I stole this topic completely and totally....I admit that up front.

Every day that I'm at work, I download and listen to a podcast of the Bob & Sheri Show; which is a syndicated morning radio show that used to air here EONS ago and, for whatever reason, the "powers that be" decided that this wasn't a prime market (even though we are right down the road from where they broadcast) and took them off the air here (yeah, I'm still not happy about that).  Usually, I don't care for morning "drive time" shows because they usually irritate the hell out of me.  But this show?  This show, I love.

And although, I'm still aggravated (what? 10 years later?) that they aren't broadcast here anymore, I do enjoy listening to the podcasts because now I get to hear the show in its entirety.

Anyway...onto the purpose of this post.  They have a segment in the show where they pose a topic and have callers call in with their stories or thoughts.  It's sometimes hilarious and sometimes quite sad.  Sometimes the topic is shallow and funny (such as What Did You Blow Up With Fireworks [or something like that] and sometimes it's a really deep topic.  Such as the one today.

Today the topic was based on a quote that Sheri had read from Friedrich Nietzche (yeah, I know.....  She's really smart and deep and all that [and funny!].  I could have lied and told you all that it was a quote *I* had read - but we'd all know better) which read (ahem)

"It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages."

Needless to say, this spawned quite few calls.  Which got me to wondering, is it true?  According to some of the calls, it isn't; but according to the majority of the calls it is.  So what say you?

Do you have to be " best friends" with your partner - and do everything together to have a good marriage?  Or, as an article I just read this afternoon suggests (which I CANNOT find ANYWHERE - so if you read the article and can point me to it you get extra brownie points!), are you better off being separate entities who have your own pursuits and hobbies?

Discuss.

My Black Friday Adventure

Since you've all asked.....yes.  I DID venture out on Black Friday.

But I did not witness the chaos and mayhem that has been documented in the news....pepper spraying, shootings, stepping over a man as he lay dying.

(Seriously? What IS the world coming to when people will ignore someone who is dying - just to get a deal?!  I'm sorry, no deal is worth ignoring someone who is in need of immediate medical assistance.  Get with the program, people.  If that was YOUR parent, spouse, child, friend - how would you feel knowing that people stepped over the person you loved just to find that $2 waffle maker?  And?  Just as an FYI - no one WANTS to receive that stupid waffle maker anyway; it just takes up precious cabinet space.)

*climbing down from soap box now....as I'm sure none of you would do such a horrendous thing, so there is no sense in preaching to the choir, as it were.*

Anyway....yes, I ventured out.  But, it wasn't early.  I went out around 10:00 am.  Under the pretext of needing to check out a sale on a particular item.  Well....it wasn't really a pretext because I did want to see if the particular item was what I thought it was.

So basically my Black Friday adventure started with me leaving the house and tweeting, "I'm free!!!" and driving to the store; walking into the store; discovering that the item I was looking for was, in fact, crap (as I'd suspected; so maybe it WAS a pretext after all?) and going back to my car.

Where I then spent another thirty minutes or so reading and responding to emails via my phone.  Some of which may have not made sense.  Because I was typing on the phone....in a hurry.  Because I was feeling that not being home, where my family and "guests" were waiting was rude

(I typed guests in quotes only because they ARE family - so technically, not "guests" but yet...they are...I'm sure you know what I mean).

And upon arriving home, discovering that no one had yet to get dressed.  It was the theme of the day, apparently.  One of us actually went up to bed having never removed the pajamas she had got up in that morning....(and it wasn't me; because I don't leave the house in my pajamas - unless I'm going to get the paper at the end of the drive) which pretty much tells you what kind of very slow and very long day was had at my house on Friday.

So to sum it all up.  My Black Friday adventure consisted of me, sitting in my car, checking email.

Don't you wish you could live the exciting life that I lead?

A Thanksgiving post

It's Thanksgiving.  I suppose I should post something about thankfulness, etc.

But truly?  It's been a long day (or two - since surely you have to count the "prep" that goes into Thanksgiving....even if you aren't the cook).  So right about now, I'm merely thankful that it's almost over.

