Friday Randomness

Sorry for ignoring you, my beloved blog. I really do love you, but I feel like so many of my bloggy friends aren’t blogging anymore, and if they are, they don’t come here…and if they do, they don’t leave me a comment, so I don’t know that they stopped by. I have a handful of readers I can depend upon, and I’m thankful for those friendships. I call them friendships, because I have a feeling that if we were to meet in person, we’d like each other, and at least mostly get each other’s sense of humor, that kind of thing. That’s important stuff, really.

So, what’s new? Well, I saw a funny/sweet feature on the internet, ‘ask a grown man’, where tween/teen girls write advice column questions in to famous actors, and the actors answer. It’s funny because the idea is so strange. It’s sweet, because (at least the interviews I saw), the actors took it seriously enough to give the girls actual advice. Look beyond cool. Don’t rush sex. It’s OK that girls fart too. Wear what you want, not what you think maybe guys want you to wear. That’s all good advice, the kind of stuff that can help a girl become more confident in herself. Here’s one with Jon Hamm, looking a lot like my friend’s ex-husband here…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fkIPwx7_6Vg[/youtube]

What else…well, I was rear-ended in a fender bender (fender scratcher?) last week. I went to Baskin Robbins to get ice cream for Ted’s birthday, and on the way home, a young woman ran into me. She was 21, it was slippery and wet out there, and her tires were fairly bald. Perhaps her brakes were as well. My first reaction was “OH CRAP”, because I banged up my poor Camry just last year, and my insurance went up because of it, and really, it’s no fun to be hit when you’re stopped at a stop light. But when I got out of the car, and saw her young, 21 year old face, it reminded me of the time I rear-ended someone at that very same age. Maybe I was 20, but close. I remember being scared of telling my mom, of wondering what would happen, all of that. So I told her that. I told her, ‘that’s what insurance is for’. I told her, ‘the damage isn’t bad’ (and it wasn’t). I told her, ‘the most important thing is, we’re both OK.’ Just a few blocks down on this same road, a man and his daughter were killed by a young man who was speeding and driving recklessly, just before Easter. So both of us being OK felt like a really important thing, something to remind her of. (Of which to remind her? Something that was important to say? I know what’s right. I just don’t always like it.)

The biggest news around here is that Ted was laid-off from his job on Monday. They usually do these things on Fridays, to give the office employees time to process and recover. But Ted was home celebrating his birthday on Friday, so they kindly waited until Monday to get rid of him. Nice timing. Last time he was laid off by the same company, it was the week before my mom died. They have a talent that way. Anyway, we’re not too sad about it. The job wasn’t the best fit for his skills, and hopefully, he’ll find something better that pays more and is more stable very SOON. Please send best wishes his way.

Which leads to painful financial decisions around the house. Like cable TV (not gone, but greatly reduced…goodbye HBO…), newspapers and magazine subscriptions (I really like reading the funnies with breakfast, but at $10 a week, it’s kind of stupid), that kind of stuff. We’ll be OK, if we’re careful. At least while he has unemployment, and I’m guessing he’ll get a much better job way before that runs out.

Oh, I almost forgot…Obama decided to Shit or Get Off the Pot, and said he’s for same sex marriage! FINALLY! YAY! I know, it’s a long time coming, and I don’t see why it had to take this long for someone to decide that we all deserve equal rights. But I also know that a lot of religions have serious issues with it, and that politically, it’s a difficult issue. I think of it like slavery, where people KNEW it was morally reprehensible, and yet, it took many many decades before they truly stood up for what was right.

Does anyone else slip up and call their iPod their ‘walkman’? I keep doing that. I know, I’m old. What with being the kind old lady the 21 year old rear-ended and all, I’m almost ready for AARP.

Did you see the woman who sued Nutalla about their product, saying that she believed the commercial, and that it was a healthy breakfast? Come on. I love chocolate as much as the next person, (OK, not really…I’m more of a salty/savory person, with the occasional chocolate) but I know that a breakfast full of sugar isn’t going to prepare your kids to face the day. Don’t you think any reasonable person could figure that out for themselves? Sugar tends to give you a bunch of energy right off, but then it drops you like a hot potato, and you crash. I’ve got some Nutella in my cupboard, actually, but I think of it as a dessert item, NOT a breakfast item. Same for Lucky Charms or Froot Loops. Unless you’re on vacation, and then, what the hell. Who cares if your sugar rush drops you, right?

Work is busy. My coworker was laid off on Monday. Ugh. And I get to do her work, for no more money. Same as it ever was, really. Wait, I don’t talk about work here. I forgot.

Still missing my mom. Mother’s Day is coming. Sigh. It’s a bit easier every year, but not fabulous. Mom’s birthday was a few weeks ago, too, and I was thinking of how lovely it would be to take her for a pedicure and lunch, but of course, I can’t. Sigh.

Still missing my dog. I’d love to see her run up and down the path and maybe spin around a few times, then come plop down in front of me with a big goofy smile on her face. I’d even be OK with (though not thrilled) her farting her smelly farts, right about now.

In true springtime fashion, the weather doesn’t know what it wants to do with itself lately. Warm (almost hot…ok, hot) some days, chilly the next. Then again, around here, that could be almost any time of year. At least it’s light later in the evening. I’m thinking of starting up swimming again soon. I love swimming, but it’s so hard to be motivated when it’s cold outside.

Glad it’s Friday. Work has actually been fine, aside from trying learn new stuff without training. The weather is mostly cool enough at night so I can sleep well without the A/C. We’re relaxed and easing into new routine. Maya has her AP Euro test today. This is her first AP class, she’s only a sophomore. Next year she has 2 AP and an honors. Exhausting, I’m sure.

Have a groovy weekend. Go to Mars if you feel like it.