident or looking at the bearded woman in your local supermarket.  You know you should look away but a morbid curiosity that is stronger than us takes over and keeps our eyes glued.  So, the definition of a freaky eater per the show is someone who obsessively consumes a certain food to the detriment of their health.  This particular episode featured a lady who put tartar sauce on everything.  EVERYTHING!!  She put it on her cereal in the morning, she put it on her sandwich at lunch, she put it on her cheetos, she drank it out of the bottle.  Yes, she was drinking out of the squeeze bottle.  She kept a bottle in her purse at all times.  She consumed a bottle a day of tartar sauce.  Now don't get me wrong.  I find no fault with tartar sauce.  I enjoy partaking in this delicious condiment myself.  In the right context of course.  Which is fried seafood.  I will dip any french fries or onion rings in it as well that accompany the seafood but that is where I draw the line.  As I think most people would.  Many people think I am weird for dipping my french fries in the tartar sauce, but you need to keep the flavor going.  To dip the fries or rings in ketchup breaks up the flavor and just makes it all messy.  Easier to keep with the one.  Damn, now I want fried seafood for dinner and I have pork chops marinating to be grilled!  Oh, well some other time.  And we all know I will get it because now I am thinking about it.
This freaky eater show got me to thinking about any other weird flavors I may enjoy.  I have to say that I may have some peculiar tendencies but nothing that would warrant a spot light on the show.  I mean is dipping steak in thousand island dressing that strange?  Some roast beef sandwiches come with it on it.  Is it that far of a stretch from steak to roast beef?  It's all beef right?  I think I am far more strange with my texture issues than any tendency towards one particular food item.  And I sure as heck would not be able to eat the same thing to that excess.  Well, maybe pizza but even that I couldn't eat all day every day.  Hmm, good thought to ponder.  Til next time........

Lend Me Your Eyes

Friends, Romans, Countrymen lend me your ear.  Or in my case lend me your eyes.  Not for too long.  Just long enough to read today's edition then they are all yours again.
I had to go to the dermatologist today.  I made the appointment a couple of weeks ago when I found a troubling spot on my head.  Ok, that's a slight bending of the truth.  This spot had been bothering me for a couple of days.  I will spare you the details of how it was bothering me.  I said to David, "Take a look at his would ya.  You think I need to go see the doctor?"  He took one look at it and said, "Yes!!!"  So, I called and made the appointment.  I knew I needed to go to the doctor but yet I waited until I asked David to see what he thought.  Isn't it funny how we do that?  Like we need to have someone else say ooh that looks bad before we acknowledge what we already knew.  I mean would we even be asking someone to look at it if we didn't already know that it was abnormal?  So, like any dermatologist it is so hard to get an appointment.  The only exception I have ever found was when I made an appointment for Jefferson.  He got in right away.  
I spent the next two weeks after I made the appointment alternating between hoping it stayed as bad as it was and hoping it went away so I didn't have to go at all.  I mean how many times do you make an appointment to see the doctor and by the time you get there your issue is resolved?  Then you just look like a hypochondriac.  And who wants to have their doctor thinking they're crazy.   I knew it would probably have to come off.  What was worrying me was how we was going to do it.  
The morning was crazy.  I needed to get to the grocery store and get back home before I had to get Jeff over to David.  David's schedule is so crazy that some days just giving me an hour to run to an appointment takes a lot of finagling.  So, I get it all done and get to the doctor's office a whole 15 minutes early.  Hmmm, what should I do?  I play a couple of hands of words with friends( the new game I am addicted to) and then head inside.  They have a Rachael Ray cooking show playing so I spend my time between gazing at the tv and reading on my phone.  Did you know that kindle has free books??  I just discovered that the other day.  And I think it is pretty cool.  I am reading Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen.  What is ironic is that I have had the actual book sitting on my bookshelf for probably 4 years and all it took was for it to be free on my kindle app for me to read it.  What's good is that I can flick back and forth from reading on my phone and reading the actual book.  Best of both worlds I say.
Then the little old lady calls me to my room.  This lady is a real hot ticket.  I have seen her there before.  All she really does is bring people to their exam room and clean up after they leave.  I just think it is great that she is always put together.  She has her hair done and make up on and trendy clothes.  Today was a sweater and jeans.  She has got to be in her 80's and there she is.  I think its great.  So, as she is bringing me to the room she stops and says to me that I have the "loveliest face".  I can't make this stuff up.  So I say thank you and smile.  Then she goes on and says, "When you smile your whole face lights up and it's just lovely.  I don't say that to many people but with you it's true."  So, I tell her that she has just made my day.  Is there any better way to make your day fabulous?
The doctor comes in and we attempt at small talk.  This doctor of mine does not have the best bedside manner but he is a great doctor.  That's a sacrifice I am willing to make.  We aren't friends, he is there to treat me.  I don't need the chit chat and small talk.  So, I show him my problem and he says, "Oh yeah, we need to take that off."  So, of course now I am trying to stay cool but my heart is pounding and my mind is racing.  How is he going to do that?  Is it going to hurt?  Don't forget to ask him the questions you had about after care.  See, I had questions about how to care for it prepared.  I knew it would be coming off.  I was worried he was going to burn it off with liquid nitrogen.  Now, it's been a while since I have had that done but I clearly remember it not being pleasant.  I am trying to prepare myself when he says the golden words of I will numb it with lidocaine and cut it off.  Most people would be freaking out about that.  But not me.  I am so happy I can barely contain myself.  All the while trying not to let my relief and happiness show so he thinks I am a freak who likes pain.
It all works out well.  I remember my questions.  It's not complicated to take care of it.  All in all it was a successful visit.  Well, if you consider leaving with a hole in my head success.  Til next time......

How Hard Is It?

Ok all of you pervs get your minds out of the gutter.  The title of this blog is in no way a reference to anything like that.  It is in fact a valid question.  One that I find myself asking several times a day.  Actually said more times than I can count today.  So, I am in the mood to gripe.  I certainly hope you are all in the mood to listen.
First, how hard is it to rearrange shelves at a store when the store is closed?  Seems like a simple fix right?  I was at Target today picking up some items on sale that we regularly use. Good time to pick up such things.  I'm so smart.  Jeff and I are maneuvering around the store gathering the items off my list when one of the items that I wanted was not where it is usually located.  Hmm, that's odd I think to myself.  It's usually right here.  Then I take a good look at my surroundings and realize nothing in that section is where it usually is.  So, I ask an associate where they put it.  Now, I have two bumbling idiots( I know that's kind of harsh but let's call a spade a spade) Looking around and scratching their heads.  Then they proceed to start looking through boxes while mumbling I know I saw it in here.  Finally to put them out of their misery I just ask when the shelves will be done so I can come back.  I get the exasperated look and the I have no idea response.  So, I ask are we talking about days here or what?  He says hopefully by tomorrow afternoon.  I walk away talking to Jeff like I always do when we are out and say to him, "Why can't they do this when the store is closed?"  A lady not too far from me voices her agreement.  It really is ridiculous when you think about it.
How hard is it to find kids sneakers that aren't incredibly overpriced?  I don't want to pay $40 for a pair of shoes that he will wear for a couple of months.  I also refuse to buy him any character sneakers.  I also refuse to buy him pieces of junk that look cute but will probably be bad for his feet.  I have been to so many stores looking for said sneakers only to leave each one with a growing sense of frustration.  It seems like every kid in a 5 mile radius of me is a size 6.  Either that or there was a sale and some extreme couponer bought every last pair.
How hard is it to let someone cross the street when they are IN A CROSSWALK?  This happens to me every time I am out for a walk or run with Jeff.  I am considerate enough to go out of my way to use them.  Foolishly thinking that it will protect me somehow.  It's like people speed up when they see you entering the crosswalk.  Like if they just go faster they will be able to avoid letting you cross.  Wtf people.  They are there to let people safely cross the street.  I usually end up yelling at them and then get the subsequent look.  Who cares if I look like a crazy person.  I am in the right on this one.  Isn't it always great when one side lets you cross but the other side doesn't want to?  Then you have one side glaring at the other.  You can just see their faces going "why are you letting her cross".  I got places to go.  Well, so do I people.  And I am the idiot standing there jogging in place while you debate over whether or not to do the right thing.  Which is the law by the way.
So, that's my how hard is it list for today.  Once again all you pervs stop snickering.  Eh, go ahead.  I knew what I was doing when I typed that title.  Til next time.........

