If you can see this....

Please let me know.  No matter how you read...be it Feedburner, Google Reader or from the Blogger Dashboard or whatever other option is out there (short of actually typing in the address - that seems to work just fine).  My blog is broken and I'm trying to figure out where/how that happened.

Like I don't have enough to worry about....*sigh*

Can you say FIVE day weekend??

Yes, you read that right - I said FIVE, not four but FIVE, day weekend.

My company is generous with their paid holidays (we have Good Friday AND Easter Monday off - along with a bunch of other Friday/Monday combos); so those of us who are savvy with our vacation time usually take advantage of the situation.  And I am one of those savvy individuals.

And what shall I be doing with all this precious time off?  Well, very little of it will be sleeping in as much as I'd like, I can tell you that.

Tomorrow shall begin bright and early and will most likely find me headed off to the local Sears Repair place (or whatever the official name is) to try and replace a piece that has been missing from my dishwasher since about January!

As you might surmise, obviously the dishwasher still works without the part, otherwise the part would have been procured LONG before now; but still; it must be dealt with since I can't look at this much longer.

Just LOOK at those sharp edges.  It's a miracle I haven't sliced a finger right off by now.

To be fair, I HAVE tried to replace this part online.  But guess how impossible that task becomes when you discover that the model number of said dishwasher was on a paper label that was stuck on the inside of the door?

The nice words (versus the ones I actually used) to sum up that particular situation - pretty impossible.  Especially after four years or so of continuous use.

So after a four day battle with the Sears online part place I was finally able to return the part that didn't fit.  And THAT is why I have to start my day off at the Sears Part Place tomorrow.  So that if I order the wrong part again, THEY will have to deal with returning it. The lesson here?  As soon as you acquire a new appliance, write down the damn model number somewhere.

Following this lovely adventure, I then have to jump in my car (the one with not one, but TWO, wonky tires - pray for me) and head up the mountain to procure my boy (which equals a four hour round trip, which also equals most of the day GONE - but I do it all out of love).  The one who so nicely hinted around that he'd like a ride home for the holiday weekend.

Just how can you say no to that?  Even with the atrocious grammar and misspelling?

After landing back at the house I will collapse in a fit of exhaustion.

Only to wake up on Saturday to begin the scramble to clean the house for company, get all the errands run (i.e., buy the Easter goodies) AND somehow have those two wonky tires fixed before Sunday's Easter festivities.

Sunday will be busy - it goes without saying.

Monday?  Monday will be my lone day of respite.  Maybe.  We cannot neglect to take into account of the fact that Man-Child will be home and wanting attention.  Somehow, I have a feeling that Monday will not be so restful.

And then on Tuesday, it will be back in the car to head up - and eventually, back down - the mountain which will find me collapsing in another fit of exhaustion.

Only to wake up on Wednesday ready to go back to work so that I can relax.  Until I actually get there.

Then I will be inundated by all that needs to be done there and I will immediately begin to think about the weekend.

It's a never-ending cycle, I tell ya.


****
May you all have a very happy Easter!

Office Observations....about someone else's office. Obviously.

Because, obviously, we aren't talking about observations about my office - because at my office everyone is perfect and they all get along just fine.  No, these are observations that I'm sure any other employee, in a different office environment, might happen to observe on a daily basis.

So even though this post is written in first person, it isn't about me and my life at the office at all!  No.  It is about poor Jane Doe, who isn't quite as lucky as I am...

Because things in my office are just fine.

Obviously.

So without further ado, here are some of Jane Doe's recent observations....

******
The coffee maker...if these morons can't figure out how to make a pot of coffee, I fear that I may soon go postal.  Seriously.

It's not like they have to make coffee the old fashioned way; what with measuring out the coffee and adding the requisite amount of water.  No.  Now all that is required is ripping open a packet, pouring it into the filter and hitting the "brew" button.  THAT'S IT!  It takes all of 20-40 seconds (depending upon your speed and ripping ability.  And yes, I HAVE timed it...multiple times).

