smiling on foot

I’ve been telling my co-workers how “done” I am with this tag line. It’s on everything! Even this blog! Well, it was more towards the beginning of the year, but I’m a little late with this post. I only notice it because the emails I worked on in January of last year included this slogan so I’m more sensitive to it appearing in ads all around me. I even received a religious calendar in the mail with “New Year. New You.” on the cover. Can we think of something else, people? Or are the marketing geniuses of the world too busy making their co-workers crazy to come up with something new? In my experience, it’s the latter. Speaking of which… I won’t go into details… but just want to say it’s been an interesting 2010 thus far and I’m seriously considering changing my career. What could I do with myself that would not require me to stay at work until 7 p.m. three nights a week? Something that would allow me to have a life? I don’t know where these 5:00-release jobs are, but I can’t seem to find them in my current career. I guess I’ll just keep plugging along and hope that things get better… either with a change in career or without.

I do have a new assistant, however, and she just started this past Tuesday. Training is HARD. I have to use my brain so much more and I barely have time for these hours of training. The hardest part seems to be explaining how the different parts of an email swap out based on what type of customer you are… how to recognize and think about the changing pieces, how to code it, how to set it up in the online tool we use and how to know if you did it right. If you’ve never worked with this sort of technology, it’s tough to wrap your head around. And if you’ve been swimming in it for 5 years, it’s hard to explain to someone who doesn’t have much experience in this sort of thing how to figure it out. But it’s her first week and she did pretty well. I’m going to have to think this weekend on a better way to explain dynamic content for her for next week… a “lesson plan” if you will (for all my teacher friends).

Speaking of technology:
My American Express online account just sent me a 2009 summary of expenses. It’s pretty cool how they’ve categorized my spending in 9 different categories: Business Services, Communications, Entertainment, Fees & Adjustments, Merchandise & Supplies, Other, Restaurant, Transportation and Travel. These categories are listed down along the left of the chart and along the top are the 4 quarters of the year of which the spending happened. I’m proud to say I did not use this card TOO much in 2009, but I did falter a couple of times… especially at Christmastime. About $1,000 falls into Merchandise & Supplies and you can expand this category for a more detailed breakdown… where you see this spending was exclusively on clothing. Shocking. Bad, bad LK. The other $700 falls into Business Services but when you break it down the spending is exclusively on Health Care Services. This was all my dental work I had done last fall. How cool that American Express can automatically create this chart? And it’s completely accurate. I love technology. Now I just need to put this S back to zero balance for 2010.

A couple of weeks ago, I used kodakgallery.com’s cool little sidebar app to drag and drop my favorite photos from all my 2009 online photo albums and created a “year in review” of photos. This is always an excellent project. It’s time consuming for sure and I remember last year feeling like I’m never doing this again because it’s so tedious to choose the photos, order the photos to my liking and put little captions on each. But I think the sidebar app made it a little quicker for this year. Of course, the captioning is what takes most of the time, but it’s mandatory in order to tell the story of the year. It took me about 2 hours to put this together and the final product always makes me feel great. No matter how depressed I will be about the cold, snow, work, living with my parents, etc… the Year in Photos is a powerful reminder that my life is pretty damn good.

Click here to see my 2009 year in photos! (Apparently, I attended about a million birthdays in ‘09 – apologies for the lack of variety.)

Now as for 2010:
I’m not going to make any “resolutions” this year, but I do have some general plans. #1 is I’d like to move out of my parents house and support myself like a normal 32-year old (33 in 2 weeks!). I’m afraid to live by myself, but it’s something I’m going to psyche myself up for and force myself to do. Sort of like a “personal challenge” instead of a lame “resolution.” I’m close to paying off one of three college loans and then I’ll start saving for the move. I’m still undecided on the condo vs. apt. decision.  However, I’m leaning towards the apartment after hearing about Xtina’s $3,000 termite damage in her condo and year 2 of water ruining the carpet/wall of KDM’s condo. It’s all their issue that they need to deal with and I think owning has just so much monetary risk that’s scary to take on by myself. (Especially if I’m looking to change my career, right!?) #2 for the new year is just to keep up with my health and try like Hell to get to the gym at least twice a week and continue to eat right. I know that everyone else on the planet has this new year’s goal too, but that doesn’t mean it’s less important. I did really well with it in 2009 for the first time in my life and hope I am able to continue with 2010. #3 is just to continue to enjoy time spent with my friends and my boyfriend. I had been so lonely before I met NF and have had some really good laughs and conversation with him in 2009. I really hope this works out and we have a fun 2010 together too. But, of course, the friends play a big part in my happiness too and will continue to make time to see those smiling faces as well.  Hopefully, with the new assistant, I can do more weeknight outings and have that much more of a more fulfilling life.

