Fun Imagini quiz thingy...

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This is not the same as it ever was...

The past couple of days have had me right back to that sensation of being in uncharted territory. I like where I am. I really do feel happy. It is just that things are so much in the unknown zone, that I find I am constantly looking about as if I have no idea where I am. Which of course might be because I really am quite lost and have no clue as to where I might be, or where I am headed...

I think that I may be lost. But if I am, let me stay here for a little longer... It is a nice place to be.

This whole newness of a relationship is kind of thrilling in it's own way. I revel in all of the discoveries of the unknown. It is such a novelty coming from a friendship where I felt like I really knew the insides of this great person, and have discovered in the transition into a romantic relationship that I no longer find the inner workings of either of us familiar at all. So that leaves me with the odd and unexpected pleasure of getting to know each of us all over again. Together, as an "us", and also as individuals.

What a foreign concept, at least for me. And who knew that I was ever going to be an "us"? Certainly not me. I have fought it for so long... And certainly not now... I was having... a lesson... or living life on my own and discovering myself, which I would call a lesson of sorts...

And now, here I am. Doing this same thing, with one of my best friends, who also happens to be someone that I am falling for more and more each day. The best part about that is that now there is this incredible person who is my constant partner in crime, the un-ending adventure seeker, the resting place for nomadic heart and mind...

It can all be summed up in a very short conversation that I just had with him, my Chocolate Cake:

He said: "Holy crap, how did we get here?"
She said: "I don't fucking know!"

And then he said: "You know, I bet you are prettier than Helen of Troy..."

(He was also being uber sweet and was working on my computer at the time. He had come across a Trojan and that was where the thought had led him to... That I was from the same area and was so beautiful... And yeah... At least I am not alone in this falling thing... And oh how I fear we are going to be too cute to stomach for a time to come... But I really can't help myself, nor would I really want to if I could...)

Headache...

Really bad, bleary eyed, headache.

And I miss caffeine in the form of rich chocolate and decadent, creamy coffee.

And I just can't seem to get warm.

And I am restless and tired and can't focus.

What I really want is a good cry.

But I won't.

I'll just whimper in print on here instead.

Thanks...

I needed that.

Boyfriend Beware, You WILL be Blogged…

Boyfriend Beware, You WILL be Blogged…

Yes this is actually something that was uttered from my lips earlier this week, and then again today… Yes, I said the unexpected word; boyfriend, but we are going to ignore that for now… Right now we are going to take a look at what could possibly have me saying those words in the first place…

So the other night Chocolate Cake and I were walking to the store to pick up a few things that I just HAD to have, like cookie dough full of Reese’s Pieces, and I found a penny in my pocket.

Now this is where I need to divert off for a moment…

Remember when we were kids and how happy we were to find a penny on the ground? And that saying that goes along with it?

“Find a penny, pick it up,
All day long you’ll have good luck.
Then you pass it to a friend,
So your luck will never end.”

I have always loved that saying. So now, when I find that I have random pennies in my pocket, I purposely drop them on the ground in places where it is sure to be found and picked up happily by another person. (I know, this COULD be MOOP, and I promise not to do this on the Playa or any other remote location that it would be damaging to the environment… But I drop pennies on sidewalks near corners and in the mall and outside of the library and so on… Toy stores are my favorite. Lot’s of children going in and out of toy stores… But anyway, I am getting off track…)

So the other night Chocolate Cake and I were walking to the store, and I found a penny in my pocket. I must have gotten a mischievous look in my eyes because he asked me what I was up to. I pulled out the penny and explained my plan to drop it in the perfect place to be found and enjoyed by another…

At this point he happily dug into his pockets and produced a small handful of change… He was very excited to discover that there were not one, but THREE pennies in his hand. He selected his penny and in the moonlight examined it, turning it this way and that, before launching it gleefully over the tall wooden fence next to us. Up and over the penny sailed. Arcing into the air gracefully, seemingly pausing at the apex to glint off of the light of the moon, before plummeting back down to earth to land with a “thud” right on top of what could only have been a vehicle of some sort.

Now here is where the thoughts freeze…
(And they did for what seemed like a shortened eternity…)

First it was the sound of the “thud”…
Can pennies really make a thudding noise?
Yes, as it turns out, they can…

And was that really a car that it just landed upon?
Fairly sure from the sound placement ringing through from the other side of the fence.

(Now I suppose that he really could have hit a piece of random sheet metal, or an old-fashioned metal trashcan and lid, or any number of metal objects… And we could not see through, around, or over the fence… But it really sounded like the hood of a car…)

We both sucked in our breaths and paused, like some loony tunes cartoon, we had watched the voyage of the penny… Watched as it rose up, appreciating the height and distance of his hurtling toss into the unknown… Watched as it disappeared into that unknown space beyond the fence… Our heads seemed to turn as one to follow the progression of that penny… Our faced mirror images as we realized that the penny had indeed gone “thud” onto a car… Our breath held together as one slightly exaggerated pause in the after moment, before being released into a peal of childish laughter and giggles.