But yet Every.Single.Freaking.Morning I find myself making (and setting up for the next one; in a vain attempt to "guilt" someone else into making a fresh pot) a pot of coffee with every cup I pour; since Every.Single.Freaking.Time I go to get a cup, EVERY damn pot has less than an inch left.

I'm torn between whether I should make an instructional video and email it to everyone on the floor or just stick a post it note to the coffee maker saying "I've made 24 pots of coffee today!  How many have YOU made?"

I am also seriously considering contacting HR to ask them to change my title to Coffee Making Queen and demanding a SUBSTANTIAL raise.

And upon reflection - maybe, just maybe, I should consider reducing my caffeine intake...maybe.  Nah, that'll never happen.

******

Then there are the "non-responders."  I despise these people with a white hot passion.

There I am, doing my damnedest to do my job (in between making a bunch of coffee, that mainly I don't get to partake in) when suddenly it dawns on me....I have to deal with one of "THEM."  I need to schedule a meeting between three folks - it should be a quick task.  But because I need to deal with one of "THEM" I know, in my heart of hearts, that it would be easier to schedule a conference call that includes forty participants in all corners of the globe; in fifteen different time zones; while juggling six monkeys and making fifty pots of coffee, all while standing on my head.

So I contact this person's assistant, who assures me, repeatedly, that his calendar is free on that particular day at that particular time.  So with trembling fingers, I send out the meeting invitation.  Within seconds, one - and then two - people accept the invitation immediately.  And then, I wait.

Three days go by before I get a response from that particular individual - whom, I might add, is infamous around the office for sending an email and then racing to the recipient to say "Did you get my email?" before the email can actually arrive - only to realize that he has declined the invitation!

To make matters worse, this individual has not only declined the invitation but has also neglected to give a reason why or suggest a better time.

I bite my tongue to keep from cursing out loud.  Instead, I immediately craft a response asking when would be a better time.  Obviously, since this person has JUST declined the invitation they are willing to respond quickly....right?  No.

I finally receive a response NEARLY EIGHT HOURS LATER!  What in the holy hell has kept this person SO busy that they couldn't respond with a quick reply?  The answer?  Nothing.  Because I witnessed this person wandering about the office freely all damn day.  It took everything in me to keep from launching my stapler directly at his head.

And the response?  Oh it's classic.  It gives me two alternative dates with no preferred times.  When questioning his assistant, she informs me that, although his calendar was clear...up until today, when he decided, on a whim, to take a vacation day....without informing her... and I believe her without question; because he is evil like that.

I have decided that not only is this person dead to me, he is also guilty of not making the coffee of which he partakes of often - mainly while roaming about the office asking "Did you get my email?"  I may have to poison him with the next pot of coffee I make...and if it happens to take out a few of the others?  Oh well, I'm sure they were guilty of not making coffee too.

******

But the kicker?  Oh, you are going to love this....

Our company has decided to put together a group to look at improving "communication" within the company.

This particular group has "leaders" and regular team members and they are all supposed to be working on some kind of plan to improve communication.

The other day, one of the team members came to me, looking for a "leader."  After I informed her that he was in a meeting, she proceed to tell me that she had no idea what was going on in the Communication Group.  That she hadn't heard from any of the "leaders" in over a week and that they were due to report next week.

It was all I could do to keep from laughing in her face.  Because her "leaders?"  Bless them, they are a nice bunch, but they happen to be the worst offenders, in my opinion, in the area of "communication."

Somehow, I think, this whole effort - the coffee, the scheduling, and the communication - it's all a lost cause. Because come next Monday?  It's going to be a repeat.

******

And so it goes...life at the office - but not my office.  Because at my office it's all good.  Promise.

Poor Jane Doe.

A new find that I'm willing to share*

Let me tell you about my most recent discovery.....Google Keep.  I discovered this little gem just the other day - funnily enough, on the day it was released and not my usual two or three years after the fact.

I've had a "smart phone" for about as long as I've had this blog; which has been about (wait let me check) almost four years (how did THAT happen??).

Now granted, I started off with a Blackberry; which I loved, but there wasn't a lot to choose from when it came to apps, etc. but was hands down, superior in the email department (seriously, why can't the Android people figure out how to push email through that quickly?).  But back in September, I made the switch over to an Android and haven't looked back. But in the six months or so that I've had it, I haven't really looked into all the capabilities of this phone or what kind of apps are to be had.