We’ll see if the new year brings a new me, I guess!  Happy New Year, Bloggos. :)

Since I started with such a negative title, let me begin by writing out some good things. But I have to note that when I listen to Oldies 103 and they have that little radio station in-between jingle “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” I feel like yelling, “It SO ISN’T the most wonderful time! I’m freezing to death! I have too much to do! I’m spending too much money!” But I suppose there are some good things happening to… let me try and think…

I interviewed a nice candidate to be my assistant at work this week. She is SMART. Her resume is slightly intimidating and I think she’s probably going to be gunning for my job in a year, but that’s okay. At least I’ll get some intelligent assistance for that 1 year anyway. We’re extending an offer this week (or maybe we already have? Who knows.) and I hope she can start the day I return from my vacation. Which brings me to ‘good thing #2′ which is that I have all of next week off! Yippee skippee! I am in desperate need for that one week off as I still don’t have any presents purchased for my brother Chuck’s family and only a couple of things each for my parents. I also need to buckle down and do some gift wrapping… and maybe bake some Christmas cookies. So much to do…. which brings me to why this time of year is so f%$#ing far from “the most wonderful”…

1) Working in retail during the holidays sucks. It sucks for many reasons, but of course the main one is just that I work a lot harder this time of year. But admittedly, November was worse than December, so I guess that’s a bonus.

2) Since my job requires me to be email-subscribed to many different types of retailers, I get LOTS of email to read through this time of year. The advertisements entice me to spend money and I stress over whether I should do it or not. Oh, would my niece like that? Maybe I should go into the store and see it in person? Will a better idea come around? Do I really need to spend this much money on her? Do I even have time this week to go to a store? Maybe I should just buy it now online. Will it arrive in time? Maybe I should wait until vacation so I can go to the store? It’s emotionally draining for me to ask myself these questions over almost every email and family member almost every day of the holiday season.

3) Since I am physically and emotionally drained, I will often get sick this time of year – which I did. Thankfully, it lasted only four days. Yesterday was my first day of being back to good health and it felt GOOD. Working hard and being so sick is not a good combo – fyi. I will also often perform immense amounts of “retail therapy” as a sort of “release” from my self-inflicted stress. As a result, 50% of boxes that have arrived at my home are for myself, while the other 50% will be distributed across my friends and family. I have also spent an obscene amount of money this year. I need to not be so willy nilly with my online shopping next year. This sh*t is ridiculous. I’M ridiculous. I bought self-tanner on ebay today that was recommended to me by a co-worker. Yah – crazy, right?

4) Christmas Cards. I have a love/hate relationship with Christmas Cards. Every year I tell myself that it’s a big waste of time and money and to only do it if I have many nights free and/or start them early. But when I begin to receive them, I can’t wait to get mine together to send back in return. I love this “best wishes” correspondence from your household to mine and vice versa. But then there’s always the question of whether I should photoshop something personalized or just buy a box of cards like most people. Since I know I have the skills to be slightly creative and make them personalized, I feel like if I’m going to do it, I should do it to the best of my ability. Mum says this makes me like my dad: do it super great or not at all. I do not have many nights free this year due to late nights at the office and boyfriend visits in Marshfield. But last Sunday, Mum insisted that I create a Christmas card on the ol’ computer that would feature our multi-species family. We brainstormed and I came up with an idea that took two photoshop-heavy nights of a very sick LK to execute. The card is super cute, LARGE and a little sloppy… but it’s done. I printed out a shortened xmas card list and wrote out envelopes last night. Phew. Done. I don’t know how many years longer I can spend this kind of time on Christmas cards. What if I have my own home and family someday? There will be no homemade cards if that day comes. Mum will need to hire a new designer. I hope the “I do everything else in this house” speech works on the new designer. :)

