Need-To-Know Basis

So I haven't written anything in ages—I've been 'busy.' Watching Bones. So far I'm done up to Season Four, Episode Ten. One and a half seasons left until I'm done all that Netflix has to offer! I have to say, I love this show. Zack Addy is one of my favourites, and so is Brennan, of course. I love her wardrobe…! Plus the music on the show is fantastically perfect for me. So, I'm using my baby blanket as an excuse to sit in front of the computer for hours, 'embroidering' and watching TV.

The real reason I got spurred to write today, though…slightly odder.

I'm the sort of person that always has to know. Tell me to do something, first thing I'll ask is 'Why?' It's not me being offensive, or insubordinate (mostly!), I simply need to know. I don't trust  without proof, I suppose.

So, more to the point of the story—I received a Secret Santa this year for the holiday I don't celebrate. (Atheist!) It was apparently put into the backyard, by the back door. So, it's someone that knows me, where I live…and was present for or around a certain conversation I had about a month ago.

During my November Book Club, I talked with someone about our local holiday festival, and what she had purchased for the silent auction to bid on. It was a 2012 Holiday Barbie, and I mentioned that (despite how much I disagree with Barbie now that I can actually look at evidence) I had always wanted one, with the pretty dress and fancy presentation.

So, today I unwrapped the mystery gift…and it was a 2012 Holiday Barbie, with these tags.

To Mahara from Santa.

Dear Mahara—Santa says "once in a lifetime" —Wishing you a wonderful Christmas—Santa

The thing is, I don't recognize the writing. I thought it might be my 'Mom,' but it's not hers. And it's not my mother's writing, either. Not her ex's, not the kids', not anyone I know. 

The weird thing? The signature on the small tag is almost exactly like the ones I remember from the 'Santa' letters that used to be left at our house after 'he' visited. So…I don't know. The writing doesn't look forced to me, like someone's trying to mask their patterns. It looks genuine.

One thing is for sure, it's genuinely confusing!

What's the most surprising, and pleasant, gift you've received? How did you react?

Well Okay Then

I had the weirdest dream last night…I was a detective-type, working with my mother (who wasn't my mother in the dream), to solve a crime that a friend of mine had done. Then his partner in crime, a client of mine (whaaa?) told us where to find him…and that four eight years she had pretended to be his young daughter, as that made it easier to panhandle. I guess they lived on the street—but now they were lovers.

So then when we found my friend, he told us about his 'school' days, and we walked up this impossible long staircase to the top, where his art class had laid all their projects (I think the only class was art).

It was a really slippery mountain thingy, so I kept slipping and sliding off the ramp the art was on—I ended up practically laying on the art to stay up.

My friend's art was really good—it told stories relevant to the conversation we'd had on the stairs, about bacteria in rubbing alcohol, and how it would kill you. Then on the flip side, it looked good at start, but when the teacher came over, we started critiquing it and it was lousy (but still the best ever, I think).

One of the mediums used was my makeup…my powder foundation was used a lot…I think that was it.

Then, we started talking about the lines of the drawing, and suddenly the teacher and I are altering the art, and he's asking my how far I want the letters to go down, do I want them to block the_____?

That's when my alarm rang.

Can anyone analyse dreams? What does this one mean…??

Deck The STRESS With Boughs Of HEAD-DESK!

Today, the only thing that's really sticking out for me is how much I hate this time of year. Rather, I hate the stress that permeates it. The whole 'feel good, peace love and joy' stuff is great, but throw on some 'I've got to find gifts!' to some 'When does this need to be shipped by—yesterday?!' and a dash of 'Now I have to have "family time!"' and it sucks.

I honestly can say that my favourite part of the season is after the big holiday (that I don't even celebrate!) and before New Year's Eve. I can do New Year's, though usually with a very dear friend/cousin/sister/mind-mate of mine. (Unfortunately, seeing as neither of us are going to visit family down South, we won't get to have our holiday together, second year in a row!)

Other than New Year's, I'm really not into this whole holiday stuff. I shudder to think of how I'd incorporate that into child raising, should that be an option. Dear heavens, my child would be messed in the head!

