Strikes, spares and gutter balls

Yesterday we got a big part of the family together to go bowling. The ages of our "team" ranged from about 7 to 64, and our group average score was about a 70. And wouldn't you know it, the pro bowling scouts were in attendance! Naturally, they had their eye on me, but I didn't want to show off around my family so I PURPOSELY shot two low games (I'm just considerate that way!). While I didn't get signed for the tour and flooded with endorsement opportunities, the pro bowling group did offer to buy us dinner in exchange for the hours of footage they got for their "bowling's funniest moments" show. Glad we could help!

Bowling is so much fun (despite the morning-after left hip pain), but I couldn't help but think about certain aspects of the game that are a bit troubling. First, unless you bring your own shoes, you are wearing shoes that countless other strangers have worn (seriously, when else would you EVER do that? You know that two seconds of spray across the top of the shoe isn't doing anything). Second, not only have you put your feet in grave danger, your hands are not far behind. Do they ever clean the bowling balls? YUCK! Now, I am not a big germaphobe, but maybe a dispenser of antibacterial foam wouldn't be a bad addition to the ball return gizmo... am I right? By the time I got done there, I felt like running through a haz mat shower! Third, the "strike and spare" dance. Come on people, it's not a bad 70's disco movie, let's keep the jive for the dance floor .... LOL (looking back, I SURE hope I didn't do that!).

It was a great time, one of the best times I have had in ages, and a good way to prepare to send off 2008. On that note, have a great New Year celebration, and be safe.... have fun! See you next year,

Cindy

I'M BACK!!

Hello everyone. Glad to be back blogging. First, I was sick for three days then we had an ice storm that more than put a damper on things. But the good news.. Christmas is over! Don't brand me a Scrooge, but it is just go, go, go, go.... I'm glad to catch my breath for a second!! Never mind that no one told my kids' coaches that it was the holiday season.... one or the other of them has a tourney/meet every weekend through the holidays. Oh, well! Keeps me out of trouble (and gives me more freedom to deserve a hot chocolate from Dunkin' Donuts). 

How was your Christmas? Great, here. I got some really cool papercrafting toys that I am having fun playing with. If your Christmas was anything like mine, you probably have a few good stories. Here's one of mine. I was opening presents with the kids, at my mom's house. I pick up one of mine, from her, to open, and she says, "You have to share that." Huh? OK, so I am pretty sure at this point it's not deodorant or a toothbrush (gross, right?). I open it, and it's a new paperback book. It looked like a good one, and one I had heard of. Now, I did NOT know how the story ended. My mom proceeds to say, "It's supposed to be a really good book but kind of sad since she dies at the end." WHAT???????????? OH NO YOU DIDN'T!!!!!!!! I said, "I didn't know that!" Then my daughter, sitting on the sofa playing a new Nintendo DS game (thus, totally zombified), says, "What? She dies?" Then my son chimes in, "Who dies?" So before you know it, the ending is ruined for three of us. My mom says, "I thought everyone knew that!" Oh, brother..... is nothing sacred? Aren't revelations of book endings one of those things you never get anywhere near unless you are absolutely sure the person knows? Heck, I spent the better part of a month with cotton in my ears, avoiding the Internet and the TV news so the ending of the most-recent Harry Potter book would not be revealed. Unlike some of my friends, I did not have the luxury of a billion uninterrupted hours to dedicate strictly to reading (forsaking all toilet, food and family demands) the thousand-page masterpiece. It took me a month to finish. At least now (with the unnamed book... I don't want to spoil it for y'all) there is no suspense. In fact if I feel gutsy, I might even DARE someone to spoil the ending! There I go again, living dangerously! 

I'm off to get things ready for the meet tomorrow. Enjoy your gifts, and  check the expiration date on that eggnog!

Cindy

Strangers and Suspicions

On Tuesday I was coming out of our small-town pharmacy. I had a cartload of  items, most of which included diapers and wipes (please, don't go getting any ideas... those baby days are LONG since over!) to donate to my son's high school National Honor Society which is collecting items for a local women's shelter. As I was struggling through the slush with the cart (they still use paper bags ONLY there... I could have managed plastic bags without a cart.... this is not Mayberry, people.... get with the times!), a stranger, about my age, walked by and said, "Merry Christmas." PANIC! PANIC! Who are you? Do I know you? Why are you talking to me? Why is it so important to you that I have a merry Christmas? Am I on Candid Camera? She totally threw me off! I even went so far as to look around me, full circle, assuring myself that she must be sending that wish to someone she knew. Seriously, I was all out of sorts for about 60 seconds! How sad is that???? I was thinking that's the kind of world we live in, where we are suspicious of random kindness, but I don't think that's probably the case.... I think it's the world I live in!!!! 

