suddenly - it all makes sense.

saw this today.

Bulging belly now could mean dementia later.
People with a bulging waistline in mid-life could face a higher risk of dementia and Alzheimer's in the senior years, a new study shows.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/23800703/from/ET/

thank heavens. i was blaming it on chocolate chip cookies and beer, but apparently my mental illness is to blame for me being a fat girl.

time for a Cap'n Crunch milkshake!!

all without the benefit of alcohol.

'you need to tell me. if you talk, we'll go easier on you.'

'i---i can't. you don't understand what kind of people these are. and what they're capable of.'

'come ON now. do you think we're so stupid that we don't know what we're up against? now. for the betterment of the community and yourself, tell me what you know.'

'i----i just don't know. i'm so s-s-s-scared.'


and then i woke up.

to the moon shining in my window, right in my face, making me believe i was being interrogated.

probably by some radical scrapbookers who didn't like what i was doing.

it's sprung.

bare feet + freshly cut grass + a dandelion = instant happiness.

spring has sprung.

hold on now.

it was a simple news blurb yesterday.

a woman, shopping at a K-Mart here in Mostly Smoggy So. Cal., was approached by one man, offering to sell her a gold bar. another guy came up and said 'oh yeah, it's real, blah, blah, blah...'

they convinced her to go to the bank and withdraw her life savings - $9000.

surprise!! it was a fake.

now - while i feel horrible that this woman lost that much money, i still gotta say: if you're doing your shopping at K-Mart, you shouldn't expect to get a killer deal on gold bars in the parking lot.

just a thought.

worst.daughter.EVER.

i'm the worst kid ever.

ev.er.

why? my mom had knee surgery yesterday and i thought it was today.

i went over yesterday for my usual visit, and there she is, snoozing in her recliner, with a towel wrapped around her neck (just in case she, um...kinda pukes).

my first response (that thankfully didn't become verbal) was sheesh, what's wrong now?

thankfully i kept my mouth shut.

worst daughter ever.

the doctor told my step-pop that he feels the surgery went well and that my mom may not need knee replacement later.

fingers crossed on that one. she's had knee problems ever since she fell at Sears, where she worked for years.

so we'll see how this goes. she, like her daughter could stand to lose a lot of weight. and add to that, she has diabetes, so her blood sugar was sky high and wonky yesterday. but, there was trauma to the body, so naturally the sugar takes off.

man. i feel like crap.





in other news...

Brendan has a second interview with a place in San Diego. he's also finally got together with the manager of the printhouse that's about five minutes from our place. he was offered about 15, ooo less than what he made @ the last job, but after six months he's willing to boost him up to just about his last paygrade.

it's gonna be a hard job. Brendan will be running the entire shop, while the manager/owner is out selling. prayers, please that he makes the right decision.

that's it for me, and i....am.....outta here!!

livin' in the afterglow.

oh yeah.

if i smoked, i'd be having one right now.

i'm here to say a huge thank you again, Maureen; that show was incredible. just amazing.

so here, Gentle Reader, share my joy in some of the photos Maureen & i took. and have some afterglow on me.

yum.

living in the afterglow.

holy.
freaking.
crap.

Keith was...
amazing.
incredible.
and really, really cute.

we had beyond killer seats. three rows up from the floor. he had a catwalk set up that ended up at a small stage that was really close to us.

wow.

someone had brought a sign that they had made: "5th concert - $500. travel to concerts: 1,000 miles. a kiss from Keith: priceless."

after the second song, he stopped and read it aloud, then said, 'well, i can't give you a kiss because i'm married, but would you settle for a hug?'

um, sure! so he jumped off the stage, went up to where she was sitting, grabbed her by the hand and brought her up stage. he hugged her. he talked to her. she was practically peeing her pants.

i would be, too.

a little later on in the concert, he once again jumped off the stage, went up into the crowd, finished playing, then turned to his handler, got a silver Sharpie, signed the guitar and handed it to a guy in the crowd.

hole-lee crap.

he's beyond cool.

i've got pictures. i will post later. going home and back to the rat race tomorrow.

it's all for a reason.

this all started Monday.

my boss came in Monday Morning with one red, swollen eyeball. it made me gasp.
and i'm not a gasper.

but he wouldn't go to the doctor. 'it's allergies,' he said.

allergies my left foot. i have allergies. my eye doesn't look like that when i get an allergy attack.

i gave him my bottle of allergy eye drops. believe me, i don't want that back. it's pinkeye, i tell him.

no, he says. allergies.

allergic to the doctor, i think.

