Creative Juices

Step Right Up and Get Your Ticket

Emotionally, I'm usually pretty consistant. Sometimes I have bad days and get a little depressed, but I snap out of it. More often than not, I'm happy. But this house thing is killing me. It's like this crazy ass rollercoaster. And I hate rollercoasters.
So, Sunday, on my day of birth, we went looking at houses. And we found one that we fell in love with. Whereas the house I spoke of early, I just wasnt quiet sure about, and almost had to convince myself... this house just felt right. We WANTED it... we would do whatever we could to get it. And then I made the mistake of getting overly excited about it. You know, everyone is asking... so next thing you know you've told twenty people how wonderful it is, which means you've reminded yourself twenty times how wonderful it is.
And then comes the upside down-spin you round and round-slow down-I'm getting sick feeling.
Now I've gone from way too excited about buying this house to almost wanting to cry.
And I dont cry. (Except last night when I was watching Smith tell Samantha he loved her... but we dont need to talk about that).
I just dont like this rollercoaster... and I'm not sure how much more of it I can take.

Don't Let it Go Away, This Feeling Has Got to Stay

Today is a good good day. Might even be considered great.
And if you dont know why, then you obviously didnt contribute to it's greatness.

Cinnamon and Sugary and Softly Spoken Lies

My birthday is in 5 days.
I'll be 25.
A quarter of a freakin century.
I dont like it one bit.
Except for the fact that I'm old enough to rent a car.

I'm a little depressed because my husband is having a hard time figuring out what to do for my birthday. I'm not being very helpful, I cant think of much that I want (within reason). So, I suggested that he 'do' something for me. Which to me, aught to bring about a plethora of wonderful things we could do this weekend.
But, like most marriages do, it's sucked the romance and creativity out of my husband. I hate to compare our life dating, to our life married, and I hate to be a statistical couple and I hate to be able to relate to Everybody Loves Raymond's wife... but it's true. What happened and how do I fix it?
My favorite Mad About You episode, which I got to watch over the weekend with said husband, lends a couple of quotes that relate to my topic of choice.
Paul: "That's why guys get married. It's exhausting to woo. You woo and you woo and you woo and then you gotta go whoa!"
Jamie: "It'd just be nice to have a grand romantic gesture every once in awhile."
So, I do understand. To guys, wooing is exhausting. And at some point, I guess you decide to hell with it, it doesnt matter anymore anyways. I suppose it was exhausting the whole time, but you had a goal, and sleep deprived or not, you were going to get it. Well, you got it. And now it has realized that the romance was just an act. Means to an end, I suppose.
My word to the wise man reading this... if you arent yet married, dont even bother wooing. Just let her know you're a lazy ass up front. Unless you think 10 years from now you'll be in the mood for a bitter wife. And married men that have lost their luster, thanks, you suck.
So, my friend IMs me today... she's engaged, she's getting married in July. She asked what we did for Valentine's Day, and I say "Absolutely nothing." Which I'm actually not bitter about. Steve had to work, I'm fine with that. Then she proceeds to tell me about her Valentine's Day... Friday night, he snuck up to her room, and left her a present. She opened it to find a beautiful red dress, with instructions to wear it the next night. The next night they get together and he cooks her dinner, dressed nicely in a suit. They eat together, watch a movie afterwards and so on.
My instict, because of my mood today, was to say "Enjoy it while it lasts." But I decided not to rain on her parade.
Meanwhile, I would give my left arm for something romantic like that. So small, so simple, so thoughtful.
And here are a few other romantic ideas I wouldnt mind:
1. Plan a day trip somewhere and take me to rent my first car (it would actually be my second car rental, but we dont want to talk about the first one).
2. Since he cant come up with something to buy me, take me shopping, maybe to a mall I've never been to.
3. Plan dinner and a movie, or better yet, take me to a jazz bar or something for martinis and dancing.
4. One step up, when we get to the jazz bar, they bring me over a drink and a flower...
5. Remind me of the good ol days... bring back a few grand gestures from when we were dating... carve sweet nothings in Mint Milanos, send me flowers, buy me a cute Winnie the Pooh something... heck, put a bunch of silly things and some candy in a box and mail it to me.
Really, am I asking for much? All I want is to know that he spent some time and energy planning something. In this case, it's the forethought that counts.