Okay, now I’ll end with some good thoughts. I have noticed how my attitude about the holidays is notably cheerier than last year. I know, I know – you are skeptical because you just got through reading the above 4 points on why I find the holidays the most terrible time of year… but until the Holidays aren’t so much work, you’re never going to get a 100% “It’s a Wonderful Life” reaction out of me. What you will get is an LK who is actually turning on Oldies 103 to listen to holiday music in the morning. An LK that willingly decorated the xmas tree and even put on the holiday music while doing so. And an LK who bought a festive tablecloth last weekend in excitement for having everyone over on Christmas day. I even wore little ornament earrings to my work’s holiday luncheon last Friday. Last year, I wanted nothing to do with holiday merriment and Mum had to force me to help her with that tree and attend family gatherings. I’m glad and relieved that my reactions have improved. You never know what can happen in a year.

Work has been kickin’ my butt the past couple of weeks and blogging hasn’t been top of mind. Apologies. Thanksgiving weekend is the time of year when we make more money than any other week of the year. And because it’s so important, the powers-that-be conduct many meetings discussing promotions and marketing messaging… and change the promotions and marketing messaging over and over and over again… which creates lots of work. But whatever. I’m pretty much AWESOME and get it all done and make it happen so it’s all good.

Work has also moved my desk temporarily. I used to have a really private back corner desk that was shared with my cube-mate who is currently out on short-term disability. But they’ve decided to remove our cubes, build a wall and make that back corner into a corner office. My new cubicle location is much more public and people keep talking to me a lot more. So with the increase in holiday work in addition to the influx of people talking to me… I stay late a lot and this needs to stop. I often think of an old co-worker who used to put a “go away” sign on his cube when he needed to get stuff done. I haven’t ruled it out.

In October, my boss emailed the e-comm team about PTO (Paid Time Off) that we needed to take before the end of the year or we’ll lose it. Guess who the winner was who rarely takes time off and has the most hours on her record? Oh yes, yours truly went ahead and took some days in November and December. But with every day off I take, there seems to be some people who get upset over it… which is probably why I don’t take time off very often! Oh well. I took off 11/13 and 11/16 and it was kind of nuts leading up to it and then the week when I returned, I worked so late every night to catchup and get ready for the holiday it hardly seemed worth it. But on the day of the 16th, I was able to go to Mum’s fancy gym with her using her annual free guest pass… and subsequently contract a UTI after sitting in the jacuzzi. AWESOME. That was the last time I went to the gym in November.

When gearing up for Thanksgiving week, I was telling Mum how I just feel like I’m always rushing. Rushing to get to places (always arriving late), rushing to do laundry before bed, rushing to get stuff done at work before a certain time, rushing to get to my BF’s apt. before he turns into a pumpkin at 10… I’ve just been behind on everything (especially work-related stuff) and still fitting in more and more into my schedule. So I took off Monday through Wednesday after Thanksgiving and it has done a WORLD of good. Sure, I’m still getting phone calls from work, but I’ve been able to catch up on so many things: laundry, unread emails from 2 weeks ago, learning how to use my new Droid phone (which is awesome), painted my nails and today I may actually go to the gym.

The day before Thanksgiving was a half day for the company… but this always excludes the e-comm team… especially me… especially when I’m taking off the Mon thru Wed after the holiday. So I was rushing, rushing, rushing and finally got out of there. And the plan was to go home and quickly make some lemon meringue pies and then go to NF’s place. I ran around the house looking for pie shells when Mum had put them, and all ingredients I needed, in a plastic bag on the table for me to make things easier. I don’t know why I didn’t see it. This is what happens when I’m rushing. So I separated out the 4 egg yolks and the whites into two bowls and began making the lemon filling, double the recipe. And without even thinking about what I was doing, I dumped in the egg whites into the mixture when I was supposed to put in the yolks. I was so mad. Then NF called at that moment and said he was crazy busy getting ready for his holiday and weekend away and could he just see me on Friday. Now I was mad AND disappointed. I dumped everything down the sink and started all over. Thankfully, we had two more boxes of lemon pie filling hanging around (it’s my favorite so mum always has it on hand). My sister and niece came over that night for a sleepover to “help” with Thanksgiving the next morning. Ever hear about how too many cooks spoil the broth? Yeah, things were a little chaotic on Thanksgiving, but the dinner was fantastic and the lemon meringue pie was nothing short of amazing. :)