I think I see things kind of like a smart fish would (is there such a thing as a smart fish???)... "That worm sure would be nice to have, but it's out of place dangling here in the middle of the lake, so I better proceed with caution!" That's me.... the holiday wish was nice, but it stuck out like a sore thumb to me. I need to work on relaxing, huh??

What's even weirder, is that you know she said it and just went on with her day. Here I am, 24 hours-plus later, not only thinking about it, but BLOGGING about it! What the heck is wrong with me? I guess I'll just have to show her... I WILL have a merry Christmas (unless one of my presents involves something I have to housebreak!!), just to be a good citizen and be worthy of her good wishes. 

Don't forget to stop by my blog tomorrow for a great heartwarming Christmas story (yeah, right) of sugar cookies and thievery! Ahhh.... I'm such a tease! :)

Cindy

The NOT TO DO List

Finally! A "to do" list I can relate to. While killing some time between volleyball matches Sunday, I came across a story on making a "not to do" list! YES!!! I think it was in a Martha Stewart publication. Now, don't get me started on ol' Martha. She is a genius when it comes to making money and has some cool products at our favorite craft stores. BUT, let's NOT forget she is a former jailbird (can you just picture her cell??), so we can't quite saint her yet. But anyone willing to publish the advantages of putting together a "not to do list" is all right in my book. Since I read it, I have been obsessing with the entries in my "not to do list." Here are a few of my ideas:

1.) NOT to overexert myself during my fitness routine (easy one .... since I don't have a fitness routine)

2.) NOT to get pulled over for speeding (there are four cops for every resident of my town, so speeding is not really a good idea to begin with)

3.) NOT to drink 44 oz. of Diet Coke each day, like clockwork (but please excuse me if I do... it's my only vice! I don't want to turn to become a Red Bull junkie after all)

4.) NOT to let my monthly 30 percent off monthly Archiver's coupon go to waste (I've heard you can go to jail for this)

5.) NOT to allow any more pets in this house (dog, parakeet, hamster.... I am NEVER alone!)

6.) NOT to paint a room in this house EVER again (why? just ask my back, my neck and my left shin.... what's up with the shin? I don't know. It's been hurting ever since I painted Brooke's room so I've written it off as a mystery painting injury)

7.) NOT to make more money than I can spend (LOL... now that's hilarious!!!!! This could never happen. I just put it in there for fun.)

8.) NOT to overuse my stove (have you seen all the restaurants and food places that are going out of business? I am going to do my part to keep them from closing!)

9.) NOT to let 2009 go by without getting a car with heated seats (my butt deserves the best)

AND.... the obvious...

10.) NOT to make any more "to do" lists (you knew this one was coming, didn't you? If you didn't YOU SHOULD HAVE!)

So, there you have it. I'm kicking off a new tradition... the "not to do" list phase of my life. Dont' ya love it?

Cindy

ALMOST Done With My Cards!

As a papercrafter, I feel obliged to make my own holiday cards. Heck, I have to find a way to justify the stacks of money I spend on the holiday supplies, right? And I have GOOD NEWS to report... I am ALMOST done with my cards ... and so early, too .... THIRTEEN DAYS TO SPARE! I could not be happier! (I have NO idea whatsoever where my son got his procrastinating tendencies from!)

Last week I was looking for something to get me motivated to finish the job and came up with the perfect idea -- go buy a bunch of Christmas stamps. My thinking was that if I spend money on stamps earmarked for Christmas cards, then I will have to make the cards (seriously, I feel REALLY weird putting Christmas stamps on anything other than Christmas mail!). If I am being honest (and I always am here on Momma Gets Real), it didn't work. The stamps sat on my kitchen table along with two stacks of bizarre things I am saving for no apparent reason (example: two paper hats from the Hershey store.... what am I EVER going to need those for? OK, sure I thought I could wear one for Halloween, but what am I really dressing up as, with a paper Hershey hat on my head?) But you know how that goes .... if I get rid of them, the next day I will find a need for it.... the VERY NEXT DAY. Not a fate I feel like tempting right now....

