Writer's Block and other mental issues

I have writer's block today.

It's not often that I'm speechless, or have nothing to voice my opinion on, so this might be a banner day for me!

But I've got nothing to say.

I started writing this blog as therapy after my divorce, and used it as an outlet to vent my frustrations and channel some energy in a more productive way than sitting around smoking and drinking and whining.

Now, 14 months later, life has improved dramatically. I don't spend time with my ex like I used to, therefore the roller coaster has become a merry go round...everything just goes along calmly, steadily. I expended so much energy on him all the time that now I am trying to figure out what excites ME. What I feel passionate about. What are the things I want to do with my life now?

Frankly, I'm a little bored!

I've got my eating under control and am no longer using food for comfort. I'm losing weight and feeling good, so I can't complain.

I still haven't learned to like exercise, let alone LOVE it. It's a struggle all the time for me to go to the gym. It's definitely not something I am passionate about doing.

I've pierced my nose, gotten a new tattoo, and grown some fierce tomato plants. I've been to Vegas, I've thrown a graduation party, I've planted a lot of flowers and I've maintained my clean house.

And yet...still bored.

However, I think I tend to relate that to being lonely.

I don't mind being alone. My son rarely spends a night at home anymore and I've learned to sleep ok at night with him gone. I feel like I live alone and he just drops by on occasion when he's not at work. I'm okay with being on my own, and having the freedom to watch what I want to on TV, to eat cereal for dinner, and come and go as I please without having to be a full time parent.

But I am so lonely it's palpable.

I miss dating. I miss intimacy. I miss flirting. I miss hand holding, and making out like teenagers. I miss sweet text messages and phone calls and surprise flowers. I miss...well, you know what I miss the most. *That* goes without saying!

The bottom line is, I miss being in love.

And unfortunately, that's what I am passionate about.

As we all know, I haven't had very good luck meeting guys on the Internet. (However I am great at meetng women on here!!!) My friends are all married, their friends are all married, and I don't do the bar scene.

(You know, for someone with writer's block, this is turning into an awfully long post!)

For the record, I really am happier than I've been in a long time. I finally feel good about myself again, and am happy with where I am in life.

I just want to share that with someone.

I'm ready. I really, really am.

So collectively I want you all to send a few prayers out in to the Universe for me, that I find Mr. Right. I know he's out there and he's making his way to me.

Could you just pray that he drives a fast car so he gets here soon?

By the way....

My son updated his blog. He's had a few changes in his life and I'm quite proud of him...

So I got this card in the mail.

It is a beautiful, touching, handmade card.

And it came from Florida.

So here is the front:



And I'm thinking to myself...wow, how pretty is this??? What a dear friend I have who will make me a card so beautiful and send it to me.

Then I saw the inside:



Now, make sure you read the sentiment closely:



Bitch? BITCH? Who are you calling a bitch, lady?!?!?!?!?!

I laughed out loud so hard I spit Diet Pepsi out of my nose.

That's my Dana. My pseudo aunt, my funny friend, my blogging buddy, my sarcastic sister.

Isn't it funny how you "meet" people online and you just feel like you've known them forever? And more importantly, you "get" each other. I have been very blessed at this point to have met Linda and Darlene in person, and I know they will be my forever friends. I will finally get to meet Deb and Jill and Georgie and a few others in October, and again, I have no doubt that lifelong friendships will be cemented.

I have not met Dana yet, but when she gets her sorry ass back to her real life in Indiana and stops playing "fake retired couple" in Florida, I plan on a weekend at her house, getting shooting lessons among other things.

She gets me. I get her. She's the same age as my sister Linda who I lost, and in ways I feel like she's been sent to me to fill in the empty space in my heart. They have such similar personalities, and Linda always laughed at my absurdness and loved me no matter what mistakes I made.

She can send me cards like this knowing I will not take it wrong or read far more into it than she ever meant.

Frankly, it's clear that she recognizes a bitch when she sees one.

So look closely, "Aunt" Dana. This one is just for you....

Snatch

Sitting here, spending Sunday afternoon with my roommate son, who I rarely see anymore, and he's watching "Snatch", by one of his favorite directors.

I'm not watching it.

Except for the parts where Brad Pitt is shirtless. Oy vey. What a 12 pack. I can *almost* forgive him for cheating on Jennifer Anniston solely because he's so hot.

And then Jason Statham is in this movie too. It's a win win for me.