What about you—what do, or don't, you celebrate? Why? How does your family act around that …occasion…?

What A Rush!

This weekend has been both hectic and oddly relaxed. Actually, I suppose the hectic started Thursday—I found out I'm eligible for a French exchange this summer, and I desperately want to go. I'd be spending July with a family in France, then someone in that family, my exchange partner, would come back to Canada with me in August. Wow. 

It's fairly expensive, for eight weeks, but wouldn't it be worth it? It's about four thousand dollars, plus spending money…and I'd be taking a sever loss of pay. So really, the financial cost is huuuuuge. Almost, if not more, than next year's tuition.

Speaking of tuition…Friday, I got a letter from my second choice school, saying they've offered me early/conditional acceptance to the program! Then Saturday (…yesterday!) I checked online for my first choice's decision, to see if they'd started processing my application.

Guess what?

Early Acceptance, baby!

Oh sweet mother of toasters. This is fabulous! The only things missing in my application are A) my final transcripts, which will be sent in June; and B) an application/ approval for residence. (At this school, any first-year under twenty-one is required to live in res. Fine with me!)

So wait, what does this mean? It means next year, I don't have to go to my third-choice school and stay out here in Asscrack, Alberta. (My school is is Lower Back, Alberta—slightly less stinky!) And while this means I am unable to go to my true fist choice, U of Stirling, I'm okay with that. I doubt I'd be able to handle the distance right away, anyway. And the price…one hundred thousand for my Undergrad degree. I'll go there for a Master's in a few years.

Now that that's all out of the way…I've been baking! My pudding for Book Club went well, and the author we had visit wants to read my stuff for when she does her Writer in Residence in March. Very exciting. 

As for today, I'm in the middle of baking right now!

The recipe is taking a lot longer to cook than expected, but that's normal for this elevation. I'm making White Chocolate-Orange-Cranberry Blondies. 

YUM.

Well, I suppose I should head off, make sure these goodies are all right. I'm so excited to eat one!

What's your favourite winter baking? Can you make it yourself or does it come from another's kitchen?

Centurion

So I went to check my visitor stats today…I've had exactly one hundred visitors. Amazingly, to me, almost half of those visitors are from Russia…the Canada, then the US.

It was a bit odd for me. Also, I have to say I didn't expect this many people to read my blog—one oro two hits at most!

I really don't know where I'm going with this…but I wanted to celebrate!

H-2-Outstanding

So, everyone always says that the water here sucks—I an usually smile and nod along. After nearly six years, I don't notice it unless it gets really bad.

Then today, I forgot my water bottle—filled with Town water—at home, so my Zumba teacher let me use her spare.

Ohmigoodness.

What a difference! It was like…I dunno, bottled water? Maybe she uses bottled water, in the giant jugs, and transfers it into the reusable bottles, or maybe the water where she is is really that good. Whatever it is, I'm dreading making my bag up for tomorrow—the water will taste horrid in comparison!

Awesomely Spread Out

I've been told to, and I quote, "write about how awesome you are [I am]." Well, I don't think I'll fulfill that, not tonight. 

I'm writing about how thinly spread I am—and how I keep finding new pieces of bread to cover. You'd think I'd learn. And I know I've done lots of the 'look how busy I am,' but the truth is that I don't know how to do anything else. I hardly even notice most of the time—it's simply what I do. 

When I do notice it, it's when I get tired all the time—then I sleep a bit extra on the weekend (when I can find one…!) and it's more or less better. Something that always makes me think, then quickly stop thinking, is a little happening from earlier this year.

I was in the preliminary process of applying to a Rotary exchange two and a half months ago (turns out, I'm too close to being your Granny's age to go), but I asked a question that set this off:

"Will I be able to work while overseas?"

The answer?

"No."

