How Not To Be A Triflin' Hooker at the USMC Birthday Ball

1. Remember that while your Marine is happy to have you on his arm, this function is about the Marines.  It's their birthday.  Happy birthday to THEM. 
2. Try to keep your pre-flight to a minimum, if any, so that at best you will arrive smelling like perfume and at worst you won't smell like Jager bombs.
3. Try to follow the intended dress code.  Google it if necessary.
4. Remember that the laws about indecent exposure apply, even within the closed doors of your ball's venue. 
5. Attempt to wear shoes you can walk in.  There are any number of things which can require you to need them.
6. No corsages.  Refer to number 1 above.
7. Try not to be too judgmental of other ladies.  Some of us don't spend hundreds of dollars on our hair and nails.  We just may not care as much about the packaging.  But we're people, too.
8. Smile from time to time and say Hi to people.  They won't bite and they usually like it.
9. Do not attempt to teach your Marine (or his friends) the correct way to do the Electric Slide.  That ship has sailed.
10. If you are horrified by the tasteless dresses, shoes or accessories of other guests, attempt to refrain from commenting until you have left the function.  It will be both more polite and more fun.
11. Dresses with hoop skirts =  Fail.
12. Forego profanity during the dinner portion of the meal. 
13. Do not talk, whisper, cough, gag or chair dance during the ceremonial portions of the event. 
14. If the fit of your dress prohibits a dance move, you probably shouldn't attempt it.
15. No, the women Marines at the function are not jealous of your dress.  Refer to the latter portion of number 1 above.
16. It's likely you'll do some touching up of your makeup in the bathroom and this is perfectly acceptable.  Try, however, not to hold up the line for those who actually have to pee.  Their bladder issues trump your eyeliner dilemma from a humanitarian standpoint.
17. If you're going to spill your drink on someone, aim for a civilian. 
18. Don't be scared of the CO or his wife, but try to wait until your mouth isn't full before speaking to them.
19. No dancing on the bar until the after party.
20. Behave but don't take yourself too seriously.  Not one person is going to remember your dress, your shoes or your hairdo.  And if they do, you're doing it wrong.

Drive by F-bomb.

I had the most refreshing phone conversation with an associate yesterday.  By "associate" I am referring to one I have never met who works for the same company but in a different state.  So although he was an associate I have never made his acquaintance.

To make a long story short, I was making a serious of phone calls to such associates for a specific fact finding purpose related to a project.  The project itself (not so much my calls or me in particular), suffice it to say, has not inspired joy in the participants. 

The conversation with the aforementioned gentleman was novel because during the conversation he very blatantly yet casually implemented swear words to communicate his disgust with another associate or supervisor (I'm not sure which term applies here).  Two prerequisites for my having been amused by this were:

1. I am not offended by curse words

2. The profanity in question was not directed at me.

What a breath of fresh air.  The very idea that someone was utterly unafraid of being tattled on to management or offending another by being socially, if not politically, incorrect?  The lack of restraint or care of consequence was delightful.  Was it necessarily his most strategic move?  Certainly not.  But I could hardly have come away from the conversation doubting his sincerity.  And I don't know if the associate he was referring to is, in fact, the son of a bleepin' bleep I was told he was... but I tend to think, probably so.

Check out usmcwives.com.

Testing the site's new widget.  =)

I want you to take a look at : Welcome to usmcwives.com.

What NOT to be for Halloween.

  Of course there are endless options for costumes.  Best to rule some out and narrow it down a bit.  I suggest that these be immediately removed from the list of contenders so that you can focus on more viable options:

 

Big Mac?      Cheesy.

 

  Amy Winehouse.  It's played out.  Let it go.

 

This one would rock... but one of the other kids would know who you were supposed to be. 

 

 Your peeps might not want to be seen with you wearing this.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Slim Jim.  Step OUT of it.

 

Seriously?  No.  

 

 In the wrong hood, these colors could get you killed.

   Wonder Woman:  You're doing it wrong.

 

Good luck with your choice!

Why am I SUCH a Marine's wife??

I've been thinking a lot about this lately.  The fact that my husband is a Marine is one of the least remarkable details about me as a person.  It's certainly important and something I'm proud of, but it's not my most defining characteristic by any means.  So, why is it that when communicating online this seems to be of the utmost importance?

I think I've figured it out.

I seek out other Marines' loved ones because I don't have good contacts with them in the real world right now.  We are settled into an urban area with no Marine Corps presence to speak of.  Around here when I speak of my husband's EAS or give "AMOI" as his job description or complain about the lack of a commissary, I might as well be speaking a foreign language.   Not one person in my immediate environment has been through a deployment or has any concept of what a drill instructor does. 

So, online, I seek out the friends that I'm missing here.  The ones who "get" this portion of our life. 

But, in the meantime, I'm still an enthusiastic UNC Tarheels basketball fan.  I'm still an avid coffee drinker and Ikea shopper.  I still have my favorite books and TV series.  I make jewelry.  I've got my college studies, part-time job, family and home.  So I suppose it's OK for me to be a big old "Marine Wife" online.  Because I've got that, too.  ;)

How to annoy your friends, family or coworkers.

Just a few guidelines.  Some of which have been around awhile and some that are my own brainchildren.

 

• Make a daily announcement of the "Word of the Day."  UrbanDictionary.com is a good resource for material.  The word of the day is "snarkoleptic."
• Insist that they call you by your wrestling or pimp name. "That's Reverend Dr. C Ice, to you."
• Answer questions with questions.  If someone says, "What if...." you say "If your sister had a penis would she still be your sister??"
• Have a countdown to a commonplace event and announce status frequently and enthusiastically.  "Two hours 'til lunch!!!"  "Thirty minutes 'til lunch!!!'
• Reply to simple questions with complex answers.  To, "What would you like for lunch?" reply "I don't know.  Let me look into that.  A lot of issues come into play."
• Announce your support of your friend/family member/coworker's presidential candidate of choice.  Then list the numerous reasons you support him-- all of which are the contrasting attributes of the opposing candidate.
• Make known your plans to make a fort over the weekend.  Ask for volunteers to assist.
• Ask for signatures on your petition for a reunion of  J Geils Band.  (Actually, this is just a good idea.  I loved these guys).
• Correct everyone's grammar.... incorrectly.  "It's not 'she does,' it's she DO."
• Enthusiastically pass out copies of your fruitcake recipe.
• Hum.  Constantly.

Hello out there (or, in here?).

I have recently come to the realization that I would be irretrievably lost without my computers and the internet. The plural used because, of course, I have more than one. I've got the PC that I use for most things but then I also have the laptop for mobility purposes. I'm no world traveler, but what if I had to leave home for a matter of hours? The idea of being web-less is unthinkable. And, as you could guess, the laptop is a Mac for the sake of covering all bases.

