Happy Belated Halloween Thursday, November 18, 2004

Because I have nothing interesting to say today, I thought I'd put up some fun photos from my recent Halloween celebration. SMD and I went up to my sister's house to celebrate with my adorable niece, who was in costume as a Strawberry. Given the very recent appearance of RED hair, I felt this costume was particularly clever.

Witness the addiction that afflicts so many women in our family, starting early:

Aaaah...Twix.
Here is Bri, searching into the candy bin for the perfect piece to gnaw on.

Quest for the halloween holy grail...Snickers bars

Of course, I couldn't leave my dog out of this one. He visited as well, and chewed up a screen door in protest of having to stay outside AND wear the lame pumpkin bandanna.

Not humping, just saying hello

Enjoy!

Love Makes the Jamie Happy Tuesday, November 16, 2004

Do you know what I love? I love my niece, I love my family, I love my dog, I especially love my boyfriend (even though my typing this probably greatly embarasses him)...and do you know what else?

I love that I'm sitting here at my desk, in old track pants, mismatched socks, and a fleece pullover. I may have slept in accidentally this morning, just a little. I also love Dunkin Donuts coffee, which is slowly bringing me into the realm of reality. Maybe in 20 minutes, I'll have the wherewithal to actually answer my phone when it rings.

What do you love?

Reality Bites Monday, November 15, 2004

After a long conversation with a good friend of mine, I had a small, but valuable epiphany. What is it about being brought up "Midwestern" that enables us to completely FORGET about ourselves, in order to avoid conflict/disagreement/general unhappiness with someone else?

I've heard about "Minnesota Nice" but this is crazy. Perhaps we will call it "Illinois Indulgence." And by indulgence, I mean strategic self-sacrificing. My friend called me to chat and to vent (I am great at giving advice, by the way, but only to other people-- I suck when it comes to solving my own problems as rationally as I can solve the problems of others). After hearing this friend's story, I was obliged to look inward and make sure that I was practicing what I was preaching.

I discovered something scary: I DO IT ALL THE TIME. I found that I frequently compromise what I feel is right/good/smart in order to avoid conflict with others. In some situations, it is simply easier to put your own concerns and issues aside for the greater good-- Ayn Rand bedamned. I was brought up to talk things out, and avoid conflict as often as possible. 99% of the time, this is a great strategy! But it doesn't take into account all the people involved- it doesn't take ME into account.

Don't mistake this, however, for a fishing expedition for compliments, a lot of it is unconscious. So I'm going to make a concerted effort to pay attention to the way I treat myself, even if this posting does sound like something Dr. Phil prescribed. (I greatly dislike him, by the way, talk about a God complex)

I encourage everyone out there to remember that you can "all get along" and still get what you want out of life. You may have to be crafty to do it, but it's possible.

Hands Across America Friday, November 12, 2004

What ever happened to this? Do people still do this-- is their marketing centered in elementary and primary schools only? Why haven't I heard about the latest "Hands Across America" event on msnbc.com?

Wasn't this event a really big deal when we were younger?

My 10 year reunion is coming up in 2007 Wednesday, November 10, 2004

I love how I just trip over fun time-wasters like this one, when surfing the blogging community. It's just a talent, I guess.

At your ten year high school reunion... by robbiewriter
Your school name
Your name
Your job will be	President of a small country
You will be worth	$70,996
Everyone will think you	gained 50 lbs
Quiz created with MemeGen!

Work...busy....can't....talk.... Tuesday, November 09, 2004

Wow. Work is crazy. A kind of crazy that I have a feeling that I'm just going to have to learn to actively manage. Looks like this is going to be a situation where I'm constantly telling myself it's okay to not be 100% caught up. No human could ever be 100% caught up in this job-- it's impossible.

On the bright side, I really like my job. So that makes everything OK.

Fleecy Soft Wednesday, November 03, 2004

It may be that time of the month, it may be that I'm sad that Senator John Kerry has conceded the presidency to a narrow-minded moron...I don't know. Mark the date: I cried over a blog today. For those of you that know me well, you may have been present for one of my softer moments. I hide my soft, vulnerable side well (did you know that I like EmmyLou Harris, Dinah Washington, and Simon & Garfunkel music? No, I didn't think so, b/c I hide that side of me behind blaring self-confidence and a brash, outspoken personality).

For months now, I have been preaching the Gospel of Dooce (note potential God acronym here...ha! Heather would love that) to my friends and family. I've even turned a few of my friends into apostles, so to speak. However, her post today (9-month letter to Leta) really put me over the edge. It reminded me of how badly I want to have children someday, all the wonderful and scary things a child brings to one's life, and how powerful a parent's love can be for their children. It also served as an example that good things can come to anyone, to any walk of life, out of any bad situation. You simply never know when you will be blessed.

I greatly encourage you to read this non-saccharine, well-phrased, and wholeheartedly entertaining web log. You will be the better for it.

Double Standard Monday, November 01, 2004

So there I was, surfing the blog world for interesting sites that I haven't seen, when I came across something unusual. Apparently there's a book out entitled "Cooking to Hook Up" that educates men on what to cook, what music to play, which flowers to purchase, etc., to successfully woo a woman. The book breaks down each female "type" using a 10 question quiz of her personality attributes.

The feminist in me screams at this as complete stupidity-- merely another ploy to exploit the insecure nature of bachelors across America and simultaneously pigeonhole women into nice, neat, cut-n-bake categories. The other half of me, the side that occasionally buys self-help books and recently ordered "He's Just Not That into You" from Amazon, thinks it's pretty entertaining- literary schtick or not.

What are you? I'm a hybrid of Progressive Girl and Girl Next Door. Check it out.