I have tendencies...

Ones that drive me nuts. And make me breathe hard. And sweat. And consume my everyday thoughts...

"Did I or did I not close the garage door?? Did I or did I not turn off the straightening iron?? Dammit!"

I definitely have some obsessive/compulsive tendencies. I will often turn the car around to double check the garage door - or sometimes call friends to do a drive by and let me know if it's closed - then I'll have to run inside to make sure the straightening iron was unplugged. It's a very unsettling feeling. And I know that if I didn't do these things, I couldn't focus on anything else until I knew for sure. But I am thankful that it's not to the degree to which some people suffer. (Anyone catch the MTV special about this disorder? Wow.) What a difficult way to live.

So, I would consider my tendencies mild, but annoying just the same. Anyone else have tendencies?

Looks like dirt to me

"It was a big clump of dirt," Rogers said as the Tigers knotted the Series at a game apiece. "Dirt and resin and all that stuff put together, when it's moist and you're rubbing up the baseball and it stays on your hand.
"And I wiped it off. I didn't know it was there and they told me and I took it off, and it wasn't a big deal."

- Kenny Rogers, Tigers' kick ass pitcher

Tony LaRussa believes him. Jim Leyland believes him. I believe him. Let's move on.

Tag, you're NOT it... anymore.

I just heard that tag is being banned on school playgrounds during recess. Yes, tag. And here are the reasons why:

1. Risk of injury. (such as falling down)
2. Potential for inappropriate touching.
3. Kids are of varying sizes and may tag someone too hard.

Your thoughts?

I think I'm old.

I tell ya, with technology the way that it is now, and how quickly everything is upgraded and downloaded, I find it hard to keep up. I do not consider myself technologically savvy, I can set up my dvd player, cable AND my old-school Nintendo to my tv (at the same time, thank you very much!) but I cannot download something from itunes, or jam out on my ipod or mp3 player or satellite radio, hell, I probably couldn't even burn a cd. I feel like I have missed the technology boat and have swum myself right into fuddy-duddy town.

But I also think that a lot of that stuff has its time in the sun, then it quickly fades away. And unfortunately I just don't have the expendable income to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy items like these only to have them be obsolete years later. And I just don't feel like i NEED these things.

But I'm glad these things exist, it's nice to know that we keep making advances in our society, but where will it all end?? I can't wait for the day when my phone is the primary hub for all technology, how fun to watch tv on that screen, huh?! Then I'm sure someone will come out with a phone that does just ONE more thing than the phone I have and my phone will suck.

I just hope we don't blow ourselves up. With this heavy reliance on technology, it seems bound to happen. One day, everything will go kaput. I just have that feeling. But maybe it's cause I'm old??

On another note...

I find it ridiculous that famous people are in commercials talking about how great boxed hair dye is. Am I really supposed to believe that Eva Longoria stopped at her local Target and bought a box of L'oreal Feria Chestnut brown hair color and plopped down in her bathroom to do her OWN hair? Yeah right. I'm sure she couldn't have possibly paid $8,000 to have that done.

It's just too unbelievable. And it bothers me.

Anyone I know can be famous.

Wow. A job well done to Dove for creating this campaign about real beauty. We know that famous people are make-upped, done up, plucked, primmed, starved, styled to the nines, and airbrushed to the hilt, but it's still refreshing to see things such as this as a reminder that given the proper committee, anyone could look famous.

Take a look at this "normal" girl go through the star treatment and become almost unrecognizable.

http://popsugar.com/48830

Pinch Me.

The De-troit Tigers. In the World Series. It's true.

A big woohoo and enthusiastic high five to all!!!

It's going to be very difficult for this blogger to sit still waiting for Game 1 on Saturday. The excitement is building!

p.s. I can't believe any of this. To go from the worst (WORST) team in baseball just two years ago, to the World Series... it doesn't get much better than that!! Jim Leyland for President!

I heart family.

This past weekend has solidified for me my desire to be a part of/have a big family. Spent the weekend with the BF’s family and had.a.blast. Seriously, there’s always something going on, somebody telling a story, people laughing, kids running around, it was chaotic and fun, and I just loved it. I love walking into a house and having to give 12 hugs before sitting down. It’s comforting and heartwarming.

