Thank You to Our Sponsors

I would like to take a moment and send out a note of gratitude to the makers of Legos, without whom I would not have survived this weekend.

As all of us with children have learned, there are no plans that can not be changed at the last minute. This weekend my son Jake and I were set to "get out of Dodge" for some much needed time with friends at their place in "the country". But 4am Saturday morning Jake woke me with a bout of vomiting that sidelined us instead.

Now I have learned to roll with it like a champ since becoming a mom, but the thought of being stuck in the house all weekend without appropriate provisions or entertainment was daunting.

Luckily my son is a trooper and wasn't down for too long. Saturday was spent sleeping, watching movies and laying low. By Sunday my cabin fever had set in, and I was happy to escape outdoors to shovel the driveway, typically a job I loathe much like going to the dentist or the mechanic.

Jake meanwhile had rediscovered his passion for Legos and spent the day building, creating, and animating elaborate vehicles of all shapes. I too spent many hours on the floor of the playroom digging through the Lego bins looking for just the right piece while my legs and hips cramped. We sang while we worked, a mix of our own silly songs and my endless rounds of Cee-Lo Green's "Forget You" which was stuck in our heads all day.

So the award for most valuable player for the day, goes to those timeless, colorful, plastic blocks, even though I stepped and sat on my share!

Over the Edge!

"The Bachelor" Brad and date Michele
off a skyscraper. She later got the boot!

What have I done???? Well I do claim to be on the "verge" so why not go "over the edge"? Today, I signed up to repel off a 23 story building as part of a fundraiser. Could it be that my addiction to "The Bachelor", and the fact that I am more interested in the adventures he takes these ladies on than who he actually ends up with had anything to do with it? Possibly.

At lunch this week with my Bachelor #2, James, (see previous post) we were talking about my attraction to dangerous activities (partly because I wanted to see if he was game for those kind of things, or would just be watching from the sidelines). Then I realized that although I have been known to bungee jump, para-sail and take flying lessons (well one lesson, then I found out I was pregnant and that was the end of that), its been quite a while since my adrenal glands had a workout.

Today, a friend of mine told me she was going to do this fundraiser adventure and I suddenly found myself signing up to do it with her! I mean I can't talk the talk if I'm not willing to walk the walk right? Of course now I have to strap myself into a harness and hurl myself over the edge of a glass skyscraper with my derriere dangling for the world to see. Maybe that will be incentive to shape up my hindquarters! And it is for charity!

2011 Model Now Available

Well I have dived head first back into the online dating world!

After getting bumped and bruised and beaten up last time, I decided to retire from online dating for a while. I had a great summer and fall filling my free time with things I enjoyed and people I enjoyed. I said yes to any invites I could, volunteered for some fun events, went on weekend getaways with my girlfriends, met new friends, and when all else failed, walked the dog! It was kind of nice to not have to deal with checking my email constantly, trying to squeeze in time to meet this stranger for coffee or sweating over did he like me, or did I like him?

Well this past fall a friend of mine, who really never has trouble meeting people, decided to deflower her online-dating virginity, just for the heck of it. Her first date lasted 22 minutes. From start to finish. 22 minutes. This girl can make friends with anyone and she was so turned off by this guy she left without even finishing her drink! So of course being the curious girl I am, I had to check this guy out. In the process of checking out his online profile, I reactivated mine. Was this a subconscious act that really signified my willingness to get back out there? I don't know. But I was soon back in the throws of it, chatting with strange men with a variety of intentions. After a few unsuccessful coffee dates, I met Bachelor #1, Mike who has turned out to be a great guy. We have dated since late December, seeing each-other whenever our mutually busy schedules allow and he is a solid guy. Sweet, consistent, fun, up for anything, not demanding and cute!

Not long after beginning to date Mike, I had a coffee date with Bachelor #2, James. This guy had sent up a couple of red flags on-line, but I was intrigued (aka a sucker for charm) so I decided to meet him. I was pleasantly surprised to find that he was handsome, funny, smart and interesting. He also made it very clear that he thought I was the cat's meow, which took me aback. James is romantic, affectionate, charming, a gentleman and very open. But I have alarms going off all over the place with this guy! He lives with his mom (for good reason?), is currently not working while going back to to school (full time??), has way too much time on his hands, and has a wide variety of physical limitations (bad back, asthma, etc). He just seems far to eager at this early a stage in what is really still the getting to know each-other phase.

So for now, I am actively dating two men for the first time in my life! Fun? Yes. Nervewracking? Yes. But I am going to go with it and try to trust my instincts while having fun just dating. Who knows when this could happen again????

Timing is Everything

My ex-husband is a deadbeat dad.

