I'm losing my mind once a month.

I have a problem. I swear on my life that I experience out of body experiences/blackouts when I PMS. Seriously.

Take Tuesday...
On Tuesday, I thought I was on top of my game. I was productive at work...felt there was nothing to fret about...honestly, life was good. Tuesday night hit, little man started getting sick, and I had to take him to the doctor for an ear infection on Wednesday...which meant I missed work.
Unlike most people, I love going to work. I don't mean to sound like a snob, but I've worked in horrible work environments in the past. My current office rocks. Period.

Which leads me to my next point...

On Wednesday, I started my period*.

When I returned to work today, I was almost immediately invited to discuss something in my bosses office. When she closed the door, my inner voice literally said "shit..what did I do wrong!" Apparently, on Tuesday, I forgot to put out our overnight package. Lame, I know... Lame because it's SUCH AN EASY THING TO DO! (I mean, really! Who can't put a stinking package outside of their office at the end of the day? This chick!) Really horrible of me because we were overnighting time sensitive legal documents. Yeah, I royally effed up. It didn't help that my boss had to deal with my mess by herself since I had to stay home with little man.
Either I'm just really dumb, and shouldn't be allowed to leave my home...or I'm convinced I'm suffering from pms-blackouts.

So I ask...Has anyone every experienced this for themselves? If you're a guy...have you ever heard of a girl say something as crazy as this?! Maybe I'm going nuts. Just maybe!!



*Is it also just me, or do people have an issue calling a period a period? Meh, I'm over it. It is what it is, right? Right. :)

Life sure can be amazing.

Today, life was good. Today, my parenting skills reached a new level. For today, this day, January 26th of 2009, little man NOT ONLY fetched a roll of toilet paper on his own...but actually learned how to put the toilet paper in the holder the right way....with the flap coming over the top. Yes...today.....I am a proud mama.

Wrong way:
















Right way:

1/20-09

Here is a re-cap of my day yesterday...sorry if it's boring to you..but looking back, I can't help but chuckle!!

-Won a radio contest. The prize, you ask? Fourth row tickets to the World's Toughest Rodeo with a Keith Anderson concert following the rodeo. I think it's funny, especially because it's something I would've NEVER purchased on my own accord.

-Gathered around a tv to watch the inauguration with a dozen coworkers. It was amazing to hear Obama's words, and witness the large turnout!

-Thought it was pretty cool that Obama touched on Fear and Hope after I had just posted about it earlier in the morning. I'm becoming convinced that he's magical..really.

-Had a fairly productive day at work, and toyed with the idea of sending a memo out written Obama Style "Let's choose Hope over fear when using our Fitness Centers..."

-Was pretty shocked that the Dow had dropped almost 500pts, and it wasn't broadcasted on the news.

-Asked little man what he wanted to be when he grew up...he replied "Barack Obama." (I asked him the same question this morning on my way to work and he replied "A Big Kid...I eat my vegetables mom" (vegetables pronounced vebables...it was cute and funny at the same time!)).

-Made a delicious dinner of Taquitos, refried beans and chili cheese dip with tortilla chips. My insides aren't enjoying it so much today..but MAN it was TASTY!!

-Danced with little man while watching the Neighborhood Ball. I'll be surprised if it isn't parodied on SNL..there were some pretty cheesy moments, but all in all it was a lot of fun to watch.

-Cried when Beyonce sang At Last.

-Cried and belted out Hero to the tune of Mariah Carey while dancing with little man.

-Talked about the hilarity of the Neighborhood Ball online with an awesome blogger and a great friend.

-Went to bed with a smile on my face...it was a great day!

My 1/20-09 in a nutshell (and a rather large nutshell at that...I've never seen a shell as big as this..Help, I'm trapped in a large nutshell! I digress.)

How was your 1/20-09? (yes, I meant to do the dash thing...consider it my little twisted pun january 20th, 2009-> 20-09...get it? yeah, I'm a weirdo!)

Fears mixed with Hope.

I fear tomorrow will be no different than today
I fear our economy will continue to dissolve before our very eyes
I fear Obama will be blamed for circumstances beyond his control
I fear my son will not have the life I was afforded; Not have the freedom of speech, the safety of playing outside or walking to school, and have limited food/nourishment options
I fear I will not be with my current company, and that my current company will close its doors
I fear my health will fail
I fear my son's health will fail
I fear for what tomorrow may bring
I fear.

I hope today will be the start of a new wave of American enthusiasm
I hope my fears of the unknown economic state of our nation will subside
I hope Obama rocks our country in a way no other person has before
I hope my son will be able to have the life I've been fortunate to have; freedom of speech, the safety to play outside and walk to school, and fun options for food (be it home-cooked meals or going out to eat)
I hope I will still be working for my current company for many years to come
I hope I will maintain my health
I hope my son will stay healthy
I hope for a better tomorrow, while I continue to enjoy today
I hope.

What's up?

What has this mama been up to the past week? Yes, I’ve taken a bit of a writing hiatus. I just haven’t felt inspired to share much lately. Again, I’m not sure if this is due the inclement weather, the economy, my lacking social life, or a combination of the three.

