December 22

Today's blog-a-thon post is to share a picture of wee me.

This is my brother and me.  Our neighbor Steve dressed up as Santa and I had no idea it was him.  I am getting excited to head back to that living room on Saturday to hang out with the family for New Years.

December 21

This hangs by the mirror in our bathroom.

December 20

My first

job was at the mall.

thing to the left is a can of RC Cola.

grade memory is that I met my friend Melia.

book I ever read 

thing I do in the morning is dread the thought of having to get ready.  Getting ready to leave the house is my least favorite thing ever.
 
food I knew I didn't like was hamburgers.
 
memory was sitting on the front steps with my brother.

December 19

10 things in my bag.

This is a strange prompt.

1. wallet  2. smokes (don't be judge-y)  3. lip stuff  4. book club notes  5. headphones  6. car keys             7. perfume  8. writing stuff  9. oatmeal  10. Advil

Join the Fun!

December 18

Today's blog-a-thon post is wishcasting.

Maybe instead of a New Year's resolution, I will have my New Year's wish.

I wish for balance in the new year.  That my mind can nurture calmness and focus, that my body is healthy and cared for, and that my soul finds an inspired purpose.

As you wish for yourself so I wish for you also.

 

 

December 17

Free association.  Today's blog-a-thon prompt is to share what the following words inspire in you.

River.  Canoeing down the St. Croix, falling into the Flambeau, tubing down the Apple and Cannon, fishing in the Yellowstone, Mississippi headwaters.  The smell of water.

Fresh.  A fresh and crunchy salad with fresh-baked bread.

Escape.  A Bobaloo and Jill misadventure.  Where to go?  Boston, New Orleans, Chicago, the Pacific Northwest, Yellowstone?

Moment.  Breathe in, breathe out.

Night.  Laying on a picnic table at the KOA listening to Kevin Kling and watching for meteors, the counting of satellites. 

Today, this picture inspires me.

December 16

Today's blog-a-thon prompt is to share your favorite songs.  This list could get lengthy.  Hmmm... let's just stick to 15 or so, in no spectacular order.

Silver & Gold: Neil Young

Climb to Safety: Widespread Panic

Crimson & Clover: Tommy James & the Shondells

Rockin' the Suburbs: Ben Folds

Light of a Clear Blue Morning: Dolly Parton

Walk on the Wild Side: Lou Reed

Roll on Babe: Vetiver

My Life: The Beatles

Home: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros

Hotel Song: Regina Spektor

Downtown: Petula Clark

Minnesota Moon: The Big Wu

Dead Sea: Lumineers

We're not the jet set: John Prine

Love Still Remains: Emmylou Harris

10 Rocks: Shelby Lynne

 

What are you listening to these days?

 

Join the bloggy fun!

December 15

Who do you  love?

Of course these two...

and very soon I get to see my two besties...

and the whole family...

a lot of love to go around, I tell ya.

PS. I finished the Christmas tree....

Join the Blog-a-Thon!

December 14

One Sentence Saturday.
Grab the third book in on your top shelf of books.
Share the first sentence.

"There was a hand in the darkness, and it held a knife."

Join the blog-a-thon!

December 13

Today's blog-a-thon prompt is to share a first.

I got my first job (besides babysitting) when I was 17 at the mall.  The store I got hired on at was Northern Reflections which I thought had totally disappeared by now but I guess it still exists up in Canada.  I made $8.00 an hour and told women that their sweaters were sleek and the boot-cut jeans really elongated their legs.

It is here where I note that my fashion sense (or lack of) has always been a lot more function than fashion and I have never been too particular about things matching.  I had no business telling other women what looked good on them.

This is what the store looked like:

When I wasn't doling out compliments and flattery, I was following the customers around right before closing time and refolding all of the sweaters.

I only worked there for six months before I moved on to becoming the smoothie girl at Mervyn's California, another mall staple that eventually met its demise.

What was your first job?

December 12

Join the Fun!

Ten Things I Know For Sure.

Tomorrow is another day, things always look better after some sleep.

My mom can beat me every time at a game of Foosball.

Actions speak louder than words especially when it comes to that love stuff.

A good life is knowing people who can make you laugh even on your worst day.

Music can save your mortal soul (says Don McLean, anyways).

Don't give others the power to dictate your mood or happiness.

The mountains are to the West.

Clubs are awesome.  Just as my Mix-Tape Monday club fizzled out, Books 'n' Booze began.

It's not a big deal unless you make it one.

Kiss the cook.

December 11

The blog-a-thon topic for the day is Weepy Wednesday. 

That's a tough one.  I am not a very weepy person.  If there are tears, I am very, very upset.  Like, the sky-is-falling upset.

I wrote this blog post over the summer about an episode of The Simpsons that gets the tears going.