What Was That!

Hello my fans and followers.  Are you getting ready for the heat?  It's a coming.  Thankfully it will only be brutal for a couple days before it goes back to an acceptable hot.  I don't know how people survived before ac.  I guess you had to if you didn't know any better, right?
So, I skipped the grocery store yesterday and opted for a longer run.  What's nice is that I have made my route pass by the rehab David is working on so I get to say Hi on my way by.  What I may want to do is alter my route slightly on trash day.  Especially in this heat.  Wow, that is an unpleasant aroma to say the least.  Since I skipped the store yesterday, Jeff and I made the trek today.  I have had a hankering for steak tips on the grill so I needed to pick those up with some marinade.  We had to go today because we were out of milk.  Both skim and whole so neither of us could steal a little from the other to get by.  When I have a hankering for a particular food I usually envision a particular flavor.  Makes sense right?  So, I pondered the choices of marinade in front of me and made what I thought was a good choice.  The key word there being thought.  I got home, put all the perishables away and got out my Ziploc bag ready to marinate the steak tips.  It was a shock to me when I opened the bottle.  Thankfully I took a sniff out of it first before I dumped it into the bag.  WOW-- it smelled just awful!!  Not bad, awful.  Now I am in full panic mode because what am I going to do?  So, I call David and tell him I NEED his help.  That got his attention, haha.  I threw some ingredients into the Ziploc bag that David said to use and am hoping for the best.  I have been thinking about these steak tips for a few days now and I will be oh so disappointed if they don't taste like I am expecting them to.  How much does it suck though to buy a full bottle of marinade and now that you're just going to throw it out?  I can't return it because there is nothing wrong with it other than that its flavor doesn't appeal to me.  I hate wasting.  It really makes me crazy.
Other than the horrible bottle of marinade I bought my trip was otherwise uneventful.  There was your usual parade of crazies and old ladies googling over Jeff's blue eyes.  I tell you it is such a treat to get in and out of Market Basket in a timely fashion with no major snafoos.  Gotta love it.  I'll let you know how my slap dash marinade works out.  Til next time........

Hello Stranger

Wow, it has been a while since we were together.  I admit it is all my fault--don't ever tell my husband I am capable of uttering those words.  It would upset the balance of our relationship.  Enough about him, more about me.  I mean back to us.  They say absence makes the heart grow fonder.  Here's hoping there is some merit to that statement.  I truthfully have not had much to say.  Let me qualify that statement.  I have had plenty to say, when don't I, it just hasn't been blog worthy.  My chatter has been more like static in the background or Charlie Brown's teacher.  There but not quite important enough to warrant full listening.  Let me give you an example.
I recently found out that my beloved lady doctor is leaving the practice I go to.  I actually found out from a friend well before I was notified by the office.  I found myself hoping that since I hadn't received the "letter" that maybe oh maybe it wasn't true.  I think we can all see the fallacy in that line of thinking.  The inevitable letter arrived and has now provided me with an absurd quandary.  Since I would like to have another baby following her isn't an option since she will no longer be providing that service.  I will go back to her once my reproductive years are complete but for now I will stay in the practice.  So, I need to switch my doctor over.  Not a big deal right?  But I don't need to have an appointment until January.  So, do I call now and tel them to switch my care and explain that I don't need an appointment.  And risk sounding like an idiot or do I wait until I need an appointment and hope they can still find my chart since it was at a different office.  See what I am saying?  This is the chatter that has been occupying my brain but it really is more like static in the background.  It's what makes me me but not really what I think you are all looking for from this blog.  Or maybe it is and I am just mind f'ing the crap out of it again.  That my friends is a distinct possibility.
My life has been just that people, my life.  Nothing thrilling or new as of late.  I was perseverating the other day, and yes I really was, about why is it when you have let go of something it seems to immediately pop back into your life.  I have a friend that I have sporadically talked to over the past year.  Sporadic is actually a generous term.  I have seen here maybe 3 times and we only live about 25 minutes from each other.  I had come to the conclusion that I just wasn't a priority in her day to day life.  Yeah, it sucked to think I wasn't being thought of or not thought of that way, but that's life.  We have no control over any one else or what they may think or do.  I had gotten comfortable with the idea and then like I said let it go.  Two weeks ago I had gotten an email from her, that is her chosen form of communication, giving me dates that she was free to talk and I should give her a call.  Well, I didn't.  Not intentionally, I am just in a rhythm with my routine with Jeff and it didn't pop into my conscious mind to call.  I get a message from her that said, "I guess we didn't get to talk so maybe next week".  So now I feel the need to explain why I didn't call and proceed to say when I am free to chat.  I don't hear from her.  I text her, email her with no reply.  Finally I call again and get  no answer.  Crazy isn't it that just a few weeks ago I was ok with our friendship fizzling out and now here I am like a puppy chasing its tail.  David calls it "living in your head rent free".  It's so true too.  So, after 2 weeks of this I am concerned that something bad has happened in her life or maybe she is just busy.  I have done what I can and its time to let it go.  I bet I'll be hearing from her any day now.  Haha
So we haven't been together but you honestly haven't missed much.  I am planning a quick trip to Market Basket to grab some dinner ingredients for tonight then a run.  Hopefully these trips will provide some fodder for my next installment.  Til next time.........