My family isn’t like that. First of all, we’re not big. I have a small to medium size family (which has served me well over the past 28 years, let’s be clear.) And secondly, we’re not loud by any stretch of the imagination – on either side of my family. (Although, give my aunt and me some wine and we are by far the loudest of everyone.) Thirdly, and this part saddens me, we’re not a huggy family. And I totally want to be one. But that’s a hard thing to incorporate at this stage of the game, people don’t become huggers overnight. I’d probably get some strange looks and “what’s gotten in to her?” statements.

Sigh. So, I’m keeping my fingers crossed that one day I will be a part of a big, loud, funny family. Or if not, I’ll have to create one of my own. And dammit, I will.

*Please note that I mean no disrespect to my family – I love you all and think you’re great. And I would trade away none of you. Just try to be more loud, K!? :)

They Did It!

Yay! The Tigers beat the Yankees!

Such redemption. I love it!

On to California.

To Wear or What Not to Wear?

This past weekend I was going through some old photos from babyhood to my college years and it got me thinking. . . Now, I consider myself a fashion monger, I love to keep up with trends and the like and find great pleasure in doing so. But when looking through these photos, I thought to myself, "that's something that I thought looked good?" and "perhaps I'm not as fashion forward as I think I am." (Obviously there were some 80's choices that should not have been made, but I'm talking more about the high school/college years.) At the time, I thought everything I was wearing looked great. And I think that now as well. It's not like college was all THAT long ago, so trends haven't changed too, too much.

I guess what I'm saying is, every year I feel like I gain a better understanding of what looks good and what doesn't. But maybe I'm wrong. And I wondered if most people felt that they are getting better looking, either facially or fashionably, as the years go on?? If this is the case, is getting older really that bad of a thing?

My athletic support

Best of luck to the Detroit Tigers tonight as they begin a post-season 5-game series with the (loathsome, dreaded) Yankees!

I speak for everyone when I say that the Yankees have won enough, it's someone else's turn. Their years of bullying need to end. The Tigers deserve to continue. They had the best record in baseball for the vast majority of the season, after many, many dismal years.

I'm rooting for them all the way! Please join me in my support.

Churches are clever.

I am such a fan of the message boards outside of churches. I think the people who put those messages out there are super clever. I almost always chuckle at them and think they're quite funny. One that I've seen recently says this:

"Let's meet at my house Sunday before the big game"
- God

The message is clear and cute. Perhaps its my line of work that makes me appreciate these, but I really do think that churches really have a good handle on cleverness. God has a good sense of humor. I appreciate that.

The Autumnal Equinox

Happy First Day of Fall!

As far as I'm concerned, this ranks right up there as one of my favorite days of the year.

I hope this Fall season brings everyone much joy and coziness!

Bring on the McMuffins!

I hope everyone is sitting down. I have an announcement. This was just released....

McDonald’s considers selling breakfast all day!!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/14924690/


In related news, I must go change my pants.

A Letter to Lindsay Lohan:

Dear Lindsay,

I write this to you today not as a fan, but as a concerned human being who does not enjoy watching a train wreck. I am tired of you gumming up my beloved Us Weekly with your weekly tragedies. Between the partying, the numerous jaunts to the emergency room, the scathing letters from movie producers and famous Hollywood actors criticizing your poor work ethic, it's time to do yourself a favor and leave this life behind. Now, before you truly hurt yourself. I can see where this is all heading, and it ain't good.

Now I don't blame you for this. Not entirely anyway. I am certain that your mother, Dina, shoved you into this glitzy, glamorous life in a desperate attempt to live vicariously through you. She is perpetuating this downward spiral in the most horrid of motherly fashions. For a woman who calls herself "the white Oprah" she is certainly not allowing you to find your spirit. And I think the real Oprah would have something to say about that. And your dad, with his drug problems and prisons sentences and trying to steal your millions, surely isn't giving you the father figure that you and your siblings deserve. Your parents are money-grubbing dirtbags and for that, my heart goes out to you.

