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29 March Break out the Bubbly!!!Hello my 7 lovely loyal readers!! I think I'm at 7 . . . aren't I? Is anyone else keeping track?? Well, if you're a loyal reader and have never commented or there is no way for me to know you read, then let me know. Leave me a note to say CONGRATS!!
 I started my new job tonight and IT WENT VERY WELL!!! Yahoo!!! I think I know who left the (unnamed) comments on the previous post and she is totally right! I will spend at least half of my time just talking with the members and making sure people are using the machines properly and effectively. I'm kinda excited. The only "concern" at all is how many hours I can get. The club I'm probably working at closes a little earlier than some of the other ones, but I'll just wait it out and see. I have it in my head that 20-25 hours would be great, BUT that may end up being too much. So, we'll just take it easy and see how it goes. There is some cleaning and a bit o' sales, but the sales will be no problem for me, well, eventually not. Right off I do have to learn their system, but in a few short months (I'm sure) I'll have it down pat. So, all was well. I'll be back out there on Saturday working, if you can even call it that.
 So, Yeah for me. We'll see how the money and time comes out. I'm sure I'll be posting in the future about how it's going. Anything wonderful and exciting in your life?? I got it!!!I got it. I got a call from the Curves owner today that she really liked me and my bubbly personality and asked if I could make it to training tonight and on saturday. I'm a little freaked out 'cause the last time I got a part-time job in addition to my day job it ended VERY badly and even though I didn't, I still FEEL like I got fired. So, say a prayer that it is either REALLY great tonight, OR REALLY SUCKS. Because if it really sucks, I'm not going to go back. I'm going to take this step of faith and see what happens. I'll hopefully be able to post tonight or tomorrow about how it went and what i'm thinking.
Unfortunately, if I get two jobs I'll have even less time to post stuff here than I do now. The lunch hour thing should keep working though. I'm on my lunch now. But, even though I'll lose touch with my cyber-friends, I'll be making even more money to pay my parents back with and get out of their basement that much faster!! Yahoo for me!!! Yes, if I haven't mentioned it before, I'm a pathetic late-20's adult living in her parents basement. Oh, well, c'est la vie for me. Okay, I'm going to go now, hope you have had a great day, I'll post soon!! I hope  Talking about Boy, 3, gets stuck in toy machine - Peculiar Postings - MSNBC.comA truly funny thought for today. Be sure to check out the picture!! Quote
What the HECK!!!Ok, so I think I've never mentioned this, but I can see who has been looking at my site. Well, sorta. I can see the links you came from, so if you searched for "Laughing Mouse" on google and clicked on my site, it records that. If you're a friend and you have me bookmarked or you've got me on messenger, then I don't know how that comes up. But, I always note who is searching for what and finding me.
Well, today I think I saw the weirdest one I've seen so far. "vagina+computer+mouse." WHAT??? Now, I've seen some odd ones, and I've never posted about them because I can figure out how someone would search for those items. But, this one. What in the world could you possibly be searching for if you put those items into a search engine??? I could speculate, but I don't want to gross anyone out and I need to get to work. Ewwww, Whoever you are, search elsewhere and unless there was some freaky tourettes typo, don't come back. Early!!!I can hardly believe it. I'm EARLY FOR WORK!!! So, early I've decided to pos ta quick note about my interview yesterday. So, first and foremost
Yeah for ME!!!  But, more importantly, the interview, well, both of them went fine. The first interview was pretty much just chatty, tell me about yourself, why do you want to work for curves kind of stuff. Would you be willing to learn this or that and can you work in this other town nearby. Yes to all basically. That only took like 10 minutes and I was 5 minutes early for it, so I was back at work earlier than I expected. Then I went back for the "second interview"/workout, which also went well.
The owner told us that she wants to see how we do the machines and how much we pay attention and retain while she teaches us how to do the machines, etc. I thought I did VERY well and I got a minute afterwards to tell her that I've got experience in sales and to smile at her a bit more and improve the impression I had already made.