I go to school completely online (yay, MN State College) and I've even worked completely from home in the past using this trusty rig in my office. I've got this web site going and it's not the only one. I talk to associates far and wide with emails and PMs and wall posts of various sorts. I even prefer emailing my parents these days instead of phone calls.

What would happen if the whole thing just crashed? Either my computers were gone or the web crashed and burned? Aside from the fact that I'd have a lot more free time on my hands, I think I'd be quite lost. And I know without asking that I'm not the only one!

My country 'tis of me.

I haven't been able to post a blog in ages due to having too many things on my schedule. Too busy doing things to reflect on them. But the present situation with the upcoming election is motivation enough for me to take a few minutes out of my busy schedule to rant against idiocy in the modern era.

So, suffice it to say this is an editorial blog. My opinions and no one else's.

I am sick of the press. Sick, sick, sick. Hi, Mr. Reporter: Cram it. Stop giving me your editorials cleverly disguised as "breaking news." Call them what they are. Everything from subliminal messages to outright propaganda is turning up in what is allegedly our fair and unbiased news media. And I wish they'd just come out of the closet if they're campaigning. For either side. It will never happen, though, because the assumption is that the American sheep people are too ignorant and naive as a whole to realize when they're being handled. As for me, I'd rather listen to a proponent of another party's candidate rant on openly for hours than be subtly inundated with political "news." Just my own preference.

Perhaps a good, succinct commentary about the state of affairs here in the land of the free would be what happened at my house the other night. My husband put a couple of campaign signs in our yard-- for which candidate is irrelevant to my point-- and they lasted a mere 5 days. 5 days before someone came along after 11:00 PM one night and removed one... and BURNED the other. Burned it. Lit it on fire. I wouldn't even have known about this were it not for the blue lights of the police car outside my house. Some youngsters driving past had grabbed the fire extinguisher out of their SUV and put out the fire. Thank goodness. But, yes, the sign was burnt to oblivion. But this was not likely a political act. It was the act of misguided youth with nothing but too much free time and a lighter. While they may be supporters of the other party, I doubt that would even be relevant and it's hard to imagine them taking the time to vote-- even if they are old enough. So here in this country right now we've got people who are interested in the election... and we've got people who think staying out past curfew and burning stuff is righteous cool. We're all one big happy family, aren't we? And with all due respect to Senators Obama and McCain, I don't think either one of them is likely to make much of a dent in the social, economical and corporate idiocy going on everywhere right now.

We are all going to vote for the candidate we think will best further our own agenda-- whatever that might be. Some of us won't vote at all because our agenda might be furthered by doing nothing. We will choose based on race, religious views, economic policy, foreign policy and other criteria that are truly about what WE want. And who knows what will come of the result.

But when it's all said and done, we're going to go back to our lives and do what we want. All in spite of one another. But let's just call it what it is: every man for himself.

Are you ready for some football?!

Yes. It's actually that time of year already. Hard to believe.

• School is back in session for the kids.
• School is also back in session for the grown ups (those of us who are in college).
• Daylight savings time looms nearer.
• Work resumes for those who work seasonally (as in for schools).
• The USMC Birthday Ball is on the horizon. Dresses and shoes to buy...
• Shorts and tanks are getting packed up in lieu of the layered look.
• And, yes... it's football season.

Things have been a little bit quieter on the forum for the past week or so, but I think this stands to reason as we get into this season. Hopefully it's a temporary dip and when we all get some down time we'll be as active as ever.

Meanwhile I will keep working on details-- when I'm not at my son's football games or my husband's work events or doing my school work or at the office or.........

Making history.

Big things are happening in the world today. My life is no exception.

I've started my college classes and so far I'm making a good run at it. I'm a bit tentative and nervous but I know it's going to be fine. Underneath this polished funny exterior I'm actually a brainiac. I just need to get my mojo going.

My children are growing and changing daily. My son just started the 4th grade and his first season of football. He now takes some measure of interest in his appearance and his snarky sense of humor is thriving. My daughter can say words (although she usually opts out) and is climbing and dancing like nobody's business.

My husband remains my biggest source of encouragement and inspiration. In that "if you only knew" kind of way.

The web site, meanwhile, has been improved by leaps and bounds. Things have a lot of room to grow and I'm convinced that they will. Given that it has only been around for a few months, and is spearheaded by yours truly-- with no actual expertise-- I'm very encouraged.

Bald is beautiful...

... and it's a good thing. Because I've been pulling my hair out trying to get the web site just so. It still has a long way to go, but it's come a long way in a short time.

We now have:

-An intro page.

-An interactive main site with profiles, private messaging, etc.

-An upgraded forum (from phpbb2 to phpbb3) which is a "slave" to the main site, meaning that only one login is necessary to access both.

-An online calendar for birthdays, anniversaries and special events.

-A members only chat room.

To get to this point there was a lot that had to be done behind the scenes, much of which is invisible to viewers. For instance, I had to install a special component to allow me to embed video on the site and several others for other reasons. The avatar gallery had to be reinstalled on the forum and the smilies had to be formatted. We also had some issues both with logins and user permissions (reading, replying, etc) on the forum which have been rectified-- or so I believe for the moment!

I am still trying to get the "quick reply" function working on the forum. I completed all the steps for installation-- including some PHP file editing that I'm not particularly comfortable with-- and I can see some evidence of my work on the back end but nothing shows up on the forum. So I've missed a connection of the moving parts somewhere and I still need to get that up and running. Also, I need to find a way to edit the flood interval setting for the chat room. If you type an entry too quickly after a previous one, not only will the chat room reject it, but YOU with it. That needs to be fixed.

I had hoped to have every little detail attended to before I start class tomorrow. And though I failed to accomplish that, I do feel good about what's been done thus far and I see progress. It's a step in the right direction!

usmcwives.com: Progress in millimeters.

"Success usuallly comes to those who are too busy to be looking for it." - Henry David Thoreau

I have come to the conclusion during the re-design that even if progress only comes in very small increments, it's still progress! And I will embrace every step that leads in the right direction.

With that in mind, the page is slowly but surely getting better. A lot of the time I have spent hasn't yielded any visible results but has improved the administrative capabilities of the sight or given me leads on utilities that can be added in. My biggest desire at present is to find a way to bridge the site and forum so that 1 user login will suffice for both the forum and the main site. This would be unnecessary except that the site offers a lot of bells and whistles (user profiles and the like) that would benefit us. New user registration on the site's main page is disabled (with member registration only possible on the forum) until this gap can be bridged. Duplicate accounts/logins would not be efficient. I have found a couple of options that it's remotely possible for me to use, but the technical elements of the installation process frighten me just a bit. I am, after all, self trained and not skilled in the technical arena. But we shall see!

New additions to the page include links to our forum, blog and survey as well as RSS feeds for the blog and for news articles from Marines.mil.