Tuesday morning.

same uggy looking eye.

same stubborn man.

enter our department manager. who sends him home. go to the doctor, she says. people will complain.

um, hello?! i've been complaining.

thank heavens, he went to the urgent care. guess what? it was allergies.

psych.

that would be pinkeye. p-i-n-k-e-y-e.

so because he was gone for the day, i didn't get to leave work early enough.

i missed my flight to Reno.

so as i stood there rebooking my ticket and crying, a very sweet woman came up to me and said 'is it going better?"

no it's not, i missed my flight and it's been horrible at work and at home...sob, boo hoo, waaaah.

'honey,' she said, putting her arm around me. 'there's a reason you're not supposed to be on that plane.'

that shut me up.

'seriously.' she says. 'it doesn't mean that the plane is going down, but there is a reason you were to miss this flight. everything happens for a reason. you just remember that.'

that woman was my angel yesterday. i really believe God sent her to me just to keep me on track and remind me that even though i want to believe it's all about me, there really is a Bigger Picture out there, and i lose sight of that.

frequently.

i'm constantly telling Brendan that things happen for a reason. i can't explain the reasons but there is a reason and everything works the way it's supposed to. so, no, there was no plane crash last night.

but i'll never know the reason why i wasn't to make that flight.

thanks NiceDeltaLady. you put me back in perspective.

tonight: Keith!

don't look now, but here come the 80s.

so. let's recap, shall we?

* no update on B's job.
* the truck has been totalled by his insurance. however, AAA hasn't even heard about this claim. hmmmm...
(and this has nothing to do with him, but...)
*THREE MORE DAYS TILL KEITH!!! THREE MORE DAYS TILL KEITH!!!!
(and)
* have i mentioned how cool the Husband can be sometimes, especially when it comes to my 'needing to craft' obsession?

ok. i'll explain. i found a recipe online for making headache balm. some Shea butter, olive oil and beeswax, along with lavender oil, melted, pour into metal tins. then when a headache comes your way, rub some into your temples, and breathe deeply.
i have some headache oil like this. it works. so, my brilliant idea was - hey! let's make these for Christmas presents!!

and yes, i am well aware that it's only March.

so - yesterday, in a lot of running around anyway, B decided to take me to a health food store for the Shea butter. no luck. but, amazingly Bath & Body Works had 100% Shea butter in stock.

and today, while he's looking at greasy car parts and other man based smelly things at the Pomona car swap meet, i'll be here. making headache balm.

or other crafty things.


now - you may be wondering what-in-the-name-of-all-that-is-holy-does-all-of-that-have-to-do-with-the-80's (as my title infers)?

well, Becky had this on her little corner of the internet. i thought it was cool. then i realized how dang old i am...and even was back in the freaking 80s.

here. enjoy. and feel free to use.