Sure I've downloaded a few things - mainly word games (gotta keep my mind sharp, doncha know) - but nothing really useful.

In the past couple of months, I finally began to play around with the various, pre-loaded applications and have been trying out a few apps in hopes of getting my life organized again.  The way it used to be...like it was back in the dark ages of using a pen and paper; which truth be told, I can't be bothered with trying to keep up with all those random scraps of paper anymore.

Sure the apps, I had played with worked...kind of, but they were all off in one way or another.  They just weren't right.  The first one was so unwieldy that after playing with it for a day or so I clicked over to Google Play and downloaded another one. That one irritated me so badly that I immediately deleted it.  Only to replace it with another that, though while better, still wasn't quite right; and on and on the search went.

And then it happened...while I was perusing a news site (sorry, I can't remember which one), I came across an article talking about Google Keep and I was intrigued.  So I clicked over to check it out.  It had four and a half stars out of five.  That looked promising; except I kept thinking "It was just released!  How can anyone have formed an opinion on it already?!"

By my estimation, these kinds of things needs months - if not years - of usage before they can be recommended so heartily (remember my former disdain for Twitter?  Who's laughing now?  Twitter.  You win, Twitter;  I admit it, I love you).

But despite my technological commitment issues I went ahead and downloaded it - what did I have to lose?  It was free and I could easily delete it, if need be.

And immediately I was hooked.  This IS the app I've been looking for (Google - you should be paying me for this endorsement!)!

Look at how clean and easy to navigate this app is....

You can create lists that allow you to check off items you have completed.  You can create lists that are ongoing, i.e. notes to remind you what kind of bag you need for your ancient vacuum cleaner or what book recommendations you've noted; etc.

The possibilities are endless!  I am envisioning multiple lists stretching out into the future.  I'm envisioning a life of order, once again.  I find myself constantly clicking over and just admiring it.

Also, you can "share" your list(s) via email, the "cloud," Pinterest, Google +, Twitter and more.

All in all, it's pretty darn cool and I am head over heels.  I can definitely feel my former list making self stirring.  And after the past few years of inertia, that makes me feel pretty darn good.  That maybe, just maybe, I'm coming back to who I was...who I am; a list maker.  Because I have to tell you, there is almost no better feeling than being able to check off a To Do on a list.

In fact, this little app inspired me to semi-clean my closet.  Well, the app and the gray, nasty, cold weather that kept me inside for the majority of the day inspired me.  But whatever, at least I can walk in there now.  And who knows, maybe I'll be inspired to finally tackle some of those other projects that have been waiting in the wings.

***
*Sorry to all the Apple and Windows folks out there - this app isn't yet available to you.  But as cool as it is, I'm sure it will be soon.

And, once again, this is NOT a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own based on my experience of using the product.

10 Things I Don't Know How To Do....

Today I'm linking up with Mama Kat's Pretty Much World Famous Writing Prompts.

I've actually picked two of the five prompts.

#2 - For the latest book review, head over here (regular readers have probably already seen it).

#3 - Now, on to the 10 things I don't know how to do...this should be easy, because in my forty-some-odd years of living on this planet I have discovered, much to my dismay, that there is a lot I don't know how to do....although that's not to say I haven't at least tried.

10.  Cook.  Yes, it's true.  Although I have somehow raised a child without breaking him too much, I cannot honestly say that I have ever cooked a full, real meal for the boy.  Not to worry though, his father handled that part.  But, in my defense, I have been known to bake up a storm; thus insuring that the boy loves me best.  It's true.  Just ask him.

9.  Despite the fact I appear to be SO social media savvy it turns out, sadly, that I am not.  See that "enter your email here" box over there to the left side of the screen?  The one that promises you the ability to get all this fabulousity in your inbox?  Well...it's broken.  Why?  I don't know.  How?  Not a clue.  Can I fix it?  Apparently not.  I've looked at it.  Cried.  And am about ready to delete the whole thing just so I won't have to think about it any more.

