Open Notes

Dear Persons:
Day 4 of Operation Back on the Wagon. So far, so good. If I work with you, please avoid any and all annoying habits for the near future so as to continue supporting this project. Your idiosyncratic BS does NOT help my mission. In fact, you actually seem to hinder it. Courtesy is a two-way street. If you are a friend or family member, focus on how hard I have tried (and continue to try), rather than tell me my face looks rounder than it used to.

Dear St. Louis Criminals:
I'm driving to work this morning, and I hear on the radio that there was a shooting last night on the street I'm traveling...at the very intersection I just passed. Creepy. Can you move a little farther from my beaten path, please?

Dear Companies Run by Morons:
I think your huge company should scrap your big-time CEOs and hire me. You could spend a WHOLE lot less on my salary, and I bet I could run the company into the ground just as well. It'd be a money-saving strategy.

Dear Kaldi's:
Too much coffee in the AM makes me jittery. I start going nonstop, but can't seem to focus on what actually needs to be done. Instead, I'm writing this blog. How much is too much? Well, today I've only had 2 cups. Maybe you could invent a blend to enhance concentration?

Dear Butt:
The advantage of getting rid of cable to join a gym is that there will be fewer shows motivating me to continue sitting on you. Unless I can find some motivation other than my way-too-tight clothes to actually GO to the gym, I'm a little worried that I'll find something else to help me procrastinate because of my attachment to you. I realize that it would take WAY more months of gym membership costs to buy a new (fitting) wardrobe than it will to pay a monthly fee and actually (hopefully) lose weight to make you look and feel better.

Dear Sanity:
I need a vacation. Sun and water. Lake, perhaps? Considering planning something for the summer at my folks' lake house. Interested?

Back to the grind...and another cup of coffee. Ooooh. Bad pun. ;)

Wedding-related Dilemma...

I know, I know...I've been married a year and a half, I should be totally over anything wedding-related! But I'm not.

I'm considering selling my wedding dress. I wore Maggie Sottero's Grace.





It's a beautiful dress, and I keep going back and forth...

1) I haven't discussed this with Mr. P, but

2) I'm not sure why I would want to keep it. I don't expect any future daughters to wear it, and I'll probably never fit in it again!

I'm not all that attached to it. I never had THE moment when finding my dress - I'm just not that type. Suggestions for selling? Clean it, put it online? I have no clue what to do!

Guess I'm just toying around with the idea for now. We'll see what happens.


Completely unrelated update: I fell off the wagon. I've really struggled with some things, and I've given in and smoked here and there on weekends. With this past weekend being Mardi Gras, and an incredibly packed weekend on top of that, I definitely gave up. Today, though, is a new day. I've gotten back on the wagon, and I'm still determined as ever.

Interview with the Pamster

When Pamela posted her interview with Sarah, I thought it might be fun to jump in and see what she could come up with to ask me. Her first question was by far the most difficult, but fun to think about!

1) If you could meet with one celebrity (past, present, dead or alive) who would it be and why?
I can only meet ONE?!?!?! Wow, that sucks. There are so many people I'd like to meet, and for a lot of different reasons. Spiritual, creative (musical, artistic, etc.), intellectual...it's a long list. That said, and trying to encompass as much as possible in a single sitting, I'd probably pick Leonardo da Vinci.

2) Tell us about something we wouldn't normally suspect about you. (Like how a skydiver might actually be afraid of heights.)
I don't think there's anything quite as drastic about me as a skydiver being acrophobic. What most people don't know about me is that I love to work with my hands - particularly building things. I grew up helping my dad plan and build various things (our dock, for example) and other handiwork, and I really enjoy it.

3) What is your biggest pet peeve and why?
I have a LOT of pet peeves. Lately, the one that's most prevalent is poor proofreading. This is one of my favorite clips illustrating the problem we all see in everyday life:


4) What is your current obsession?
I'm desperately searching for the perfect pair of green heels (why? not sure), slowly putting photos into an album, and thinking about finally following through with a quilt I promised to make for Mr. P. My brain doesn't really stop on any single obsession at once :)

5) Can you tell me a secret?
I could, but then it wouldn't be a secret, would it?


If you would like to play along, here are the instructions:
1. Leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.”
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. (I get to pick the questions.)
3. You update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post. You know, to pay-it-forward and keep this little interview game going.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions and so on and so forth. The first five ‘askers’ get the interview!

Random Thursday

Just wanted to give a quick update. Life is crazy right now. Funny how that works, right?

1. Still some nerves about economics, but not working myself into quite as much of a panic as I was last week. Baby steps, people.

(hint, hint...)

2. Mr. P and I went and saw Gran Torino last weekend. Highly recommend. Clint Eastwood's character reminds me of my paternal grandfather. Bittersweet.




3. BaileyBear stopped eating over the weekend. Started getting sick at both ends :( Took her to the e-vet late Monday night and saw Dr. Domer. Nice guy. Couldn't find anything wrong with Bear beyond SEVERE dehydration. They pumped her full of subcutaneous fluids in her neck - she literally looked like Quasimodo when we left. Got home, she slept pretty hard. Hasn't eaten much over the past few days, but we're working on it. Spurts of play, lots of lethargy.




4. Schmoogie and I have put 70 hours into a family cookbook project over the past two weeks - not including time she spends in class and I spend in the office. Lack of sleep much?



5. Above project is for my maternal grandfather's surprise 80th birthday party in Indianapolis on Saturday.




6. Saturday is Valentine's Day, and Mr. P and I will be spending it with my mom's entire family, including a dinner at 4pm.




7. Did I mention it's in Indianapolis? We're leaving Sat. morning at about 9 and coming back on Sun. afternoon. We aren't sure which relative we're staying with, and may be stuck on couches. Oh goody.




8. Bailey is staying in STL with some friends of ours. I hope she's feeling better by then.




9. Monday is my first day off without anything overly pressing to accomplish. I'm not sure what I'll do with myself.




10. Tuesday is the 10th anniversary of a dear friend's death. I'm not a huge fan of February for this reason. For the first time, my best friend M will be in town on the anniversary. I'm thankful she'll be here.



I NEED A VACATION. Desperately.




Mr. P and I are still at it. 6 weeks this weekend. Slip-ups here and there, but I'm not beating myself up about it. Especially because of some of the reasons listed above.



Hope you all have a wonderful Valentine's Day and weekend - whether you spend it with someone special or revolt against Hallmark. And if you have President's Day off work, give me a call - I'll be around :)

Questions

I know many of you comment on this blog, and still more do not. But this time, I'm asking you all to come out of hiding and let me know your thoughts. Due to the current economy, I know things are a little uncertain for a lot of people. I keep hearing speculation that the current situation may well end up worse than the Depression, and that's just beyond scary.

1. How has the economic downturn affected you?
2. Do you worry about your job status?
3. What advice would you give to those who have already been affected or expect to be?

For me:
I haven't really been affected yet - our situation has been tight for some time, and we've learned how to work with it as well as possible. More and more, I worry what would happen if I lost my job, because it's currently our sole income. It's possible I worry too much, but I know too many people who have been or are at risk of being laid off. I don't have any advice, though. All I can do is keep those who are struggling in my thoughts and hope for the best.