I have to say here though, that there was a girl there, I swear she never smiled once until the owner looked directly at her! Why would they hire you if you can't even smile while you're sitting around? well, wait, not only was she not smiling she actually looked . . . . I don't know . . . . like eeyore I guess. She just looked not happy to be there, which was so odd to be because it was a second interview, how'd she make it through the first one? Then again, with my "luck" she would be the person they would hire and I would probably never know it. Oh, well. I've said it once, I've said it 100 times
"I don't run the world."
So, I'm off to work now. I want to also say here, again, I
 Flylady. She's got me doing a nighttime routine that includes laying my clothes out for the next day and it's saving me, apparently, 10 minutes or so, which is just long enough to get my makeup on!!! So, I've been wearing makeup for like two weeks or something!! Again, Yeah for ME!!! Ok, well that's enough out of me. I'm off to work now.
Maybe someday next week I'll post about the cute guy I met at the body shop while I was getting an estimate to repair the recent damage to my car. Oh, I didn't tell you about that. Minor fender bender and now it's $1,000 in damage. Oh, well. I got to meet a cute guy and someone else is paying for it. What more can a girl ask for. If you ask nicely I may post about that later someday.  27 March New job anyone??I saw an ad that the local Curves Ladies Workout place was hiring. I had a canker sore growing on my lip on Monday and Tuesday so I didn't want to go out then and "Aunt Flo" showed up on Wednesday so I felt like crud and didn't want to go out then. I ended up going out Friday afternoon after work to put in the application. I went in introduced myself and the girl says "We're already on second interviews but you can put in an application if you want." Um, okay, whatever. I almost didn't put one in. I gave her kind of a crazy look because the ad was only in the paper once as far as I knew. Then she told me that they ran it from Weds through Sun. Less than a week!!! Okay, whatever.
I did their quick, short little application, never even took off my coat, and gave it to the girl. I thought, well, it doesn't hurt to put an application in and who knows, maybe the rest of the candidates will totally suck and they'll decide they want me. That was my attempt at positive affirmation type thinking, while honestly in the back of my mind figuring it was a lost cause.
Today I was at awork and I was digging in my purse for something when I felt my phone vibrating. (I put it on vibrate at work so it doesn't make noise.) I look and it has a number instead of a name which means that my phone doesn't recognize whoever's calling me. So, I set it aside and go on about my work. I checked my voicemail later, and lo and behold, it's that woman from Curves!! She wants to set up an interview! Okay, now i'm cornfused.
I waited until I was on lunch to call her back to set up the appointment, thinking "I can do it any afternoon this week. I have a couple of things going on at night, but nothing i can't adjust to make time for an interview" (I should note here, that I would probably get a free membership AND make some money doing this. Plus, they're not open on weekends and they're only open (as far as I remember) from 4-8 m-f. PERFECT hours for me!!!) So, I'm all like, okay this could be GREAT for me!!! I'll call her back. She asks if I can come in tomorrow morning. I said, well, mornings are kind of tough for me because I have a regular day job I work. She says "Well, we're doing first and second interviews tomorrow." So, I asked when would she want me there? 9-11 is what she has open for first interviews. okay, well, I normally start work at 9, so getting out to Curves by 9 shouldn't be too bad, plus, I'm sure my boss will let me have the time off work to get a second job so that I can keep working for them, right? So, I set an appointment for 9. THEN she says, "Second interviews are at noon. And, what you'll want to do is come ready for a workout because that interview will be a workout with the owner."
Ummmmm, okay . . . .what happened to putting your best foot forward and making a great impression in an interview. They're barely giving me a fighting chance!! I'm at least 60 pounds overweight AND almost none of my clothes fit now as it is!!! Much less workout clothes!!! Darn it all, what am I going to do. I guess I'll just have to make do and hope that my sizable girth is actually impressive as a possible marketing campaign later. you know, like
"Do you see this big fat girl in this picture on the wall??
That's Kristine, our lovely desk associate,
didn't recognize her did you?
Look how much Curves has done for her,
and that's just her looks . . . the rest of her life is GREAT too!!