I was shocked. Then…lost. What would I do without my work? I've worked almost non-stop since I was thirteen—that's when I got my first 'real' summer job. (There was one when I was eleven , but it only lasted two months, and no one likes to acknowledge it.) Since then, I've only ever not worked when I got laid off a few months before summer, when I was fifteen—and I got hired back on for the summer, anyway. That summer I actually worked two jobs…the most I've ever done at once is three. (Though I can't recall what the third was, I simply remember that there were three.)

Now, I suppose I will give in and write yet another list of what I do—but this, instead of being actual paid work, is wholly volunteer.

Monday/Wednesday—Grade Two helper for 1.5 hours or so each day

Tuesday/Thursday—Kindergarten helper for 1.5 hours or so each day

Friday/Saturday/Sunday—One or more hockey games, 2+ hours a game, on semi-regular weekends. For these, I do the announcing, when the mic works. 

As a side note, that last might not be valid any more…turns out there's been some turmoil within the Hockey club/team. I may be out of a gig!

To get the full picture as to what it is I'm doing during the workweek, take into account that I have classes from 0900-1020. I volunteer from 1030-1145/1200. Then classes 1230-1515. After that, I work and such.

And as of next Monday (IknowIcanIkowIcanIknowIcan), I will be a certified, trained, High School First Responder. Meaning I'm the step between 'you're hurt/sick' and the ambulance—highly simplified, of course.

The issue? While I'm on duty, I cannot leave my high school.

Yeah. Minor problem there, eh?

But hopefully to fix it, I've filled in this lovely chart.

Think I'll get this figured out? Yeah, me too. 

So, here's the question: Have you ever overbooked or double booked yourself? When? How'd you get out of it? 

I realize, looking back, that this is far from the first time….

It's Almost Real

So yesterday, I applied for school. There was a deadline for free money—I had to be applied to one or all of the three schools by December 01 (tomorrow). And, as the security in the application site doesn't work with my browser, I had to do it at school (meaning I missed a yearbook meeting, the first in the actual lab.)

It's almost starting to sink in—next year, I won't be going to elementary, junior high or high school…I'll be done with that. On to the next thing—school that'll cost me upwards of $10 000 a year, for six years. Why so long for a simple undergrad degree? Well, that's interesting you ask.

The one school that I really want (that is in my country and doesn't cost me $100 000 to attend) actually doesn't have the program I want‚ Education. Soooo…what I'm going to do, assuming I'm accepted (knock on wood…) is attend my choice school for four years, acquire a Bachelor of Arts in __________, then hopefully transfer to a school on Vancouver Island to do a two-year after-degree in Education. Getting my Ed degree in British Columbia would allow me to teach in BC, as opposed to stinkin' ol' Alberta.

Translation: Vancouver, here I come! Slowly but surely….

I would really, really like to work in an alternate school, because everything I do, study, read, watch, you-name-it, proves that the school system I've spent the last eight years in is fucked messed up. Really—spend an hour looking at how children learn, pre-kindergarten, and tel me how the school system works with that.

Children are so naturally curious, so invested in learning everything around them…and then we stick them into half-hour blocks where everything is chunked up, and expect them to sit in a desk all day. No wonder we have kids that fall through the 'cracks'…they're not cracks, they're gaping holes that were built into the bowl.

The current system is built for twenty-five percent of the population. Twenty-five percent. Tell me that's fair. I dare you.

Anyhoo, I want to challenge that, and find ways to make the 'aha!' moments not such a rare thing. I don't know if you've ever spent time with children, or students, but when they get something—and I mean really get it—it's amazing. Their whole face lights up, and you know they've got it because you can hear it in their voice.

I had a moment like that today—one little boy, seven or so, that I've been working with for that past few weeks, got a math concept today…it was amazing. I was grinning the whole way back to the high school—even loosing my favourite card game to a beginner couldn't dim it. (In my defense, I was out second to his first. Beginner's luck—I'll get him next time.)

What are you going to do next year? Are you taking a big step? How will it change your world?

What To Do?

So I know I was tired last night, and this morning proved it. How? I slept in an hour past my usual time to get up. It's now quarter to 0800h, and I'm lazing in my housecoat, playing with Reiki. He has discovered the feet, under blankets, are fun to pounce on. I have discovered his teeth can reach through some of my blankets. Ouch.

