It's Time To Get Things Started!!

I just got back from seeing The Muppets...and hopefully the Muppets are back to stay for a while. It has been 12 years since the last Muppet movie hit theaters (and let's face it: Muppets from Space really wasn't that great). I guess since I'm so familiar with the Muppets, that I forget how much of a generational thing they really are. My 57 year old dad can't distinguish between the Muppet Show Muppets and the Sesame Street Muppets. My 9 year old goddaughter has marginal a knowledge of Kermit the Frog. Other than that their collective knowledge of Jim Henson's creations/characters is extremely limited.

But the new movie just made me so happy!! It had every thing you expect from a Muppet movie: random celebrity cameos...check! (Mickey Rooney, Whoopi, Neil Patrick Harris, Jim Parsons, John Krasinski, Selena Gomez & that kid from Modern Family...and so many more that I'm blanking on right now), the signature self-mocking script...check! The fact that the characters know and acknowledge the fact that they're in a movie...check! Every Muppet was in attendance and Kermy sang Rainbow Connection!!

Amy Adams and Jason Segel were great...adding just the right amount of cheesiness to the mix!!

I'll bet even Statler and Waldorf would have a hard time heckling this movie! It was pretty Muppet-tastic!

Turkey Lurkey time!

I am thankful for Thanksgiving, which is one of my favorite holidays. I love everything about it. I love watching the parade on TV (although, I'd love to see it in person someday). I love the smell of turkey roasting in the oven. I love setting the table all fancy. I love the food coma. I even love cylindrical cranberries!! In fact, the only thing I do not like about Thanksgiving is losing at Phase 10. I really do not like losing at Phase 10. Like...at all.

But, I am thankful for a house to lose at Phase 10 in, a family that loves me, a job I love, and a car I can drive to Target at midnight. Yes...I participated in the madness of Black Friday and I will never do it again! There were so many people, and they were all so rude! I accidentally bumped one woman, so I said I was sorry and she responded with the most sarcastic 'yeah' I have ever heard in my life. It was ridiculous, and gross and I will never wait in a line that long again unless Space Mountain is at the other end. Actually...I don't even like to wait that long for Space Mountain, I usually just get a FastPass! I did get some pretty sweet deals, though...but not worth the insanity!

I am also thankful for the day after Thanksgiving (and not because of the $40 Anne Taylor Loft cardigan I got for $15 at the outlets) but because I celebrated one of my favorite NEW holidays...which has been dubbed 'Friendsgiving'! A holiday for all the 'Relaters' to get together for turkey, fixings and good times...I do believe a new tradition was born last night!! I am so thankful for that group of people! That crazy, dysfunctional, inappropriate, lovely, wonderful group of people!!

So...if you have a roof over your head, food in your stomach, and/or a group of bizarre people you tend to hang out with....be thankful!

Going to the chapel!

Yesterday one of my oldest friends got married...she's not old as a person (she's only 25), just old as a friend. Emily and I met at church and have been friends since about first or second grade. We went all the way through Sunday school, confirmation, high school and youth group together. And I was honored to be invited to take part in this special day with her! The ceremony was beautiful, the bride was gorgeous, the groom was beaming from ear to ear and the reception was fantastic!

The reception was held at the Visalia Country Club, which I had never been to before. It's a pretty swanky establishment so it's a good thing I had my classy hair-do...or they probably wouldn't have let me in. It was great to see some friends from high school again, as well as some of their parents. It was kind of weird, though...trying to figure out how and when we all became grown-ups. I mean, ten years ago I never would have imagined sipping champagne with people whose fridges I'd raided at so many sleep-overs. I mean, sharing a dance floor with moms and dads that were like second parents through high school...weird, right?

But it was a really fun reception, the food was terrific and band was rockin'. I even got to dance with the cutest guy!! Granted, he was probably about 7, but he definitely had 'those moves like Jagger'! I love dancing at weddings! I didn't even take my shoes off...I lasted all night in my 3" heels...you should be impressed!!

Congrats to Emily and Drew...I know you two will live happily ever after!