And then we ran…

Only a step or two… But we did. And then we stopped because we just knew how silly this all must be (Except for that unknown car, and I am sorry to whomever for that thudding penny…) and proceeded to walk along arm in arm towards our destination.

“I didn’t think it was going to do that”, he said. “You were supposed to DROP the penny”, I replied. He came back with; “I did”. (Ugh, MEN. Figures… Okay, let’s do this another way, shall we?)

We had reached the middle of the parking lot of the grocery store by this point. I squeezed his arm a little tighter, leaned in and whispered, “this is how you drop a penny”, and gently let the penny in my hand slip through my fingers, dropping almost soundlessly onto the pavement. “Tink”. That was all. “Tink” is how a penny being dropped is supposed to sound… “Thud”… Please…

Later on the walk back, we passed the same spot… We both kind of quietly giggled… Then I sighed and just shook my head…

“What?”

“Boyfriends beware… You WILL be Blogged…”




And as a small after-note:
HE says that it was more of a “clang”… I am stick to the “thud”. Either way, I think you get the picture… (And I did warn him that he was going to be blogged…)

Hello again...

So it seems like I have landed in a place unlike any other, but really I think that can be said of anyplace... Filled with people I have yet to meet, speaking in different accents and languages, even dressed differently.

This is bound to be an adventure... It has been so far... Which is why I have been so silent this past week... And it is likely to be that way for a bit longer... But ohhhhh... The things I will have to share when I return...

FYI...

He loves me for my watch!?!?!?!?!?!?!

(But I don't wear a watch...)

It’s like thunder… And lightning…

Dear Friends;

With just hours (and hours) left before I step back onto yet another plane… This one sending me to a known destination with multiple unknown possibilities… It seems rather fitting that when I read my horoscope for today that it spoke of new phases and enthusiasm. (That I read it this early in the day is remarkable, usually I read it the day after…)

With so much coming around this next corner at the speed of thunder, (You know when the quick jolt of lightning strikes and you lie in bed counting the “seconds” until the thunder booms to see just how far off the “real” storm is as a kid? This period of waiting for this particular trip has been rather like that…) I have been calling what I have been feeling nervous. I think perhaps anxious is more apt. Eager and nervous rolled into one…

But the right word at this point is excited anticipation… (I know… That would be two words… But with a blog this short, I think we all should just let it slide… Don’t you?)

You know that old disco era song; Knock on Wood? I heard that on the radio today on the way to training… I have had that song stuck in my head all afternoon… But it is oddly fitting. That whole thing about thunder and lightning and knocking on wood is just where I am at… (Not to mention that with a song that upbeat and filled with sound effects of thunder that I have looked reminiscent of the time that I danced about in my granny panties for the mailman. At least this time I am being productive, I am fully dressed, and I do not resemble a raccoon in any way…)

For those that missed that blog, it was one of my supper silly, belly laugh blogs…

All this time later, it is still like that. (At least I get my mail delivered without the funny looks now… Now meaning three or four new mailmen later… Geez, all that fuss over me dancing topless… Who knew?)

And for those of you, like Artemis, who I would feel badly if I did not replace the last song with one a little better, or at least a little newer, I am including the words to knock on Wood… (And for the record, it is the Amii Stewart version that I have playing in stereophonic inside my head… This link will give you 30 seconds of what the song sounds like, if you don’t already know it… http://www.amazon.com/Best-Amii-Stewart-Knock-Wood/dp/B000001QLR and then it will certainly be playing in your head too…)

For those that have a curious nature, and so that I can remember what my horoscope actually said when I go back and re-read this blog, as I have been known to do in the past, I am including that after the song as well…




Knock on Wood
By: Eddie Floyd and Steve Cropper.

I don't want to lose the good thing that I've got
If I do, I will surely, I will lose a lot

For your love is better than any love other I've known
It's like thunder, lightning
The way you love me is frightening
I better knock on wood
Baby

I got superstitious about you, but I can't take change
You got me spinning, baby, spinning in a trance
But your love is better than any other love I've known
It's like thunder, lightning
The way you love me is frightening
You better knock on wood

It's no secret, but that woman fills my lovin' cup
She sees, so ready, that I get enough
And her love is better than any other love I've known
It's like thunder
It's like lightning
The way you love me is frightening
I better knock on wood
Baby

Better, yes, better
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) Yes, I better
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) Oh, knock on wood
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) You know I would, would
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) It's no secret
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) No, oh, better
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) Hangin' above me
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) I can't leave her
(Yes you better knock, knock, knock on wood) Oh no, baby
Knock on wood, WOO!