It looks like this at present:

http://www.usmcwives.com/Joomla

usmcwives.com: Splat.

There's one thing that never fails to hold true: When trial and error are involved in a process... you have to deal with the "error" portion.

All I managed to accomplish yesterday on the web site was to somehow undo something I had already done. I can't, for the life of me, figure out what I did or how to fix it yet. But I WILL!

I've somehow fouled up the linkage between the login section and the page one is redirected to upon login. I have looked it it from eighteen different angles and have even done a screen to screen comparison with Emily's control panel. I can spot the differences but am unsure how to correct them. Yet.

Web site go boom?

Nah. I'll get it fixed. I just have to step away from the keyboard, do something else for a bit and come back to it. I'm still very motivated about how the finished product will turn out. Stand by!

usmcwives.com: Re-design infancy.

I am attempting to re-design our site. I will get this done and I'm hoping the finished product will be clean, user friendly and pretty. I will accept nothing less for an end result!!

My experience level at this point is in the novice range. I know just enough to tweak something that already exists. This is why I think I might maximize my abilities by using Joomla. I was already aware of its existence but hesitant to delve into it until my friend, Emily, encouraged me by (1) telling me of her own experiences with it (2) generously offering to give me access to her site's files/settings so I could get a frame of reference and (3) making a very nice site with it herself (A Military Life.com).

So, off I go, then, to create genius while relying on the underlying technical skills of the development community!

I have selected a template-- after hours of indecision-- and am beginning to tweak it. Who knows, within the next couple of days I may even figure out how to remove all references to "Landscape Smart" (the template title) from the page! Stranger things have happened.....

Here's the equivalent of a fetal ultrasound for our baby:

What are YOU bringing to the table?

As I sit here on Saturday afternoon not having been very productive today, I'm thinking about wasted time.

Now, I have a bit of an excuse today. Yesterday I helped my husband with some manual labor on a fence we are building (when I say "we" I mostly mean HIM with some moral support from yours truly) for our backyard. It turns out, when an out of shape 33 year old woman bends, stoops and reaches for 5 hours, she suffers consequences the next day. It's not altogether dignified! My back is killing me and I have sore muscles in places I didn't realize were there. Despite this, I managed to get out there by myself and do some more painting for about an hour and a half. The intended result of feeling accomplished and perhaps even working out my muscle aches was NOT achieved. This may be due to the sheer volume of work left to do and my lack of motivation to do it or maybe it's just because I'm tired. Either way, I didn't feel validated by the work and, adding insult to injury, this was my greatest accomplishment of the day!

I don't know if it's the summer heat or my schedule having been disrupted for weeks because my family and I went on an extended trip.... or what. But I've been about as useful as a duck in a bucket a month or so now. And the madness has to stop. I usually have much to offer-- be it here on the home front or with the web sites or just as a friend-- but I have lost my mojo.

Always, always bring something to the table. No matter what or whom you are dealing with. Be worthy of your place and of others' care and time. This is important. And starting right now I am going to get back to my essence and start getting things done.

Mama's got to TCB!

A must see new web site: A Military Life.

A new and very informative web site just went live. Its administrator the very talented spouse of a National Guardsman. Her name is Emily and I am fortunate to have made her acquaintance online a few months back. She is one of the driving forces behind a favorite spot of mine, The Silent Ranks forum, and she is a self taught web mistress. Her work is impressive, particularly the new site. She has labored away at this thing in a much more organized and persistent fashion than I have with usmcwives.com. She has solicited input from other military spouses and this will serve to make the site all the more relevant in the military community. It contains everything from tips for beginners to base ratings. It's still a work in progress but I strongly recommend paying a visit as soon as possible!

http://www.amilitarylife.com

Grabby McSnatchy

So, I've been trying to do a little bit of research about online forums and resources for Marine spouses and girlfriends.  The idea is for me to be somewhat well informed so that I can pass on any good leads to the ladies on our forum.

My philosophy is:  To each her own.  What works for one person might not for another.  What one person lives by might bore the life out of the next person.  So on our site I have posted (and will post more) links to other sites and good forums.

But I find it interesting how grabby some places are with their users.  I get that they don't want blatant spamming or advertising for other forums (and I never do this!).  But some of the little rules and nuances I have come across are very rigid and seem to be geared towards keeping their guests inhouse.

Am I just ignorant or naive?  I mean.... I understand why a for-profit business wouldn't want to redirect its customers the competition.  But how good is a support forum or resource center if it doesn't actually offer ALL MEANS of support and a wide array of resources?

This is just a musing about the situation.  Complaining is a waste of energy.  But I have resigned myself to stay true to the goal of offering up whatever goodies I find to others who may be interested.  If that leaves me talking to myself but results in happy members, I'm good.

Pardon me while I implode.

For crying out loud! I am so discombobulated. Seriously.
I feel like I am behind on everything, forgetting stuff and missing the obvious at every turn lately. I guess 4 weeks of road trip with the family should explain it, but I want my brain back!

I had to go in and accept/decline/delete/approve about 50 Facebook messages/apps/gifts, etc. yesterday.

I have 4,987 emails in my "personal" email inbox.

I have 2,618 emails in my Salted Luck and usmcwives.com email inboxes.

I have about 33 calls to make.

I haven't made any jewelry in over a month.

My dog needs to go to the vet and my daughter needs a routine check up (and shots!) with the pediatrician.

I am supposed to be making some calls and possibly doing some paperwork to prepare for some contract work I am going to do for my last employer. But at least that one is out of my hands: waiting for a return phone call.

But despite all of this and my brain being overloaded and disorganized: I am, as ever, a very happy woman. My husband is a beautiful specimen of a man who just showed his family the greatest time in the history of vacations. He's working on our fence out back and he's taking me to see my beloved WILLIE NELSON on Friday night! My son is an evil genius. My daughter is cuter (and, too, more evil) by the day. The usmcwives forum is growing exponentially by the week. I'm registered for classes now and school starts at the end of next month, which I am very excited about. And it looks like I'm getting another work-from-home opportunity very soon.

Life is good.

What day is it, again??

A good excuse. Really.

Honestly, I can't believe how long it's been since I've written. I can't believe the world is still turning and people are just carrying on with their lives when something is so clearly missing?! Lol.

I do, however, have an excellent excuse for my bloglessness. My family has been on a kamikaze road trip since the 12th of June. We're talking a Suburban loaded to the maximum and carrying two adults, a 9 year old and a 13 month old. Minnesota to Texas, Texas to Kentucky, Kentucky to North Carolina and now North Carolina to South Carolina. We won't even be home until next Wednesday! A crazy, crazy plan... but we've been visiting family and we are having a BLAST! We'll be at Myrtle Beach, SC this afternoon and will be there until Sunday morning. Good stuff!