Also, one of my favorite Roy songs is about this very topic:
 

December 10

Show & Tell

I started making my Christmas tree out of sticks and twine.  The finished project (and a better picture) will be soon to come.

blog-a-thon

December 9

Favorite Movies

 

Join the blog-a-thon fun!

December 8

Today's blog-a-thon prompt is to share where you blog.  Get ready for all of the fanciness...

December 7

One Sentence Saturday:

Today I listened to Elvis Presley sing "Blue Christmas" and gave the bartenders elf names.

Join the fun!

December 6

Looking back....

Today's prompt for the blog-a-thon is to share your first blog post.  So here it is...

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

Let's get ready to rum ball!

Get it? Rum ball = Rumble. Well, this seems as good of a way to start a blog as any. Merry Christmas.

On December 24, 2008 I was 25, newly married, and working as a receptionist.  I started out reading a couple of great blogs and was inspired to create my own.  

This blog was started to be a place to be weird and goofy but my brand of weird and goofy is best experienced in person so instead I started writing about the goings on in my life. 

It took a long time to find my "voice" here and I cringe reading some of my old posts.  Cringe.  But just like my brace-faced/home-permed/neon outfit middle school pictures, they still exist.  I refuse to delete, keeping them as evidence of growth.  Or something.

This blog and I have been through a lot together.

 

And to those who read, you have given me so very much.

I'll stop being such a sap now.  Anyhow, thanks for reading.

December 5

'Tis the season for lists, isn't it?  For this one, I'm going to keep it in the family.

1. I wear my Grandma J's wristwatch everyday for good luck.

2. My mom loved to sign me up for things when I was a kid.  I've taken dance lessons, figure skating lessons, trumpet lessons, quilting classes, soccer, etc.  I did not/do not have the coordination, patience, or social skills for any of these things.

3. Bobaloo is the only person (until now) who knows that deep down I hate sharing food.  This was expressed in a single sentence uttered by me at the bar, "I'm going to order nachos but you have to order something else because I'm not going to share."

4. I know that when it is eight at night here it is six in the morning in Iraq.  I used to work the late shift and passed a mountain that had a light up "M" on it at night.  My older brother was deployed and I would look at the "M" and think about how I was finishing my day and he was beginning the next.  (The "M" stood for Mines, I pretended it stood for Marines.)

5. One of my favorite winter memories is my Pops and Uncle Doug taking me to the ski jumping tournament in Eau Claire, Wisconsin.  The noise the skiers make when they jump is incredible.

6.  I learned the F-word when I was three on Easter.  I shouted it to my Grandma Cille and she started giggling so I kept yelling it around the house to all my relatives. 

7.  My family used to go to my Aunt Doreen's house on Christmas to go ice fishing.  I loved it and still think that it's my favorite cold weather activity.

8.  I used to watch my younger brother Kyle after school and every afternoon we'd eat a snack and watch Spongebob Squarepants.

9. My cousin Kira used to watch my brother and I in the summer when we were little.  When the neighbor girls and I would stage our basement production of Annie, she would always enthusiastically play Ms. Hannigan.

10. Bobaloo and I found our dog Nik at a shelter.  When we first met her she sat her ass right on Bobaloo's foot.  I giggled, knew she was the one and that we weren't leaving without her.

Join the Fun!

December 4

The Kickin' It Old Skool Blog-a-thon's topic of the day is...

Weather!

Five days ago, we had a day like this...

I gave Bobaloo a ride to work, so I woke up at 4 o'clock this morning to this...

Brrr....

I still took my afternoon walk...

and took a proper selfie...

 

and because he's funny...

"Weather tonight: dark. Turning partly light by morning." (George Carlin as Al Sleet, the Hippy Dippy Weatherman, 1966)

 

December 3

what is the first thing you think of? APPLES
closest red thing to you? A STRIPE ON MY SCARF
last thing that made you angry? LACK OF SLEEP
are you a fan of romance? NOPE (although bobaloo bought me some bling over the weekend.)
do you have a temper? NOPE

what is the first thing you think of? GREEN APPLES! (i must have apples on the brain. (how do you like them apples?)) 
closest green thing to you? POST-IT NOTES
what is your favorite green environment? MY PARENT'S BACKYARD
are you jealous of anyone right now? NO
are you a lucky person? THE LUCKIEST

what is the first thing you think of? GRAPES (i think i am hungry for breakfast, hence all of the fruit)
closest purple thing to you? MY JACKET
do you like being treated like royalty? NO
do you like mysterious things? NOT REALLY
are you intuitive? MY GUT SAYS YES