Jammie Time

One never knows where the inspiration for a new blog will come from.  Someone commented on my facebook status this morning and Bam there it was.  I wasn't thinking along those lines but it made sense.  And voila, here it is.  The story of my unfortunate pajama viewing.  Here's the set up....
David tells me that a friend of ours will be stopping by to get the equipment that was being stored in our basement.  He said, "He will be by at 8.  I left the side door unlocked for him."  David then gives me a kiss good bye and heads off to work at the firehouse.  Jeff and I get up around 8 and make our way downstairs.  I think to myself should I change out of my pj's? Or maybe just throw a bra on?  I stay in my pj's until Jeff's morning nap.  At which time I will shower and get dressed.   I don't get dressed before then.  Well sometimes I will get dressed but I am not showered.  So, I have this decision to make.  I decide nah.  Even if I am awake when he gets here, I won't see him.  If I go by the time that David said he should have come and gone already.  I will be giving Jeff breakfast or be busy doing something else.  He's going to go to the side door anyway, he won't even be in the house.  I'm all set.
Now plenty of people have seen me in my pajamas.  Today's pair was actually a matching set, unlike my usual mismatched pants and t-shirt.  Like I said plenty of people have seen my pajamas.  I have one friend that if we have breakfast together(at my house) I don't change out of my pj's.  I am that comfortable with her.  I have another friend that comes over for coffee and I am dressed but not showered.  I am that comfortable with her.  Truth is I like being in my pajamas.  They are comfortable and I am really not that vain that I have to change out of them if someone is coming by.  When we were doing all the work on our house and the painter or plasterer was here I was in my pj's.  We weren't paying them to judge me on my appearance.  And I wasn't going to change my routine just because they were here.  Back then(pre-Jeff) I would stay in my pj's until I had to get ready for work.  So that was about 1 in the afternoon.  Lots of pj lounging time.  I didn't go out if I had to work.  Of course I didn't get up until 10:30ish so time wise it really wasn't an issue. 
Today Jeff and I were up, breakfast was done, and we were watching Ellen.  It's after 9 now so I figured I was in the clear.  Until I checked the basement and saw that the equipment was still there.  I still thought we were good because he would go to the side door.  Jeff and I could wave from a window.  So we wouldn't be rude but we wouldn't have to chat face to face either.  Sounds like a good plan right?  Would have been a great plan if he hadn't rung the doorbell and I had to see him.  Like I said the pj's themselves weren't bad.  It was more that the t-shirt was kind of stretched out and maybe kind of thin-ish.  There I am, now holding Jeff because I don't want him to go down the stairs after our visitor.  Checking my shirt every 5 seconds to make sure that Jeff hasn't twisted it to the point where a boob will pop out.  Ok, so we all know its doubtful that one would "pop out" but one could definitely have been exposed.  That's when I realize that you can see the outline of my nipples clear as day through the t-shirt.  Now, I am trying to hold Jeff in a way that my boobs won't be exposed but that he is covering the offending bumps in my t-shirt.  All while trying to act and look natural.  Needless to say I think I may have failed.  It's bad enough that my hair was greasy,  un-brushed and in a sloppy ponytail.  Add the weird stance I was in and the t-shirt issues and we have a plain old disaster.  It will be a wonder if he looks me in the eye or speaks to me again.  Of course I will make sure I am fully clothed for the next encounter.  The lesson to be learned here is that all of this could have been avoided if........he just went to the side door.  Til next time......

Alright Already

So, I promised all of you a blog entry yesterday.  Seems I have been struck with some writer's block.  But, I always do what I say.  So, here I am sitting here and having a virtual chat with you.
I did something new today.  That in of itself is a big deal for me.  Stepping out of my comfort zone is something I struggle with.  As I am sure many of you do as well.  In that regard I know I am not unique.  But anyway back to my new adventure.  I went to an acupuncturist today.  It was a pretty cool experience.  It didn't hurt like I was afraid that it might.  I mean let's get real here for a minute--they are sticking needles into your body.  It was so nice to hear, "Let me get some smaller gauge needles, your wrists are really small."  Heck I will take a compliment of any sort that has me and small in the same sentence.  I mean, who wouldn't.  So, it was a very relaxing experience.  The lady I went to was not a zealot trying to persuade me to buy this that or the other herbal concoction.  Or telling me that I needed a zillion treatments.  Or telling me that physicians are witch doctors.  What I liked about her is that she was trained in western medicine before she decided to explore the eastern philosophy.  So she is very balanced.  A lot of times you see people that work in alternative medicine to be die hards that only believe in their particular field.  This lady acknowledged the positives to both.  Most importantly I was instantly comfortable with her.  A lot of times that does not happen for me with new practitioners.  It's almost like going on a first date.  Will I say the right things, will they think I am crazy, will I think they are crazy?  Needless to say I booked another appointment and I am looking forward to it.  It might be the only 15 minutes I get of complete quiet next week.  Til next time....

Hot Hot Hot

Well, hello there.  It seems I have been a little lax in my blogging duties.  I decided when I started blogging every day that I would take weekends off.  I guess I inadvertently made those into long weekends.
So, I will say it because I know everyone is thinking it.  Boy is it hot outside today!  What cracks me up is that we complain about the cold.  Then we complain about the rain, insert chorus of Milli Vanilli Blame It On the Rain here.  But yet it happens every year.  We get that first hot day and BAM! The complaining about the heat commences.  And this line of complaining will surely stick around for a good 3 months.  You get the people that say,"It's not the heat.  It's the humidity I can't stand."  And in part that is true.  The humidity definitely makes it worse, but let's face it people, hot is hot.  90 degrees is still pretty darn hot.  Yes, I know it was only 80 or so today but when you jump from 50, that drastic change is pretty noticeable.  I, like many, was unprepared for the day.  My poor little guy was in long pants and a long sleeve t-shirt.  I was in jeans and a 3/4 length sleeve top. With flip flops though, because we all know that if your feet are cool your whole body will be cool. Can you hear the snort and yeah right that just flew out of my mouth.
So, the summer is coming.  The season we wait all winter for then hate when it's here.  I like the summer.  My birthday is in the summer.  When I was a kid I hated that my birthday was in the summer because I didn't get the school party.  The teacher would make you a birthday crown and your mom would send in cupcakes for the class and everyone would know it was your birthday.  I got the token crown all the other summer birthday kids got and that really didn't quite measure up.  If you know what I mean.  Now as an adult I see the error of my thinking.  It's great that I never had to go to school on my birthday.  When I worked outside the home and I categorize it as such because I still work full time.  I just don't get a paycheck for it.  Anyway, when I worked in the hospital or clinic I never worked on my birthday.  One place I worked at actually gave you your birthday off as a paid holiday.  I was let go from there when they downsized because I would never have left a place with perks like that!  It's like they could read my mind.  I like to have a birthday month.  Yes, you heard me right.  One day just isn't enough.  It's too hard to cram everything in to just one day.  I can't possibly see everyone I want to celebrate my birthday with all in one day. Hence birthday month.  Now getting everyone to buy into that philosophy is the trick.  Before Jeff David and I would go to NYC for the weekend.  That was always fun.  Not like we can't go with Jeff, but let's face it.  NYC in August is pretty miserable as it is, never mind with a toddler.  Plans and traditions change when you have kids.  That's ok because you make new ones.  Sometimes it's good to mix things up a bit.  Who cares that tradition steeped me is having palpitations while I type that sentence.  Sometimes you just gotta get comfortable with being uncomfortable.  I have been saying that for a while now and still not quite getting the hang of it.  Repetition should help.  Here's hoping anyway.  Cheers to new traditions and the joys of personal growth discomfort brings:).  Til next time...

Hmm, What Was That?