You're young, I get that. You like having a good time and what not, and you most certainly are allowed to make mistakes. But with these mistakes, you are losing whatever talent 10-year-old girls think you have (and some others, but I don't wish to debate this now), and are quickly becoming what every famous person fears, a Hollywood cliche. It's not too late. You are on the brink, but you don't have to jump off the ledge. Please heed my advice.

Save yourself. Skip the cushy, flashy stint in famous person rehab, which only spits you back out into the same destructive society, and go directly to a remote town in Iowa or somewhere and fade off into obscurity.

And ask Tara Reid to go with you.

Signed,
Me

Let the Season Begin!

Last night we had our kick-off bowling season league meeting. That's right, I'm in a bowling league. What??

I thoroughly enjoy bowling. And I won't apologize for it. At first it was just something that my friends and I thought would be fun to do (this is our second year), but now I find myself eating and breathing bowling and getting tres excited for the season to start. I don't think it's possible to have a bad time bowling. It's just a fun, silly game where you wear butt-ugly shoes and drink and laugh with your friends. What's not to like??

Just to show you how hardcore our team is, one of my friends/teammates is 5 1/2 months pregnant and is still bowling! And plans on bowling right up until the end!

We bowl every other Tuesday, which is nice. It gives us time to miss it in between and not get too overwhelmed with the obligation of going every week. Although every time we're there we always say that we wish we did it every week. :)

The season officially starts next Tuesday. Super fun! Wish me luck!

I'm in love!

I just wanted to say it.

September 11

I hesitate to write anything because it is so hard for me to put into words the memories and emotions that I feel surrounding this day.

I feel the same today as I did five years ago. Silent. For me, talking would have indicated that it was possible to think and form words, and it just wasn’t. And I’m finding that it’s still just as difficult.

But I know that, with a tear in my eye, I will always remember.

Why on Earth does someone need this?

Has anyone seen this new Glade plug-in that's a 'light show'? Apparently it changes color while plugged in. What is the benefit of that? An air freshener is supposed to make a room SMELL good, not light it up. Period. End of story.

And you can only see it change color when the lights are off. And if the lights are off that usually means that you are not in the room. Or you are sleeping. In which case, the constant changing of the lights is distracting and annoying.

And the commercial for this product is stupid. And the thing costs $11.99. Whatev.

Oh right, the Reunion.

Well, so last week was The Reunion. I was expecting much worse, but in all honesty, I didn't hate it. There was minimal "so, what are you doing now?" crap. Mainly because I just hung out and talked with my friends who already knew those answers. There were a few faces I did not remember and a couple of people who I didn't think would be there that were, that I was excited to see. All in all, it was a mediocre time. Very anti-climatic.

So, to answer those burning questions I posed last week, that you've all been sitting on the edge of seats waiting for...

• Will anyone lie about their position in life? Um, to my knowledge, and those that I talked to, no one really appeared to lie about what they were doing these days. Rats! I thought I would uncover at least one fink.
• Where will I sit? Well, I sat where I thought I'd sit. At the cool table. With my friends. Discussing (read: gossiping) about who was there. And yes, to my recollection, everyone sat with the same people they would have in the high school cafeteria.
• Would I be nice to everyone? Of course I was. You don't get voted the Coolest by mouthing off and insulting people.
• Are things still funny 10 years later? Um, not so much. As much as people wanted them to be, they just weren't.
• Will people get into a fight? Sadly, no.
• King and Queen? No. Damn it. I was a shoe-in if there was.
• Can I retake my Senior Pictures? I have an appointment next Thursday.

Ultimately I discovered that 10 years does not really change people too much. Personalities are the same. And I didn't notice too many (if any) dramatic makeovers or makeunders. I wasn't surprised by much. Some people are married or engaged, some have kids, some are single. And others are happy, some are trying to be happy and some are just coasting. Oh well. What can you do? We're just a humble, middle American high school, that for one night thought we would reconnect, because it's just something you do. It happened. I lived it. Now I'm moving on.

But I will always have fond memories of high school. Cause I liked it. But I think I'll probably just take them with me and remember them on my own time.

Peace Out RHS.