So, It's Been A While...

I know I haven't updated in a bit, but I honestly haven't been doing much lately except trying to survive a viral attack of the enemy flu. No, it wasn't the swine variety, but I swear that nothing could be worse than what I had. I was out for over a week without relief. Seriously, I have never been so ill in my life. I couldn't even do the cool stuff you get to do when your sick, like watch your shows or read your books because I felt so awful that I didn't want to taint whatever I did with the feeling of grossness. So, I had to settle for crappy shows, which may have just made me feel worse. Anyway, I'm almost fully recovered now (except I still get pretty winded coming up the stairs) and my witty self will be back in your virtual lives once again very soon!

Sometimes I Really Love Old Men!

I was in line behind two people tonight at the self check-out at Fry's (btw remind me never to go there on a Monday night again...) and there was this little man who walked up in front of everyone looking for an open lane, he walked away and I thought, maybe he was just looking for a basket to put his groceries in, but then he did it AGAIN and, nice person that I am, I wasn't going to say anything, but I was getting a good righteous anger on. Anyway, one of the lanes was about to open up and he was still standing there looking confused (doubt that he was) and then the old guy at the front of the line said to him, pointing to the back, "you wanna get in line?" I loved it! In a small way, he was my hero. I love that old people have almost a free pass to being rude, I hate when it's directed at me, but I seriously appreciate it when it works in my favor!

Another old man that I love is Jim Langford. I've briefly written about him before but I was at his house last night and he said he wanted a post dedicated to him, so forgive me while I wax eloquent on the subject. Jim is an amazing man. He not only has copious amounts of candy to hand out to everyone, but he lets The Crew (and friends) stay over until 11pm (that's late for old people, as he would say, it's like 2am for them) playing rowdy games of cards. BTW (by the way, for you old people) he is not afraid to call you out in BS. Jim is always ready with a witty quip that will make you laugh at yourself and him. He is a rocker of the old school variety who won't hesitate to tell you all about his gigs (apparently he's pretty good with the lesbians). Jim loves to be cheesy and I honestly think that his life would be completely fulfilled if he just stayed at Girls Camp all year long. I love this man and am so happy to be back here if only to spend more time with him and his wonderful wife!

Could Life Get Better? I Submit That it Cannot!

I've realized that I approach this blog like a newspaper column that I write, except without the deadlines (although I'm sure that you wished you heard from me more often...). I don't know if I'm actually good enough to be at a real newspaper, but I'd like to think that I could. Anyway, because of this thought process (or blockage thereof) I don't really write about my everyday life, instead I just put out human interest stories that (hopefully) keep you coming back for more. But today I've decided to write to you about the little things in life that keep me happy (here comes another list but what can I say? I love them):

~ My job is the best one I have ever had, or could probably think of. I'm currently a kindergarten aid at the elementary school that I attended as a child. I LOVE those kids, and they love me. My day consists of walking into a class full of kids wanting to hug me immediately and then helping them in small groups learn how to read. Then I take them to recess (have my own break) and then aid them through lunch where I walk/dance up and down our bench giving them high fives, dealing with their messes, and playing with them. Then they go back to class and we do a project and I go home. And throughout all of this they are all telling me I'm beautiful and disrupting class just to sit by me. It lights up my life and I love it!

~ My afternoon activities consist of all the things that make being a recluse a good time. And my nighttime activities are becoming surprisingly cool. Last week Ashlee, Holly and I went to a haunted mansion (a for real one, it's been abandoned for 14 years). Yesterday The Crew went to D Money's soccer game which was actually exciting. And tonight Ashlee and me, and her crazy neighbor Patty, are going to the State Fair to watch a Roller Derby. All of these are good times!

~ I got paid today. Always makes me happy.

~ And I still have muffins in my freezer.

My life is sooooo good right now!

Drinkability

Tonight I cooked myself potato skins. I know what you're thinking, it's a lot of work for just one person, and believe me if I knew how long it would take I probably wouldn't have done it, like most things. Anyway, I had a hankering for them and so I decided to make them. First of all, I went outside to get them off my back porch and discovered that the ones my mother bought for me the last time she was in town were gone, maybe my Grandma (who lives in a trailer in my backyard) used them, but I'm leaning more toward someone stealing them. It doesn't really bother me because if they needed uncooked (gross) potatoes that badly then they can have them, it just means that I have to go buy my own, but luckily they aren't that expensive. Back to the skins, they're not very hard to make, just time consuming, and they ended up turning out well.

Now, you're probably asking yourself, what does all this potato talk have to do with the title, and here it is: I feel as though potato skins are a fancier dish to eat than other meals, probably because I've only ever had them at a restaurant. Correct me if they are just casual food. So, when I was close to my skins being done I was thinking about what would be the best beverage to have with my version of fancy food and decided that people who don't drink alcohol don't really have a drink for special occasions. I mean, you have your soda and juice and a myriad of other non-alcoholic choices, but none of them seem very elegant or to belong in one of those cool glass liquid holders that I see everyone using on TV.

So, to get to the point, next time I make something "fancy" I would like to have a suitable drink. Therefore I am asking your opinion, what do you drink when you want to make your dinner more lavish?

