New Beginnings and Change?

Symbols of spring and Easter. Eggs, bunnies, green grass, tulips...all symbols of new beginnings and change, right? This weekend I had a girls' night as it seems that half of my friends relationships are falling apart or over. Okay, maybe not half of them but a few different ones. Whether taking a break, breaking up, or being in limbo...it's all change. It's all new. I started looking back at my relationships and I realize whether by coincidence or not. ALL of my major relationships have ended at this time. I'll be honest, I almost hate Easter for this reason. Not that Easter is a romantic holiday, but it is one that you would share with a significant other. Like Thanksgiving, it is a "swing" holiday. We can go to your house for Thanksgiving and mine at Easter. I love my family and always enjoyed having my boyfriends over for family dinners, get togethers or what not. Easter always left me in the dust. I can look back and even when I wasn't getting dumped (which was usually the case) I did the breaking up (once) and even had break-ups suggested though I desperately hung on at those times.
So...is it in the air? Does spring do this? Does planetary alignment suggest a change? (I know, I know...but I love the psychics!)
Does anyone have any happy stories of Spring relationships or are we doomed to be dumped every time we hear the pat of a bunny's feet?

Spring

I think I'm ready for Spring. Though spring is probably my least favorite season due to the rain, today is so pretty that I'm ready for it. Walking outside, sitting outside, fresh air. Then I checked the weather forecast. Hm. I think today is a fluke as for the next 10 days is snow on and off.

House arrest for Martha??? Stupid. She paid her dues. I've heard of rapists that get off with less. One thing I feel...she'll be laughing all the way to the bank.

Debate, please.

Tasty

After 2+ years of quitting caffeine, I'm back on to it...only part way. The other night I made iced green tea. Yum. I haven't had this in sooo long. Though, I'm thinking green tea doesn't have as much caffeine. Am I right? Whatever...it's quite tasty.

True Love Does Exist

Every time I get discouraged or disgusted about dating something happens that makes me change my mind. Now, nothing has happened to me, but it's what I noticed.
My parents have been married for almost 38 years. They have been together for 43. Unbelievable for people that are 58 and 61. They have been together for more than half their lifetimes and are still, to this day madly in love. It's funny how you notice these things. Small jestures, looks and more importantly words. I'm not talking about "I love you so much! I could never live without you!" But, the stories that they tell.
My dad (who has been going bald for quite a while now) got a haircut today. He went for the "Bruce Willis" look which looks great on him. His hair was never kept long going bald, but it's super short now. Looks good. Now...he's had a shorter haircut before and everytime he gets it cut like that my mother tells the story of how in college he joined the ROTC and they buzzed his hair. My mom then nicknamed him "Henry" from some comic they read as kids. Hearing this story many times over the years has, I thought, made me numb to it. Heard it. Been there, done that. Today he came home with the haircut and my mother had someone in the house looking at jewelery...she sells it on the side. Anyway, my mom preceeds to tell this woman the story and my dad replies with, "I just told someone that story today." Cute. Lovely. What I hope to have someday. Someone who is in sync with me. Someone who shares my stories. Not just when I'm with them, but when something else happens while I'm away from them and at that moment...apart...we share the moment. True love does exist. And contrary to the movies...it doesn't die after marriage.
I know not all marriages are like this. They should be. My parents don't pour over each other, but they share their "moments." The one thing I love about their relationship is that they have their seperate lives and their life. They are friends. The best of. It does give me hope that someone like that, someone that is my friend is out there. It's refreshing.

There...now that's not as boring as the last entry.

Boring Stuff on a Day Off

I love Ellen. Two snow days in a row has given me the chance to watch her show. She's so funny. I remember seeing her on VH1's stand-up show (was it Spotlight Stand-up??) 15+ years ago and thinking she was pretty funny then. -I should be an agent as I predicted her success!!-

I also really like J-lo's new song Get Right. Catchy beat and melody.

It's snowing like crazy outside. I'm not exactly sure on how much I have in my backyard, but I'm guessing around 10 inches. I don't mind. It puts us to June 9 as the last day of school....but I don't really care. The kids never come anyway at the end of the year.

Not too much going on here today. I did watch Kill Bill Vol. 1 the other night. Not usually my kind of movie as I don't care for action movies, but it was pretty good. Just made me think of this....got a wink the other night from a guy who competes in Ultimate Fighting. All I could think of was when Monica dated the UF guy on Friends. Ha!

This is boring so I'll write more later.

These are the Snow Days of Our Lives...

Snow day today...strange because it really isn't even that bad out. Yet, I know in the past they've made us go to school with no delay and the roads were horrible. Whatever, it is nice. I would have preferred it next week when there was a full week of school, though.
I did get to sleep which was nice and I went swimming. I've been trying to get back to going in the morning, but the cold is hard to get up and out in.
So I'm watching Days of Our Lives right now. If you are/were an avid watcher you'll understand, if not...well you'll just have to deal. There is a new Will. God. Every time they take one of the kids and make them older.....like 10 years older....so they can actually have a part-it's terrible. (Hence, young Abby) Anyway. Sadly I have been watching this show on and off (more off in the last 2 years due to work) for the last oh, 21 years!! That's more than half my life. (More than the Days of My Life..hhehe) It's horrible, but I can't seem to get away from it. I think it would be fun to see a checklist/chart of the characters and how many times they have died, been possessed, stranded on an island, been in the evil hands of Stefano. In fact, I think now I'm going to start taping it. Yes, I'm still in the sad world of VHS taping. No DVR. No TiVo and no Soap network. Oooh. I just heard a solliquey (sp?). I love those. Days....you've made them so famous.
Well...I am going to do some productive things today. I need to write the syllabus for the class I'm teaching and also research mutual funds etc for Roth IRA. I'm kicking my Merrill Lynch guy to the curb and investing myself. Any suggestions?

Shit...damn news break. Hello?? I have only 15 minutes left! About the Pope. Apparently he had a trach or something. Question: Is it that the Pope has to die to replace him? My God, can't they just retire the poor guy? He can hardly live let alone do the pope things.

A Good Response

So I'm about 70 pages into Maybe He's Just Not That Into You right now and I'm crackin' up. OMG! I'm soooo one of those girls. I cannot tell you during the many dumps and jackasses in my life how I've dropped all of these excuses. It's a good read, and a funny comeback. Not only to realize that when you're dating, emailing, phoning etc...someone who probably has no intentions of getting serious, but for everyday conversation. Saturday my sister and her bf and I had dinner at a sushi place in Phili. Our waitress wasn't the most attentive, but maybe she just wasn't that into us. (See how it's working??) Sunday I hooked my sister into Project Runway as we watched a marathon while filing all of her "stuff" in her office (I sure as shit don't want to go through that again...ugh, the agony of paperwork.) But, maybe she's just not that into record keeping. (I know...lame, but use it. It's fun.)
Now onto the real "not into you." So before I left for my sister's I got an email from a guy on match. We had exchanged emails a few different times...long short of it...he said he lived near Phili and if I were out he would come and meet me. So I sent him an email back asking him where b/c I'm not that familiar with the city, but 9:00 sounded good to meet up for a drink. I left it open saying that the meeting would have to be brief b/c we had to go back to MD that night, and if the times worked than so be it. If not I'm sure we'd run into each other sometime (he's from around my hometown.) I then sent another email right before I left saying that I wouldn't have access to email (because my lame ass sister got rid of internet access at home) and here is my cell number. He emailed back saying that he hadn't been feeling well all week, but if he felt like he wouldn't get me sick he would give me a buzz.
No call. No meeting. Was he just not that into me? (Funny, I think I remember a similar situation on Jen's blog.) Then here is my comeback and comment...why even bother telling me you'll meet?? Whatever. I'm now totally annoyed at the online dating crap. I would rather have spent my $50 elsewhere instead of checking on the losers that wink at me and managing two email accounts. Throw me a freakin' bone already. (Arf!)
Other news...looks like a few of us girls are heading to the Dominican Republic for va-cay this summer. I'm super excited.

Coming To a City Near You.

Off to my sister's for the weekend. She lives in Havre de Grace, MD. (Northeast of Baltimore) We're heading to Phili on Saturday to meet her bf for dinner. And, I may possible meet up with someone as well...details later. No school on Monday so it makes a nice get away weekend. I love taking weekend trips. Keep your eyes open. I may be coming to a city near you...