8.  Math.  Period. The end.  There is nothing left to say here.  Move on. (No laughing please.  I'm "sensitive.")

7.  I am physically incapable of being a "morning" person.  Despite the fact that I get up at an ungodly hour five days a week.  Despite copious amounts of coffee.  Also....

6.  I am incapable of getting out of bed when the alarm goes off for the first, third and; maybe even the SIXTH time.  Yes, I'm addicted to the snooze button.  I actually informed Hubby this morning that the first thing I am going to do if when I retire (God willing) is to take a hammer to that damned alarm clock.

5.  In other ways that I suck at social media....obviously I don't do Twitter well since I have been trying to respond to a Direct Message via my phone for what seems like days now, with no success.  And when logging into Twitter via the computer I can't even seem to find the damn message, much less respond to it.  Note to Twitter (FaceBook ,Blogger, my phone and whatever else is out there) - quit updating everything.  It was working fine before you started screwing with it.  Now you are seriously messing me up; and it's got to stop. You are completely shredding my already tattered social media reputation over here.

4.  For the life of me, I cannot hem anything with a nice, straight seam.  Which frustrates me to NO end.  Because, seriously?  How HARD can it be?  And with that thought in my head, I continually attempt to re-hem something only to become frustrated.  So, should you meet me, please ignore the crooked hems.  Obviously, I need to find myself a tailor and be done with it.

3.  I also don't know how to do confrontation.  Sure, I can talk a good game...in my head - but when it comes to actually doing the face to face confrontation...well, you can be sure, I won't be as vocal as I was in my head...which doesn't always work out in my favor.

2.  After The Closet Edition, it has also become abundantly clear to me that I have a problem when it comes to tossing clothes...even if I never wear them.  I think this stems from the fact that I want to replace the item.  And by replace, I mean I expect to find the EXACT same item - which, as I've discovered, is impossible since designers are constantly coming up with - get this - NEW items (who would've thought they'd do that?).  So I've made it my mission in the next few months to toss out those raggedy items that I've been hoarding - but not wearing - and move on; so that I can find other pieces that I will love as much as I once loved those that I toss.

1.  Apparently, I also cannot tell my left from my right, since I have read - and re-read - this post dozens times before it finally dawned on me that number 9 was wrong.  The said email box thingy is NOT on the left; it's on the right.  I'd like to blame this on the fact that I AM, in fact, a lefty; therefore I am genetically wired to always think that everything always belongs on the left side...which ALSO explains why I am chronically drawn to driving in the left lane - even when I'm NOT passing someone.  I think someone needs to do a study on this.  The impact that my discovery has on future generations could be HUGE.

What are the odds...(that I can somehow tie this whole post into St. Patrick's Day?)

...that I have read THREE excellent books in a row?

Slim to none, I'd say.  Normally, you get one book out of a dozen (or more) that are pure perfection.  But there you go, I have somehow hit a magic streak (here's hoping the next one is just as amazing).

It started out with Her Fearful Symmetry (reviewed here) - which I loved, loved, LOVED (and, FYI, I am currently on the prowl for anything else she has written, so any suggestions you may have; feel free) and is rounded out with Eyes Wide Open by Andrew Gross and Night Road by Kristin Hannah.

We'll start with Eyes Wide Open.  Let's see what some of the blurbs have to say...

"Should be read with the lights on and the door closed.  A rare and menacing psychological thriller that works on every level." - Nelson DeMille (love him)

"I think this book is fantastic - it has all the obvious virtues plus that elusive X factor that really made me resent the times I had to put it down...." - Lee Child (him too)

And if that wasn't enough to make your rush out to beg/steal/borrow/buy it how about the opening paragraphs of the front flap?

A horrible family tragedy that may not be what it seems....A past encounter with an infamous killer turns deadly today...an ordinary man must risk his own family to find the truth.

Jay Erlich's nephew has been found at the bottom of a cliff at Morrow Bay.  It's all just a tragic suicide, until secrets from the past begin to rear up again.  Did a notorious killer, jailed for many decades, have his hand in this?

This book was sheer perfection, I tell you.  I practically read it one sitting, it was that good.  Throughout I kept thinking of Charles Manson and...the ending?  Well, I'll leave you to find that out for yourselves.