April 16, 2007
A Fresh Phase
Scorpio Daily Horoscope
You may find yourself full of enthusiasm and vigor today even if nothing in your environment seems worthy of inspiring your feelings. Your own practiced awareness may lie at the roots of these feelings as your potent ability to remain utterly aware of the goings on of the world around you can delight you and stimulate your passions. You may feel that you are ready to begin pursuing a new phase of life—one in which you better employ your charisma, intelligence, curiosity, and creativity. If you allow this urge to guide you today, you will likely discover that there are unexplored worlds of opportunity waiting for your attention.

We can initiate an entirely new phase of life by opening our eyes to the myriad possibilities that fate has seen fit to lay at our feet. Acknowledging the many avenues open to us can be difficult as it is a simple matter to discount one or more of these paths. But it is only when we choose not to close ourselves off from even the most outlandish opportunities that we discover how free we truly are. This new phase of life is a wonderfully liberated one—little can interfere with our enthusiasm for change and novelty when we have made a commitment to embrace the unknown in word and deed. You will feel full of life and vigor today when you let your gaze fall upon the whole of your potential without prejudging any of the possibilities before you.

If you wondered where the butterflies live these days...

I am starting to become addicted to this photo replacement for wordy blogs... Especially since I am down to the final hours and have so much left to do... Not to mention that the butterflies have officially moved in and taken over my insides...

Too tired to be scared...

Dear Friends;

He is more nervous than I am.

I can hear it in his voice when he says hello. It is more visible than the rain that is pounding on the tarmac on the other side of the window.

I am at DFW, a very nice airport by the way, and am waiting to board the plane. We have been delayed due to the bad weather at my final destination.

I called to say hello and to check in for the second leg of my trip. And he sounds as if his very life depended upon the voicing of those first few words.

Funny that I am not at all scared or nervous. After all this time and the inhuman early start to my day of cross- country traveling, I am just spent and ready for a nap. Too bad I can’t sleep on planes. I still suffer from 5-year-old syndrome. I can’t sleep for fear of missing out on something important or cool or at the very least entertaining. Even on what has become a routine method of traveling for me. More so than the car, and I never have difficulty curling up in the back seat and zonking out for an hour or two then…

But oh, the sound of his voice… All pinched as if he were in pain. But the good sort, if there is even such a thing… And all that is left is a few more hours… A few more hours, just hundreds of minutes, to see if this friendship really is destined for something greater…

Another Quickie...

A million things left to do...

A handful of hours left to do them in...

Worth a thousand words...

If what they say is true…
That a PICTURE is worth a thousand words…
And I am verbose by nature…
Then today…

This should suffice…

Heading Home Today…

Dear Friends;

I am totally scattered… And I have that old silly song; Limbo Rock stuck in my head… I am heading home today… While I am ready to sleep in my own bed and take care of the real-life things that have been pushed off for the past two weeks, I know that I really am going to miss everyone.

I have just a few hours before I fly home. And even then I will only be there for a handful of days… My luggage is all packed and I am hoping it is under the weight requirements and my head is pounding… Thump… Thump… Thump… in time with the song… Of course, I am totally off beat, and have no rhythm, but the kids don’t care. They just laugh and dance and enjoy the last few minutes of silly Auntie time…

Every limbo boy and girl… All around the limbo world… Gonna do the limbo rock… All around the limbo clock… Jack be limbo, Jack be quick… Jack go unda limbo stick… All around the limbo clock… Hey, let’s do the limbo rock… La La La La La La La… La La La La La La La

Yeah… We’ve been laughing and wondering why all the adults are bouncing about humming bars of the tune… I say adults because on the day of good byes, there are no grown ups to be found. Bodies bouncing, babies crying, small children dancing, overgrown, really old kids ignoring the mess in order to get just a few more minutes of play time in… Head pounding, ears ringing, laughter escaping inspite of the lump in my throat.

And so we search the net for the song so at least we will have music to dance to in our off-key, missing most of the words, sing-along adventure before nap-time and the inevitable goodbyes…

Limbo lower now… limbo lower now… How low can you go…

We even took videos to mark the posterity of our silliness. The proof that we have eaten way too many cookies this week, and that my youngest nephew has a fondness for drawing on himself with blue pen, like a warrior Indian off to hunt buffalo.

(Native American’s and bison, I know… I know… Sheesh… this IS my rambling thought here… Indians and buffalo… pppffftttt…)

Yeah… I am going to pay for this later… Good thing I can sleep all day tomorrow. My ears and the impending headaches are never going to forgive me… My growing backside from all the cookies won’t either… But today, I really don’t care… Today there is music and random tangent thoughts, and sticky kisses from little kids and drooling hands to cover my face from adorably cute babies, and a little more bonding left to be had, with my family that lives in another state. Another state of mind, of being, of the union… No matter how you look at it, they are too far away…

And so we laugh like we mean it, and smile in spite of the clock ticking away precious minutes… And we dance… Or more like we wiggle and sing off key…

First you spread your limbo feet… Then you move to limbo beat… Limbo ankolimboneee,… Bend back like a limbo tree… Jack be limbo, Jack be quick… Jack go unda limbo stick… All around the limbo clock… Hey, let’s do the limbo rock…

Get yourself a limbo girl… Give that chic a limbo whirl… There's a limbo moon above… You will fall in limbo love… Jack be limbo, Jack be quick… Jack go unda limbo stick… All around the limbo clock… Hey, let’s do the limbo rock…

Don't move that limbo bar… You'll be a limbo star… How low can you go…

What am I afraid of...

