I Might be a Psychic

Here are my thoughts for today...

1. I like using numbers in my posts. I kind of think in bullet points.

2. I also like playing with capitalization in post titles. Why I find that amusing, I don't know. When I type emails to my friends, I don't capitalize at all so maybe the the thrill is in seeing bigger letters than I am visually used to?

3. Here's the exciting part: I might be a psychic. But only related to fertility issues.

I had this gut feeling to get in touch with a dear friend who I don't communicate with frequently. Somehow, I had this tickle of a thought that I should ask if she was pregnant. It was almost a joke but not quite. In my return email from her she confirmed that yes, indeed, she is pregnant and just past the time cut off where they are announcing it! Weird? Yes. Want to know what's weirder? This is the second time out of three of her pregnancies that this happened! And, like I said, she isn't someone I talk to or even email with even every few months even though she is dear to my heart and she lives on the other side of the country from me so it's just super bizarre that I have premonitions about her lack of menses.

It gets better. I'm not only psychic about this one friend's womb, even though she is the greatest example of my gift. For a while a few years ago, during a period when it was age appropriate for all of my friends to be getting pregnant (to be fair to the chance that it was coincidental, even though it was NOT!), I had a remarkable track record of actually getting people pregnant. Um, what? Yup, you read that right. Not in the male-female/birds and the bees way, clearly, but if a friend was "trying" and then had a meal with me, shortly thereafter her efforts would be rewarded. (I don't actually think it's fair to word it that way because it's not about efforts or rewards as people who have "tried" without such ease often talk about). It would usually be at our next meal together that they would spill the good news. I have learned about pregnancies in my local diner, the Cheesecake Factory, Papa Gino's and I'm sure there are other food establishments I can't recall at the moment. And, for the record, it's way better to learn about a baby over food than it is over Facebook. But I guess Facebook announcements are for a lower tier of friends?

In the past, I thought about trying to market this skill because it honestly happened so many times that it was just uncanny. I felt like there had to be something working within me that I was not even aware of or really believed in because these kinds of scenarios just happened far to frequently to me. As time has passed and friends took some time off between babies, I have forgotten how good I am at this! But getting that email today awakened my baby-dar. How should I put this to good use?

Image via www.babyclipart.net which you can find here

Topic Tuesdays Coming Soon

First off, I am typing with a wrist brace on my right hand so if there are huge errors, I blame the brace. I had some minor tendonitis issues come up over the last few months but it hasn't been wildly bothersome until I decided I needed to show the new Monday night Bodypump instructor that I was a force to be reckoned with. After the biceps track, I knew I had done some damage trying to show off. So now I'm wincing when the lady hands me my sandwich for lunch at the deli. Awesome.

The point of my post is not my wrist, though. It's to announce something that I am going to be taking part in that I am excited about: Topic Tuesdays! The name/day might change between this week and next but the concept is that a handful of bloggers have united to all write about the same topic once a week. While it's a little intimidating knowing how much better some of them will cover certain topics, I think it will be fun to hear the different "voices" and perspectives. Also, I may be the only non-Mom and the only one who works full time+ out of the home and doesn't plan my blog posts in advance. Or at all. I just kind of sit down and write and I'm sure it shows but that's how this works for me. So I'm looking forward to offering a outsiders take on some of the child related topics. It's an opportunity to write about things I normally wouldn't consider writing about, too.

So stay tuned for Topic Tuesday next week and all of the great bloggers I will be linking to so maybe you will find some fun new reading distractions!

Fall in New England

That's right, kids. It's that time of year again. The time when I talk less about travel, more about projects around the house, and that I realize that I actually talk about the weather A LOT.

Really, I can't help myself. It's just amazing outside. We aren't even at the most beautiful point, when the leaves are all sorts of reds and oranges but there are glimpses here and there of colors other than green in the trees. A big tree right outside of my office window always turns early and I can see some yellows and oranges blooming. But it's also that in between time when it gets warm enough during the day to wear shorts and a t-shirt but it's crisp at night. You can smell fresh mowed grass by day and fires in the chimneys by night. It's also apple picking time, although I'm waiting for October apples, the way Lucy from Charlie Brown waits for January snow:) And fall in New England is also time for some of the biggest fairs and I lllooooove me some fair food so I can't wait to get a day to do that.