I'll Leave When I Wanna

For those of you who might not know, Steve and I have decided to take the big big leap and buy our first home. (Look how I talk like I have more than two readers... way to be optimistic Sabrina).
We've been in the home buying process for a month now, and I think I'm ready to give some solid advice to other people that might be thinking about buying a home in the near future.
1. You will never feel ready. So, dont sit around waiting for the pit in your stomach to dissappear. This could very well be one of the hardest, scariest decisions you'll ever have to make. But there comes a point, lets say after giving $24,000 to 'rent' a place to live, that you realize you might rather give money like that in exchange for OWNING something. You just have to remember, during the times when you doubt yourself, that in the long run, this is a good good thing.
2. Dont even try to understand a mortgage. I consider myself an averagely smart person. I did graduate from college. (granted, it was a degree in communications.) (and it was from Liberty.) (but still). Mortgages are not meant to be understood. They're meant to scare you. It's just a test. To make sure you know you'll never feel ready, and you're not intimidated by big words.
3. Here's what you do need to know about a mortgage. How much money you'll have to pay each month, and the stuff about the interest rate.
4. Find a mortgage loan officer you can trust. The cool thing about our loan guy, and I dont know if this is the case for all... we dont pay him. He gets his money from the lender that we chose. At least that's how he explained it.
5. It really doesnt matter who you're realtor is. If anyone recommends someone, and has nothing bad to say about them, go for it. When it comes to buying, all you need is someone to represent you.
6. There are lots of things people forget to tell you. Like we went into this, knowing we didnt have any money for a down payment. And everybody says, 'no problem, you just get 100% financing.' But then, our of nowhere, they mention all this up front cash, such as an 'earnest fee' and what you have to pay the inspector... and dont even go near closing costs. All in all, even if you dont have money for a down payment, you still need about $5,000 in cash. Ready to give. And never see again. (Unless of course you work it out nicely with the seller that they pay closing costs... which is what we're currently trying for).
7. The thing you need to know that will save you some stress: Just like rent, you pay your mortgage on the 1st of the month. But what you're paying for, is the previous month. So, for people that are trying to work it out so they dont have to pay rent and a mortgage at the same time, this is a nice nice thing. For example: our lease for the place we rent is up in May. If we close after April 15, we wont have to make a mortgage payment till June 1. Make sense?
8. I'm assuming there are people out there like me. The kind of people that sit and daydream about the perfect house. Well, after spending my life plotting my dream house, I had to realize that my first house will not be my dream house. And I've spent the past month lowering my expectations. Truth is, I dont know if this house that we're currently working with is the right house. How could I possibly know that? But I dont hate it. It has lots of good qualities and potential. I can definitely make it a home.
9. Hope this helps.

Even if it's a Lie, Say it will be Alright

If you're looking for an effective and entertaining way to waste the day away, I highly recommend things my girlfriend and I have argued about Beth Ann was over on the other side of our wall laughing, and she read me a blurb and sent me the site. And now I cant stop reading.

Patrick, hun, I'm on aim, cant get on msn...

Believe it or Not, I'm Walking on Air

After yesterday's post, I continued looking for the perfect bag. 100 pages deep in Froogle and I came across the greatest thing ever.
girlworks
Go there, buy a bag, now.
First of all, they are the prettiest bags ever. So cute. Second of all, they dont get any more unique or original. Third of all, Angie (the 'girl' in girlworks) freakin rocks.
I emailed them to ask if one of their bags had any interior pockets, and Angie emails me back. She tells me some do, some dont, but whatever I want, she'll make. Like, whatever. Style, fabric, strap length, pockets, whatever. We email back and forth for the rest of the day, discussing what would make my perfect bag. I picked out some fabrics I liked, based on what was shown on her site, but unfortunately she was all out of my favorites. But, dont dismay, she said she'd go shopping this weekend and find some fabrics for me. For me! And the craziest part... she doesnt charge extra for this special special service I'm getting.
When I get this bag, which should only take two weeks, and it's as good as I think it will be, girlworks will have a lifetime bag buyer. Every season, every occassion, me me me.
My very own bag my very own bag!!!

