Can you dig it?

For your viewing pleasure...and to let you in on some personal insight:

Get Over It

Why is it so hard for people to get over and move past break-ups? I am so confused.
A little backstory:
A friend of mine from college had been dating/engaged to a guy for a few years. The past six months of their relationship have been nothing but lies, and back-to-back issues. The straw finally broke the camels back almost a month ago, and their break-up process began. What gets me is how back and forth she has been. When we talk about how horrible he had been treating her, and how much better off she'll really be, she seems very clear in the head...but when I ask her what she did the night before, she tells me she let Him come over and spend the night. I don't know why this is bothering me so much either. It's not my life, it's hers. Maybe I'm just urked because I sat back and let this loser get in the way of our friendship for so many years...and now that they're "broken up" he's still getting in the way. Maybe I'm irritated that she's not following through with what she's telling me (in a way, it almost feels like she's lying to me since she goes around doing exactly what she tells me she's NOT going to do).
I.just.don't.get.it.
Can someone please explain to me why she is acting so nim-whitted? Where should I draw my "friendship line" of morals and say enough is enough? How much of this "saying one thing, and doing another" should I tolerate?
Maybe I just need to take my own advice and get over it.

Gorillas and Shakes

The company I work for strives for its employees to be diverse, thus offering mandatory diversity classes twice a year. This past week, the class I attended focused on "diverse networking". It was two hours long, and I actually learned some fairly valuable lessons.

The first lesson I learned was I am not as multi-faceted as I once had thought. We were instructed to watch a video and count the number of bounce passes. When the video was started, there were about six people weaving in and out of each other, some throwing the ball between them with random bounce passes mixed in. I focused very intently, completely sure my eye for detail would allow me to prevail and win a small prize and boast my ego a little. After the video was over, we started discussing our answers when one of my coworkers stated he was distracted by the person in the gorilla suit who walked through the people. Long story short, if you are a multi-tasker/good observer, you see the gorilla...if you are like me...you don't (Note: over half of my employees did not see the gorilla).
ANYWHO...

This class also opened my eyes to a more professional and respectable way of presenting myself. I'm not sure if you know this, but I tend to revert to a very shy and introverted person when I am in rather large groups (more specifically when I do not know the people I am with). This would make "networking"/socializing at a work event difficult for me. The class gave me tools for asking questions of others, and also left me with a slight amount of confidence to talk with new people. I put the confidence to the test last night at the fields by asking a team we didn't know to come over to our cooler for a cold one. The conversation didn't last long, but it was long enough to introduce ourselves, and make new alliances. I am not the best with names, but I do remember some small tidbits about this team so if we were to ever play them I would feel more comfortable walking over and saying hi.

The only item discussed in the class that I didn't agree with, was the proper way to shake a hand. Here's how they taught us:
-Make your hands look like that star trek "Spock" sign.
-When shaking hands, you are supposed to have your pointer finger, and middle finger rest on the other persons inner-wrist
This method is supposed to prevent you from getting your knuckles crushed...but really, I think it's just plain creepy. The more you get to know a person (on a professional level) the more you can allow your handshake to fall along the lines of mine, which does not include the Spock sign separation of your fingers. What's your take?

By any means, I am the furthest thing from a networking genius...this, for me, is more about baby steps in the right direction. Last night, I took a few baby steps. I went to sleep with a smile on my face for a change. I am looking forward to more opportunities to put my better foot forward, and I'm doing it with some pep in my step.

Untiled Random Thoughts

Coming home to a clean kitchen was wonderful yesterday. I was able to make a "delicious" meal consisting of macaroni'n cheese, hot dogs and grapes (I had to sneak in the fruit to make myself feel better about the proccessed meal! hehehe). Little man was a fan of the whole shebang :)
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Speaking of the little monster. He's been driving me to drink (figuratively speaking that is...). He's entered a biting phase, and I am completely besides myself. When he is scolded, he is un-scathed. I feel like this phase is reflecting poorly on my parenting, but at the same time, I know not to take it too personal. The fear of my child being the classroom bully lingers. The thought of him never outgrowing this bully stage is quite frightening. Now, I must punch myself in the gut for jumping to insane conclusions about my son's future as a sociopath after only two days of biting.
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Wine Rack Update: Being the classy single mom that I am, I went on a walk to the "sucker store" for softball supplies. While I was browsing the fine assortment of beers, I decided I would try and find some decent inexpensive wine to adorn my new wine rack. I picked up a bottle of Malbec and a bottle of Shiraz. They look like they're at home on the rack...so much so that I don't know if I'll be able to drink them any time soon.

