Wonderful Weekend

My good friend Jon came to visit me this weekend. We had a great time...doing...well...nothing really.

We did go to Ted's for some great bison burgers...
Besides Jon having great taste in friends, he is hilarious.

We spent much of the weekend lounging in fun pants, talking, laughing, and drinking beer.

It was a wonderful weekend.
In my defense, the picture from the link was taken in September of 2007...and I'm going to say that it was just a bad angle and not that I was ever that big...

Move over, Jackass!

I have a new reader. Her name is Patty...and not only is she thoughtful, funny, and has great taste in blogs, but she also has the cutest blog name, Little Miss Sunshine. I LOVED those books when I was a kid so every time I see her little blog picture, I smile.

Anyway, Patty awarded me with a "I Love Your Blog" button/award. It shouldn't make me gush and feel like an awkward 15 year old boy...but it does. Mainly because I am a cheap whore for any type of praise.

Up until now, the most recent award I got was from a training that I had with my company a year ago. It was a little donkey statuette that was kicking in the air. Since I wowed the people at the training with my quick wit, sly looks, and blackmail attention to detail, I received the award for "kicking butt." BUTT my workplace already had a running joke of calling people JACKASS when they messed up, so it shortly became a traveling trophy in our office as a way to further humiliate someone and remind them of their stupid mistake. More on that later.

Anyway, this award comes with strings attached. And since I LOVE lists and rules, here you go:

Here are the Rules:

1. The winner can put the logo on his/her blog.
2. Link the person from whom you received your award.
3. Nominate at least seven other blogs
4. Put links of those blogs on yours, and
5. Leave a message on the blogs that you've nominated!

I'm awarding the I Love Your Blog award to...

1. Kristi at: From the Edge of the Deep Green Sea
2. Lisa at: The Girls' Blog
3. Ginger at: De-Compostion
4. Jen at: Following the Footsteps
5. Mrssa (I'm not allowed to type her name) at: Turleybenson
6. Mark & Jo at: The Sommerhauser Family
7. Wratch at: Better than a poke in the eye

I picked these people because they are the seven people I know well that I have that blog and have updated it within the past month. It like some of the super blogs I link to are people that have about 50 million readers and I'm not sure that they'd appreciate a blog comment that says "Uh...hey there dooce Heather...whenever you're done counting your money and thinking of hilarious things to write, could you post this blog button? What? Your cyber bodyguards never want me to come here again? Oh. Okay then. Thanks." Like seriously? Some of the people I read just went to a weekend getaway paid for by Quaker Oatmeal to learn about oats. Dude. I read blogs that were written by people who were recruited by oats. Come to think of it, maybe a blog button would be refreshing for them.

For the record, I'm going to add a list of people that I do not know (have never met) but I read their blogs and they are not super duper mega millionaires. I didn't pick them for this award because since I haven't met them, I don't know if they could take me in a knife fight or kick my ass for giving them an award. These cool people? They're like me and you...only more normal than me. So essentially they're you.

Look for changes soon - w00t!!!

Letting it be

I love musicals - really. And my iPod is loaded with the songs from them. This makes me an extremely annoying person to take road trips with. Consider this your warning.

A couple of months ago I saw the movie/musical "Across the Universe" at the urging of a friend. I really wanted to see it anyway, so it didn't take much urging for me to run out and rent it. I love Beatles songs AND I'm a sucker for guys with accents. My review: it was awesome in the beginning, then got weird, and then was good again.

One of the songs that was featured was "Let It Be." I already have love for this song as I remember the Sesame Street version of it (being "Letter B" sung by actual Muppet beetles). :)

The version sung in this movie was so profound and moving that I found myself crying with emotion. First, the boy's voice is so overwhelmingly pure that it's just a treat to listen to. And then it turns all gospel-ish where a woman is singing...and in that part you hear her pleading to have the things that she's praying for to come to fruition. And all of the sudden her voice is breaking - singing over and over to simply let it be. You can hear the struggle in her voice - the desperate begging.

