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HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIN!

How could I not love someone who writes this to me:

"I love reading your blog.  It's not the same as talking to you.  But I check it everyday and usually I laugh out right especially when you are exposing your family life."

And this....:

"...[our friendship} is still such a treasure to me to have this relationship even though it's not nurtured the way it once was.  I feel that even through distance our spirits are connected and there is honesty and vulnerability and kindredness that are so unique to us and it really is a treasure."

Heartfelt wishes to the friend who never tells me what I wanna hear...even when it hurts :). 

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Looking for Fun Monday instructions?  Please scroll down a few posts, you'll find it below :).  Even if you've never FunMondayed before, THIS is a GREAT week to begin!  By letting the www see you at your WORST! :)

Not a conclusion of "No Matter What These Pictures Suggest..." but a question for YOU!

Look at the time I posted this...it's 6:30 in the morning. 

Our day is shaping up to be a day FULL of all things soccer, tourney games at 8:30 a.m., 10:30, 2:30 and 6:15.  The field is close to an hour from home.  Never having been there before and not knowing if we'll even see our creaky garage door rising before the sun begins to set tonight, it's not looking like I can conclude my story before tonight at the earliest. 

Yes, I can take my lappy in case we don't come home, yes, I'll NEED want a break from all the game-induced, testosterone-and-sweat-laced energy that is sure to be reverberating like the greenhouse effect in my car (huh?), yes, we'll probably even be somewhere near free wi-fi and I'll be itchin' to write.

BUT, at this point--AND I SWEAR I DID NOT PLAN THIS--contrary to Little Miss Moi's comment in the last post ;), my s t a l l i n g is not a ruse....  In spite of Kurt calling me a tease, I am NOT trying to lead you on!!! Nooooooo, I would NEVER do that! 

Okay, the Honesty Police just whacked me on the head, and yes, I AM fully capable of that, but it's not what I intended with telling this story.  It's one of my favorite early memories of marriage, and I've been wanting to write it for a while; only recently did I find the pictures THAT I WILL POST VERY SOON!  And I thought it'd be a fun appetizer for next week's Fun Monday. 

So.......my question for you.  Many people don't blog over the weekends.  I LOVE THIS STORY AND HOPE LOTS OF PEEPS actually read it!  I want you to see me at my, ummmm.....funniest?  It's pretty bad**.  Should I wait until Monday to post it and let IT be my Fun Monday "bad hair" post?  Or should I publish it when it's done?  Heck, at this rate, it may BE Monday before I'm done :/.  But I promise, I never, ever, EVAH pioneered this game of cat and mouse.

I have way more respect for you than that...doing that would just be so beneath me ;).

** That's "bad" in a Michael Jackson kind of way, the grievously scary plastic surgery bad, not the  uber-cool 80's song "Bad"!

No matter WHAT these pictures suggest, I was NEVER an MTV video hoe! PART DEUX

(Please read Part One if you haven't done so already; it'll make Part Deux a much more enjoyable read :) ).

As you can imagine, in this particular field bravado goes a long way.  Just a few years my senior, the owner was visibly impressed with my gutsy cold call.  After a few minutes of conversation, I learned that he was in business with his brother and father, the latter an accomplished, albeit now retired, marketing pro.  His client list was impressive, he had worked with the "big boys"--clients with national name recognition.  Now, he was all about the business of helping his son establish his own mark in the industry. 

"C" skimmed my resume and he quickly discovered his wife had gone to the same college I had (small world).   The conversation progressed and it was revealed she had graduated the year before me (the world is shrinking).  As our tête-à-tête continued, the world shriveled to head-of-a-pin size--we had been in the same sorority and were friends who, living eight hours apart, had simply lost contact after college!  A completely credible reference dropped in my lap and a sign that things were going well.  Extremely well.

Within days, perhaps the next (time has blurred the details) C called with an offer.  On one hand I was thrilled!  Because this was a small business, there would be opportunity to work in a lot of different areas; on the other remained the stark reality that this was, in fact, a small business.  The salary was less than half of what I was making in Atlanta.  Less than half....:/

Tad and I talked it over.  After much consideration, we concluded he was earning a GREAT salary and the experience I would gain was "worth" the cut in pay.  I knew it was stretching C financially to hire another employee.  By this time his wife and I had re-connected and she gave me the personal side of their story; this was an enormous step for him, it directly affected his income to hire me, but he had decided it was necessary to grow his business.

Not long into my employment, I decided it was time for a perm.  As I hammer out those keystrokes, for the life of me now, I have NO idea why I thought it was necessary--I HAVE NATURALLY WAVY HAIR, for heaven's sake!   Even back then, getting a perm was expensive, and somehow I had a hard time justifying the expense.  About that same time, I saw an ad in the newspaper.  It was a "model call" for a company that was hosting a hair show in our area.  If selected, women would receive free products and services, and in return, agreed to serve as models for the show.  Almost as good as cash, it sounded too good to be true. 