This weekend I will address them and get them ready to go Monday (with all my free time, between a weekend volleyball tourney, birthday party and gymnastics holiday party). 

And for those of you out there who do not make your own cards, please note.... IT IS NOT CHEAPER TO MAKE THEM YOURSELF. If you are a papercrafter and send out homemade cards, you know that statement is truer than true. In fact, it can make you sick when you are at Walgreens and see super-cute cards for $4.99 for a box of 30, when the stamp alone cost you about $8... and that doesn't include the paper, the adhesive, the envelopes, etc. Then again, you don't papercraft for the money.... it's all about the therapy... I'm my own shrink! :)

Time to get on outta here.... have a great weekend. Get those cards in the mail! 

Cindy

Shorter and Fatter

I've come to accept the fact that over the last few years I have gained weight. I am not happy about it of course, but I can't ignore it. What is really putting my undies in a twist is that apparently, at age 41, I have gotten shorter! I have always measured it at 5 ft. 9.5 inches. My paranoia over being tall began at age 16 when my friend JoAnne and I had gone to her beach club and met a couple of guys, one of whom remarked that I was the "tallest girl he had ever met." Sure, he was not very worldly at that point and likely went on to meet taller girls, but it was forever burned in my head at that point. While my mom shopped in the petite department, I was tall, and belonged nowhere near the land of the tiny. I hadn't seen myself as tall, but like many other things in my life, I accepted it and moved on... not even sure if it was a good thing or bad thing at that point (and I'm still not sure). Anyway, things have changed! I am now 5 ft. 8.5 inches tall. I've lost an inch, along with my identity! 

Let me explain. There is a (very evil) machine at my new workout place (at a local hospital, a perk of volunteering). It looks like a robot and when you step on it, it will tell you all kinds of information about your body -- height, weight, body fat and BMI. I know there are some freaks out there who could step off that machine totally happy with their numbers, but for the rest of us, there should be a Prozac dispenser affixed to drop out a couple of "happy pills" along with the bad news. And you know what the worst part is? It has the NERVE to give you a RECEIPT with all of that information on there! What, I'm going to start a scrapbook? Who invents these things?????

Funny thing... my first urge after getting the info about my fitness (or should I say fatness) was not to spend two hours sweating it off, but to go right down the hall to the cafeteria and drown my sorrows in french fries and hot chocolate (if you're thinking, 'THAT'S gross, I would never eat that together,' that simply means you haven't tried it). I thought it over, weighed the options (no pun intended... LOL), and grudgingly hit the butt shrinker (not sure what it's really called, probably something like the glute minimzer.... that just sounds SO impersonal!). For one day, at least, good triumphs over evil in my life. 

Maybe one day I'll even go back. This time I'll stay away from the Fatness Robot! :)

Cindy

Knowing When to Keep Your Mouth Shut

Holy cow! Looks like the fine governor of Illinois has gotten himself in a heap of trouble. He's being investigated for all kinds of fairly serious things, and what might just do him in is that he didn't know when to keep his mouth shut. If you don't know the news story, the long and short of it is that he is being accused of making some big (and illegal) demands and was taped (repeatedly) doing so. (Editor's Note: the word ALLEGEDLY is key to me discussing this. As a journalist that word becomes your best friend!)

Of all the details of this situation, the one that strikes me the hardest is not so much what he did, but how he got caught -- his own words, ON TAPE! As governor, or ANY position of interest, I would just assume that my phone was tapped at all times. I would assume that someone is watching me 24/7!!!! By nature, people are nosy (yes, I'm talking about you, too). Add to that a person who lives in the public eye, and it's a bazillion times worse. This is exactly why I never kept a diary as a kid. Not sure why an 8-year-old's diary is of interest (things like Patty was being a big poopy-head today and I hate, hate, hate, hate, hate, hate her to infinity) to parents and siblings, but that nosy nature we are all born with just can't always be kept in check. You see it at Christmas.... stickers, tags, etc., that say, "No Peeking!" That is because we want to peek! We can't help it! And if you see a present with your name on it, and it says NO PEEKING... and you weren't thinking of peeking.... now your every waking moment revolves around ripping that paper off and having a good old peek! It's OK. It's normal. You can't help it. But you should at least feel BAD about it (come on, have a conscience!).

