Happy New Year, Easter Bunny!

So not much time to write much today as I have to bake TWO kinds of cookie bars for this New Year's party I'm attending. It will be a rather low-key celebration for me, as I am the administrator on call at my job this week and may be summoned to work for an elderly emergency should one happen. (This would be a much cooler responsibility if I were summoned by a giant Batman symbol in the sky instead of a cell phone call.)

But to everyone out there in bloggy land, I wish this for you:

May you have the hindsight to know where you've been
the foresight to know where you're going
and the insight to know when you're going too far.


Happy New Year, everybody!

Yes, I am saying it's my birthday. Now shut up.

So today's my birthday.
It kinda sucks having your birthday two days before a major holiday, especially one in the dead of winter. It meant everyone was always super-busy getting ready for Christmas on my birthday and didn't have much time to spare. It also meant getting ornaments as gifts, which, believe me, is one of the suckiest gifts you can give a kid. Worse than socks.
I had one birthday party when I was little- and unfortunately it happened to be the year I turned 7.
A week earlier, I had been playing outside in the bitter cold with a friend when she threw my hat up in one of our trees. I climbed the tree to retrieve it and a branch broke under my foot. No bones broken, nothing seemed wrong but my leg hurt- right in the middle of my thigh. Eventually my friend went home and I went inside to warm up. I didn't know anything was wrong until I went to change out of my pants and saw a gaping hole in my leg. It never bled- didn't even tear a hole in my pants (those were some tough corduroys).
We made a flying trip to the emergency room and I got sewed up. I even got to open an early birthday present. It was a pretty bad tear- in addition to numerous invisible stitches, I had seven regular stitches that were removed a week later, leaving me with a decent -sized scar on my leg that I still have to this day.

But while I was stitched up (and being forced to take it easy so I didn't tear said stitches out) I had my birthday and my one party. I had three friends over: Danielle, Lois Jane, and Tarra, who happened to be the friend who threw my hat up in the tree in the first place, thanks a lot. I got to sit at the table and watch them play with the toys I had just opened. Stellar.
In the years since, it hasn't been that bad (except for one notoriously bad birthday two years ago that I'll write about sometime later). Celebrating usually means going out to dinner somewhere nice. And I've learned to make my birthday fun for me. Which means I get a whole day of doing whatever I want. Which doesn't explain why I spent the morning dusting my kitchen.

Day Ten! For the love of all that's holy...

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


1. This was a tad more tiresome than I thought it would be.

Day Nine, crimeney

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


I'm not sure I understand this one.


1. ; }


2. : |

Day Eight

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

Oooh, "turn ons." This is so 1976.

1. Sense of humor
2. Kindness
3. Loves animals

Sanda Walter

Day Seven

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.



1. The sound of people eating
2. Being interrupted / talked over
3. Flesh-colored pantyhose
4. Pronouncing 'coupon' "kyoo-pon" instead of "koo-pon."

More than halfway there!

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


1. My friend LB, whom I miss very much


2. My husband, Brett


3. My sister, Katie, who is living with us while she trains to be a massage therapist. It's been so much fun to have her around all the time, and she's an excellent house guest who helps with chores.


4. My brother, Kevin, who never fails to amuse. When my mother asked him recently if he wanted to go shopping with her, he replied, "I don't think it's in my best interest."


5. One of the very sweet ladies at work, Martha. She submitted some sculpture pieces of hers for our Resident Art Calendar and when I ran into her yesterday morning in line for her meds, she asked- so timidly- if she could possibly have a few more copies of it for family members. She held my hand & patted it while I told her about my plans for a Resident Art Show in the spring, which she agreed to participate in. My grandma Genevieve was one of my best pals in addition to being my grandmother and godmother. She passed away 4 years ago and I miss her all the time. But this sweet lady reminded me that in addition to doing work I love, I'm surrounded by 150-some grandmas every time I'm at work. Granted, some are fairly cantakerous and some just plain unpleasant, but the grand majority of the residents are delightful and I thank this woman for reminding me how lucky I am to have this job and get to know them.


(Hope Santa was reading that last one. I could use the points.)

Is it really only Day Five???

