It's me, evil twin Traycina.

I just switched this blog magically from one gmail account to another. Phew! I've been wondering how I could manage that without changing my blog address. Success achieved.

Now, being that my blog corresponds with my most used gmail account, it'll be easier for me to post more frequently!

Aren't you luckyyyy....

Stop the bus, I'm getting off!

Bus = Fairview.

I'm done! Wow!! I've been working there full time for over seven years. It's a bit unfathomable that I won't be doing the daily grind anymore. I won't be seeing the same faces, or doing my open enrollment, or coordinating the Holiday Giving Program (one of my favorite parts), or getting my benefits, or carpooling in the mornings with my hubby....

It's the end of an era.

And I'm going to sleep in tomorrow like I've never slept in before. Ahhhh.

Psych.

Here's an interesting article....

Someone posted it on the Nest and it sparked a bit of conversation today, from the legality of abortion to our own stance on the issue to our thoughts on addiction.

Here's my opinion... FYI, it's copied and pasted from the discussion. It's a lazy way to get a blog post out. :-)

This woman is nuts. Fucking nuts. And this situation bothers me a great deal.

While I don't consider it "murder" in the legal sense, it gives me a similar pit-of-the-stomach feeling when I hear of women abandoning their new born babies or murdering their children. So obviously this is my emotional response to the subject.

The thing that really bothers me is the fact that she is entertaining this odd control fantasy and almost "playing God" by conceiving and then killing a life. And she's doing it in a strange revenge sort of way that makes it even more concerning.

I think she needs SERIOUS psychological help. I'd consider her behavior to be beyond addiction and quite sociopathic. She has an unhealthy obsession with life and death and what lies in between.

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What do you think?

Consider me orientated.

Yes, I know that's incorrect.

Went to orientation yesterday to get me orientamated. Woo hoo. I was super anxious before getting there and then I realized it was just a boring school orientation :-)

Here's the breakdown:
- Check-in
- Pay kit fee (sadly, we didn't get the kits)
- Awkwardly look for seat
- Introduce self to girl sitting next to me
- ....and her mother... ? Oh, she's 18, got it
- Look around room
- Judge people (see below)
- Watch DVD about Aveda
- Play getting to know you game (see below)
- Listen to admissions lady talk about policies, dress code, blah blah blah
- Take ID picture (good thing I look decent)
- Done more than 1.5 hours before it's supposed to "end" (nice scheduling, folks)

First, I'd like to address the "getting to know you game." You've all played it before. It's a piece of paper that has a grid with boxes in which are phrases like "Has been to Europe" and "Has never broken a bone." You go around to see who's name you can fit in the boxes. Except they made theirs into a bingo, and made it a competition.... so it was done in like 2 minutes, if that. Wow, because I really got to know so many people (the three at my table and three-four others) during that process.

FAIL.

Secondly, the people..... the judging... You could feel the eyes glaring around the room giving each other the once-over. I like to think that when I do such things, pan across a group and judge people, at least I look fairly pleasant and normal doing so. Not so for Ms. Stink Eye over there.... couple that with the overdramatic hair toss and I'm practically laughing aloud at the ridiculousness. And the hairstyles... my my, the hairstyles....

To be honest, the judgmental behavior is a bit of my concern for my new career. While I'm a self-declared amiable person, I wonder what it'll be like to be surrounded on a daily basis by vanity and cattiness. Will I constantly have to endure characters straight out of "The Plastics?"

OK, I'm thinking too hard about this post.... ciao for now!

New Neighbor!

I had a date Saturday at 11am with a good friend of mine over at the Original Pancake House. YUM. I'd been craving it since the last (and only other) time I had been there with my lovely cousin. I'll say that despite the very long wait, the Pumpkin Pancakes were TOTALLY WORTH IT. I got a half order with the pecans on top, then added a little butter, little syrup and the very tiny side of whip cream it comes with and was practically drooling WHILE I ate them.

But alas, this is not the intent of my post. Although I seriously wish I could have some of those pancakes RIGHT NOW.