Moving on to Night Road - what can I say?  I loved this one too.

The blurbs -

"A searing story with a breathtaking, beautiful ending." - The Seattle Times

"The author of Firefly Lane and True Colors has written another powerful story of misunderstanding, family, love, and strong women...A fascinating story that weaves fairy tales into reality, fairy tales that don't always have the expected endings." - The Herald News.

From the front flap -

For a mother, life comes down to a series of choices.  To hold on...to let go...to forget...to forgive...Which road will you take?

...Jude does everything to keep her kids on track for college and out of harm's way.  It has always been easy - until senior year of high school.  Suddenly she is at a loss.  Nothing feels safe anymore...On a hot summer's night her worst fears are realized..."

Kristin Hannah absolutely nailed it when describing what it is like having a senior in high school (believe me, I remember - all to clearly).  The pressure. The stress.  The not knowing of how much to let go and how much to hold tight.  The constant angst.  She got it ALL.

Not only did I read this book in one sitting; it also had me sobbing...over and over and over again.  So much so, that Man-Child said to me at one point - while handing me a tissue,  "You know these characters aren't real, right?"

But of course he knows, as well as I do, that when the book is written this well that those characters ARE real.

And, obviously, I am now ready for everything these authors have ever written.

So there you have it.  I have experienced the perfect trifecta (am I even using that term correctly?) in terms of book reading.  For non-book lovers, I can only compare it to finding that rare, four-leaf clover (see what I did there?)

The Closet Edition

So I took today and tomorrow off, expecting to spend time with Man-Child while he was home for spring break.  Silly me.

Apparently, I should have taken Monday and Tuesday off since he and his buddies decided to hit the beach (even though it's FAR too cold for the beach) for a couple of days....falling right smack in the middle of my time off.  Of course.

He's supposed to be home tomorrow, but somehow I have a feeling that it will be later rather than earlier in the day.  *sigh* I miss having him at my disposal whenever I feel the need to hang out with him.  Such is life, I suppose.  They grow up and grow away - as they are supposed to.

Anyway, since I didn't have my boy to hang out with today, I decided to see if I could finally spend some of that Christmas money/gift cards.  And I think I did pretty well, for approximately $30 I brought home two skirts and one sweater.  Now THAT'S what I'd call a deal.  The one skirt is kind of iffy though - it seems rather short - but I think if I wear it with tights and flats I'll be okay.  And by okay, I mean not looking like a lady of a certain age who is trying too hard to hold on to her youth.  I hope.

I'll have to ask Hubby what he thinks before I determine whether or not it needs to go back.  Of course, MC's opinion would be that it IS too short and that I should be dressed in a burqa every day, so I won't be asking him for his opinion, obviously.

At any rate, I've been seeing some things about the internet about having a "core" wardrobe of about ten pieces (with "bonus" items to round it all out).  And while this is intriguing to me, I don't know that I could pull that off.  BUT, after chewing on this for a while, I have come to realize that I rely on certain pieces every week - I haven't counted, but I have a feeling it might be about ten or less.

So with this thought in mind - along with feeling like I've fallen into a rut as far as my clothes go - I had decided that before anything new can enter the closet, the same amount (or more) must go (this will also keep me from having to do a whole closet clean out at one go).  So I jumped in - and in less than three minutes pulled out three dresses, one sweater and two winter vests that I never wear.  And by never, I mean NEVER.

In fact, some of the items still had tags on them.  But that is mostly Hubby's fault.  Because for some reason, every other Christmas (he must go crazy or something) he buys me one of those quilted winter vests.  Why, I don't know.  I mean I have NEVER worn one and most likely, never will.  I am of the opinion that if it's cold enough for a jacket then I want one with SLEEVES.  The best I can come up with is that he likes them, so he thinks I should too.  Which is ridiculous, because you don't see me buying him pretty shoes for Christmas just because I like them.

And yes, I know, I should have owned up lied and said they didn't fit at the time and asked for the receipt so that I could return them.  But I just didn't have the heart.  He was too enthusiastic about them.