Maybe Tonight I've Got a Question for You

So, I've got this bag. I call it my work bag, because it's what I take to work with me everyday. It's bigger than a purse, though it holds all items you might put in a regular purse. But it's big enough to hold a magazine or book, a bottle of water, an umbrella, snacks and whatever else I might throw into it (including a cat).
My current work bag is all the way from NYC. It's nearly a year old. My Aunt got it at a street fair for 10 bucks. I have had, at least, 10 people comment on the cuteness of my bag (half of which are from my dermatologist office, but that's not the point). But the handle's about to bust. I can maybe sew it, but it'll be a temporary fix. I should be happy it lasted this long...
Previous to this bag, I had a great nylon black bag. Any woman will tell you, what makes a good bag great? Lots of pockets or compartments inside. This great black bag had it all. It lasted two years before it got a hole in the bottom.
Now what about my next bag? I need to find one soon.
It must be...
1. inexpensive
2. not trendy
3. lots of compartments
4. durable
5. unique

After Froogling the day away, here are the top contenders. Feel free to vote.

1. Bug and Bean's Striped Messenger Bag
2. My Diva's Closet Cavas Tote in Purple (w/ pink)
3. Hopkin's Mini Nursing Tote Note: This bag is supposedly for people in the medical field. But it meets all of my requirements.
4. Classic Closeout's Floral bag
5. Lillian Vernon's Straw Handbag

What'll it be?

Five Hundred Twenty-five Thousand Six Hundred Minutes

In 19 days, February 22nd, I'll be celebrating my 25th birthday. Which means I've been alive for 13,140,000 minutes, relatively speaking. Lets do a little reflection of those 13,140,000 minutes.
Calculator please....
For 8,935,200 minutes I've been a student. Pre-k through Senior year in college.
For 5,256,000 minutes I lived in Brooklyn, NY.
For 4,204,800 minutes I lived in Satellite Beach, FL. (and Melbourne, FL too).
For 2,628,000 minutes I lived in Lynchburg, VA. 1,576,800 of those minutes were in a dorm room.
For 1,051,200 minutes I lived (and continue to live) in Durham, NC.
For 4,730,400 minutes I've been making money (by being employed by various conglomerates such as McDonalds, Publix, Liberty University and Duke University).
For 4,204,800 minutes I have been dating the same man.
For 2,102,400 minutes I have been married to that same man.

And now for the nitty gritty.
I currently average 200 minutes of television a day. So, in a week, I've watched 1400 minutes of tv. So in a month, I average 6000 minutes of tv. Which means in a year, 72,000. So, it's safe to say that in my life, I have watched over 1,800,000 minutes of television.
Within just the past 1,051,200 minutes, I've spent at least 57,600 minutes chatting with people online.

So What Did You Come For?

I just need to express how saddened I am by this whole Justin/Janet's Boob fiasco. But unlike most, I'm on the side of Justin and Janet (and her boob).
I love Justin Timberlake. Not because he's cute, not because his music is fun, and not because he started out on the Mickey Mouse Club. I love him because so far, he's made sound, wise decisions in his journey through the crazy ass music industry. He's never gone overboard or done something for the shock factor. So, because of that, I can only believe that it was not his intention to reveal the boob in such a way that made everyone go a little crazy.
I respect Janet. First of all, she has great abs. To maintain great abs means she must have great discipline in her life. Especially if you look way back when she didnt have abs... or at least several layers of fat covering them. I respect Janet for changing with the times, updating her music and look to keep it going. I respect Janet for thus far being tastefully nude. It always seemed to me that Janet was content with her fans and her public image. She wasnt all 'Britney' about getting noticed. Because of this, I have to believe this wasnt a stunt.
What it was supposed to be, we'll never know. Why wont we know? Because of all the crazies that are blowing it way out of proportion.
Dont get me wrong. I completely understand the need for apologies, it was before 9pm and it was CBS. My 12 year old brother was watching, and I'd like to continue thinking that that was the first breast he's ever seen. I even understand the need for the FCC to investigate. It's their job.
But now they're talking about Justin and Janet not being able to attend the Grammy's. And my Justin was scheduled to perform. Man o Man. Isnt that, like, incriminating them? Do they really think they did it on purpose? It's not like Janet runs around naked and Justin runs around ripping people's clothes off.
It was just a boob. I think that was the biggest problem. One boob freaks people out. Why just one? What about the other? Had he ripped her whole outfit off, people would have been like "hey, Janet's naked. Wow, nice abs." But, because it was just one boob, people thought "This isnt right! Boobs come in pairs!"