So, I had to run a quick errand to the UPS store the other day.  As I have told you before I like to shop and a lot of that shopping is done online.  What I may have neglected to tell you is that I am also a big returner.  Just because I fell in love with the image on my computer screen does not mean that I will love it when I try it on.  I told you before about why I shop online but in case you are new I will catch you up.  Selection online is way better than the stores especially if you need a petite length.  I need petite for height people, I am not trying to profess that I am Kate Moss.  I am vertically challenged and many of my favorite stores carry only a small number of the shorter lengths or don't have them at all.  Next I hate trying things on in stores.  Always have.  If you ever need a blow to your ego just go into those fluorescent lit dressing rooms.  Eeeeek!  I much prefer the lighting and comfort of my own bedroom.  So that's pretty much why I shop online.  Of course there is always the possibility of a return.  Because it didn't fit, because I don't actually need it or oops I already have one.  This is the girl who almost bought an item of her own clothing back at the consignment shop.  If I didn't check the tag to see that it was my number I probably would have.  It must have been nice or I wouldn't have bought it in the first place.  Crazy I know.
I like to shop at online stores that allow you to return in the actual store so I don't have to pay for return shipping.  I avoid that at all costs.  Gap used to have free return shipping but that is a faint memory.  Also, a gripe I have with them although I love them is you can't exchange an online item for a store item.  It has to be a separate transaction.  Which is frustrating when you only need a different size or color.  Minor inconvenience in the grand scheme of things.  But they are also super strict about their return policy dates.  So if I am hemming and hawing about an item I have to keep track of the date I bought it.  Once I was one day past the due date and they let me return the item but made a huge deal out of it.  I felt like saying that I had probably paid their salary for the last year so I'm sure they could let it slide this one time.  But, I was brought up better then that so I said nothing.  Even though the customer is always right!
So here I was at UPS returning a package to the Gap.  Oh yeah they get you sometimes with online only items that can be returned by mail only.  Bastards!  I had a prepaid label so all I wanted was to drop it off and get a receipt so I could track it.  If I am expecting another package I will just give it to the driver at my house.  Even more convenient.  But I haven't been shopping much so I wasn't expecting to see the brown truck anytime soon.  It's usually pleasant at the store.  They are friendly enough and if there isn't a line I am in and out in less than a minute.  That is not an exaggeration.  It was earlier this week when it was cold and rainy.  Oh wait, it's still like that! Anyway I was wearing my Sin City Firefighters sweatshirt.  David is as you know a Lynn firefighter.  And I am sure you know that Lynn is called the city of sin.  Everyone knows that stupid ditty or limerick or whatever you want to call it.  I ran in to drop off the package.  The guy who was serving me was very pleasant.  It was the other guy lounging on the counter that felt the need to chime in with, "Lynn Lynn city of sin" and completes the saying.  I have gotten way past tired of hearing it.  Everyone feels the need to say something about where I live.  So I plaster on a fully fake grin and say, "Yup that's right".  Hoping that will shut him up.  But noooooo, ignorant man keeps going.  It was either snap and unleash a can of whoop ass on him or walk away.  I am proud to say that I chose to walk away while shaking my head in disgust.  Of course I was shaking it enough to get my point across and the muttering didn't hurt either.  Unless you live here I say zip it.  Yeah there are bad parts to Lynn, probably more than good, but everywhere has bad parts.  We have some really nice parts too. Having where you live be the source of ridicule does get tiring.  But hey, I'm sure we won't live here forever.  

My Happy Place

I know many people have a happy place. And to most it is an imaginary place they go to when feeling stressed or some unpleasant emotion.  It has even been said in movies, "Find your happy place".  For me I have a real, tangible happy place.  Known to the general public as Trader Joe's, I call it TJ's.  Yeah, we're that kind of close.  I have conversations with people about it.  Had one just this morning with my friend Trish.  The pair of us talking about what we like to buy, what our kids like to eat from there, and any new products that we "have to try".  I exclaim with astonishment when people have never been.  They usually get a, "What!!! It's only like the best place on earth!"  And I really think that it is.  My husband on the other hand tends to disagree.  Whenever I give him something new to try he will say to me, "Where did this come from? Wait, let me guess, Trader Joe's".  And 9 times out of ten he is right.  Now it would be an exaggeration if I said that everything I bought from there was top notch.  There have been a few items that I wouldn't buy again and some items that I enjoy that David doesn't.  Well folks you can't win them all.  And since I do the shopping he eats what I give him.
There is just something so relaxing about being there.  The carts all glide well.  The aisles are not overcrowded.  If they are stocking shelves they will move out of your way, not expect you to maneuver around their blockade.  They are always more then willing to answer any question you have and check for any item you can't find.  Then if it is not in back they will check the computer to let you know when they will be getting it in the store.  I once ordered a case of chips for my brother.  I had brought a couple of bags of sweet potato chips to my parents at Christmas.  He liked them so much he joked that he would like to have some.  So I went to TJ's ordered a case then shipped it to him.  Boy was he surprised.  18 bags of sweet potato chips.  So good!  They are always friendly and a pleasure to be around.  All in all it is one heck of a great place to shop.  I wish ours had 2 buck chuck in it because I have heard that is a pretty good wine for $2.  Their prices are wonderful.  Which is just the added bonus.  I would shop there even if they were pricey.  Since I am there every week it's a good thing that they aren't.  Their store brand is better in some cases then name brands for the same product.  I just recently discovered that most breads have a preservative in it that is a form of formeldahyde.  No joke!  Their breads do not have it and they are cheaper then a loaf of Pepperidge Farm.  That's a classic win win to me if you ever saw one.  If you use their reusable bags they enter you into a drawing to get free groceries.  I haven't won yet, but I will someday.  I just know it.  I could go on and on about the perks of shopping there but you might be getting bored with it by now.  If you live near one and have not shopped there then shame on you and you don't know what you're missing.  If you don't have one near you, I am so sorry to hear that.  Maybe you should move.

Back In the Saddle

So, I take a day off from blogging and it feels like I have been gone a week.  I have the same "I gotta do this" feeling as I do when I take too long off from exercising.  Speaking of exercising I have transitioned to outdoor workouts.  Which is basically just another way for me to make excuses as to why I had been lax in the recent past.  Of course with our schizophrenic weather as of late being outside has provided to be a challenge.  This week will be terrible, rain and cool temps all week.  A double dose of despair for me.  I have been promising myself that I will do the new yoga dvd that I borrowed from a friend.  Key words there are been promising.  I have yet to do it.  But without being able to run outside I will have to suck it up and try the new dvd.  Tomorrow sounds like a great day for that.  So back to the "gotta do this" feeling, its not that I find blogging a chore.  Its just that I am tired today and all I can think about since putting Jeff down for his nap is lying on the couch.  Needless to say this will probably be a short blog.  Haha
For those of you wondering what I have been doing with my closet change over I will tell you this, it has not been a smooth transition this year.  The temperature has not been cooperating.  I unpacked all the spring/summer clothes and packed up all the fall/winter clothes.  I use the same rubbermaid bin which is why I have to first unpack it before I can repack it.  I moved the hanging clothes over and put all my fall winter/shoes away.  For some reason I have yet to commit to putting the spring/summer shoes in my closet.  They are just hanging out in their boxes in the spare room waiting to be moved.  For some reason I feel like I just can't do it yet.  Like if they are in my closet I should be wearing them.  If you had any doubt about the state of my mental well being that probably clued you in.  So, since it has been cool and wet and I refuse to go back into the spare room closet to get my warm shoes I have been wearing sneakers.  Not just sneakers silly, I have been pairing them with jeans and sweatshirts.  If I am feeling fancy I will wear a light cardigan and clogs with the jeans.  I keep my jeans out year round because you just never know when you will have a jeans day.  Of course I never wear them in the summer but it is helpful for when I am in fashion purgatory in the fall.  I really hate those times of year.  I can't help but feel frumpy, and I hate feeling frumpy.  Especially since I am a mom now.  Frumpy mom is the worst in my humble opinion.
Ok, I could go on and on but like I said I am in need of some rest and relaxation.  I am not one of those moms that just sits and watches their child play while I do something unimportant like check facebook. Ok sometimes I do but mostly I am interacting and playing with Jeff.  And it is exhausting being around a toddler all day.  Anyone who has spent sufficient time around one knows that to be true.  Anyway tomorrow I think I will talk about my happy place(meant to do that today but my thought process took me and therefore us in a different direction) and my new affinity for belts.  I'm only like 3 seasons behind.  Whatev.  Til next time :)

