Thursday, November 13, 2008

Connections, by M (an email excerpt) yah another one. Whatever.

Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:30:42 -0800
From: Somebody's Mom
To: Mendacious
Subject: internet connection

Dad has been talking about switching internet providers fro some time. He says that he is going to make the change today or tomorrow. They (at &t), who will be the new provider, say that it will take a week to clear the lines and have our new service start. This horrifies me. How can we be without service for a week! And in this internet age, how can it take so long? I am hoping that it won't take that long.
The new service is supposed to be faster and cost less than the current service.
Anyway. I wanted to give you a head's up. You may be like Brandon driving around Newport looking for a hot spot..
----

11/13/2008 10:03 AM >>>

scary!
but good to know.

now if you guys could just get rid of the cars. you have no idea how much anxiety involves me in a parents die tragically scenario and then i have no idea what to do with them. and i want to keep the mustang and finally learn to drive stick but i don't know what is wrong with the engines or all the parts and i just cry a lot and plant things in it.
----
Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 10:18:04 -0800
From: Somebody's Mom
To: Mendacious
Subject: RE: internet connection

You'll take to stick like a duck to water. Just be sure you've eaten. Dad is close to having the green beast running. The engine on your brother's mustang is fine. just needs tuning, engine on mine is tired and Dad is planning on rebuilding it. If you find yourself suddenly orphaned, I'll tell Dad's ghost to tell you what for on the cars... it will be fine.
----
11/13/2008 12:10 PM >>>

good. cuz you know how i worry.
if we could get that all resolved before hand that would be great.
-----

Date: Thu, 13 Nov 2008 12:13:30 -0800
From: Somebody's Mom
To: Mendacious
Subject: RE: internet connection

It sure would.




Wednesday, November 12, 2008

Pen & M Convo (excerpt)

From: Pen
Subject:
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 10:28:52 -0500

oh my goodness. how terribly rad is our new header??!! I'm loving it!
nice work, my friend. once again.
---


From:
Mendacious
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2008 1:04 PM
Subject:
RE:

:D
as long as you don't think its too busy-ee.
we'll see.

i was going for a little bit of how we feel... avec fall and the closing in on winter.
---

From: Penelope
To: M
Subject: Re: RE:
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 20:48:22 -0500


it's pretty perfect.

From: Mendacious
Sent:
Tuesday, November 11, 2008 9:09 PM
Subject:
RE:

i'm such a validation whore.
; )

---

From: Pen
To: M
Subject: Re: RE:
Date: Tue, 11 Nov 2008 22:51:10 -0500
aren't we all? Smile emoticon


Tuesday, November 11, 2008

notes

  1. Ever pensive, my mind has been *brewing* as of late, to the point of great distraction. You should see how packed my DVR is—between this new side jobby of mine and all the brewing, I haven’t even had time for all the crap I watch! My usual solution for peneloccupations is to blog about them, but frankly, I think these matters are a bit of a drag-down for the three existing blogs of Pen&M, LoCo, and Smartini. Too serious. I’m quite sure that if I started linking a bunch of articles on any of these blogs, y’all would very soon tune me out, and/or banish me from your blogrolls. So think of my fourth blog as yet another Thought Receptacle for Penelope. J.Lo (and possibly m) will have a fit about it, wondering how in the eff I’ll have the time, but I argue that I’m so consumed with this stuff anyway, this blog is my outlet for it. Put it out there and be done. Plus, who doesn’t want an even deeper look into the multi-faceted mind of penelope? So, please, if you’re interested, check it out and join the conversation. Or else I'll just speak to the void. Whichever...
  2. As noted in the sidebar, I’m in love with our new set of jumbo coffee mugs. They’re big, can be used as soup and cereal bowls. We had about a million coffee cups already, but none this shape and size, and I ultimately justified the purchase by getting rid of some sincerely ugly ones. Mugs from J.Lo’s bachelor days. I was a tiny bit nervous I’d hurt his feelings by bringing my festering, five-year disdain of these mugs to light, but it turns out these mugs were purchased with… Marlboro Miles. I have no words.
  3. I haven’t been doing Survivor Fridays, not because we’re not still obsessed with the show (clearly we are), but I just haven’t felt inspired. One of the tribes, named Fang, has to be one of the worst tribes in the history of Survivor, and it doesn’t seem to matter who’s on the tribe. They’ve switched it up a few times, and they.just.stink. One of the chicks (bitchy Corinne—cute, but can’t really stand her) even changed the pronunciation last episode from “Fong” to “Fang”… didn’t help.
  4. I heart Mario Kart for the Wii. I haven’t really played video games for years, not since the days of the old Nintendo. I’m pretty terrible, but it’s a fun, mindless buzz nonetheless.
  5. The side jobby: It’s also thrown me for a loop. I had a not-really-minor meltdown last week, just trying to sort out expectations. I work from home, drafting some (I’m learning, J.Lo is teaching) and doing some admin work. Right now there’s much more admin than drafting. Adding anything like this to one’s life is always an adjustment, and of course there’s always a learning curve. Anyway, I think I’m over it now. Still don’t know what I’m doing really but feel more comfortable with my direction, and my chosen method of muddling through.