Just Into Me

Well, I didn't find a Valentine and quite frankly, that's fine with me. I've been pretty lazy with the online dating thing. I do try to check the site once a day, but have not emailed anyone back. I emailed two different people before my va-cay, but have been lazy and haven't emailed them back. This blog will be short as I'm going to start the "not into you" book tonight...and I'm having coffee at 6:30 tomorrow. Maybe I'm "just not that into" online dating? It seemed like a really good idea a month ago...but now it's just annoying. Is it bad that I'd rather be hanging out with friends, dog or The Newlyweds? Speaking of...I think I'd like to have a beau like Nick's brother. He's a hottie and I like the way he's edited on the show. Oh such is life. Being the way I'm feeling about dating, I so appropriately watched Sex and the City last night on TBS and it was Charlotte's 37 birthday. They're in Atlantic City and Carrie has the attitude of hanging out with the girls while Charlottle wants to be on the manhunt. Maybe that is the question lying subconsciously in my head. Is it really worth the risk? (Or do I even care at this point?)

Other note...and more of my focus. I applied for a job at a public charter school in Pittsburgh. Keep your fingers crossed to get me out of this place. (And for more job opportunities to come up.) I received an email from a friend from the way past and she said how misses Uniontown sometimes. I think I would miss it....sometimes. So, get me out so I can give the verdict, eh?

Last note. 71 more days of school....and my room has now become the official site for emotional basket-cases. Nice. Make that a double, please!

5 'til V-day...Anyone want a Valentine?

5 minutes 'til Valentine's Day. No Valentine for me this year. I usually buy valentines for a few people, but this year I just don't give a shit. Then yesterday I got a really funny valentine...myyyyy funnnny vaaaalentinnne...sorry, side song there. Anyway. My sister sent me a card that has candy hearts on the front that are "Amish Candy Hearts." Titles such as "4 Keepeth" "Rock My Buggy" "U Churn My Butter" "Thou Art Hot" and "Let's Plow." Living in an Amish town for 6-7 years, it was quite appropriate. She aslo sent me He's Just Not That Into You. I'm pretty interested in reading this. She said she read a few paragraphs to her boyfriend in which he denied that any of it was accurate....therefore, I'm sure it's a good read.

Went to Dave and Buster's yesterday (Chuck E. Cheese for adults) and I played two games that kicked my ass. One was the horse riding game thing. Basically you are the jockey riding this merry-go-round type horse. The other was a boxing game (which I really love.) Holy shit. I can hardly freakin' move. I think they should put these games in a gym though. It really would make working out a whole lot more fun and interesting.

Also had a dream about Macaulay Culkin. So maybe I do have a strange subconscious obsession. I had a dream we were having sex except he had long hair and was built really buff-like. We kept running through this hay maze and he kept escaping and making out with elfish/fairy-like people. I kept screaming. "That's it. Next time I catch you, we're done." Except I kept catching him and kept saying the same thing. Then we ended up in bed having sex. Weird. No more pizza before bed. Or maybe that will be my thing. Elton has his glasses, L.L. has his hats, I'll have my Mac.

Anyone want to be my Valentine??

Mardi Gras Recap

I wish I would have done this the night I got home...or better yet while I was in NO because I hope I'm not forgetting anything.

First thing is first...damn. I'm not as young as I used to be.

The past two Mardi Gras were filled with all-out drunk fests, serial make-out sessions, spills and spews.

1st Mardi Gras:
Kisses-->Straight guy in gay club, gay guy in gay club, straight guy outside of gay club. They love me!! They really do!!
Drunk-->Wednesday night thru Tuesday literally 'til I stepped on the plane.
Falls-->I'll be honest....probably at least one, but I really don't remember.
Pukes-->One...um, I think?

2nd Mardi Gras:
Kisses-->Engaged guy (I did stop when I found out), Hot Marine. (No gays this time)
Drunk-->Pretty much every night, but by Mardis Gras night, I had about had it.
Falls-->Two. Oooh One huge one. Bricks, beer, and phone calls. Bad mix. 2nd, not my faulty. Some beefy, meat head military dude slam sat on me and the chair literally looked like Bambi on ice...it was a lawn chair.
Pukes-->One. All night during Sex and the City Finale. Thanks Derwin for your toilet.

3rd Mardi Gras:
Kisses-->Tons...from Emily's dog Annabelle (that really is her dog!)
Drunk-->Couple of times. One real good night.
Falls-->Witness to one...Emily bit it on the brick...moss, brick, wine and heels. Bad mix.
Pukes-->One. I ran thru the small apartment and booted like 4 times.

DAMN....AM I OLD??

Not really. Maybe this is what Mardi Gras was supposed to be for me this year. An even, controlled drunk, no kisses and adult behavior? Maybe so. Or maybe I'm not so much a visitor anymore, but have developed a Mardi Gras...or NOLA family.
I really had a great time. Though it wasn't the knock-down drunk fests I've had before, it was great. I got to visit with Emily. Every time I see Em, I always think, "Damn. Why don't we live next door?" And, her really awesome friends who have so warmly welcomed me to their celebrations, cracked jokes at me...just like I have been there the whole time. Thanks NOLA fam. You've been great.

Saw some really awesome parades. I really love that part of the celebration. It's absolutely amazing the amount of work that the entire city puts into the parades, streets etc. We even woke up on Mardi Gras with a random nine-person band walking down Dauphine. Wild.
I saw woman who really looked like Nurse Betty (I seriously did a double take checking to see if it was Miss Briget Jones herself,) a guy in a suit covered in Coke bottles-a "coking jacket" perhaps??? and a lawyer in a tutu with holding his 3 1/2 year old daughter's hand...who was also wearing a tutu. The only place in the world where a little girl can look at her dad in a tutu and think he's pretty cool. We also grabbed a great Bloody Mary from Pat O'Brien's and got grandstand tickets for a the Iris and Tucks daytime parades. It was pretty cool to see all the hooplah they do with the Kings/Queens etc. I got some really great throws. So much I had to check the bag of beads on the flight. I finally caught a coconut a the Zulu parade. I screamed, "I'm bringing it back to Pittsburgh!! For the Steelers!!" I must have found a Steeler heart in the guy who handed it to me. Though, sorry Hines. That baby is mine.

Did run thru Bourbon one night. I wasn't quite drunk at that point and damn is that place gross. It smells worse than any other fraternity bathroom I've ever been. Rule: Get really fucking drunk before you venture down there. We spent a lot of time on Frenchman which is a pretty cool area. We ended up there on Mardi Gras drinking wine and people watching. I think next year we'll get a couple of lawn chairs, box of wine and sit and watch. Fascinating. If there weren't so many people around, we would have resembled hookers the way we stood. I thought, "A park bench would be nice." And, then I wondered if hookers ever think that. Maybe I'm a lazy hooker?
I also met three people who were visiting within the group of us that didn't drink. (Now I'll sound like a good school teacher...) Not that you have to drink to have fun, but fuck. It must have been pretty annoying to be around us drunk folk. Plus, isn't that part of Mardi Gras?? Oh well...more for me!
Had some great meals, too. One of the best kielbasas from a vendor (yes, Robin...I also love street meat!) Fantastic sushi from a place called Wasabi. And a kick ass shrimp Po-boy from the Gumbo Shop. The crawfish ettouffe was excellent as well. On Tuesday, had my beignet, cafe au lait at Café du Monde and headed to the airport. My vacation was over.

Purchases-->A really cool mask-this is the one I bought- from the Artist's Market. Their is a link to the one I bought last year, too..but they seem to have listed another mask under it. I'll have to email them and let them know. I bought a few other cute things too from there. House stuff.

All in all it was a great trip. It's such a neat city in the sense that it reminds me of a southern NYC. There are all kinds of people, tons of things to do, but it's warm and really laid back.

Once I get my pictures back, I will try to set up a link to view them.

Good Morning.....I'mmm Heeere!

I'm back. What could be a better end to my vacation? The fact that we had a two-hour delay today. I love winter.

More details on Mardi Gras later....