And that's where I start to lose it...focusing on the repetitive phrase of "let it be" along with the sound of passion, the strength in her voice, as well as the strain of dealing with things that she simply can't understand or deal with. I start to pull that simple phrase inward - dwelling on those words.

Because letting something be is not and has never been my strength. Having a laid back approach to things and accepting the way stuff is does not come naturally to me. Simply letting something that is happening to just BE without trying to twist, turn, or pull it in a different direction...well, that's almost unheard of in my life.

It's through listening to this song that I remember that life doesn't have to be filled with struggles - it's okay to just BE. It's okay to just take a break and breathe.

It's also a good reminder that if it seems to be too much of a struggle to change something, perhaps it doesn't NEED changing. Perhaps I need to pay attention to things that shouldn't be changed, shouldn't be messed with. Perhaps the growth is not in the struggle of taking something from what it was into something it was never meant to be - but rather in me accepting that person, situation, event, or even action.

It reminds me of the original version of the Serenity Prayer, which is my favorite version and in my humble opinion much more profound than the widely accepted version:

God, give us grace to accept with serenity
the things that cannot be changed,
courage to change the things which should be changed,
and the wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

I love that...why don't I focus on changing the things that SHOULD be changed - versus the more popular version of changing things that I CAN change. Just because I can change them, doesn't mean I should. Let me ask for grace to accept with calmness the stuff that I simply can't change.

Help me learn to let it be - if only for a little while.

Peoria

Good grief! I can't/don't want to believe that this weekend is over.

This weekend I went to my best friend's place to visit - and had so much fun that I definitely didn't want this weekend to end. It's true, that when Kelly and I visit with each other, you never really know what you're going to get. One time, we ended up stranded on the side of the road in Arkansas because driving to Memphis that weekend seemed like a great idea. A good idea until the fuel pump went out on highway. That led us to a Waffle House in the middle of nowhere where I guy was dancing/drunken swaying to "Hillbilly Shoes." At several points in the song, he sang to his hands. Note to self: METH IS BAD.

Anyway, I gave her the afghan and she said she loved it - which was very much a relief. It matched her furniture downstairs and Buttercup (their bulldog) approved.

And, at long last, I got to see my t-shirt quilt. The quilt is bigger than a king size bedspread and has flannel in between the shirts and on the back. I absolutely love it and feel like it is a great way to honor some of the events that I participated in from 1995 - 2000. I only wish I hadn't given away, lost, traded, or set fire to the missing t-shirts. I'm glad that I have the one where I helped break a world record (no, I'm not kidding) as well as ones that remind me of the summer jobs I had. I helped with the binding for the quilt too - so that was nice for her to save a piece so I could feel a part of it.

Just so you can see the detail of the daisies in the flannel on the front (the back is red flannel with a super cute pattern):
For those that are wondering, the Ben & Jerry's shirt was from the Head RA trip that Patrick and I took to Vermont (not just because I like B&J's). That trip is SUPPOSED to be a ton of fun...or so I heard from Jon and Diane (the HRAs before me). Ours, however, was a tad different. Our adviser, James, (the only other person we knew in Vermont) had a divorce that was finalized on the first day of our trip. A divorce that he did not want. So was it a happy fun trip? Not so much. In fact, the only highlight of the trip was going to the factory tour...ahhh....good memories.

The best thing is that she made a label for the quilt... the label actually says:
"To Anne: Here's to quilts, we love them best, we love them best when we need rest...Made with love by Kelly, August 2008" which is a VERY G-rated version of a toast we used to shout when we imbibed a tad too much. In fact, the toast had nothing to do with quilts or rest. It's another memory that I can laugh at - and one that my kids will shake their heads at and feel sorry for their lame mom and her friend that must really love quilts. Side note: I am looking forward to being that uncool mom.

Until then, I'm just glad I'm home. My quilt and I are on the couch while Chassis is snoring. Boarding her must be pretty stressful because when she comes home from it, she typically sleeps for 12 hours straight. In fact, I just got up and tried to coax her to go outside and she was all "Where is the snooze button for you?"

