Bumper Sticker Wisdom

Seen on a bumper sticker this morning:

Mean people produce tiny mean people

It's hard to argue with that.

A Happy News Item, For Once

Apparently it's feast or famine over here at Misadventures...

TLS and I heard a piece on the radio this morning about a pediatric oncology patient who had his portable game player and games stolen from the family's car during a stop on their way to the hospital for his monthly chemotherapy appointment. They reported the burglary to police but didn't expect much to come from it. You know, what with big city apathy and all that. Well, it turns out that officers from the Dallas Police Department donated $1,200 to replace the belongings and have the car window repaired (with about $850 given to the family for anything else they might need). How's that for a feel-good story?

Link to DMN article for more details.

Long Time, No See

O.K. So I know that I've been absent for a few days on the ol' blog. Hopefully someone missed my unique (read: strange) sense of humor or maybe it was just like in the old westerns when the wind whistles down the empty streets and a tumbleweed goes bouncing down the wooden sidewalk. (Sometimes I amaze even myself with the weird stuff that comes out of my brain.) Anyway, back to reality...

I don't have a real excuse. I think it was a combination of not having much to say and the perfectionist in me not wanting to start on something unless it could be "perfect". (Whew, there's nothing like putting all of your insecurities and neuroses out on the Internet for everyone to see.)

It is my favorite time of the year in North Texas. Bluebonnet time! Hooray! Just last week I was thinking, "Where are the bluebonnets?" and then, lo, I saw my first clump by the side of the highway. I know it's all Texan-ist (Texas chauvanist) of me, but there is something about the state flower growing happily along our roadsides that makes my heart full. And don't ask how I know they are happy, I just know. They are all blue and white and cute and lovable. Like this. Also, during the height of the season, you'll see people who have pulled off to take pictures of their kids among the flowers. I even once saw a bridal photo shoot taking place along Interstate 30 and I have to say that the white dress looked gorgeous next to the vivid blue and green. I feel the cockles of my heart being warmed even now!

Just Call Me "Inertia Holmes"

At work on Friday while walking down the hall, I found $15 in cash lying on the floor. (It was a ten and a five.) After looking around and wondering if I was experiencing an Easter morality test or some kind of sociological experiment, I went to the office closest to the found money and asked the girl who works in there (I know her) if she had by chance dropped the cash. It wasn't hers, but she thought it might be one of the other campus recruiter's so off we went to her office. No luck. Girl #1 said that she'd keep the money in her office in case anyone came looking. I continued off on my merry way, but apparently my subconscious was "on the case" because as I was talking to someone else, I realized that it was probably change for a twenty dollar bill. Our office is in the midst of fundraising for March of Dimes and with a five-dollar donation per week, we can wear jeans on Friday. I know the girl in charge of selling jeans stickers, so off I went to her desk. I asked if someone had paid with a twenty and been given a ten and a five back. With a weird expression, she said, "Yeah. How did know that?" I explained what happened and she said while she didn't know the girl's name, she knew about where she sat. We went and found the owner of the cash and reunited her with the moolah. It was a Good Friday, for sure.

Songs and Surprises

So yesterday was my 39th birthday. (Insert sounds of shock and astonishment here.) I know. I know. It's impossible that I'm in my (extremely) late thirties.

I had a really great day, which actually started on Tuesday night when TLS gave me my birthday present...the iPod Touch. It seriously rocks. Love. It. Already. I could give you the whole run-down on the uber coolness of it, but I'm sure it would sound like "blah, blah, blah. iPod blah, blah."

I came to work yesterday and received birthday greetings from many friends and co-workers. I even had some really random people wishing me a happy birthday and was starting to think that some kind of email notification had gone out. I suppose the how or why really doesn't matter since it was just nice to realize that people were thinking of me. (I guess I had a real Sally Field moment. They like me. They really like me.) I went and read to the preschool kids at lunch and while I knew that I'd be smiling the rest of the day, I didn't realize that I'd get some great kid-isms in the bargain.