CSM

Lately (especially by mid-week) I arrive home to a kitchen that looks like the following:

As promised. The first edition of Clean Sweep Monday's (albeit a tid bit late on my behalf...lo ciento!)
I've been constantly faced with little to no counter space due to the fact that I have clutter overwhelming my life! Tonight, I made one small step towards ridding myself of this burden. My small kitchen may look like a disaster zone, but the counter tops and stove were clean..and were unfortunately littered with miscellaneous items (everywhere). I got down to business, and slowly but surely tackled the junk. I parted with items I knew I wouldn't need/use. I put away items in their correct spots. I cleared my counters of clutter. And.It.Felt.Great!
End results:


I really do love having a clean kitchen. It makes my heart smile! (and also makes me REALLY excited to cook!!)
Over the weekend, I also found a hidden treasure that was going to be thrown out. I can't decide if the best part of my discovery was that it was free, that it helps to hide my router/wires, or that it's something I've wanted for a long time, but hadn't had the audacity to spend money on it. I present you with my new wine rack!!!!! (sans the wine...Note to self: Pick up wine next time you're at the sucker store!!)

Random Life Up to Date

What a wash of a weekend for me. In lieu of listing off every random detail, I will inform you that I was extremely lazy this past weekend. I did not lift a finger to clean once, and managed to watch season two of Veronica Mars in a 24 hour time-span. The marathon started after little man was sleeping on saturday night, and went into the wee hours of the morning on sunday...pausing briefly for a few hours of shut-eye, and then resuming when it was time for little man's nap on Sunday. I don't remember the last time I have watched that much television!! Needless to say, I am now in the process of hunting down season three (it really is a good show!!).

I feel slightly disappointed in myself. I didn't do anything crazy fun with little man this weekend. The past month I have taken us on some sort of fun mommy-son adventure every weekend. However, the most exciting thing we did this weekend entailed playing with chalk and water-filled spray bottles on friday evening before a few storms rolled in. I know he had fun, but I still should have been slightly more amped to take him to a new park or do something a little more special with him. There's always this coming weekend, right? Do you have any fun ideas you can share?

We did make a trip to the post office as well...to mail my first PIF package. I will say, I cannot believe the amount of items I fit into a small flat-rate priority box(I would say there were OVER a dozen small items). The post lady said I ended up saving myself a little over eight dollars (and the flat rate box only cost nine!! yay me!). Maybe this is just my lack of self esteem talking, but I wish I could have done more for this package..but receiving a box full of goodies is better than receiving a box full of no goodies at all! :)

I was unable to document anything for CSM (clean sweep monday), so this will be my first of two posts today. I have every intention to go home, and photograph two areas of my kitchen (before and after) and have the pics posted before I go to sleep tonight..so if you're up later, then enjoy...if not, then you'll have something to look forward to bright and early tomorrow morning!

I hope y'all had a fantabulous weekend! Did you do anything fun or exciting? Did you happen to see Miss USA fall on her bum in the Miss Universe contest? (I didn't watch the competition, but I have a strong feeling the video is going to make its way around the interweb!) Even though I was consumed with sloth, I was able to rest and really shake my cold (ALMOST for good!). Happy Monday!

QOTD

What question do you hate to be asked?
That's an EASY one..."Where is your husband" or any reference made to my fake husband JUST because of the fact that I have a toddler. Hello people, just because I have a happy baby and I go out and have fun with him at the park does NOT mean I have a solid man in my life waiting for me at home. Hook me up peeps! (well, you don't have to hook me up...but if you know of a good guy... ;) )