Monday morning, I spent about 4 hours perusing Cyber Monday deals and phoning the companies with additional codes found online. I wish I could say that most of that shopping were for holiday gifts, but buying for me is just so much easier than buying gifts for others! However, there were some gifts purchased too. There will be many boxes delivered to this house over the coming weeks. I think I’ll at least take off Cyber Monday every year just to do this. So many great deals online. Then Mum and I went shopping at the local Goodwill on Tuesday. I didn’t purchase anything, but boy do I love the people watching. And when I get a place someday, I’m totally doing my furniture shopping there. They had some really cool antique-y furniture that I was falling in love with left and right. I love shopping.

Last night, I was able to see my friend, Katie Z., for our own game of catchup since the last time we visited was JULY. Holy moly. You would never know we live in the same town! We drank almost two whole bottles of red wine in a 5 hours period. :) Go us! Last Saturday, I was able to meet my friend, Xtina, for dinner after not seeing her for many weeks and then we hit up the Bykfam birthday bash where good times were had. I feel like this past week has been a good balance of friend time, family time and catching up on chores/errands time. NF went to Albany, NY and then Portland, ME this past weekend to follow his favorite live band, Phish. He had wanted me to go with him and his friend, but I’m glad I stayed back and saw some friends and got some R&R. Going back to work tomorrow is going to be way harsh. Waayyy harsh. I had originally wanted to fit in a visit with HEKD on Friday, but the reality is just that I’m going to be working late Thursday and Friday. And if I don’t work late, I’m going to start the holiday month behind, I’ll be back to square one and you Bloggos won’t hear from me for like a month. :) And no one wants that!

It has recently come to my attention that I have been given $50 by my VW cell phone service to purchase a new phone with the renewal of my contract. I love when this happens… it’s the 3rd time since I’ve been a member of the VW network.

So, omg, guys – what phone should I get??!!

Now there is the practical Elle Kay inside that says, “Dude, your phone needs to make calls and send occasional text messages and you’re good. Don’t go crazy and spend tons of $$ on a fancy smartphone or anything.” Then super technology-lovin’ Elle Kay says, “Cancel the Verizon network, sign up for AT&T and get yourself the best f-ing phone out there: the mesmerizing iPhone. <insert angels singing here>. But the large part of my mind is saying, “Stick with VW because it’s the best coverage and even works well at Camp Friendly… and get that new DROID phone because reviewers are saying that it pretty much rivals the iPhone.”

I’ve been reading about the Droid phone every workday since last Friday. I won’t go into the list of specifications and its comparisons to other phones. I will just tell you that it sounds fantastic. I had to meet it in person. So I took the 3 Elle Kays to the mall yesterday to play with some phones. When I finally held the droid in my hand and played with the touch screen (which is a brand new thing for me as I still have a flip phone with buttons), it was very user friendly and felt natural. I left the mall wildly in love and had to fight the urge to skip and sing through the parking lot. I heart this droid phone.

One concern is that it’s new with fairly new technology. New technology usually has bugs in it that I don’t want to seriously hinder my serene lifestyle. Should I wait for v2.0 once the bugs are out?

And then there’s the money. The droid phone is $300. There is currently a $100 off promotion online in addition to my $50 to renew my contract. So now the droid phone is $150 for me. Do I really spend $150 on a smartphone? Or do I get a blackberry for free? I always say that if you use something a lot (like every day), it’s a good investment to get the best. A blackberry phone would be fine – they are very popular and people like them. It connects to email, facebook and other apps that you can download. It’s fine. It doesn’t have a touch screen and you’re not able to be in multiple web/app screens at once or play videos, but totally fine. Who am I kidding… the new technology is calling to me like Bongo in the wild. (The Bongo reference is a private joke between my mom and I – apologies). I want COOL. Doesn’t everybody want COOL in their life? And not just any kind of COOL… fun super techie phone COOL. Touch screens are COOL. Having personal and professional calendars are COOL too. Playing tunes that I’ve uploaded, or downloaded from Amazon, or from the Pandora app is also pretty COOL.