Yes, yes.  There is plenty I have to be thankful for (and I am); but right now, I'm just too tired to enumerate them.  Besides, the list would probably read like all the others you have already read - friends, family, etc.

My current thoughts are centered on Black Friday.....THE shopping day of the season.  Usually, I don't bother with it.  Mainly, because the crowds and noise irritate and because I know that as Christmas draws closer the deals will probably mount.  Besides, Cyber Monday is more my style lately (i.e., meaning that the older I get the less patience I have with the general public).

But with the prospect of having guests until Saturday, I'm figuring I may need to escape for a bit.  I find myself wondering just how bad it could possibly be early tomorrow morning?  Say 7:00-ish? (Because even I am not desperate enough to get up at 4:00 am! or earlier!)

What about you?  Are you going to be joining in the frenzy for the deals?  Or just to escape for a bit of "alone" time?

****
But seriously, I hope you have had a wonderful Thanksgiving and that you know that I have counted each and every one of you as a blessing this year.

Hi. My name is Gigi and I have a problem.....

Emails have been on my mind A LOT these past few days.

I currently have three separate accounts.  One for work, a personal one and one for my blog/shopping.

It sounds insane, but it's not.  I have it all under control.  Or so I thought.

A few years ago, my company forced me to submit to a quota system; a system whereby they limit the amount of email I can hang onto.  Anything that I thought should be saved should be sent to a "record retention" system. Let me say up front; this particular system sucks.  It is widely known throughout the company that if you save something to the system you will NEVER be able to find it again.

And thus, as with most stupid company policies, many of us have found ways to circumvent the process.  Whether it be by printing the email (yeah - so much for the "paperless" office of the future) or by saving the emails as .pdfs on our hard drives.

I complained, in passing, to a person I know in IT about this once and was promptly informed that *I* had held the company record for "email hoarding" prior to the implementation of the new system.

I was a bit shocked.  I mean really?  Doesn't everyone feel the need to save important emails - such as the one Jane sent to Jack about their "lunch" - and accidentally sent it to everyone? that gives all the details of how the Smith case was handled?

At any rate, my work email is now kept scrupulously clean - as I print and .pdf emails religiously and promptly hit delete.  (Yes, this "system" has now increased my work load regarding email).

But the reason I've been thinking about email lately has nothing to do with work email (no, I'm on vacation; no thoughts of work are allowed) is because I actually sat down and logged into one of my personal accounts yesterday.

I rarely actually get to "see" the whole inbox because usually I deal with email via my beloved Blackberry; so I was floored to note that I had almost over 1,800 emails in the inbox alone - at that was with me deleting all the spam as it came in via the phone.

As Hubby was sleeping on the couch and Man-Child was out and about for the evening and I had nothing better to do I began to go through them.  It was a tedious process to say the least.

But in the end I deleted approximately 1,746 emails and "filed" the rest in appropriately labeled folders.  Needless to say, I felt like I'd accomplished a major something - even if it was an "invisible" something.

I briefly thought about the other account and decided it was time for bed...until this morning.

This morning I ventured over to the other account and discovered that it's true.  I DO have a problem.  I AM an email hoarder.

I need help.

Through the Years

Yeah, I know.  I haven't done a "real" post (you know, one in which I ramble on and on) in a while (quit cheering).

But I've been busy.  Yeah, yeah, I know I've used that one before - but this time it's true!

Besides, I entered a giveaway last month.  I NEVER enter those.  Because I never win or it's usually something that I really don't need or want.

But Summer hosted a Shutterfly giveaway at her blog, Le Musings of Moi.  And well, I HAD to enter.  One because I had just been at their website (which I LOVE) beginning to put together a photobook for my dad and my mother-in-law for Christmas and two, because it's Shutterfly!

So I entered....and I won a $25 credit!  So, armed with that news I've been busy over there working on the book.  And tonight?  I think I've finished it.

I'm sharing a modified version here for you.  I hope you enjoy it.  And thanks again, Summer!  I would have made and bought two books anyway - but because of you, I'm getting two fabulous Christmas presents practically free and that means a lot!