About Last Night

I will keep this on the shorter side.  Of course that is always my intention and sometimes these blogs read like The Iliad.  So, Splash in Boston is your typical nightclub.  On a street with no parking and no garages close by so circling the block about 100 times is in your future if you go there.  One benefit is they have valet parking.  For about the same price as a garage so that is a plus.  Of course finding the valet is yet another challenge.  I guess one should expect such things when going to a club in town.  But when you haven't been in 8 years you kind of forget about these nuisances.  I seriously don't know how people do this weekend after weekend.
I went with my attitude of confidence is sexy and picked an outfit that I felt good in.  I will spare you the blow by blow accounting of my clothes.  I will say that I think I looked good and that's all that matters.  Oh and it doesn't hurt that I got complimented too.  We all like validation whether we admit to it or not.  Once you walk into Splash you are submerged into low level lighting and loud music.  It almost felt like a cave it was so dark.  Then add the fluorescent pink strip light along the floor and walking soon becomes a challenge. There was this one strip near a door and there was no step there but the light made it seem like there was, so every time I walked over the threshold I lifted my leg as if to step up.  Yup, I looked pretty darn funny. 
You can forget about having any kind of conversation.  That is unless you don't mind yelling and having your face pressed up against the other person's ear.  That gets old pretty quick.  Needless to say since I can't not talk my throat is a little sore today, and my voice just a tad on the scratchy side.  It definitely made it easy not to have to talk to anyone I didn't know.  There was a lot of head nodding and smiling going on.  You can only shout for so long.
The best part of the night was when I fell.  Remember the strip light description from before?  Yeah, well it doesn't help when the light is under the stair and you are stepping down.  So on my return trip from the ladies room I fell flat on my face.  Dark room+high heels= MB on the floor.  I have a nicely swollen ankle and bruised and scraped  foot today.  But don't worry the shoes are fine!  I made sure to check them out right away.  Priorities! 
All in all it was what I expected but it was fun.  Got to hang around with some friends and be a part of a surprise birthday party.  That was the reason we were going but I couldn't write about that yesterday.  I wasn't going to take any chances that I would be the reason the surprise was ruined.  I doubt my blog is that far reaching but I wasn't taking any chances.  Now that it is done I think it is fair to say it will be many more moons before I am back in a club.  I am more of a socialize in a well lighted quieter space kind of girl.  I'll leave the clubs to the cast from Jersey Shore and their groupies.

Nobody Panic

Ok, I have to admit that is a bit of an exaggeration.  I seriously doubt any of you were in panic mode over what I was going to wear to tonight's festivities.  So, that leaves only me in need of a deep cleansing breath.  Now that we have that out of the way, and I feel so much better now thanks for asking, I can tell you that my outfit is picked out.  And by picked out I mean that I have narrowed it down to the pants and shoes and narrowed down the selection of tops.  Have no fear, I will not bore you with another tale of my "what do I wear woes".   But I will say this, it is a genuine part of my life and one that seems to be stuck on replay.  Got to get that fixed.  I am sure that tomorrow's episode will give you the details on my outfit as well as a play by play of the evening's events.
For those who have no clue what I am going on about I will fill you in.  Tonight David and I are going to Splash nightclub in Boston.  David's friend/business partner(sometimes the order of those reverses) is a dj and he is spinning the tunes tonight.  So we are going.  I have not been to a club in Boston in many moons, or to translate that--8 years.  Yes, the last time I was in a club in Boston was 8 years ago.  We did go to Peter's birthday party last year, but I don't think that counts as a club because it was in a private room off of a restaurant.  It was more upscale bar then club.  You put together the fact that I haven't been to a club in ages and have no idea what people are wearing these days together with my attire issues and we could have had a meltdown of nuclear proportions.  I asked my single 30 something year old cousin or advice and got pretty much what I thought would be her answer.  My only problem with that is that my vision of how I should look does not always correlate with how I actually look.  So thinking I could rock skinny jeans a tank and heels might look better in my head than on my body. 
As I was returning from my run with Jeff this afternoon I had a "thunk on the head" moment.  You know, when all of a sudden what you were grappling with just seems to make sense, as if someone thunked you in the head.  I realized that if I tried to be someone I am not then I would be uncomfortable.  Put feeling uncomfortable in a place that is making me uncomfortable and all I have to say is,"Houston we have a problem".  I knew that I had to dress in a way that made me feel good and looked good.  A good part of sexiness is confidence.  If I am confident in the way I look then I will exude sexiness.  And that is what I was going for.  See?  It just all seemed to make sense.  I am not looking to hook up with a random stranger or meet my match in life.  I am going with my husband to support his friend.  I don't need to look like everyone else in a variation of jeans and tank shirts.  I need to look like me.  Albeit a more sexy version then you see on a daily basis.  A low cut shirt and make up should do that trick.  Stay tuned for the next installment where I tell you about my night at Splash.  Should be interesting.

Same Old

Today was an uneventful day which can be nice.  Didn't have any real plans so that left the day wide open.  Sometimes not having something to do makes the day longer.  And today I could not wait for nap time so I could relax.  I got set up on my favorite spot on the couch and with remote in hand I was ready to watch some dvr'd shows.  One minute in to Criminal Minds the show stops playing.  I see that the dvr taped only one minute and eleven seconds of the show.  Now this really makes me mad.  One, because I want the machine to work the way it is supposed to.  Two, this is one of my favorite shows and CBS does not have it on demand.  So when technology fails me I have no back up to be able to watch it.  This happened to me once before and I was just as irate.  I checked hulu, I checked cbs.com and it was no where.  In the grand scheme of things missing an episode isn't the end of the world.  I am sure I will be able to find it on a repeat at some point in time.  At least it wasn't the season finale.  Then we would have had trouble.  Haha
Instead of watching my dvr'd shows I will partake in my guilty pleasure.  No, it isn't blogging to you, it's watching the biggest loser.  I don't dvr it because the ration of crap I get from David isn't worth it.  Luckily for me it is on demand and I get my fix that way.  I just think that the transformations these people go through is amazing!  Not only that they give you good exercise and nutrition tips that I can use in my own life.  Can being the operative word in that statement.  I do use some of them.  I have to keep in mind that I do not need to lose 100 pounds and although it isn't good for them , I can have cheese in my salad.  I mean some of thee people have lost more than I weigh.   That just boggles my mind.  I hope they have money for a new wardrobe.  They can't go around in biggest loser t shirts and workout pants for the rest of their lives.
So, today was a same old same old kind of day.  Stay tuned for tomorrow's blog where I discuss my angst over going to a nightclub for the first time in 8 years!  I mean what does a mom in her 30's wear to a club?  All the episodes of Jersey Shore I have watched haven't helped me one bit.  Haha, I don't really watch Jersey Shore.  That is until it is on demand.