So know when to zip it or you could be splashed all over the news -- or at least the block! :)

Stay warm and enjoy your day!

Cindy

Don't Hate Me Because I'm Lucky (hate me for other reasons!)

LOL, so true. I mean, how can you hate me before you even know me? At least give me the chance to earn it! Yesterday was my LUCKY day. At my daughter's gymnastics meet I won not one but TWO (count them TWO) awesome gift baskets! The one was a Clinique basket filled with $250 in  Clinique products. In my estimation, $250 at least!!!!! Then I won another one that was for general pampering/bath products. You can see the Clinique one here. But oh, the HATERS! You know the dirty looks... looks that say, "How dare you win two, you selfish tart!" (Yeah, tart is an odd word choice, but I just felt like using it in a way other than being associated with Sweet or Pop). But come on. For one, look at me! I need the beauty products, so consider it a beauty bailout. Two, do you know how many times I have NOT won and walked out empty handed from an event? It's somewhere in the neighborhood of 1,253,849 (but that's just a rough estimate, of course). Three, it's not so much that I was a BIG winner, focus on the real issue here, you were a LOSER (LOL.... sort of). I mean, it's about perspective, right?

On another note, I have never felt that I should ever spend the bucks that the Clinique lifestyle requires. This is a great time for me to see what I've been missing. Let me tell you, cleaning and properly moisturizing is VERY time consuming!! I now have a new respect for the beautiful and well-makeup-ed people in this world. And twice a day? Are you kidding me? My typical nighttime beauty regimen consists of.... uh..... well..... just going to bed, I guess. Now it's soap and clarifier and lotion. And the lotion looks like something I should be eating! Don't worry, I (probably) won't. 

Anyway, the lesson is this..... don't hate me for being lucky .... get to know me first! :)

Enjoy your week!

Cindy

She's Watching!!!!

Hello again. I have to behave myself here now. My Aunt Judy just signed on as a follower! Hi Aunt Judy! She is apparently the only smart one on my mom's side of the family.... she had the common sense to move to Arizona a few years back. Meanwhile, the rest of us sit here and FREEZE. Seriously, I have not stopped complaining of how cold it is, yet I refuse to wear socks. Gloves, yes. Scarf, yes. Socks, no. What's wrong with this picture? The dumbest part of all is that I had my Cubs Crocs on to shovel snow. No socks. My feet were freezing so I came INSIDE and put socks on. I know, I know... what a rebel!

On another note, tomorrow my daughter has her second gymnastics meet of the season. Her coach calls the night before to check on them and reminds them to go to bed early. So what, you ask, is she doing RIGHT NOW to prepare? Carb loading? Stretching? Neatly laying out her leo and warmup (OK, not a chance on that one... that was my wishful thinking)? Nope, nope and nope. She is watching gymnastics bloopers you YouTube. WHY???? Girls are knocking their heads on the beam, falling flat on their faces, flipping off mats, etc. This can't be good, right? Shouldn't she be watching Olympic masterpieces? Geez. What is the draw of watching total failure? I know, it is kind of fun, but it's probably not the best meet preparation. What do I know? I get dizzy on a carousel. And coordination? You've seen bobble head dolls, right? I'm like a BOBBLE BODY. Just flippin' and floppin' with no sense of direction. Apparently coordination skips a generation. wait, my mom isn't coordinated either. Make that TWO generations. OR... is it a defective gene? Yeah, that's it. 

All right. My feet are cold. Where did I put those socks? Gotta go. Happy Sunday!

Cindy

Where is My Dryer Guy? (and Blog Candy winner!)

My dryer quit heating on Monday. It's Friday morning and here I sit and wait for the dryer guy. Usually you get a time frame on this kind of thing (you know, the ol' "between 9 a.m. and 1 p.m."), but I didn't even get that. I got the "you'll be our first appointment." It's 9:34 a.m. How late do these guys sleep? 