Oh, and by the way, I'm also using you as my extra set of eyes; please let me know if you see anything odd or not quite right.  I'm hoping to finalize and buy in the next few days.

Click here to view this photo book larger

Create your own custom photo books at Shutterfly.com.

*Other than winning the random giveaway at Summer's blog, I have not been compensated in anyway.  I just wanted to thank Summer publicly and show off my "little" guy; who is not so little anymore  despite my strong objections about that.  *sigh*

How do you go from *this* to *that* overnight??

Seriously?

It was only yesterday he was this small.....

And discovering just HOW much fun toilet paper can be!*

 So really?  How do you go from *this*

Yeah....he looks SO contrite here.

To *this* OVERNIGHT?

Why yes, that IS the standard "Senior" shot.  So shoot me. I *do* like the classics.

SERIOUSLY?!

Look at him!  He's definitely NOT as interested in toilet paper here.

I'm thinking that the space/time continuum surely has a defect....because there is NO way this happens overnight.  NO WAY!

This kind of transformation takes years and years and years!  And I swear to you, he's only been in our lives for such a short time.

Too short to let him go.  Too short to send him out into the world.  All alone.  Without having us here to cushion any hard lumps he might take.  Without us here to make sure he eats properly.  Far too short to ensure that he can take care of himself.

So yeah.  I'm still looking around for my baby boy....surely he's around here somewhere......maybe hidden under the toilet paper....



*Fun fact: I had those first two pictures enlarged and located in my "public" bathroom for all the world to see; because I love them so.  And yeah, they will be the first thing to greet you when you come to visit and "have to visit the facilities" because I'm sure they will make you smile as much as they make me smile.    

Jeez, where DOES the time go?

Just realized, it's been a *few* days since I last posted....but who's counting?  And if you are?  Stop it.  I have enough pressure going on as it is, I don't need you adding to it!

I've been around; reading your blogs, tweets, etc. but seem to have lost any mojo regarding my blog.  That may have something to do with the time/season change (and seriously??!!!  How the heck is it November already?  Why just yesterday, it was April 1st....and Christmas was sooooo far away).

Now that it's too cold to secrete myself on the back porch, I find myself sharing the dining room table with one or the other of the testosterone filled beings that live in this house...and I must say, "they" stifle any "creativity" I might be feeling with their loudness and total "there-ness" all the time.

And then there is the fact that it is completely dark by 6:00 pm.....which pretty much means I'm ready for bed by 8:00 pm.  I FORCE myself to stay awake (at least until 9:00 pm; I do have some standards, ya know) but between the stifling (and very loud!) influence of "those people" and the exhaustion, I just can't be bothered to do more than read and comment occasionally.

But today, I felt compelled to post (no matter how lame it might be) because when I arrived home, I was greeted with the news that Man-Child has been accepted into one of the colleges he's applied to (granted, it's not one of his "favorites" but still...).

Although, he acted oh-so cool about it, I knew he was excited.

Despite his blase attitude about the whole thing, I know this boy.  I know him to his very core.  And this boy?  He has some anxiety.  And I know he is worried about not getting accepted anywhere.

Silly boy.  His grades are good.  He will graduate from a GREAT high school.  A school that could technically be considered a college prep school.  He wrote some killer essays.  He's got lots of community service and extra-curricular activities on his resume.  I don't know why he is so worried.  (Yes, I do....he comes by it honestly.  One, or more, of his parents might suffer from the same anxiety....I blame his father.  Completely and totally.  Yup, without a doubt it's all his father's fault - we all know how HE is!)

But he is worried.  In fact, right after I tweeted about my jubilation at finishing applications last week, he then immediately threw out three more schools that he thought he should apply to.  And then threw out a few more.  Clearly, he is in the mindset that he should throw as many applications as possible out there, in hopes that one would stick.

Now one has stuck.  And, as of yet, he has yet to receive a rejection.  So right now?  Now, he is riding tall.