Could Always Be Worse

Today has been one of those "cram everything in" days for me.  For the most part it is self imposed chaos. I am the puppet and master it seems.  I knew the weather wasn't going to be stellar today so I decided that I would hit the grocery store after lunch.  Jeff and I trek up to our local Market Basket.  Most days I avoid that place like the plague but every now and again I will get a twinge of remorse that Stop-n-Shop indeed is expensive and will shop there instead.  Most days mb(market basket) makes me insane.  I literally become a crazy person.  It's like some instant transformation once I step through the doors.  There are so many reasons why it makes me crazy I will spare you the litany of complaints.  As I said sns(stop-n-shop) is more expensive, on average .50 to 1.00 dollar more per item.  It adds up.  Some days I don't care about the difference, I know that my mental well being is worth any amount so I throw caution to the wind and go to sns.  I felt I was in a pretty good head space today and decided to brave mb.  I have to say in the grand scheme of things it was a pretty uneventful trip. 
I had decided at lunch today to throw an impromptu dinner party so in addition to my list I had a couple of extra things to pick up.  Another 2 pieces of fish, an extra box of rice, a bigger package of green beans.  No big deal at all.  I enjoy cooking dinner to people who appreciate it.  These folks coming over tonight are super appreciative, even better than that they like simple foods.  So I make simple meals.  It's no fuss for me, they got a home cooked meal, and I get the pleasure of their company.  It's a win win all around. High Five!
Today I actually found a decent parking space which is in itself no small miracle.  Managed to get the cart cover on and Jeff in the cart and off we went.  The store had most of what I needed.  I should have known that if the parking gods were smiling at me today that the the stocking gods were on break.  To have everything come together probably would send me into shock, and then be unable to shop.  These stores aren't stupid.  I swear their philosophy is to give you almost everything you need to make you keep coming back.  What they don't know is that I am more than happy to shop elsewhere and do quite frequently.  I have 3 different stores that I do my grocery shopping at because they all carry things that the others don't.  And of course these "rare" items have become my favorites so I must have them.  See?  Self imposed chaos.  I don't mind, if I did then I wouldn't do it.  The great thing about mb is the stories I come home with from there.  My stepson Robert says I can't go there without a story and he is right.  But mom it's not my fault.  (just had to throw that in there).  Today as I was packing up the car and getting ready to leave a guy comes out of the car next to me and says, "I love those things on your car".  He was in the same model car as me but about 6 years older than mine.  Those things on my car are the running boards.  They go up and down when the doors open and close.  "I got to get those on mine" he exclaims.  I explain that they came with the car and I didn't put them on.  "Wow, those are dope!".  With that statement I don't think I need to explain the manner in which this guy was dressed or the tricked out condition of his vehicle.  As I said, always a story.
We get home and I unpack the groceries, see that I have an hour before nap time, and notice that the sun has come out.  Perfect opportunity to take a walk to the post office.  I have a package that I have been meaning to send to England.  Once we start the walk and the gale force winds kick up I am questioning my decision to walk to the post office.  I am saying to myself that I could have driven there and back by now.  But Jeff seems to be enjoying himself.  I just have to keep an eye on him though.  The last walk we went on he pitched his hat out of the stroller.  Of course I didn't notice this until we were almost home.  Of course after his nap I went out and found it.  To leave it would be wasteful and I really like that hat.  I bought it for him last year at York Beach, Maine.  And that's where that damn memory of mine gets in the way.  Most people would just say oh well, we will get another one.  But noooo, not me.  I have to find that hat!
Ok, so now Jeff is napping.  I have laundry going and I have 2 hours to spruce up the house and prep for dinner.  But I need a snack because the yogurt I had for lunch isn't quite doing it for me. I can hear you all saying why didn't you eat lunch?  Because I wasn't hungry then, duh!  So I leave you now to enjoy a nice piece of fruit, don't want to spoil my dinner, and to watch a little tv before I have to switch the laundry over.
Til next time :)

Til There Was You

Today's feature is about chance encounters.  But first I have to ask if you believe in coincidences.  I, as I am sure you, have heard that there is no such things as coincidences.  But who made that statement?  Who determined that then made it a universal law that we all quote?  I mean who was the first person that said "There is no such things as coincidences" and the person who heard it said, "You are absolutely right!"  Then that person repeated it to the next person who repeated it to the next and so on and so on.  And will we ever know who really started it because we all know that once it went viral the last person to say it would have taken credit for it.  With something that big I am sure everyone would wanted to be the author of that statement.  Anyway I digress.  I think that there is a difference between chance encounters and coincidences.  Coincidences may seem odd or make you feel uneasy when they happen.  You know that creepy feeling you get when you can't explain something?  Which is probably why we are so quick to discredit them.  Chance encounters or meetings usually leave us puzzled but in a way that leaves us guessing about the purpose of it.
The "why did I meet that person", or the "how did that happen that we were both at the same place at the same time"?  This, for me anyway, leads me to believe in divine intervention.  That people are brought into our lives for reasons unknown to us.  I am sure we all have all had this happen to us.  You meet someone that you feel like you have known forever.  Or you meet someone and immediately have a connection and sense of ease with that just can't be explained because you are after all strangers.
This has happened a few times in my life.  My best friend Tiffany and I met this way.  We were assigned as roommates in college.  Out of all the freshman girls we were selected to live together.  Of course our relationship had its bumps along the way.  By bumps I mean that by the second month of school we changed roommates.  We could not live together.  But by the next year of school our friendship rekindled and we were inseparable.  In hindsight we were too similar that it was like being with yourself doubled.  Who the heck wants that?  It was a very needy unsettling time for me being away from home that I wasn't in the best mental state.  Add another girl fresh from home with her own feelings very similar to mine and you had the ingredients for disaster.  But like I said it all hashed out and here we are today still the best of friends.  I could have had anyone as a roommate in school and yet we were brought together and formed a friendship that has lasted 18 years.  I had no part in us meeting but we were meant to be in each others lives.  And that is why we still are today.  There is a plan for me bigger than me or what I can envision.
8 year ago today I met David.  Talk about divine intervention and chance encounters.  There are so many minute elements to the circumstances of our meeting, that if even one was different we never would have met.  Our lives were very different and seemingly going in opposite directions.  Then BAM, out of nowhere we were brought together.  And from that first meeting we knew that our lives would never be the same.  Neither of us knew if something or anything would come about from that meeting, but we knew that we had affected the other one.  Any cliche you want to pick would probably apply.  Within an hour of our introduction we were talking and joking with each other like we had known each other for years.  There was an instant connection and feeling of ease around him.  8 years later it still boggles my mind that we found each other.  To me it just proves that we are meant to be together.  Our relationship is not without its bumps either.  Loss of jobs, new jobs, selling a home, buying a new home, moving, old kids, new kids, the list could go on and on.  Truth is we were brought together but it was up to us to take care of that and make it work.  It is not often you are so blatantly given the chance to be happy that you need to look after it.  We certainly have had our trials and tribulations over the years.  As I always tell David, "It isn't always easy, but it's always worth it".  And that is the truth.  It is work to be married and care for another person.  But it isn't hard work if it comes from a place of love.  I was given a gift when David came into my life.  It is true that I celebrate days like today, the anniversary of our meeting.  It's important to me to celebrate us.  To be honest I like remembering how we met and I still get those butterflies in my belly when I think of it.  It seems like it was just yesterday.  May 10, 2003 was truly the first day of the rest of my life.