Because I have caught myself in some pretty ridiculous situations (having a computer guy come out when the power strip wasn't turned on), I once again turned to Google and Googled, "My dryer won't heat--can I fix this myself and not have to call in a repairman which will probably be so expensive that it will require me to request a federal bailout?" All right, I exaggerate a slight bit, but I did Google it. I found a GREAT site, one where the "common man" can explore his own home repair  issues. WHAT????? I don't have a degree from MIT! Repairs ANYONE can do? ANYONE????? Anyone but ME apparently. 

I'll just be glad to have the money pit fixed (I had to have the dryer's seal repaired two years ago, almost to the day). I am not enjoying lugging wet laundry to my mom's to dry, especially when her Internet is down more than half the time. What's a girl to do to pass time? Last time I did BORROW (fine ... steal) her pasta maker to flatten some clay and make my own buttons for cards, so it wasn't a total loss. The box actually said "pasta maker for clay." That confused me. Is it a pasta maker if it's for clay? Do any of you regularly put marinara on clay noodles? 

Anyway, I think too much. Nothing else to do, it's only 9 degrees outside. 

And... now for the big news... the winner of my first-ever blog candy was No. 5, Jan. So, Jan, Get me your address and I'll send you out a nice grab bag of Primas!

Have a great weekend (hopefully I'll be enjoying dry clothes!!!),

Cindy

Cold Feet (and Legs)--A Foolish Fashionista?

Brrrrr. First of all, let me say that I am so thankful this time of year that I have an attached garage. It's 11 degrees outside, on its way to a balmy 25. One weatherman told me to be thankful we are reaching the 20's, so here's a big shout-out to Mother Nature.... THANK YOU SO MUCH! **yeah, right**

As I was taking my son to school, I passed the corner where the kids wait for the high school bus. I did a double take (or was it triple take???) at a sight that just froze me in my tracks. One of the teen girls was standing there, waiting for the bus, in a short jeans miniskirt and nothing on her legs. Just in reflex I turned up the heat in my car, as chills shot quickly up and down both of MY legs. I was thinking, "How could her mother let her leave the house like that?" Then I realized who her mother was, and her mother doesn't "do" 7 a.m., or 8 a.m. or 9 a.m. (you get the picture, right?), so she could walk out wearing pretty much anything (and she has). Mind you, the bus stop is about 4 blocks from her house, and the bus is often late. 

So that brings me to my thought for the day .... has the desire to be fashionable overtaken our common sense??? I hate being cold. Period. End of story. I'd rather look like a mismatched chubby Eskimo waiting for the bus than a cool (literally), hip fashionista. Think about it.... you're waiting for a giant yellow bus. It's not a private jet to Miami! 

Wait, what's wrong with me? I am trying to understand the mind of a teenager!!!!!!!! I live with one and will be living with another in 549 days. As you may know, teen girls also wear sweatpants with words like "hottie" and "bootylicious" on their backsides. Now that, I would never do (though I would have enough room for a short story back there if I did!).

Time to go turn the heat up.... stay warm y'all!

Cindy

How Many Tumbles?

How many tumbles through the dryer does it take before you realize your dryer is broken? For the normal person, probably one. For me (not normal, apparently), about three. Again, that is embarrassing, but I just figured maybe I didn't press the button right or didn't have it set right or maybe the outside (cold) air was sneaking in (a stretch I realize). Finally I decided to stay down in the basement, let it get going good, be sure I had it all set right, and then check it after ten minutes. Yep, no heat. What's weird is EVERY December that I can remember in this house I've had an appliance go out. Last year it was the water heater. The year before it was the dryer with a different issue. Before that it was the fridge and before that the stove. What's that all about? Is my house feeling left out at the holidays and wanting a little TLC from a repairman? 

Naturally I had a load of clothes that needed to be dried so I went to my mom's house to do that. We got to talking about my son's Christmas wish list which amounts to about three things. Then it hit me.... how about getting him a DRYER for Christmas? Great, idea right? (Of course I think so!). My mom said, "Oh, he'd love that!" I told her that one day of wearing wet jeans in 20 degree weather, and he'd be more than happy to get a dryer for Christmas!!! 

Once I got beyond that idea, figuring when (or should I say if... I've got the drawings all done to turn his room into a crafter's paradise) he moves out, he'd take it with him anyway then I'd be dryerless, I knew I had to come up with a Plan B. A family friend had a good recommendation for a repairman. I made the call, now I wait for a call back. I'll admit it's kind of nice knowing I have a built-in excuse not to do laundry, and who wouldn't want that!? Then again, I will pay for it later when Mt. Dirty Clothes takes over the basement. 

