Thursday, March 29, 2007

Thursday Thirteen Pollyanna Style

Thirteen Things that are making me smile today.

1. My boy is taking me out for lunch today.


2. I am currently wearing a skirt that hasn't fit since before I got pregnant.

3. Two of my favorite friends are coming over tonight.

4. Today at about 4:25 I get to climb out of my car, walk up the path and open a door to a smiling daughter who's delighted to see me.

5. I LOVE my job.

6. I just heard Hero by Enrique Iglesias. Seriously, mocking (quietly, in my head) that first whispered line of “Let me be your hero” brings a smile to my face every time.

7. In a few short days the dreaded giant sleepover with the kids of our church will be but a distant memory.

8. A good friend of mine is still pregnant.

9. It’s going to be spring soon. I hope?

10. My lovely little snack of crisp green grapes.

11. Next weekend? A concert with my boy.

12. The weekend after that? A concert with my favorite friends.

13. The weekend after THAT? A trip to the States with some friends.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Today's mood

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

I like musicals, I may as well admit it. That is not to say that I like ALL musicals because there are some of the more popular ones (Cats, Phantom of the Opera, Miss Saigon) that hold no interest for me. But, honestly? I think there are considerably more that I like than that I don’t like. Yes, I do realize that many are cheesy and are filled to the hilt with things I wouldn’t normally accept from stories OR lyrics. But, if you ever see me in the audience of a musical I’ll be the spellbound one with a stupid grin on my face.

Thirteen Songs from Musicals that I Love

1. Ya Got Trouble from The Music Man (Trouble with a capital "T" ~ And that rhymes with "P" and that stands for pool!) (Always makes me think of my brother.)


2. If I Were a Rich Man from Fiddler on the Roof (Ah, Tevye, how my father loved you.)

3. At the End of the Day from Les Miserables (At the end of the day you're another day older ~ And that's all you can say for the life of the poor)

4. Bushel and a Peck from Guys & Dolls (My mom used to (hopefully still does) love me a bushel and a peck and a hug around the neck.)

5. I am the Captain of the Pinafore from HMS Pinafore (I can still hear my mom singing this in her powerful alto voice)

6. Hosanna from Jesus Christ Superstar (Hosanna Heysanna Sanna Sanna HoSanna Hey Sanna Ho Sanna)

7. Consider Yourself from Oliver (Consider yourself at home. ~ Consider yourself one of the family. ~ We've taken to you so strong. ~ It's clear we're going to get along.)

8. Maybe from Annie (Betcha they're good ~ Why shouldn't they be? ~ Their one mistake ~ Was giving up me!) (sniff)

9. June is Bustin’ Out All Over from Carousel (We put on Carousel at my high school. I still feel a tad warm and fuzzy about it.)

10. Something Good from The Sound of Music (For here you are, standing there, loving me ~ Whether or not you should ~ So somewhere in my youth or childhood ~ I must have done something good) (Oh Maria. Oh Captain Von Trapp. Swoon.)

11. The Surrey With the Fringe on Top from Oklahoma! (Saw this one as a young child. Nostalgia.)

12. Before the Parade Passes By from Hello Dolly! (I wanna feel my heart coming alive again ~ Before the parade passes by) (Another one we put on when I was in high school.)

13. I Could Have Danced All Night from My Fair Lady (Why all at once ~ My heart took flight. ~ I only know when he ~ Began to dance with me ~ I could have danced, danced, danced all night!)

Man, that list was done too quickly and I didn't even get to mention South Pacific or Chicago or Rent or West Side Story or Mary Poppins or Annie Get Your Gun…

And last night Abby and I danced and laughed through several of these songs and then went for a snack of fresh raspberries and milk. And I have the best life ever.

Tuesday, March 20, 2007

Today

It's hard to know which I'm more excited about, the overdue inheritance that I am receiving from Soludo Chukwuma (whom I've never met) or the lottery I won in the UK (that I never even entered).

I am a lucky, lucky girl.

Monday, March 19, 2007

That's right, it's come to this

This morning, when I left for work it was -21 degrees. -21!!!* It's just too much. I'm not whiny by nature (at least, I don't THINK I am) but this is just too much.

Today, at lunch, I purchased some lilac stamps. Seriously. Stamps. It's not like I can sit and look at them, longing for spring. It's not like buying them will bring spring on sooner. I've just gotten that desperate. Maybe by holding them in my hand for a few moments will give me that whisper of hope that I need.

I think I need help.

* Did you notice that? I used 3 exclamation points. I HATE it when people use multiple exclamation points when one would do. But, alas, I'm just that dreadfully depressed over the whole thing.

Bad sign?

Do you think it sets a mood for the rest of the day if 2 minutes prior to leaving for work you drop a 1 litre jar of Miracle Whip, watching it shatter at your feet and spread thick white stuff to every corner of the room?

Three completely unrelated stories

(1) This is probably a "had to be there" kind of story but I'm going to tell it anyway. My boy is currently looking for work. Yesterday, he was looking through the paper while I was on the computer playing Jezzball (curses to you, Pam & Becky!). He comes across this ad:

Carpet cleaner wanted: Will train

His response (in the best sarcastic voice he could muster): "No sh*t! I hardly think they're going to bring someone on and then not train them."