what is the first thing you think of? THE CATHEDRAL DOME IN DENVER
closest blue thing to you? INK PEN
are you good at calming people down? YES
what's your favorite body of water? THE CHIPPEWA FLOWAGE IN WISCONSIN
what was the last thing that made you cry? A NASTY DEPRESSION DAY (stupid brain)
are you a logical thinker? NO, NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT

what is the first thing you think of? THE SUNSHINE
closest yellow thing to you? MY SWEATER
what was one of the happiest times of your life? 2005
what's your favorite holiday? HALLOWEEN
what makes you happy? PEOPLE LAUGHING AND HAVING FUN TOGETHER 

what is the first thing you think of? FLOWERS
closest pink thing to you? MY WATER BOTTLE
what sweet things do you like? SKITTLES & LICORICE
are you sensitive? VERY
what is your favorite flower? I LIKE PLANTS
do you have a crush on someone? BOBALOO

what is the first thing you think of? ORANGES
closest orange thing to you? A CALENDAR
do you dress up for halloween? YUP
what gives you warm fuzzies? HANGING WITH MY PUP
what would your superpower be? DRINKING MILK WITH MY FINGER LIKE MORK

what is the first thing you think of? COFFEE
closest brown thing to you? MY DESK
what is your favorite type of chocolate? NOT A BIG FAN (twix, maybe?)
what makes you feel grounded? TAKING WALKS
paint the wood or always leave it au naturel? NO PREFERENCE 

what is the first thing you think of? SNOW
closest white thing to you? PAPER
do you always try to keep the peace? MOSTLY, EXCEPT FOR BOARD GAMES
do you like to play in the snow? YES
are you afraid of going to the doctor or dentist? SOMETIMES  

what is the first thing you think of? CATS
closest black thing to you? CELL PHONE
are you sophisticated or silly? SILLY, ALL THE WAY
do you have a lot of secrets? NOPE
what's the new black? WEARING WHAT'S COMFORTABLE

Join the fun!

December 2

Day 2 of the blog-a-thon is upon us and today's topic is Time Capsule.

Let's capture this moment in time.

What are you reading?

 

 What are you watching?

What are you listening to? 

"Classy Girls" by The Lumineers is my current jam.

What are you loving?

Game night with friends!

  What are you wearing?

Christmas socks that don't match.

What are you creating?

Bobaloo started on the Christmas tree.

What are you looking forward to?

 

Taking a week off to road-trip up to my old stomping grounds to celebrate the New Year with my whole fam damily.

What's been new with you?

December 1

Time to dust the cobwebs off this old thing, eh? 

I am linking up here for the kickin' it old skool blog-a-thon and today's prompt is selfie. I cheated and dated this one for yesterday.

Bobaloo took this so I don't think it technically counts as a selfie but it's the best one I had on my phone.  The photo was taken on Halloween.  Can you guess who I was?

I am happy to see November go.  Boy, that was a busy month.  A lot of fun was had but now I am ready to make some mac'n'cheese, watch Christmas movies, and get the house decorated.  Speaking of decorations here are some of the spooky ones that we put up for Halloween:

Terrific Lady Day (part deux)

Last Sunday the Bears weren't playing so I took the opportunity to find some cheapy matinee tickets.  This time we went to a different Fox Theatre in Aurora.

 

Bobaloo and I took in some culture and saw Avenue Q.  It's a musical.  There was puppet sex and a song about internet porn.  We're a classy bunch, I tell ya. 

 

 

The theatre was small and very cool.  The actor/puppeteers sounded great as did the band.  Here's a picture of the set...

 

 

We stopped and had a couple of cocktails before heading home.  And that is the conclusion of Terrific Lady Day (weekend).

Terrific Lady Day (part 1)

Bobaloo is a pretty good sport when it comes to doing the things I'm into.  These activities include cheesy tourist traps, going to see plays, checking out alpaca shows, and all sorts of other things that might not be up his alley.  Once in a while I plan an Ultimate Extreme Fun Day to the Max.  If you watch The League you may have heard it referred to as, Terrific Lady Day.  It's hard to explain but basically, we do a bunch of stuff I want to do.

Last week was rough (see yesterday's post) so on Friday I found $10 tickets to go see Jerry Joseph & Jackmormons up in Boulder at the Fox Theatre.  Just what I needed, a night on the town with my dude.

First, we had drinks at our old stomping grounds.  We used to hang at this bar all the time.

The show was awesome!  I have never been to the Fox before and really dug it.  A lot of great energy and some good butt-shakin' music.

 

 It was a good night.  A really, really good night.

 

A Glimpse of a Bad Day

Welcome back despair.  How have you been?  Same old, same old?  Good for you.

Me?  I’ve been content and awesome and satisfied with how hard I work to keep you at a distance.  And then you had the audacity to show up and fuck things up.  Pardon my French, but I think after all of the crap you put me through; you can have a few curse words slung your way.  So, fuck you.