I only hope there isn't a laundromat in my future! That I can do without! 

Have a great day (and don't forget to comment on the post below to have a shot at blog candy!),

Cindy

Always Thinking Ahead (and blog candy)

Most of my blog entries are generated by something that has happened during the course of my week. My mind is always working (some might say overthinking ... HOW DARE THEY!) and analyzing the people, places, things and thoughts that cross my mind throughout the day. As a journalist, I've been taught to dig... to get out the story and find different angles, so my brain questions pretty much everything! 

This past weekend I was with a group of friends. Somehow, the discussion turned to romance (or lack thereof) and love songs. Favorite love songs were discussed, and many of the usual suspects were mentioned. One of the guys surprised us all. He said the ULTIMATE love song is "Space Cowboy" by the Steve Miller Band. I have to admit, at first I had no idea what that song was. Someone started singing a few bars, and it hit me, then I said (out loud... VERY loud), "Are you serious?" The reply (with a kind of DUH tone) was, "Yeah." Are you kidding me? I mean, I was in total shock. If you're not familiar with the song, it's a very laid back song, about a guy that likes to chill.... a lot. Naturally, I was baited into a debate on the song, listening to the "pros" of why this is such a great love song (uh, let's just say this argument was VERY unconvincing). My position against it being a great romantic song was this... if it is possible that it could be considered a great love song, it would only be by a guy. He replied, "Why?" I said, it's simple. No woman finds the phrase, "I really love your peaches want to shake your tree" romantic. Am I right? In fact, if you use that phrase with someone  you don't know, you'll probably get slapped or kicked (either way it's likely to end painfully). But that led me to think.... am I wrong? Could I identify a good love song if it hit me in the face? That's where you come in. Leave me a comment on this post, with your favorite love song/romantic song and why you feel that way about the song. I will randomly pick one and you will receive a nice assortment of Prima flowers (I have a very extensive collection and will put together a nice grab bag of them for the winner). You can comment on this post through Thursday, and I will announce the winner on Friday.

I'm sure you are all dying to know what my favorite is.... ooooh ..... it's so difficult to choose just one. I think my all-time favorite is "Time in a Bottle" by Jim Croce. Love the lyrics..... 

And P.S. -- if you're wondering if the Space Cowboy mentioned above is single... yes ... he is. Not a surprise, right?! :)

Cindy

Icy, Stupid!

Well, well, well. What have we here? ICE, that's what! It's times like this when I really question the human mind. See, yesterday it rained lightly, then it snowed lightly. Then it did a mix late last night and during the night. So what do you expect the roads, sidewalks and driveways to be like? ICY!!!!!!! I don't get it at all (meaning, watching people, slip, fall, slide through stop signs and hit light poles).

My theory is this.... we have the Winter Storm Warnings, Tornado Watches, Wind Advisories and so on and so on. My thinking is that we should have an "ICY, STUPID" warning. The weatherman would go on the TV, tell us is rained and then it froze and that "It's icy, stupid." I mean, what more does he really need to say? You can take that information and be a smart driver or walker (hopefully not a bike rider, though) and be safe around the rest of us out there.... walk in the grass, walk carefully, brake early and drive slower... because it's ICY, STUPID! (I am going to ignore the fact that both of my OWN kids needed to be reminded... ahh, the ignorance of youth!)

Everyone out there today was acting totally caught off guard by the ice. Makes no sense to me at all, so yes, I am pretty wound up today about this. 

I haven't fell or even slipped, but I am about to walk the dog, and let's hope it stays that way. Yeah, only a DOG would want to go out for a walk in this. Too bad there's not a Dunkin' Donuts on the way... that hot chocolate would sure hit the spot. Heaven forbid I make my own (I mean, isn't that why we were given Dunkin' Donuts in the first place? It's the best hot chocolate in the world. You HAVE TO try it if you have never had it).

Anyway, I'm off. Tomorrow I will offer my first ever shot for anyone who comments to win BLOG CANDY, so be sure to stop by on Tuesday, too, to leave a comment about the topic. 

But, most of all, if you live in northern Illinois, or areas surrounding... it's ICY STUPID! :)

Cindy