And I'm Leavin', On A Jet Plane...

...don't know when I'll be back again. Unfortunately, I will be back next Wednesday.

Off to Mardi Gras...tune in later!

I wasn't going to blog it, but I think the world (or at least my friends) should know what small minded people are out there.

Okay...so I wasn't going to blog this, but maybe I will feel a small justice. I went on my first date in about 3 years. I was excited, nervous, unsure...the whole thing. However, I was ready to jump back in the saddle. After what happened, I didn't even want to say that I participated. I called my sister on the way home and spilled the story. After that I proceeded to call anyone who would answer and of course email the rest. I met this guy on Match.com and (wrongly) assumed that he was normal...well at least not a dickhead. Below I copied the email that I've been copying to friends. It's poorly written -but you'll get the gist of it. I also think that I will blog something immediately afterwards so that this blog and the experience will disappear.


we met at panera.

I paid for my own coffee and he drank nothing...even though I offered to buy.

eh...not too impressed, but i WAS willing to see him again until he said this....

we saw this two women walk out with fur coats on. he made a comment that he thought they looked goofy. i told him i actually liked fur coats and that my mother had just bought one off of ebay this week. i said that she bought a raccoon fur coat. (weird, but she did) he replies wiht this.
"so what did they do? have some black guy trap all the coons and skin 'em?"
i replied (fucking open jawed and stunned) "um...no. i was thinking more of a roadkill coat."

WHAT? are you kidding? i'm still in awe of what a racist remark that was....AND of course when he said it, there was some black guy standing behind him (in full view of me) -(murphy's law) i was so fucking mortified. i couldn't even look at him after that. on the phone the other night he made some comment about black people then, but i dismissed it as me not understanding him...he asked if i had a lot of black kids in my school. i told him yeah. he alluded to them being the "bad" kids in my room. i told him that my white kids were just as bad. he then said, "there weren't any black people in my highschool. we never had any trouble. it was fine like that."

he's also a name dropper. "i had a fake rolex...it was pretty damn good, too. you couldn't hardly tell the difference between that one and my real one." "god. i pay so much for rent. like a $1000/month. Do you know what kind of car i could drive for that much money?"

at least i went. like i said, i wasn't that impressed with him to begin with, but the "black guy skinning the coons" comment pretty much put the icing on the cake. i WAS thinking i could possibly be friends with him...let's just say i hope he fades away. i will most definitely not be bringing him to any of our social functions.

next, please!!

Ugh. I can't even believe I met someone like this. Now, I may have lived in an Amish town for 7 years with one stoplight that blinked after 6, but Jesus...I did get a little cultured! You probably think this guy is your typical white trash. No. He is educated, half Asian and from the "dirty South" (thanks Danni!) Not that all racists have to be WASPs but you'd think that he'd have some class. What's scary is a comment made by my friend, Danni. "Most people are on their best behavior on the first date." -->If that was first date behavior...shit, I'd hate to see if he was comfortable. And one from, Angie..."I swear. This is what it is like below the Mason-Dixson Line." Thank God I jumped off the Duke train to Pitt this year for March Madness..heheh.

Whatever...it's over.

Maybe a Bear Isn't So Scary Afterall...

Sp Doug emailed me what he thought about my dream...

The bear is upcoming dates -- you are afraid [rightly so -- it's tough to get back on the horse] of starting to date again. Neville is there because he's a comfort for you. The goat with the nice fur represents your family and collective comforts of Uniontown [that's why you were walking Neville from your house]. Neville also represents your subconcious -- the part of you telling yourself you need to get out there and date.
Why else did the dream start w/you in your last ex's apt with him and his current girlfriend -- time to move get out there and date.

It happened. I actually talked to a guy from Match.com. He emailed first so I responed etc... He gave me his phone number, but since I've adopted the "no calling" rule in my life I did email him a lame excuse of why I didn't call, but gave him my phone number. We talked and he seems pretty fun. And...he actually asked to meet up sometime soon. Shit. It's been so long since someone has said that (um...let's say almost 3 years...wait. Longer than that considering I asked ex#4 first!) I felt like Cindy Brady on the quiz show and Marcia was yelling, "Baton Rouge! Baton Rouge!" I finally sputtered up enough to say, "Sure."

I figure this. Even if I don't get a date out of it, I think I've conquered some fears and milestones in jumping back into the dating arena. I'm petting the goat...and the bear is looking right at me.

Strange Dreams....

So for those of you who know me, lived with me (even if we were seperated by "The Heavies" house) or had me wake up next to you....you know the first words out of my mouth. "So I had the most fucked up dream..." I've always had strange dreams. Very vivid. Even details such as smell and temperature. "So I had the most fucked up dream..."

I had this dream last night that I was at my ex's (#4) house and I knew he was dating someone else. We were broken up for a long time, but I was irritated at the fact that he wouldn't tell me . (This probably goes back to the fact that he always lied.) Anyway, I grabbed this dried rose that was in a vase, crushed it and told him I knew he was dating someone and he should just fess up. He then told me I was psycho and why would I even care. I told him I didn't, I was simply proving a point.
I then proceeded to go outside to walk my dog. However, there was a bear outside so I was afraid to go for he would eat me and the dog. I eventually went and right as the dog stopped to pee, a goat appeared. I looked at the goat -as it was standing up like a person, wearing a pink and blue striped sweater and looking a lot like Paige Davis from Trading Spaces- and started to pet it. As I did, I then saw that it WAS a person with a furry type coating on them similar to the fuzzy stuff on the inside of a glove compartment of a car. So I pet her (Paige) on the arm and thought, "Awe. How cute? A goat person." I then woke up.

Strange thing...when I was really walking the dog this morning, I saw HUGE paw prints in the snow and thought, "Did I dream about the bear or was it for real?"

I have nothing more interesting to blog about, so I thought I'd share that with you. Any thoughts?

Nothing.

Damn cold here. Everyone else got a ton of snow except for us. I kind of wish we would have. The only thing I got today was food poisoning and I think bronchitis again. I felt sick this morning but dismissed it to an excessive amount of hot totties. Not the case being that when I arrived at school, one by one the teachers I work with were feeling the same. We all watched the game together and ate the same things....gross. And, the cold I've been fighting off is starting to turn exactly the same as before. I've got a plane to catch in 10 days. No way I can get sick now. Well...enough of my health. I'm sure you're all so interested.

On another note, the time is coming again where I will send out 30-50 applications to the Pittsburgh area school districts. Keep your fingers crossed. I cannot end up in Uniontown again this year or I might just go crazy. Everyone keep your ears open as well. I'll take any help I can get....just get me outta here.

Good night.

Movies and Rotten Tooth Man

I love the movies. I especially like going to the theater. The past two boyfriends I had never wanted to go to the movies (as I longed for it.) Yesterday I went to see In Good Company with my friend and her husband. (Thanks for the ticket!!) It was cute. I like Topher Grace. I always wonder with his name...was he always "Topher" or do all of his middle school pals know him as "Chris?" Whatever. It's catchy and he's cute. I was planning on going to see The Aviator today, but with the ice and snow...I doubt I'll leave the house. Couch day. Hopefully there are some good movies on or I'll throw in season 6 of SATC. YUM...Leo...those lips. Oops. Daydreaming again.

Decided to go out last night in anticipation of the weather. Had a good time. However, some guy was hitting on me. First of all he asked me to dance...in a bar. Um, buddy. I don't dance in bars. Especially when there is no dance floor and it's right in front of the bar...or I'm in N.O. and I don't give a fuck. Second of all--> he smiles. ROTTEN TOOTH. Like falling out of his mouth. GROSS!! However quite appropriately I read this article today. Do you think he just got back from Italy? So if any of you guys are out there looking for a girl like me, brusha, brusha, brusha...(anyone get the reference?)

Couch calls.

Ode to Chickenfoot

So Doug describes the story of "Chickenfoot" quite well. For all of you Westminnie people...

Ode to Chickenfoot.

Chickenfoot, chickenfoot you were just an urban legend,
until you created the heaven,
of winning beer bowling-their team 3, our team 7.

You've carried the lob - the bounce - and the toss,
our fingers don't have to cross,
we win again...their loss.