The Recluse's Life

I know that some of the readers of this blog believe that I have turned into a recluse, and I'm not here to deny it, in fact, I'm going to legitimize it. Here are a few facts about how awesome it is to be a recluse:

Fact 1. The recluse has a more comprehensive knowledge about pop culture since most of their day consists of watching t.v., reading, or basically participating in any activity that a school kid enjoys on their sick days.

Fact 2. Because of the above mentioned knowledge, a recluse is able to "get" more jokes that reference said culture and is therefore generally thought of as a well informed person.

Fact 3. The recluse's life is obviously not very social and therefore they do not have to entertain people too often. This, of course, means that there is less need of a spotless house and not as much cleaning has to take place (but a good recluse will still clean an appropriate amount or go crazy).

Fact 4. Spending a lot of time at home does not always mean sitting in a dark basement losing track of how many days have gone by without showering. It also means that a recluse has time to do projects around the house such as below-posted redecorating and training their sister's cat (and their brother) to stop whining so much.

Fact 5. A recluse has the opportunity to be creative with their time namely because it does tend to get boring doing the same things over and over again. Therefore, developing latent talents such as, watercolor painting and learning to throw a ball with your foot, become a part of your everyday life.

Fact 6. A recluse will try harder than anyone, and is most likely to achieve the highest score of internet games of all sorts, including, but not limited to: bubbleshooter, tetris, bejeweled, and ninja ropes.

And finally, the best part about being a recluse is that you get to develop social anxiety to the point where you are more willing to talk to 22 five-year-olds than have a conversation with an adult.

I hope this has broadened your horizons on the validity of being a recluse and that in the future you will not judge us so harshly.

Turn the Phrases on Stun(ning)

I love well-crafted sentences. I'm one of those people who underlines sentences in books and when I read a used book that has underlined phrases in it I feel like I'm getting a little peek into the previous owner's soul. It's like each sentence that is underlined is a piece of someone else's poetry. That is why I have decided to dedicate this post to some of the emphasized expressions in a few of my books, maybe taking these out of context makes them less poignant, but I think that these sentences can stand on their own:

From A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

"Poor people have a great passion for huge quantities of things."

"Mr. Tomony watched him drive away as though the cab were the last link in a life that he had found good."

"She knew of all pitiful human weaknesses and of many cruel strengths. Yet she could not read or write."

"I, myself, even in this day and at my age, have great need of recalling the miraculous lives of the Saints and the great miracles that have come to pass on earth. Only by having these things in my mind can I live beyond what I have to live for."

"Johnny had a hankering after immortality which made him a useless dreamer."

" 'Beautiful legs, then, is the secret of being a mistress,' concluded Francie. She looked down at her own long thin legs. 'I'll never make it, I guess.' Sighing, she resigned herself to a sinless life."

"We're too much alike to understand each other because we don't even understand our own selves."

"In his firm schedule of life, there was no heading labeled 'Loneliness.' "

"Because there is only once that you love that way."

"Well, a person can cry only so long. Then he has to do something else with his time."

"After the war, the city was going to tear down the tenements and the ugly school where a woman principal used to whip little boys, and build a model housing project on the site; a place of living where sunlight and air were to be trapped, measured and weighed, and doled out so much per resident."

From The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

"It might have been that notion, or just chance, or its more flamboyant relative, destiny..."

"...few things leave a deeper mark on a reader than the first book that finds its way into his heart."

"A secret's worth depends on the people from whom it must be kept."

"He had a good understanding of history and knew that the future could be read much more clearly in the streets, factories, and barracks than in the morning press."

From Not Quite What I was Planning Six-Word memoirs by Writers Famous & Obscure Ed. by Smith Magazine

"The psychic said I'd be richer." -Elizabeth Bernstein

"Danced in Fields of Infinite Possibilities." -Deepak Chopra

"I was born some assembly required." -Eric Jordan

"And he nerded as never before." -Jon Thysell

"Cheese is the essence of life." -Mary Lynch

"Straight jacket on the gentle cycle." -Stewart Rudy

Those last set of quotes are a little different because the book is made up of small phrases, but they are expressive none-the-less. If there are any books that have stunning wording that has caught your attention please tell me about it in the comments, I'm always on the lookout for something good to read.

My Life Would Be Different!

QQ: Are there really performance arts high schools? Cause I think I should have been notified of them before I was too old and had a bachelor's degree. Why didn't my parents inform me? Why did I not live in a place where singing and dancing in the halls is perfectly acceptable? And why can't I sing all the time and not feel like Eisley (if you don't know who this is, trust me, you don't want to)?

So, I was watching Fame this week and there was this scene in the cafeteria where everyone just starts jammin'. It's one of those moments where each person gets to add a little bit of their own talent into the pool and it turns into magic. Needless to say, I wish I were part of that very moment every second of my life. I truly admire those groups that just break into choreographed numbers in random places (like food courts and such), one day I hope to be a part of it. But for now, I guess I'll just have to continue watching shows like that and wishing that I could be them. Seriously, how does someone get talented enough/lucky breaks to the point where they're living my dream?

Here are some videos of people living the good life:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKD1C6V4wgc

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzKS4YhVEuQ

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMnk7lh9M3o