Now I waiting for the time to pass—it's too late to go to Curves, too early to go to school…. Feels weird. Maybe I'll actually make breakfast today—I haven't had that in a while. Poached eggs and toast sounds good…and I even think we have cheese in the house. Add some hummus, and it's a meal.

Of course I've made myself hungry writing that…so I think I'll do it. Breakfast, here I come!

Crash Course

So I haven't made a post in a few days, and there's a few reasons why. 

Thursday: I was up until Friday watching movies from a decade a go that are no longer relevant or mildy 'with it.' I spent most of the time critiquing the 'that would never work' factor. (Then sppent Friday morning watching the sequel. >.< )

Friday: Spend the day working on a loooooong email to a former teacher, asking for advice. Then spent the evening with a staff workshop…and meeting this guy:

His name is Reiki…but more on him later. For now, it's enough to say that I was up until…Saturday, I think, working with him.

Saturday: Day with Reiki, volunteer at school, into town 'the city' (ha!) to take advantage of an awesome sale on loooong inseam pants. Hey-oh-yeah. Then I spent the late-late night talking with a friend…and kind of getting psychoanalysed. Always fun. I went to bed early this morning.

So that brings us to today. And though I love my new Mr. Man…he is in the dog house (ewww, stinky!) because he keeps chewing me, my clothes, old kleenexes and these:

Add that to kitten-peeing and the like…I am not pleased. Those were my last remnants of any sort of portable music device—my dear green iPod went through the wash this summer. RIP.

Well then. 

I've attempted to create a chew/claw/chase toy out of some bright neon pink rope I had floating about…he's not interested. Maybe I should sleep with it tonight, so it'll smell like me instead of tealight smoke. He seems to like biting Mahara-scented items. Mainly, my skin. Joy.

Well? Any other baby problems? Any tips? Major don'ts? I need to know—most of the babies I deal with, I can change their diaper and put them to sleep. Then again, I can't pick them up by the scruff of their necks….

Oh! Yeah!

This is one of those 'Oh, ____!' moments. I actually do have something to write about today!
My Grad ring came in, and I picked it up…I'm really hoping I still enjoy it in a few months, years…decades. It was the second most expensive ring in the school, and actually really different than what I originally sort-of wanted. Ugh. I am such a sucker for salesmen….

On another (similar?) note, the ring is actually a bit large, so I'm going to have to get it re-sized. However, I'm going to wait a bit before I do that—perhaps I'm simply having a skinny day. (Ha!)

Any suggestions on how long I should wait? Should I wait at all? Should I have been fiscally responsible and skipped the bloody thing in the first place? (Don't answer that last one, I think I know already….)

Time Beautifully Wasted

Well, so I promised to share my other favourite time-spender. It's Doll Divine, and I adore it. To show just how much I love it…here's my latest doll, done this morning.

Isn't she lovely? Now, me being as in-the-box as I am, I usually create myself in these various styles, and am quite content that way.

So, combined with endless quizz taking, this is how I spend my 'twenty-minutes-until-bedtime' moments. (Instead of being a good little girl and studying, or reading for Book Club. Shh!)

Roses and Teaching

So I guess this is the easy route out again, but Blogthings is my fall-back when there's nothing to do, yet I need to fill time (well, one of two, but it's faster. I'll introduce you to the other soon…). But wait! Today I'll actually discuss what I think of my results! Ooooh!

You Have High Standards

You'll do almost anything for a friend, but you won't be friends with just anyone. You're the perfect combination of simplicity and divinity. You are a secret hedonist, and no one knows how indulgent you can be. You are very reliable. Many people count on you, and rightfully so. You are intense, internally driven, and passionate. You have a purpose to your life.

The Abstract Rose Test

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

You Learn by Teaching Yourself

There's very little you can't teach yourself. You are a huge self-learner. You don't have one learning style that works for you. You try everything that works. You experiment with learning and figure out what works best for you in each context. Your most important attribute is perseverance. Even when it feels like something is impossible to understand, you don't give up.