In the meantime, though, I am training to hike the Grand Canyon rim to rim next month so I have been begging my friends to get out in the woods with me. A couple of them indulged me this past weekend and it was glorious so I wanted to include a couple of pictures.

Blog Censorship

In my last post I mentioned feeling censored on my blog and I felt compelled to elaborate. Of course Blogger is not red flagging any of what I could or do put out there and the internet is a cesspool of raunchy ideas. So I guess it would be more appropriate for me to correct myself by clarifying that I censor MYSELF. Why?

1. I like having friends.
If I wrote candidly about my thoughts/reactions/judgments in a given day they obviously would have to come from people with whom I interact. That may be you. And if I publicly maligned your most recent Facebook status, you might not like it. Now what I say "you", know that I probably don't actually mean YOU. But I could. Get my drift? Every YOU out there in Youville would assume I was insulting them when, really, I have a select group of people I like to make fun of. But even that kind of makes me a bad person.
Recently, my BFF came up with the genius idea of video blogging her response to people's Facebook posts while she read through them. We were on vacation together and she had internet access while I didn't so to amuse me one night she started reading what people wrote, some of whom I knew and others I didn't but all were lame. We made a sport of mocking them and, honestly, it was FUN. Again, I know that kind of makes me a bad person but we all have personal interests. Of course we didn't actually record these sessions, which became a nightly routine. If we did, all the fun material would be yanked away because those people would revoke our "friend" access. Talk about shooting yourself in the foot.

2. I have a job.
I actually don't just have A job. I have a nice person's job. I am nice to people that other people are mean to and I like it. But I use up all my niceness at work. And if I started letting it all out, I would not only lose the faith of the people I am nice to, I might lose the faith of the people who assume I am nice enough that I deserve to have my paycheck issued a couple times a month.
Also, who doesn't complain about work? (Other than my mother who, it seems, can't make it through a conversation/grocery store/fast food drive through without telling someone how much she loves her job. I actually think it's great that she is so happy even if I sometimes think she doesn't have to share that detail.) Because I do work that is sensitive in nature and confidential, it would be frowned upon -using the lightest phrase possible here- to complain about work. I have to admit, I have some amazing stories from my work experiences and, sad for you, I am usually legally bound to keep them to myself. This also the reason I sometimes feel like I can't get more personal here-you never know what bad guy is lurking around. Isn't that a horrible thought? But it's a reality in my line of work.

3. I go to church.
Well, at least 50% of the time it's offered I try to go. Judging, swearing, and overall offending is not strongly encouraged. I don't think it would be smiled upon for me to be candid all the time knowing that I have an amazing talent for offending people without even knowing it.

I really love anonymous blogs that poke fun at certain groups or topics. But how do you get people to read your blog if you don't tell them it's your blog?? So here I am, keeping my work stories to myself, not video blogging about the wildly inappropriate pictures you posted on Facebook and with invitations to visit with friends. And here is where I hope to stay.

My Pet Blog

This is not the first time I have had to come back to my blog, head figuratively hung low with shame. (I can't really hang it low or it would be hard to see if I were making typing errors, of course). Blogging is tougher than it's made out to be, if only for the fact that it's like a pet. A puppy looks super cute when his tail is wagging and he's eager to let you pet him but you get him home and he pees on the ottoman. Oh wait, that's what my cats did to me this week in real life.

A blog is like a pet because it's really exciting in the beginning; it starts to become part of your identity. As time passes, though, it requires upkeep. This is where my shortcomings show themselves. Just like I can kill a cactus, I am hot and cold with blogging, either watering to the point of flooding or abandoning ship for many weeks at a time.

