Balance

Funny morning. In one work related email my integrity was questioned. In the next work related email my integrity was praised and a promotion was offered.  Life is funny like that.  Good & bad always go hand in hand, always cancel each other out.  There was a quote somewhere recently that went something like,

If things are going badly, don't worry they'll change.  If things are going great, don't worry they'll change.

Very true. It all keeps changing. January has been very good to me overall.  Kids have been good, work has been great, I'm bouncing back from pneumonia & the holidays & on track for that crazy Tough Mudder thing if I so choose to torture myself.  I've gained a new BGF (best guy friend) that makes me laugh like a kid & Mr. Vodka & I are definetly heating up.

I'm more content than I've been in years & for that I'm grateful.

The Matchbook Girl

The matchbook girl...

views the world through rose colored glasses • loves to throw dinner parties, but has been known to burn the roast • values eccentricity over convention • is the first to laugh at her own bad jokes • knows the cha-cha, the charleston, and the tango • paints her nails bright coral when she's feeling blue • is infinitely curious • could happily live off of red velvet cake • pens hand written notes to her grandmother • has a signature shade of lipstick • secretly thinks she may be babe paley reincarnated • received an iPAD for her birthday, but will never give up her library card • has a bucket list a mile long and dreams a dime a dozen • is smart, but never a show-off • listens to the day's forecast, but trusts her own intuition • never says no to a sunday matinee at the theater • is quick to blush, but never short of a witty reply • has a skip in her step and a twinkle in her eye • always shares her last piece of gum

Matchbook Mag

The Frenchies

Just re-discovered these two last nite & fell in love.

Wordless Wednesday

Sometimes, Random Emails Are Funny!

<i>Not everyone is as lucky as I am......

The economy is so bad that I got a pre-declined credit card in the mail.

I ordered a burger at McDonald's, and the kid behind the counter asked,  "Can you afford fries with that?"

CEO's are now playing miniature golf.

If the bank returns your check marked  "Insufficient Funds," you have to call them and ask if they mean you or them .

Hot Wheels and Matchbox stocks are trading higher than GM.

McDonald's is selling the 1/4  'ouncer'.

Parents in  Beverly Hills and Malibu are firing their nannies and learning their children's names.

A truckload of Americans was caught sneaking into Mexico .

Dick Cheney took his stockbroker hunting.

Motel Six won't leave the light on anymore.

The Mafia is laying off judges.

BP Oil laid off 25 Congressmen.

Congress says they are looking into the Bernard Madoff scandal.  Oh Great!!   The guy who made $50 Billion disappear is being investigated by the people who made $1.5 Trillion disappear!

And, finally...

I was so depressed last night thinking about the economy, wars, jobs, my savings, Social Security, retirement funds, and our bleak future, that I called the Suicide Lifeline and was connected to a call center in Pakistan   When I told them I was suicidal, they got all excited, and asked if I could drive a truck.</i>

Need I Say More?

You Know Where My Head Is

Did I Mention The Drunk Athlete?

No, I did not.

I had an interview LATE the other nite. Well after 10pm which I never do but agreed because this dude was three hours behind. So in that case, cater cater cater. I was exhausted & seriously didn't know how I was going to stay awake.  Then I finally answered the phone & was on my tues quickly cause dude, he was a slirrin'! 

AND.

He called via Skype & explained one of the wires in his mic was whacked so it was a BAD connection- all crackly & stuff.

Slurring & static.

Not so nice when I realized I was going to have to spend longer than usual trying to translate this mess in order to transcribe it! Funny story to tell & imitate, not so funny to put on paper & turn into anything viable. I wondered if he was too trashed to know that we spoke. Ya know, could I request ANOTHER interview  ;)

In Mr. DJ VS Mr. Vodka news...

I was chatting with DJ last night & something he said made it kinda clear my situation with Vodka is a situation he is in with someone else right now. So I spilled & told him about Mr Vodka. You know, looking for guy advice plus I figured he might tell me about HER a bit.  Cause I'm curious.

So, he basically says Vodka looks like he is interested in more & is attached then everything shifted.

TEXTBOOK MAN ALERT.

Now, now he suggested we go for drinks or just hang out, you know spend real time together. Now he wants a real conversation rather than constant messages & chats at night. NOW he asked about my texting, do I have unlimited texting? Oh good so we can text a lot when I finally give up my number.

Seriously?

Seriously.

I agreed to go out with him. Because he IS hilarious & at the very least I think he's make a great real life friend. He has sports stuff all weekend so I told him we can talk Monday, I'll give him my number then. Don't want texting to interfere with his hockey/football-a-pa-looza.  A girl has to maintain some control of the situation ya know?

It is 3 degrees out this morning which inspires me to want to stay in & clean. It is 3 degrees out this morning which makes me want to run to the store to grab stuff so I can bake.

Typical huh?

But don't red velvet cupcakes sound good?????