1. How old were you in 1980? 18
2. How old were you in 1989? gah. 27.
3. Were you a Toys R' US Kid?um, no...i was a Tuffskins kid.
4. Did you watch Transformers? Nope.
5. Did you see E.T. on the big screen? no, and i don't know why!
6. Did you own a Lite Bright? no dang it. i was deprived as a child. deprived, i tells ya!
7. Who is your Favorite Golden Girl? Sophia. (me too. i always liked a smartass)
8. When someone says "Who you gonna call?" you think? GHOSTBUSTERS!
9. What was/were your favorite toy(S)? being an older teenager, probably 45s.
10. Did you have a Pogo Ball? huh? whaz that?
11. Did you listen to New Kids on the Block? thank heavens no. i did, however, listen to the Go-Gos and Pat Benetar
12. What New Kid did you have a crush on? what's a New Kid?
13. Did you play M.A.S.H? oh boy. 'come on, guys! let's play dress up and doctor all at once!'
14. Did you watch The Care Bears? nope. but i did watch Disney's Gummi Bears. oh wait. that was the 90s.
15. Did you have Jelly bracelets? um, no. but i did have at least three different pairs of jelly shoes. which i saw again in Target. yesterday.
16. Did you own a glo-worm? wait. this is a family blog and i don't go in for those shenanigans. what? oh. never mind.
17. Did you ever own a slap bracelet? i think i did.
18. The Breakfast Club or Sixteen Candles? neither. 'Hiding Out.'
19. Did you have a crazy hair style? um. of course. and no you cannot see it.
20. What was your first bike? dagnabbit, it was back in the 60's and it was a red Schwinn
21. Name one thing you still own from your childhood? it's the doll from my Liddle Kiddle locket. and it looks 40 some years old.
22. Did you have a Cabbage Patch Kid? oh yeah. rotten wench that i am, i bought one to torment my then boyfriend's mother with. 'Mrs. Clarkson! wanna see your grandchild?!'
23. Did you dress like Madonna? nah. i'm wasn't slutty enough back then.
24. Rainbow Brite or Strawberry Shortcake? Strawberry Shortcake. i like toys that smell good.
25. Did you watch Miami Vice? sometimes.
26. Did you own a pair of Jelly Shoes? see #15. they did, however, REALLY make your feet sweat.
27. Did you own a Trapper Keeper? oh yeah. those rocked!
28. Atari or Nintendo? Atari. i bought it myself. i had Frogger AND a Journey 'Don't Stop Believin' video game.
29. Did you play Pac-Man? yep. and i sucked at it, too.
30. Which was better? Nintendo DS. what? wrong decade?
31. He-Man or She-Ra? i'll take She-Rag - Princess of PMS
32. What movie scared you the most? hmmmm. i don't remember seeing any scary movies then.
33. Did you try to dance like Michael Jackson? ummmm, no.
34. What Is The First Thing That Comes To Mind When You Hear "Flux Capacitor"? "If my calculations are correct, when this baby hits eighty-eight miles per hour... you're gonna see some serious shit." (me, too, Becky! that and some really scary hair on Doc)
35. What other colors did Pepsi come in? clear. never drank it. i'm a Coke girl.
36. Roger Rabbit Or Howard The Duck? p-p-p-p-p-please! Roger rules.
37. Did you ever beg your parents to have your school picture taken with the 'LASER' background? thank heavens, no.
38. Do you know what the Ninja Rap is? do i want to know?
39. Do you know why people cringe when they hear the word BUCKNER? no. i am SO old.
40. Can you name the family members from National Lampoons Vacation movies? Clark, Ellen, Rusty, Audrey, Aunt Edna, Cousin Eddie and the dog who peeded on everything.
41. WallyWorld or Europe? has to be WallyWorld - it was filmed @ Magic Mountain about 40 minutes from Long Beach, where i grew up. (but now, i'd rather go to Europe. just not with the Griswalds)
42. What was your favorite movie from the 80's? see #18. i loved Jon Cryer then. now, well, not so much.

your turn. have fun! i have headache balm to make.

tonight, tonight...

prayers.

tonight the Husband goes back to talk to the possible job.

fingers crossed.

goats sacrificed.

four leaf clovers abound.

more details to follow.

ed.: hopefully y'all still have the goats handy. the owner of the shop had something come up, and asked B to call him tomorrow. gah. will this never end?!

ed. the ed.: goats still available? seems that now B is asking too much money than what this guys wants to pay. B asked him on Friday to come up with a price he's willing to pay and to call him next week so they can discuss.
oy.
i'm ready to send him to In-n-Out Burgers. not only would he get a check, but probably a really good discount on food.

wacky.

she's silly.

a total hambone when Auntie pulls out her camera.

i once had to pay her for the privilege of shooting her because i 'take too many pictures.'

she's so different from her brother. and her uncle laughs because he says she's just like her mother.