Don't you wish you had Curves like her?"
ha ha, just kidding . . . . . . . . . sorta. So, anyway, say a prayer that work is actually flexible and understanding and that I do well at this interview because just seems so strange to me and is pretty nerve-wracking. Ok, i'm going to finish my lunch now and then go back to work and hope for flexibility and understanding!!! 24 March Yanni, Meet ShawshankFirst, let me say that so far the noontime experiment has not worked . . . clearly. But, this has been a busy week for me. Maybe next week will be better. Meanwhile, this isn't exactly "funny" but there is irony in it. So, read on dear friends. . .
Apparently this week Yanni was arrested for domestic violence. Yep, Yanni. Mr. Instrumental, super relaxing, so boring it will actually put you to sleep, I'm a "manly man" who plays some sort of flute, music, was arrested for domestic violence. Now, I do NOT know anything at all about the story. I just heard Jay Leno talking about it while my mom was flipping through the channels. the only reason I even bring this up is the simple irony that someone with the public persona of yanni has clearly been pulling the wool over everyone's eyes. Ok, you're right. Funny it's not, but If I dwell on that I'll get angry and I don't think anyone wants to read about that again. So, I'm just going to sign off feeling that I've done my service for the world in notifying them of this bad-hair fraud.
Clearly, I'm very cranky. I haven't slept well this week and I guess lack of sleep brings out every single negative emotion I am capable of and starts multiplying them and interweaving them exponentially. (Apparently, it's also making me fat) So, I'm going to send this e-mail I need to get sent out tonight and then lay down on my couch in front of a movie and veg out for the rest of the night. then again, it's already 11, so the rest of the night isn't actually that long. Maybe I'll have something funny to write after I have dinner with a bunch of friends doing a "Newlywed Celebration" tomorrow night. I'll let you know. Meanwhile, have a good night . . . day . . . . whatever.  22 March OK, Which one of you was it?!?Going to try something new to me. Because I have so many loyal readers (HI, 7 loyal readers!) and I have sorta dropped off the face of the planet, I'm going to try utilizing my lunch hour more effectively. I'm going to try popping in a new story or update on life during my lunch hour. Which means you may get some weird notes about dropping food on myself or my love of Lasanga in a Can, etc. So, here we go then . . . .
I was at Charity's house earlier this week. She has an almost 5 year old son. I told him would go play with him if he were quiet and let me finish a story I was telling her. He was quiet enough during the story, so afterward I went up to his toy room with him and we played with matchbox cars for awhile. Well, Charity came up to show me some of the clothes she has bought for the baby and for Gavin and her. Well, she sat down on his bed and we chit chatted while Gavin and I were playing. At one point we heard this crackling plastic kind of noise. Well, she has plastic on her windows that her nephew broke a hole in so we figured that was the noise and didn't think any more about it. Much to our chagrin.
A bit later Gav went downstairs to get water or a snack or something and starts hollerin' up to Charity. I can't understand him half the time. Apparently, he was telling us that one of the dogs got into my purse. I thought "No, way. They couldn't have gotten into my purse, there's nothing in there that they would want." WRONG. We got up and started down the stairs and sure enough, there, strewn about her living room floor was the contents of my purse. We decided Cindy the smaller but oldest dog was the one who had done it. I guess I must have had a piece of chocolate somewhere at the bottom. But, that wasn't good enough for her. She knocked over my purse and, as you can see in the picture I've attached, managed to strew (is that a word?) my calendar, book, cell phone, camera, batteries for the camera, and almost everything else in one pocket and half the stuff in the rest of the pockets.
I realize many of you might be horrified or even indignant on my behalf about this situation. However, those of you who actually know me well realize how funny I thought this was. Nothing was ruined, my purse was slightly damaged, but I can deal with that. And, (otter otter otter) how can I be upset that I have such a GREAT story now!! I can hardly believe her dog tried to eat my purse. And, the best/worst part about it is, we might have been able to avoid it if we had gotten off our lazy behind's, . . . . okay, one behind is pregnant, but mine was just lazy, and get up and check on the noise instead of assuming it was fine. Oh, well, great story for me!! Someone remind me to tell you about the time my dog opened my grandma's purse to get her chocolate out. This was 20 years ago give or take, but it's a classic story 12 March Officially losing itOk, friends. I think I may be officially losing my mind. Oddly, it is one of the most content and joyfilled place I've been for as long as I can remember.
