Salteens, wet hair and a dirty stove

If I could impart any piece of advice to anyone, it wouldn't be about money or career or even cookies (although some are far superior than others). Nope, if I could say just one thing it would be this:

Don't wait a month to clean your stove-top.

I'm now waiting for some sort of spray scrubbing thing to do it's thing so I don't have to use a sponge for another 20 minutes. This is just part of what has been a glamorous Saturday so far.

I've been sitting with semi-wet hair because I was too lazy to blow-dry the whole thing, so I can ultimately use my hair straightener. I also gave myself a (much-needed) pedicure. Let's not forget eating cheese and crackers. Hold on to your hats kids the day may very well continue like this! Woot!

Actually, I have to perform a covert birthday-related operation later, since the Boy's big day is in exactly a week and I have yet to get him anything. Go me! I just don't want to be running around everywhere trying to find him things after work. I have an idea, but given we've given each other budgets this year it may be hard. If only the gift Gods could give me an idea that is both personal and under $50!

...

...

Oh, well I guess since they haven't, I'm on my own!

Now, back to the stove.

It's beginning to feel a lot like winter

Tonight is one of those nights where all you want to do is slap on some jogging pants, drink some hot chocolate and curl up on the couch. It's cold, wet and did I mention cold? The crisp chill of winter is in the air and I'm just not ready for it.

After tying up some loose ends for work, I trekked out in the ick weather to meet a friend for coffee. We had a great chat, but I couldn't help by think how this year went by so fast! Most of the people I know say the year has zipped right by and but it doesn't hit you until it hits you. Alright, that sounds a little nutso but it makes sense in my head. Logically, I know that it's almost November but it's as though the calendar just slapped me in the face.

Plus side: Christmas is coming! I'm almost unhealthily obsessed with the holiday. The lights, music and just warmth of the season just puts me in an uber-positive mood. The Boy even bought me my first Christmas ornament of the season. (Feel free to judge!)

I love him! He's so cute and makes me giggle.

Anyways, I hope that we get a third-wind of summer or at least an extension of fall-proper until mid-December. I refuse to bust out the winter jacket until then!

A little perspectlive from the 90s

One time in high school, after a friend got mad at me because her bestie asked me to be her lab partner instead of her, I was feeling a little down. We had a motivational speaker come to our school a few days later and it really made me feel better, along with everyone else who was required to see him in third period. So much so, that we all stuck around after his speech to thank him. Afterwards, a "friend" I confided in about the lab partner issue told me if I acted as fun and giggly as I did after that motivational speech, I would have no problems finding new friends or keeping old ones. In hindsight, that person wasn't really my friend and turned out to be mad at me because I wasn't HER lab partner (gotta love high school, right?) but it got me down again.

Fast-forward to now, way too many years removed from high school for things like this to matter. I was also recently given tips on how to make friends. Obviously, I now know that true friends don't do that. I also know that life is too short to even care about what other people think. I'm usually good about letting things roll off my back but sometimes it's just a little harder.

It's funny though, I randomly thought about this incident from back in the day, which made be think about the recent situation, not the other way around. I guess that shows that I didn't care as much as I thought I did. Definitely a good thing.

It's also awesome that this silliness has made me realize something in my old age (oh, yes, I'm getting there folks): It truly is about the quality of friends, not the quantity. And in an odd and twisted way, actually realizing it (not just thinking about it) kinda makes me want to shout out "THANK YOU!" to all that made me believe it this year - either through being amazing friends or, um, "other".

This isn't just a silver lining, folks, it's a gold pair of shoes!

A fresh start

I've had a lot of bad luck with blogs in the past. A case of near-stalking, a misunderstanding, meeting a sociopath and well, let's just say there have been enough situations to fill the pages of a novel one day. In hindsight, these will be either great stories or things I'll forget because either the players or situations were so insignificant but right now, even a few years removed, I continue to shake my head.

So I'm starting fresh here! This will be a place to talk about what I want without any of the past silliness (fingers crossed!). Plus it coincides with my new outlook on life - more positive! It's something I should have adopted a long time ago! I've always tried to be happy-go-lucky but I would let the bad stuff drag me down, internally anyways. 

Being thirty-ish is as good a time as any to make this kind of change! And heck, why not do little writing along the way! Let the good times roll....