I love my son's taste in movies.

Breathing hard and sweaty

....and yet no nudity involved. Sigh.

Have I mentioned that I hate exercising?

Clearly, by looking at me, it's not something I've ever made a habit of doing. I've never been into sports...playing them, that is....and I once paid monthly membership to a gym for a year and a half and never walked through their doors.

But I am finally accepting the fact that I have to incorporate movement into my current weight loss plan.

And I am NOT happy about it.

Everyone says once you get into it, you'll learn to love it. Frankly I don't see that happening. But I'm willing to give it a shot.

So I'm headed to the gym. Hopefully I will find a class or two that appeal to me, as I think I will do better in a group setting than just being left to my own devices.

If you have paid attention to my weight loss ticker, I am trying to lose 75 lbs. When you need to lose an Olsen like that, there's bound to be some flabby skin leftover, so I really need to firm up the muscles underneath the fat on my way down the scale.

:::Wonder how long I can continue putting off going to the gym this morning by writing this blog post?::::

So tell me, do you work out? If so, what do you do to keep yourself entertained? Did you hate it at first and learned to love it? Or do you have to force yourself to do it?

Oooh looky!!!!




I hit the 20 lb. mark this morning! Yay me!!!

By the way, look how big my tomato plants are!!! Remember, I'm 5'8" so these are pretty tall. And this was earlier in the week....I looked at them last night and they were up to my shoulders! They're ridiculous!

How to use the drive up ATM

First things first....Happy 50th Birthday, Suzanne!!!!!!!!!!!!! I love you, and I wish you a wonderful day of being 50 and Fabulous!!!!! Fifty is the new thirty, you know. We are SO much younger than we think!

Now, on to today's business.


There was a new sign in the Bank Lobby today that read:

'Please note that this Bank is installing new Drive-through ATM machines enabling customers to withdraw cash without leaving their vehicles. Customers using this new facility are requested to use the procedures outlined below when accessing their accounts. After months of careful research, MALE & FEMALE Procedures have been developed. Please follow the appropriate steps for your gender.'

*******************************
MALE PROCEDURE:

1. Drive up to the cash machine.
2. Put down your car window.
3. Insert card into machine and enter PIN.
4. Enter amount of cash required and withdraw the card.
5. Retrieve card, cash and receipt.
6. Put window up.
7. Drive off.

*******************************
FEMALE PROCEDURE:

1. Drive up to cash machine.
2. Reverse and back up the required amount to align car window with the machine.
3. Set parking brake, put the window down.
4. Find handbag, remove all contents on to passenger seat to locate card.
5. Tell person on cell phone you will call them back and hang up.
6. Attempt to insert card into machine.
7. Open car door to allow easier access to machine due to its excessive distance from the car.
8. Insert card.
9. Re-insert card the right way.
10. Dig through handbag to find diary with your PIN written on the inside back page..
11. Enter PIN.
12. Press cancel and re-enter correct PIN.
13. Enter amount of cash required.
14. Check makeup in rear view mirror.
15. Retrieve cash and receipt.
16. Empty handbag again to locate wallet and place cash inside.
17. Write debit amount in check register and place receipt in back of checkbook.
18. Re-check makeup.
19. Drive forward 2 feet.
20. Reverse back to cash machine.
21. Retrieve card.
22. Re-empty hand bag, locate card holder, and place card into the slot provided!
23. Give dirty look to irate male driver waiting behind you.
24. Restart stalled engine and pull off.
25. Redial person on cell phone.
26. Drive for 2 to 3 miles.
27. Release Parking Brake.

Come on ladies, you know you see yourselves in this description. I sure did!

It's not great, but I'll take it.

So today was weigh in day.

The bad news is that I only lost .7 of a pound this week.

The good news is that I've lost 18.2 lbs so far!

After 11 weeks on Weight Watchers, I have noticed a trend. Every other week I lose less than a pound. Then the next week I lose 2-3 lbs. So I knew this was this going to be my "off week".

It still annoys me to see less than a pound, but I figure as long as the scale is going down in any increment, I'm winning the war.

Still got a long way to go, but I'm getting there. Slow and steady evidently wins this race. I just remind myself every day it's a marathon, not a sprint.

And next week I will hit the 20 lb. loss mark. Yay me!!!!

Questions that I need answers to.

Doesn't "expecting the unexpected" make the unexpected expected?

What is a free gift? Aren't all gifts free?

