Good Time

Thanksgiving was wonderful. It was a simple celebration with good friends. Pam and Andrew blessed us with their enthusiasm for life and the laughter that comes from understanding another's struggles in dealing with everyday life.

While sharing memories of previous holidays and various family traditions we were all brought closer together by creating a special one-time practice. I'd love to spend everything Thanksgiving in this manner but one never knows what the upcoming year will bring.

Erik prepared and served an amazing meal of roasted turkey, loaded mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, stuffing, and cranberry sauce all made from scratch. Pam brought a yam dish and hot apple cider. The carrot souffle I baked turned out great (whew!). There was Erik's "Thanksgiving Pie" of apples and cranberries, a pumpkin pie I threw together, and the hubby's ginger spiced whip cream to top them off.

Flavorful food, rich wine, and great friends ... I can't think of a better way to spend Thanksgiving.

Harsh?

You'd better believe it.

My best friend is overtaxed. He's dejected. His work environment is languishing.

I just want him to be happy in his career and he isn't.

He is an attorney, not a fire-fighter.

His business management decisions are second-guessed by the man who relinquished this control.

Side rant: "He" is my husband! I can't just sit around saying, "Oh baby, I'm sorry that you work for such an @$$. Would you like another beer?" This is a nice short-term solution to an on-going problem. But we must get at the root. Tha'ts right, you've guessed it: Mr. Manic, The Great Man, Mr. Magic Beans, etc. Whatever his name, he's still a lunatic.

My husband is a counselor, not an explosives expert. Yet he must maneuver through numerous mine-fields without going "kablooey."


Even if the boss respects my accomplished and successful husband, that's not reason enough for my confidant to continue to check himself into bedlam every day.

He went to law school, not medical school. No matter how much he learns about medicine through malpractice cases and consulting with medical experts he will never be able to help or address Mr. Madcap's many, many issues.

Yes, yes, I know this is a repeat of everything I wrote in response to the hubby's blog. I'm compelled to be redundant in the hopes that this message leaves it mark.

If my tone and words offend thee, good. They're meant to. This is a wake-up call.

Life should not be wasted on those who do not appreciate your talents and abilities.

Darling, you are capable of so much more than Mr. Rabid permits you to do. Your skillz (i.e. mad writing skillz, your social skillz, personnel skillz, damn, I could go on forever!) are not showcased or allowed to flourish.

You deserve more. You deserve to be recognized for all of your strengths and you deserve to be happy.



(Yo, this applies to the rest of ya'll that work for Mr. Magic Beans. You know who you are).

Thankful for...

I realize this is a little early, but here's what I'm thankful for today (not in any particular order and subject to change at any time for any reason):

• Finding Miss Ginger (she managed to get outside and take shelter under the porch. She's strictly an indoor kitty so this was quite alarming!)
• Being nearly done with the X-mas shopping
• Our soon-to-be new-to-us home
• Passing tonight's exam
• ERIK!!!!
• The critters
• The upcoming 4-day weekends (yep, that's right, plural! I'm taking this coming Thursday and Friday off, plus next week I have off for Turkey day and the day after - yahooie!)
• Good health
• Cereal
• My friends
• Chocolate
• Long hot showers
• Vino
• Erik's cooking
• Sleeping in

Diet

True to form my writing diet is as successful as my "eat less candy" diet. I am not a diet person, unless of course it were to consist of eating my body-weight in chocolate. Unfortunately I have never come across such a chocolate lover's fantasy. However, should such a food regimen ever become doctor endorsed I will completely comply.

With regard to the writing drill I must start anew, like a drunkard that hath fallen from grace. Oh well, these things happen. Perhaps if I consumed red wine (strictly health purposes of course) and a moderate amount of chocolate (for inspirational resolve) my writing would become more inveterate. (Disclaimer: I wrote perhaps, not that such a thing is actually likely).

Excuses for not writing on the 11th:

• work
• dinner with friends
• attended hockey game with said friends
• returned home very late
• slightly tipsy

Excuses for the 12th:

• none

Excuses for the 13th:

• less than those for the 12th

And I wonder why my diets fail? Sheesh.

I would write more tonight, however, my current justification is I have an exam tomorrow evening that I need to study for.

