DH was in Home Depot this morning and the typical young married couple was in using their wedding gift cards. The bride was getting very upset because she wanted to buy a window and put it in her apartment. Her new husband was trying to explain that they didn't own the apartment, they couldn't put in a window. The bride (age 19) kept insisting that they had a lease and therefore they owned it. The young groom (about 24) kept trying to explain to her that a lease is not a mortgage. The fight got so bad that the groom started appealing to bystanders and employees for help. DH tried to use examples like leasing a car vs. buying a car. In the end, she stomped off with the line "I'm going to call my mother." I just hope her mother knows the difference between a lease and a mortgage, otherwise, the marriage may be over before it began.
On another note, it's official, I can't get a passport issued in time to get to Finland for my grandmother's funeral. So I'm going to set up a memorial service stateside for everyone else who can't go as well.
Did you ever have a day where you really wanted to write but couldn't think of a thing to say? That's been me today. I have lots of great topics but none of them are really geling today. Oh well maybe tomorrow.
There is a HUGE difference in an Alpha male and a Wannabe Alpha male. Wannabe’s don’t have a pack; they’re lone wolves, mainly because other males can spot the fake and avoid it. Women, however, fall for their lines all the time because something in the back of our heads, no matter how modern we are, longs for the caring and compassion that accompany the woman cared for by an alpha male. Richard Marcinko gave probably the best warning about the wannabe’s… “It’s important for a man to have character not be one.” Think about that a moment. It’s important to have a core belief that you feel strongly about. It’s not about fanaticism or about the adoration and attention. It’s about reality, about the day to day things. As my Marine put it, “Marriage and relationships are about the 3 am baby’s puking, mom’s exhausted, so I’ll just take care of it, because they’re my responsibility.” True Alpha males are big on responsibility. If they have a failing it’s that they take on too much responsibility. They are responsible for their family – including the extended members, their workplace, their neighbors, their community, their nation (which is how many of them end up in the armed forces), and their world. They will try to do it all by themselves but they will ask for help when they feel that it is needed or will benefit the team or the goal to ask. An alpha male builds his companions, not tears them down. A wannabe alpha male makes himself feel better by tearing others down. Ladies, that’s the biggest warning sign of all, if he’s ripping into you instead of building you up, and asking for things more than he’s giving - - he’s not an alpha male.
And to be fair, an alpha male won’t stay where he’s not wanted. If you, as a female, start demonstrating that you are fine without him, don’t need him or that he’s just in the way of your plans, he’ll put up with it for a little while (just in case it’s a phase), but eventually he’ll leave. After all, there are other women that are more than happy to let him give them respect, love, and honor for the same in exchange.
1) Do you have any purple clothes in your closet? If so, what items are they? Do you enjoy wearing the color purple (or shades of it)? I have multiple purple and lavender items in my closet. Mostly sweaters and blouses, there may be a skirt on three in that color too.
2) Do you like the color purple in general? Why/why not? What does the color purple mean to you (i.e., how would you describe purple and its connotations)? How does the color make you feel? My birthstone is the amethyst, jewel tone purples are attractive to me. I love lavender, it’s always been my favorite color. Could you guess that from my blog background? I find the color empowering and relaxing depending on what I need.
3) Name some purple objects that are surrounding you right now (if any). – My shirt, my sunglasses, my amethyst ring, the book on the shelf next to me, the markers in the shelf next to me, The dress that the wicked witch in the Disney display case is wearing.
4) Have you ever eaten any purple foods or had any purple drinks (orwould you)? Why/why not? - Grapes, duh!
5) Would you decorate any part of your home with purple? Why/why not? I have lavender paint in the garage to use in painting my DD’s room as soon as we clean it enough to reach the walls.
An Alpha male is a man who lives his life to his terms based on his core ideals. His character is exhibited in how he lives his life. He has a basic moral compass that is the core of his individuality and in most cases it sounds like the Boy Scout motto. He may not always understand a woman but he cares for her and treats her with the same respect that he expects to receive. His worth is based on his values and he doesn't pay attention to what society or other people think about him. He knows who he is and what he believes and nothing else matters. He is willing to listen to the opposite point of view on an issue but will politely agree to disagree on matters where he knows that the issue is not in line with his values. This is not to say that he never changes his position. If facts are presented that demonstrate how an issue does fit within his moral compass, it will be assimilated. He is the rock when everything else is in turmoil; mainly because he has a firm foundation and is well planted.
Men follow him, women idolize him, and modern feminists (read male bashers) hate him.