Why do "slow down" and "slow up" mean the same thing?

Why are a "wise man" and a "wise guy" opposites?

Why do "overlook" and "oversee" mean opposite things?

Why is bra singular and panties plural?

"I am" is reportedly the shortest complete sentence in the English language. Could it be that "I do" is the longest?

Are people more violently opposed to fur rather than leather because it's much easier to harass rich women than motorcycle gangs?

Why is a boxing ring square?

How does a shelf salesman keep his store from looking empty?

If a chronic liar tells you he is a chronic liar do you believe him?

Why do we sing "Take Me Out to the Ball Game" when we are already there?

If flying is so safe, why do they call the airport the "terminal"?

If a case of the clap spreads, is it then considered a case of the applause?

Before they invented drawing boards, what did they go back to?

Can an ambidextrous person make an off-handed remark?

Could it be that boulders are statues of big rocks?

Can vegetarians eat animal crackers?

Is it good if a vacuum really sucks?

Why is the third hand on the watch called the second hand?

Why do "tugboats" push?

Do bleached blondes pretend to have more fun?

If a man speaks, and there is no woman there to hear him, is he still wrong?

Does anybody ever vanish with a trace?

How can "quite a lot" and "quite a few" mean the same thing?

If you throw a cat out of the car window, does it become kitty litter?

What do people in China call their good plates?

Why is a women's prison called a penal colony?

Do infants enjoy infancy as much as adults enjoy adultery?

How important does a person have to be before they are considered assassinated instead of just murdered?

How is it that we put men on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why do people point to their wrist when asking for the time, but don't point to their crotch when they ask where the bathroom is?

Why do you have to "put your two cents in," but it's only a "penny for your thoughts"?

Why do we choose from just two people for President and 50 for Miss America?

Why is it that people say they "slept like a baby" when babies wake up 10 times every hour?

Why do thaw and unthaw mean the same thing?

Sooner or later, doesn't everyone stop smoking?

Why do you press harder on the buttons of a remote control when you know the batteries are dead?

Why don't you ever see the headline Psychic Wins Lottery?

How can the weather be "hot as hell" one day and "cold as hell" another?

And last but not least....

If women ran the Pentagon, would missiles and submarines be shaped differently?

New old friends.

I had such a great time last night meeting up with my old (and I mean that in longevity of friendship, not age!) childhood friend LeeAnn.

Here we are on the patio at Bar Louie, drinking cocktails and chatting about old times.



We had lots of talking to do! She remembers that it's been 28 years since we saw each other last, I on the other hand didn't even remember that I was at her first wedding way back in 1981! (Is that the right year, Pip?) In my defense, most of the 80's were a blur to me, so cut a sister some slack here!

It was so great to get caught up on each other's lives. Turns out we've tried to find each other before and somehow never did. But we've also vowed not to lose touch again, and I am really looking forward to having her back in my life. We were inseparable up until she moved away her sophomore year of high school, so we have lots of time to make up for. Because, you know we've been out of high school like a hundred or so ten years now. I mean, I'm 28...she's 29. We just happen to have mature facial expressions.

And you know what one of the best things of the night was? Finding out that she can go toe to toe with me in the dysfunctional marriage stories! We had NO shortage of material, trust me!

Frankly, I am not sure I can compete with her ex and the Anthrax. I'm just sayin. Someone finally may have trumped me in the "Marriage and Misery both begin with M" arena....

It's Moanday now, but that's temporary!

Here is what life with back problems (aka herniated disks) is like:

Go to bed (alone) feeling fine.

Wake up (alone) stiff, sore, and unable to walk in an upright position.

Can somebody tell me what I did in my sleep last night that left me in this shape this morning? Granted, I was having a pretty wild sex dream about an old boyfriend (who, trust me, was NEVER that good in bed or he would not be an ex!) but I'm pretty sure I wasn't physically acting it out in my sleep.

Sigh.

Then I wake up an hour earlier than necessary (6:30am is NOT my friend), get up to make myself a cup of coffee, and some mystery glass item in my pantry falls onto the cement tile and shatters everywhere. That was fun to clean up when I can barely move.

And THEN I walk into my living room and trip over....nothing. That's right...nothing. I tripped on air evidently. Went flying into the coffee table and banged the crap out of my knee.

Now you see why it's Moan-day for me.

