im on vacation bitches!

No more of this til December 27th!

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an update...of sorts! well really, just a bunch of rambling...

well, as you can see i have severely neglected my little blog this month.  november has been rough, health wise.  life wise, however, things seem to be falling right into place and i couldn't be more thankful for that.

a few weeks ago i came down with the worst case of pink eye i have ever encountered as it was making its way around the public schools and iain managed to bring it home with him.  pair that with an awful sinus infection and cough and i was out of commission.  and then this past weekend, iain got really sick.  a fever of 102 was followed by a trip to urgent care the very next morning where he was diagnosed with pneumonia and an ear infection.  so we have been battling that all week.  poor kid!  luckily the antibiotics seem to finally be kicking in and he is slowly back to his old crazy self. 

with all the illnesses we've been battling, i totally fell of track with my writing for nanowrimo!  i am totally disappointed, however, i think it was a great motivator to get me back into writing.  i found the inspiration i really needed to finally get a good idea together for a book and even after november is over, i plan on continuing writing it and eventually sending it off to a publisher.

and today is thanksgiving.  this will mark the fourth thanksgiving i have spent without my mom.  later on this afternoon we will head down to virginia beach to spend the evening with R.'s family.  and some other people i would rather not spend any time with, but i will have to suck it up and deal with it.

black friday....

this is the first year where i am actually really tempted to go out shopping before work.  yes, i have to work tomorrow.  thank you corporate america.  but hey, atleast they gave me christmas eve and new years eve off this year, usually they have us work til about noon both days.  anyway, like i was saying.  shopping...tomorrow...i kind of want to go.  sheets, pillows and other fun house stuff for super cheap, not to mention lots of toys and games for super cheap for the sidekick.  the downside of all that is the traffic, the crazy people and well the crazy people in large crowds.  this is something i am going to have to think long and hard about.

and finally this weekend, i will finally be hauling my butt to the movie theater to see the newest harry potter with a few of my favorite people and i couldn't be more excited.  even the sidekick may join in on the fun.


so in the grand tradition of school essays, here is a list of things i am thankful for this year:

- the partner in crime.
- the side kick.
- an amazing group of friends. (if you're reading this you probably fit in with this group)
- an amazing family that has taken me in as one of their own.
- my real family - the few i stay in contact with.
- despite recent sickness, i am thankful we are all here to see another holiday season.
- chapstick.
- good lotion.
- flat irons.
- and coffee.

happy thanksgiving everyone!  i'm off to watch the macy's thanksgiving day parade.

act your age....

whats the saying?

act your age, not your shoe size?

i think this could also work to remind people to dress their age, not their shoe size.  or stop shopping in the juniors section after a certain age or if you're going to do it, be smart about it.  obviously if you're approaching your 40's, you probably should not be wearing a miniskirt and your bubbies (yes, bubbies) should not be hanging out all over the place.

a friend of mine reminded me recently, "know your audience." meaning, if you want people to respect you, take you seriously and you want to make a good impression, you should be dressed to do so.  i honestly get real tired of hearing people use the excuse that they "look good for their age" and that allows them to still dress as if they're between the ages of 17 and 24.  you can look good for your age, dress appropriately and still feel sexy.  without looking 1. ridiculous 2. trashy and 3. idiotic.

this entire blog was sparked by a recent reviewing/updating of my employers dress-code policy.  not much changed in it from when i was hired, some updating and clarification on certain things pertaining to womens clothing choices (which stemmed from an overly hot & humid summer, which women showed far more skin than was necessary in the workplace).  i was pulled into my managers office, to specifically address my tattoos.  in the dress-code policy it states that tattoos should be covered in a way to "minimize" the visibility of the tattoo(s).  i was commended on keeping mine, specifically my chest piece, covered as much as possible on a regular basis.  but i was asked to wear my hair down to keep my neck tattoos concealed.  i wasn't in any way offended, more or less annoyed because i have really long/heavy/thick hair and sometimes it just feels better to pull it all up and out of my face.  i was also asked to keep my cardigans on at all times, even when i'm seated at my desk.  no problem again.

but this all made me think, how can my tattoos be so offensive that i need to keep them covered, when their are women walking around the company dressed like they just got done shopping at strippers 'r us?  honestly i am offended by some of their clothing options, but according to the policy, they are within policy standards.

please tell me when 4-5" black patent leather stilettos ala stripper shoes became work appropriate?


**another old post i've dug up and finally posted, enjoy! from october 2010.

settling in.

still getting settled into the new place.

but already, things have improved drastically.

i never realized how much my surroundings affect my mood until we moved.  being in our old apartment was depressing, it felt cramped and cold and small.  i felt confined and miserable.

now i'm in an apartment that feels light and airy, its bright and my mood has never been better.  i can even tell that our health has improved.  iain and i had severe breathing problems in the old place.  in fact, i think iain had a cold the entire time we were there.  and now? not so much as a sniffle or a sneeze.


things at work are good, my plate seems to be getting fuller but its nice.  the extra work definitely helps the day go by faster and hopefully my hard work pays off in the end.  or is at least not going unnoticed. 

a proper update will come in a few days. 

bacon grease

Today’s work conversation started out as a debate over the use of bacon grease in grits. This caused quite the uproar amongst some of my co-workers. I chose to stay out of this one and observe, take it all in if you will.

Now my background with Grits is…well me and Grits don’t have much of a history. I can count on both hands how many times I’ve actually eaten them. Truth be told, I don’t really care for them. They are the one piece of “Southern Cooking” I could really do without. See, I’m from the Midwest. Minnesota to be exact. Grits isn’t really something I can say is a big part of Midwestern culture. And while I can say Midwesterners love their Bacon (as well as the rest of the Piggy), I can’t say that Bacon grease is used much (if at all). I can’t recall a time growing up when my Mom or Grandma tossed some Bacon grease into anything they were cooking.

I guess I have a lot more to learn about Southern culture and cuisine. I’ve been living in the South since 2003. But you won’t catch me adding Bacon grease to anything anytime soon.

I like my arteries blockage-free and I think I’ll keep them that way, haha.