{Images from We Love It}

Before and After

Before... school

AND

After school... at Starbucks

Four Seasons

Pink and Green Thursday

My Carrie Bradshaw Moment

Last night Mr. DJ & I were chatting. Ya know, on the computer via a little window.  For hours on & off. Finally at around midnite there we sat 15 miles apart, watching Too Close For Comfort (early 80's show for u youngins') together & discussing every second of it via that little window.

Completely alone but totally together.

Then it hit me. Is this what dating is now like for people of a certain age? Is the at a distance company actually ENOUGH company for some of us? The internet has completely wiped out the need for REAL communication but is that a good thing, really? No need to sit across a table. No need to curl up late at nite with a phone. We'll just chat this way instead and somehow it does work. If you've interacted with someone long & often enough, seeing their name lit is a comfort.

A good thing, I guess. But then not really.

After my tv watching with the DJ today was the complete opposite. Mr. Vodka is taking the old school approach. Every one was home for the holiday here & he called during his lunch & stayed on the phone for his entire lunch break.  Then he called back to tell me he couldn't wait to see me. Then he called an hour later while out on the hob. He was nearby & wondering if kids were out playing so he could stop by. We compromised & I ran out to the car for 5 minutes. A quick hi how are ya, nice to see ya damn you look REALLY nice in that suit talk to ya later thing.

I opened the door to walk in & there I was faced with my mother Emmy. Standing there hands on hips, squinting her eyes as she says "Who is that boy you were talking to?" I play it like its no big deal (Yes, I just had to play a situation & I actually was ANSWERING to my 8 year old WTH is wrong with me?) and she says, "Is he married, I really hope he's married because you really need to be single!"  I didn't lie & say yes but put her at ease by telling her he has a few kids.

Seriously though, how many times will that scenario play out in reverse in my house over the next 15 years?!

So there ya have it. Within 15 hours I had encountered Mr Happy To Keep Me Company & Mr. Kinda Seems To Need My Company For Real.

I feel like I should be having brunch with Miranda, Charlotte & samantha while discussing this!

Garbage :)

After Saturday Night Hilarity Comes Sunday :)

Ok this Mr. DJ thing has become ridiculous and hilarious (as Aimee & CarrieAnn will attest to).

I was out Friday & he was out Friday. And we spent the night texting each other from locations 20 minutes apart. Silly, no? Yesterday he went out with his dad to watch the Steelers game (text, text, text...) & his dad went home not feeling well. I asked who he was with & he said he was rolling alone so I jokingly said I should crash his night. His response?

"Bring it!"

Me: "Seriously?"

Him:  Definetly serious!

So I contemplated a sitter & realized it was seriously too late to find one.  I was about to bail on the idea when I sent a text that he read the wrong way.

"Should I not come?

Him: "YEP!"

He read it wrong, which I truly knew but...

I asked for clarification & got none (he went to his car at that point & left his phone there by accident) so I let it sit.  I did a shot of Grey Goose & went to bed. Woke, still no response & honestly thought nothing at all bad.  I just knew he misread.

So at 7:30 this morning I get...Where were you? What happened? His phone was dead when he got to the car & found it...

Then he checked his outbox. "SHIT! I meant NOPE! Not YEP! I misread it!"

Bad Bre kept her mouth shut about needing to bail & said, "Okay so did you want me with you or not?" The response, "YESS!"

M'Kay.  Hopefully this will light a fire under the chicken Mr. DJ now that it is out in the open that we both want time together. Everyone watching this unfold says he has just been afraid to ask me out.  I don't know why, but I'm starting to think so.

Why else would he text me before 8am on a Sunday & while playing tennis with his doctor buddies on a Sunday morning, no??

All that aside...

I forgot to mention how INSANE I am.  There's this race called Tough Mudder that I'm training for.  It's basically a military training course & it's not about winning, it's about FINISHING.  It looks frickin brutual. A few friends from the school & I are training for it. Will i actually do it in April?  Not sure.  But I want to whip myself into the best shape possible to try. Needless to say, everything hurts & aches.

Glad to be pushing myself though.

Tip, Goes My Hand

I've been updating but not giving up much information lately, huh?  Serveral reasons actually. It's true I've been busy. It's also true that I've been very happy & don't want to jinx it.   Finally, finally I'm just- content. Point by point, bit by bit I feel like my life has really fallen into place.  Everything always needs work, but no HUGE areas that I think need improvement. I finally feel like I'm where I should be rather than, I should be- over there.

The kids are great. I usually give them the floor here & it's easy to do that so for this post I'm not doing it. But they are happy & doing well.

Work is good. I'm busy, busy & more busy which is how I like it.  I've also been keeping a secret.  Long story short about a month ago a book project was thrown out at me, I thought & grabbed on. 50 skaters, life kind of in their own words 10 years after the sport exploded. Just let them talk. I thought I had enough connections still to *maybe* slowly get the ball rolling. Yeah more like a boulder going downhill.  3 days before Christmas I sent out a bunch of interview requests. As of now I have 6 interviews completed & 15 more scheduled. My goal was ten a month.  I spoke with Elvis Stojko the other day who blew all of my expectations out of the water. Bazillion time world champion & Olympic silver medalist offered any help, backing word of mouth he can provide for the project.