I cleaned my kitchen tonight.
No, not like, did the dishes and swiped at the counter top. I mean, hardcore cleaned! I soaked the sink in bleach and scrubbed all the edges, took a knife to the nasty corners. That was yesterday.
Tonight after we were done eating, I voluntarily did the dishes with no prompting at all and then proceeded to scrub the counter top in one corner next to the stove that probably hasn't been scrubbed in an absolute minimum of a year, probably much more.
Then I decided to do the same to the other edge of the counter that probably hasn't been scrubbed in just as long. Serious elbow grease, fantastik degreaser, top edges, sides, front, all of it!
Then, I went to put away the sponge in this pop out drawer thing that sits inside the front of the counter in front of the sink. And I saw that the bottom of the drawer thing was NASTY!! This is where we keep our sponge for scrubbing dishes and what it sits in is beyond filthy!!! Totally grossed me out. So, I scrubbed that one out. Then I opened up the other one and scrubbed that one out too.
I even made my mom check through her pile of papers that sit behind the flour/sugar canisters to make sure none of it was trash. Not much, but a couple things were. I am more than a little flabbergasted!!
Wanna know my secret?? I'll tell ya.
FLYLADY!! I
 flylady!! You can check her out here if you have no idea what I'm talking about.
I should note before I get much further along that I need to thank my loyal reader, Kelly, for turning me on to Flylady. Honestly, I don't think there is anything truly amazing about flylady, nor do I think she's a savior or . . . . I don't know, like Dr.phil. What I mean by that is that, she doesn't have some phenomenal new system that no one has ever heard of. She's not introducing something new at all. BUT, I will definitely say her system will work if you work it. If you pay attention and even do half-hearted attempts at most of her stuff, you will get somewhere. One of the things she says all the time that gets me every time I read it is:
"The house did not get dirty overnight and it will not get clean overnight."
Although I can hear some people trying to argue with this, blah on you. Her focus is on people who have CHAOS-Can't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. If you don't have CHAOS, then it wouldn't make sense to you anyway. Honestly, I have SHAOS. Shouldn't Have Anyone Over Syndrome. I don't apologize for my clutter nor do I excuse it. Mostly I just ignore it. Sometimes I try to make a joke out of it. But I have people over anyway.
This has always been considered a temporary home for me (in spite of having been in this basement for three and a half years). So, why take much pride in it. I didn't actually realize that's what I was doing, but it was essentially my mind set. (I'm going to note here, do NOT turn me in to Dr. Phil. There are extenuating circumstances to my living in my parents basement for this long and being this old; plus, it seems to be working out okay. They're not upset about me being here and I'm actually getting "I can stay as long as I need(emphasis on need) to stay" content. Not the kind of content where I'll just laze around and never do anything with myself.)
So, my wonderful friend Kelly turned me on to Flylady and I signed up right away. Mostly out of curiosity just to see what she had to say that could help me. Honestly, much of what she has to say doesn't even apply to me. Her major demographic is stay-at-home moms. Not only am I not staying at home, I don't even have a husband much less kids. But, her principles are still good.
Let me recommend her to you. If you have any kind of problem with clutter, your cleaning system isn't working for you or you don't have a cleaning system, or you're just so darned overwhelmed with your life that you can hardly see straight (I've been there. I get it.) Give her a try. Her other big focus is on Baby Steps. Do what you can along with her as much as you can. Take your time to get used to her routines and "programs." Give her some time to work with you. Well, actually, give yourself some time to work with her.
You may not believe me but even a month ago the idea of scrubbing down my mom's kitchen would have NEVER occurred to me; and, if it had, I would have thrown a screaming temper tantrum fit. Well, okay, not really, but the jealous, selfish, mean litle girl inside of me would have. So, I just felt compelled to write about the amazingness that is Flylady.
Another note here, if you sign up for her Yahoo group and get her e-mails, I would suggest the digest unless you can and/or do check your e-mail constantly from home. Otherwise you'll get 10-25 e-mails in your box on the first day.