Who's that lady?

Do you remember that commercial where they were playing the "Who's That Lady?" song as a woman was walking around...and they even had a kid that was singing it on a bus? I don't even kind of know what that ad was for, but if I were in a commercial these days, mine would be like. Well, maybe with more bow-chica-wow-wows. :) The commercial I'd be in? So glad you asked. Hair. :) The receptionists stopped me yesterday and asked if I had done something new with my hair. And I was all YES! I'm so glad you asked an innocent question. Let me bore you with the details of my new hair care system. Oh, and it's so soft! See for yourself...touch my hair. No, don't be shy...come on, touch it. TOUCH IT.

Aside from that, I did have a complete stranger yesterday tell me that she wished her hair could be styled like mine. And after I realized that she was talking to me and that she was not blind, I was quite flattered.

This Wen Hair Care System? I'm telling you...so far it's working for me. I may hate in in a little while, but so far, muy bueno.

In other news, I am going to be leaving here momentarily to go to work for a half a day and then flying to Chicago and driving to Peoria to be with my best friend, Kelly. I think I always say this, but this trip couldn't have come at a better time. I'm in need of good conversation, someone who loves me unconditionally, some hugs and slobbering from her bulldog (Princess Buttercup), and of course, consumption of bottles of wine.

Plus, did I tell you that I made her an afghan? Well, I did. And I even tried a new technique - looks pretty cool if I do say so myself. This was a thank you for her making me a quilt out of all my old t-shirts. When she was up here in May we took out my t-shirts I've been saving for this task (not knowing that she would offer to do it for me), laughed about the good times, drank some wine, and then mercilessly cut up my memories so that she could haul them back with her. Some of them were hard to let go, but thank goodness she left me my St. Pat's sweatshirts. :) Anyway, I can't wait to see the quilt. She's done this before and I know she did a fabulous job.

I'm excited and relieved that relaxation is close. Not having to be strong will be a great change - if only for the weekend.

Redheaded Stepchildren take the field!

So my fantasy football team, the Redheaded Stepchildren, has been finalized.

Here's the thing, when I went to the girl's dinner last night I was struck again how the redheaded people at my table did not appreciate my team name. One person in particular - who I will point out is NOT a stepchild (and to my knowledge, never been beaten like one) - crinkles her nose in disgust every time I mention it. Look, the phrase is funny. GET OVER IT.

By the by, we had dinner which was quite enjoyable and I saw a new baby for the first time. Just like I admitted, I hogged him. He was so tiny and cute and sweet. One of the ladies asked me if I wanted kids of my own...to which I believe I said "Yes...Oh...No." I do think I want kids. But what I want more than that is a committed partner who will help me with said kids. Because I think the task of being a single mom (even if you're married and the hubby isn't around) sounds like one of the hardest things I'd ever have to do. And although I'm working on my patience threshold, I'm pretty sure that the months of constant crying while trying to deal with your body doing weird things and any depression issues all by yourself would be just overwhelming. Having a partner or family that is close by who would help you with that would make things easier. I'm terrified of doing it by myself. Good thing I don't even kind of have anyone interested in participating in baby-making activities. Because that would be just horrible. Wait...I miss the baby-making activities. (sigh) Well, anyway, the baby was adorable.

So, back to my original reason for posting, last night we had our draft- and for those that care, my team is listed below. I think I'm going to have a pretty good season. I better have a good season. With all the crap I get about how girls shouldn't be allowed to play on the league (the current poll up on our league's website is: Who is better at football: Men or Women? SHOCKER that I'm the only person who voted for women) and because I'm the only female I get PILES of crap about it. So I just want to win enough money so that the entry fee is made back.