After finishing my reading (and by the way, I had completely forgotten the real story of the three little pigs, the first two of which get eaten (eaten!) by the wolf and then the wolf tries to trick the third pig out of the house and finally tries to climb down the chimney, falls into the pot of boiling water the pig has placed there and gets eaten (eaten!) by the pig for dinner), here was the conversation.
Me: Do you all know what today is?
Kid #1: Wednesday
Me: (laughing) Yes, but in addition to being Wednesday, it's my birthday.
Kid #2: My mom can make some cupcakes!
Me: (laughing) I don't think that'll be necessary.
Teacher: Let's sing to her.
All kids: (A lovely, if off-key, rendition of Happy Birthday guaranteed to make your heart melt)

About a week ago, TLS asked if I wanted to go to my favorite restaurant, Hibiscus, on the night of my birthday. I, of course, heartily agreed and he told me that he'd take care of getting the reservation. After he called them, he told me that our reservation was for 7:30. I thought this was a little late (since once he picked me up from work at 5:30ish it would only take about 10 minutes to get to the restaurant), but he told me that they were packed because of spring break and that was the only time he could get. (This is why I am the easiest person in the world to plan a surprise for, because I will apparently believe any old bill of goods that you hand me.) To kill some time, we ended up going to Best Buy to find a case for my new iPod Touch. (Have I mentioned my new Touch?!) We got to the restaurant at 7:30 and were shown to our table. As we walked behind the hostess, I kept thinking that we were passing all kinds of open tables in the front but was also excited because I'd never before sat in the more private back room. I had my eye on the small table for two next to the wall but glanced over to see my friend Dorina sitting at another table. I swear to God that my thought was, "Oh! Dorina is eating here tonight, too. What a coincidence." I'm such a dork, because she along with her boyfriend Michael, and my friends Cathy and Kim were there to help us celebrate. We had a fabulous meal. I forced myself to save a couple of my lamb chops to enjoy for dinner tonight and finished it all off with their lavender ice cream. (It sounds revolting, I know. But it is delish! Take my word for it.)

What a full day: good friends, good food, kids singing and surprises. How can you beat that?!

Possible Karmic Reasons I Don't Have A Baby

I was talking with my friend Amy (shout out!) today at lunch. She is pregnant with her third child and at her last doctor visit, they found out that after two girls, they are finally having a boy. (And there was much rejoicing by her husband after that discovery.) They thankfully already have a boy's name picked out that everyone can agree on, which is good because the girl's name issue would have been a tad bit contentious. She had already had an irritated conversation with her sister-in-law which resulted in the S-I-L giving a little sniff and huh?! after each name choice. I try to follow a general rule when someone tells me their (totally insane) baby name choice--I smile and say, "What a beautiful name." (While inside my head I say things like, "Oh dear, sweet lord, what would possess someone to name their baby THAT?!) At our conversation today, I told Amy that if I were pregnant, I would probably make up a completely bizarro fake name to tell people just to get their reactions. (Like Amazonia Jane or Crabapple Pilot) Perhaps karma doesn't have my sense of humor...

How To Know If You're a Sci-fi Nerd

A simple quiz:

Someone gives you an orange tabby cat. You name it:
A) Jones
B) Something besides answer A

Someone mentions the "Kwisatz Haderach". You say:
A) "Arrakis. Desert Planet."
B) "Gesundheit!"

Someone calls you a "nerf herder". You say"
A) "Thank you, Princess Leia."
B) "Huh? A what?"

Someone mentions that they are experiencing a feeling of deja vu. You:
A) Wonder what "They" changed in the matrix.
B) Do nothing and continue on your way.

Someone asks you to make the Vulcan salute. You:
A) Face your palm forward with the fingers parted between the middle and ring finger with the thumb extended and say, "Live long and prosper."
B) Ask, "What's a Vulcan salute?"

Ron Weasley's rat's name is:
A) Scabbers
B) Who's Ron Weasley?

For all A answers, give yourself one point.

For Score 0-2:
Congratulations! You are "normal." Carry on.