And he should.  He has worked hard these past few years (we won't talk about middle school or even 9th grade, shall we?), and he has EARNED this; he deserves it.  Hopefully, he'll begin to see it and quit feeling so anxious.

Which then rounds out the conversation.....how did he grow up SO fast?  How is it that we are facing COLLEGE APPLICATIONS already?  Seriously?  It was just last year that I walked him into his first day of kindergarten; wasn't it?

Hubby and I were just discussing this very fact this morning.....after he woke both of us at 5:00 am.

Back in the day, when he was just a little guy, he used to wake up at un-godly hours every morning.  And despite us telling him he needed to stay in bed until the sun came up, he would wander into our room (while the sun was still sleeping) and put his face right up next to his dad's and would "whisper"

"Daddy?  Daddy? I ongwy! I ongwy!  I want waffles!"  "Daddy!  GET up!"

This morning?

This morning, he BANGED his way into our room, LOOMED over our bed and said,

"Dad? DAD! Get up!  I need to be at the polling center by 6:30!"*

Again, using his "inside voice."

Apparently, he still hasn't learned to whisper. *sigh*

Some things never change.


*He was volunteering for one of the local candidates running for office for extra credit; which is the only explanation for him not being dragged by his feet out of bed before the sun came up.  What I want to know?  Just who do I see about *my* extra credit for getting up so darn early?

Reading between the lines (OR It would have been easier to just WRITE the darn post rather than trying to "cheat" my way through with pictures

If you don't follow me on Twitter, I don't blame you one iota.  Seriously.  I mean, honestly?  I wouldn't follow me!

I'm NEVER posting anything over there, unless I'm chasing down @lgalaviz (because she consistently leaves comments that NEED a response and that's the only way I can reach her) or Kathryn (because she defected from a Blackberry to Apple Country) or a host of other people.  And usually what I do tweet about is of no interest to anyone but me.

Unless, that is, you have the ability to read between the lines.....i.e., the following....

This particular tweet tells you that I had insomnia on Sunday night.  This tweet also tells you that I have NEVER experienced insomnia before.  It freaked me out on SO many levels.  In fact, it affected me in such a manner that I was actually AFRAID to go to bed Monday night; for fear that I wouldn't be able to sleep.  Me.  The one that pretty much falls asleep immediately and, woe to the one who wakes me up from my slumber.  Also, woe to the one who encounters me immediately upon waking.  I need a good hour or so and a few cups of coffee before I am fit to deal with the general population.  FYI, I ended up sleeping fine.  And hopefully, will never experience that again (you can hear Hubby in the background saying "Amen!"  Apparently, he claims, my insomnia also kept HIM up; although I do recall hearing him snore that night.....)

And then there was this one

This one CLEARLY explains that I was fighting Man-Child over the principle of "if you don't try then (OF COURSE) you won't win".  And that I'm a great mom, naturally.

The following tells you that we are both easily distracted....

And it was all because of this....

He got bored and started filling in the state abbreviations on this college solicitation brochure; which of course reminded me of 5th grade when he had to learn all the state capitals; which resulted in me asking him if he remembered them - which then led us into a game of me calling out the states and him trying to remember the capitals.  It was fun while it lasted.  And he did a pretty good job at recalling most of them; he may get into a good school after all.

This was CLEARLY a moment that had to be tweeted - for posterity.  There is no reading between the lines here.

After a couple hours of this obviously I had better things to do we needed a break.....

And this one is pretty obvious....

It pretty much tells you that if I don't sit down and write that post I was thinking of right then (or at least get it started) then it is GONE!  My brain is full of holes, I tell ya!  I lose lots of great posts every single day because of those darn holes.

This morning brought this tweet...

Which clearly says I must be demented that I am cherishing every moment I have with this boy before he leaves me for good heals and that I have completely lost it am enjoying babying him one last time

The poor lamb can't quite walk, much less drive, with this monstrosity on

Yeah, I KNOW the picture is blurry - but I have to SNEAK these pictures people!

And they said that this WAS the short brace!  Yikes.  Hate to see the long one!