QB: B. Roethlisberger (see? I do like Pittsburgh :) )
RB: D. McFadden
RB: L. Tomlinson (oh yeah! :) )
WR: C. Johnson (I'll be dropping him soon)
WR: W. Welker
TE: C. Cooley
Kicker: S. Gostkowski
Defense: SD Chargers

BENCH:
D. Driver (WR)
J. Stewart (RB)
T. Sheffler (TE)
K. Curtis (WR)
M. Hasselbeck (QB)
S. Young (RB - my only Denver pick!)
J. Scobee (kicker)
NY Giants (defense)

And can I just point out that all of the squabbling and pettiness has been from the guys on the league? I've never heard a bigger bunch of pansies whine about how things aren't fair since...well...LAST SEASON. Which is the season that I kicked their butts.

For the record...

My friends, Matt and Kelly, are two of the coolest, cutest, and funniest people I've met here in Denver. They are funny, sweet, kind, supportive, able to identify random smells, and most importantly laugh at my jokes.

Thanks guys - for making my time on earth easier.

If those of you not from Denver ever visit, you will want to meet them and kidnap them for your very own friends. To this I say: hands off, people. I will share them with you, but you can't have them.

If that even starts to happen, I will fight for them. It'll be that girly slapping hands fighting thing, but I'll do it.

A new low

Today I recited some words from a VERY dorky* rap song with a friend of mine.

When I stopped, he continued. When he stopped, I continued. I didn't continue because I could hear the snickers from the cubes around me at work.

Really, even the people that mocked Vanilla Ice were probably rolling over in their graves, shaking their ghost heads at the two dorkiest white people ever.

I was laughing my butt off when I got off the phone though. Seriously, it was silly, delightfully funny, and reminded me that shaving lines in your eyebrows was a poor fashion trend.

Word to your mother.

*it was not dorky at the time. It was cool.

I've lost my touch...

There was another game night last night.

The night started out well when Kelly and Matt took me out to show me how to drive my car. :) I have paddle shifters on my steering wheel and I didn't know how to use them...and was afraid of breaking my car while trying to find out. So, a couple of weeks ago while at the Auto Show, Kelly volunteered Matt to teach me. They both were patient and now I know how to rock it in my car.

People, I'm not good at a lot of things...but typically I do well as a teammate or a participant in board games. Last night - after some 4 hours of Apples to Apples, I realized that I had only gotten ONE apple card.

That might be explained by the fact that I played Sour Apples when everyone else was playing the regular way because it was funnier. It might also be that Kelly has magical powers that she was exerting over all of us as she was able to get cards from almost everyone in one round (admit it Kelly...have you and Matt been practicing since the last game night??). Or maybe I was distracted by all the shiny objects in the room.

(sigh)

The best thing about the night was obviously hanging out with everyone. :) Yadda yadda yadda it was a good night after all.

The end.

The Boulder Trip Pictures

So, I realized that I didn't post the pictures from my trip to Boulder a while back.

We were driving not too far from my house and happened to see this huge gorilla on the side of the road... who could resist posing next to it? :)

Next we actually went to Boulder and ate at a great place called BJs. :)  Two glasses of wine later and this seemed like a great idea.  I'm the one taking the picture, so you can't really see my face, but I was doing it!  I promise!

We decided to window shop, go to an all natural beauty products shop (no razors there!) and just had a fun time walking around.  We saw this cool statue of a woman on a swing.  Apparently, I was still feeling the wine. :)  What can I say?  We were in a silly mood.

Lastly, we went to a hat stand...

And then this guy wanted to have his picture taken with us.  Can you blame him?  I mean, look how hot we were in our fuzzy hats!!! :)

Atomic Dogs

So, I've been sick since Friday morning - the same crud that's probably been passed around every office in the US this week. :)  In fact, I've been so under the weather that I missed out on some plans that I had with some friends for St. Pat's - but more on that tomorrow.  Suffice it to say that I was crushed that I couldn't be with them.  