What am I afraid of?

Why is the question that is currently circling through my brain at this moment? I have been spending the morning in bed, just as I thought that I would. It is only ten, but I am still on Mountain Time so my body is telling me that I have been a lay-about for half the day already. And my ears are ringing like the liberty bell resides between them.

Typing this is going to take a very long time. But I really want to get this out before things get to fuzzy and the haze of the drugs wraps about my mind and clings to it with a death grip that will not loosen for hours.

It is days like today that I hate. I tried to finish the sentence, but really, it is just that. On days like today, I just hate. Which is why I probably am sitting up forcing thought to formulate past the searing blindness of it all. Almost white-hot. When things burn so intensely that they become white. People always think of red, but for me, it is white that burns hotter… On those days I am a zombie. Staring into space, unable to leave the bed. But somehow, on days like today there is just enough hidden reserve to push past it all for a little longer, before the relief of sleep beckons and I cannot refuse any longer. And I am almost there already. And it is twenty past ten.

I am slow. And distracted in my thoughts and the dream that forced me out of bed in the first place is rapidly fading away into the mists that surround my mind like the fog that settles upon San Francisco.

That dream. It was so real.

I dreamed of people in my past along with people in my present and it made perfect sense. It took my pondering under the blankets to realize that it was not a memory, rather just a dream. And I know that dreams only have the weight that we give them, but they also are beacons that we can use to illuminate the darkness upon the reflection of meanings and symbolisms.

I dreamt of an occurrence that I know in my pained awakeness would never happen. But it makes me pause anyway. Am I doing the right thing? Or am I letting my fears grab me and place doubt where there has been none? It is good to question, but is it good to doubt? Do I belong with this man who has been my best friend for the past year? Or do I secretly long for something else? But I know that answer. I do not.

Even in my dream, it was the memory of the passion behind the touch of a past lover that gave me pause. It was not the person himself. I was even surprised in the dream that I had moved that far past this man. I am even a little surprised now. But there it is. I have moved past this man. Whatever chance there might have been is gone. It was gone before, but now it is past that point of reconsideration. As in, I denied the feeling of physical pleasure because of a promise I had made, but deep down, I did not want to feel the heat of passion when I knew that it would be followed by something so empty that I would happily choose the ringing of my ears over the emptiness of emotion and attachment.

And I guess upon reflection, it is that this past lover was so vivid in the experience, is why he was the one in question to test my promise. But I did not hesitate. I did not falter. I felt badly for the physical response to his hand upon my shoulder, and guilty that I cried in his arms, but I did not waiver or break, or even want to. I cried because even in my dreams I am exhausted. From pushing to hard, for going to far, from moving too fast. I am tired. And his was the shoulder that was there. I think if he had been a perfect stranger, I would have still cried. But I cannot cry now. For all that I would give anything to just cry for the release, I will not.

Perhaps that bothers me more than facing a man I have grown to love in ways I never knew before, who is likely going to push me harder than I have ever pushed myself. And I am exhausted already.

Why am I going to push so hard to be a guinea pig all over again? And what have I got to loose? Can I force the drive and enthusiasm to try all over again when all I really have left is the drive to get out of bed each day? Can I do this and still have something more than a shell of a person at the end of the trials? It is not that I am thinking that I will fail, or that trying new things are bound to fail no matter what, it is that I am afraid that I do not have enough of me to succeed past the first few attempts.

And I have done this all before. I know what mountain I will be climbing. I may not know what lies beyond the mountain, but I also know that it requires a perilous trek to the top. There is no helicopter or magic ruby slippers to click to just lift me over to the end result.

And can I really go through it all again?

And what if I end up worse than I am now. Some of the trying made things worse; it is the risk that is involved when playing at such odds. Yes, I may win, but I may also loose even more. And that alone makes me wish that I could cry. But he pushes for this over and over. And I know that he means well and wants for the best, but in the end, it comes down to my strength, determination and resilience. No matter the support that I have to help me though, it is still me that must go through this.

And I wonder if we will make it through this push of his… Or if we will survive if there is nothing to be done. If his hopes are so wrapped up in finding a fix or a cure or a repair for the damage that when his hopes have been dashed, if he can handle it, and me, or if he will resent me and everything that I am.

And I had no idea that was where I was going with all of this.

I am drained. There is no more for today. I am going back to bed.