Also good stuff is the fact that I sold 3 pieces of jewelry while on the road.... without even trying! ;) And the usmcwives.com forum is growing by the day. We're up to about 1700 posts and chatting like crazy. It's fantastic. I'm not enjoying the spam we've been getting and I'm still working on that issue-- but at least it's only a pain for me and not for the members. New accounts now require approval... that way we don't log on in the morning to find Euro smut awaiting. Eew.

As it turns out, typing while riding is making me carsick. That won't do. So I'm out. But I hope everyone has an awesome 4th of Juiy weekend... to include being grateful for everyone who has ever secured our freedom!

The last impromptu cocktails.

I'm a bit sad today. Partly because it's gloomy and rainy outside and partly because of my neighbors getting ready to move.

We met Jill, Barry and their 4 boys right after we moved into our house a year ago. They live right next to us and they are great fun. We've spent a lot of time together, much of it unplanned and on the spur of the moment. This is easily done when you're next door neighbors. And they are only moving a couple of miles from here, so we'll still visit frequently. But last night was probably the last time we will run into each other outside and end up having cocktails and playing cards until 1:00 a.m. (on a Tuesday!). So that's kinda sad.

I guess I should focus on how nice it is to have friends like them in the first place, though. The kind who will help with your home improvement projects and laugh at your jokes. The kind who will ask you for favors knowing that you'll ask them for a favor of your own at some point. The kind who will go to a Sinead O'Connor concert with you and take your son to baseball games when they have tickets. The good kind.

"Easy Opening."

So I just bought a mouse to use with my laptop. I'm getting better with the built in mouse but sometimes it's still a challenge. Anyway, it's working just fine, but as I was blowtorching my way into the plastic container it came in, I noticed something appauling.

A little red sticker in the top right corner that says "Easy Opening. Just bend corner."

Seriously.... what?! Umm, no. There is NO corner bending. There is NO easy opening. I'm glad the false advertising wasn't what prompted me to buy the product, otherwise I would feel horribly violated. I'm just horrified at the statement. And, for argument's sake, perhaps someone somewhere COULD easy-open-by-bending-corner. Let's say that this is within the realm of possibility. I still label it as false advertising because if a relatively average individual such as myself can't do it, then it probably shouldn't be stated as fact on the packaging.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's post on "furniture assembled in 3 easy steps." Lol.

The "Joy" of grandmas.

I wrote this yesterday on the road and am just now getting it posted..... Lol.

So we went on a road trip today to visit with my husband’s grandmother (who, incidentally, is named Joy).  This was the first time that the kids and I had met her. 

She was absolutely delightful.  It was well worth the 8 hours round trip for the only 4 we got to spend visiting.  I look forward to doing it again soon.

Incidentally, today marks the 64th anniversary of D-Day.  If I had been thinking about it, I might have asked Grandma Joy what, if anything, she could recall from that time.  I’m sure my own grandmother, her senior at the ripe age of 95, would have something to add.  Unfortunately I am drafting this blog on the road and my cell battery is dead so I can’t even call to ask. 

Speaking of being on the road with a dead cell battery and no WiFi connection in sight, I can’t even check my email or get on the forum to see if I’ve missed anything exciting.  This will never do.  We are going on a 3 week vacation soon which will include about 4,000 miles of road navigation.  I simply MUST find some sort of internet access solution before we head out.  I could die from the withdrawals.



test

Pantsuit blues.

So, it's looking like Hillary is out and Obama is in.

I'm not excited about anything pertaining to this year's election. And I don't wish to get too political right now (I guess it's the mood I'm in). My plan is to pencil in Vince Vaughn as my choice. Do you think that will fly?? I mean, consider this: We need good diplomatic relations. Wouldn't it go a long way if our head of state were to skip over all the preliminaries and just tell those we have tenuous relationships with "You're so money, baby. You're so money right now!" Mama always said you catch more flies with honey....  And shame on you if you haven't seen "Swingers" and don't know what I'm referring to.

I'm all in love with life this morning because (1) people are actually TALKING on the forum and (2) it's Thursday, which for our summer schedule here is our Friday.  Woot!   =)

test

I love it when you call me big poppa.

Have you seen the movie "Hardball?" Circa 2001, starring Keanu Reeves and Diane Lane among others. Not likely to be voted best movie ever, although it wasn't half bad and was based on a true story.

I laughed out loud at one scene, in particular. Try as I might, I couldn't find a specific clip of it to link here, but that's beside the point. This movie is about a gambler and his stint as the coach of an inner city kids' baseball team. In the movie, the pitcher always has on headphones and always listens to one song in particular. He wears the headphones while pitching, too, and is a real talent. One team, in hopes of upsetting his pitching skill, insists that the headphone use during play is against protocol so the pitcher is left tuneless. This has the desired effect of rattling him. Later in the movie (after having been replaced with another pitcher) the young man in question is called upon again to pitch. He, of course, panics because he can't pitch without his song. So, as is predictable at this point, the rest of the team and the coach sing the song for him as he pitches. It just happens to be Notorious B.I.G.'s famous song. And regardless of whether we encourage children to listen to this music or incorporate it into daily life, watching those kids waving their arms and signing "I love it when you call me big poppa..... throw your hands in the air...." absolutely cracked me up. Worth watching if only for that part!

I'm off to try to take care of some business now. It looks gloomy outside here so that isn't helping my motivation. But I need some supplies for Salted Luck and I have some phone calls to make. Feels more like a Monday than a Tuesday!

Confessions of a woman with a crooked life.

I've been so content lately I'm almost waiting for something bad to happen!

Random Monday thoughts:

• Our friend and neighbor, Barry, is putting in our back splash. The one part of the kitchen that has remained undone for the past many months. It looks beautimus and he's almost done. Too bad we discovered that our cabinets were hung slightly off kilter and there is a half inch discrepancy between the ends (on just one wall, anyway). This will require some optical illusion adjustments with the tile work but Barry is a master. :)

• We have been working to put a Pergo like flooring down on the first floor. We're not done yet but it's gorgeous. I love it. And my husband has been working his fingers to the bone.

• I'm annoyed the my PC is out of commission again because I really wanted to work on my temporary tattoos and window clings today. The printer is hooked up to MY computer, of course, so (being that I'm too lazy to switch it to the old man's side) that means I can't do it until my PC is fixed. Don't get me started on THAT topic.

• My daughter has been ridiculously cute lately. And I discovered this morning that she's gotten two new teeth on the top... I don't even know when that happened!!

• My son has been very much trying our patience. I'm sure it's a phase but I'm ready for it to END. In the meantime I'm considering Buddhism. It worked for Tina Turner?!

• Usmcwives is coming along just fine and dandy. This is pleasing me TREMENDOUSLY as I've been so timid and nervous about it.

• I haven't had time to design any new jewelry in DAYS. I'm having withdrawals. Maybe I'll have time for some this afternoon.

• Today is going great so far for a Monday! :)

Birth.

