**If you need a laugh (and I mean a loud and obnoxious belly laugh) watch The Penguins of Madagascar. It is one of the best cartoons ever-seriously!
**I am starting to think I may throw away my "Fix It and Forget It" cook book. Every recipe I have tried out of it (and I mean every. I date it when I try it and write something about it.) has been gross. Today we literally stopped eating and switched to cereal. Nice waste of food, I know, but it was inedible. Today's flop was Italian pork....don't ever make it.
**Why is it so hard to keep pantries and linen closets organized? The ones in this house are deep so that is my excuse...but if I really think back the only times my pantries or linen closets have been HGTV worthy, have been when our houses have been for sale...
**One of our regular Bi-Lo shoppers (a sweet homeless man) asked me how I managed to always keep that pretty smile on my face. Before I could reply he said my life must have been good to me. It has. It is, even though it is stressful, hectic, and flying by before I can cross off my To Do list. It made me realize (...again...a lesson I have yet to master.) that I always have smiles and kind words for strangers. Sometimes it isn't the same for the people I love the most. Glad they love me any way. :)
**I am so glad it is fall. I love the chill in the air in the morning. I am starting to shift my favorite seasons list. Fall will always be 1st, but I think winter may be 2nd. It was summer...but now I am thinking winter...
**I think everyone should be made to work at a grocery store so they can realize all their bad behaviors. These bad behaviors are common courtesies that don't even cross most peoples minds. You know, doing something rude, but not realizing you even did it because you are so wrapped up in...well you! I look back at my poor shopping manners of the past and cringe. I have reformed. Ever talked on your cell phone while you were checking out? Used to do it on occasion. Never will again. Ever left your shopping cart right at the register because you don't need it any more? The person behind doesn't like that, neither does the cashier who now has to deal with that annoyed person. I hope I never did that, but I may have....Ever changed your mind 2 aisles after you picked up the cookies (chips, ketchup...whatever!) and just laid them on an open spot on the shelf? I am so guilty...I will never do it again, because guess what: you are not the only one doing it. There is stuff left EVERY WHERE. Ever changed your mind about that block of cheese while in line to check out and laid it on the basket of bag candy that is on sale, right before the belt? Happens all the time...I was actually grocery shopping on Friday evening and standing behind a lady (who obviously didn't remember I worked there, I have seen her a million times, but lets face it I look different in real clothes...it may be a compliment that she didn't recognize me...), who asked me to put her cheese, crackers, cream cheese, coffee creamer (etc., there were like 7 things...) back on that basket for her. I told her it would be better if she would just hand them to the cashier so nothing goes bad. She looked at me like it had never crossed her mind. I am telling you 3 days is all it would take for people to notice all the idiotic things they do on a regular basis (and for the most part not to be rude, just because they are in a hurry) at the grocery store. I know that I used to do so many things that I now try not to get annoyed at. I didn't do it to be rude. I did it to save me time. We (cashiers) always like to do as many annoying things to each other as we are checking out. It reminds you to chuckle rather than fume. :) Just 3 days is all it would take...Maybe 2.
**I am not a great writer, but I love it. I have several "books" (I use the term loosely), that I started writing when I was a tween (think Baby Sitter's Club or Sweet Valley Twins). It is obvious that while writing them I had not plot or main idea (sounds familiar doesn't it...), I was just writing. In my adulthood I have realized I really prefer kids books. Not just chapter books, but little kiddo books that rhyme and have awesome illustrations. I LOVE the Berenstein Bears (have been known to turn the TV onto PBS Kids (whatever the all PBS cartoons, all the time is called...not regular PBS...SPROUT! I think that is what it is called...), and watch the cartoon. Seriously, does it get better than an actual tree house (the house is carved into the tree not just up on the branches.), with pink shutters? I also LOVE "Bear Snores On", "Bear Stays Up for Christmas", "Bear Makes A New Friend"...etc. I can't remember who the author is. They are in Jake's room and he is asleep (I started this post earlier and forgot about it...now I am back). Have you read them? You should. I love the pictures and characters. They are amazing! I secretly dream of writing children's books. I am thinking of practicing on my nieces and nephews. I have practiced on Jake and he loves it. I started a book for him that I still need to finish. I read him what I had written and he keeps asking me when I am going to finish it because he can't wait to see what happens. That's a good sign right? Maybe some day I will be brave and do it.
**I can't get over my OCD issue of always leaving one room in our house messy. What is the deal? Our bedroom is still a mess...even without the big yard sale pile...I need to stop blogging and go work on it.