I did participate in a game night with some friends.  My friends Kim and Chris invited a couple of us over to their house to play some games.  And I have to say, I am a big game person - I love them!  Is it rude of me to say that I'm a good teammate?  Cocky?  Well...it's true.  I'm sure it's because I'm competitive, but hey... I have to have a fault somewhere, right?  Anyway, we ended up playing one of my favorite games, Apples to Apples.  Another game night attendee was Matt - SOOOO funny.  I laugh so hard every time I'm around him.  This game is one where you pick cards and play cards based upon what you think someone else will think is most like the card that was picked. :)  Hee hee...was that clear or what? :)  Just trust me...it's fun.  Anyway, Matt knows what a sarcastic person I am so he would constantly play cards that knew I would pick.  Thus why he won the first round.  His wife, Kelly, is a such a sweet person too - and I get to see her (and two other game night attendees) this week at our monthly Girls' Dinner.   

Me laughing like that hasn't happened since...well... since Reno so it was nice to forget all the stresses of every day world - if only for a little while.

I also went to a volunteer meeting for a dog rescue that I'm involved with and met one of the CUTEST puppies I've seen in a long time.  His name was Deacon - and here he is at 11 weeks.  

Today he is 18 weeks and he is 97 pounds and he is SOOO cute! :)  He is a mastiff and he made me re-think my Great Danes forever plan. :)  UGH!  I couldn't get over how cute he is!!  If you ever find yourself down, just pet a puppy.  They'll cheer you right up! :)

Speaking of dogs, I took Chassis into PetsMart today to get her nails trimmed.  It was not a day too soon, too! :)  What should've been a 15 minute trip was actually a couple of hours.  We can't go anywhere without someone stopping to pet her and ask what she is.  I swear, that dog gets so much attention for me, it's like having a permanent wingman! :)  The bummer is the guys that are in awe of her are either 8 years old or there with their girlfriends/wives.  And despite what people seem to think these days, I'm not out to snatch me a married man. :)  Actually, I get my fair share of older men too who like to talk to me about their old dane, or big dog, or in today's case a cockatoo.  I'm not saying I was volunteering or anything, but it was a bunch of fun to go out in public, educate people on the breed, see kids faces light up, and just have some positive energy thrown my way.  

Doozy...

I don't know what I did in my life to deserve people like you...but it must've been good.

You are great.  

Thanks for the phone calls, the emails, comments, and thoughts.  

I just got back from dinner with my friend, Kasey, where I bared my heart, took down some walls, and felt loved anyway.  I came back to a couple of emails from past friends and listened to Jon Hey's (see, you *are* famous again!) voicemail.  And you know what?  No one has turned me away, called me silly, or even chastised me.  Every one of you have been concerned about what was best for me and have wanted me to be happy.  And I am happy...

You all have supported me through it all...and this past year has been a doozy!  (ed. note: doozy is not used enough these days)  New job, selling a house, buying a new house,moving, breaking up with the unstable ex, thinking of moving and changing jobs again, and...him.    

People probably live their whole lives without having a friend like you...how lucky am I to have several?

(sigh)

Thanks...if I don't say it often enough, thanks. :)  You rock.

Good times, good times...

I'm pretty excited about the possibility of staying in touch with people better...I've been oh-so bad in the past.  

Long story short, when I was in high school, I became friends with a cool group of people...unfortunately, they were all a year older than me, so when they graduated I had to make some different friends.  Anyway, when I was a senior, my parents decided to seperate after 25 years of marriage.  That was a great decision, really, but it was tough on the family.  All the drama surrounding those and other decisions was a HUGE deciding factor to move far, far away.   Unfortunately, with my need and want to distance myself from the craziness that was happening, I lost touch with people that I really did care about.  Hey, it's life and it happens.

Through the wonders of the internet, I've found some of these people...and I really, really, really would like to contact more of them.

My friend, Jennifer, is one of those people - we've kept in contact a little bit since high school but I'm excited to get to know her- you know, Jen, the woman.  Apparently she feels the same.  I'm just learning about how to link to crap, but you gotta' see this.  She posted a REALLY old picture...back from '92.  Yikes, look at the sleeves on that thing!

Anyway, thanks to you freaks who loved me before you knew what a crazy person I am/would be.  And thanks for all the lovely pictures yet to come...:) Because I've seen Lisa's posts when it's someone's birthday and I'm so not looking forward to that shizzle. 