One of the dresses I was reluctant to part with - even though I've never worn it.  It's one of those  "I love it on the hanger" items that just doesn't look right on the body.  I even tried it on again to figure out why I never wear it.  And it all became clear.  It just is not meant to be worn.  At least not by me; I think maybe it needs to belong to someone taller...and thinner.  So I packed it away for Goodwill, where I am sure it will soon find a good home and can finally be worn.

So my plan is to slowly, but surely, purge the closet of all the items I don't wear.  See what I am left with and go from there.

In my travels today, I was also on the hunt for a pair of plain, black pumps - with a modest heel; and by modest I mean no more than three inches.  And do you know what I discovered?

Actually, I discovered a couple of things.

1) When you actually have a picture of the thing you want in your head, you will NOT find it.

2) Most plain, black pumps - with a modest heel - look like old lady shoes

and

3) Apparently, my feet have shrunk.

How?  I don't know.  It doesn't seem possible to me that your feet can just randomly shrink for no good reason.  But apparently, mine has.  I found one pair of shoes that I deemed barely acceptable.  Until I tried them on.  My normal size was too large, i.e. when I walked the shoes almost fell off my feet.  So I tried the half size down only to discover that they were too small.  So I left the store without the shoes.

So apparently, when your feet shrink, for no good reason at all, it only makes sense that they wouldn't shrink down to the next size...because that would be far too easy and reasonable.

So what do you think I will be doing tomorrow, while waiting for MC to come home and play with me?  Yes, continuing the hunt for a pair of shoes that a) fits and b) is stylish.  Here's hoping, I have some success.

So tell me - do you have a core wardrobe?  And if you do, how do you keep from feeling like you are wearing the SAME THING EVERY DAY?  Or, do you have a husband that buys you random things that he thinks you should like?  Or am I the only one on both points?

It's been 78 days people...enough already

Witness, if you will, what I saw today at lunch.

Picture the scene.

It's a beautiful day - almost spring-like.  The warmth and the sun are teasing you with the promise of days to come.  You are driving back to the office when all of a sudden you are accosted with this coming at you....

source

in March!  Check that...the MIDDLE of March!

Not that I am judging (ok, maybe a little) but seriously?

Spring is (almost) in the air over here and there are still 286 days ahead of us until NEXT Christmas.

For the love of Mike, do what the majority of us would have done already.  The next time you walk out to your car and see this stuff, rather than just shrugging and thinking "I'll deal with it tomorrow", take the 2.9 seconds out of your life to rip it off and throw it in the back seat.  Where it can reside until AFTER Thanksgiving and then, and ONLY then, you can pull it back out and redecorate the car.

Sheesh.

One of the MANY reasons why I struggle at life....and yes, many times, it all leads back to my hair

I recently posted this tweet...

My husband just mentioned that I seem to struggle with life. A very astute observation on his part.
— Gigi (@gigirambles) March 6, 2013

(and apparently I need to fix my time/date stamp on Twitter, as I most certainly did NOT post that at 12:08 am on March 6th, it was more like 7:08 pm on March 5th!!)

As a man, he has NO idea what I struggle with on a daily basis.  But he gets points for recognizing that I DO seem to have an inordinate amount of issues.

This particular tweet stemmed from me bemoaning the fact that I needed to wash my hair.

Of course, this doesn't mean that much to him.  He can jump in the shower wash his hair and his body; dry it all with a towel and jump out.  Then comb the hair, put on some clothes and call it done.

When I have to wash my hair it becomes a MUCH bigger deal.  Particularly when you factor in the fact that not only do I have scalp psoraisis (sexy, I know!) I also have curly hair.

Now, I do realize, that if I could/would just embrace the curly hair my life would be much simpler.  But, particularly since I just chopped it, that isn't going to be happening any time soon.

The medication that most recently caused me drama tends to make me look like I stuck my head in an oil spill.  Seriously.  (I know.  I need to call the doctor to see if there is anything else we can do that is a happy medium between this stuff and the scary meds [the ones with all the horrifying side effects like, oh, cancer].  Maybe now that I've actually written down the words "call" and "doctor" I'll actually do it.  Maybe.)