Famous.  Last.  Words.

I talked my friend, the boss's wife, into going with me.  It sounded like a fun girlie thing to do.  We met with the company's reps, they looked us over, asked some questions, examined our hair, and determined we were good candidates for the show.  They planned a simple cut and color for my friend.  For me?  In addition to a perm, they waxed poetically about "what a great red-head" I'd make.  I balked at that, I wasn't very adventuresome when it came to my hair; they razzle-dazzled me with words that sounded like "blond highlights", and soon they had my cooperation. 

The "show" took place that weekend.

And guys, I'm sorry, but I'm STILL not done, and I gotta head out again, so I'll finish this up later tonight and I promise, Part Three will include the pictures!!!  PLEASE come back!

No matter WHAT these pictures suggest, I was NEVER an MTV video hoe!

The year was 1988, I was newly wed, and just a few months earlier, had left a lucrative marketing position in Atlanta to follow my husband to a sleepy little Coastal town in South Carolina, known for its seafood and the highway that gets you there but little more than prawns and pavement.  Jobs in my field were few and far between. 

To go anywhere meant a drive up or down Highway 17, and a road-side sign for a small professional building along the way always managed to catch my eye:  "The [I'm-not-about-to-tell- you-and-it's-defunct-now-anyway] Group".  Innocuous in and of itself, it was the sub-heading that made me wistful--"marketing/ advertising/public relations".  Near Nirvana for a  wet-behind-the- ears seasoned marketing veteran like me!  Meticulous study of the classifieds never yielded the result I hoped for--a "want ad" for this firm--let alone ANY listings for that kind of job in the area.  Other than selling timeshares or yes, cleaning supplies, marketing jobs were in short supply.

Well, one day, figuring I had absolutely nothing to lose, I drove to "The X Group", parked my 1980 white-with-a-navy-half- landeau-roof Cutlass Supreme, and, armed with resume in one hand and an adrenaline-filled cup of confidence in the other, marched my behind up the stairs to their office.  Yes, I was nervous, but I was young and bold and confident, and just arrogant enough to believe that the owner of the company would immediately see what I had to offer.

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Oops, guys, I've got to go for now, but I'm going ahead and posting this, half written, just for fun.  I'll be back later today to finish it and provide the photographs that go with the title.   This is DEFINITELY an appetizer for next week's Fun Monday, please be sure to invite your readers to join in the fun!   Hope you'll check back to read "the rest of the story" ;).

An Invitation to Tea

"When did you last have a tea party?  When was the last time you enjoyed a cup of tea with someone you cared about?  Isn't it time you did again?

...perhaps the idea of a tea party takes you back to your childhood.  Do you remember dressing up and putting on you best manners as you sipped pretend tea out of tiny cups and shared pretend delicacies with your friends, your parents, or your teddy bears?  Were you lucky enough to have adults who cared enough to share tea parties with you?  And are you lucky enough to have a little person with whom you could share a tea party today?  Is there a little girl inside you who longs for a lovely time of childish imagination and "so big" manners?

It could be that the mention of teatime brings quieter memories--cups of amber liquid sipped in peaceful solitude on a big old porch, or friendly confidences shared over steaming cups.

But even if you don't care for tea--if you prefer coffee or cocoa or lemonade or ice water, or if you like chunky mugs better than gleaming silver or delicate china, or if you find the idea of a traditional tea overly formal and a bit intimidating--there's still room for you at the tea table.  Few can resist a tea party when it is served with the right spirit.

You see, it's not the tea itself that speaks to the soul with such a satisfying message.  And it's not the teacups themselves that bring a message of beauty and serenity and friendship.

It's not the tea, in other words, that makes the teatime special.  It's the spirit of the tea party.

It's what happens when women or men or children make a place in their lives for the rituals of sharing.  It's what happens when we bother with the little extras that feed the soul and nurture the senses and make space for unhurried conversations.  And when that happens, it doesn't really matter what fills cups of holds the liquid.

It really isn't the tea.

It's the spirit of the tea party.

And, it is  in that spirit I offer an invitation to tea."

Excerpted from Emilie Barnes' "An Invitation to Tea".

For 12 years my daughter, mother-in-law, Sarah, and I have hosted a mother-daughter Valentine Tea Party for our friends and family.  Reading the above passage has been how Sarah has begun brunch for the most recent several, I don't really remember when she began this part of the tradition.  Every time I hear it, particularly the sections I've bold-printed above for emphasis, my heart is moved. 

A Rant and a Lame Validation

** s i g h **

I H.A.T.E. feeling so S.T.U.P.I.D.!!!  (stomp, stomp, fists clenched into tight balls, bottom lip poked out...WAAAAAYYY out)

"Why," you ask, "are you feeling so, as YOU say, STUPID?"