For Score 3-4:
You're a sci-fi dabbler. With only a little more effort, you could become a full-fledged nerd.

For Score 5-6:
Welcome to life in the "dork forest"! Can we hang out?

Graduate School Update

I started this blog about the same time that I started the graduate school application process and just realized that I hadn't updated you on how that's going. I'd love to say that millions of things were happening behind the scenes and I just hadn't been sharing them with you, but I'd be lying. Mostly, I was overtaken by a large blob of inertia. (Ooh, that's so out of character, INERTIA GIRL!) The final thing I needed to do was write a one to two page essay on My Statement of Purposes and Goals and I just couldn't seem to compose it. I could write paragraph after paragraph about spiders in the kitchen and what I did for New Years (good lord!) but couldn't seem to get motivated or excited about this thing. Every couple weeks or so, I'd dutifully open up the file and write a few sentences and then I'd get frustrated and leave it for another day. Well, I'm here to say that I think I've finally finished it. I'm still not sure that it's what they are looking for, but I hope that it is good enough. The baby needs to leave the nest so I can get this show on the road. (To mix a metaphor or two...)

Oh, and I know what you're thinking; and no, I'm not going to post the essay here. I don't know why posting about drunken revelry doesn't bother me, but just the thought of putting my purposes and goals out here makes me break into a cold sweat. (All part of being human, I suppose.)

I'll keep you informed when I get the official letter from the school. (Fingers crossed, Internet!)

They Call It Avelox. I Call It The Devil's Antibiotic

So when I went back to the doctor on Monday with my ear re-infection, she gave me the antibiotic Avelox. Unbeknownst to me, this antibiotic has a laundry list of serious side effects. Even after one dose I was having horrible nightmares and insomnia (an unlikely combination, I'll grant you), along with pain in my achilles tendon. Avelox has a history of causing tendonitis and tendon rupture. (Yikes!) The tendon problem is exactly what I didn't need since I spent about two months in a lower leg cast last year trying to avoid foot surgery due to achilles bursitis. (I know. I'm a medical mystery.) So on Wednesday, I called and got them to call me in another antibiotic. I'm now on eyrthromycin and while I have to be sure and take it with some food to avoid nausea, it's much better than what I shall now call "The Devil's Antibiotic." Here's hoping that once I'm finished with this round that I've done my time with the medication for quite some time.

1969 vs. 1983

I realized today that almost all of the general interest blogs I read regularly are written by women in their thirties--women, I must add, that I find inventive, hilarious, erudite, insightful and well-read. Am I drawn to them because of the quality and superiority of insight from women of a similar age or because they are chronicling something universal? I guess what really matters is that they can make me laugh in the same paragraph that they make me face a difficult topic. That's quite an achievement.

I was also thinking about how many smart, beautiful, funny women I have as friends. While many of us are arriving at the end of the 30's "Bell curve" this year, we all are thriving and out to conquer the world (or at least our little corner of it). I've had discussions with several friends about how old we think we are, as opposed to our chronological age. To a one, we all feel like we are in our mid-twenties. Case in point, it was inconceivable to me that my 20-year high school reunion was last September, since in my mind I'm only 25. Why 25? I'm not sure, really. That was the year I got married (good), but also the year I had some job tumult (not so good), and developed a chronic medical condition (very bad), so it can't just be the "highlight of my adult life". I guess at 25 people are just starting to feel like an adult but still not old enough to feel the weight of more middle age problems.

I wonder if hitting the big 4-0 (2009, here I come!) will change my "interior" age. Will I magically and automatically reset to feeling 30 or 35? I guess only time will tell.

It's Not Just For Toddlers Anymore - Part Deux

I woke up this morning with the very familiar sensation of being able to feel the inside of my left eardrum and Eustachian tube. I think that my first antibiotic didn't kill all the nasty bacteria from ear infection part one a couple of weeks ago, and apparently, the ones who survived the onslaught are still around and they are angry! So, another trip to the doctor, another antibiotic script along with one for a steroid pack (that I'm not to start unless the pressure isn't gone in two days). Sigh.