BUT...being the ever optimistic person that I am (LOL...even I couldn't say that with a straight face!), it will get better from here. This will be the worst part of my day, right?

Check this out....a couple of weeks ago I started thinking about one of my childhood friends. Haven't seen her in a good 30 years, but as youngsters we were as tight as you could be. You know how you always wonder what ever happened to someone from your past, and think about how nice it would be to reconnect? I started thinking about LeeAnn and just hoping and wishing her well, having no clue how to find her or even who to ask.

And out of the clear blue last week I get an email from her.

How great is that? She'd gone back to our hometown, ran into someone and started talking about people and I'm not sure if he knew where to find me, or it just started her thinking about me, but she ended up Googling me, found my blog and my email address and wrote to me!

And tonight, we are meeting for drinks after work! I'm so excited to see her!!!!

So let the ibuprofen kick in so my back will stop hurting, because I intend to have a great day at work and a very fun happy hour!!!!!

Happy Father's Day, Daddy.

I love you, and I miss you very, very much.

Oh, and Happy Anniversary as well. You and Mom have been married 63 years today. And same to my sister Sue Ellen and her husband Chuck, they got married on my parents 39th anniversary, so they've been in wedded bliss for 24 long years now. LOL...

Saturday Vent.

What the hell is Blogger's problem?

I'm about ready to move to Wordpress, because seriously, I am tired of my blog not loading correctly, or getting "aborted" error messages, etc. None of my reading list shows up down the right side half the time, which makes it really freaking hard to visit my blogging buddies.

It's happening consistently and I'm just about done with it.

Oh, and my followers are back down to 199, I see. Guess I pissed 5 people off this week. Didn't like my tattoo? What????

It's a cloudy day in Ohio, which means no pool time today. Sigh. Doesn't the Universe realize that I look better with a tan?

I'm cranky. I think I need to go back to bed. Somebody seriously has her panties in a wad this morning.

Is 8:48am too early to start drinking?

Spiked watermelon? And other tidbits....

Hopefully this picture shows up. If you can't read it, then click on it and it should open in a bigger window.



You're welcome.

In other news....

Why is it that I've lost 17.5 lbs and hardly anybody has noticed? Am I really *that* fat that you can't tell almost twenty pounds of me is gone????? I would say I'm down a dress size now, because the clothes I was wearing were a good size too small (I refused to buy any size starting with a 2! They all better have a one in front of them, unless I can actually see single digits for the first time since I was 21!) and now they all fit comfortably, and some are even loose. I realize when you want to lose the equivalent of an Olsen, it takes awhile to see the changes. But I've lost like 3" off my waist and 4" off my boobs (yeah, they are the first to go!) and I can tell my face has lost weight.

So come on, somebody throw me a bone here!!!

I should have started WW with a full body picture so I could do monthly comparisons. Maybe that would help me at least see it.

Right now I still see a lot of....plump skin. LOL

I can't wait until I can shop for regular clothes again, and not have a credit card at Lane Bryant! I'm tired of being plus sized. I'm ready to be normal. I'm ready to take my jeans off and not look at the ass of them and swear at the wideness of it. I'm ready for the everlasting muffin top and back fat to be gone forever.

I want to take this fat suit off. Once and for all. I'm tired of hiding behind it.

I'm following your lead, Kathy. We've been fighting this battle side by side for over ten years now, and the way you have turned your life around this past year has overjoyed and amazed me. Now I am right behind you. We both finally "get it". (Geesh, it took long enough!) And I'm proud as hell of both of us.

Tell me, readers, what do you need to finally "get"?

And then the fight started.

My wife sat down on the couch next to me as I was flipping channels. She ssked, 'What's on TV?' I said, 'Dust.'

And then the fight started...

******************************************

My wife and I are watching "Who Wants To Be A Millionaire" while we were in bed. I turned to her and said, "Do you want to have sex?"

"No," she answered.

I then said, "Is that your final answer?"

She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, "Yes."

So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."

And then the fight started....

******************************************

I rear-ended a car this morning. So, there we were alongside the road and slowly the other driver got out of his car. You know how sometimes you just get soooo stressed and little things just seem funny? Yeah, well I couldn't believe it.... He was a DWARF!!!

He stormed over to my car, looked up at me, and shouted, "I AM NOT HAPPY!!!"

So, I looked down at him and said, "Well, then which one are you?"

And then the fight started.....