New Day New Way

Hey there fans and followers.  I have decided to start on a new track with my blog.  Seeing as how the title is seymour of my life I figured the way for you to do that would be to give you a daily dose so to speak.  Right now I wait until I get an idea that I figure will knock your socks off and be pretty darned funny before I sit down to tap it out on my keyboard.  There is nothing wrong with that philosophy except that it can hinder the pace at which I write.  What I figure is that I will try to give you a look into a typical day of mine.  Don't think that it will be a litany of "I did this, then I did that" and stop reading.  Fear not my friends it will be more like witty excerpts from a day in my life.  On this new track the blogs may not be as long as some of the previous ones have been, I mean I can't make stuff up just to fill space.  Of course I could but that would be defeating the purpose of my new venture.
Today's look into my day takes us on the assault my senses get while on my run with Jeff.  I typically like to run with headphones and music as stated before.  For some reason I feel like I cannot do this if I am pushing Jeff in his stroller.  My music is not that loud, I make sure that I can still hear the traffic around me, it would be dangerous both to my ears and possibly my life if it were to be too loud.  Even though Jeff is literally right in front of me at arms length, I mean I am pushing him in a stroller, I think if I am listening to my iPod that I won't hear him.  Ridiculous I know, but I figure it is growth on my part that I can even be out running and not have the music playing.  This is something that never would have occurred before.  This is the girl who would skip a run if her iPod wasn't charged.  I kid you not, some days any excuse will do.  So since there is no diversion for me I am acutely aware of my surroundings. 
Sometimes this is good and brightens the run, sometimes it is bad and makes me run faster to get away, and sometimes it is just down right puzzling.  I will give you a few examples from today's jaunt.  The assault can be on any of the senses but usually it is visual and olfactory.  Kind of hard to have your taste buds offended while out for a jog but stranger things have happened.  How do you know when you are wearing too much cologne?  When you are in a closed space, like a car, and people outside can smell you.  True story, happened to me just today.  I was the smeller not the wearer.  These two kids were in their car and as they drove by I could have sworn I was in the middle of perfumania at the mall.  Not what you want to have wafting in front of your nose when you are sucking wind and just trying to get home.  Then there was they smoking shirtless man sitting on his steps with his motorcycle parked on the sidewalk.  Double offense! Smoking as in cigarette, not as in hot.  So I have to wind around his bike while he sits there smoking with his pot belly hanging over his pants glaring at me.  You know he is just thinking she better not hit my bike with that thing.  My answer in my brain is maybe you shouldn't take up the whole sidewalk with your stupid motorcycle.  The sidewalk is after all a place for you to walk on the side of the street.  It is not a sidepark!  I'm in the right here, not you.  But I am in Lynn and I keep my mouth shut because you just never know.  Last but not least is the jokester who feels the need to comment as I pass by.  Today's installment of humor was provided by a kid who said, "Haha, your baby's winning".  Seriously if that is all you got I would prefer to pass by you in silence.  But silence is the last thing you get when out and about.  I don't mind the sounds of nature and life in general.  It's the uninvited noise that's gets ya every time.  We made it home and Jeff had his snack then went down for his nap.  I got a nice shower and now get to enjoy the lovely sound of silence.  In this case silence being the sound of the washing machine, my husband talking on the phone and the tv playing as I try to catch up on the shows on the dvr.  Maybe I should look up the definition of silence again.  Until next time :)

That Time of Year

It's that time of year again for me. The time of year that I dread. My "D Day" if you will. I need to switch my closets over from fall/winter to spring/summer. Now I don't mean to make this out to be a mammoth task, but it honestly feels like that. I really shouldn't complain because it used to be so much worse. I am fortunate enough to have the closet space that I can simply move the clothes from my room over to the closet in the spare room. I do need to empty out my dresser and put the clothes into the rubbermaid bin and put the clothes from the bin into the dresser. That is a nuisance. And at the same time I need to separate out the clothes that I want to consign and pack those away to bring to the shop in August. Not to mention the shoes. I have to move all of those over. And if you have read any of my previous blogs you will know what an undertaking that is.
I know I really should not complain about it but it is what is taxing me at the moment and therefore is what I am relaying to my readers. I know that I am lucky to have the space. Wen I was in Peabody I would have to take everything off the hangers, fold and put it into the rubbermaid bin. Then have to unfold everything and hang it up in the closet. This used to take me an afternoon. I am not kidding you. So just moving one set of hangers from one room to another is pretty mild compared to what I used to have to do. It boggles my mind the people that have all their clothes hanging in the closet year round. Either they do not have many clothes or they have a huge closet. One of my dreams is to have a walk in closet that I can keep everything in. Each season would have a side and I could just go between the two. Of course with all the corresponding shoes under the hanging clothes. My next house needs this, and if it doesn't have it I will have David make it for me. Or have David hire someone to do it. Either way the end result is what is important.
Now that I have lamented about my task at hand let me explain what makes it difficult. It's the damn weather! If it would just stay consistent in the temperature department then it would be easy. I could get the job done and move on. But nooooo, it has to be 70 one day then 50 the next. How am I supposed to commit to the switching of the closet when the weather is schizophrenic??? This is my purgatory time of year. I'm stuck in this weird world of what to wear today? I can't get dressed until I have heard the weather report for the day. And that is annoying.  Of course I can physically get dressed, but chances are I will be wearing the wrong thing.  I learned a long time ago not to ask David what the weather was like.  He does not have the same internal thermostat as I do( or as any normal human I am starting to think). And I am always cold if I follow his advice.  Although after being together for 8 years he has learned my internal thermostat and has gotten better about helping me with my clothing options.
Getting dressed is a chore at this time of year. I know you are probably all saying how can she be complaining? She clearly has enough to wear. And I do have an ample sufficiency of clothing, in that regard you are correct. But a major issue, other then the fluctuating temperature,  is that I want to wear my spring clothes. I am tired of the bulky sweaters and layers. Since I have started looking in the other closet I am seeing the clothes I loved from last year and I want to wear them.  So now I have the "I'm tired of my clothes" fighting with trying to be sensible and not catch pneumonia all while doing this weird dance of hot one day and cold the next. Now tell me you wouldn't be frustrated in the same situation.Or at least pretend for my sake.
So what happens is that I start the switch, the weather changes, and I have to go back to warmer clothes. So I am afraid to pack anything away, because as soon as I do it will get cold and I will be stuck. Trust me this has happened more times then I can count. Which is why I am leery of the final putting away of the clothes. The result is that I now have clothes everywhere for all different seasons. The spare room is just mayhem for a good month. Boots next to flip flops, turtleneck sweaters next to tank tops. Trying to maintain a semblance of order is the true challenge. This chaos makes me slightly crazy, ok ok slight;y crazier than usual. Only once we have a real turn of the temperature can I relax. And when everything gets put away and the room is clean again I breathe a sigh of relief and say to myself I am so happy that is done. The good news is that I don't have to do it again. Well, not until the fall anyway.