I can't navigate the technical side of TypePad well OR fast!  And, THAT ticks me off like no tomorrow!  The technical side sucks T.I.M.E., but once I begin something, I just get more and more frustrated until I can get it figured out.  AND WHEN I CAN'T GET IT FIGURED OUT, apparently I pitch a posted temper tantrum. 

I need Michele or Mike or Peter or SUSIE to come and hold my hand and lead me through this impenetrable blog jungle.  They should take note that at this moment, I am a ferocious BEAST and my bite is much worse than my ROAR! 

But I do have a nice, fresh warm cream cheese pound cake and some smokin' Dunkin Donuts coffee I'll be happy to share.  Takers........anyone?

I shoulda been visiting Julie more often...she takes care of the Swampwitch when Swampy doesn't even know she's going to!

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All that said, I sure as heck don't deserve this distinction:

According to Kineda's Blog "To be an A-List Celebrity in Hollywood, it’s all about the amount of Vanity Fair, GQ, and People Magazine covers you can score. To be an A-List Bloglebrity on the Internet, it’s all about the amount of link love you can score." All this really means is I've been linked to 500+ blogs in the last 180 days (per Technorati)--which I'm sure is of the stellar content and Pulitzer-worthy writing prowess...not my affiliation with the Blogging Chicks or anything simple like that...;).

Okay...I'm done...I realize there are a lot of serious things going on out there...for now, I just needed to blow steam.  Done.  Feelin' better already.

Fun Monday Challenge, Week of April 22nd

  Looking for my Fun Monday post for today?  It's HERE :).

As for next week, I CANNOT remember who I was reading last week, I can't even remember WHAT it was, but it inspired me to ask Bethany if I could host Fun Monday after her. 

What's the challenge?  Why I'm putting the FUN(NY) in Fun Monday! Bloggers are notorious exhibitionists...we bare our hearts...we bare our souls...and sometimes...SOMETIMES...we bare our faces.  It's not your face I'm interested in, though...it's YOUR HAIR!  Pull out your old photo albums (in this digital age, that's like asking you to pull out your vinyl records, or, egads! your cassette tapes, lol.  There's something wonderfully nostalgic about vinyl; there is NOTHING romantic about cassettes!) and find your WORST "BAD HAIR DAY" EVAH!  If you're the unfortunate soul who has more than one, well then, post as many as you're willing.

This is one thing I l i k e about blogging.  We keep it REAL, huh? Share the good AND the bad.  The "good" is nice, but the "bad"?  Well, that's just delicious!  For your collective sakes, I sure hope these pictures aren't current (if that's the case, maybe we'll have an informal blogging "Extreme Makeover" intervention or something). 

Ok...chop-chop, what are you waiting for?  Invite your friends...your relatives...your lurking readers to take part next week (and let me know so I can link ya).  Can't wait to see your hair disasters :)!   

Words, favorites, turn ons, cussin' & dream jobs...?!

Bethany, aka Ice Cream Mama explains this week's Fun Monday challenge ~

As host of Inside the Actor's Studio, James Lipton interviews some of today’s most popular personalities.  The show has three parts. The first part consists of a one on one interview in front of a live audience (so much better than a dead one).  The final part is a Q & A with audience members asking the questions.

The second part is my favorite and is also next THIS week’s Fun Monday challenge.

James Lipton presents the audience with ten questions.  Bethany asked FM bloggers to answer these same questions for this week's challenge.  

What profession, other than your own, would you like to attempt?

OPI Color namer, chef in my own restaurant, sommelier, Sea World dolphin trainer, Paula Deen's or Rachel Ray's sidekick, journalist, sex therapist and/or marriage counselor, physical therapist, social worker, Disney imagineer...hehe, I'm not kidding on ANY of these :).

What is your favorite word?

Right off the bat, an unanswerable question :/.  I love the word "love" because it encompasses SO many meanings, I love them all ;).  I guess a close second would be "forgive" and any derivative of that.

What is your least favorite word?

Good~bye (much easier than my "favorite" word)

What turns you on (creatively, spiritually or emotionally)?

I guess I'm reading this as what kinds of things inspire you...as a sensual, passionate person (get your minds out of the gutter), many things "get me going"... music (since I just finished this confounded thing, of course that's on my mind!), the beauty, magnificence, enormity and sometimes subtlety of creation (ocean, waterfalls, lightning bugs, a bird in flight, a flower...), "epiphanous moments" in my faith, h e a r i n g and understanding Scripture in a way I never have before....and (your minds may wander to the gutter) my husband.

What turns you off?

Arrogance, superficiality, bad breath, excuses (a victim mentality), mean-spiritedness :(.

What is your favorite curse word?

Ummmm....crap or $#!+, depending on how bad the traffic is O:)

What sound or noise do you love?