And I am an expert enabler. Seriously, if there was a school for enablers, I would be the Dean. Financial responsibility was never one of his strengths, but I provided no real incentive when we were married, as I continued to bail us out when he fell short. So why I expected anything different after we divorced I don't know. Long story short, he has accumulated arrears in the 5 digits in the short time since our marriage's demise and I have done nothing legally about it. Oh I have threatened, pleaded, reasoned and been on the verge of tears, but again these things never worked before, why should they make a difference now? But old habits are hard to break and I am a "benefit of the doubt kinda girl". That, combined with being overly prideful, and a chronic procrastinator has resulted in me putting off for months what I knew had to be done.

So after some rather forceful nagging from my mother, I finally got my ducks in a row, gathered my paperwork and my pride and marched down to the courthouse to file a petition to enforce the terms of the divorce. But could I have picked a normal day? Of course not. If I was the kind of girl who did things in the typical fashion, this blog would not have come about. Oh no, I chose the day of our first blizzard of the season.

Getting there wasn't too bad. Driving in the burbs had turned hairy, but downtown was fairly clear. And I was feeling pretty smug as I walked in to the waiting area and saw that I was the only one brave enough (and stupid enough) to drag my ass out in the storm, therefore speeding the process along nicely. I completed the necessary paperwork, was assigned my court date, and prepared to head back to the office. But the weather had changed dramatically while I was fighting for my rights, and I was thrown into a frozen tundra rivaling the Alaskan wilderness. White out conditions, highways closed and minimal visibility. I found a street I knew would eventually lead me to my destination and vowed not to deviate from this street for fear of becoming lost and my frozen body being found days later clinging to my court papers.

Suicidal pedestrians appeared out of the whiteness begging to become hood ornaments. Traffic lights would sneak upon me with little warning. My speedometer hovered at a blazing 10mph. And I was starving! Robert, my pseudo-boyfriend, sweetly called to see if I was ok and where I was. Ten minutes later, white knuckling it on un-plowed snow swept streets, with my face against the windshield squinting to see 20 feet in front of me, Robert calls again. Again, sweet, but should I really be taking one hand off the wheel to talk about how dangerous the conditions are? Do I really need the distraction right now? So I tell him I need to go and will call in a bit when things are clearer. A few minutes later, ding, a text message from Robert. Seriously, if it's too dangerous for me to talk on the phone, do you really think I can type?

I make it back to the office just in time to take the call from daycare who says they are closing early and can I come pick up Jake. So Jake and I strap ourselves in the Subaru for the last leg of the day's journey home through the storm.

Robert who is now on the roads himself, calls and says, "Wow, its really terrible out here...you can't believe how bad it is! I can't talk, I gotta pay attention to the roads."

Poltergeist in the Potty?

My plumbing is posessed.

I have an charming old village home. It was built in 1901 and I'm pretty convinced it has the original plumbing. There is always something compromising either the flow in or out of the system. Charming yes, but not without it's headaches. At one point the neighbors were sure I was having a steamy affair with John the plumber because of his frequent visits. (John and I have since broke up over a gross overcharge for foaming root killer).

Currently my main bathroom has begun speaking in tongues. Periodically, noises are eminating from the sluggish drains that sound like a congested turkey is pleading to be released. Blu-la-lurp, blu-lal-urp.

This morning while I was in the shower, my toilet began spontaneously sputtering like Linda Blair in the Exorcist. So far, I am operating under the "ignore it and it will go away" approach. But something tells me this will not get me as far as I'd hoped.

Can anyone recommend an exorcist?

You Can't Make This Stuff Up

It takes all kinds.

By day, I am one of those creative types. Graphic design is my chosen profession, and for the last seven years I have had my own business, which I love. I'm not getting rich, but I enjoy going to work every day, thanks in no small part to my business partner (and closest friend) Marie. We always find something to laugh about during the course of our day, most often at a client's expense. Today has been no exception.

I am working on a catalog of summer workshops for a spiritual center. This is no rinky dink outfit, oh no. This is a full blown 50 page catalog chock full of seminars, workshops, events and gatherings designed to enlighten your spirit and blow your freaking mind! Each workshop is led by experts in fields such as spoon bending, investigating the paranormal, and out-of-body explorations. It's been quite an education to say the least (thanks Clark).

Don't get me wrong, I am grateful for the work, and who knows, I may get a free tarot card reading out of the deal!

Where Is My Crown?

I am a social networking queen.

Well, that may be a bit of an exaggeration. But I am on my way. Last night I attended a fantastic talk by the guys behind Twelve Hours in a City. These guys are a prime example of a social networking success story. They quit their day jobs to travel to as many destinations as possible during a one month time period in response to JetBlue's All You Can Jet promotion. The catch, they wouldn’t allow themselves to spend more than 12 hours at a time on the ground. What followed was a month long adventure, and a social networking experiment worth a listen.

Now I am using some of their well earned experiences as a push to take my business and this blog to the masses. So please be sure to follow me on Facebook and Twitter, and feel free to suggest your fan pages. I'll be happy to return the favor!