We're older now, but to you we owe our luck,
everyday so our lives don't suck,
and no more need for "What the Fuck?"

Chickenfoot, chickenfoot you're not just a folk tale,
but a firm voodoo never fail,
and to you, again, we all hail.

-molly


PS. Thanks Smitty. Without you...the Jets would be on the road Jacksonville.

Everyone Chickenfoot this weekend!!

Audition: Who Am I?

Ha. You probably thought this was going to be about online dating, right? Wrong. Did anyone see American Idol last night? The girl at the end...was she not totally wacked out??? I'm mean totally schizo!! I don't know if she truly had multiple personalities only because I don't think she would freely admit to hearing voices in her head (thanks Sugar Ray for asking!!!) but, there was definitely something totally fucked up about her. Crazy. I also love the totally disillusioned people who really truly think they can sing. Definite hoot.

Wee Will-He Winkle?

I've joined the world of online dating. Yes, folks I'm part of the new generation of dating. I'm still not sure of it as yet. I've just finished checking mymatch.com section and I've received 17 "winks." I will admit that when I first put my profile on I was worried that I would receive no response from anyone. Now I'm kind of skeeved out because of the "winks" I am getting. It's only been 2 days my profile has been on. Is it because it's so passive the way that people "approach" you on this dating enterprise? Trust me, I've NEVER been approached in a bar or other entertainment outings this way. I have only responded to one of them as a "no, thanks" (um, 44 year-old man in FL...ick) because I'm not sure I want to go through with this thing yet. I will be responding to 2 more of them as "no thanks" as one is a 67-year old man in Cairo and another 26-year old man in London. Thanks guys, but my days of a mail-order bride are over. That was so 1999.

So I guess I'm taking suggestions on how to approach this online dating experience. It almost feels invading to me. Do men wink more at women? How many people do they potentially wink at in a night? Week? etc... I also have a few that did not put a picture on. I'm a little weirded out about that thinking--what are they trying to hide? I think if you're going to go to the trouble of putting a profile on, why not a picture? It's all so overwhelming, too. Meanwhile, I've been bitching about not going on a date for 3 years and when it's in my face, I freeze. Am I really the commitment phobe that the online quizzes say I am? Shit, Molly. You only have to "wink" at them...not have their babies!!

Sidenote...
Thank God it's snowing. In the words of my friend, Katie, "I was starting to think I was missing a season." I do love all the seasons which is one reason I enjoy this area of the US. I walked Neville this evening and the snow was so beautiful. It almost looked like a Disney movie the way it sparkled. Pretty. Tomorrow is off for MLK day. Do you think we could squeeze in a 2-hour delay on Tuesday?? Yeah, I know. Pathetic.

What Peanuts Character Are You?

So I just took this quiz (as I always do online) from a link from a comment on Dan's blog. Anyway...I love quizzes and this one was cute.
What Peanuts character are you?


You are Woodstock!

Which Peanuts Character are You?
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Time Lapse

Yesterday I left school and decided to head to the 4:10 movie. It was a stretch being that I get out at 3:45 and needed to go home, change clothes, let the dog out and go to the bathroom (being that I NEVER have time to pee during school.) Fortunately the dog had already been let out, so I made it to the movie in time. I saw Finding Neverland. Oh. It was really good. It was just what I needed after the day that I had. I think I'm going to make it a weekly or bi-monthly jaunt. And, I successfully completed a movie by myself. I think I've blogged my past solo-movie experiences, but long-short of it--> they've been disasters. Anyway...I went into the movie and it was light and I came out and it was dark. You could have told me it was 2:30AM and I probably would have believed you. It almost felt like a wharp. It serioulsy was one of the biggest stress relievers I've had in a while. So much that I actually went to the gym that night to walk/run on the treadmill. *I never go to the gym at night because I'm usually so irritated from school that all I want to do is come home, put my PJ's on and talk to no one. I definitely think I will be indulging in the movie deal more often.

I also went shopping tonight. I know I have a ton of purses, but I just had to buy 2 more. I bought the cutest suede, hot pink clutch/wristlet. It's a little bigger than a wristlet, but has the strap like it. Bath and Body Works--$4. I also bought a silver, metalic metal mesh purse at N&Co. --$2.99. You can't beat it!! I also bought some cute sweaters for $9 and $11 and also some really cute pins. I'm restocking my wardrobe for New Orleans.

*********
Bizarre. I'm half-watching something on ABC about Michael Jackson...I suppose they are really "finding Neverland." (I know, terrible. F) God, he's so strange.

How Much Baggage Do You Carry?

First week back and I've survived. Truthfully...it's all down hill from here. 100 days left and Mardi Gras is less than a month. Can't wait. I just bought the cutest pair of shoes, too!

Took it easy this weekend and stayed in. There's something to say for that. While I love being around people more than anything, I do enjoy some time alone. This was not always the way it was with me. In the past 2 1/2 years that I have moved home to Uniontown, I've learned a lot of things. Now I don't usually hash things out about ex's on my blog, but after reading Dan's for the past 6-8 months, I think it's time you got to know more about me and the baggage I bring. (Don't worry, I travel light these days.)

I think I've always been a person searching for the "perfect love" or "perfect relationship." Girls tend to be raised that way, but I think maybe I have been a little more focused than most. I've had some wonderful relationships in my life (and some bad.) Well, they all have been good and bad in mix. I do try to look back and take one thing from each one that I have learned.

Things I've learned...

EX#1. Intelligence is one's (and your own) most attractive quality.
EX#2. Never lose sight of your goals.
EX#3. Trust in someone...even if it makes you scared.
EX#4. Never lose sight of yourself.

These are probably the most significant men in my life. Though I have had more relationships and encounters than 4, these men made the cut. Sorry guys. Some of you just weren't that impacting. I should probably use names, but if I want to say something nasty, I wouldn't want to ruin they're dating lives, right? haha.

Anyway...EX#1. Ah, one of my favorites. Cute and smart. Ambitious. I was young. Maybe if we would have met down and been more mature things would have worked out. Maybe not. In any sense the most attractive thing about him was that he was so smart. He challenged me in my thoughts even at the young age of 14, 15 etc... We kept in contact for a while-almost the next 7-8 years. I even dumped EX#2 due to an out of blue phone call from him. Love of my life?? Maybe.

EX#2 Nice, funny. Unfortunately, on a completely different path than me. We grew apart. Or rather, I think I grew up faster. I had moved to college and saw the world (literally on a choir trip) and he didn't. Good stopping point in my life, but I would have been totally stuck if I would have stuck. Oh yeah....he cheated on me, too. (A prior and latter recurring theme in my relationships.)

EX#3 Love of my life?? At this point, yes. Literally swept off my feet. So kind, gentle and extremely sexy. We had fun. We loved each other. I still don't know really what happened. He taught me to trust in someone though. That's important...especially for the cheatee woman. I didn't have to really even try in this relationship. It just was. Was fun. Was real. At the end things went sour from what I believe due to some unresolved family issues on his part (though I never got a reason.) Now, he swore he didn't cheat on me, but I have my theories. Even still, for some reason he still taught me how to trust. Weird.