So, the past few days have seen the birth of two things which are really still in infancy but about which I am excited. Like a dork. Seriously.

First is the usmcwives.com forum. I'm fumbling around like a lunatic trying to spruce it up, but I think it looks pretty good so far, given my experience level. I've reached out to some of my online contacts to review it and I can see that many have. I've gotten a lot of survey replies in the past couple of days. I'm stoked!

Second is the associated usmcwives.com blog. From a practical standpoint, the site doesn't need a blog. After all, I have my own personal blog and the forum itself should suffice for any chit chat. BUT..... being an imaginative soul, I'm thinking I might at some point be able to use the blog in a worthwhile manner. It can be set up so that members can have their own pages and/or input posts. I'm thinking since I don't yet know how to enable NICE profile pages on the bulletin board, this slightly more dummy-proof blog application might be an easier way to achieve the same result. At least for the time being?

And now to move off topic as is my custom: After spending all weekend helping my husband lay flooring on the first level of our house (which isn't completed yet but is BEAUTIFUL!) I was able to sneak off with my partner in crime, Jill, and take in the new Sex and the City movie this afternoon. It was pretty good. It would have been hard to live up to my expectations because I was soooo excited..... But I thought they did a solid job on it. I loved Carrie and Charlotte's latest developments in particular. I won't go into detail in case you haven't seen it. Oh, and I was also ashamed of myself not to have known beforehand that Jennifer Hudson had a supporting role. Outstanding. I've become a fan.

Freedom to enjoy the Smiths.

I hope everyone had a good Memorial Day weekend and that the meaning of the holiday wasn't lost. For the third consecutive year we went to our local horse racetrack with my husband's ROTC color guard to participate in their Memorial Day ceremony. This is always a pleasure as they give us the VIP treatment (valet parking, free food and drinks in the clubhouse, etc). But as has been the case each time, the 82 year old WWII veteran who runs the ceremony brought me to tears with his short poem in tribute to those who have made the ultimate sacrifice. I managed to hold it together for that, but when they played Taps I lost it. I don't think I'll ever be able to get through that song again in my life without breaking down. Several years ago I attended a funeral service for my friend's husband who was killed in action near the beginning of Operation Iraqi Freedom. This was the single most somber experience of my life to date, compounded by the fact that she gave the eulogy herself. The follow up of that with Taps and the 21 Gun Salute will echo in my memory forever. So, yes, I lost it when they played Taps yesterday. My son grabbed my arm and said, "It's OK, Mom. It's OK." I couldn't find the words to tell him that, in fact, it's not really OK. The average American doesn't seem to even understand that Veterans Day honors all veterans but Memorial Day honors our fallen heroes. Nonetheless, to paraphrase that colorful, seasoned 82 year old veteran, we shouldn't focus on the sadness of their deaths but we should rejoice and be thankful that they lived. And there is no better time than RIGHT NOW to thank our veterans for their dedicated service to our country-- no matter who you are or what your political beliefs may be.

On a brighter note and in celebration of our wonderful freedom of choice:

One of my very favorite celebrity couples is Will Smith and Jada Pinkett Smith. How can you not just adore both of them?

I've been a fan of Will's since all the way back in the DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince days. Oh, yes. He's jazzy, jazzy...his name is Jeff..... Talk about a sidekick who fell out of the limelight. But I digress.

The Fresh Prince of Bel Air was fine, although nowhere near his best work. We all loved the Men In Black movies and Independence Day, I Robot and all of those blockbusters. I personally enjoyed Enemy of the State a lot (possibly because it was the brief return of the Cosby Show's Lisa Bonet and also had Regina King, Gene Hackman, John Voight, Barry Pepper, Scott Caan, Jason Lee, Gabriel Byrne, Jamie Kennedy and Tom Sizemore among others!!). But this past weekend we sat down and took in I Am Legend. I thought perhaps he would never surpass the genius he showed in the film The Pursuit of Happiness which co-starred his son, Jaden. To date, that was one of the most compelling performances I have ever seen. For heaven sake.... I lost it during the infamous bathroom scene. But along comes "I Am Legend." He flew mostly solo for this film. He interacted with himself, his dog, lab rats and mannequins. The movie freaked me out and if you've seen it, you understand why. But his performance was, in a word, breathtaking. He deserves any available recognition.

Jada Pinkett Smith is also one of my absolute favorite people to watch onscreen. I loved her as the snarky little sidekick in A Low Down Dirty Shame and she's been a treasure in dozens of other films. The best of the best, though, and one of my all-time favorite films was Kingdom Come. For the love of all that is holy, if you haven't seen this movie you simply MUST get it and watch it NOW. The cast includes too many to mention. Cedric The Entertainer, Whoopi Goldberg, L.L. Cool J., Toni Braxton, Anthony Anderson and Loretta Devine are just a few. But Jada's portrayal of Charisse Slocumb was one of the funniest performances of her career. I find myself right this moment being aggravated by the fact that I don't have this on DVD. I need to rectify that.... Incidentally, I also really loved the track "Try Me" from this movie's soundtrack. It's fantastic.

At any rate, between these two, their body of work is astounding. We need good entertainment as much as we need anything these days, and I submit that this family has done WAY more than their fair share to contribute. I'm completely OK with them being gazillionaires as a result. And I root for their success unconditionally.

Salted Luck.

My adult A.D.D. has been on overdrive for the past week or so. I can't seem to prioritize all the stuff I am trying to do. I hate it when that happens. I'm getting a lot done, I'm just not doing it as efficiently as possible which means that I'm probably wasting time somewhere in the mix.

Anyway, a girl with a small but thriving accessory business really needs her own brand and web site, huh? I have, at least, accomplished that much. I'm calling the boutique "Salted Luck" and I have my own site set up now. All of my wares are still listed on Etsy until such time as I decide to obtain merchant services on my site (down the road). But making the web site will be fun for me. It's still under construction and I had a lot of help from GoDaddy's premade templates, but I will tweak it extensively over time.

One reason I'm struggling with time management is that I'm working on the web site AND making a crapload of awesome new stuff. I found a couple of great resources here locally for unique, funky and pretty supplies. Grabbed up a boat load last week and have already made about 2 dozen new items. This is my best work yet. I'm loving it. Unfortunately I haven't even had time to take all of the photographs and get the new stuff online. That is always the most time consuming part of the process. I'm hoping to get at least some of them up today.

This week also had its distractions. Thursday night, for instance, after he had been the guest speaker at a function we were attending, the Army's Chief of Staff and his entourage ended up at the same bar with us. My better half challenged the General to a round of billiards and what do you know.... there were 6 balls left on the table when my beloved claimed victory. He's unsure what rank he might be come Monday morning, but feels it was well worth it in the end!

Oh, and I also got my FIRST PARKING TICKET that night. Bugger.