Sunday, November 9, 2008

Baby, by M

danica's patron saint: st. frideswide. a strong, take no-nonsense, truth touting woman of god.

My friends Cath and Penelope bore up admirably under all this baby shower talk, as did Grain of Sand and AA. I didn't blog about it much as the Mom to Be reads the blog... only cryptic references to trips "downtown"... I myself didn't really see the object, just the end result of my planning. So when I saw pictures of Danica getting misty-eyed or touched by sentimentality- I went oh yes, something actual and emotional is happening here. I was so tired from all the prepping, buying, executing of said event it hadn't really occurred to me. As I was thinking always: we were doing this for Danica. And since I've missed out on both of Penelope's kids- she has 2 so she tells me, and they're quite life-impacting I don't really get that all first hand. So I imagine that I view Danica's impending life changing event in quite the same removed light. What over there, happening to you? What's that about? I have no idea! Plus when Danica and I get together it's mainly story and not so much with the feeling of things. So I didn't even really write her a card to make her cry or wrap a gift so difficultly she had to use directions to get it open, or anything... But then well, the event, I suppose was the gift for her, but not for the bambina... and at that I can only hope she doesn't get too sucked into the moms circle. Though I suppose every mom needs one. Penelope really would know better than I. I can only conjecture at some of the moms at the party, and look at them and think, I don't want to be that kind of mom, maybe this kind of mom, or ... what? Who knows. But nevermind, that's all for another blog post. I just feel checked out about the mom-to-be thing. I can only hope my mom-friends don't mind too much. I care. Mostly. I really do. But I'll be able to relate there if our roads ever meet. Here's the result:mom-to-be, danica, awesome friend wendy, myself and my $10 Ross dress, with crosage, diva'fied and co-planning maven joanna. (above) and i have them all mostly hard at work making flower lapel-pins etc. some of the people did not make flowers. i secretly cried and tried not to be offended... but hello, these sorts of craft epiphanies don't come on too often. capitalize!
look at all those splashes of fabulous red. my goal was for the women to be the flowers amidst the sea of calm by deep mediterranean waters sort of thing. $1 a yard fabric. You cannot beat. $30 for the overhanging fabric. $25 for the tablecloths.
co conspirators- her sister, autumn, joanna, myself, tricia (the most excellent chef who made honey/ginger sorbet!, bruchetta etcetcetc.)
$50 on flowers- pretty good for 2 large bouquets, 5 table centerpieces-- basically 4 elements: thistle which i'm in love with, hoighty white china mums, dahlias and loveliesbleeding.

a lovely place.
joanna's backyard.
for a most lovely and deserving friend.
not that all my friends aren't deserving.
but here's to you danica.
you fabulous
person
you.

Saturday, November 8, 2008

CraftTime Again, by M


I was walking downtown on trip #1 and it struck me while looking in a store full of odds and ends that we could make lapel pins for the baby shower craft that i was forced to come up with. The perfect thing about this perfect craft is that there's no mess. You just cut pieces from a pattern that you make, sew it together and you're done. The felt is CHEAP. And all in all it was about $40 (for buttons,needles, hoighty sewing thread, and the felt) which should make enough flowers to be about $2 per person. Plus felt was IN in the 40's and 50's. And our shower just happens to be themed in that light- so imagine the inspiration struck and i felt i'd hit internal gold. Good thing i have a mom who likes to make things. She not only made the patterns, but made the samples. And I only looked vaguely sad, and sighed once about the work I had to do and it wasn't but 1second later she was digging into the bag to see what she could do. MOM ROCKS!