In other words, jackpot.   This thing is going to write itself & putting it together will be easy because what goes where will just be obvious.  There is still a HUGE skating fan base out there that this will not just cater to, but pacify. Hell, I'd buy it!

So that's that.

The man situation is interesting partly because I don't care much. The Crush is GONE.  He dragged his feet for eternity & finally thank god I woke up one day & was OVER it. Missed opportunity, for him. If he showed up at my door I'd launch him.  Mr. Vodka & I are something or other.  What we both are is busy with work. He even more than I right now. It has gotten in the way of quality time but I also know that can't be helped.  He still calls me daily & seems to need a connection of sorts.  I trust him & well, I should.

Also in daily contact is Mr. DJ.  He makes me laugh harder than any other man has I think.  Without trying. Our personalities just click & our brains think alike so he knows where I'm going before I get there & spins it in another direction.  I'm probably in more contact with him right now than anyone else other than my kids. I get texts while he is riding his mountain bike (up mountains) in the snow.  But still no date.  And yes he is single.

That's all nice & good but truthfully, I'm happiest alone with the girls.  Instead of needing a break from them I look forward to shopping with them. Dinner with them. Getting them home from school & locking the world out until the next day.

That's just how it is right now & quite obviously, it's working.

Maya Usova & Alexander Zhulin - La belle dame sans regrets

That Time of Year

I realized while grmbling to take the last christmas stuff down that I had to do it.  Why?  So I can crack out the Valentine's Day stuff!  Hallmark Holiday my ass. I collect heart shaped things so if you give me an excuse to decorate for it... I sure will. Starting right here..

Yay! Naughty & Nice CI Fanfic time :)

If You Have A Moment

You might want to throw some support over here.

Then count your blessings.

Through The Looking Glass

It finally has snowed here. Not a ton, but enough to call it snow :)

This man was rushing (home probably) shortly after the heavy snow started last night. Powerwalking down the middle of my street.

Frost on windows, percipitation & snow covered trees equals that pic above.

Compliments Are Always Nice

The other day a friend messaged me on FB. I haven't seen her in years. Our kids are similar ages but have never met.  She has more kids than I do & we are both just plain busy. She thought it was important to take the time to tell me that my updates & photos make her happy? Why? Well, if you're on my FB then you know my status' end up being hijacked in the most hilarious ways. But she told me that I have some of the happiest kids she has ever seen. That you can see it in their eyes just how happy they are & that's a direct reflection on me.  She asked what I do different & I don't think I do anything necessarily different. I just do what works for us. Also, while I'm very independent & modern woman in my life seperate from the kids, I am an old school parent.  I believe there really is something to the way my parents & grandparents did some things.

Family dinners are a biggie.  Sometimes we cook together, we always clean up together. Kitchen dance parties are a daily occurence here. My kids want to sit down together & talk over dinner. I know we're all busy but I think if you're not making time most nights then you really are missing out on something valuable.

Instead of adding more afterschool enrichment activities I cut a lot OUT. Dance or art in the winter. Softball in spring & summer. That's it. They need to be kids. They need free time to use their imaginations and to play with their friends. Plus I don't buy toys for them to never be home to play with them.  They do their homework most nights & then the three of them play together. The current phase is with a big dollhouse & Monster High Dolls.

I don't plan something "fun" on every day off. I don't overbook them. They got "bored" over Christmas break & I was happy to hear it. They were well rested & ready to go back to school and learn.

Bookstores are now their favorite place too. It's not an in & out now let's go somewhere else kind of thing. We spend time their. After they pay for their books we get cocoa & they want to sit at a table in the cafe & read for awhile.  They never ask to go to a toy store, not ever. Bookstores make them happy.

I set an example for them. My goal is to show them that even though life can suck, people may hurt you or the bottom falls out- you pick yourself back up & get on with it. Life goes on, no big deal. If it's bad, it'll get good. If it's good then brace yourself because something bad will eventually happen. It's life.

I keep threatening to make a chore list but I really haven't had too. Maya & Em especially really clean up after themselves & do things to help me without me asking.

They know that I have their backs with the neighborhood bully, an unfair school situation or anything else. They absolutely know that I don't take crap & that I deal with situations head on.

They also know that I'm very fair & if they are in trouble then, they're in trouble.

Communication. Duh.  They can & do talk to me about everything. Sometimes I shudder at the questions & dodge or answer only as much as they need to have. But they can ask anything.

That's the no-brainer list of things that works here.

For Today...

...just live the life you've been given.  Really live.

Making A Mountain Out of A Molehill

Five for Friday

Okay really three because I've already given you two others today.

So...

3.  I picked this up earlier in the week & love it, ALMOST as much as Emmy does ;)

4. 
I forgot how much I love the Amelie soundtrack.  Are you seeing a Bre loves anything French theme lately?

5.  CoCo Dolls  The adorable doll in my previous post today. These are similar & OUTRAGEOUSLY priced but- I can make the doll easily. If I can get my usually MIA mother to paint the face it's all good. Em really wants one.