And you know… I just got promoted at work which came with a pretty good raise so I can afford it, no problem. A MANAGER with her own assistant should have the best phone VW offers, right? Especially a manager on the e-commerce team… I need to show the peeps at work that I am keeping up with the times with the most fantastic, COOLEST phone out there. Maybe if I was still a specialist, I’d get the Blackberry – but no way now. It’s the droid or bust! I mean, I have an image to uphold here at double j. This flip phone I’ve been sportin’ is pretty lame… embarrassing even. Yeah, I think I’m going online and ordering up myself a big platter of COOL today. You know you’re so jealous of me and my impending COOL right now. :)

The New COOL: The Verizon Droid

Now that Halloween is over… it’s pretty much all downhill from here. I don’t mean to be a negative Nancy, but I just love, love LOVE Halloween and then I hate, hate HATE cold weather and snow. I can’t help but feel a little down trodden once Halloween is over. The cold is creeping in and I’ve already started using my electric blanket. Cold weather tends to make me quite inactive and I’m really wanting to maintain my 25 lb. weight loss from earlier this year. But it’s actually proving quite difficult already.

First of all, I’m dating someone and that comes with nights out to eat and drinking during a new relationship. Secondly, Halloween candy and treats are EVERYWHERE at work. So I’ve gained back about 8 lbs. during September and October. But on the relationship front, I think we’ve now moved into another phase where we can spend a Saturday night cooking and watching a movie “on demand” instead of drinking beers and eating chicken fingers at the Ming. He’s a FANTASTIC cook and is not the mac & cheese kind of guy at all. We eat steak and veggies or stir fry or homemade pizza… mostly healthy stuff. So that should help. However, I find myself trading in my gym-nights to spend time watching TV and drinking wine with him. I need to get better with my 3 x’s a week gym schedule. I’m seriously losing my stamina to stay on that machine for any good length of time. I went on Monday after not going for 2 weeks and it was a poor, poor showing. I’m going back tonight and showing that Precor AMT 100i what I’m made of.

The winter also brings about a lot of family parties and that brings us back to eating. Mum, my two brothers, my sister and myself all have post-Halloween birthdays. My brother, CS, and his wife, LS, have birthdays around Veteran’s Day. There is usually a dinner and birthday cake made by Mum. I haven’t heard if it’s happening this year, but it probably will. And I will undoubtedly pig out on Mum’s cake and eat at least 3 tablespoons of frosting before she even gets a chance to use it. Side note: I’m disgusting when it comes to sugar… and it’s getting worse with age. The candy corn consumption this year was shocking even to myself. I could eat a whole bowl of Mum’s frosting, no problem… especially if it was lemon… mmm lemon frosting…
Estimated weight gain after CS and LS’s birthday: 4 lbs.

Then there is Thanksgiving which is a good excuse for Americans everywhere to partake in some good ol’ fashioned gluttony. Mum makes everything so, so, so good for Thanksgiving. Her apple pie is almost an art form that shouldn’t be eaten… almost…mmmm apple pie… Then there is her famous cheesecake. And the stuffing and the mashed potatoes… and did I mention the apple pie? Then I’m taking some time off work to perhaps go on a road trip with NF and friends. Road trip = fast food and many, many swedish fish for the drive.
Estimated weight gain after Thanksgiving Weekend: 6 lbs.

December brings forth many holiday parties, Mum’s birthday party, Christmas and then New Year’s. Mum makes the most delicious oriental meatballs that are best to consume immediately before cheesecake. I know it sounds strange, but I’ve been eating this combo for so long that I’m conditioned to want cheesecake (but only HER cheesecake) after eating those meatballs. I should mention that she puts delicious, syrupy, canned cherries on top of the cheesecake… mmm cheesecake… I can see my gym visits fading away by mid-December. My sister-in-law, LS, makes a great spread for Christmas Day and usually has these scrumptious little pastries from a friend’s bakery. I so look forward to those pastries. She also has many dishes of Italian food of which I make sure to eat one of each kind: manicotti, lasagna, meatballs, etc. Then on New Year’s, the friends will all gather at HEKD’s and order massive amounts of Chinese Food. Yup, I should be one, blubbery, fat, piece of S by then.
Estimated weight gain in December: 8 lbs.