Wednesday, November 5, 2008

Ok Fine, Whatever, What about Me, by M

As I blamed my lack of enthusiasm about the way the election went on my hovering cold, since it's going to do whatever it's going to do, and so fine I voted but, no I didn't stay up all night watching election coverage about the coming of the anti-c-, I mean democratic messiah, because you know, i'm fighting off a cold. "Oh," says the woman who was up till 1am, reveling in the forth coming soci- erhm- revolution.

Last night I was slumped over in a bar, feeling overfed on steamed vegetables and a naughty but delicious grilled chicken sandwich when the election coverage began to get to me. I then fled under duress to the nearest Coffee Bean, where my cousin continued to text his ex- about her being a racist whore. I said, if you don't stop I'm going to leave you and shop at Ross. Even though I knew that Ross sucked in comparison to the one I went to yesterday. And still I sort of regret that I didn't leave him and go see if there was ANYTHING?! i could buy. I was RIGHT THERE.

He continued to talk about how 70% of women are shallow and like to date assholes. And the beautiful ones, forget it. I said, women aren't like that. To which he said, you're an exception. Which I was vaguely, basically latently offended. Because obviously being fat and a Christian who has moral values, rules me out of any basic commentary on what women want and what a man has to do to get them. And the reason I'm single is because I'm fat and not putting myself out there. Because to him, since he is awesomely attractive, compassionate and moderately successful, he should be able to date any woman he wants. And why is it so hard. I referred him to the Southpark Episode entitled: "The List"... though I don't know if he realized it was mainly an inditement on him... or part of him, and what he wants.

While I vomited into my cup of Earl Grey and he texted his ex about who brought up what first, I continued to stare at Ross. Eventually I said, I have to go to bed, which included taking 2 benedryl and trying not to freak out about anything. Because though we ended up talking about hot chicks, obama, the subtle flavors of beer, his drug addict parents, and money, it really all came down to everything I believe and everything he doesn't. Which left me thinking I just want to sew my dress and make it perfect for Saturday and God, why can't he just get it. Which left me sitting here today drawing sketches about trimming bull horns and alligators attacking other alligators. And maybe going to get a latte.. like right after i post this.



For further reading on what i really wanted to repeat over and over and over about my depressed passively suicidal cousin:

here's the thing about people who are depressed, which you are, and i understand that. You are consumed with yourself. Understandably but it is at times vain and narcissistic to continually be dissatisfied with your condition and state with so much other shit going on in the world. And I know you know this, as you say. I've been there so I get it. But it's a decision that you have to make that the things you do in life, how you treat yourself, how you treat others, matters, even in the small ways. And bottom line, from a Christian perspective: Your life is not yours to give or to take. And control rests with Christ, not with you. And you have to decide to give it over to him or not. He is either bigger than you, and your life is his to do what he pleases with or he is small and worthless and not to be trusted. But I'm telling you i feel the reward in acknowledging him author of my life over EVERYTHING, and there is JOY to be had there, not just fleeting happiness. and there is worth in you! WORTH. actually. you are here for a reason. and you are VALUABLE. and necessary.

being even, passively suicidial at times, you can continue on that road of disconnection, severing ties, feeding the lying monster... or you can say wait, why am i believing it? why? just because you're not where you want to be? and its ok to acknowledge and admit why you're angry, why you think it sucks, why being alone for you right now is not ok, but you need to start the work of actually loving yourself despite anything else. And understanding God loves you more than you can fathom even loving yourself or anyone.

A lot of our problems, perhaps yours, lies in a deep seated need for control- control of circumstance, of life, of other people, and we spend/waste so much of our time trying to do that- it causes anger, frustration, jealousy... when we can't get what we want, right now- we continually look at the world as failing us, friends failing us, and then eventually we are failing us. We dismiss the journey, the story we have here and now even when it sucks. Also there is no one here on earth that can fix you. I firmly believe that. Nor is there anyone on earth who can complete you in the way you need to be completed. Friends, Family, a lover, girlfriend, whatever, wife--- can't ever be enough either. Because its in our nature to be fallible and at times equally self-consumed. And those demons of darkness will grasp you through all the travails of life. What you're looking for is an immediate fix that you think will fill the gap, instead of struggling with and overcoming your internal issues- over control, over not feeling loved, of not meeting the world's idea of success, and that there is deeper meaning to be had in life when taken with humility and a fuckload of hard work...