and she'll likely drive her mother to the funny farm.

but that's OK, because her mother and i have vowed to be in the same nursing home. (and there's not a whole lot of difference between the two)

and i love her (and her brother) like crazy.

see you in a few days.

words to live by.

direct from Susie - Here are the meme rules:
1. Write your own six word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible, so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. Remember to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play!

hmmm. only six words for my memoir? when have i ever been able to keep things down to a few words?

ummmm, never.

so how about - She Had Not Yet Decided Whether to Use Her Powers for Evil or for Good.

no? then what about - Naps Rule.

no? OK then.

nope. i gotta stick with Susie's. 'Life is uncertain, eat dessert first.'

obviously, i live by these words...otherwise i wouldn't be in Weight Watchers (which, btw, i am down 12.6lbs, while my darling, wasting away Husband is down a freaking 20 lbs.).

let's face it: you could be eating dinner when BAM!! your life is cut short by a nasty salmonella very quick moving virus. and there you are, at the Pearly Gates, without a creme brulee.

or a cheesecake.

or a hot fudge sundae.

or...well, you get the picture.

i tag....April, Allie, Linda, Melissa &, back from her hiatus, Steff. and of course, you too, if you wanna!

would you rather have a Buick or a job?

or both?

personally, i'll take Rock & Roll for $300, Alex.

so the truck went in to the body shop today.
then the adjuster mentions that possibly the insurance won't pay for the body work, because the truck is older.

great.

so we've said a silent prayer that the insurance finds it in their hearts to fix said car.

i'm not in the mood for car payments. neither is he.

he also met with the owner of the possible job today. they discussed what they both want from the position. they're meeting again this Thursday.

and we got the rental.

it's a Buick LaSauer. a V6, which has nice pickup.

very. nice. pickup.

so Brendan took me for a drive. i said we should drive down to Leisure World (a retirement community down here) and go trolling for babes.

grandma babes, but babes nonetheless.

this is one sweet ride. really. either that, or dang it, i'm older than i thought.

or both.

random nuttiness - now with 45% more nutz!

strap in. i'm going all over the place this a.m.

• yesterday at work was much better. although i did find out that i'm gonna have to train a real (pardon the expression) numbnutz to help with my job. he's a schmo, we don't get along and he has no motivation to go above and beyond what is required of him. you know, like half of America.
• Carrie Underwood is just the cutest thing, dang it.
• we are switching Weight Watchers meetings to Saturday, neither of us like the new leader on Sundays, way too perky. not only that, but i get irritated at leaders who have lost only 25 pounds and are now at their goal weight. i don't begrudge any weight loss, but i feel more affinity with someone who, like me, has a buttload of weight to lose.
• pun intended.
• George Clooney is also pretty yummy.
• ditto Keith. like i had to say that.
• nerve wracking is making this mini brag necklace for my mom. it uses the index prints from your Costco photos. yep. that small. the Husband even says 'is it supposed to be that small?' shaddup. you know nothing about art.
• Girl Scout cookies rock. especially Thin Mints in the freezer, a nasty habit i got from my Grandma Dodie.
• Brendan's Adventures in Unemployment may be coming to an end as soon as Monday. he interviewed at a printhouse about five minutes from our casa, and this owner really like Brendan and what he had to say, suggestions, etc. they're meeting to talk about money, benefits and all that fun stuff. prayers, por favor.
• a job would be nice, since we have yet to get any money from the Great State of California. see, at first, they were 'concerned' about Brendan attending school, they seemed to think that would keep him from accepting a position. so, when he recontacted them, they said they were still 'evaluating' his case.
• yesterday he got another form from them.
• oh and he got hit yesterday. had pulled out of his parking spot, and was driving in the parking lot, when a retired cop backed out of his spot and whacked him good. no damage to Husband, a nice whack on the truck. we already have the body shop selected and he's taking it Monday.
• have you been to Tara's home? she is so beyond talented as a photographer, i just wanna be like her. her photos of her kiddos just amaze me.
• been tagged by my SusieQ - look for it on the next installment of *random thoughts.