*****************************************

My wife was hinting about what she wanted for our upcoming anniversary. She said, 'I want something shiny that goes from 0 to 180 in about 3 seconds.'

I bought her a scale.

And then the fight started...

******************************************

When I got home last night, my wife demanded that I take her someplace expensive...
so, I took her to a gas station.

And then the fight started...

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After retiring, I went to the Social Security office to apply for Social Security. The woman behind the counter asked me for my driver's license to verify my age. I looked in my pockets and realized I had left my wallet at home. I told the woman that I was very sorry, but I would have to go home and come back later.

The woman said, 'Unbutton your shirt'. So I opened my shirt revealing my curly silver hair. She said, 'That silver hair on your chest is proof enough for me' and she processed my Social Security application.

When I got home, I excitedly told my wife about my experience at the Social Security office.

She said, 'You should have dropped your pants. You might have gotten disability, too.'

And then the fight started....

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My wife and I were sitting at a table at my high school reunion, and I kept staring at a drunken lady swigging her drink as she sat alone at a nearby table.

My wife asked, 'Do you know her?'

'Yes,' I sighed, 'She's my old girlfriend. I understand she took to drinking right after we split up those many years ago, and I hear she hasn't been sober since.'

'My God!' says my wife, 'who would think a person could go on celebrating that long?'

And then the fight started...

(NOTE FROM JULIE: I have no doubt that some day, my ex's next wife will have a similar conversation with him about my drinking. LOL)

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I took my wife to a restaurant. The waiter, for some reason, took my order first.
"I'll have the strip steak, medium rare, please."

He said, "Aren't you worried about the mad cow?"

I said "Nah, she can order for herself."

And then the fight started...

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A woman is standing nude, looking in the bedroom mirror. She is not happy with what she sees and says to her husband, 'I feel horrible; I look old, fat and ugly. I really need you to pay me a compliment.'

The husband replies, 'Your eyesight's damn near perfect.'

And then the fight started.....

I'm officially tatted up!

Many of you have already seen this on Facebook, but for those of you who haven't...here you go!

This was taken immediately after it was done. Still red and swollen...



And this is after I got home from work about 4 hours later.



I think my buddy D, did a fabulous job, as I knew he would. He worked on my lower back tattoo after I first had it done and made it what I wanted it to be in the first place, and he's really the only person (besides Hannah!) who I would trust with my body art.

It's really beautiful in person. He said the colors will intensify as the redness goes away. Even though it looks big and detailed, it only took an hour and fifteen minutes to do. It really didn't hurt until the last maybe 20 minutes when he was going over the same areas adding layers of color. By then it was all red and irritated as you see in the picture, and it was starting to hurt.

I love, love, love it.

There is something painfully addicting about tattoos. Thankfully I don't want to put any in places that show when I'm wearing work clothes so I'm limited on where I can put them, and I already have three...

However, I'm not sure this will be my *last* one.

This is how my best friend rolls....UPDATED

Quick, can you identify this?



Now, remember what you think it is so you can comment and tell me your original thought.

Yesterday, I was chatting with my BFF Elizabeth about our weekends, and asked what she did. She explained to me that she was out in her pool for awhile on Sunday and ended up getting burned like crazy even on such an overcast day.

Then she went on and explained this:

Yeah, I had very little if any base. Funny thing was, last weekend I accidentally burnt just above my knees and my knees (wearing bermudas at a soccer game). So in an effort to get rid of the VERY noticeable burn, then tan line, I put sunscreen on the burnt/tan part, with the plan to be let the other area get some sun for like an hour or so, so that they'll match up, and then put sunscreen on the rest so it is uniformly sunning from there on out.

I must have misjudged and got the first round of knee sunblock up too high, because there was a small strip that stayed WHITE while the rest of it burnt to a crisp. So now I have a white stripe around each thigh, few inches above the knee, in between the tanned knee area from last weekend and the fried to a crisp thigh area from Sunday.

Sigh. You would die laughing.

I insisted on a picture.

She complied.

And I laughed and almost fell on the floor.

Funniest thing I've ever seen. Can you imagine what she looks like in shorts right now with a white circle around each leg like this? OMG, the visual.

I was still holding it together until she said:

Now you know Phase 3 will be, I'll be tan up top, tan down below, and the next time I'm in the sun, the stripe will burn bright red.

I cannot take anymore. I'm typing from the floor, rolled into a fetal position, weeping from laughter.

Someone stop her before she tans again.