G-L-A-M-O-R-OUS

I absolutely suck at doing hair...and my regular routine of blow-drying my hair and sticking it up in a pony tail or a clip just wasn't going to cut it for my friend's wedding (which will be blah-ged about tomorrow once I re-coup from a night of dancing in 3" stilettos!)

So I called a professional and got my hair did! I felt like a princess (or a movie star or something equally fabulous) getting a fancy-schmancy hair-do by this Australian guy that my usual stylist recommended (she was booked). I brought in a couple pictures, and he brought out an industrial strength curling iron and about five different products that made my hair not feel like hair anymore, but made it shiny and helped it to actually do something for a change.

It just felt good to be pampered, and get special treatment, and get out of doing chores because I would ruin my beautiful up-do!

I just love that it's all twirly and complicated looking!! I also like how, even though it's all up, it looks longer than it actually is. Auro (that was the guy's name) said it was a challenge working with so little hair, but I think he did a fantastic job! Then he gave me a hug, and sent me on my way to the ball! (I'm assuming all foreign-born hairdressers ask their clients for hugs...I watch What Not To Wear, so I know things!)

I think what impressed me the most was that this 'do was accomplished using only 7 bobby pins and two hair pins (yeah, probably a pint of hairspray, but still) It even managed to hold up for most of the evening as well!!

Do you even see how glamorous I am?

Today I Don't Feel Like Doing Anything

Sometimes I can be pretty lazy. I'm a procrastinator, and I hate chores. Far too often I have been known to spend a day in my jammies and watch TV and movies on the sofa all day long. Except for trips to the kitchen for food, and the occasional walk down the hall to the restroom, I rarely get up. I actually like lazy days...I catch up on 'my stories', spend quality time with my laptop and watch Penelope (or whatever, I just love that movie so much!). My tendency towards laziness drives my mother up the wall. She is one of those who is always moving and busy. Until Sunday. When she came down with a little cold. So she slept until nearly 10, stayed in her jammies and just rested on the couch all day long. Like, a good daughter I made her tea, brought her toast, and offered to sing 'Soft Kitty'. I didn't let her do any school work or house work. And you know what? At the end of the day she felt better. In fact, on Monday she told me that she felt better then she did before she got sick. She actually admitted that taking a lazy day helped her.

So...to that I say: Why do today what can so easily be done tomorrow?

Be lazy

Be refreshed!

Who's That Girl?

Five episodes in, and I am hooked on the new Fox series New Girl. At times, I think this show is partially based on my life. Essentially, it is about a girl who is quirky and weird, and likes being quirky and weird, and through her quirkiness and weirdness ends up being pretty adorable (or in the show's word: 'a-dork-able'). I can totally relate to the main character, Jess, because being adorable is my thing! People are always saying things to me like, "Oh, you're a preschool teacher, that's adorable." "You have a crush on a guy, you're too cute." And yeah, working with 3 and 4 year olds is super cute. Especially when instead of napping (like they're supposed to), they kick you, hit you, laugh at you and make you so frustrated that you cry*. And I'm not sure why but somehow my having a crush on a guy who probably will never feel the same way seems 'cute' to my married friends. Yes, sometimes I think my life is just too cute for me to handle. Doing all the quirky and weird and 'adorable' things I do every day is exhausting. It's actually pretty hard work being this adorable all the time....but I guess someone's gotta do it.

(What can I say?)

*To be fair, that was an isolated incident...I really do love my job

Oops...I Did It Again

Remember elementary school? When you had a crush on someone, you would show them how much to liked them by teasing them, calling them names and/or chasing them around the playground. I want to know at what age 'normal' people start owning up to their feelings...because I'm pretty sure I'm still a bit of a second grader when it comes to this kind of stuff. About a week ago I needed some advice about an issue I was having with my car. Cars are super confusing for one thing. Pounds of air? Inches of air? What is that about? Also, can my car just come right out and tell me what is wrong with it. Like, if I need air in my tires, can there be a light on my dash that actually says 'tires need air' instead of some crazy hieroglyphic? Anyway, this isn't about my car, or her tires...it's about the question I had about my car. Someone (male) gave me some actual information...and my reply was snarky and sarcastic. My MO is my cynical charm...and for some odd reason it's not working...

Why do I always do this? Whether I 'like like' a guy, or we're just friends....why am I mean?