100 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner:

Dear Friends;

The following list was inspired form a conversation that I had this weekend with my sister-in-law. She and I have each retreated to our respective computers to create our own lists. She with hers, me with mine, the resulting lists to be kept secret from each other until their completion and posting… (The better to compare and then giggle over… To see if there are any similarities…)

She of course finished hers first, I am racing along to catch up… (I really want to see what she posted… Actually I would love to see what you come up with… This could be fun…)

Some silly, some serious, some sad…
But well worth the time it took…


100 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me Sooner:

1. Coloring outside the lines is not only acceptable, but as an adult, it is called “being creative”.
2. Preheating the oven really does make a difference.
3. Asking for directions is a good thing, just be selective about who you ask.
4. Life is for taking risks and living, there is only one chance at it, and there are no do-overs.
5. Children without naps are cranky, adults are even more so.
6. You are never too old to ride the Ferris wheel, play with sidewalk chalk, build sandcastles, or blow bubbles.
7. The hound from hell will become your best friend if he is cold, hungry, or in need of having his ears scratched.
8. Genuine smiles make the eyes dance with joy and twinkle with happiness.
9. Sometimes a hug is enough.
10. Sometimes an apology is not.
11. Feeling that someone is “the one” does not mean it will last forever.
12. You cannot change “the one for now” into “the one for all time”.
13. Fire is hot, it burns. So does anything removed from the oven with bare hands.
14. Do not take the curling iron on a camping trip, it will only short out and leave an ugly mark on your arm.
15. If you choose to eat dessert, then you might as well enjoy it. The calories will stick to your tush either way.
16. Stop to smell the flowers, even if they have no scent. How else will you notice the ladybug in the center?
17. Asking the same question does not bring the answer any faster. Asking the same question at different times can bring different perspectives and sometimes change the answer.
18. Do not just drink from the cup, ask what it holds first.
19. Sometimes a taste is more than enough.
20. It does not matter who you sleep with, as long as you can sleep with yourself.
21. Bleach may remove the stain, but it also eats away the fibers in the fabric.
22. Most people aspire to perfection of themselves, they do not necessarily appreciate perceived perfection of others.
23. Sometimes when you win, you lose.
24. Sometimes when you lose, you win.
25. Sometimes it is easier to toss it all out and start over.
26. Real trust is just as rare as real love.
27. When you love someone, it does not mean that they love you back, or in the same way.
28. A water bottle marked with the words “monster spray” really can keep away nightmares from the closet or under the bed.
29. Portion sizes are sooo much smaller then you ever thought. Take your dinner plate and quarter it.
30. It really is okay if the food touches. It really does go into the same place.
31. In a world of pause, repeat, tivo, instant replay, record, and rewind, it really is okay to go to bed early and miss your favorite TV show. It will still be there waiting for you when you wake up. The same cannot be said for sleeping next to someone you love.
32. Football was better before instant replay, hockey was better after the censored pucks.
33. Tribe is much cooler than MySpace.
34. Traveling is grand but grand adventures can be found anywhere, even in your own backyard.
35. Pen pals are worth the effort.
36. Pictures may be worth a 1,000 words, but it is still nice to hear the words.
37. Home is where the heart is, it is not just the place that you live.
38. Holding the adapter box of your laptop’s power cord in your lap really helps to keep you warm.
39. Cell phones make great flashlights.
40. Sharks can not live in swimming pools, really. No... Really, promise.
41. There are some things that words cannot describe no matter how much you try. Sometimes you just have to jump out of the airplane yourself to know.
42. The book is inevitably better than the movie, but you will be more likely to see the movie after you have read the book, the same can not be said the other way around.
43. There is never enough time, it is okay to do just what you can and finish the rest later.
44. You do not have to be perfect. It is more important to have perfect intentions.
45. You do not have to be the best at everything.
46. Magic yellow kitchen gloves can help you touch, pick up and clean anything.
47. You only need a pint of water to have a bath and wash your hair if you are inventive with a bucket, pitcher and wash cloth.
48. Recycling is really important.
49. Carpooling is better for the environment, and it is also just plain fun.
50. The BART is like a ride at Disneyland.
51. It is better to park in the back of the lot and walk to the store than to keep circling around like a vehicle-vulture. It is faster in the long run and it helps to keep you thin.
52. Nothing may taste as good as thin feels, but sometimes you just have to have the brownie anyway.
53. You really can forget how to ride a bicycle.
54. It hurts less if you relax and breathe out while you are falling.
55. Your greatest weapon is your mind. It is up to you to train it hard, and only you can really train it.
56. There are lots of people that you might call friends and invite to a party, but there are far fewer you can call upon in the middle of the night to talk about some silly nightmare.
57. If you never drink the real stuff, the diet soda is totally do-able.
58. Freedom is a state of mind.
59. It important to ask questions. It is more important to know how to find the answers yourself.
60. Not everyone has a biological clock, sometimes it is just a switch.
61. Death always hurts. It never gets easier, and that is okay.
62. Sometimes the body outlasts the brain.
63. Some things are better left as a mystery.
64. The ride there is often as much fun as the destination.
65. Always keep spare eyeglasses in the glove box.
66. Always keep two pairs of pretty panties in the glove box, one of them a color that is not day-glow or glo-in-the-dark pink.
67. A “girl kit” stocked with all the things you wish you had in mini emergencies (tampax, pad, nail clippers, bobby pins, safety pins, condoms, comb, toothbrush, mouthwash, nail file, handy wipes, tissues, etc.) is your best friend, the best friend to your best friends, and the piece of connective kindness you can share with strangers.
68. If your Mother-in-Law loves you, life is enhanced. tenfold. If she hates you, multiply hell by ten and add one for the misery she can bring.
69. Lists are great if you use them, a waste of time if you don’t.
70. If you throw caution to the wind, be prepared for the wind to blow upwards unexpectedly, exposing things to those who happen to be nearby.
71. Only take photos that you are fine with you parents or children looking at. You never know who is posting thing on the Internet, or who is looking at it.
72. Be careful to protect the identities of others when you are airing dirty laundry publicly.
73. If you make a mistake, fix it. If you make a mess, pick it up. At some point your Mother really will stop doing it for you.
74. Everyone had a rough time in high school.
75. You really can take great photos with a digital camera
76. You really do need to wear your retainer or your teeth will move back.
77. Small children will always notice the random gray hair, the bags under your eyes, the zit that pops up out of nowhere, and your bad breath. So will adults, but most won’t say anything.
78. True friends point out that you have something lodged in your teeth.
79. You really can tell your hairdresser anything, they really have heard it all. The barista that remembers how you like your morning coffee just wants you to tip her and be on your way.
80. Babies give the best snuggles, especially when they belong to someone else.
81. It really is important to be able to do your own laundry, cook yourself dinner, and style your own hair.
82. Everyone that drinks too much looks like an idiot, including you.
83. Don’t ask don’t tell is a nice slogan for the military, but it really does not work in reality.
84. It is better to face your fears than to live in fear. Surprisingly, it is easier too.
85. Roasted peeps are better than roasted marshmallows.
86. Text messaging works like TTY.
87. Flowers are beautiful, but plants last longer.
88. If you give a plant a name, a beautiful pot to live in and vitamin soil, it grows into great beauty. So do people.
89. Friends can be found in the most unlikely places.
90. An open mind goes a long way
91. An open heart goes even further.
92. If you don’t like the color you painted on the bedroom walls, it is not going to grow on you, better to re-paint it now before you move the bed back in.
93. You can do anything alone, you can have more fun doing it with friends.
94. It is perfectly okay to have a hidden, secret, guilty pleasure like watching Survivor or listening to Britney Spears.
95. It is best to use the hover method in gas station restrooms and use lots and lots of Purel.
96. Dating your best friend is a really good idea, but it is really difficult to go back to just friends if it does not work.
97. Silly socks are really cool. They only have to match your personality and you don’t have to wear them as a pair if you don’t feel like searching for the mate.
98. TV has an evil, invisible monster included with the remote control that is fully capable of sucking out your brain along with every thought in your head for hours at a go.
99. Sushi is incredible, the best reminder to try eating anything, yes anything, at least once just to see what is out there.
100. Passion makes you burn with excitement, patience makes it last.
101. Making a list of 100 things is harder than I thought.