*********I can't believe I forgot to add this***********

This is the icing on the sunburned cupcake.



The Albino Eye belly button.

The girl is trying to kill me.

I'm so excited!!!!!! And I just can't hide it!!!!

I have a buyer in contract!!!!!!

I've been dabbling in this real estate thing for almost 2 years now. Of course I got my license right as the housing market took a dump! So the first year I really didn't even try to do much. Plus, this is my "nights and weekends" gig, thankfully I don't depend on the income full time!

This past year I've had houses listed that ended up being taken off the market, I've had buyers unable to get financed, I've had houses not appraise and contracts cancelled. It's been like the perfect storm of real estate keeping me from closing a damn sale!

It is my belief, that the storm is over.

My buyer is in great shape, the house *seems* to be fine (of course we'll see after the appraisal and inspection), and I am confident this will close and I will officially have my first sale.

It's about freaking time!

And you have NO idea how good it feels! Yay me!

In other news....

Heart was great. Danica and I had a good time. My only issue with the venue was that it was lawn seating, which was fine if there was a spot ON the lawn to sit. We ended up standing for several hours and as you know, with my three herniated disks, standing for any length of time does not bode well for me. Needless to say by the time the concert started, I was in so much pain it wasn't funny. We ended up cutting out a little early because ~ loving the Wilson sisters or not ~ I had pain shooting down my legs and up my back and I had to go.

Turns out they played about two songs after we left so we didn't miss all that much.

My review of the show would be this....the ladies still rock. Ann has gained SO much weight, and I felt so bad for her. Her voice has lost a little of it's power quality, and maybe that's because she's so heavy, I dont' know. Nancy can still jump around and rock the guitar though! Song choice was good, but they sang too many covers of other people's music, when they have such a catalog of their own to choose from.

And that's all folks, have a great Monday!

Sunday Rewind - Check this out and be jealous.

OK first things first....Tracy and Meg, I've tried to visit both of your blogs and must need an invitation. It said to email you but I can't get to your blog to get your email address and ask for an invite! Would love to visit and comment....

Now, on to today's subject.

I thought this was an appropriate Rewind post, because on Tuesday I will finally be getting this!!!!!

So check this out and be jealous!!!!

Well, maybe not all of you will be jealous, only those who love ink!

As I mentioned in a previous post, I begged my friend Penny to design a tattoo for me. My criteria was....

1. It has to be sexy.

2. It has to be pretty.

3. It has to be colorful.

4. I like cherry blossoms.

So, I got my drawing in the mail the other day. And I LOVE IT. And I can't wait to get it! It's going on my left shoulder/upper back.

What do you think? Gorgeous, eh? Now the burning question of the day is...how big do I want to go? I'm thinking the whole upper left quadrant, on my shoulder blade/scapula area. You know what I mean? The drawing is about 9" tall, and I'm not inclined to reduce it much! It's too beautiful to make too much smaller, and besides I'm a big girl....there is nothing petite on me! I'm a firm believer in "Go big or go home." Have you seen my hair? LOL

The best part is that Penny is going with me to get it done when she gets back in town in June, so she can actually direct the tattoo artist on the color and shading as he's doing it. Sweet!!!!

I. Can't. Wait.

Happy Sunday, everyone!

OK, I lied. I'm like that.

So much for taking the weekend off blogging, eh?

I can't quit you! LOL

So last night my "boys" Jordan and his friend Ead, took me back to Evolved to get my nose piercing changed out. Seems like hanging out on OSU campus at the piercing place is becoming an every other weekend thing for us!

We stopped at Five Guys first:



It was a beautiful night and so we sat outside for awhile watching the masses on High Street.

Then we headed to Evolved, where I got the original piercing removed and a new one put in. The one they pierce you with has a longer post on it to accomodate any swelling that occurs, and if I tilted my head back even slightly you could see it and it was driving me crazy. Always looked like I had a silver booger in my nose. Not my best look. Plus the little diamond was bezel set, so the silver around it almost looked dirty.

Now I have a smaller post that you can barely see, (unless you are really looking up my nose, in which case you are WAY too close and need to back the hell up!) and the diamond is prong set so it's much blingier. (Blingier? Nothing like making up words first thing on a Saturday, eh?)

I realized you really can't see it in this picture, but it does look really good:



I also got a little light blue one, slightly bigger stone, for when I feel like being a rebel. LOL (And FYI, this picture was taken at 11:30 last night, thus the no makeup and bad hair day!)