We've had this discussion, this same exact one before. I can get together and hang with you but we can't talk about this. And i'll tell you why. Not only have we discussed this before but we're philosophically different. Totally opposed. I think your pride and ego and your inability to seek help and look at things differently is causing this- but you don't. You as well as us, keep going in circles every time this issue comes up. How long are you going to continue to hold onto your beliefs in this regard, have them fail you then be unwilling to see it any other way? What are you doing differently that's going to come up with a different answer? That rules out a therapist? and why?

You're depressed, so a lot of what I say is going to be lost in your tenacious need to be right- because you're looking for anything to validate your claims that this is how the world is. And your obsessed over the failures of the past, and over relationships- which you think should be easy to get because everyone else has one? And i'm telling you none of that is usually true and then you're just going to tell me why I'm wrong. I think bottom line you want to view your life as a failure, and you want to be unloved and you're unwilling to do anything about it because in some way it feeds you and gives you what you want. And you're going to tell me from an idiotic world and society view why i'm wrong to tell you that life isn't about that.

The thing about faith, and i understand that you're not a christian, which is why i prefaced it by saying "from a christian perspective"... it has nothing to do with wishing to god and hoping that poof your life will magically change on a rainbow of good luck. it's literally about submitting yourself in humility over life, which you don't have control of. And you are completely wrong about it not being about control. You are a control freak, and you're in total denial about it. The reason you regret your past, regret your circumstance, is becuase you regret you can no longer control the outcome, as if at the time you could anyway. Granted life is about choice, but your chosing right now, to dwell in the misfortune of your past, and further you're making a choice to say that i'm just stuck that way, that's how i'm built.... and if you don't think you can change, make different choices, then what am i going to say to help you? I can't. You have to be willing to look at life differently- not from a materialistic standpoint, not from a success standpoint. You are chosing a vain path and it is leading you to your destruction.

He took it all in good stride... but of course he replied, why shouldn't a man have pride and ego and success and money and a wife and a house and kids and the good life... and not struggle or have hardship because you know... it's like so easy. And so the snake bites the tail.

Monday, November 3, 2008

L-A-M-E

NFApparently, Netflix will no longer be selling previously viewed DVDs. Huh! No more Juno for $5.99?! Granted, I’ve only purchased a few used movies from them, but with free shipping to boot, having this option to buy was a big perk of the membership.  The email said something about bringing back the focus to providing great movies for rental. What-ev-er.

My question is, where will the surplus movies then go? If Netflix could direct me to the website where the cheapies will be available, that would be great, thanks. And it better be free shipping.

Shadow Box #4, by M

I've gone minimal here. This is for a November someone. Not a January someone. I'm still working on that one... but what have you. Here it is. I am not quite sure how the items will hold up to time however.


for the record…

  • I did make an informed decision prior to casting my vote for President.
  • I do not fully agree with my chosen candidate’s proposed policies.
  • I do recognize that McCain’s agenda can also be seen as redistributionist, socialism for the wealthy, and/or socialism, period.
  • I don’t support those policies, either.
  • Ultimately, I chose the party/candidate that I feel will  be better for this country. In the long run.
  • I’m quite sure Obama will win anyway.

That is all.

Sunday, November 2, 2008

weights on/weights off

weights on:

  • Have not lost any weight despite exercising 4x per week and cutting back snack intake.
  • Am currently major slacker in the online writing group department, must get act together.
  • Suddenly the entire house is grimy and/or dusty.
  • The child is sleeping terribly again.
  • J.Lo and I wonder when The Office, despite continuing to be funny this season, will actually get back into the actual office.

weights off:

  • Purchased two pairs of pants today that *gasp* FIT correctly.
  • Boxed/bagged up a half-ton of clothes to be donated.
  • Deleted Heroes from the DVR roll. It was us, not them.
  • Have early voted, procured sticker and sense of having done civic duty.
  • Car will be inspected tomorrow, will no longer be driving around conspicuously.