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


1. Climbed that tree that I fell out of and cut my leg open. (See Day Two, Number Seven)
2. Cut bangs /  cut my hair short last spring
3. Stood up too fast while I was under the stairs at the SPCA trying to coax a loose black cat out from the hiding space back there. I smacked the bridge of my nose into the underside of the stairs when I stood up too fast, knocked me backward on my azz, got a minor concussion, split the skin on my nose (and put a wee dent in the bone there too) and had two lovely black eyes for about a week.
4. Goofed around & done the minimum to get by in high school. There was no motivation or even need to do more, but I wonder where I might've gone if I'd been really aggressive and pushed for more opportunities.
5. Rode that skateboard while holding onto a jumprope tied to the back of my cousin's bike while he was riding it. Wiped out in a pile of gravel and still have the scars to prove it.
6. Tried to vault over that sawhorse in the bar parking lot in Myrtle Beach on vacation in college. I only broke a toe, but it was embarrassing.

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


1. Did I remember ... (insert task- to feed the dogs, unplug the hairdryer, flush the toilet- yes, for some reason I worry about that).
2. What would happen if I ... (shoved that old man and ran, told that girl her skirt gives her a muffin top, screamed "POOP!" at the top of my lungs in a crowded space ...)
3. Most people don't pay attention to most things.
4. Can I have candy bars for lunch?
5. What if I just DON'T get out of bed today?
6. I wonder what the dogs are doing right now?
7. There's a lot of people out there better off than me, and a lot of people out there much worse off, so there's no point in complaining.

Stolen, part III

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

1. send me flowers (or even a plant)
2. share your candy with me
3. rub my back
4. remember the (many) things I don't like to eat
5. don't interrupt me (or speak over me)
6. be a character (I don't mean someone invented or created; I mean a quirky, memorable individual)
7. like the same music I do (or at least appreciate it)
8. play with toys

Stolen, Part Two

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.

1. I hate pork chops, brussels sprouts and fried calamari.
2. I'm excessively superstitious.
3. I have to have the back of my neck covered or I can't sleep.
4. I worry about becoming hunchbacked.
5. I have 4,232 songs on my ipod.
6. I can- and have- eaten an entire jar of capers. And drank the brine.
7. I fell out of a tree 7 days before my 7th birthday, in 7 degree weather. I had 7 stitches in the tear, which were removed 7 days later and left me with a 7cm scar.
8. I have two tattoos- kermit the frog on my shoulder, and a little green shamrock on my hip.
9. Oatmeal is just about the only thing I can eat first thing in the morning.

Stolen from my friend LB

Day One: Ten things you want to say to ten different people right now.
Day Two: Nine things about yourself.
Day Three: Eight ways to win your heart.
Day Four: Seven things that cross your mind a lot.
Day Five: Six things you wish you’d never done.
Day Six: Five people who mean a lot (in no order whatsoever)
Day Seven: Four turn offs.
Day Eight: Three turn ons.
Day Nine: Two smileys that describe your life right now.
Day Ten: One confession.


1. You drank the teeny tiny bit of red wine that we had and left me with CHARDONNAY??
2. Yes, you're right. Your life is so much tougher than mine.
3. Honey, you might want to try breathing in between all that talking.
4. You already had dinner, and more than enough treats.
5. Please, please, please come visit!
6. Please just buy me books for Christmas. It will make me happier than anything else.
7. You two sooooo deserve each other.
8. Suck it, fancy.
9. Please come be my friend!
10. Why are you so awesome?

Felix remembers Paris ...

I'm a winner- the button says so.

I did it! 50,015 words in 30 days.
And it was 30 days of my very busiest time at work, along with a crazy holiday and birthday celebration thrown in there for good measure.
While I am VERY impressed with my certificate and web buttons, I am more pleased with the fact that taking this challenge on has helped me establish a daily writing habit again, which I haven't done since college. All the excuses I've given myself- I'm too drained after work, there's not enough time at night, blah blah blah- have all been proven pointless.
So now? Finish the story (oh yeah, 50,000= not even close to done), polish 'er up, and see if I just might be get a publisher interested.