How Do You Learn?

Blogthings: Free Quizzes for Everyone

So for the rose test—'You Have High Standards'—I could have told you that. I think it's pretty accurate. I'm fairly reliable and loyal, yet I really do love indulging. (One of the reasons my weekly trail mix has so many chocolate chips…?) All in all, this certainly isn't one of the quizzes that I disagree, or even waffle over.

As for how I learn—'You Learn By Teaching Yourself'—I suppose that's accurate. I've never really thought about it that way, so it was a bit new for me. Though once I actually examined it…yep. That fits.

One of the reasons I love Blogthings…and am more than a bit in awe…I haven't got a clue as to how the writer does all this, and makes it all work, you know? Well, what do you think? Could you do it?

Blahblahblah

Yesterday was a rather odd day…I don't really know how to categorize it. I did go to a friend's place, he did as I demanded and amused me…I stayed out too late and worried people….

Yet, it was odd. I suppose I've got to take Me Time more often.

As for today, nothing really eventful—my first morning visit to Curves in months, which was great, I forgot to make tea this morning…supper was bread and eggs around 2000h….

Blahblahblahblahblahblahblah….

Goodnight.

Satur-busy-day

Well, today's the big day—I have so much to do! I've got to get showered/dressed/actually-put-makeup-on by 0900, then I'm off and outta here!

At 1100, I have my designer friend coming in to town to do fittings for a charity fashion show at the local Christmas Festival. (The funny thing is, I don't even celebrate Christmas!)
After meeting with the designer, I've got kids from work coming to do our singing—I work with the after school program, and we've got four songs to sing. I think I know them best of anyone there, aside from other staff. Oh dear. We sing at 1115.

Then at 1200, it's the staff—all of us that aren't afraid of the locals are going to sing 'Twelve Staff of the Society' to introduce the women that this town leaves their children with. (But so far, most have decided to be absent for that…thanks. Way to show a cohesive unit!)

Then at 1315, the Fashion Show! I've done most of the organizing for that—getting models, measurements, my old (and working wonderfully, do you hear me?!) CD player out and ready, digging up clothing racks (which I have yet to locate).

On top of that, I have to find a way to rig up a speaker system to my keyboard, because I'm to play music alongside two of the four songs from my group (one of those songe still needs to be printed off. Shhhhhh!), and one other act needs the keyboard for her accompanist.

THEN, when all the Festival stuff is done on my part (and I'm not staying to clean!), I'm going to the high school to help make turtles for the 10000 Villages/Bethlehem Market next (already?!) week.

THEN, I have a hockey game to volunteer at, but I really don't know if I'm going to go…there's so much already on my plate.

Luckily, tomorrow I'm going to pretend I have a social life and hang out with one of my friends in town. I'm going to show up on his doorstep at 1000, and make him amuse me for hours. Should be fun.

Did I forget anything? I'm sure I did. Absolutely positive of it, in fact—now, if only I could remember what it ws that I forgot.

Lightbulb!

I figured it out! Why my posts don't get published (just think, there's loads of them backlogged…!)!


It's the labels.


Every time I write something, and go to sort it with labels, the blasted this pops up an error message and doesn't publish. Great. So, my solution is to simply never sort, or organize, or categorize anything.

This. Is. Going. To. Be. Hell.


But at least I can post, right…? Right? Come on, I need the encouragement. Smile and nod, folks. Smile and nod!

Fine White Powder

No, not crack. Snow. Lots and lots and lots and lots and lots of it. No busses today, the whole district is like 'whaaa…?'

On the plus, I made grilled cheese a new way (for me) today and it turned out really well. And I put supper into the crockpot at 1000h, so it'll be nice and ready when I come home from work again in a few hours. (I worked 0730-0930, now I'll do 1530-1730.) Supper ready means I actually will eat it, because it contains neither meat, leftovers or soggy unknown ingredients. I made it 100% today. 

Soooo…I shall share with you the recipe! (Remember that this is all approximate amounts!)