What's my excuse this time? I actually think the excuses are fun. Usually they include some kind of travel and travel is always fun. Except when your flight is delayed and gets you home really late and you have to work a 12 hour day the following day. (That was my Wednesday this week). So yes, one of my excuses is travel. Since my last post (at the end of July-GASP) I have spent time on the coast of Maine as well as a retreat in Jamaica. I also numerically aged a year, attended the fanciest wedding of my life, completed a triathlon, did the Color Run, let at least one Groupon expire and took my cats to the vet. Oh, and I developed a near debilitating love for burritos. Seriously, I schedule things around access to Boloco and Chipotle. SO GOOD! Why did I not know for 32 years?

A really solid excuse, though, is that one of my friends has a blog that is so entertaining that I kind of figured "why bother" for a while. Not in a competition way. Just in a sit back and watch it all happen way. She blogs about various things but all with a sassy humor, the likes of which I sometimes feel too censored by my blog to fully express myself. So I have been enjoying the blogging world by living vicariously through her witty posts. She is already having a successful blogging week and won a site makeover but you should still go visit her...and soon so you have something to compare the site to when it's all revamped. http://www.somethingclever2point0.com/

So that's what I've got for today. I'm exhausted post-vacation, bitter at my return to work, peeling at my scalp so it looks like I have hair flakes, and ready to blog again!

Follow Up about Skippy

Skippy, the breakout star of The Virgin Diaries that airs on TLC Wednesday nights and who blew my mind this week with his belly button lint collecting and excessive talk about sweating has his own website. I Am Skippy.com. Additionally, you can buy Skippy shirts on the TLC webpage.

Yes, I was doing follow up research on the relationship status of the people featured on the show this week and yes, I am a little ashamed:)

I am the Reality TV Whisperer Part 2

I knew you'd be back for more! This stuff is too good to pass by and I know you don't have time to find all the most scintillating reality shows on your own so let me do the dirty work for you!

Ok, so I had just finished the Virgin Diaries and was actually heading upstairs to start settling down for bed. My DVR has been really full lately so I like to go through it at night to see what I can weed out to make room for the other gems I find along the way. As I was doing this, the tv turned itself on to VH1 (which has been in my top 3 favorite channels for years and is my personal hallmark for reality programming). It must have been recording a show there recently or something but it just delivered me a gift by tuning into the very first episode of a new reality show.

Let's pause there for a minute. How did VH1 making a new reality show sneak by me in the first place? I'm a little ashamed that I wasn't in the know.

But, thank goodness, I'm up to speed now. The new show is called Mama Drama and it features mother/daughter pairs moving into a house Real World style (and all other reality shows based out of a house nowadays style). While this show didn't have the shock factor that Virgin Diaries and belly button lint collecting had, this brought some good, old fashioned appalling people factor that VH1 does better than anyone else. Well, VH1 and MTV are sister channels and it should be noted that the creator of this show is none other than SallyAnn Salsano, creator of the The Jersey Shore.

The best experience for me was that Hubby came home while I was watching and somehow, miraculously, got sucked in by said appalling people. (He is not normally a reality tv watcher like I am, a difference that might be larger in our marriage than our different religions, truthfully). But mothers and daughters who dress alike, more swear words being bleeped out per minute than South Park, and a public throw down in the first episode is kind of irresistible. Oh, I forgot to mention the race war that is brewing in the house before our very eyes. When you tune in, it will be hard to miss Loren, the most foul mouthed woman with a Master's degree known to man. She is there with her twins daughters who she had when she was 16. So yeah, this is basically Teen Mom: The Adult Years. One of her best quotes of the night was "Just cuz you dress prissy don't mean you more classy than another m***er f***er".

So let me break it down for you: Clear your Wednesday nights. Clear your DVR. These shows will make you feel better about your life, make you laugh, make you cringe and bring couples together. What's a better ending to Hump Day than that??

I am the Reailty TV Whisperer Part 1

I seem to go through thematic kicks in my blog posts. Right now the theme is reality tv. It all goes back to self care and the method I am preferring at the moment. There are still way too many travel posts I would like to get out to you but, seeing how it's summer and gorgeous out most days, I feel like I am betraying the lovely New England summer by talking up another place. My brain also goes on a skimmer mode, refusing to dive deep unless it's a special occasion. So I don't crave culture; I crave beach days, Panera lemonade and simple entertainment.