My mini writers block is severely ironic for me. I usually roll my eyes when other people post they’re having a tough time coming up with things to say, or if they are being cryptic. Yes, I’m judgmental like that. I guess I suck (I say this sarcastically…I don’t REALLY think I suck…only KIND OF think I suck, hehe).

No, you aren’t going to catch this girl raving about the inauguration (although I’m sure I’ll be tuning in…).
No, you aren’t going to catch this mama telling you about what I’ve been up to, or what I’ve been dreaming about…I’m afraid I’d bore you to the point of suicide…really, my life has been THAT exciting.

OH! I will tell you about something I have to look forward to… DVR! Yeah baby! I decided to install a landline, and since Comcast monetarily rapes me with their outrageous bills, I succumbed to “bundling” my cable, phone and internet. Am I getting a deal? Hell no. I think charging 40+ bucks a month for tv or telephone is OUTRAGEOUS! Baseball season is coming up, and this mama is gonna watch the Twins in HD baby (plus, I’ll be able to record missed games….oh baby!).

P.S. My new landline is almost the coolest number I’ve ever had. It’s one number off from being orgasmic….and if you haven’t guessed it, I’m kind of a numbers nerd (hence, I was uber excited when little man had the possibility of being born on 02-04-06 with the potential birth time of 8am….the little bugger didn’t see things clearly, and instead arrived on 02-19-06).

Ode to Laughter

Laughing. What's not to like?

With the weather and the economy sucking at life, laughter seems more difficult to come by these days. Not to mention other personal stressors that everyone I know seems to be facing...argh.

This got me thinking. How can I make myself smile when life seems so depressing? I'll tell ya how...I turn to my never fail favorite humor blogs, that's how!

I don't know how Chris does it. Everyday he posts something that makes me chuckle...sometimes even belly laugh, and even once he had me laughing so hard I was in tears. I'm glad he doesn't charge to read his blog...but I know he could!

Matt is another talented man-blogger that has a knack for making me laugh. I honestly don't know where he comes up with his content either. Every day, he rarely lets me down!

I'd be surprised if you aren't reading, or haven't heard about SO@24. His honest take on starting his life over after dating the same girl for over a handful of years makes you laugh and cry...and his writing allows a single person (cough::me::cough) to empathize and remember that although being single feels lonely, there's always room to laugh at yourself or the silly situations that being single presents you with.


There ya go. Three tasty treats on the net that never fail to make me smile. Do you have any funny favorites?

Dark Days

It’s not fair. It really is not fair.

I speak of layoffs and the crappy economy. I’m not sure how, if or when it business is going to get better.

I feel a wave of things right now. Guilt, loss, frustration and relief.
Relief because it wasn’t me
Guilt because it wasn’t me
Guilt for how their families are going to endure
Loss of coworkers who felt like family

I still can’t fathom what drives the higher-ups to make decisions about who is staying and who is going. I can’t imagine it an easy task. I just don’t understand why it was this person and not that. My mind can’t find a way to wrap itself around the explanation that was given, especially when the only explanation falls on the back of the crappy economy.

Birds of a Feather...

...flock together.

This speaks true to my life on a few occasions. One, whenever I'm out with my family. Since MN implemented it's smoking ban, people have to go outside to burn one. Aside from my 4year old neice, and little man, I am the only non-smoker of the family (at least of the family that I hang out with...). I am almost always the one to be left sitting at the table or the bar. It blows goats. Especially when they return and have met/talked with funny people.

I realized this morning, that I flock with some birds too. The coffee drinkers. I've expressed my disdain for drinking black coffee before. I think I'm turning a new leaf. A less-sugar-in-my-diet leaf. While turning this new leaf over, I realize that I have a tighter bond with the other office coffee drinkers. We chat about different brands, and other small talk ensues. It makes me feel good to know I'm finally included in a small social group...especially when that group doesn't entail burning anything.

GOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL

Little man is growing up, and he's growing up fast. He's adapted funny little mannerisms that he uses on a daily basis to get me laugh. He's potty trained. He's equally enjoyable and frustrating (aren't all toddlers though?).

Forcing myself to remember the family stuff I was afforded when I was little, I had a mini epiphany. I needed to sign him up for sports.

I hopped online, and started digging around to see what was available, and what would/could fit into our schedule.

I found a class called Mini Soccer Camp for 3 and 4 year olds...and figured I'd give it a shot. To be honest...I'm REALLY EXCITED! Granted, I'll admit that soccer wasn't my favorite sport when I was little, but talk about a perfect sport for a toddler who has way too much energy for his own good. Plus, I'm looking forward to a great belly laugh seeing all of these little people huddle around the ball in attempt to be the next Pele.

Now all I have to do is find a camcorder to borrow so I can capture the glory to share with the world. I have a feeling this little class is going to be a night to remember!

Music of the Heart

What is my favorite music of the moment?

I have morphed into a country girl. I know, it's embarrassing to admit publicly. But I have.

I'm trying to listen to music rather than having the television on, but it's been a bit of a struggle. The only time I really listen to music is when I'm in my car! (yes, that's kind of sad...I really need to work on that!)