I'm off to enjoy my long weekend of laboring on my beloved boutique items. Not only do a million pictures need to be taken and uploaded.... but I have 3 new products to make (temporary tattoos, window clings and magnetic mail-holder pouches for the fridge or filing cabinet) and Lord only knows when I'll find the time!

For my GIRLS.

I'm a huge fan of Maya Angelou. You might recognize this poem from the movie "Poetic Justice." For reasons I won't elaborate on, it crossed my mind last night. There's something captivating about it. Speaking for myself, I feel inspired when reading it, even if I'm sitting hunched over my keyboard, unshowered, wearing a t-shirt and sweats. In all of our forms.... we are WOMAN.

PHENOMENAL WOMAN
by Maya Angelou

Pretty women wonder where my secret lies
I'm not cute or built to suit a model's fashion size
But when I start to tell them
They think I'm telling lies.
I say
It's in the reach of my arms
The span of my hips
The stride of my steps
The curl of my lips.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

I walk into a room
Just as cool as you please
And to a man
The fellows stand or
Fall down on their knees
Then they swarm around me
A hive of honey bees.
I say
It's the fire in my eyes
And the flash of my teeth
The swing of my waist
And the joy in my feet.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Men themselves have wondered
What they see in me
They try so much
But they can't touch
My inner mystery.
When I try to show them
They say they still can't see.
I say
It's in the arch of my back
The sun of my smile
The ride of my breasts
The grace of my style.
I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Now you understand
Just why my head's not bowed
I don't shout or jump about
Or have to talk real loud
When you see me passing
It ought to make you proud.
I say
It's in the click of my heels
The bend of my hair
The palm of my hand
The need for my care.
'Cause I'm a woman
Phenomenally
Phenomenal woman
That's me.

Confessions of a lightweight.

More random thoughts:

• I use the term lightweight for two reasons, the first of which is that we just had a monster yard sale this weekend and got rid of a ton of needless stuff. We made a decent profit and got to schmooze with our neighbors. I feel our feng shui improving already!

• The second and perhaps even cooler reason is that I can now officially wear my girly summer clothes. After having to essentially skip over last summer due to baby girl having just been born AND my horrid ankle injury healing (rendering me both unable to wear cute clothes AND unable to wear cute shoes: a fate worse than death!) .... I can now wear all of my favorite stuff. I'm somewhere between a size 6 and size 8 which is just about right. A workout wouldn't kill me... but at least my clothes fit!

• My daughter is walking. I know this is to be expected since she just had her first birthday, but still I object. It doesn't seem like this should be happening yet.

• I am uber excited about the new jewelry I'm making AND the honest feedback I am getting. It's a great feeling to be learning and improving on an almost daily basis.... and to have your existence affirmed by positive reinforcement. We all need that sometimes.

• It turns out that not all of our neighbors are a-holes after all! We met quite a few more this weekend during the yard sale. Some very nice peeps on our block. There's hope!

• I continue to dominate at Parking Wars on Facebook. I've grown very weary of all of the time consuming applications but this one is a treasure. And I totally cheat. But I freely admit that and I am WINNING. Haters abound!

• Jill and I are going to some sort of killer food buying place this afternoon. I can't recall the name but it's a deal where you can buy certain things (whatever they happen to have) at ridiculously low prices. I'm on that like Jared's on Subway, people. Don't say you didn't know.

Undefinable.

Don't you just hate it when your child or anyone asks you what a certain word means.... and you KNOW what it means... but you just can't figure out how to explain it? Can't recall the definition in an articulate manner?  Eeew.  I hate that.

Yesterday my son (who has an extensive vocabulary for a 3rd grader) asked me what "metaphor" meant.  I utterly failed to explain.  It was absurd.  Like I don't know what "metaphor" means?!

• metaphor : (noun): a figure of speech in which a term or phrase is applied to something to which it is not literally applicable in order to suggest a resemblance, as in “A mighty fortress is our God.”

 

And here are some of my often-used favorites that I can never precisely define when asked:

 

• pithy: (adjective): brief, forceful, and meaningful in expression; full of vigor, substance, or meaning; terse; forcible: a pithy observation. Of, like, or abounding in pith.

 

• smarmy: (adjective): excessively or unctuously flattering, ingratiating, servile, etc.: the emcee with the smarmy welcome.

• moxy: (noun): courage, balls, intestinal fortitude.  *Had to get this one from UrbanDictionary.com since it wasn't actually listed in the dictionary?  Jeez.

Here's to not being discombobulated! 

How to be fabulous on a low budget.

• Marry a Marine. You'll get tons of mileage out of the Full Metal Jacket questions. You and your entire family are mythical creatures.
• Insist that everyone call you by your wrestling name. Correct them when they fail to do so.
• Employ the "bend and snap" as often as possible.
• Say "sir" and "m'am." All the time. Even when you're a grown up. This throws most people off their game.
• If you feel uncomfortable in an elevator on the sidewalk with a stranger (particularly a male), look him dead in the eye and say "Don't I know your mama?"
• Live in a neighborhood full of minivans and drive a BMW sedan. Try not to flex your handling power, though... no one likes a showoff.
• Buy when everyone else is selling... and sell when everyone else is buying.
• Send your friends cards in the mail (the actual mail) randomly. For no reason.
• Do something genuinely good for someone else that won't benefit you at all. Your intrigue rating will soar.
• Never forget how to do the Running Man. If you have to practice weekly, do it.
• Talk to retired service members. In most cases they are way cooler than you are. And you can be fab by association.
• Know what you don't know. People like to be asked genuine questions. It's engaging.
• Challenge yourself to learn something new and difficult. It's humbling.... and even humility makes you more enticing.
• Be nice to customer service people on the telephone. No one does that, so you'll achieve individuality right off the bat (and might just get what you want in the process).
• Dare to be ghetto sometimes.
• Hang out with people who are smarter than you.
• Know who your REAL friends are. The rest don't matter and will drain your fab status in no time.

Etsy Buy Handmade MarineCorpsWife

What exactly IS a ledbetter?!

It occurred to me yesterday that some of the coolest songs are either unintelligible or end up having meanings that I completely failed to grasp.

My favorite Pearl Jam tune, "Yellow Ledbetter," is completely over my head from an interpretive standpoint. I don't have a friggin' clue what they're talking about. I could, I suppose, research this and try to gain some insight. But that would just spoil it for me. I know he's talking about some people on the porch who aren't waving, etc-- but other than that-- it's greek. What exactly is a ledbetter and why is its color significant??

And how about "Rain King?" I love the Counting Crows. And I get twitchy every time this favorite comes on. I can't allow interruptions because it is IMPERATIVE that I be able to mimic the "Yeeeaaaaaaahhh!" at the very end. And the lyrics are pretty. But I have to be honest: I don't have a clue about what some of them mean.