Then in January, I will celebrate my birthday and my brother, AS’s, birthday. When I celebrate my birthday, I usually do so for at least a week beforehand and indulge in multiple celebrations with family and then friends. I’ll also convince myself that whatever Superbowl party I attend is actually a birthday celebration for me too. And I will go after a plate of nachos like they were made for only me and absolutely necessary to my existence on this planet. After my birthday, the cold weather really starts to affect my mood and ‘eating my feelings’ doesn’t make ‘the cranky’ go away anymore. So I drink heavily instead. Not only does the drinking cheer me up, but also provides my body extra warmth in addition to my new layer of fat. (Smart thinkin’, right?) This phase comes right in time for RB’s birthday weekend in February where I will get stinkin’ drunk in her basement, do karaoke, argue about friends of hers I don’t like, do more karaoke and then end up collapsed on the floor in laughter. It’s also my sister’s birthday, as well as her last born’s birthday. The family will get together for dinner and birthday cake and it’s amazing that we’re all not sick of each other. I think if mum had one more child in the winter, that child wouldn’t get a party… just too much getting together. Good thing my brother and I usually celebrate ours in one combo party. February, I’ll start to try and exercise again, but it will be futile for I will be that aforementioned blubbery, fat piece of S. By March, my spirits improve, I usually start eating better (since there are no family parties) and I’ll probably be better at going to the gym.
Estimated weight gain in January and February: 12 lbs.

If you are keeping track, I’m estimating a 30 lb. weight gain this winter on top of the 8 lbs. I’ve already accumulated. This is not good. After re-reading this post, I think I may have to sit down with Mum and have her plan in advance her menus for all family events. Is this unreasonable? Then I can form an eating strategy for the winter where I’ll indulge once or twice, but other times eat salad, one meatball and maybe one bite of cheesecake. And I canNOT give up on my gym visits… no matter how badly I want to sit on NF’s couch instead, no matter how sniffly I get, no matter how dark and cold it is when I leave work… I must keep up with my good health and not become the Jabba the Hutt of Weytown! There’s just no excuse for me if I don’t. I implore all to send helpful tips on how to get through this winter without gaining back the weight I worked hard to lose!

But when the weather outside is frightful and Mum’s food is so delightful… *sigh*

My favorite holiday is coming up this Saturday and I am SO excited! Halloween is great. I love candy and all things sugar. (I am wearing my candy corn socks and they’re making me want to buy some!) I love the “spooky” decorations. I love stepping out of your normal self and dressing up as something fun. I’ve been slowly gathering items all month for my costume with glee. The house was decorated last Saturday with all my fun ghosts and skeletons hanging from everywhere. Tonight, AMR and I are doing some pumpkin carving and will add my jack-o-lanterns by the front stairs for all the trick-or-treaters this Saturday. Then after trick-or-treaters, there’s a Halloween party to attend with friends. It’s going to be such a great day!

I basically wake up on Halloween morning the way other girls wake up on their wedding day.

I will never be one of those people who don’t like to dress up for Halloween. When I was going with that Irish guy, he told me that no one in Ireland dresses up and that it’s just for kids. What?! I tried to explain that Halloween is a “party holiday” (no gift-giving, yay!) and since they are a “party culture” – I can’t imagine why they wouldn’t get into it. But many feel foolish dressing up in costume. Or they are all busy/stressed and adult-like so they can’t be bothered with silly nonsense like costumes. I get it, but I feel bad for those who can’t let loose and have fun with it. They are certainly missing out on how great it is to dress up weird and rip it up with your friends.

What are you going to be this year? NF and I are going to be Brangelina… yet we need to get our act together this week for the “brad” part of the costume. I found an Angelina dress (black and low-cut) at the Goodwill for $6 and had mum perform some alterations so that it’s not TOO revealing – but still revealing enough to get the point. I need someone to draw on the elaborate tattoos (I saved out a bunch of pics from the internet in preparation). Perhaps Mum, perhaps Xtina – probably not NF, although he said he’d do it. Do you think black pen is too permanent? I’m going to be so cold, but it’ll be worth it.

Whether you’re watching Halloween-themed movies and waiting for trick-or-treaters or heading out to a spooktacular party with friends, I hope everyone has a fun Halloween and enjoys the holiday!

Hilarious Halloween Costume Links:

Top Ten Tasteless Costumes

How to Find a Masculine Costume for your Effeminiate Son

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Yesterday, I entered a writing contest to describe my favorite Boston Moment to win a signed Red Sox jersey and a meal for two at Bacco that will include two perfectly mixed ABSOLUT BOSTON cocktails.  To be honest, I would trade the signed Red Sox jersey for a $30 bottle of ABSOLUT BOSTON, but I’m not sure negotiations are allowed.