Lucky for me, last night I morphed into The Reality TV Whisperer. I had to bold it because if I ever have to choose the most likely superhero persona for me, that would be it and I want it to be all special like that. Like how Superman gets to be capitalized.

Last Wednesday I stumbled upon Beverly Hills Nannies and thought I had struck gold. The parents were outrageous and the nannies were far too entitled so it made for a great, catty hour. I liked it enough to set the DVR to record it so last night at 10 when I was looking for it but found something else I felt ok choosing the newer option. And boy, am I glad I did!!

It's rare that reality tv can shock me anymore. I mean what idea have the collective "they" not come up with yet? Pretty much every subset of people and animal has been exploited so far. We have gotten a glimpse into the lives of all sorts of taboo, unique, odd and interesting hobbyists and subcultures. Gross habits and obsessions have their own genre, even. But, alas, last night my jaw was on the couch. (it coulnd't make it to the floor because I was in a reclined position).

So what brought me to this state?

 Virgin Diaries is a show on TLC, which also just earned a spot in my top 3 favorite channels. The only word that even begins to capture the awesomeness is awkward. So, so very awkward. Last night I was introduced to Skippy, a 34 year old Mormon virgin. I must admit that the Mormon factor is what hooked me in because I want to see how popular media is portraying a culture I identify with but that gets a lot of negative attention. Well, Skippy isn't helping the cause is all I can say. He was almost endearing in his puppy-like enthusiasm and lack of ability to read social cues but his penchant for collecting belly button lint and making self promoting tee shirts and stickers really worked against him.

Then there was the 33 year old moderately attractive girl who is dating a non-virgin but waiting for marriage to consummate their relationship. In theory, that would be fine. But in this dyad, it was painful to watch as the girl was overly confident about her boyfriend's feelings and his private narrative to the camera made it clear that he was only considering marrying her so that they could have sex. Sounds like a healthy plan to me? Um, no.

Finally, there was a follow up to a couple who got married last year, never having ever kissed anyone or each other before their wedding day. The wedding day kiss was seriously the worst thing I have ever seen. It made me physically cringe and want to burrow my head in the couch cushions. The follow up is that they have been working on their kissing but, trust me, the so called improvement is still pretty painful to view and, on top of it all, the two individuals involved are both the kind of people that make you support Darwin a little more. How did either of them survive in the world up until now??
Here's a link to a video of "Practice Makes Perfect"

I texted my bestie and recruited her to watch with me and engage in commentary with me throughout the show because just like misery loves company, so does mockery. And there was so much fodder here that I was legit beaming with glee.

I want to tell you about what I found next but I think you need some time to let this soak in so come back tomorrow for more....In the meantime, puhleazze check this show out and if you are one of my Utah based friends, let me know if you know someone who knows Skippy!!!!!!!!!!!

Today's version of My Shoes Are Awesome

This was actually supposed to post yesterday but my phone and Blogger seem to have a tumultuous relationship and I guess this time the phone won the argument. You may remember another awesome pair of shoes that I needed to blog about in the original My Shoes Are Awesome Post.
I 100% believe that shoes can make or break your day. Kind of like underwear only the whole world can see your shoes (and hopefully not your underooos). When I wear amazing shoes I just feel more confident....fierce in Tyra Speak. My friend asked me if I was "smizing" at people (more Tyra Speake) and you know what? I totally was! Only mostly men in work trucks that I thought might smize back. Just for fun, you know?
I might have to make awesome shoes a more regular segment so that I can rationalize buying them. Who supports this idea?

Jersey Shore Awesomeness

The only appropriate way to begin this post is "OMG Y'ALL!!!"

My beloved coworker and Bodypump partner in crime just sent me THE MOST AMAZING JEZEBEL PIECE ON THE JERSEY SHORE. It's almost as if this friend was put on the planet to make each week a little brighter with the right amount of dirt. Just two weeks ago, she, herself, went on an actual summer vacation to the Jersey Shore. She stayed in Long Beach Island but made the trip to Seaside Heights to visit our friends Pauly D and Ron-Ron. She actually glimpsed them in the Shore Store and told me all about the security tents and waivers you have to sign and sent pictures to my phone to keep me up to speed in real time. Needless to say, it was all fabulousness. She even brought me home a shirt!! I owe that girl a Blizzard, fo sho.