Don't get me started on "Rock The Casbah." Possibly one of the most overplayed favorites of all time. I wish I could remember what commercial it was that had the misinterpretation of the lyrics by some poor soul..... "Stop the catbox!!" Once in awhile I will send this in a text message to my husband out of the blue. One doesn't want to be boring, right?

Then of course there are those songs which have been often heard and most frequently misunderstood or not analyzed at all. If I had a nickel for every person who thinks Bruce Springsteen's "Born In The USA" is a feel-good patriotic song as opposed to the jaded take on American industry and military that it really is..... I could put my kids through college. I'm not saying it's a bad song. Just that it's not the one you want to play for a military homecoming or the 4th of July, necessarily.

And my favorite unrealized meaning of a song (for me personally) until a couple of years ago: "Rock You Like A Hurricane." OMG. Have you listened to the lyrics? Really listened? I mean this is a classic state fair favorite. Air guitarist's plaything. But at the end of the day there's no getting around the innuendo. "So give her inches and feed her well....?!" I guess I had to be a grown up (technically, anyway) to understand what old boy was talking about!!

Anyway, I think I will opt to embrace my naivete' and continue to enjoy that which is over my head or which has meaning I'd rather not know. Sometimes ignorance really is bliss.

The Marines have landed [on my house].

Since it's Monday and all, I think I will list some random coolness:

• My better half got our American and Marine Corps flags mounted on the front of our house yesterday. Complete with solar powered lights (which work nicely and look sweet. The icing on the cake was.... I love to watch him work! We're sure to get lots of attention as I think we're the only Marine family within at least a 10 mile radius. Oohrah.

• He also pulled down the putrid awnings from the front and side doors and helped the 9 year old resident plant a nice garden. I can't wait to see if the pumpkin, in particular, grows!

• I've had the nicest, most helpful correspondence from FelineFido on Etsy about some of my products. She ordered some and likes them. She gave me great feedback and even some tips. She's got to be the nicest person I've never met and I'm excited to order Tyler Hansbrough __________'s collar very soon.

• I'm slowly but surely learning to use my MacBook. It's still far more savvy than I'll ever be, but it's good to aim high.

• Spring seems to have finally sprung here and, along with it, my mood. I'm definitely a winter depressed/summer happy kind of girl. So bring on the joy and relaxation. Or.... at least the joy!

• Last but not least: to girlfriend in the Apple Bottom jeans/boots with the fur........ this one's for you, homeslice.

I'm too sexy for my Mac.

As I sit here typing this on my PC, I realize that the exact opposite is true. My old man (clearly on a bid for sainthood) gave me my Mother's Day gift early. A very shiny, very smart, very over-my-head MacBook. He actually gave it to me on Friday and I've been poking around with it ever since. I still haven't figured out how to integrate my hotmail, yahoo and private emails into it yet, although I think I'm a step closer now that I've installed Microsoft Office for Mac which includes the mail application Entourage. I have a vague sense that I will figure this all out eventually but I'm so excited that it's making me impatient.

I have, of course, already installed Firefox. This was one of the top priorities. And I'm sure that eventually I'll get used to using the mouse. On the few occasions that I have used laptops in the past I have struggled with this because it is foreign. I hope that practice will make perfect.

Excuse the Carrie Bradshaw-esque phraseology, but I can't help but wonder: Do we really need 148 GB hard drives? Will I ever actually utilize so much storage space? Still, it's cool to know that I could if I chose. And also nifty that my new laptop has the same amount or more memory than my trusty PC. Good job, baby!

At any rate, we had my daughter's first birthday party today. She had a great time. I feel hungover, though, and I didn't consume any alcohol. Is that normal??

And I've been blogless for a couple of days now as I've been extra busy, but I really wanted to say to all of the military spouses yesterday:

Happy Military Spouse Appreciation Day!

*Yes, this is an actual day. And it's one that should count.

I feel duly appreciated and I hope you all do, too.

Rock on and rock hard, ladies.

Get a job. Really.

When I did my shout outs to military wives recently, of course it was a short and very incomplete list. There are droves more.

Take, for instance, Deb Kloeppel who is responsible for the existence of a great resource, the Military Spouse Corporate Career Network. This wasn't an original concept, certainly. I myself have been wanting to establish something like this for years,as I know, have others. I've spoken with Lori and several other friends about it and job resource sharing is one of the main things that the online military spouse community lacks. It's one of the main focal points that has driven me to start working on usmcwives.com. However, there does exist this nice tool that many of us just aren't (weren't) aware of. So it definitely rates a peek, doesn't it? And, Deb, according to the criteria set forth by my small circle, I think you qualify for "Hottie Biscotti" status.

And although Deb has actually made reality out of an often considered concept, that doesn't alleviate the need for others, including myself -- though I am no more qualified than anyone else-- to keep pushing for better resources. It does us no good to have so many tools if they aren't organized in such a way that we know where they are and how to use them. So if my site ends up being nothing more than a glorified link list, that's FINE. I will have a big smile on my face if I know I contributed in some way. But I want my girls to be able to find good jobs. Without killing themselves in the process. And I want them to be able to exchange information in a relevant and user friendly way. In a way that nullifies competition, misconception and infighting that we too often see in our community when things get stale. In a very Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood, it's a beautiful day and we are awesome kind of way. I'm getting good feedback and I'm going to keep at it. In fact, I've been so busy with the details that I haven't even had a chance to update the actual site with relevant content. But it's happening. It is GOING to happen. And I will try, but can't promise that all traces of my own personal nonsense will be absent....

Take heart: Tomorrow is FRIDAY!

Angst in the female form.

My better half told me that yesterday's blog entry was angsty and not at all like me. I took that as a compliment. And I'm glad to say I think he's right. I'm usually a very upbeat, easy going kind of girl. I just detest injustice, even at the smallest level. My blood pressure was up and it was therapeutic for me to vent. And I wouldn't be much of a human being if I weren't capable of frustration, would I? Usually I never let 'em see me sweat (but opt for finger gestures instead). So it's back to that now as I have calmed down. And sanity-- in my own insane form-- prevails.

Speaking of insanity, my little girl has morphed into some sort of villainess (which spell check is telling me isn't a word-- but I don't accept that ruling!). She's perfecting the drama queen act and it's becoming very annoying. I think I'd rather hear fingernails on a chalkboard than listen to her newly acquired screaming skills. Its seems for right now that she's just experimenting. So I hope that my expert parenting skills prevail... although I'm not sure how much effect my own mimic-tantrum had with her yesterday. It did puzzle her enough to get her to stop for a moment, though. The silence was welcome. It's worth mentioning that's it's not for want of something that she's recreating the infamous horror movie shriek. She's merely doing it sporadically because she's figured out that she can. So I'm trying my best to make sure she knows that while she can do it, the juice isn't worth the squeeze because no one is interested. In the meantime I am searching for an affordable but slobber proof pair of earplugs.