Catch up

Okay...I'm saying it. I'm sometimes a bad communicator. When I'm stressed and busy, I suck more about keeping in touch than when I'm not.

So for those that have the time, here's what's new in my life...

1) The house: I got two offers on the same day a couple of weeks ago. This past week, my house passed inspection which means that I should be able to close on November 9th like I'd planned. This would be sheer happiness, but I still haven't found a place to move into yet. I bet I've seen over 70 properties and I have only found one that really *felt* like home. The problem is that I offered what the place is actually worth...and the owner/investor feels like it's worth a lot more. I'd love to have emotion sweep me away on this one so I'd offer more, but the house (although I really love it) just isn't worth that. And I don't want to be not able to sell it later down the road. The big problem is that when I took this new job back in April, it came with a big pay deduction. So I'm doing the responsible thing by decreasing my debt load and my payment. But since I want to also live in Denver where the rest of the young, single, and semi-sane people live, I'm decreasing quite a bit in house. I've come to terms with living in a condo, row home, or half of a duplex...but unfortunately in the areas I'm looking in, they're just not feeling right. Since my offer was not accepted (and they're not going lower than their asking price), I'm off to look at places again today. I'm bummed, but I also know that even if I have to rent for awhile, I hope I'll be able to figure out where I should live.

2. Chassis: For those that don't know, my dog has had some significant health problems lately...she's shaking (almost like she's got Parkinsons) when she sits or lays down. I've had a neurologist look at her and the consensus is that she has hypothyroidism (rare in dogs her age) and that it might stop the tremors. She has been on medication for about 4 weeks and so far no change. But the doctors feel she's not in pain, so we're living with it. :)

3. My health: I've been sick for over a week now and it's not really getting better. I'm not sure what's up, but I'm sneezing, coughing, and yuckify-ing everything in my house. :) I went to the doctor last week, and they thought that I had a sinus infection so they gave me antibiotics. I felt better for awhile, but I'm feeling worse again. Not so much fun...and really not a convenient time. :) Dude, I am BUSY! :) I don't have time to be sick right now. Yes, on some level I do realize how silly that sounds.

4. Work: Okay, so the job that I really liked (and still do) is going okay. But there has been a regime change in my office and I now have a new supervisor. My supervisor's name is Dale and he is someone I not only can't stand but someone I can't respect. He says foul, offensive, and sexually suggestive things CONSTANTLY. He doesn't hit on me, but he jokes about being gay all the time with other people in the office. And he does it in a way to be demeaning towards homosexuals. I guess he thinks it's funny...but since I have close friends that are gay, I really don't find it funny at all. I haven't figured out if he's a hateful person or if he's just socially stupid. For instance, I've heard him tell stories about when he slept with prostitues in VietNam. Okay...so I've been a tom-boy my whole life...and I really can hang with the guys. But I don't really want to hear my 60 year old boss talk about prostitutes that he nicknamed "Scar Belly." I don't feel that that's appropriate and I don't want to hear it! But that's not all. When he sees personal faxes for people, he throws them away. He'll come up to people on the phone and either yell in their office or literally hang up on the person they're talking to. He signs up people for mail order items without their knowledge so they get sent and charged to their houses. He thinks it's funny to steal things from people's desks and not give them back. He doesn't deal with things when they come up in a confrontational manor - instead, he chooses to talk about them behind their back with the rest of us. And he's the one that got promoted!!! It doesn't actaully say a lot about my company and who they feel are management material. I don't see me working for this company for much longer if he's the a-hole that I have to see and communicate with daily. And that's a bummer.

5. Family: My grandmother moved from Washington DC to Chicago about a month ago to be near my dad. She has dimentia and was found wandering outside her house not knowing where she was. So now she's in a home in Chicago where my dad can keep a better eye on her. A little over a week ago it seemed like she had had a small stroke because she didn't know where she was again and was having more health issues. She's now been discharged from the hospital, but the last time I talked to her and I mentioned that I would see her at Christmas, she just replied "We'll see. I probably won't be here then." So not looking good there.