Naked Pictures!!!??!?!?!!!

Dear Friends;

A quick laugh for the day gifted to you from a child’s perspective…

The family was sitting around the dining room table this morning, enjoying quality quiet “together” time. Laptops, notebooks, coloring books, and Crayola color wonder books abounded.

My just turned four year old niece turned to her Mother and said earnestly:

“Excuse me Mama, there are no more NAKED pictures here…”

We sat in stunned silence for a moment before my brain clicked into gear…

“You mean there are no more BLANK pages left?” I asked.

She nodded…
We sighed…
And then we giggled…
We are easily amused…

Today is a good day…

Cooking With Love Starring Momma Mizrahi

Dear Friends;

This is so cool! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8rbeKSiAoJQ

My Aunt Jody made this video for my cousin Julia while she is Israel. My cousin is 18 and spending the year abroad. She called up my Aunt and asked her how to make dinner for her friends. The video was my Aunt’s clever idea. With the help of my Uncle Haim acting as the cameraman, and my cousin Joe as the editor, she created the first in a growing series of Momma Mizrahi Recipes.

My Sister-in-Love, Robin is working on a Cookbook. She wants to go the distance and pursue its publication. She has been testing her creations for some time now and is doing her part to establish a written version for some of the family’s long time favorites…

This is no simple task. Coming from an “Old World” as we do, the methods of cooking and passing dishes down through the generations has been sketchy at best. My nomadic lifestyle and wanderlust is something that goes back so many generations it is virtually inescapable.

