The Glory of Survival

I finally made it through another quarter. One more down and I'll have an Associate in Arts degree. I can't believe I'm so close to obtaining a college degree. Everyone kept telling me through out this quarter that if something is easy to do, everyone would do it. I can understand that! Taking 20 credits (four classes) has been absolutely draining. However, I learned a lot from the classes I took, and I've made a few new friends and even got to see my name in print - holla!! Somehow, I think I even managed to bring my GPA back up along the way. It's looking like I might be back at a 3.9, which will qualify me for some great scholarships once I head off to University. But that's a whole other ball of paperwork and time.
Luckily, I get to have the next two weeks of concentrated time with my husband at DisneyWorld, the happiest place on Earth. Although, I'm not so sure that's always a good idea. We do great for about a week if we're on a vacation, but after that things start to get a little testy. We each turn into a grumpy bear and each bear loves to poke the other bear with a big (verbal) stick, just to see what happens. While this juvenile behavior is truly entertaining, it isn't exactly harmonious to a marriage. By the time these two weeks are up, I think I'm going to be really looking forward to going back to school.
Merry Christmas everyone, and have a Happy New Year too!!

Please see photo above for why you should never set the camera up to take your picture automatically when you've just finished getting drunk in Epcot.

A.D.H.D.

I have decided that I suffer from A.D.H.D.: Attention Deficit Housewife Disorder. It's the only explanation for the sad state of affairs going on in my house right now. It seems that every time I get started on one housekeeping project I get totally distracted by another and by the end of the day I have two dozen projects going and not one that's finished!

For example, I pulled out the vacuum cleaner with the obvious intention to vacuum. But once I got started on that I realized that the carpet needed to be cleaned in a few places. So, before I continued vacuuming the rest of the house I started shampooing carpet in the family room and left the v.c. in the living room. But then I decided that since I wasn't in the kitchen, now might be a good time to mop the floor so that it could be dry by the time I was done with the carpets. So out comes the mop and pine-sol. Once that's done the mop has to go into the powder room so that it can drip in the sink instead of all over the now partial shampooed carpets. On the way back from the powder room I notice that the living room really needs a good dusting and why wouldn't I do that before I vacuum so that I can suck up all the dust that I just wiped down off the furniture? Do you see where I'm going with all of this? It just snowballs into the most amazing mess of cleaning products and pink rubber gloves (which I got to help keep me on task and why shouldn't I feel pretty when cleaning?).

Somewhere in this world I know there is someone suffering too. I want to create global awareness of this situation (Hello, Oprah?!). No one woman should have to suffer alone! But perhaps there is an answer:

I'm envisioning a cure for this debilitating and time consuming disease that involves a day at the spa for me and a great cleaning lady for my house!

But wait, who's going to take care of the cleaning ladies house, what do we do when she needs a day at the spa?

Oh crap.

Well, so much for hope. I guess the toilets can wait.

Pure Stupidity

Unfortunately, already this week, my pure stupidity is catching up with me. I'd like to believe I'm a well organized person who can keep it all together. But the sad reality is I'm hopelessly lost right now.
When I had a job I had a small workspace where I had post-it notes and a calendar right in my face to keep me constantly on top of all the little things. Now, my kitchen table is my desk and the refrigerator (which my husband forbids to be the housing development for my plethera of post-its) is my bulletin board. Let me just state the obvious - this system ain't kickin' it.
I have a Treo which should keep me on task, but only if I remember to put the details in the Treo in the first place.
I was supposed to do so much today and half of it completely slipped my mind and the other half was screwed up because of time conflicts.
Every year I tell myself I'm going to do better. I'm dying to be like my sister, she can remember everyone's birthdays, anniverseries, and even your shoe size! I'm lucky if I can even remember my french homework!
On one good note, as a result of my recent mind loss I gained ten pages with the ol' novela.
I couldn't believe how easily it came to me. I had been struggling FOREVER with trying to get through a crucial part of the plot. I'm pretty sure most hair loss this month was from the tugging I did trying to piece that part together. But once I let that part go and opened my mind to new possibilities with the story, it all started to flow. The only reason I stopped was because my exhausted mind and fingers wouldn't work together anymore. I am very pleased with the work that came out of that late night session though. However, I am a little disturbed that the only time creativity wants to spread it's wings is at 11 o'clock at night. Anyone else have to deal with that little late night monster?
Now it's back to work: french, geology, and university admittance essays - oh joy!