Mahara's Tofu Mac-and-Cheese

Blogthings: The Easy Route

Two Blogthings to report today, because I;m too lazy to actually say anything insightful. I'll let quizes do it for me.

You Think Love Should Be Smart

You're not sure if it's love unless you're connecting on a deeper, more mental level. When you fall in love, it tends to be right. That doesn't mean it's easy though. You tend to have crushes on brainy, witty, insightful types. Looks matter less to you. People are attracted to you because you're bright, funny, and quirky. You are definitely one of a kind.

The First Date Movie Test

Blogthings: A Fine Line Between Insight and Stupidity

You Are Not Scary

Everyone loves you. Isn't that sweet?

How Scary Are You?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

Well? I have reason to believe not everyone agrees with that last answer…the quiz simply didn't ask the right questions!

Sleep Time Yet?

I'm so very tired tonight…ugh. My schedule seems like it's roomy, but then I get down to it, and there's not that much 'blah' time. At least, not if I follow it.

Monday—Curves, Sewing Club

Tuesday—Farmer's Market, Karate

Wednesday—Curves, Zumba

Thursday—Library, Karate

Friday—Curves, Optional Hockey Game

Saturday—Optional Hockey Game

Sunday—Optional Hockey Game

Now, of course this is not considering the work-school-volunteer-school-work process I do every weekday, starting at 0730. I don't finish up until anywhere between 1630 and 1800. Then I proceed to do whatever the daily duties are. 

Oh, and at school, I'm only on two teams currently—Leadership Team and Yearbook Team. They meet at noon, one day a week respectively. Heaven forbid there's a long weekend, and they end up on the same day…then it's a matter of which meeting will need me more. 

On a lighter note, I was going to put my first picture up here (gasp!), by showing you the amazing cooking that is making me fat. OUr cook at work…I swear, we're not allowed to be able to run up a flight of stairs. If we can do that, we aren't eating enough. Naw, I jest, she's fantastic—simply a little too much so in the…uh…cooking department. Her food is sooooooooooooooooooooo good…yummy!

Today was cookies with jam dollops in them…mmmmmmm.Thank goodness I'm no longer eating three meals a day there, like I was this summer!

(Yep this is the post I attempted last night—turns out I managed to save it somehow. Yippee!)

Ugh

I made this lovely long post last night…all brilliant and such…than the flippin' site kept having troubles and wouldn't let me post. So, I left it open on my dashboard, and was going to copy it onto a new post this morning…. Unfortunately, my Safari crashed before that was possible. So now I don't have it at all, and I doubt I'll redo it. Too much of a reminder.

Thanks, Blogspot.

Cargon, Honour & Privilege

Last week, my local librarian asked me to read a novel before she catalogued it—not unusual, I've tested books for her before. I've usually found them nothing too special, decent. I've enjoyed them, but I've not been intensely attached.

Maybe it's because I haven't done much book reading lately, or maybe it's the cliffhanger ending, but Kimberly Gould's Cargon, Honour & Privilege literally made me desperate to continue.

I think I scared my sister when, after finishing, I promptly shouted that it couldn't end that way, not there. It simply couldn't. 

But it did, and I then preceded to do a preliminary search for a sequel—not likely, seeing as the novel is copyrighted 2011, and the book is said to be made on October 17 of this year. Despite that, I would eagerly welcome a sequel.

I devoured this book in what used to be my slowest time—about three hours for 202 pages. I'm out of practise (reading online will do that to you, it seems), but for those three hours, I was completely immersed in Cargon. 

I usually don't read YA fiction, which is what I would classify this as, but I can't shout the praises loud enough. Maybe it's the amount of roses (LOVE IT) in the book, but I found the relationships, growth, and evolution utterly absorbing. I'm not one for sappy lovey-dovey stuff (ick), but the romance was so well done, I could actually laugh along with it.

As for the characters…Eve, the main character, was so easily accessible and true, that I found myself in her. (To be honest, I found myself in practically every character!) The people who were originally stiff were so three-dimensional by the end of the book—even halfway through it. The character I originally hated, but had an uncannily accurate prediction about, grew on me in the last ten pages or so. By the end, I wasn't completely disgusted by him—I didn't like him, but I could think of worse fates. 