I left my house at about 10:40 that morning (ok, it was more like 10:45 which made me a bit late to Plymouth despite driving 72mph in the carpool lane) and mere moments before I walked out the door, my landlord had come and gone unbeknownst to me. When I stepped out the door and saw the "FOR RENT" sign in the lawn, I was totally bewildered! Huh? I'm being kicked out? Oh, maybe it's the people downstairs... yeah, that's it. I wonder what the new neighbors will be like.....

So off I went to OPH to indulge in delicious hot pumpkin pancakes with said pancake friend (she went bananas...banana pancakes, that is). During our 45-50 minute wait and outpouring of conversation (we like to talk), she mentioned the fact that she's looking for apartments. HEY! I have one of those! I mean.... one that I know is open! And..... it happens to be next door! (If it's below you, is it still considered "next door?")

We discussed things like her fear of change (she's a suburban girl, you know), proximity to her job, traffic, blahblahblah, and it started to sound like she was willing to consider it! YAY!

So, after breakfast, she followed me home to take a good look around my place and LOVED it! I told her I had no idea what the downstairs would look like, but I kind of gave her my forecast. She was so excited at the prospect, she immediately emailed our landlord and ended up scheduling a showing for Sunday (yesterday!) at 12:30.....

Well, the lease is all but signed!!! I'm going to have an awesome, fun, wonderful, great, super, lovely, cool new neighbor!!!!! And I'm PUMPED!

Earworm.

If you haven't figured it out, my newest TV love is GLEE. It's a funny, highly entertaining, slightly inappropriate show (nothing like a high school choir singing "Push It" by Salt n' Pepa) about a high school show choir. (It's creator, Ryan Murphy, also created an old fave, Popular.)

There is, however, one slight problem.....

I CAN'T GET THE SONGS OUT OF MY HEAD!!!!!

Last week's episode, The Rhodes Not Taken, ended with a jaw-dropping rendition of Queen's Somebody to Love. I'm not lying to you when I say that I've listened to this about 100 times since the show aired....

Click here for video with sound. Now, tell me you don't want to listen to that a hundred more times!

I'm looking forward to this week's episode partly so I can get this song out of my head and replace it with a new one. Prior to the rockin' Queen song, I was all about this one.

Who knows what's on the docket for this week? I can't wait to find out!

You were always on my mind.

It's a simple fact of adulthood that life can be tough, crappy and downright awful at times. And the reality is that there are many among us enduring such situations. Those close to me have certainly been on my mind lately.

When I pray for someone, I always visualize the person I'm praying for curled up and sleeping peacefully in big, soft, cozy, caring hands. God's hands. No aches, no pains, no anxieties, no fears. Just peace, comfort, love and much-needed solace from whatever may be troubling them.

It looks a little something like this....



You may find it strange or lame or cheesy, and that's okay. You do what you do, and I'll do what I do. The imagery is very emotionally effective to me. I sometimes will think of myself in the same position when the world has me down. It's a very peaceful thought.

Anyways, as I mentioned above, there are a number of friends and family members that are on my mind and in my prayers. Job losses, relationship troubles, new babies, financial woes, mental and physical health issues, etc. I hope they find the peace they're seeking.


photos courtesy of sewell photography

It's a good day.

My hubby is 36 today!

He doesn't look it at all - no grays, bright eyes, youthful disposition, video games... - but his wisdom gives him away. I mean, he'll initially talk gaming geekery, college football and beer, indicating that perhaps he is a twenty-something, but get him drunk and he talks metaphysics, spirtituality, religion and existentialism. (Note that he'll talk about those when sober, too, it's just a bit of an outpouring when he's in his cups...)

I'm sure I don't really NEED to tell all of you, but I feel like it anyway.... I love this man. From the big beautiful brown eyes and long eyelashes (that I know he'll give to our babies someday), to the little curl in his widow's peak, to the tips of his toes, I love him. It's funny - a few years back he got his "birth certificate" (the souvenier version the hospital gives you) from his mom and hit had his lil' baby footprints on it..... SO CUTE! His tiny feet looked exactly the same (but mini!) as his feet do now :-)

But, there's a lot more to love than just his pretty face and baby feet.... He's a wonderful husband, a good friend and a great person. The rest, I'll save for him!