OK honest opinion...new glasses....good or dorky? I just got them this week. My other ones were the rimless kind so you really didn't even notice them on my face. I wanted to go a completely different route this time, and I like the trendy little dark rectangular shaped ones that so many people have right now. I tried darker ones on but they were too much for me, so I went with this "plum" color. I figured since I'm not a redhead anymore, they wouldn't clash too badly! And the frames are big enough to distract from the perpetual bags under my eyes!

Happy Saturday, friends!

I think I need a blogging time out.

When I started this blog, it was meant to be a diary of sorts, about my foray back in to the dating world and my attempt at finally losing the weight I've been carrying for years.

Over time, I started blogging every day, and building readership. I've met some really wonderful people here, some of whom I've actually gotten to spend time with in person, and I've been lucky to never really have gotten ugly or flaming comments. Even my anonymous stalker dropped me after awhile.

I don't even think I've pissed anyone off, which is highly unusual for me!

But lately I find myself scrambling for something to post every day. I recycle emails in an effort to post an amusing blog, and use last years stuff on my Sunday Rewind feature.

Yesterday I posted about Penis and Dildo festivals. New low or new high for me? And I find myself reviewing men from my past with my girlfriends and saying "Remember that guy with the weird spot on his front tooth...was that anything fun to write about?"

I'm wondering if it's time to take a bloggy break and recharge my batteries?

I can't quit you. But I think I may start posting maybe three or four times a week instead of seven. At least temporarily.

I know that I will lose readers by not having something new and entertaining everyday....people come and go and I get that. I know we are all busy, and with summer coming there will be less and less interest in sitting in front of the computer reading when the sunshine and warm weather beckons.

I guess I just don't feel fresh anymore. (How many of you are reading this and wondering if you just walked into the middle of a douche commercial?)

I feel like I'm just reverbalizing the same old stale material all the time.

So I think I'm gonna take the weekend off, and figure out what I want to do from here. Unless something really exciting happens this weekend that I can't wait to post about...I'll be back Monday with a new perspective.

Oh by the way...Saturday night I'll be spending it with Danica and these two ladies.

I. Can't. Wait.

Pick A Dick Day and let's go to Dildo.

Celebrated every March 15 in Komaki, a town about 45 minutes north of Nagoya, Japan, this is the time of year where folks haul out a large wooden penis to give three cheers to fertility and renewal. The custom is an old one that is connected to bringing about a good harvest and having babies.

I say, let's just call it Pick A Dick Day.










This sure beats my trip to Dildo, Newfoundland back in 2002.



But at least I got to meet Captain Dildo then. I don't have the actual pictures anymore, I lost them in the divorce. But this is exactly where I stood...



And I had one taken under this sign as well:



We had just missed the annual Dildo Festival the week before. Just to prove I'm not lying, I actually found a picture online of the same damn sign I had one of. This one shows it was Dildo Days '98 and mine was '02. Same sign, they just change the year each time!



Ah yeah. Good times.

I'm Julie, and I'm an Attention Whore

All together now....

Hi Julie!

Thanks for that nice welcome.

So here's the thing. I have 195 followers.

I want to break 200.

It's a personal goal. I never dreamed I have more than about 5 followers when I started this blog, and now I'm becoming obsessed with my own popularity.

(I say that totally tongue in cheek because if you recall correctly, my dysfunctional date a couple of months ago informed me that I was "all caught up in my own celebrity". Celebrity? Dude, I write a blog. I'm not exactly on the cover of the National Enquirer. (Yet) But now that he brought my attention to my attention whorishness, I feel I have to maintain my reputation!)

So, who do I have to sleep with to get more followers to send me over the edge? (Baggy, put your hand down. It was a sarcastic question, not an actual offer.) Wait...I mean over my goal. God knows I'm already dangling on the edge of sanity.

I know what I'll do.

I'll have a giveaway!!!!!!!!!!!!!

(Can I mail myself off to one of you?)

Bring me total strangers kicking and screaming if necessary willing followers, and whoever sends the most people my way gets a very special gift from me. Have your peeps leave me a comment telling me who sent them, and on Friday I'll announce the winner!!!!

C'mon. This will be fun. I'll make it a really nice gift too. I know how to shop OFF of Ebay too you know!

Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines. This is a prize you will not want to miss.

The contest starts...NOW.