EX#4 Love of my life? Never. Hmmm... Still bitter about this one. Maybe because I lost the person that I was. Maybe because he never really knew the person that I was. Not because I wasn't open, but I think because he never really wanted to know. Classic afterschool special (except the fact that I wasn't in highschool.) He was very superficial and image conscious. Not only about himself but about who was around him. I still remember the remark of "You have a good education from a great college. I don't understand why you just don't use it." Um, Dickhead. I'm not waiting tables and working 2 other jobs because it's fun. But, hear things like that and others enough and you start to believe it. Now, he wasn't text book abusive like "you're stupid, ugly, fat..." but, the digs were there. Never being introduced to childhood friends with whom he still kept in contact with, disapproving looks and snide comments. I think I knew we shouldn't have been together but the whole I-should-be-in-a-relationship-because-I'm-getting-older thing came into play. Meanwhile he was everything against what I had learned from EX's 1, 2, 3. Not intelligent. He passed college and all, but there is a level of intelligence. (If you're one reading this blog, I know you know what I mean.) inadvertently I had changed my mind set of what I wanted to do in order to "fit" into his life." And, three...most important. I didn't trust him. I don't even think from the beginning. I know I wasn't completely out of fault in this relationship. I did some screaming, throwing of things and (a few hits....oops.) However, if someone backs you into a corner you almost always comeout swinging. It wasn't as bad as it sounds, trust me. I did break a few things, but have someone treat you like shit for 2 1/2 years. See how you react. A few things that really pissed me off in the end was that after we had broken up he continued to call me to "see if I was okay." Um, okay buddy. Leave me alone. It literally took me saying that for him to do so. Not until one more phone call, however. One more thing. While we were doing the breaking up thing (for many months) someone had keyed his car the night I happened to be standing outside his window because he wouldn't answer the phone. He blamed me. What really pisses me off is, I swear, I didn't do it! Then 4-5 months after we broke up he called me and accused me of paging him and leaving "666" as a message. Okay. I might have been crazy at times, but come on! Don't you think I would have left something more creative like 9009 (upside down on a calculator it looks like boob.) Now, that I would have been funny. And...I didn't even know the fucking pager number! --->Ah, but I will bury the hatchet as I said I would in my resolutions. Well, for the most part. My revenge still lays on his lack of intelligence. I may be fatter than I want to or not have the job I want, but I can change that. He'll always be adequate.

So, looking forward to the new year and new relationships, I will hold high on these lessons learned from EX's 1-4 and the others before and in between.

There is the open world of me. I suppose I'm fulfilling many resolutions as I'm letting more of myself show in my writing, burying hatchets and writing more-quantity and quality. I'll let you be the judge of quality.

Oh, the RAIN

I'm so sick of this rain. Hello??? It's January! It's supposed to be snowing. Not to mention the fact that with it beating down on my roof, I certainly don't want to get out of bed.
Niether does Neville. I literally have to drag him out to go to the bathroom. Off to get ready for school. Late, late, late!

Christmas Again?!?!?

Can it be Christmas again? My valiant effort of getting ready for the work day and early morning pool exercise after the long (well deserved) Christmas break was foiled by a sleepless night. I didn't end up falling asleep until after 3:30 AM. At 4:45 my alarm went off I rolled over and reset the alarm for an hour later. I still wanted to get to school by 6:30 to do the plans I so lazily neglected. Pool would have to come after school. Just then a sound that for a non-teacher is quite disturbing in the morning: the phone. For a teacher, this sound is music to our ears in the early morning. What dost thou hear next? 2 hour delay. (Due to a water main break downtown.) Could it be Christmas again? I phoned another teacher to leave a message. Rolling back over, I of course couldn't fall asleep due to the excitement of going in 2 hours late. Even though...I was horribly exhausted from my restless night. And here I am now. An hour later...school is cancelled. I know it's just prolonging the agony, but I just wasn't ready to go back yet. Anxiety of Mondays? I don't know. However, the day is welcomed right now. Not sure what I'll do today, but I will begin my New Year's resolutions and make it productive. Though for right now at 7:51 AM, I will have my coffee and watch a little Today Show. Happy Christmas!!

The New Year...New Me?

New Year's Eve was a success. A few of us went to the Walnut Grill and ended up at a friend's for the evening. Good night.

So it's 2005. What will it entail? Here are some New Year's resolutions. I always make them and at least try to attempt to keep one or two of them. Some are introspective, some are just housekeeping...ah, literally.

1. Develop a healthy lifestyle. I did start 2 1/2 years ago by quitting smoking, but I need to do it all around. I'm heading back to the pool tomorrow morning. 5:00 AM...YIKES!

2. Have my clothes picked out, bag and lunch packed before I go to bed. Hopefully this will keep me more organized as well.

3. Get involved with a charity. I have a few in mind, but need to settle into one.

4. Read at least one book per month. Dan, I will be sending Me Talk Pretty One Day back this week. I'm terrible. You'll also have a cute little gift with it as well.

5. Blog or journal at least every other day. I know you're just dying to hear what I have to say!!

6. Be willing to let myself show through my writing. I think this is why I have so many ideas started, but nothing finished.

7. Settle differences from the past. I don't think I'll seek anyone out to bury the hatchet, but I will let resentments go by the wayside.

8. Join online dating. Yes...I've become part of the crowd. Who knows??

9. Tell my family members and friends I love them and how important they are to me in my life. I think we all know how we feel, but I know it's really good to hear it sometimes.

10. Move. I'm tired of this shithole I've been living in. Sorry to those U'town folks, but I gotta blow this popsicle stand.

As far as healthy lifestyle, back to SouthBeach tomorrow. And, no alchohol 'til Mardis Gras. Well, at least nothing for 2 weeks and no beer 'til then. Dan...you betta git yo ass there!! Count down is 1 month, 1 day.

Happy Birthday, Emily!!

I really should have some pictures on here. Anyone know how??

Off to bed. Being that I have 5 hours until I'm supposed to get up, I should hit the sack. I did pack my lunch and have the coffee pot ready, but I still don't know what I'm going to wear. Shit. I'm already off to a bad start.

Christmas Day Part 1

So far so good. Christmas seems to get better every year. For the first time in my life I was able to afford to give my parents a nice gift. My sister and I pitched and gave them money to take a trip to Toronto for a long weekend ...and included a case of Labatt Blue and a really pretty ornament with the skyline of Toronto. I got a kickass coffee pot from my sister that grinds for each pot. A Brighton breast cancer awareness bracelet and the Until There's a Cure bracelet from my mom (am I the walking charity??) and an iriver from my dad which totally rocks. (Similar to iPod, but it can hold pictures, files yada, yada, yada ...and no extra software to install with it.) Off to my grandparents. I will update more later.

Who's having the best Christmas ever?? Me.

Christmas Break Is Here!!

Hooray! Christmas Break is here!! Not a minute too soon either. It's actually amazing how fast the school year goes. Today was day 76. Only 104 to go. Being that we test pretty much the middle of March through April there aren't that many more good instruction days left. I'm making a New Year's resolution to not stick to my manuals and to not be the ordinary teacher. I let go of my manuals the last two weeks and got so much more accomplished. I had hard time giving my kids the benefit of the doubt that they could learn in other ways. I guess I felt that because their behavior was so bad...that they needed more work. Not the truth. I got so much more out of them by having them write one paper. (Yes, 4th grade CAN do this.) I also had a lot less stress trying to cover every page. And, I'm actually covering more material. Anyway...I'm glad to have this break to look back to see what I've accomplished and also to relax.

I am in the Christmas spirit because it was snowing and cold (the other day) and today we also sang Christmas carols. We teachers did the motions to the Twelve Days of Christmas. So funny. Even the men (or boys) got into it. I think it's nice when the kids see teachers being crazier than they are. In any sense, we had a good time. I even brought Neville to school today. By the looks of him now, he had a good time. I know though he's glad to be home, too. They broke into his daytime nap.

Well, now off to my union party and to celebrate and let loose. I'm sure there will be much more consitent blogging now that I'm out of WallyWorld.

Deep Creek

Went to Deep Creek, MD this past weekend. Our condo, Caddyshack was absolutely beautiful. It was really nice to get away and to be with friends. Because there had been no snow (except for the blast we got Sunday) a few of us girls opted for the spa treatment instead of the ski treatment. I chose to indulge and schedule a facial and a hot stone massage. The facial was okay...I've had better. The hot stone was just what I needed. I serioulsy started drooling and at that point I was laying on my back. At the end the only concern I had was whether or not I was going to be able to actually get up and get dressed. I had almost wished I would have scheduled this women to come to the condo so I could have just rolled over and gone back to bed. I'm definitely going to have to indulge again.
The rest of the weekend was filled with some partying and game playing: wine, food (lots of it...ugh!) poker, trivia, euchre and scrabble ->in which I so nobly fell asleep during. The wine just hit me too hard.
In any sense it was a great weekend with great friends. I even ended up with a 2-hour delay on Monday. Perfect! I would love to tell you more about it, but I have been so freakin' busy I don't even know what to do first. However, I am in the Christmas spirit more so and I did buy a piney-Christmasy scented candle. (Thanks Robin!)

I'm So Lame

I wish I had time to blog, but I'm lame. I just can't seem to find the time. Yet, I'm not doing anything productive either. Busy at school, but also can't get motivated. I cannot wait for the lovely Christmas break that teachers get. Honestly, we totally need it. I'm fucking whooped.

