HBTM

Happy Birthday (for two weeks) to Me! I have had a great year and so instead of counting sheep, I am counting my blessings. I would like to take this opportunity to thank several of my blessings: my friends! They laugh and cry and share and minister...we have had such fun this year. I'm proud to be their friend. THANK YOU!

Mason's Thought of the Week

One of my co-workers is a very deep thinker. He always leaves me in a "huh-what" state. I guess that must be because I am not a deep thinker. So I decided that I would start sharing "Mason's Thought of the Week". This weeks treasure is a Chinese proverb (maybe): IF YOU SIT BY THE RIVER LONG ENOUGH, THE BODY OF YOUR ENEMY WILL FLOAT BY.

Frugal Living Taken to New Extremes

I have heard and read so much about frugal living lately. I just had to share some tips from FruGal and a few of my own thoughts on the ideas.
1. "Sell Your Kids" - Go on, you know that someone out there wants them and is willing to pay (almost)top dollar for them...if not, be a good sport and throw in a two-for-one offer!
2. "Give up Grooming" - It is all a bunch of commercial rubbish that has been drilled into your head by a bunch of Old Bald Men. And don't you know you have always wondered just how liberating it would be to wear elastic stretch pants to work once you have quit the gym and removed all of the mirrors from your house!
3. "Quit wearing underwear" - it doesn't matter how many pair you get in the "valu-pak"; there is more value in "spending nothing to wear nothing". Just think of the reduction in laundry!
Ok...maybe this has gone off the deep-end of frugality...but at least we can still laugh about it all!

Four things about me that you may or may not have known, in no
particular order. The directions are at the end.

Four Jobs that I have had:
1. Accountant
2. IRS Revenue Officer
3. Cashier (Winn Dixie)
4. Waitress (briefly)

Four Movies I've watched More Than Once:
1. While You Were Sleeping
2. Pirates of the Carribean (all three)
3. Elizabethtown
4. Legally Blonde (training film) :-)

Four Places I Have Lived:
1. Golden, CO
2. Greeley, CO
3. Anchorage, AK
4. Meridianville, AL

Four Shows that I watch:
1. MonsterQuest
2. The First 48
3. Fox Report with Shepard Smith
4. The Office

People Who E-mail Me Regularly:
1. Deb
2. Andy
3. Glenda
4. Suzie-Q

Four of My Favorite Foods:
1. Chocolate
2. Nachos
3. Brownies
4. Twizzlers

Four Places I Would Rather be Right Now: (not in any order)
1. Sleeping
2. Lounging on the beach
3. Snow skiing
4. Parasailing

Four Friends I Think Will Respond:
1. It's all God
2. Mrs. Goofy
3. Blessed Beyond
4. I don't know

Things I Am Looking Forward To This Year:
1. Christmas
2. Fall Vacation
3. Feeling better - after surgery
4. Thanksgiving

RETURN DIRECTIONS:

Now, here's what you're supposed to do... And please do not spoil the fun. Hit forward, delete my answers and type in your answers.

Then send this to a whole bunch of people you know, INCLUDING the person
who sent it to you. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little known facts about those who know you. Remember to send it back to the person who sent it to you.

V.I.P.

Well, this must be my year! First I get to hob-nob with the Governor and the Mayor. And today I got to wave at Vice-President Cheney, as his motorcade went by. Of course I had to have a blonde moment first. We were caught up in mayhem just outside of work. I asked about the commotion. So, T at work told me that the President was going to be driving by. Then G said no, that it was going to be the Vice-President. I was completely confused. Our company does not have a President and Vice-President. So I asked: the Vice-President of What? Anyway, it was really cool to watch the Secret Service! And to see the firepower associated with the motorcade. They were definitely NOT kidding around! I saw sniper in one of the SUVs and in the helicopter up above. I can't imagine what the security that surrounds President Bush looks like!!

A Giant Step Backwards

Lets put our political preferences aside. I am thoroughly dismayed with the attacks heaped upon Governor Sarah Palin and her family...especially from other women! I think Mrs. Palin is wonderful. I'm not talking about her political views. I think she is an amazing WOMAN. She proudly represents the traditional American family. She has been married to the same man for twenty-some years. She did not bail out like many do, but obviously choose to stay with him in good times and in bad. She proudly has a large family, which includes a special needs child. She supports her son, who just deployed to defend our country. She is a working mom. And has seemed to do this all with dignity and grace. With all of these credentials, she should be woman of the year! I am appalled that the news media is questioning her effectiveness as a mother, just because she works! What a slam against all working mothers. Especially those with special needs children! Slamming Mrs. Palin is a giant step backwards for the women in general. We should not let the media rip apart one of our own. Do we not remember how many women suffered just to give us the right to vote and have our voices be heard? Now is not the time to be SILENT!

The Glass Ceiling

We had an interesting conversation at work yesterday. The comment was made that the the glass ceiling is, in a lot of ways, perpetuated by women. That women will undermine other women co-workers, in order to advance. The goal seems to be how many women you can leave your stiletto heel marks in during your climb to the top. Men, on the other hand, will drag along his friends, even his most worthless buddy on his ladder ascent.

Musings

Last week I was paid a compliment. Someone in the other building at work saw me and inquired about my marital status. I was blown away. Being almost 45, it just amazed me that I still show up on the radar. The girl who told me about it said "Well, at least you know that you still got it goin' on!" I do? Lately it sure doesn't seem like it. I am thinking that all of my goin' on is picking up and headin' south. Lucky for me my man doesn't seem to notice that I'm getting older and more senile. Or at least he doesn't say anything about it (smart man!). That is the great thing about growing old together!

Single in the New Millenium?

Thankfully, I have been out of the loop so long, I have become out of touch. I wouldn't know the first thing about dating these days. And fortunately, I don't have to. I'm not sure I could find someone as quirky as I am, again! It seems to be tough to be single woman these days. I work with two single women over forty (and I'm friends with a few more). Their criteria seems easy enough: SingleWF/DivorcedWF/WidowedWF seeks male, between 40-65 years, straight, single, employed, must have teeth, and a good personality. And neither one is having any luck finding Mr. Wonderful! Is that really setting the bar too high? Both will concede on Mr. Wonderful having his own teeth, if necessary. But exactly how low does the bar need to be?? Surely it can't be that bad out there??????

Football Friday

I had a Flashback Friday. I went out with some girlfriends for dinner and then to the BJ high school football game. Things have changed a bit since I was in high school. When did they start tailgating at a high school game? They had motorhomes, grills and tents!! I guess the South is serious about ALL levels of football. I actually went to see the BJ dance team. Wow, they are good! They even had a costume change before halftime! The poor HG football players got blown out 59 to 8. There were actually more HG band geeks than football players. That just seemed wrong! Oh well, I was just like in HS in one respect. We didn't find any guys. My buddies are single and looking.

Happy Fake Birthday to Me

Without presents, balloons, cards nor fanfare...my fake birthday came and went. That's ok. Very few people know that I,Yes, I actually have a fake birthday. My real birthday is in late September. But that was past the cut off for starting school. I would have had to stay home another year. Apparently that was unacceptable to my mother. So my mother altered my birth certificate making September 2nd my birthday. Then she coached and drilled my siblings. Mom wanted to make sure that they wouldn't accidentally tell my real birthday. It seems a little surreal and over the top to me. In the long run, I think it would have been better for me to start a year later. I would have had an extra year of maturity. Now, in elementary school it really didn't matter. But when it came to high school and driving, it was not fun always being the youngest. Sadly, having an extra birthday did not entitle me to an extra cake, party, presents.