A few of my favorite things...

I was talking with a friend the other day about her blog. She is going through some very trying, but very personal things in her life, so she does not feel like a public blog would be appropriate in her life right now. That reminded me of the journal jar I got at some church function many years ago. This jar is filled with journaling ideas that could be used as blog entry ideas. (The jar has been sitting on my computer cabinet for years and I finally dusted it off today and took it to work--where I do most of my blogging... shhhhhh!) Without even cracking the vault, I came up with a blog topic on my own today... And I'm actually blogging from home tonight.

My blog idea (please feel free to life my idea for your own blog entry) is to list things that I love. And not just the standard answers like my family, God, sunshine, blah, blah, blah. But with that said, here are a few of my favorite things...

my family. god. sunshine. the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking. and bread baking. and turkey baking. food. eating food. shopping. the sound of Luke playing. laughter. good music, like Nickleback, Pink, 80's. sewing. scrapbooking for hours at a time. mulitple orgasms (like I wouldn't include that one, guys! come on--remember who's blog you're reading!). paying the bills. sushi. jeans. going barefoot. swimming in warm water. being tan. when wii eva tells me I've lost weight. beating rick at chess. soup. steamed cabbage. loyal friends. intelligence. watching my favorite shows, like the office, 24, heroes, survivor, battlestar galactica, friends, lost. christie brinkley. getting lost in a good book. pedicures. having my hair played with. massages. blasting the music and singing along in the car. gabriel's smile. elijah's eyes. sarah's hair. luke's eye lashes. rick's butt. my hair. the totally cool burn stuff rick put on my finger that stopped the pain and healed my blister fast. rootbeer (not the dog, the soda). ice cream, almost any flavor. a good work out. a clean bathroom. washing dishes. my laminate floors, when they are swept. costco samples. walmart prices. fabric. onion rings dipped in good ranch dressing. playing blokus with my kids. changing seasons. capri pants weather. sourdough bread. cheese. colors, especially green. photos. building legos. holidays. paid vacation days. when my kids listen the first time. kissing. my house. roberta (the dog, not the soda).

Lame, but hey, whatever!

I don't really have any new, inspiring words to share. I am really just waiting for Rick's blue tooth to charge so I can unplug it before the Nyquil kicks in. I am sick AGAIN. I have been sick more often since working at Job Corps than I ever was running a day care. Those darn Job Corps students have cooties or something!

Tonight at work we watched "the Outsiders" for two of our counseling groups. We were inspired to watch it on the suggestion of a student... And a co-worker who recently told me to "stay gold, pony boy". I remember just loving that movie as a kid. And the boys were all so cute! It's amazing to look back and see them after watching their careers for the last 20 years. Patrick Swayze and all his movies... then his battle with cancer. Tom Cruise and his dramatic life. Rob Lowe, Emilio Estavez, Ralph Macchio, Tommy Howell (he was in 24 one season and on ER one time--both creepy roles).

We recently got all the Karate Kid movies for our kids to watch. And I think I'll get the Outsiders book for Gabriel, and then we can watch the movie! Right now Elijah is reading Diary of a Wimpy Kid so he can watch the movie. Makes me want to watch Stand By Me and Red Dawn again, too! We just watched Ghostbusters the other night--that is a weird movie. And the special effects are awful!

Well, the Nyquil is starting to take effect... bye bye sore throat! Type to you later, all! Good night...

April Fools

I have been wanting to blog for days now, but I never have the time... Well, Rick just went to bed and I hate going to bed the same time he does because we just end up talking and then he doesn't get enough sleep and that stresses me out... And I'm irritated with him, so I'd rather hang out with my qwerty than my schmoopy tonight.

So, my blog idea for the week is one that I have been debating about all week. For those of you who know me (which is a really stupid thing to write in a blog read by only people who know me!), this may come as a surprise. But I am trying to be a little more polished in my life, so the following topic may not be in line with my new goals. But sometimes delicate matters just need to be brought out into the open. Why am I trying to be more polished, do you ask? Because the world is full of crass, rude, incondsiderate people. It takes more effort to be refined, so I'm giving it a try. No one watching me would probably be able to see a decernable difference, but as long as I know it's there, then I'm doing okay I guess... And maybe if my kids catch me cussing less often, then that's a good thing, too.

So, the controvertial topic? Periods. They suck... I hate them. I hate everything about them. And now that I am done baring children, they are nothing less than ritualized torture. For everyone. The cramps and mess aren't even the worst of it. It's the pre-menstral part that's the kicker... And what is that anyway?! Menstration isn't bad enough? We've got to have PRE-menstration, too!!?!?

It's like a week of doom before the bomb explodes. The mood swings. The pre-cramp cramps. The weight gain! 3-5 lbs?! That's just not fair. I have decided to stop weighing myself during the week of my period. It's never accurate and my hormones are so out of whack that I can not think rationally about the situation. I just see a huge weight gain in a week's time and feel like a huge, insane, bloated whale.

The mood swings seem to be getting worse for me. I know when I'm in the middle of one, and there's a part of my brain that recognizes that my perception is totally skewed, but that small part of my brain is kept hostage by this maniacal, hysterical, sub-human creature. This beastly woman can not reason. She has no compassion or patience. She sees only malicous intent and evil-doers. She can't even do math! And I'm a prisoner to her power. She frightening and completely vulnerable at the same time. And she's got my body and mind in bondage. And she's mothering my children in my place. And managing my home and my marriage. It's terrifying...

And the cramps. If it's not bad enough that my mind is an irrational surge of emotion, hormones and cravings... My uterus is squeezing my insides with no mercy. It's like a scary, little Gestapo woman has entered my womb "vith vays of making me talk!"

And Heaven help the innocent by-stander who has no idea of the war waging inside this seemingly rational human being in front of them. One wrong word and I'm either crying or throwing punches or stone-cold silent. And the question was as simple as "paper or plastic, ma'am?"

Why must I continue to endure this retched torture? What purpose does it serve? It reminds my children that I don't love them that much. It gives my husband something to fear. And it makes me believe that PMS could be a valid plea in court, after all...