Last week I felt the anxiety swelling up and making a heavy knot in my stomach.  A little later the sinking feeling of worthlessness crept in and my skin started to crawl.  And by the end of the day there were tears and I was the worst person in the universe and nobody loved me and I was a waste of space.  I felt claustrophobic in my own body and wanted to get out of it.  I wanted to be out of my skin.

The sky was falling.

I picked up an anti-anxiety prescription the next day and numbed out.  I took deep breaths and did my best to remember that the sinking feeling wouldn’t last forever and that I have people who love me very much.  And my body and my soul and my skin are blessings.  Blessings I have been charged to care for.

And just as quickly as it came, it was gone.

**Things are back to being hunky-dory**

The Finished Project

Back in September I started painting clothespins, and here is the finished project...

 

Sorry the pictures are a little weird, there isn't a whole lot of natural light in the kitchen. 

We live in a rental and all of the walls are painted white so I was trying to add color without putting a bunch of holes in the walls.

I ordered my favorite pictures from Snapfish, put up some of my postcard collection, Bobaloo hung up some twine, and there you have it!

No matter where I serve my guests, they seem to like my kitchen best.

Bobaloo is the cook in our family and this way he gets all of his people hanging out in his kitchen.

Goings On

It has been a busy couple of weeks, for sure.  I am wiped out because of the busyness and the change of seasons has me feeling a bit wonky too.  Pesky change.

We had a buddy of Bobaloo's staying with us for a few days and fun was had.  The fun included googly eyes, which gave birth to Sgt. Pepper...

My brother's visit went well.  I think he and his buddy had a good time.  It was kind of funny because anytime our parents texted us we were in the middle of a really wholesome activity like a game of Jenga or badminton.  Such good kids.

Bobaloo's folks came into town for our anniversary.  Bobaloo took them out and about during the day and then we relaxed and visited in the evening.  They took us out to Mimi's for an anniversary supper on Friday night.

The Halloween decorations are just about all up and I have made my list of stuff to do this fall and winter.

 

I finished a really great book, a good read if you enjoy learning about indigenous cultures or shamanism.

I have been going to see therapist dude every two weeks.  It seems to help.  I am prescription-free these days but have been taking daily vitamins and GABA here and there.  I missed my appointment last week because of visitors and car stuff and it was a reminder that I really need to be going every two weeks to help manage.  It's nice to be able to chat about all of the things I was anxious about since the last appointment and what potential stresses I have in the upcoming week that I might need some help with.  Good stuff.

So there we have it.  The goings on.

Do you have big plans for fall or winter?

October 4

October 4 is a big day.  8 years ago today Bobaloo and I woke up early in the morning and left Minnesota.  He drove the U-Haul and I followed behind in my car.  You can make it to Colorado in about 14 hours.  We decided to drive until we were tired and if we needed to take 2 days to make the trip so be it.

We reached a city in Nebraska called Ogallala and stopped to fill up the tanks.  At the gas station Bobaloo asked me if I wanted to stop for the night or keep going.  I told him I wanted to keep going.  And we did.

And that was as good as an I do.  We were in this together.  And we still are.

5 years ago today we woke up early in the morning, put on our Sunday best, and got hitched on a beautiful fall day in a canyon by a creek.

Did you know I met him at a Halloween party?  I did.

I even have a picture of that lucky night.

Get ready for the awesomeness...

Wow.

He told me his favorite Neil Young song was Sugar Mountain and we found out that we both didn't like Dave Matthews Band and he obviously made me laugh (see above).  I think that was all I needed to know about him.

All you Need is Lovie

I used to hate football.  I mean, seriously hate it.

When we moved to Boulder, every Sunday morning during football season Bobaloo would go to the local bar to watch the 11:00 Bears game.  I would usually go with and drink vodka-lemonades and do the crossword puzzle just to get out of the apartment.  I had no interest in the game whatsoever.

And then Lovie Smith happened.  I love Lovie.  All you need is Lovie.  And gradually I started paying attention to the game, and then cheering, and then becoming a full-blown fan.

Nobody in Colorado is from Colorado.  We met a lot of Illinoisans that season.  That season was also particularly exciting because they made it to the Superbowl.

One of the folks we met was Grant.  Grant could tell if his entire week was going to be good or bad based on whether or not the Bears won.  Pretty intense, huh?  I don't know where Grant is these days but I worry for his blood pressure every football season.

During one particularly close game there was a bad play or a bad call, some kind of play that didn't bode well for the Bears.  And I will never forget Grant jumping out of his chair and animatedly yelling, "Jesus Christ!"

And then he sat back down, shook his head and muttered, "Sorry Jesus. Wait, no I'm not.  We all know Jesus is a Bears fan."