I might have even gotten around to writing about it and sharing her pictures but then Jezebel upstaged me and they have just a few more followers than I do so I will default to them and their well lit pictures. After feeling icky all day, I saved this for dessert at the end of my work day and it did not disappoint. Aside from the fact that I am going to promptly "forget" all of the talk about the show being acted or the concept that this is the final season, I loved this author's voice and think she could be in the competition for my new bestie if I ever get one of those shows like Paris Hilton had. So I'm going to go read every hyperlink from that posting now and you should go read the posting and then come back here and write me a thank you note.

Monday night tv kills me

I can't decide which is more ridiculous: the bachelorette and its music or the fact that I'm watching it. AGAIN. Thank goodness I usually workout on Monday nights because the two that I've been home and watched this have made me question society a lot. How mean is it that she wants 3 guys to profess their love for her while she stays silent? Greedy. And she needs to start wearing tongue condoms because makeout sessions with so many people back to back is just germy. And don't even get me started on the fact that this bachelorette has a kid and we have to talk about "ricki" so much. Poor kid with her name all over tv and cute 20 somethings writing her love notes before they've met her and fantacizing about being her dad. Altogether creepy.
Then I just saw a commercial for a new Fall show, Nashville. I'm sorry but I already saw this. It was called Country Strong and it was an hour and a half movie. It kills me that the American Horror Story lady is in it because I actuslly respected her.
They are really hyping up this Glass House show, too. One commercial said "why should you watch it? Puppies!" And had the whole cast of the Animal Planet Puppy Bowl run in. The next one said "it's raining in the glass house" and showed multiple housemates crying. I did watch the first episode and thought it had plenty of fodder to mock here but it was so bad that I actually thought I was above ut. That's saying a lot for someone who wants to plan a trip to Vegas just to eat at Flavor Flav's new chicken and waffle restsurant.
Ok, the blond on tv us crying again....it's like a vortex sucking me in.

Blog Recommendation: Something Clever 2.0

My very clever friend who also happens to write a very humorous blog has been documenting her recent trip to the North Conway, NH area. Growing up in New England, I'm pretty sure this is like a required family trip. And in my world, where tradition is king, that makes it awesome.

The natural geography and geology make it a stunning backdrop but, beyond that, there are tons of family activities including fabulous camp grounds, Story Land, Santa's Village, Clark's Trading Post, and (my fave) moose tours. I wanted to share a link from Day 1 of their trip, especially, because it has a link to one of the coolest hotels I have ever seen and because I just love reading about these places that I visited as a child. Also, you should "like" Something Clever 2.0 on facebook so you get all of the funny posts and other little tidbits. I'm off to read Day 3 Part 1 now.....

Happiness Is....

What do I write about most often? Things that relieve my stress, which tends to mostly be created at work. We call stress relievers "self-care" and, as cheesy as it sounds, it's actually an important thing to think about every single day, no matter what you call it. If you don't refill your proverbial tank, there is no way to be happy in the long term. And isn't that what we are all seeking, ultimately? Happiness.

So for me, a few things that relieve stress and I tend to write about a lot are reading, traveling, reality tv, and spending time with friends.For the 4th of July holiday, I took an extra couple of days off from work and was able to cover most of these bases. Here's a little recap:

Reading: I read "Before I Fall" by Lauren Oliver this week. She also writes the Delirium trilogy. All are young adult books but I think that's what makes them as yummy and addictive as gummy bears. Characters in high school are so relateable because we have all been through similar ups and downs and at the heart, they are all about identity and I think identity is something we spend a lifetime honing. I have been on such a dystopian kick that I actually had this book for months before finally giving it my attention. I think I read one too many dystopians and just needed a break and I could not be more pleased with this book. If you have ever visited the site www.foreveryoungadult.com (which you should), you might be familiar with the term "TEABS" The End of an Awesome Book Syndrome. I totally had that last night as I cried at least three times while reading the last chapter and felt a little hollow when it was done so I had to keep the book near me, almost to visually trick myself that I still had more to read and wasn't totally disconnected from the characters.

