Quote of the Day: "I went to a bookstore and asked the saleswoman where the Self Help section was. She said if she told me it would defeat the purpose." - Dennis Miller
Once Upon a Time...
I used to have all this time at work to do nothing but blog and surf the interwebs and be a generally happy person. Sure, I was always afraid that they would realize that I was more or less adding no value to the company other than Quote of the Day on my whiteboard and the occasional overly dramatic story telling. But, I was at peace with that. It was a care-free life and I was content. Ok, I was sort of bored. I'll admit that.
Now, however, I want to tear my hair out on a regular basis. I went from like 1 small project to 10 projects. A couple of big ones with ridiculous timelines, and a bunch of small ones that I can barely keep track of these days. And now I feel like I never have the time to write anything and really all I want to do is write blogs about random stuff and pretty much be empty headed. I never get to reach my goals...
Thanksgiving...
So, I went with Boyfriend and the kids to visit his family in upstate New York. In total, there were 6 boys between the ages of 10-14 present. I've discovered that they way to win the awe and respect of boys in that age group is to do something the consider gross. So, I ate the heart of the Thanksgiving turkey. Not, like, while it was still beating or anything. It was completely cooked. I also discovered that some children will do anything for an extra piece of chocolate. I offered up my chocolate turkey to any child that dared try a piece of the turkey liver. I got three volunteers. Two of which were boyfriend's kids and they hardly like anything at all. Like, they don't even eat potatoes. Potatoes!!! Who doesn't eat potatoes ("mash 'em, boil 'em, put 'em in a stew," said Samwise!)??? Boyfriend's kids, that's who. So anyway, I secured a couple of more chocolate turkeys so that everyone who participated in the challenge could have their proper reward. I divided up the turkey liver and handed it out to the three boys. I, along with everyone else at the Thanksgiving Dinner table, got a good amount of entertainment out of the whole thing. I didn't realize watching children choke down food on a dare that they find gross would be so amusing. G, Boyfriend's 14-year-old, went first. OMG. He put the whole piece in his mouth and starts chewing. Then, he sort of starts gagging. Not in an "I'm choking" kind of way, but more in an "OMG THIS IS DISCUSTING" kind of way. He turns bright red, and runs into the kitchen for a glass of water. I was laughing so hard. Next, C, the 10-year-old cousin, takes his turn and pops the whole thing in his mouth. I guess he didn't learn from G's mistakes. Well, that kid is just funny. He's much more verbal and dramatic than G. He turns almost scarlet, and tells us how awful it is and how it's stuck in his braces. Even after he was finished, every few moments he would be like "AHHHH!!! It's stuck in between my molars in the space for my grown-up one to come in!! I can't get it out!! It's like re-living it over and over!!". I nearly peed myself. Finally, after watching the first two, M, Boyfriend's 10-year-old, starts nibbling on his. He ate it slowly and carefully, making sure to have lemonade at the ready. He got the whole thing down, looks at the other two and says "that wasn't so bad". I LOVE IT. Smart kid, that one. All in all, it was all very amusing.
I Heart Bill Simmons...
I don't read as much about sports as I used to. A long long time ago, in a land far far away, there was a young Jenn who avidly read every sports-related article she could. And then, Jenn got older, and nerdier, and slowly the sports reading slipped away, only to be a fond memory. Every once in a while, though, I will revisit that younger, sportier version of myself, I catch up with some sports writers. One of my absolute favorites is Bill Simmons. He writes for ESPN.com Page 2 and he's absolutely hysteridonculous. My brother sent me the link to his latest article, and I nearly fell out of my seat giggling. Check it out: The Color Purple. Anyone who's a sports fan, or a fan of anything, and is trying to get their children to follow in those footsteps should read this article. It's great.
Books on Tape (or MP3, I guess)...
I've recently become obsessed with audio books. I've visited them from time to time (it was the only way I could rationalize wasting anytime on the Twilight Series) but lately, I've been listening to some awesome ones. Boyfriend and I have been foregoing tv the past week and instead have listened to Ender's Game at bedtime. It's got a full cast doing the reading and it's just great. On my own time, I've been listening to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I LOVE IT. I've read all the books myself, but I've been meaning to re-read them all lately, but don't really have the time. Listening to them allows me to enjoy them while in the car, making dinner, cleaning, whatever...The man who reads them is just fantastic. I look forward to having him read me all the Harry Potter books.
Jenn -Just want to get something out there...