18 years goes really fast when you're having fun. It seems just like yesterday that DH and I got married. Back then we were both in school and living in an apartment provided by his family and eating off my parttime job and the coins from the apartment washing machine. Today, we have a gorgeous home, a car collection (all paid for), and some investment property. We have 3 kids, 2 whom are doing great in school (DS#1 was just accepted into the Gifted and Talented program for next year), and 1 who is a free spirit and talented artist and musician. We've been through trials just like any couple but we weathered them. Most of it comes down to having decided that there were no escape clauses in the marriage.
So honey, here's to another 18 years, may they be as great as the last set were.
So we're wrapping up the reports for the weekend. The last one is the catastrophic diagnosis report. These are the diagnosis codes that we are required to notify the reinsurance carriers of the moment we are aware of them. As I'm scrolling through the report looking for anyone new a name I haven't seen before pops up. I mention this name to the co-worker that I'm training to do this report. She tells me that she hates talking to the owner of that name. The patient is a real pain in the butt. I look at the report again and I just start laughing. I'm soon laughing so hard that I can't stop. She comes over to see what is so funny.
Diagnosis: Malignant neoplasm - rectum.
Let's just say I have a sick sense of humor. She didn't see the humor until I pointed out that maybe the caller is a pain because they are experiencing pain.
I have a guestbook on my website. It's for people to leave comments and tell me what they think. I didn't intend it for people to advertise their internet dating service. I don't mind my friends or acquaintances telling others about their website on my site but spamming my site with a dating service that you have to pay for on your first visit? First off, it tells me that puppyfriend didn't bother to look at my site, read my blog or take any time to even check out my site, just dropped a comment in the guestbook. Of course, she or he could have been trying to create a higher listing on google or other search engines since one of the things that raises your ratings is how many other people have links on their site to yours (which is why it's smart to have a link to your site in your sig line if you post a lot with the sig used). Still I don't appreciate being a host to a parasite without my permission. But isn't that part of being a parasite? Someone who slides into another's domain and hijacks or possesses it? Of course there is a good part of this. I remembered how to access the email from my website. (sorry to anyone who emailed me off that site instead of my normal email during the past year) and I've learned how to delete comments left in my guestbook. Sorry, puppyfriend, your dating site isn't going to be getting any hits from my guestbook.
I didnt' make it to the gym last night. I did however open 4 new songs on the DDR Max and did that for 40 minutes (which is probably only 25 minutes of actual aerobic activity). My ballet teacher when I was younger told me that women do not sweat, they glow. Well, I was glowing last night.
I know that I need to get back to the gym.My thickening midsection screams this at me every time I pass a mirror or get on the scale.It’s the actual doing that becomes a problem.
A good friend offered to call me nightly and remind me to change for the gym.Last night when she called, I was in the middle of cleaning the computer files and I’d already had a 20 minute brisk walk earlier in the day (where I developed a lovely blister on the ball of my foot that extends between my 3rd and 4th toes).When I hung up, DH said that I really should go to the gym, blister or no blister.
& nbsp; &n bsp; I went upstairs to change and couldn’t find my sports bra.This is a big deal since I’m built in such a way that aerobics and jogging are spectator sports and can cause a black eye (okay, well not a black eye but I could lose a tooth.)After a lot of bending, twisting and lifting, I was able to find a sports bra.Then came the search for socks.I do not like socks.I can’t stand wearing socks except with gym shoes.I don’t wear gym shoes very often (another problem with the thickening midsection there).I really should get a bin or something to put socks into but I own so few that it usually isn’t a problem.Except when I’ve been really busy at work and the kids style of putting away clothes is to just throw them on the floor of my closet.Since the socks live on the floor of my closet, they are now effectively lost.This problem was easier to solve than the sports bra issue though, I just went to my 12 year old son’s sock drawer and took a pair of his.
& nbsp; &n bsp; Just a side diversion, this child must be a changeling.He cares about whether or not his clothes are color coordinated.He matches his socks.His room is usually clean and his drawers are immaculate.His only failing is his closet.He throws everything into the bottom of it.
& nbsp; &n bsp; This now left me with finding my gym shoes. (The shorts and t-shirt were in the athletic clothes bin where I put them 4 months ago).I located one on the master bathroom floor under DH’s sink.Since that is close to my closet, I thought maybe it would be in there.After tossing the pile of clothes on the floor of the closet and coming up empty (well, maybe not completely empty, I did find a pair of socks that I put in the athletic clothes bin for later) I decided that it really wasn’t in the closet.I then checked under the bed, under my bathroom sink, in the laundry room, and finally decided to fold the pile of towels between the master bath and the bed.Yep, it was in the pile of towels.