The game of Cargon…I still don't truly understand it, but I think it would be fascinating learn more about. I would be greatly interested in that….

So, all in all, this was fabulous, I strongly recommend it. (I'll be suggesting it for Book Club 2013!). 

I have another book I'm going to nick from the Library soon and pre-read, too—that one looks a little more mainstream with the current teen novels today (geez, what's with the teen obsession?!), but still intriguing. I'm looking forward to telling y'all about it, too! (It even has a sequel, ready to read. ;) )

Got It!

So, next month's book club is going to be a big deal: we've got author Karen Bass coming in to talk about her second novel (I loved her first one, Run Like Jager!), and we've got goodies (and wine for the adults) to munch on for a holiday celebration.

That's where I always get stumped. Last year, I was still eating meat when we did our party in February (huh? How does that work—the dates don't match…), so I made a Rueben dip and brought bread. This year…I refuse to cook with meat, but I want to actually cook something, because I can now use my kitchen, thanks to the move (and plus, it's so very close to the library). Even so, I still don't know what to make.

Or, I didn't.

I was Stumbling today, and came across this recipe. YUM. Right before that, I found this one. Mmmmmmmmmmmmm. Do I use both? Or only the pudding one? Can I de dedicated enough?

Is it even possible?


Ach, I hope so. I now can't wait for Book Club, even more than before. Who knows—I might actually read both books this month!

Well, I Could Have Told You That!

I saw this as one of the similar quizes…I had to take it, if only for a laugh. Oh dear.

Your Family Is 92% Dysfunctional

Your family is more than a little nuts. And you definitely should think about moving on. This doesn't mean you need to completely cut your family out of your life... But it does mean you need to create a healthy support system of your own. One that doesn't involve your family. Even if you've already made a clean break from your past, it still may be haunting you. Checking in with a therapist from time to time is probably a good idea.

Is Your Family Dysfunctional?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Really. I'm so surprised.

The Refrigerator Says…

So I'm a huuuuge Blogthings fan, and I took this quiz today…the last line made me laugh—it feels oddly accurate. >.<

Your Refrigerator Says You Are an Adventurous Eater

You aren't greedy, but you don't really deprive yourself either. You strike a good balance with the stuff you buy. You tend to be a fairly thrifty person. You splurge occasionally, but you're mostly a saver. You are a very adventurous person. You love to try new things, and you get bored very easily. You are responsible, together, and mature. You act like an adult, even when you don't feel like it. You are likely to be married - and very busy.

What Do the Contents of Your Refrigerator Say About You?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

Hook, Line and Stinker

I suppose I'm fishing, (two blogs, one day, oooh!) but I'm soo very excited, and terribly nervous.

I've finally started writing again, a story that's been sitting on me for months now, and I've finally begun it. I know where it's going, I know the characters, I know how long it needs to be to keep the setting. What I don't know is how to put it on the freakin' screen. It's driving me mad(der).

Aaaaaagh! I should simply sit down and write it, but…it over think, and what if, and how come and don't do it. Someone should give me an incentive, eh? (Ooh, the quaint Canadian card. >.< )

Please?

It's Only Just!

So almost two years ago, I got to see Carol-Anne Cole speak at a conference—and one thing above all else stuck with me.

Just.

It's only one word, right? Only a little, insignificant, four letter word. Yet something Ms. Cole said made me think. She said to eliminate the 'just,' because almost every time you use it, you're demeaning or minimizing something.

How many times do we call someone, and when they answer, we say "…oh, it's just me?" Or, we tell people we just wanted to say hi? Or "I was just thinking…."

It's belittling. You call someone, it's not just you, it's you! I want to say hi? Then I want to say hi! And "I was just thinking…?" Ugh. Yes, I have a brain—and it even works most of the time. I'm never "just thinking."

So…I don't use the J word anymore. I notice when you do, and I wince a little every time. It kills me a bit inside, and it makes me feel small—even when you're doing it to you.