Our own home

The hubby and I may soon have a place of our own. A simple little bungalow with all the features we have come to appreciate and desire in a dwelling: fenced-in yard for the dogs, screened-in porch for the cats, two bathrooms, three bedrooms, an open kitchen, two car garage, and a maintenance free exterior.

On Saturday we'll meet with our agent to draft an offer and then deliver it in person. This will provide us with an opportunity to see the house again. The offer will be contingent upon an inspection. The house is only about 6 years old so hopefully there is not much, if anything, seriously amiss.

The idea of not having a landlord is exciting and terrifying. It will be liberating to be independent and scary as hell should anything major go wrong. This will be a very interesting experience for us.

Make Contact With Paper

Recently the hubby and I looked at several different houses in various locations scattered throughout Blount and Knox counties. Some homes were very nice, some were not. But a few houses took contact paper to the next level in ways I would never permit in my own home.

Contact paper is typically used to surface the interior shelves and drawers of one's cupboards. However, if you are creative and looking to "update" your home's interior you will not stop where the shelf or drawer ends.

One home owner had completely covered the kitchen cupboards with faux wood paneled contact paper. The cabinet framing, doors, shelves... EVERY surface had the tacky paper stuck to it. The effect was dazzling to say the least.

Another home owner used what appeared to be the exact same paper on their master bathroom floor. I do not know how long the paper had been on the floor. There was only one tear that revealed the true surface beneath. Perhaps contact paper is so durable and easy to clean that to not use as a floor covering is just plain wrong? Can that be? Is this the wave of the future?

Now if you are like me (and to quote the hubby's favorite line, "and I know I am") you are probably wondering what would posses someone to do such a thing to perfectly good cabinets and what appeared to have once been a nice floor. Yes, the kitchen cupboards were in excellent condition. The paint choice, a VERY bold yellow, may not have been the loveliest, but it was certainly better than the contact paper. The master bath floor appeared to be in good working order. Perhaps this a Southern thing a Northern like myself will never understand. All the same folks please do not, DO NOT, attempt this look in your own dwelling, especially if you are trying to sell your abode.

Write every day

I want to improve my writing. One way to do this is to write. A lot. At least every day. So, here I am writing. But more than just that I need to figure out what I want to write about, structure it appropriately, blah blah blah. As you can see, I'm not very good at this, but with time and practice I will get better.

Mr. Smarty Pants (a.k.a. the hubby) provided wonderful tips on improving my writing (noted above). So I am taking his advice and will attempt to write everyday. I have not decided if everyday when I write that it will be in this blog or if I will just keep a word diary. Guess it doesn't much matter which as long as I write.

I am concerned with how much I should write. I understand that it needs to be daily, but in what quantities? Of course quality is the goal, but isn't quantity a factor also? I guess I will figure it out as the process continues. It's probably more important that I just do it and let the little details work themselves out.

I have always enjoyed writing. It is such a fabulous creative process and a great outlet when I need or want to express myself. For over a decade and a half I have used writing as a tool of expression. During different stages I utilized other forms (painting, arts & crafts, sewing, crocheting, etc.), but writing is usually the most inexpensive and least messy.

Combining something I naturally enjoy with a needed and much desired work skill seems like a win-win. Granted legal writing has its own set of rules (keep sentences short, simple, active, relevant) compared to free-flow, stream of consciousness writing that I typically indulge in. It will be interesting trying something new with an old companion.

Still no computer - continued

That's right the Geeks still have the computer. I have no idea what has happened to it. Spontaneous combustion? Paper weight for the bored and hapless? Perhaps roaches became the new offensive owners? I am not sure I care anymore, especially if the latter is true.

Of course all my files are just faulty memories, but at least I have been able to relocate most of my "favorite" internet sites.

Meanwhile, I'm using the hubby's old machine. It is set up in my office so I have all my happy things surrounding me: office supplies, sleeping cats, and books. More importantly there is adequate light, heat, and space to spread out my belongings (without disturbing the kitties).

Eventually the old hunk of metal, chips, and whatever else comprises the standard computer will be returned. ETA for such a homecoming, who knows? Maybe the Geeks have a clue, perhaps the roaches have a time line. Either way I don't care to talk to either of them.