I just went back to the listing of the contest because I wanted to look up the restaurant’s name… and just noticed that they wanted 50 words or less.  50 words or less!? And this is considered a contest!? If you are an avid reader of the bloggo, you’d know that 50 words or less is near impossible for me to describe anything. At this point of this very entry, we’re already at 132 words. Bogus.

So I submited 562 words about Marathon Monday 2008 that all lead up to my favorite Boston moment. And I think it’s pretty good. Maybe I’ll win anyway. Probably not. Oh snap… I hate when I don’t look before I leap.

There’s always the writing contest AMR has proposed where one has to submit a 2-page essay about their favorite foreign food.  Winners are selected to come over and enjoy a meal off the new raclette grill (a tabletop grill that she experienced in Switzerland and Bykfam bought one to teach us Americans the way).  The thing is, I am not one who likes foreign food. In fact, the more I hang out with NF, the more I’m realizing how picky my diet really is. I did try sushi with him one night and it was okay but not something I could call my “favorite” or write 2 pages about. In fact, most foreign food I eat is because I’m with someone who wants to eat these mildly edible concoctions and I just put up with it and try to be worldly.  I would say I like Italian… but Xtina told me that the Italian I like is really just “American Italian” and not the real deal. I guess the same would go for the Pu Pu platter at the Chinese restaurant. Not the real deal either, right? What about when I go to Mexican restaurants and say I want a quesadilla with just cheese and chicken and no onions, peppers or spicey things? Does that count?

So I will have to make something up since I have no favorite foreign food and do not want to risk the possibility of never eating off the new raclette grill! Hopefully, I have a slow day at work today or tomorrow so I can think of something.

HEKD is making fun of me because I was making fun of her choice of framed photos in her new house… every one of them a pic of her and her husband.  I told her, “We get it – you’re in looooove!”  What’s funny is that we then suddenly realized I have not appeared in any framed photos of hers during the entire decade of our friendship.  Then we thought back to the condo she lived in for about 6 years and confirmed that there were no framed photos of me on display at that place either.  I noted that she did have a framed photo of her friend LC and her husband MC on their wedding day… she used to have a framed photo of her and the tall one… and she has a framed photo of her with another girl she’s friends with (but she says it was a gift from that girl so I can’t be mad at that).  The point is, all these people aren’t as important as me and yet I have no presence in her house!  HEKD says she is working on a shrine in my honor if it will keep me happy. Well, it’s a start. Next, she will need to be sincere about worshiping it.

Then I was thinking about it some more and I don’t think any of my friends have framed photos of me in their living quarters… unless you count a photo of KDM, AMR and I on prom night in 1995 that is on display at AMR and Bykfam’s house.  If I am wrong, please let me know to help ease my mind. But even though my living space has decreased from a 2 BR apt. to just a single room within my parents’ house… I have pics of my friends all over! In fact, you would think I was in love with HEKD with amount of photos I have framed of her… at Vegas, at her wedding, at the cheesecake factory, etc.  AMR, RB, Bykfam, JBP, Xtina… they all are there on display so I can look at them lovingly and look forward to the next time I see them. The realization that no one does this for me is frankly devastating. Xtina doesn’t even have my 4th grade picture on display at her desk anymore.  :(  I’m feelin’ the non-love today. I see how it is.

On a related note… I have two very talented friends. One is a fiend at knitting and the other is a creative artist. Do you think either of them has ever made anything for me? Hellz no! I’ve been very good friends with them for years and watched with sadness as they’ve made project after project for every one else they know and nothing ever for me. What’s up that? Is it crass to complain about not receiving homemade gifts produced from their talents?  Probably. Are we close enough friends that they’ll think it’s funny? Likely. Have I been such a good friend that I deserve a homemade gift? You know it’s true. If I dote on my framed photos of my friends as much as I do, just think how much I’d adore your homemade gift! But don’t drop everything and make me something just because I’m sobbing every night at my multiple unrequited loves. I’ll survive. Don’t worry about me. But HEKD, I’m following up with you this weekend to see how the shrine is coming.