So with all these things going on, I'm just a tad stressed. :)

I do miss you...even if I don't communicate as often as I should. I hope I'll have better news and be more like my happy, cheerful self the next time I blog. Until then, know that I do care...even if I don't call or write as often as I should.

:),
me

Funny or not so funny?

I'm not trying to brag, but people seem to think I'm funny. I get a kick out of it - there's nothing like the feeling of making people laugh. Every now and again, someone will tell me that I should either do stand-up or audition for "Last Comic Standing." I gotta' tell you a couple of things:

1) I'm not that funny...really. It's just that usually my audience is drinking.

and 2) sometimes what I think is funny is not what other people think are funny. Which is really unfortunate...because when no one else thinks it's funny, I get tickled by the joke even more. Sure, it's kind of a bad cycle, but I can't seem to stop it.

So, a couple of weeks ago, this comic was emailed to me. I laughed and laughed and even put it up on the outside of my cube (I'm a giver, what can I say?). No one...and I mean NO ONE in my office thought it was funny. I, on the other hand, would laugh every time I saw it.

Since I put up a new comic every week, the people in my office politely waited until the week of that comic was up... probably hoping that it would be replaced by a Ziggy cartoon. Please note that if you do, in fact, think Ziggy cartoons are funny, I order you to stop reading now. Seriously. I can't be friends with someone like you.

Fast forward to today:

One of my friends from college (Candice Yoder...now Salmon) just had her third baby. The baby's name is Isaiah Robert. Yay Candice!

So off and on during the day I thought about this name...and in the afternoon, an AWESOME nickname came to me. I think they should nickname him iBob. You know...like iPod.

I'm thinking about his new nickname and I was cracking up. I mean, I was literally laughing out loud at my desk in my cube. I was so proud of myself! I emailed two friends...both of which did not comment on the nickname that I, quite frankly, thought was hilarious. So I decided to run it by a couple of co-workers. They thought that it was not funny. I decided to push it further and explain the joke, like:
"oh come on!

iBob...like short for Isiah Robert?

But like iPod?

Get it?

Okay, let me explain it more...it's like this..."

And even *that* didn't work. My boss (who also did not like the "Get a room" comic) said "Again, I don't want you to confuse my not laughing as that I don't get it." My co-worker, Lisa, even gave me a pity laugh... I think because she was tired of me saying "iBob...get it? like iPod?" over and over. Another co-worker said, "Well, the good news is that it's as funny as the "Get a room!" comic." I, of course, was flattered by this.

(sigh)

iBob.

That's funny...I don't care who you are.

*This* is why I would never win on "Last Comic Standing."

Thank you!!

What did I do to deserve a friend like you?
Friday afternoon when Jon and I broke up, my world was pretty much turned upside down. I thought that he was one of the few people that I could trust blindly. Sometimes I catch myself still shocked that he actually cheated and that he wasn't ever going to tell me. The most painful was the emotional cheating that he did...and all those bad little thoughts about ourselves that we all try so hard to suppress came flooding towards me. Because as I've found, when you're alone and wide awake at 3 a.m. it's hard to remember that it isn't you and it wasn't your fault.

I wondered if there were good, honest people out there and if people were worth trusting at all...

Your support over the last couple of days through thoughts, prayers, phone calls, emails, and comments have meant so much!

It's helped me to feel grounded. It's reminded me that there are good people who still know right from wrong. It's made me feel loved even though I am trying to release the feeling of being rejected. It's helped me realize how thankful that I am that I get to be in your lives. It's renewed my faith in the goodness of people and given me the strength to let go of some of the anger, hurt, and sadness. Even those that have offered to call or "visit" him have made me feel protected, cared for, and that it's okay to lean on people. What's more is that it's helped me remember that I will be able to trust whomever I date in the future...maybe more tentatively than in the past, but I will be able to trust again.

I doubt I'll ever know what I did to deserve friends like you. In truth, I don't think I did anything to deserve it.

You are a gift. Your friendship is a gift.

And I thank you from the bottom of my heart!