I'm just sitting here still amazed that I did all that work on my mom's kitchen just because flylady told me to. Okay, I know, not just because fly lady told me to. Also, because God has been doing an amazing work in my heart and mind and attitude about being here and basically making the best of it while I am here. THAT has been amazing. Maybe I'll post more about that later. Feel free to leave me a comment and ask. It'll remind me to post about that. So, go see Flylady and join up!! 08 March Find me on eBay!!!I have created an "About Me" page on eBay. You can go here now and see what I'm selling right now at any given point in time!!! No more searching or anything!! Yahoo!! 07 March Talking about Remembering Dana Reeve, dead at 44Quote Remembering Dana Reeve, dead at 44 (video) 05 March thought I'd hear myself sayI was at a friend's this week and was telling them how my new budget is going REALLY well and I'm very proud and it's been great etc. Then I said "Well, it's not that hard to do well when you were spending $150 a month in fast food before." We talked about the details of that for a minute or two when I mentioned "Oh, and that was while I was still working for the Athletic Club." Which didn't strike me funny or anything because it was the state of my own life and it hadn't occurred to me. To which, my friend's husband said "Wait, you were spending $150 in fast food and you were WORKING at the Athletic Club?! Talk about Things I never thought I'd hear a grown adult say!" He thought it was very amusing and I realized how amusing it really was. So, here's to you, James!! Thanks for pointing out the funny irony in my own life!! Hello!!! . . . . Long time no see!!!HELLOOOO!!!! I am going to forewarn you it is 1150 p.m. on a Saturday night, I am giddy and I am going to ramble. If you don't want to read it, go away now.
At my Thursday bible study group our leader challenged us to choose a sabbath, or as he calls it, a joy day. I had a wedding today. I was worried. I had a wedding last June and couldn't go because I almost had a breakdown. Seriously. I kinda did have a breakdown, but i had it in my car on the highway instead of inside the church during someone else's wedding. I just didn't think Icould handle watching one more person, younger, pretier, thinner, funnier, better, blah blah blah than me, get married while I have nothing. I know I know, I have more than nothing, but in that moment on that day, that is how I felt.
So, thursday he challenged us. So, I decided, Today, Saturday I am going to enjoy this day and this wedding and reception if it kills me!! I know, sounds a little crazy, but then my loyal readers know how crazy I really am.
tee hee. So, I got up this morning and had a minor but still annoying aggravation . . . .wait I need to back up. Last night (friday) I went to hang out with a family from my church. I've decided that life is too short to spend hanging out wtih people who annoy me or are cliquey or that I just don't like darn it!! I don't care what the reasons or excuses are, I am not going to do it. There are too many people I know that I really WANT to spend time with and get to know and I can't because I have these weird expectations of myself. So, those are done!!
Okay, so because of all that I decided to go hang out with this family Friday night. Well, the kids went to bed at 1030, which was 2 hours past their bedtime. Mom and I sat at the table and talked . . . .then hubby came in around 11ish and talked with us for awhile. Around midnight he decided to stoke up their woodstove in the living room. She and I continued to sit at the kitchen table and talk and finally both of us had to go to the bathroom and she looked at the clock behind her and realized it was 230 AM!! So then we moved to the living room and proceeded to talk for another 45 minutes and I spent 15 minutes at the front door and then scraping the frost off my car. I didn't even leave until 330 am and by the time I got home, got ready for bed and finally shut off the light it was 420. AM!! Yeah, I know, WAY early and late simultaneously.
I originally intended to sleep until at least noon and then get up and get ready for this wedding and reception today. But, When I woke up at 930 and had to potty my mom asked if I would help her clean the house because her sister was coming into town unexpectedly. I had to be honest and I just said, no. Oddly it worked okay for us, still not sure what happened there, but i'm not complaining.
I finally got up a little before noon and ate breakfast and had my coffee and my aunt and uncle got here around 1215 so we sat around and talked until 1ish when I finally got in the shower and got ready for this wedding. The wedding was at 2 and I didn't get in the shower until after 1. I was driving away at 150! I am HIGHLY impressed with my own ability to get completely DONE up, make up, big hair, great outfit all AFTER a good shower, in 45 minutes. I have to say, HIGHLY IMPRESSED!!