The Elephant In Me

Good sunny Sunday to all of you.  I have fallen off the blogging wagon as of late and am trying to hop back on.  The random thought that got my mental juices flowing today is the term "memory of an elephant".  It is sad but true that sometimes all it takes is a simple phrase to get me revved up and ready for action.  Sometimes it is the simpler the better.  This particular term as unflattering as it is has been used many many times in reference to me. After my initial shock that someone is comparing me to an elephant (because I immediately assume they are talking about my person), I realize what they are actually saying.  We have all been warned about assumptions. Insert church lady hmmmm here.  For those of you who don't know the church lady, Google Dana Carvy then come back and continue reading. 
Anyway back to the elephant.  Hi everyone. My name is Mary-Beth and I have a memory like an elephant.  Here is where you all respond Hi Mary-Beth.  This attribute of mine has both positive and negatives to it.  Pros and cons is another way to phrase it.  One would think having such a great memory is awesome.  Eh, not so much.  Not all the time anyway.  See, having this memory doesn't mean that it comes with a filter.  Now that would be an immense gift.  One that I would love to have and would probably make so many other people jealous.  Can you just hear the taunts?  I know something you don't know. Now visualize a hand wagging over your nose and we are immediately transported back to elementary school.
Having a great memory can be a good thing.  I remember dates and occasions.  I remember who ate what and if they liked it.  Yup, I am the girl that if you ask did I like that, I can say yes or no.  Helpful to have around one would think.  I remember useless things too, like my high school boyfriend's phone number.  Because that will sure come in handy.  Or song lyrics.  Unless I am going to be on a game show why do I need to fill up space in my brain with this?  I literally can hear a song and if the refrain is catchy enough I will be singing along with it before the song is over.  Even if its the first time I have heard it.  Give me a week and I can know all the lyrics.  That is because the radio stations saturate us with new songs until we are sick of them.  Who needs to pay for downloads?  Guaranteed if you pay for a song you will be sick of it in a few weeks due to the over playing on the radio.  I wonder why my brain gets filled up with all of this nonsense.  I also have been called the Cliff Claven of useless information.  Please tell me you know who Cliff Claven is--if you don't then all I can say is shame on you!
Then there's the storage space in my head of articles of clothing that have been worn on "special occasions". Like the pair of shoes I was wearing when I met David.  I haven't worn them in over 7 years but I keep them because of the sentimental value.  Now I bet you are saying that shoes don't take up a lot of room, and you are right.  But if you add up all the stuff I keep for "sentimental reasons" that equals a shit load of stuff.  I have gotten better about letting some things go.  But its work.  I am not lying.  Not because I intend to wear it again, but because I am transported back to the occasion.  And who doesn't want to relive happy memories?
This memory of mine makes it hard to give gifts.  Why you ask?  The answer is this--I remember what I was given by whom and for what.  I therefore think that everyone is the same.  So I put a ton of thought into gifts.  Guess what I get in return?  A lot of disappointment.  Turns out not everyone is like me.  I mean my own husband gives away things that I have given to him because he doesn't remember where he got it from.  I remember little tid bits of conversations of things people say they like or may want and when it comes time to give them a present, BAM there I am with the perfect gift!  Turns out a lot of people don't do that either.  So, again I get a hefty dose of disappointment.  It's ok, don't feel bad for me.  You learn to live with it.  What I haven't learned to live with is the wish that more people were like me.  In this regard anyway.
I guess the biggest negative to this whole inner elephant is the bad things that you remember.  All the names I have been called, all the mean things people have said, all the times that I have been let down.  This is when the filter would be super useful.  Who wants to remember painful times or sadness?  That answer is no one, but we don't get to choose what to remember.  I suppose we could try to forget, but then you still have to make a conscious thought to think about it.  And that defeats the purpose because we are still thinking about it!  They say we only use a portion of our brains.  When new information comes in some old information leaves.  Well I have plenty that can go.  I may remember what shoes I wore to my confirmation but send me to the grocery store without a list and I am guaranteed to forget half of what I need.  Only to remember it as I am driving home.  Like I am going to go back!  I just got Jeff back in the car!  There is no rhyme or reason to it.  Which is the biggest source of frustration.  I like things to make sense.  I like things to have meaning and a semblance of order.  But that is a topic for whole different blog.   Maybe the elephant in me needs to go back to school.  Yeah, that's it.  Time for a refresher course in memory.  Wouldn't that be nice.  Inservice the parts of us we would like to work better.  A little internal tune up.  I'll work on that.  Because we know I won't forget.

Garden of Good and Evil

I am many things but a gardener is not one of them.  It's not that I am anti-flower or vegetation.  More like I am anti upkeep of flowers and vegetation.  I can appreciate a pretty yard as much as the next person, honestly I can.  And if I had magic fairies that would plant, weed and keep up my yard I would have a pretty yard too.  And by fairies I don't mean landscapers.  If I meant landscapers I would have said landscapers.  They cost money whereas fairies would do it for free because they love nature and everything pretty.  Before any of you get worried and think about committing me, I know that these fairies indeed do not exist.  I wish they did, but if I had everything I wished for then I wouldn't need to be talking to you through this blog.  Now now that isn't very nice.  Of course I would still want and definitely talk to you.  I just think the subject matter would be quite different.  As I think all of you could agree with that statement of fact.
So a couple of years ago David decided to clean up the front of the house.  And by decided I mean that he called his buddy who is a landscaper to do it.  See, we had taken out a little stone wall thing that formed a flower bed in the front of the house a year or so before that.  The contents of the flower bed had slowly slid down the driveway because(insert duh here) there was nothing to hold it in.  There were bushes in there that I had ripped out and some tulips and daffodils.  I ripped all those out as well.  Again I say that I have nothing against flowers, I just didn't want to deal with them.  In my mind it was better to have it barren then have random plants sprouting here and there.  As we all know I like and practically crave organization, so this haphazard plant growth made me a little crazy.  Well, ok, a little crazier than my norm.
That first year the front of the house looked nice.  A new wall had been made out of railroad ties around the old flower bed and they had weed blocked and mulched the whole inside.  For the first time since we had lived there the front of the house looked halfway decent.  Let me further explain that we are the last house on a dead end street.  So, I really don't feel the need to "dress up" the house to impress anyone.  The only ones who see it are us and the people who live across the street.  Their yard isn't going to be featured on better homes and gardens anytime soon, so I feel no pressure there.  Not like it would bother me anyway.  I don't have yard envy. 
After that first year with the new front of the house the damn tulips and daffodils came up again.  I thought they would be gone for good after being ripped out, weed blocked and mulched.  Yes, I know enough to get the bulbs out of the ground and not just the plants.  Still there they were.  What are these things made of?  Titanium?  They are hearty little suckers.  So, once again I ripped them out and sprayed weed block.  Guess what I see when I walk out the front of my house?  I will give you three guesses and the first two don't count.(That's another one of my mom-isms.  She would say that all the time when obviously we knew the answer).  Yup, those damn daffodils and tulips are there flaunting themselves like a hooker on the Vegas strip.  It's hard not to like them when you see them.  Well you have to admire their spirit anyway.  They have survived 5 years of me ripping them out.  Just to sprout back up again in the spring. 
I have gotten to the point where I am in a live and let live kind of frame of mind.  They work so hard to grow and be seen.  All they want to do is their biological duty.  Reach through the ground to the sun and spread their blooms upward.  I have to admit they are pretty flowers and they bring a small smile to my face when I see them.  That is until they are all dead and look like trash.  That's when I lose it every year.  I would rather see nothing then the brown stalks of flowers past.  Once that happens it is game on.  Then it will be me against them for our annual rematch.  Maybe this year I will get them.  Maybe this year I will rid my flower bed of those pesty flowers that inhabit it.  Of course I have to wait until next spring to find out.