Fabulous

For once, I can look at my life and think it's good without having to convince myself.

Even when in the midst of my depressiveness, I know that there's really nothing wrong and I don't actually have anything to complain about. So while I'm in this mood (sure to be temporary) I am going to make a list. Here are the reasons (some of them anyhow) that my life, as of this exact moment is fab:

1. Free trip to Florida for a week as of this Friday (without internet access *gasp*).
2. 3 fabulous guest posters in this coming week: AmyTree, Faiqa & Nat
3. New manicure and pedicure in honour of said trip- pedi perhaps a bit on the trashy/overtly pink side - but who cares, it's just polish!
4. Not so much on my to do list at either work or home that I can't handle it before I leave.
5. Although I live next to a river, my home did not flood.
6. I went to work in summer shoes without socks today! And just a little jacket. Spring!
7. The meeting that I had to chair in my boss's absence today ended early, and I didn't make a total idiot of myself!
8. I have not been attacked with a hatchet lately.
9. I have a mystery package to pick up from the UPS depot tomorrow - surprise for me!
10. I managed to write a list of 10 fabulous things!

What makes YOUR life fabulous right now?

xo

The Princess's Good Friday...

Scene: At Princess's brother's house on Good Friday afternoon.

Princess's brother: Hey look at all the women who wrote to me on the "Are YOU interested" app on Facebook!
P: Uh huh. Oh hey! Look at her- she's hot, date her...
P's brother: so who are these people you're abandoning me at Disney to meet next weekend?
P: Britt and Hilly - you'll be fine. Our family is very nice you know. I've examined them very closesly since Dad married our stepmom 15 years ago. I think they're safe.
P: (logging into Twitter) *Sigh* "There's the boy of my dreams...there's my person..."
P's brother: what do the people you're meeting look like? Can I see them? Are they cute?
P: No. You can't see them. Go ask out the low cut top chick from the facebook app and leave my people alone.


Scene: Easter/Birthday dinner on Good Friday evening - the Princess and her family. Most of the talk is around the upcoming trip to Disney World next week.

Princess's stepmom: Who can name all the seven dwarfs? (Looking hopefully at the grandkids)
P: Happysleepysneezygrumpydopeybashfuldoc! *gasp for air looking proud of herself*
P's stepmom: Thanks Princess. Glad to see that you know them all. That was kind of directed to the kids.
P: (muttering to self) I bet they couldn't name them all that fast.
P's stepmom: Here open a present.
P: My birthday isn't until Sunday.
P's sm: Open it anyhow and shut up. (Looking at kids again) Now, who can name all seven dwarfs?

(This didn't really happen- but trust me, had she asked the question- it totally would have played out in the exact same way)

P's sm: OK, so some of us are going to "Fantasmic" and some aren't. We need to decide which night we're doing that.
P (in her head): "Fantasmic" sounds a lot like "Orgasmic." There's no way that can be a coincidence. Is this like that whole Urban legend about the castles in "the Little Mermaid" being phalluses, and the flower petals around Nala in "The Lion King" spelling out "sex"? This isn't going to end up being all awkward like the time I went to the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" with the parents is it? Cause that was just torture...

P (aloud): Ok, well I'm meeting some people on Sunday, so can we do this a different night? I don't know the time or anything yet.
P's step-sister: Yeah, who are these people you're meeting?
Other stepsister: Are you meeting a boy there?
P: No, I'm meeting women that I picked up on the internet.
*pause*
(Princess flashing back to the day her stepmom discovered the angel tattoo on her back and asked "That's a woman! Is there something you have to tell us?")
P's sm: And how did you....find these women?
(Princess looks around and notices everyone except for her saint of a father looking very interested)
P: *sigh* Do you know what a blog is?
P's sm: Yes.
P: (in head "really?!") Ok well I have one.
*pause*
P: And you leave comments on other peoples' blogs and they leave comments, and you talk and...whatever I'm meeting them on Sunday, kay?

Ya know - unless you blog, or read them on a regular basis, there's just no way to explain a blog-meet to people without it sounding either a) stupid or b) dangerous/foolish. Thankfully my family don't seem too interested in the whole thing other than teasing me a bit. I don't know whether to be hurt or relieved that they also don't seem to have much interest in reading the blog. Don't they know how important I am not on the internetz?!

xo

Frivolous

I occasionally wonder if my life is frivolous.

Take this blog for example. I'm going away for a week, and suddenly I worry whether I should schedule guest posters, or if anyone really cares if I'm away for 8 days, and if it will effect my stats...

Or the fact that tonight, the night before Good Friday, I'm sitting on my couch watching Bones, eating M & M's (new pastel Easter colours!) and hoping that Supernatural is a new episode.

Or the fact that I waste money on things like necklaces and pretty gift wrap and ribbons.

OK, so I'm 34 in 3 days - unmarried without children. (No, this isn't going to be a post whining about my single life again...) It seems that motherhood brings meaning to one's life and makes your activities more noble somehow. You're caring for another person- raising them up into a tolerable human being.

So at my age, what am I doing that's noble and meaningful?

The question is, should I be doing more? My job is decent. I mean I support people who are doing really important work. And as much as I joke that students drive me crazy, it actually makes me kind of proud to help them out and see them do well in their research.