& nbsp; &n bsp; Now before everyone concludes that my house is a pigsty, I should point out that I work between 42 and 60 hours a week.My DH stays home and takes care of the kids and house.Lately, however, he’s had a remodel and construction job to do so he isn’t there to do the housework.We’ve been assigning more work to the kids.Part of being a slacker mom is that once you assign a job to the kids, you don’t take it back again.I don’t put the laundry away.That is assigned to the boys.It annoys me to no end that the towels are in a pile in my bedroom and not in the linen closet but, when someone gets out of the shower and has no towel unless they make a mad naked dash for the bedroom – well whose fault is that but their own?Actions and inactions have natural consequences.I just make sure that my towels are removed from the pile and put away.
& nbsp; &n bsp; So, an hour and 10 minutes from when my friend called, I’m finally ready to leave for the gym.During that time, I’ve done more bending, bouncing and running than I have in ages.I’m already breaking a sweat (I was more out of shape than I thought).But even though I could have counted that as my aerobic exercise for the night, I did go to the gym and I hit the exercise bicycle for 25 minutes.Now, if I can just keep it up.At least tonight, I know where my shoes are and I have a pair of socks.
I have a complaint about this survey - just why do males get the corner on logic? And just what does the direction you button your shirt have to do with whether your brain in male or female? I realize that words such as hysterical and hysteria come from the same root as hysterectomy but really. Most men I know are more driven by emotion than the women I associate with. Of course the emotions that drive men tend to be ambition, sex, and self-satisfaction. Since when did those become more desirable than trying to help others? C.S. Lewis said an interesting thing in my reading the other morning. Men and Women sometimes define the same concept differently. Take Charity - men see it as giving someone the tools to improve themselves, women see it as doing the task for the other person. Therefore, when both think they are being charitable, they are at odds with each other - the man thinks the woman is meddling, the woman sees the man as uncaring. Just something to think about.
Your Brain is 53.33% Female, 46.67% Male
Your brain is a healthy mix of male and female You are both sensitive and savvy Rational and reasonable, you tend to keep level headed But you also tend to wear your heart on your sleeve
Saturday night my DD calls that she needs a ride home since the friend that was going to drive, left the party without taking the 3 other girls. I told her that I just had to get the pecan pie in the oven, then I would come get her. When I arrived, I found the 3 girls giggling on the front porch and they kept prompting, "you ask", "no, you ask." "She's your mom, you ask." "Okay, mom, why are you putting a pie in the oven at midnight?" Because, I'm making 3 and I only have 2 hours tomorrow to bake them and each pie takes 55 minutes.
Yes, I'm going to be doing a state of the stitching address following in the footsteps with my Wondering and Woozle friends.
The goals for this year were to finish 2 large pieces and have something worthy of being entered in the fair.
Finishes:
The year started at a great clip when I finished The Red Hat kit on New Year's Day.Then is seemed that I went into bit of a stitching funk which was okay since my rotation was on the quilting portion anyhow.The Challenge Fabric Round Robin started and my incredible DH let me take up part of the bedroom for an area with the sewing machine.I started pulling out quilting projects and found that many of them were only a few hours from completion.With the addition of a DVD player in the bedroom/sewing machine I've been doing a lot of quilting (the Netflix membership is helping too).So rather than stitching, I've been finishing a bunch of quilt tops that have been sitting around in a box.I've finished 4 of those; Tulip Wall Hanging, Birdhouse Wall Hanging, The Autumn Wall Hanging and The Halloween Table Runner.I've also finished a small wall hanging top, and 4 quilt blocks, 2 for the Round Robin and 2 more for a contest at a local store.I also finished the 2nd of 3 Harry Potter quilts, this counts as one of the large finishes.And just so you know that I did get some stitching done, I did start and finish the Julie Norton Scissor's fob that I got in Vegas.Also, a meandering friend talked me into Chatelaine's Mini-mystery H and I kept current with that and it's finished.
Continuations:
I did get 5 more hours put in to O Christmas Tree.I fixed the block problem I was having with an original design I’ve been working on so it’s moving along.I found the new fabric for Maggie the Messmaker but I haven’t restarted it yet.Harry Potter #3 made it up to the quilt frame but it’s not finished yet.
Yesterday, my DD took her first solo drive. DH was putting in fence posts so I had to take the boys to piano lessons. This meant that DD had to get to violin lessons on her own. I think it was a bigger deal for me than for her. Of course my first solo drive ended with my creasing the entire side panel of the truck on the passenger side of my parking place. Two weeks later, I scraped the passenger side of the suburban along the Wendy's drive-thru sign. I've done a lot better since then.
From Dr. Laura - I find it strange that people will take off their clothes and do all sorts of amazing things to each other and then find it impossible to look each other in the eye and talk about the simple things.
I've discovered that I'm now too old to work 48 hour shifts without sounding like I'm absolutely nuts.
Also, I should not be allowed near a telephone when I'm in that state of unconscious consciousness.
I have 2 seams to go on the Marine Corps quilt so of course, I'm avoiding the sewing machine. I really have to get a handle on this completion anxiety.