Seriously, I don't know if it was the mood I was in at the moment or what but this had me giggling until I was crying.

(2) Yesterday in my small group (10 year-olds) at church I asked the kids this question: "If you could ask God one question, what would it be?" I found the responses to be fascinating and profound. My favorite: "Why do you care about us so much?" Mmm.

(3) Our daughter loves to wave these days. At our initiation she will wave "bye-bye" to just about anyone. But, there are two specific waves that she has come up with completely of her own accord. She has taken to waving to the tv when the credits are running. Apparently she knows that means it's the end. And, she waves to the pee as it's being flushed down the toilet.

Sunday, March 18, 2007

Gift










I don't know who did it. But, know this, I was very tickled by
the gift in my mailbox at church. So, thanks! I'm smiling still.

Thursday, March 15, 2007

Just for right now

I want to take a vacation from being a grown-up.

It's just too much work.

Taxes
Decisions about buying a house
Coming up with the money necessary to buy said house
Decisions about employment
Money

Can I? Please? Just a week or two where I don't have to think about it all or cry over it or get wrinkles from the stress or lose sleep. A week or two where I could just read books and let someone else prepare my meals for me and pay for things for me and where my biggest decision is how to nag my mom into giving me something or what to wear for spirit week...

Oh well. It is what it is.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Hmm, I like that one.

Have courage for the great sorrows of life and patience for the small ones; and when you have laboriously accomplished your daily task, go to sleep in peace. God is awake.
- Victor Hugo

Friday, March 09, 2007

Friday

Feeling much better this morning. Still not necessarily feeling quite Pollyanna-ish but better, definitely better. (Could be because it's Friday.)

In light of my improved mood I will post a silly email conversation between my boy and me. We join the conversation already in session:

cb/ad: I hear you, my little bowl of Cap'n Crunch.

ccap: Parakeet and now Cap'n Crunch? Wow.

cb/ad: I'm on a roll, my little apple dumpling.

ccap: Apparently now you're on a food kick.

cb/ad: Perhaps, my Noilly Prat.

ccap: I don't even know what that is.

cb/ad: Noilly Prat is a french vermouth. You are my Noilly Prat because I am intoxicated by you. Now THAT was a good one.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Ho hum

Do you ever have one of those days where everything seems blue? Where it feels as though your life sucks and you just want to find things to be sad about? And nearly everything out of people's mouths irritates or hurts you? And you feel completely small and insignificant and useless? Where you know you should just get over it (whatever "it" really is) but you can't seem to gather the energy to do so? And everything just festers? And ideally you'd like to hole up in a corner somewhere and cry the day away?

Yeah, I'm having one of those days today. I feel as though my blog should rather be titled "just another sad pathetic life".

And no, I'm not pmsing.

Edited to add: Oh dear, it's only getting worse. I just walked to the grocery store and twice I felt like pushing someone out of the way. Be afraid, Corrie, Pam, J-L and Abby. Be very afraid.

Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Last night - the good and the bad

The bad:
It appears that we have a virus again. whimper. It appears that this is the second virus we have received in the last 6 months that made it past Norton. Things may be a little tense in our home over the next few days. Memories of the last virus (and an angry J-L spending literally hours on the phone) are still quite vivid in my mind. shudder

The good:
I do believe I received no less than 10 spontaneous hugs from my daughter last night. One of them was even accompanied by a pat on the back. I'd challenge you to come up with something that rates higher than that.

Tuesday, March 06, 2007

Three random news stories

Sunday, March 04, 2007

Thanks for the dolly, Joyska!

We finally hooked up with your friends to pick up her present. Thanks!

Friday, March 02, 2007

In the "Really? This passes as news?" category*

Apparently they're doing a reality show based on Victoria and David Beckham's move to Los Angeles.

Heh?

Because, they need the money? The publicity?

Am I not getting something here?

* And yet, here I am blogging about it so I suppose it does.

Thursday, March 01, 2007

Thursday Thirteen

Thirteen things I've learned (or relearned) in the last 24 (and a few) hours

1. Hearing someone gasp when they open a birthday gift from you feels REALLY good.
2. Seeing a booger hanging out of the snobby lady's nose who's treating the cashier poorly can be smugly satisfying.
3. Someone paying you back money they owe you just prior to going to a concert can be a bad thing as you're liable to spend it frivolously at said concert.
4. Being somewhere with too many "no" things with a toddler can be completely exhausting.
5. Sometimes having too much work to do can be so overwhelming that you don't get anything done.
6. Having a sad dream at night can stay with you the entire day.
7. Having tulips slowly opening on your desk is delightful.
8. Suddenly remembering you owe someone money is not the best feeling in the world.
9. Wearing high heeled boots for running errands at lunch is not the best.
10. Always keep some feminine protection at work or in your purse.
11. Comfortably sitting at a table with your sister listening to live music you both love is one of the pleasant moments of life.
12. Sometimes simple decorations on cupcakes are just going to have to be okay as you absolutely must rush out to pick up your sister RIGHT NOW.
13. Not taking the time to eat supper can make a bun with jam at 11:30 at night seem like some of the best food you've ever eat.

Bonus: Forgiving someone for horribly bad grammar and poorly written sentences in a Thursday Thirteen that was written in 13 minutes is a gratifying feeling.