A heavy rain or violent thunderstorm and the waves crashing on the beach!!!!

What sound or noise do you hate?

Whining children (mine or others) and when a car in my vicinity is playing their music SO LOUDLY I can FEEL IT! >:(

What profession would you not like to attempt?

Butcher (bloody raw meat--YUCK!), poultry processor (salmonella and see previous), pilot (that hating to fly thing), telemarketing (phone phobia), CPA (I'm WAAAYYYY to a.d.d. to professionally play with numbers), professional bungee jumper or hang glider.

If Heaven exists, What would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the Pearly Gates?

Well done.... :)   

HEY GUYS!!  I'M THE HOST FOR NEXT WEEK'S FUN MONDAY!!!  HOPE Y'ALL WILL JOIN IN WHAT WILL BE A VERY FUN FUN MONDAY!  I'll tell ya tomorrow what the theme will be and new friends are invited to join us, too!

7-Song Music Meme

Realizing this was "so last week" (make that "month"!) I probably could've skipped it, since I was actually tagged for it by Willowtree (most likely as an instrument for torture;) ), I decided to post it anyway.  He knows from having read me in the past, "I.CANNOT.MAKE.A.DECISION."!  I saw it so many times in the blogosphere, I have no idea who has or hasn't done it, so if it tickles your fancy and you complete it, please let me know, and I'll pop over to learn a bit more about you through your music tastes.

The tag in essence is to list seven songs you're currently listening to.  Most bloggers have broken this rule; now that I think about it, has ANYONE listed only seven?  And most meme-ers have not limited it to music they're listening to NOW...and instead of songs, they've listed artists or bands they like. 

Hmmmm....

Well, guess what, bloggity friends of mine?  I just shifted gears, even as my little fingers are strummin' the ol' keyboard.  I'm gonna list seven.  ONLY seven!  Talk about backing myself into a corner.........:/  (If you were a gambler, it'd be a pretty good bet to bet against me.)  Here goes my sad little attempt to play by the rules.  It's already hurting.

To help me out, I had already decided "how" I was gonna get this mutha-of-all-memes done:  there are six pre-sets on my car radio, so I was going to list song(S) that followed whatever format each preset is.  For the seventh, I was gonna include something from the very tiny present I got for my birthday :).

Preset 1:  Contemporary Christian

Chris Tomlin, "How Can I Keep from Singing?"

I've seen Chris in concert twice, he has a lot of fun with his audience, and it's small wonder he's nominated for a few Dove awards; although he didn't come away with a Grammy, he was nominated in a few categories for this, too.
 

Preset 2:  Alternative Christian

Skillet, "Comatose"

Although Skillet has been around for quite a while, I'm a new fan.  The kids and I LOVE the whole album (Tad's not quite on board with their "fusion of contemporary hard rock and metal with pop balladry").  It's a great one to listen to at full volume and I hope they successfully cross over to mainstream. 

 

Preset 3:  Rock/Pop

Snow Patrol, "Chasing Cars"

This is a song I didn't get at first, but I always liked it.  Now, it's under my skin and I hear the beautiful love story.

Preset 4:  Rock/Pop

Five for Fighting, "100 Years"

I'm not a huge fan of these guys, but this is one of my FAVORITE songs EVAH in the history of songdom!  It's not even from their most recent album, but whenever I hear it...I have to stop and listen and savor the f e e l of this song.  This is one I'd love you to listen to...here's the video on youtube.

Preset 5:  Best of 70s, 80s, 90s and today

(I'm starting to sink....do you know how DIFFICULT it is to choose ONE from THIS Station?  They have EVERYTHING from Motown to Beach Music to Soft Rock to Techno Punk!!!  One...one...HOW DO I CHOOSE ONE???)  I'm goin' with one that ALWAYS makes me smile...and it's Tad's Ringtone on my phone...although I REALLY wanted him to have this THIS : ) for a ringtone.

The B-52s, "Love Shack"

Preset 6:  Rock

Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, "Face Down"

How can you not look twice at a band with that name?  Described as a "sonic blend of Green Day, Simple Plan and screamo", these guys sound like they have good heads on their shoulders.

Last one, Lucky Seven--

Rod Stewart, "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered"

I absolutely thrill to Rod's Great American Songbook CDs!  I really just threw a dart to choose one song for this meme.  For some reason, my favorite time to listen is when I'm cooking in my kitchen, especially when we're having friends over for dinner.  It's happy music that makes the effort, effortless.

So, there ya go...I did it...ONLY seven.  And while I'm ending this post, a thousand songs come to mind I didn't choose.   Knock yourself out if you wanna do it...it's just as hard as you think it is! :)

Tween Son + HP All-in-One Printer Equals...

I had to make a copy of something this morning, and this is what I found beside the printer....and, yeah, I know.....it could've been much.......worse ;)!