Looking forward to the weekend. I'm heading to Deep Creek with some friends and I've even managed to schedule a massage and facial. I haven't had either in over 6 years, so I felt the need to splurge.

Anyone not in the Christmas mood? I just can't seem to get there this year. I also sympathize with Robin this year for New Years. I never usually dread New Years, but this year I am. I'm looking forward to being with friends but the whole anticipation of it....what to wear, where to go and who to go with (i.e. will I have a date?)

My Christmas cards are pissing me off, too. I've spent literally the past month trying to get a good picture of my dog. That fucker...I swear he knows exactly when to turn his head!

Well...if anyone has any Christmas mood elevators, let me know.

Color Personality Test

Here's a fun test. It's a color personality test. It tells you what colors you should use to decorate your home and there is a section where you can use your color palate to virtually decorate your room. Fun stuff...and if there is a test on the net, I will take it. Thanks to Robin for the test!
You set yourself high standards, driving yourself hard to achieve your goals but at the end of a hard day, you need to retreat to a place where you can reflect and re-energise. That place is always home. Your look is pale, modern and relaxing, a gentle setting in which you can rediscover your equilibrium. You love the simplicity of contemporary design but by adding luxurious textiles from curtains and cushions to bedding and throws you can soften the edges of your modern look to create a true haven of tranquility.

I know I've been pretty boring and lax on my blog, but I've been so busy!!

New Year's Resolution: More Blogging...and more writing in general.

Flu Attack of the Mac

Friday I got the flu. Gross. That's what I get though. Thursday in school I had a mini barf-o-rama. One student threw up, then another, then another. The initiator of the puking (started during lunch) is a chronic puker. I was tired of sending him home as I had done 3 times in the week prior. And, the other is a repeat offender of "I don't feel good. Can I call home?" Such drama for 4th grade boys. (I know this sounds cruel, but if you are a teacher you'll understand.) Anyway...I gave out the "You know what? I'm not going with this puking crap again. You're going to stick it out today. Get your book out." Now truthfully, I don't believe they were sick. However, the flu is fying around school -as always. Yes, at 4:30 AM I woke up with horrible stomach cramps and by 7:20 I was puking. Damn kharma!. I did go to school at 8:00 to get some things ready for a sub and was out the door by 8:50 to puke some more and literally sleep all day. I'm still recovering today. I seriously dont think I've had the flu since 5th grade. I certainly haven't thrown up since then....well at least a non-alcohol induced boot.
The good thing about being sick is that no one will bother to ask you to do things like clean or move and you also get to catch up on some random movies. I got to see LOTR: Return of the King again, Goodfellas for the first time (I know, pathetic) some other random shit and my second Macaulay Culkin movie of the week. Yes, of the week. Over Thanksgiving break -Deer Monday to be exact- I watched Saved and then today I watched Party Monster. Both pretty good. Saved was hysterical and Party Monster was pretty good as well. Could the Mac be back?
In any sense, I'm semi back to normal. I did manage to put the Christmas trees up today though I didn't decorate them. I was/am most concerned with saving my strength for brunch tomorrow at the Cheesecake Factory with the girls. Can't miss my gossip time!

Why Are You Still Single? Test: Tickle.com

So I'm bored and took another Tickle.com test. If you're single, take this one.

Molly, you're single because you don't want to commit

Once the blush of first love wears off with your partners, do you get a little antsy? You probably crave excitement in all realms of your life, and you need a relationship to keep you filled with possibilities. Let us guess: Someone has probably told you that you haven't quite grown up yet, that you're still holding out for the perfect "whatevers" (job, car, home, date) in your life to come a knockin'. Or perhaps you're just having a difficult time accepting that your comfortable little place in this world is always growing, always evolving — and that means you have to be willing to accept big life changes, too. Not that there's anything wrong with that. After all, you're probably a lot of fun to be around and may be the life of the party.
But when it comes to settling down, you leave without looking back twice. Now's the time to ask yourself: Why? What's holding you back? Maybe you don't want someone to get to know you fully? Perhaps by saying "yes" to someone, you're afraid you'll lose yourself, or the possibility of something better coming along. Just remember that the best relationships are those that never stop growing. That's something you can identify with, right? So keep that in mind next time you find someone you're really comfortable with. You never know, it may prove even more exciting once you really get to know each other, teensy flaws and all.

Are you kidding? Maybe I was onto something in a prior entry. I am ...

Poll For the Day-Part Deux

I like the "Poll for the Day" idea- especially since I had such a good response. Therefore I will try to continue the idea daily...well at least once or twice a week.

Poll for the Day!
Julia Roberts twins names "Hazel" and "Phinneas" Yay or Nay? What would you have named them?
(I'll post my answer in the comment section.)

*Side note. Where my links are posted are other blogs from friends of mine. Most of them too have links of other blogs. Take a chance and read some of their links. You might find something interesting. I would like to link some of the ones I read to my blog, but I feel like I would blog stalking or "blalking." (Did I just make up a new internet lingo term?? Oxford's Dictionary, here I come!!)

**Ken is no longer on Jeopardy. Once again we can wonder who will win.

No Jeopardy for You!

Can you believe it? Ken Jennings is done! The 2.5 million dollar man has been defeated. Unfortunately the surprise of it was ruined by my sister telling me...though really ruined initially by Howard Stern. I used to like listening to Howard but got really sick of the "show me your tits" "have you ever made out with a girl" "will you let Beetlejuice get you in the ass" skits. (tangent)
Anyway...I thought it was quite befitting for the first round of Jeopardy to be all Seinfeld references and the last category of clues with "Jerry, Elaine, Kramer and George." While I was initially impressed (and still slightly) with Ken's knowledge of pretty much everything on Earth -not so bad for a Mormon kid....he even got a few alcoholic drink clues at one point- I was glad to see him go. I'm all for the best person winning, but it would have sucked to go up against him. "Ah, shit. At least with the neurophysiology I had a chance. Not Ken!" Back to the Seinfeld reference...I believe this would have been a great character on the show. "J/E/K/G" would have wanted him gone. He probably could have been right up there with the Soup Nazi.

*So hard to go back to work...UGH!! 15 1/2 more school days until Christmas break. 129 more days left to the year. Monday I was actually thinking about what book I might read this summer and what time I would get up to fit in a walk and swim. Yeah, I'm focused.

Poll for the Day: Making the First Move: Man or Woman's Job?

What is your opinion on women making the first move? What would you want to say or what would you want to hear?

Comments are welcome and highly encouraged.

Thanksgiving Wrap-up

Well Thanksgiving is over and I'm ready for Christmas. Not ready to go back to work, though. I love the first day of deer season in Pennsylvania. NO SCHOOL!! It's lovely to have Thursday through Monday off. I did a lot partying on Wednesday on and saw a lot of old faces. It was nice actually. Also got almost all of my Christmas shopping done (while convienently picking up a few things for mom and dad to get me, too.)

Congratulations to my friends Renee and her husband Ryan. They are pregnant and due sometime in July. Amazing. I remember meeting Renee on the bus in 7th grade. She came from catholic school and my bus route had been changed. I can't believe she's going to be a mommy! Well, there couldn't be anyone more perfect. Congrats to you three: Renee, Ryan and Baby!

I need to play the lottery tonight. Beyond obvious reasons the other night I dreamt about going to buy tickets and the cashier screwed up my numbers and played different ones. I wrote them down as soon as I got up. I never play the lottery so maybe this will be my chance.

I am going to try to get the tree up today as well as wrap all my presents. This will be the Neville's (the dog) first Christmas. He likes to tear into things...here's hoping that he doesn't open all the presents.

*There will probably be many posts today.