However, my job is 9-5. What else do I do? Even my volunteering is kind of elitist- for the Alumni Association of my University. Is that really something to be admired?

I just wonder sometimes if people who have families don't kind of look down on me for my life. Like I should be doing something better with my spare time other than blogging and watching TV and having lunch with my girlfriends when I can drag them away from their kids.

I mean aren't we kind of obligated as human beings to try and do something to make this world a better place? I live in a privileged society. I have a good job, my own home, and can afford to buy myself the odd pretty thing.

There are so many other people in the world who just don't have the ability to do something like volunteer for an Alumni Association. That is so far beyond their realm of concern that it's practically laughable.

So really, I guess the answer is obvious right? If I feel that I'm frivolous, then maybe I am. Maybe I should be doing something a bit more fulfilling and worthwhile. I just have no idea what. I don't know that I'm the soup kitchen or homeless shelter type. I think I'm more of the planning a fundraising gala type.

What do YOU do?

(And oh yeah - anyone wanna guest post for me when I'm away? April 16th - 24th - kthanx)

xo

Girl Crush Re-Visited

So I’m gonna totally steal a quote from Anne of Green Gables here and say that "I like people who make me like them. Saves me so much trouble forcing myself to like them."

I fell quite deeply into a re-crush yesterday. This was someone that I had already been in crush with not so long ago, but due to various life circumstances, we hadn’t seen each other in a while so I forgot how absolutely fabulous they are.

It’s one of those people that you go months without seeing, but the second you do see them? You find yourself telling them everything about everything in your life, because you so desperately want them to know you.

One of those people that is so absolutely beautiful that you enjoy just looking at them for the pure innocent aesthetic joy of it.

One of those people that is hilarious and tough, yet sweet and vulnerable. You want to take care of them, and at the same time, don’t secretly resent them because they’re actually needy. (Cause they’re not).

As mentioned in the quote above, this person makes me like them. Everytime we’re together I feel this deep sense of satisfaction that someone like that exists in the world, and I get to share in a tiny part of their being. I have the privilege of occasionally getting a share of their time.

Who is this shining specimen of fabulousness? None other than my darling Ali from Idiosyncrasies of a Gemini Mind. Do you read her? Well why not?

Want a sample? I recommend this post, and this one, and this one as a taste-tester.

She’s one of those people who seem to get me. I don’t have to use a dozen words to explain what I mean when two or three will do.

And so? I am back in girl-crush. If I ever really left. I hope she doesn’t mind…

xo

So I'm a Book Snob...

So apparently I'm a snob.
No, no one has been rude enough to say this to my face, it's more of a realization that I've had about myself off and on throughout my life.

The latest example? A couple of weeks ago a friend came into town and we met at a bookstore/café. It seemed like a reasonable thing to pick up some books while I was there.

Now the other week I was going through various lists of books on teh internetz. Apparently there isn't one "Top 100 Books You Should Read Before You Die." It seems that people have varying opinions on the matter. I even found a "Top 1000" books list in chronological order (based on original publication date).

Anyhow, one day when I'm needing a mental break, I figure I'll break out all those lists, and compile one of my own from all the suggestions. Of course I'll probably populate it with books I've already read to give myself some sense of accomplishment.

Anyhow, back to my snobbishness. On one of those lists, it mentioned "The Watchmen" as something I must read. Having just seen the movie, and being a firm believer in reading the book after seeing the movie, I thought it seemed like a good idea while it was still fresh in my mind.

So I went to the bookstore. Huh. $22.00. For a comic? Seriously?

OK, clearly comics have come a long way since I was reading Archie back when I was 10. Weren't they like 50 cents?

But still, I really did want to read it. So the day I was at the bookstore with my friend, I picked it up again. I was now prepared for the cost and ready to commit.

Then I put it down.
And picked it up.
And put it down.

I couldn't do it.

I buy Jane Austen. I took Shakespeare in University. I studied Chaucer.

Uh huh. When's the last time I picked up the Canterbury Tales for fun? Yes, I do read Jane all the time, but what else do I have on my shelf? The Shopaholic Books, the Bridget Jones books, Anne Rice, Dean Koontz...

Clearly I wasn't going to be writing in any literary journals anytime soon.

So I came up with a plan. I ran to the "literature" section. I scanned through all the authors until I found one I recognized from my many Top 100 lists. Ian McEwan. Atonement. Hey- that was a good movie. Mmmm James McAvoy...

With my non-embarassing book in hand, I then grabbed The Watchmen and proudly marched to the cashier. None of the literary geniuses behind the counter could make fun of me now. Clearly Atonement was for me, and the comic was for like a nephew or something, right? (Right?!)

"Ok, that'll be $50.00."

??!!

So apparently I bought the most expensive bloody books in the store that day.
Not wanting to look like an idiot while simultaneously confessing that The Watchmen was the one I really wanted, I swallowed hard and paid for both.

And am now happily in the midst of two fabulous novels. Atonement? Is awesome. I love it. I want to pick up everything he's written now.

And the Watchmen? Well, duh it's pretty cool too. It makes you think, while being fun and disturbing and interesting all at once. And it has pretty pictures to boot.

I think I'll pick up V for Vendetta next.