The princess will be one year old on Friday. Time just flies.

Speaking of flying, I'm off to get her presents before I forget to do that, too.

If I hadn't just uploaded this design yesterday and wasn't too cheap to pay for expedited shipping, I might order this for her:

As it is, though, I'm off to get her a little throne chair since she has fallen in love with the neighbor kids' Sponge Bob mini-recliner. I hope I can find something more her style, though. Although, she does like tools....

Do Cheaters Always Win?

Have you ever felt like the people who don't play be the rules... rule the world? That you and your good intentions will always be in line behind the people who have the audacity to think they deserve to be in front of you, even if you got there first? Just because they are bolder in their self-centeredness? That's how I feel today.

I have played by the rules at something and lost. I'm not saying I played well or perfectly. Just that I did so with integrity and good intentions. And I lost because I wasn't selfish enough. I wasn't brazen enough and didn't stand up for myself. And that, my dear friends, just sucks. Because as kids we're taught to do unto others as we'd have done to us. The golden rule and manners. Honesty and good character. Well, most of us are taught that even if we do come from dysfunctional families. But I suppose I might be wrong in my assumption that everyone falls into that category. Why am I saying "might?" I most certainly am wrong. Or-- maybe it's not that the selfish winners of the world weren't taught better. Maybe it's that somewhere along the way they learned that nice guys finish last. I've made it through several decades of life without managing to get that through my thick skull.

Actually, I don't think I want to. I think I'd rather pass on any ill-gotten gains. I think I'll stay at the back of the line where I belong. There have been a couple of occasions in my life where I have compromised my value system and it just wasn't the right thing to do. And it's not who I am. So I may be the last one out of the store with my purchases.... but I'd like to think I will enjoy them more in the end because I am who I am. And someone-- if not the person in front of me-- loves me. And I deserve that as much as anyone.

Update at 1:33 PM CST: I was so motivated by my angst earlier that I got off my behind and made the Home Skillet portion of the shop. Take that, meanies!!

Hootie Who?

OK, if you try to say that you didn't just love Hootie and the Blowfish back in the day, you're just wrong.  Granted, "Let Her Cry" got way too much air time, but aside from that, this was good stuff.  I think they're still kicking somewhere and I need to research that..... 

Those of us who really liked the band know that Darius Rucker is not, nor has he ever been "Hootie."  And the band isn't "Blowfish."  They derived their name based on schoolmates-- one of whom wore glasses.....

Anyway, imagine my surprise yesterday as I was getting my fake bake on in the tanning bed:  I was listening to whatever country station they had on at the time.  I miss out sometimes on the newest music because I usually listen to The Pulse on Sirius.  Anyway, a decent if not too memorable song came on and then at the end the DJ informed listeners that this was Darius Rucker's new track, "Don't Think I Don't Think About It."  Whatchu talkin' 'bout, Willis?  OK, I go blind.

Sure enough.  Darius has gone country and his new album is coming out in the fall.

  What's next?  Kid Rock doing opera?? 

It's all good, though.  We shouldn't box people in.  And I kind of like Darius so I hope he does well.

Incidentally, cheers to me for now having 10 sales on Etsy.  Don't worry, I won't forget the little people. 

Sock Rockers, Mount Up!

The theme of the week has been the "rocking of one's socks" by a slick witted or enthusiastic friend. You could simply say "You go, girl!" but that would just be tired and boring. I prefer my girl, Lori's verbiage and, frankly, am trying to give it more mileage because she was embarrassed to have said it in the first place. What kind of friend would I be if I didn't accentuate that? Boring, that's what.

So, although the list of my own personal sock rockers--either qualified by direct or indirect sock rockage-- is long and detailed, for the sake of brevity (what? I can be brief!) I will list but a few here. I won't fail to list them in random order.

• David Horton - a high school mate of mine. Apparently an overachieving genius. Published author among many other things. About to graduate from college... again... and then go to another one? Acquainted with the likes of Doug E. Fresh and Maya Angelou. No one likes a show off, Dave.

• Merrie Haskell - another school mate. We were kicking it as far back as junior high. Wordsmith extraordinaire and brilliant (if self deprecating) science fiction writer, among other things.
  

• Kelly K (not sure if she wants her whole name on blast): Creative director and marketing manager for www.TheELearningCenter.com. She's only about a hundred light years ahead of me as far as education and credentials, but has suggested the possibility of me applying for an internship down the road when I get closer to my degree.
  

• Lori "Rock My Socks" V - If you've read my blog at all, you know who I'm talking about. She's a mover and shaker from way back. See "Sisters Are Doin' It For Themselves" for further insight. You wish you could bring yourself to hate her for her gifts... but you just can't.

Speaking of socks, I'm about a half hour behind schedule getting myself and baby girl dressed and ready to head out with Jill to run errands. She told me not to rush, but I will feel so inferior if she has two small children ready to go before I square away one! Luckily for me I am riding the wave of self-appreciation from having uploaded about a dozen new things to the Etsy shop and having sold one already.

McRebound.

So, did you watch Grey's Anatomy last night? So many good quips-- so little time. If you can't find the entertainment value in this show, then I submit that your credibility is seriously in question. Set aside the moral implications of some of its content and the rumors and scandals running rampant among the cast members-- this show is funny. I loved the part last night when Addison (Kate Walsh) asked Miranda (Chandra Wilson) about Derek (Patrick Dempsey)'s new lady friend in a not-so-complimentary way... when she was standing right there. That was almost as good as when Meredith (Ellen Pompeo) more or less referred to herself and her friends as fickle sluts. Can't beat that dialog with a stick!

Speaking of sticks, I wanted to beat myself with one yesterday afternoon. I finally.... as perhaps the last human on the planet to do so.... installed the Mozilla Firefox web browser. Now, I don't know if it's just my finicky PC or if I'm just slow on the uptake: but this bad boy is working WAY FASTER for me than Internet Explorer ever has. I haven't had a chance to play with all of its little gizmos yet, but I realized right off the bat that it needed to be my default browser. I recall an old friend of mine (she's not old-- I've just known her awhile!), Alison, talking about Firefox ages ago. And given how much swifter she is than I am about such things, one wonders why I didn't investigate sooner. And as it happens, I only ended up with this utility as a result of downloading a bundle of stuff from Google. I am, as ever, an accidental success!

And, speaking of success, I am hoping upon hope that today will be the day that I either figure out how to make my camera take decent close-ups or that I will get my hands on a better camera (hint, hint to my dear, beloved, gorgeous hunk of a spouse!) so that I can take pictures and list the dozen or so new things I've made for Etsy. One, in particular, was requested as a trade from another seller. That's fun. See the picture below.... Psych. ;) Maybe later if fortune smiles on me today.

A big, fat, liquored up TGIF!

Signed,

McDufus