Good Reads

I just finished reading a fantastic book by Shanna Swendson entitled, Damsel Under Stress.
This book was the third in Shanna’s Enchanted, Inc. series. I had originally started this series back in May while on vacation. The good news was that I fell in love with the story. The bad news was I had only purchased the first book and read through it in the first three days!
I’m very impressed with the way Ms. Swendson has managed to create a strong leading man without making him a total cliché for a hero. He’s sensitive but still sadly oblivious, as most men are to what makes a woman tick. It’s been great fun being along for the ride as Owen and Katie learn about how to be human in a magical world.
I’m really looking forward to the fourth book in the series which will be released in April 2008. There was talk for a fifth book but the publisher dropped the option.
I am pleading with you people, go and purchase every book in this series perhaps once the publishers see a jump in sales they'll see how wrong they were. I MUST KNOW MORE and book number five must be released!!

As for the rest of the day it’s been a total wash. I was supposed to whip through the rest of my French homework, along with getting ahead in my geology work. However, after waking from a lovely two hour nap (how the heck did that happen?), spending some cuddle time with my husband, then finishing this book, well let’s just say tomorrow is going to have to be extra busy to make up for it. It was fun while it lasted. C’est la vie.

Mass Marketing for Oreos

I recently ran across an article that chatted about new ways to pay for your cell phone bill. Could it be true, a cell phone company that wants to help me reduce my bill?
But hold on there cowpokes, there’s a catch. You have to be willing to pay for those minutes and text messages through advertising.
Is this what it’s come down to people? The mass market out in our great big world is charging an arm and a leg for everything they can, yet they still need more?
Another attempt to hit us upside the head with advertising has to do with commercials on television. For some reason the networks don’t understand that we don’t want to watch another sexy person selling us a car or rice for dinner. Yet this article tells us all about the “interruption” process.
Is it asking so much to go back to the way things were, when a nice smiling face simply told you about the product and how to use it in your home/garage/yard/life. I know it sounds boring, but I can’t handle seeing another singing Pomeranian selling Oreos.

Trying something new

Hello out there! This is my first ever blog/post. Welcome!
I am a small town girl hoping to jump into the big city and make some noise with my fabulous new novel. Well, once I have the damn thing written anyway.
In the mean time I'll focus some of that hopeful energy on writing about my life here.

I'm a married thirty-something college student desperately hoping to make it in the world with my writing. At the moment I am facing the dreaded transfer to a university, which should make me happy. But I'm completely terrified! So in hopes of gaining some semblance of control, I cut six inches off my hair!

Now most people (meaning men in particular) don't really see what the big deal is about a haircut. But to me (and most of the women I know) a haircut is a REALLY BIG DEAL!!!
Typically, hours and hours are spent looking at photographs (mine was Katie Holmes), talking to girlfriends, and pinning your long locks up to see how you'd look with short hair, all with the hopes that you'll find a way to feel comfortable about changing something major in your appearance.
I have to admit I felt very confident going into the salon with my photo. I knew it was time for a change, I'm getting older and my hair was getting younger (think Laura Ingalls braids). I tried not to listen to the little voice screaming inside my head "You'll look like a boy if you cut it!!". Luckily, my stylist is my sister and I trust her with all my heart. She calmed me down (what was in that tea?) and started to cut.
I had nothing to worry about, that girl ROCKS!!! She made me look even better than Katie Holmes and now I not only look better, I feel better too.
Women of the world, don't let your hair dictate who you are!! Cut it, shave it, let your gray grow out (whoa! I wouldn't really go that far.) don't be afraid to try something new!! Embrace a little bit of change, who knows where it might take you!