My Aunt Tony was taught to make the most incredible, out of this world dish, taught to her by her Mother. My Nona was taught by her Mother, but as time went on, it morphed into something else. (As recipes often do.) My cousin, Judy and I beg for this dish all the time. We love how it tastes, but really, it more that we have the desire to learn how to make it. My Aunt actually made it for us once. I wrote like a mad woman, furiously scribbling notations onto paper as she sped along at break-neck speed.

And then comes my Aunt Jody. An incredible American invasion that has added so much to the family dynamics and traditions. Her logical and loving solution to my cousin, Julia’s request of how to prepare a chicken dinner has started a domino effect with the other members of my family. Each one wants to add their own version of “how to” to the growing collection.

So I am sharing with all of you, my Dear Friends, the video that started it all. The wonderful “Cooking With Love Starring Momma Mizrahi”.

On a sentimental side note; My Nona was called Momma by almost everyone. Her heart and warmth are qualities that my Aunt Jody possesses. The family connection and love goes generations back from one Momma to another… And now to you. Enjoy…

The new Top 20 Reasons to be HAPPY…

Dear Friends;

Time has been going by so quickly that it was April before I realized that I had not posted my Top 20 Reasons to be HAPPY in March… So… I am posting up March, with April following right behind… All in all… The past five weeks have been incredible. I hope that yours have been as well…

I wish you all much Happiness! And joy and love! Lots and lots of love. It is Springtime after all…


Ais’s Top 20 Reasons to be HAPPY in March 2007:

01. George
02. Having someone hand you the keys and watching them have the time of their life
03. What’s your favorite flavor? Spartan…
04. Text Message Telegrams
05. Elevator Angels
06. Flowers for being the designated driver
07. Jelly Beans
08. Snowy travels
09. Sledding
10. Being the hot bridesmaid, rather than the beautiful bride
11. Seeing power walkers who are smoking while they walk… Why?
12. Doughnuts as a part of the journey
13. Having a pair of pocket Aces the first hand in
14. An apothecary jar filled with multi-colored, different shaped shells
15. Glassed in cupboards
16. Being covered in kisses
17. Kissing in a tree
18. Jumping a fence to climb on the same tree that you did as a kid
19. Organic fruit
20. Middle of the night calls just because

Ais’s Top 20 Reasons to be HAPPY in April 2007:

01. “Better go for the hug then, just in case…”
02. A gazillion family birthdays
03. Eating the ears off of chocolate bunnies first
04. Long distance, over the phone Dyanu serenades
05. Color coded Reese's Pieces
06. Winning at Crazy 8’s
07. Finally traveling with just ONE suitcase
08. Feeling heady with optimism and warmth
09. Dancing under the full moon
10. Sister-in-laws that can tell you how they see it, no sugar coating on top thanks
11. Open mouth baby kisses drooling on your cheek
12. Gigglegasms
13. Finally getting to see the first buds of spring and knowing what all the hype is about
14. Having a story read to you, like when you were a kid
15. Having a countdown to important dates
16. Cleaning up the toy room, a place for everything and everything in its place
17. Standing Wednesdays
18. Discovering IM
19. Getting a new cell phone and having someone help you to work it properly
20. Geek Speak to English

Family Traditions...

Dear Friends;

As many of you know, I come from a very eclectic family background. I am first generation American on one side and come from California founders on the other. There is an even bigger religious/spiritual/philosophical dichotomy that is woven into the tapestry that makes up the colorful fabric known as my family.

Tonight, I am attending my first Orthodox Seder at my brother’s home. There are going to be thirty people joining us for the services, celebration, and food. I am more than a little excited to see what traditions that my brother has started for his four children, and to see which he has carried on from our own childhood so many years ago.

My sister-in-law has been working diligently (read: like a mad woman) all week creating a new family Haggadah. And right now there is an assembly line across the long rows of tables to assemble them last minute. (Last minute is most defiantly a family tradition I remember…) As the assembly line progresses, the smells of food are permeating the whole house. Tons of old family recipes have been dusted off for the feast tonight. Foods that take hours and days to prepare and moments to consume… The tastes so unique that they linger on the tongue for days…

I have (happily) been placed with the kids. We have cleaned up the toy room (No small feat with four children and literally thousands of toys, art supplies, dress up clothes, stuffed animals, and books.) We have done pairs yoga to work out the excess energy and create more giggles than I thought possible and re-read some of the best parts of Harry Potter… Right now the children are enjoying a quick moment of sunshine by consuming a quick lunch al fresco…

Last night all the adults in town crowded around the big screen TV to watch a hysterical movie called: When do we Eat? I have not laughed so hard at a movie in years. It is about a “typical” Jewish family Seder… And so we all saw bits and pieces of what our family is like and were elbowing each other until our ribs were all but bruised. Oh, but it was good. If you have not seen this little known film, and have ever had to sit through a family Seder, then I strongly recommend taking the time to watch it…

And that, my Dear Friends, is where I am at today… Who knows about tomorrow… I have come to learn that my life is rather like the Denver weather. If you wait twenty minutes, it is sure to change. And does it ever…

(Which on a last note, was the point of a great joke that I played on my Dad before we flew into Denver…)

My Dad had spent every day for more than a week scooping out the weather on-line and printing out charts so that he would know what to pack for the trip. I told him at the start that he needed to pack clothes for every type, we would see it. He did not listen. After a week of the same question from my Dad asking me if I wanted to know what the weather was, I finally told him that there were no weathermen in Denver. This got his attention. He stopped what he was doing and looked at me.