Anyway, back to this Thursday night thing, one of hte things he said was that to really enjoy live we need to "Ruthlessly eliminate 'hurry' from our lives." It was a quote from someone else, but I'm not sure who right now and I refuse to get up and go look.
As I'm driving away from my house in this huge hurry 'cause I'm late, that thought occurs to me and I realize, even if I speed like a maniac and get all stressed out by red lights etc., that I will still be late to this wedding. The difference MIGHT be 5 minutes, MIGHT. It might be NOTHING!! So, I decided to crank up some upbeat, sing-along music and just enjoy the ride out. I was late, but the preacher was long-winded so I was okay.  I sat in the back next to people I didn't know and just prayed for the couple and tried to enjoy the ceremony. Afterwards I talked to some friends and hugged the bride and groom and came back home before the reception. I needed batteries for my camera and had time to kill. Then I left for the reception and really enjoyed the drive out, in spite of the fact that I was convinced for 20 minutes that I was lost. Oh, well. I got there. I wasn't even lost, just confused about the directions.
Then, I really enjoyed the reception too!! I even took some more pictures. Oh, I haven't told you guys about that, I don't think
 . My mom and I are on this photography kick. Well, . . . . .anyway, I'll post more about that later. So, while I was at the reception I happened to look out these windows and saw a beautiful sunset. So, I asked a friend to watch my purse and I put on my coat, grabbed my camera and headed outside to get some shots of this sunset. I even found this one kind of tree I have been wanting to photograph because I just think they are so visually pleasing. So, I got some shots with the tree alone and in the sunset. I can't wait to get them on my computer and start manipulating them. After that, then the reception continued, we ate, we talked, then the dancing started. I got some GREAT shots of the bride and groom during their first dance and a couple good ones of the bride and her dad in their dance. Then the REAL dancing began.
Okay DJ. Had some good songs, and did almost all requests, so that worked out well. Did some dancing with different friends in my group and just really had a darn good time! Which, for me, is a bit surprising. In addiiton, I was home by 930!!! That is VERY surprising!! As I was taking pictures of the sunset I decided that was a personal gift to me from God to remind me how much He loves me and how much He's looking out for me. So, I kept winking at the sunset, at God. Which the oddity and intimacy made me laugh and smile every time. As I left there tonight there was a beautiful and clear sky with a lovely crescent moon out and I decided that the crescent moon was the teeth of his smile smiling down on me. So, I winked at the moon a few times too.
Now I'm home and things are looking GREAT for the PartyLite party I'm having on Tuesday and I've got my performance of the Vagina Monologues tomorrow and I'm just doing really darn well!!
Oh, I didn't tell you about the Monologues? Well, a little over a month ago there were signs up locally that they were auditioning voices for the Vagina Monologues to be performed locally. I decided to go audition. She "cast" me; although, she did say that she believes that if anyone wants to be involved they should be. But, I am participating in 3 of the ensemble/large-group pieces and one of the small group, serious monologues. I'm VERY excited about it. So, say a prayer that I don't freeze on stage.
 That would be TERRIBLE. I'll probably post again tomorrow night because it's been over a week since I posted last, and a LOT has happened. A couple of funny stories AND my office moved AND life is just darn pretty good. Oh, I know, I should mention here that because of the moving of the office I lost my dsl temporarily and can't get any other internet going right this second. I didn't realize how busy I really was and how much I used that internet until I didn't have it. So, that's part of why I haven't posted much this week. Oh, I also dog sat and sold $100 on eBay so I've been busy shipping and listing and seeing friends etc.
Hopefully I'll post more details about the eBay, dog sitting, moving and the other funny stories in the near future. If you want to hear about them, leave a comment and I'll make sure to post about them. I'm going to post one short "Things I never . . . ." after I post this because it made a friend laugh and I want to share!!
I want to note here, before I sign off, that I just re-read all this to put in paragraphs because they don't naturally occur and I removed 9 "So,"s from the post. Not sure why I do that, but I've noticed it before. That is my standard continuation apparently. Oh, well, *Smiles*
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