The Vote Is In: I Choose Foe

Thanks to all of you for all of your wonderful and supporting comments (thru blogger and email.) However, I choose foe. I know that sounds crappy, but the night unfolded into days of me being pissed off and feeling resent. The long short of it was that my "foe" called the next day (after I called to check on her) and said she "was fine and thank you for helping her. But....she didn't have a problem with drugs anymore and because I was there, she didn't do them." Okay, I say to myself. Cry for help. Then I find as the day/night and next night trickle on she has proceeded to tell two of my friends "I guess Molly and I aren't friends anymore. She called AA on me and called me off of work for the next day."
Okay...now fuck off. Don't make a fool of me when you were the one (literally) begging for help. All I have to say is this. Fool me once, fuck you. Fool me twice, fuck me. So instead of fucking myself, I choose Foe. Cruel, but hey...she's a big girl. You want to talk big? Get yourself out of your own mess. I have bigger fish to fry.
I'm done now. I will no longer talk of this. I'm writing her off as of now. (Strangly enough I was at the same point around this time last year when I felt like writing people off. Damn, it still feels good!)

Friend of Foe

What do you do when your friend is drug addict? I have a friend right now that is admittedly addicted to cocaine. What do you do? Well up until 1 am tonight, I've tried intermittendtly to get her into a rehab or at least talk to someone at some point this evening. I've been crying since at least 11:00 pm and am tired of this. I don't want my friend to die. I don't think she'd overdose like a John Belushi. She's much too smart for that. However, I believe she'll die a slow death like one of a junkie on Whatever Avenue in Bethere City, USA. It's aweful. One, as many people around town have told me she was still into coke, I stupidly believed her. Though, I willingly accepted her apology and confession to try to stop tonight and get help. After 2 hours of battling with her, I'm done. I can't hack it any more. I left her an open phone book of addiction counselors and I will call her parents tomorrow. I don't care if she hates me. It's a duty I have to do.

From a number of things today and just recently, I've learned that I will always speak my mind. I once was asked in an interview, "How would you best describe yourself?" I responded with,

"What you see is what you get."

I will not falter from those words.

To be or not to be Catholic...That is the ante.

Saturday night I went to a Cash Bash. For those of you not familiar, a cash bash is a "fundraiser" of a sort. Tickets are sold kind of like a lottery. You have a 3-digit number on the bottom. The ticket was $20 which included my chance to win $500 on each hour, $300 on each 10 minute and $4000 at the end of the night. (7pm-11pm) It also included a buffet of usual Hunky wedding food and all the beer you can drink. Where do you ask this gala of events is held? Right in the basement of Saint Mary's Church. Amidst the sea of blue hair and canes, I found one of the 3 groups of young people. While you're sitting, eating and drinking duos of elderly women and men come around selling tickets and before I knew it I'm shouting, "Dolores! I'll take two more of the Mary Pop Open tickets!" I played a Keno type game where an 80-year old was viciously running the table and taking my money. (So that's where my social security is going!!)
What amazes me most is that this is held in the basement of a Catholic church to raise money for the church. Hmm. Now correct me if I'm wrong, according to Catholicism you are not supposed to use birth control, abort fetuses (or should it be feti?) or divorce among another number of sinful acts. However, if you would like to gamble, perform glutton-like eating and drink beer, just make sure the profits go to the church. Here are some other ways for what church going people call "sinners" to get by with doing their "sinful" acts.

1. If you would like to have an abortion because you were unlawfully impregnated or whatever reason you choose to, please make sure that you tip your local parish 10% of the cost of the procedure. *If you are a physician, please donate 15% of the cost of the procedure.
2. If you need to get a divorce, hire one of the nuns to be a stenographer and Father Fred to be your lawyer. If it is a custody battle, pay a couple of the altar boys to be stand ins so your children don't have to witness any unnecessary banter.
3. If you "choose" (great choice of word, eh?) to be gay promise that you will not come to church and "embarrass" the Catholic community, however, you will donate a healthy portion of you paycheck to buying the priests the porn they need to quit doing the unmentionables that have been going on with you-know-who. (See 2. for that one.)
4. If you would like to get married, but you are not a man and woman, agree to donate a portion of the bridal dance funds to fans for the pews and tissues next to the holy water.
4. If there are any other "sins" that you would like to commit that the Catholic church would not approve of, sign a waiver that commits you to literally PAY for your sins. Ex: $10 for taking communion even though you didn't confess ALL of you sins in the booth.

Although I thought the whole thing was really Hippocratic on the fact that this was sponsored by and held in a church, it was pretty fun. Though, I didn't win shit.

Idiot

I'm now one of the people I make fun of. After school I ran to the bank to cash a check. There I am filling out my deposit slip, on the phone etc..."picture of a bad driver," right? Down the road the phone rings. It's my mother. She says, "You have the tube." I said, "What?" She repeats. I repeat (even more confused.) She then says...through laughs, "YOU HAVE THE TUBE FROM THE BANK. They called." Yep, there it was on the passenger seat of my car.

I'm an idiot.

Productive High

I was so productive today. Being that I can't get my ass to gym after school, I decided to bite the bullet and head out in the morning. Today I got up at 4:45, packed my clothes for this morning and got to the Y by roughly 5:15. By 6:45 I swam 1500 yards, showered, dressed stopped for coffee and signed in at school. I even beat the principal there. It was so nice though. No one is there...no disturbances or reasons for me to put off my work. I've finished lessons for half way through the week after Thanksgiving, made my copies up to next week and even corrected some papers. Shit...I even made my bed this morning and had lunch ready as well. I had much more energy and didn't feel as emotionally drained after school. I've said before. I love the pool for the main reason that it forces me to shut up for a period of time and relax. Even though I'm swimming hard, it's definitely relaxing. I'm assuming it's similar to that "runner's high" that people get (and I still have never experienced.) I also went to look at a car today. No deal. I really was all set to buy it. Basically an upgrade from my Passat. However, there were some things wrong with it and personally, I think mine rides smoother. I'll just continue to drive my baby for a few more years. It's in pretty good shape. I guess I'm just itching for a change of scenery in something. A move perhaps? Please!!! Calgon, take me away! So, instead of buying a new(er) car, I opted for a better deal of $10 Nike gym bag and $31 Bandelino black boots from Value City. God, I love that place. I got that "bargain high" that I definitely know about. Now off to bed. Being that I have been so productive, maybe I'll be able to make a big dent in one of the 4 books I'm trying to finish. Goodnight!

*Side note....at Value City tonight they had a huge clearout from some of the drug stores. Some good deals on professional hair products: Crew, Matrix, etc. Anyway, while looking through the hair products I see some deep conditioning kits. As I look closer I thought, "no that can't say...oh my god it does!" The deep conditioning kit was "Placenta." Um, totally gross. I seriously thought it was a Saturday Night Live skit.

Not SoLoner Movie

I went to see Bridget Jones this weekend. So good. And, I ventured by myself. Now my sister prefers the movies alone. Me...ehhh?? I had made a rule that I wouldn't go to the movies by myself anymore, but lately I've been breaking a lot of my standard rules. I made this prior rule because of the first two experiences.
1st: Went to see Divine Secrets of the YaYa Sisterhood. UGH!! Total disaster. I had just moved to Richmond (still in pissed off mood because I was emotionally forced to move) and being it was a friendship movie...yeah. Going alone - not the most uplifting thing.
2nd: In between interviews last year I thought, well I'll go to the movies. So, I hit the cheapies and saw Identity. Okay...not a great movie, but totally jumpy. ANDDDDD...I was by myself. Well almost totally. There was one other person in the theater. By the end I had come up with my own movie about the other person in the theater killing me, stuffing me in the 3rd row (because no one sits in the 3rd row) and no one finding me until hours or even days later. I wouldn't be able to call anyone because I'm one of the few people who actually read the "please turn your cell phone off" warnings and would have bled to death while trying to turn on my phone.
At this point I had written off solo movies. With all the girls being too busy to go and a good feeling none of the boys would go see this chick flick with me, I ventured down to the Waterfront to catch the film I've been so eagerly waiting for. It was sooo packed in there (except for the third row.) So I sat between a couple of girls and another solo flyer and enjoyed my movie. I didn't feel so alone however because the girl next to me kept talking out to the movie. Normally this would bother me, but she pretty much was just verbalizing the thoughts in my head. If I would have been there with a friend, this probably would have driven me nuts. However, it was kind of amusing. There actually were a lot of solo flyers that day in the theater as I left. I guess really I wasn't alone in going alone.
Lesson learned: I will continue to see movies alone...however, no scary movies. I still have nightmares about that afternoon.