“Really?” He asked…

“Of course Daddy…”

He asked me why this was so. I replied; “The weather changes so drastically, so quickly, that the weathermen were always wrong… No job security… No ability to accurately predict the weather. So they just did not have them in Denver.”

He paused and looked at me really hard. I am not one to typically tease. I choose to wait for the “right” moment to pull someone’s leg. Daddy looked at me for a good, long time. Then he got this huge smile on his face and started laughing.

“You’re teasing me!” he said.

“Yes.” I smiled and walked away.

After a week in Denver we have had sunshine so warm you delight in a tee shirt, snow deep enough to go sledding in, rain to wash away all the snow, winds strong enough to blow over full trash bins along the side of the house, and a chill so cold that you long to crawl into the fireplace to get warm.

But I am a good daughter. I only looked at my Dad and cocked an eyebrow when he commented on the extremes. I said nothing. Rather I am buying my time. I think I will create a super packing list for him to plan his wardrobe of his next trip. It will simply read:

Packing List for Denver:
·One of everything and a smile…
·Two of everything and a grin…
·Three of everything and laugh…
·Bring your closet and be happy…
Who needs the weathermen?

I really need to get laid...

Dear Friends;

I wrote this Blog last fall. (Did you really think I posted ALL my Blogs?) But… Since I once again find myself in the same position as I did before, and pretty much everything I wrote then I would write again now, I figure that I might as well just post this one after all… So enjoy, my Dear Friends… Please have a chuckle at my… um… situation… After all, someone should. And even I can feel the funny in between the frustration…




Dear Friends;

I need to get laid… I mean I REALLY need to get laid.

Now I understand that I have said that anyone can get laid any time that they want, and I really do believe that. But it is not so much a matter of finding someone to become intimately friendly with, or lowering my standards. Or perhaps it is… In a round about sort of way. I have become increasingly picky.

Since I decided to become monogamous and thereby celibate for such extended periods of time, I have discovered that I have refocused my energies. Great for running up and down stairs at 2am because I have to expend excess energy somehow… But not so great since my dreams have become increasingly vivid. Almost more so than reality.

Kisses so passionate that they would be cut from R rated movies… All of my senses kicking in so that I could almost swear there was body heat radiating from beside me in an empty bed. When I close my eyes, faces linger even after I open them to the first rays of early dawn light.

Now my restlessness is due to longing… And sleep evades me. I am not really sure which I prefer. The counting of naked muscled bodies jumping hurdles in my mind as I try to count myself to sleep… Or the haunting images that invade my dreams leaving me wanting…

If I could just convince myself to not care and let go of my new limitations, I think in some ways I would be happier. But what is that saying about a mind once stretched? It is sort of like that. I am looking for more. Not that I am looking for fairy tales or endless promises that can’t be kept. I have grown past those as well. But I want some thing that transcends just the physical.

I tried to go backwards once last spring, to disastrous results in so many ways, on a variety of levels. So going backward is not something that works for me. But it does not leave the alternative of progressing forward to be so easily attained. (The option of staying where I was over the summer is not available to me any longer.) And really, no matter how much I fight it, moving forward is the only thing that I know how to do. But it leaves me really needing to get laid with no satisfying outlet in sight.

In the meantime… There will be no bodice ripper or girly romance quick reads in my immediate future. No romantic or R rated movies that have steamy sex scenes in them. No more being the third wheel or wing-man for my friends who are in the beginning stages, or throes of cutesy- passionate relationships.

I will not torture myself in this way. I will be the ostrich. I will take myself to see Mission Impossible and James Bond… Oh… Strike that… That is fuel for the dreamland fires… I will cross my fingers that more girl power, kick butt movies are on the horizon. Tomb Raider and Ultra Violet. I will follow my favorite NFL teams, even though they are doing so terribly this season, and I will try to learn the names and stats of the players to go over in my head as I drift off to sleep, rather than focusing on who looks better running the ball or making the tackle.

I will commit to more time on the treadmill and start lifting heavier weights… (At least I will look better trying to burn off energy…)

But really, really, really, I just need to get laid. Repeatedly. (When your friends can start to tell just by the way you say hello that it has been far too long, then you KNOW it has become a problem…)