So the only time I use it is before I wash my hair.  I coat my scalp in this stuff and sit around for a few hours....letting it marinate, if you will (again, with the sexy.  I KNOW!).  While waiting, I fret about the amount of time it is going to take to dry said hair straight while also fretting about the fact that the heat from the hair dryer is not only damaging my locks but drying out my scalp even more which just exacerbates the symptoms even more...which means I itch more.

Now, let's throw in the fact that I generally do all of the above at night.  When I'd rather spend that precious free time doing something else.  Like reading blogs and eating bon-bons.  Why at night?  Because I'd rather spend those precious, extra minutes in the morning sleeping than struggling with the whole hair thing.  And because, although it sounds ridiculous to say/type it out loud, I like to keep the heat from the dryer and the heat from the flat iron/curling iron separate (I KNOW, why do I use a curling iron on curly hair?  Seems like a total oxymoron, but trust me.  I know what I am doing.  I think.).

Now, Hubby-dear, are you getting a clue as to why I struggle with life so much?  Even a little?

You know you live in the South when...

Your boss casually, out of the blue, gives you this.....

Why yes, that IS moonshine; Junior Johnson's Midnight Moon moonshine to be exact.  But this, apparently, is the legit stuff....so I don't have to worry about the "revenoors" coming after me.  This particular batch is blueberry flavored - and, after one quick sip - just to say I tried it, it's pretty tasty with a rather wicked kick once you get past the flavor.  Which is a dangerous combination in my opinion.  Which is why this has been put away for a "special occasion."  What that occasion might be, I don't know.

Funny how the receipt of this coincided with a recent viewing of Lawless; which was an excellent movie, by the way.  If you haven't seen it, I suggest you do.

Although, I must admit, we did not have jelly jars with which to drink it - we were forced to use a wine glass.  How bourgeois of us.  I have since added jelly jars to my list of items to acquire for whenever that "special occasion" should arise.  I'm thinking I only need two - I don't see a need for a full service of twelve.

If you've lived around here for any length of time, you've heard of Junior Johnson - usually in connection with racing; although he was quite well known for "running 'shine".  Of course NASCAR is huge around here.  But even more than football, it goes right over my head and doesn't hold my interest.

But, I have to admit, every time I'm on my way up to Man-Child's school and I see this sign....

Stolen Borrowed from here

It feels like I'm being issued a challenge...

But somehow, I don't think my poor, little Corolla could possibly be up to Junior's standards, but I'm tempted just the same.

And these are the Days of Our Lives....

Remember how I told you that Hubby was insisting that we put the house on the market, sell it and get rid of that mountain of debt?

Well, after that post, and carefully considering your responses - I decided that I needed to look to the future.  Embrace it even.

And though I haven't followed through with Pearl's suggestion to have a wake...yet (my God, woman, you are a genius!).  I did begin to look forward to the future.  And even began to get a bit excited about it.  So, for the past two weekends, and every spare moment in between, I've been scouting out houses and neighborhoods.

And although, I must admit, it's depressing as hell to go out and discover that the cute little bungalow with great curb appeal costs more than what any sane person would be willing to spend AND would also need serious money spent on updates (not to mention, either I'd have to share *shudder* a closet with Hubby or relegate his closet to somewhere else in the house....because, dammit, I refuse to share a closet with him ever again!); still I went with ENTHUSIASM.

So earlier this week, I mentioned to Hubby that I'd been looking at houses; only for him to respond with something along the lines of "Well, I won't just GIVE this house away, you know.  I will only sell for the right price.  *grumble, gripe and groan about something or other...." (I don't know, I quit listening after a while, if the truth be told).

And then it dawned on me....he doesn't want to move just yet either.  This was further solidified when we had a random conversation about when (note, not IF, but WHEN) we hit the lottery (because OF COURSE we will...eventually.  I mean, really.  You can't "win it if you aren't in it..." Am I right?) all the wonderful things we can do to this place.

So maybe we are still here for awhile - maybe not.  But either way, I think I'm okay with it.  And?  I'm prepared to throw one hell of a wake should we sell.

FYI...you are all invited.  It will be AMAZING....I promise.