Briget Jones Quiz

In honor of Bridget Jones, The Edge of Reason opening tomorrow, I took the "What's your Briddget Jones Moment?" quiz on www.Tickle.com.
And the results are...

Molly, your Bridget Jones moment is Putting Your Foot in Your Mouth

Your mouth is moving but your brain is begging you to put a sock in it. Sound familiar? When the guy you admire approaches, does it seem like you always fumble for something witty to say, and succeed in blurting out a dorky or offensive remark instead? This is your specialty.The good news is, your heart-felt apologies, desperate back-peddling, and prolonged blushing reveal your inherent charm. Your heart is certainly in the right place, and your earnest nature makes you completely lovable. Until next time, at least.

No Hoodies in the Champagne Room

I don't know why I'm still up at 11:30, but I am. Another day of parent/teacher conferences and I finally got back in the pool after the sick bout. I only swam 1500 yards, but I was happy that I did it in 30 minutes. Anyway...some older man started BS-ing with me about "how long did it take you to get in shape to do that?" Um....13 years and correction....I'm not in shape according to the time I did it in. So, I gave him some pointers on technique and went about my way right before he started to ask something else. Hey buddy. I'm here to blow off some steam and think. It's the only time where I can't talk and no one can talk to me. This is my time. I love that time, too. It's very relaxing to be able to be completely secluded by an element. Strange, but true.
Tonight I met my long-time friend Stephanie for a drink to catch up and shoot the shit. We had a good time. I plan on introducing her to my favorite cheap wine tomorrow and continue our conversation. No school on Veteran's Day so I can relax tomorrow night.

One other thing...
Today in school an announcement was made over our loud speaker by the principal. "Attention Junior High students. There will be no more wearing of coats in the classroom. Coats must be stored in your lockers during the day, not worn during classes. You may still wear hoodies. Hoodies will be allowed during classes."

All that came to mind was that the next announcement might be "THERE IS NO SEX IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM. SURE, THERE'S CHAMPAGNE IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM, BUT YOU DON'T WANT CHAMPAGNE, YOU WANT SEX, AND THERE'S NO SEX IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM. NO MATTER WHAT THE STRIPPER SAYS, THERE'S NO SEX IN THE CHAMPAGNE ROOM."

I at least thought it was funny.

And...shout out to Dan for listing me in his blog title. I'll have to think of something sultry for you.

Good Times

So I fixed the whole viewing the blog thing...and I just looked down at my dog who is sleeping next to the computer desk. He's been into tearing apart his toys lately. I just looked down and he's sleeping amongst the stuffing of a little, puffy dog's head. I guess the weekend was just too much for him.

I had a great weekend. I took my first sick day ever on Friday. I did take a 1/2 sick day last year for a routine doctor's appointment, but this one was truly a sick day. Good thing, too. I headed to the doctor on Friday. Diagnosis: Bronchitis. While waiting for my Rx I wandered around Wal-Mart and noticed two of the laziest and most ridiculous things.
1. Pre-made PB&J sandwiches in the freezer section. Are you kidding? The whole point of PB&J is that it's easy and cheap. Now it's just easy(....hmmmm...that's rings a bell for some reason?)
2. "Meatball Magic" This is a contraption straight from an informercial that is basically a platic container divided into small square sections that you turn upside down and press on top of a pile of ground meat. If you are serioulsy that stupid that you can't divide meatballs into equal sections, you have a problem. Meatball Magic for me would be one that would make and bake itself without being blown off of Ol' Smokey by a sneeze.
*I also noticed that the average age in Wal-Mart around 10 am is about 72. Still busy...does that place ever stop?
Well, the sick day was well spent on the couch. I zonked for a little while and caught up on talk shows and Days of Our Lives. I've been watching that show for about 20 years and Marlena has died once again. I think I'm going to start taping and watching. I really miss that crap and...I can't afford TEVO, DVR or the Soap Channel. I was kind of bored though without anyone to talk to all day. Sick isn't it? Unfortunately, now that I have to go back to work tomorrow, I don't feel like talking to anyone.
Saturday I ended up in New Castle for friends' birthdays. We had dinner and went bowling and Karaoking. I haven't been bowling in a really long time...it was pretty fun. I think that bowling should be brought back as the new in thing to do. One...it's really cheap. Two...it's an easy way to get a large group of people to interact. At bars it's too hard to be able to talk to everyone. And, you can drink there...except for me this weekend due to antibiotics. Yes, I gave it a trial run on Friday when I wasn't going anywhere. 3 glasses of wine and I woke up and the house looked like a hurricane went through it.
Now it's Sunday and I'm dreading the work I have to attend tomorrow. Though, it's pretty home free at this point until after Christmas. Two 1/2 days this week for conferences (in which I'm secretly hoping no one shows up) and no school on Veteran's Day. Then the holiday shuffle of days and activities.
I guess this is enough rambling....I try to make these interesting, but because I lost a day of interaction with people you'll have to hear my happenings.

Hungry Blogger

So annoying. I've written 2 blogs that the blogger has eaten and I can't view Dan's blog unless I go to his profile and read the posts from there...any ideas?

I Couldn't Have Said It Better Myself...So I Didn't

With all the hooplah with the election (upset) I was really irritated with "America voted on its moral values..." Well, I wasn't sure exactly how to express my feelings. Apparently, I didn't have to....my friend Jen said it best.

Call Me! Celebrity Hearings

Can you believe it? In the past few days I have received calls from former Mayor Guliani, Barbara Bush and Lynn Swann!! Amazing that these celebrities have so much time to call little 'ol me. Boy, this is really going to sway my vote.
And, yes...I'm leaving to vote now.

Voter Anxiety

Okay....so I'm voting for the 3rd time in my life. I know...pathetic at the age of 28, but I am voting. However, voting in the primaries is now giving me voter anxiety. Not the canidates, not the choice, but the actual physical part of voting. During the primaries I signed in at my old elementary school and one of the old ladies led me to the voter booth fixing the side thingy as per my registry. I was registered Republican (though have since changed since my license photo in July.) During that time in May I did not want to vote Republican so I did that. Well, as I went to pull the lever to get out of the booth (yes they are that old of booths,) I realized I was stuck. My feet were probably seen floating off the ground as I tried desperately to get the curtain open. I started to sweat and quickly started checking all the buttons, directions....there even was an extra lever in there that did something. Long short of it, I pressed a few more buttons and got out. Later that week I went to dinner with a friend and told her the story. She (being an educated voter and voting machine expert unlike myself) let me know that there is no way I should have been able to vote Democrat and informed me that my votes were pretty much null and void and the machine must have been junk. The only thing I was informed on was that yes in fact, the machines were junk. They were the ones that were there when I went to elementary school 20 years ago. My anxiety now leads me to this. They have closed my elementary school and moved my voter place. UGH! Hello?? I've just mastered the first one....now a change. So, here I go again to vote. Sick enough that I almost hope the voting machines have been moved there to have some familiarity.

Hellofa Halloween

Though I was (am) fighting off a crap-ass cold, Halloween was a great time this weekend. The party was at a friend Ryan's cabin near me. (Hooray!! I finally had a party less than an hour away!!!!) The boys from Dormont and Katie made it down. We had a great time. We ate, drank, sat, ate, drank, played games, ate and drank and ate and drank. UGH! I was stuffed and mighty drunk. Ryan's girlfriend, Amy brought pumpkins we carved and I got to see Ben and his new fiance. Ryan's friends from the bird place he works for at times came in as well. We even had a mini costume party. I saw a lot-lizard, Morpheous, a sheik and his wife, a cop, farm girl, biker, etc...and everyone got to see my costume. I went as myself...7 years prior. So, basically I wore my sorority sweatshirt and got shit-faced. (I thought it was pretty original.) However, instead of falling down like I used to, I passed out on the hood of my car trying to get rid of the spins. No, I wasn't going to drive anywhere. I went to get my sleeping bag and felt like I was going to hurl. The logical thing to do?? Plant feet firmly on the ground, bend forward and keep left cheek on the cool hood of the car. I will say typical me.
In any sense, I ate too much, drank too much and made some new friends equaling a good party.
Halloween Day I used the couch as my friend and watched the football game. Good game even though I still don't understands the rules.