The music selection in my car varies from country, to pop and even some alternative classics like sublime and incubus (yes, I believe incubus is an alternative classic band...wanna fight?)

Little man is a country whore. He absolutely loves Gretchen Wilson and regularly requests the "Oh Yeah!" song (Redneck Woman) whenever we are in the car. Lately he has taken a liking to All Jacked Up... I'm either the coolest mom ever, or I'm going to hell!

What kind of music has you at hello? (translation: What's your favorite music?)

Have you seen my baseball?

I love baseball...really, I do. I don't know what it is, but baseball will always "have me at hello."

Even if you aren't a baseball fan, I think you'll find this little bitty funny :)

Wasted.

There are a few things in life I want to be successful at. Being a good mom, my career, being a solid friend, a responsible person, and reliable...just to name a few. However, this morning, I realized there is something in life I don't want to do.

How do you feel about people in their late 40's reserving an entire day for bar hopping? I feel like I'm being an arse about this, but I find it slightly disturbing. No, I don't think an almost 50-something should stop living their life, but I don't think an almost 50-something should be spending a large amount of their weekend getting wasted.

Those of you who know me in real life know that I like to be the first one to a party and the last one to leave (most of the time at least...). Yes, I'm down for a good time and I highly enjoy socializing with friends. I just don't see this behavior as being an acceptable role model for your kids or your grandkids. Setting aside an entire day or night so you can go out to the bars is something a 20-something does...

Am I the only one on this bandwagon?

Are your parents setting aside weeknights or weekend days to pub crawl, making it a point to stop at every bar along highway 12?

I almost hoping nobody is dealing with my perplexing issue...but at the same time I kind of hope someone is, so I don't feel completely alone or isolated on this topic!

Interview

Mandy, one of my favorite blog-ladies, asked if anyone would like to be interviewed...and I bit the worm on the hook. SO...

1. If you want to participate, leave me a comment saying, “Interview me.” (And your e-mail address, please.)
2. I will respond by emailing you five questions. I get to pick the questions.
3. You will update your blog with the answers to the questions.
4. You will include this explanation and an offer to interview someone else in the same post.
5. When others comment asking to be interviewed, you will ask them five questions.

1. What inspired you to start blogging and how do you find inspiration for your posts?

I was inspired to start blogging because a few people on my softball team mentioned blogs, and I was CLUELESS. SO...I checked it out, and figured I'd give it a try. That was a little over a year ago, and I've been loving almost every second of it. I've always wanted to keep a journal, and this has been the easiest way to record my thoughts.
Most of the inspiration for my posts comes from my everyday life. My mind always seems to run at a million and one miles a minute, so when my brain feels out of control, I stop myself, blog it out, and then do my best to continue on with my day.

2. If you had $100,000 and had to donate it to charity (you cannot keep it, give to any friends or family members), which charities would you donate it to and why?

I am not the most familiar person with the charities scene since I could probably be considered a charity case myself (ha!). Hence, if I had 100K I would really love to sponsor a scholarship for single mom's that are going through what I've been dealing with for the past three years. I feel education is extremely important, and it is very difficult for someone in my shoes to afford to live on her own, go to school, take care of the bills as well as financially afford daycare. Yes, there are state run/government funded programs...but none of them have worked out for me. So yeah, long story short, I would most likely give out four 25K scholarships :)

3. Do you have a life motto? What is it and why did you chose that as your words to live by?

My life motto was recently acquired. Yes, it's from a cheesy kids movie, but when I heard it, I was awe struck
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery and today is a gift. That is why it is called the present."

4. If you had to give up your sense of sight or hearing, which one would you choose and why?

Ouch. That is a very difficult question. If I gave up my sight I'd never be able to witness my little man grow up. If I gave up my hearing I'd never be able to hear his voice again. Both of those things scare me to think about. Can I take a pass on this one? Please (insert ridiculously huge pouty face here)

5. If you inherited a large sum of money that would allow you to live comfortably without working for the rest of your life but had the stipulation that you had to volunteer somewhere 30-40 hours a week, where would you chose to volunteer?

I want to take this one step further. If I inherited a large sum of money and had to volunteer my time, I know exactly what I would do with my time. I would open up a free/affordable in home daycare. As a working single mom, there isn't a fair price to pay someone for taking care/raising your child for you while you're working. I think childcare centers are overrated, and I think their fees are completely ridiculous for the average working individual. I've worked with babies in the past, and it is the most rewarding way I've spent my time, (aside from raising my own little monster man of course).

So there ya have it...five tasty tidbits about me! Don't forget to request your own personal interview! Happy Tuesday all!!

How Funky is Your Chicken?

I feel like I need to rattle my schedule up a little...either that or I feel like I need to regain my mundane schedule..I can't quite decide. Only having to work 3.5 days in the past two weeks has left me caught in a whirlwind. Xmas week I was SO BUSY. This past week I was NOT BUSY.

What did I do with myself this week? Nothing.

I spent many nights alone, and one night with friends.

Any suggestions as to what I can do to shake myself out of this winter funk?