Traveling: I didn't get to officially travel this weekend. However, the pictures from my trip to Atlantic City two weekends ago were finally released by the team photographer and I got to live some moments over again as I scrolled through them, which was pretty awesome. It was a girl posse trip, for a friends bachelorette party and you know I think girl posses are the best way to travel!

Reality TV: It was really beautiful outside and there were lots of fun things going on to celebrate Independence Day so I didn't do a lot of tv watching. I do think I caught up on HGTV's Design Star and decided that I just can't stay committed to Pregnant in Heels even though it's a really cute show.

Time with Friends: This is really where I excelled this week. 
On Wednesday, to celebrate the holiday, I went to a friend's house. The group is one filled with people I have known since high school and it's really cool to see people as the evolve through life. Seeing people who you used to party with parent their children is just precious. They also live on the water and when it got dark the whole neighborhood gathered, along with people on boats, to watch as a few local houses set off town display grade fireworks and people passed out glow sticks and sparklers. 
On Thursday my bestie came to my parents pool for some down home relaxing and sun worshiping. I headed out in the late afternoon to get a long awaited massage. AHHHHH.
Friday I drove to Salem, MA, home of the witches:) My life long partner in crime/maid of honor was in town from St. Louis so it was great to spend some time with her and her family. I so appreciate that I love her family just as much as I love her and it felt great to be with such warm people.
Saturday was the best as I went to my cousin's raucous cookout. It's my favorite party of the year! There are so many eclectic people and the family gets to sit down and share stories. Days like that just can't be replaced. Then I went out with another set of friends to watch the UFC Pay Per View. It was a late night but a great fight night. I'm kind of manly in my passion for MMA fighting:)
And then Sunday....a day to regroup. To reflect.

It's amazing to me how just a few days off from work can make such a huge, rejuvenating difference. And it matters less where you are than who you are surrounded by. And that it's so easy to get happy.

Things I think you should know today

Things I think you should know today:
1. Atlantic City might have a time vortex. I had a girls' weekend there this past Friday through Sunday and it was simultaneously both the fastest and slowest 40 hours of the year. I think it siphoned some of my lifeforce/energy in exchange, though.
2. Paris was an amazing city (that I have still yet to write about) but there was so much to see that  I think it overloaded the culture part of my brain. Now all I want is beach vacations and to stare vacantly until someone catches me, thinks I am staring at them and I get all flustered.
3. Boloco has a nutella milkshake.
4. And Panera Bread's peach smoothie is pretty much the perfect food when it's too hot to eat a real meal. Of course that's because I can't easily access Jamba Juice, which would trump all. I have written to them twice and suggested they bring a location to the swanky mall in Natick, MA, which is far more accessible for me than the 2 college locations they currently offer in Boston. How do I get them on board? Will you all write to them for me, too?

One Liners and Other Blogs (and lack of title creativity)

I love reading my blog stats. Today I learned that one of the phrases that people search and find my blog is "i bought a pair of skiny colored jeggings and i am 45".  Please note that the spelling error is original to the seach. And I have a reader in Moldova, which I couldn't identify on a map if I were on a game show. Sir or Madam, could you make yourself known and teach me about your country? I like to travel so maybe I can add it to my to-see list once I know in which direction I should start flying.

Another great liner was self-produced. I didn't realize how awesome it was until it was all typed out and then even I wanted to be my own friend. In an email to a friend I offered the hook " Franti was AMAZING. I have such stories for you including a near death experience, a ride in a police car and sexually harassing the band". That story  might be tomorrow's blog post so come back for more if you are hungry for the details, which you clearly should be.

Finally, because my left contact hurts too much to keep writing, I will take the lazy route and direct you to read someone else's blog instead. My very funny friend Jenn wrote a post last week that I just stumbled upon about how to be a good neighbor. You can read it here. I find it inspiring because I recently had to send a neighbor anonymous, respectful hate mail about her dog barking and waking me up every morning. I am proud to report that it hasn't happened since so she is earning back some good neighbor street cred!