**Melissa, you requested a post about my dependencies. I am going to do it soon. Maybe it will be like therapy. :)
**We have bathrooms in the back of Bi-Lo for employees. One for men and one for women. Well, the women's was being cleaned the other day so I went into the men's. They are just single bathrooms so it's not like any one else was in there. Theirs is wayyyyy better. The women's has the bag of soap that used to be inside the pump that makes it foamy, but it broke. The men's has soap, foamy hand sanitizer, and hand sanitizer wipes! I haven't used the women's since! Yes, the toilet seat is usually up in the men's room, but that is okay because I never sit down. I squat in public restrooms. It is perfect...
**One more thing...I am back on the Biggest Loser wagon. I walked/ran 2 (pitiful, I know) miles today. Jake and I are having a competition to see who can run a mile with out stopping first. Lets see, who is going to win? The fat girl who stopped exercising about a month (...okay maybe 2...Or maybe I never got back into a good routine since coming back from vacation...in August...) ago and has a fear for it (it, being running). Just realized that today. OR the 9 year old. That is all I have to say. HE IS NINE. Jake is going to win. But I am going act like I don't know that and think positive. :) I am not going to post my weight, my loss, any of it. I am going to take a picture of myself now, an then in a month in the same thing, to see if you can see the change. I may weigh myself every day. I may not weigh myself for a month. It will be my secret. I am going to focus on what matters. Eating right, and exercising. I scale will have to play nice if I do (I mean REALLY do it)...right?...Now instead of going to bed, like I really want to do. I am going to stop blogging and go work on my room...I wonder which room will become a mess when it is all picked up?
Okay...it's 11:33 and I am still not in bed...So, here are three more random thoughts before I really clean my room and then go to bed...
**I finally watched "Letters To Juliet". Have you seen it? It was predictable but cute. I like a cute chick flick. Rent it. But only from Red Box so it will only be a dollar. It is definitely worth a dollar to see. Tell me what you think of her fiance...Why was she engaged to him any way?
**Am I the only person who feels the need to drink (not alcohol, I don't drink that stuff...I am addicted to Dr. Pepper, I can only imagine if I actually drank the hard stuff!) right before going to bed? I do it almost every night and have to get up to pee in the middle of almost every night. Why do I do this?
**What was the third thing?...Can't remember but it did just make me think of something else. Well, 2 something elses (yes I know that isn't a word). I some times wonder if I have ADD...and do you remember the book from the early 90's "Simple Abundance"? You are supposed to read a page everyday and it helps you have comfort and joy and you find your true self? Remember that one? I think I am going actually read it in 2011. I have made it through the middle of January several times (and then other days here and there, but they didn't make sence because I didn't know what I missed that the author kept referencing) ...Kind of like making it through the middle of 1st Nephi (in the Book of Mormon for those of you who aren't LDS)...I am going to read at least a page of that book every day in 2011 too. I have a feeling I will get more out of the Book of Mormon :) ...but I have heard some time later in the spring (in Simple Abundance) you are supposed to make yourself a treat box or something. That could be interesting too....Which reminds me!..I am also supposed to be reading the Book of Mormon along with all the other Primary leaders in the Stake before Jan. 1st...I am on chapter 11 of Nephi...I need to step it up people. Actually right now I need to go to bed...so I better go fold the clean clothes that are laying all over it so I can. That was a gift from Aaron. He said "I did some laundry to day!" To which I said "Really?". His response was "Yeah. You didn't see it on the bed?" Thanks Aaron :)
**One more thing...I had a dream the other night (I have strange dreams every night) that we lived in a house with a HUGE glass wall, which by the way would NEVER happen(I am a "close the blinds before it gets dark and people can see in" kind of girl) and that we had like 6 dogs of all different sizes (one was of course Emily...but Daisy wasn't there...what does that say about me? I am a bad dog mommy if my 1st dog baby doesn't even make my dreams). I told Jake about it and his response was "Did I have to scoop all their poop?". Strangely that never came up in my dream...So, I think my dream is telling me since I would never have a huge glass wall in my house, I probably don't need 6 dogs...I probably don't even need one (sigh). I want one SO bad, but wants don't really happen too much when your husband goes back to school. It is a great way to put things in perspective and humble your self a little (or a lot, which ever you need. Mine was probably more on the "a lot" side). I am doing the mature thing and deciding a Christmas dog just isn't going to happen. Maybe my birthday would work...Growing up is so hard. :) Good night. How much clothes did he wash any way...I wonder if I could just push them to one side...Just kidding...kind of. :)
