So this week, instead of my usual random musings…I am going to give you the five random lessons I learned this week…

• If you want something done right, do it yourself.  This is probably a lesson I should have learned a long time ago, but I continually give people the benefit of not being total idiots.  That usually backfires on me.  This week, this lesson hit home so many times that I’ve finally learned it for good.  No one is going to do things exactly the way you would and if it’s really that important to you…just do it yourself.  Or risk seeing your favorite dress thrown in the dryer and shrunken down to American Girl Doll size.
• No matter how sad or mad or frustrated you are…a little puppy love will cheer you right up.  I came home from work in a foul mood the other night and I was cranky and pissy.  Then I watched the saddest show on television.  When the dogs know I’m upset, the give me kisses.  Those kisses made me forget my annoying day and made me forget why I was so sad.
• Perseverance pays off.  This week, a man graduated from Columbia University.  He came to this country from Albania in the 1990′s and got a job at the university as a janitor.  For six years, he took classes part-time to learn English.  Then he started taking classes toward his degree.  It took him 20 years, but he did it.  He has his degree now and he’s going to go on for a master’s.  That’s dedication.  I think we can all learn something from him.
• Doing simple favors for people earns you serious gratitude.  There was a large family meeting going on in my office yesterday.  One of the attorneys we work with needed something signed by someone in that meeting.  It’s not generally accepted to interrupt meetings like that.  No one wanted to do it.  But this attorney has done me big favors before, so I took a deep breath and knocked on the door.  I got the forms signed and now…the attorney is supremely grateful…and probably willing to help me out the next time I need a favor.  Everyone wins.

And lastly…I have the most important lesson of all…

• Cupcakes are better than Prozac.  I was in a seriously shitty mood on Wednesday.  Everything and everyone was annoying me.  So I decided to have the salted caramel cupcake I mentioned in my last post.  I took one bite and the tension just melted away.  By the time I was finished eating the cupcake my shoulders were relaxed and I had a big smile on my face.  It was probably a sugar high…but just taking a few minutes away from the annoying stuff and enjoying my delicious treat was enough to change my whole mood.  It wasn’t as good as puppy kisses, but it was damn close!

There you have it…5 random lessons I learned this week.  I don’t know if I’m going to be around much next week.  I have a very full week planned…trying to show my two favorite Canadians how awesome NY is in an effort to convince them to move here for good.  It probably won’t work, but I’m sure we’ll have fun anyway.  But I’ll definitely be back next Friday for Random Musings…so make sure you stop by.

Now…grab the button, link up below and tell me your random musings for the week!

These are the cupcakes we bought for my boss’s birthday.  This gesture was about 87% selfish…because if it wasn’t we probably would have taken him out to lunch or something.  Instead, we are eating the most delicious cupcakes ever.  This was a much better decision.

Now, please excuse me…I have to get back to my salty caramel cupcake.  It’s much to hard to eat and type at the same time.

**If you are near a Sprinkles…you must go out and get some.  This might be the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten.

When I put watching Glee on my 101 list, I never really expected that I would like it.  I don’t really like teenagers and I don’t care for large-scale musical numbers in the middle of a TV show.  That sort of thing should be reserved for the Broadway stage…and a select few movie musicals…like Grease.  I sat down to watch the first episode fully expecting to hate it.

But after watching two full seasons, I can say that I’m totally in love with this show.  The music is fantastic and the talent just blows me away and the dialogue is sharp and funny…but it’s more than that.  I find myself smiling the whole time…well, when I’m not sobbing, that is.  Because the happy moments are wonderful and the heartbreaking moments will truly break your heart.  Yes…some of it is cheesy and I roll my eyes sometimes because it’s so corny.  But I think Glee delivers a bigger message.  In between the fabulous singing and hilarious insults…they are trying to teach you acceptance…of each other and, more importantly, of yourself.

Each character on the show is a bit of a freak or an outcast in one way or another and instead of ridiculing each other, they come together to celebrate their eccentricities and quirkiness.  They own their weirdness and they never apologize for who they are.  I think that is a very important lesson for everyone to learn.  You should never be ashamed of who you are and you should accept other people for who they are.

I also have to give the show credit for the way they handled the subject of bullying.  I think their portrayal was very accurate to the way things are actually handled in reality and I applaud them for pointing out that more needs to be done to keep kids safe.

I think the most surprising to me, though, was the fact that the Glee cast was able to make Justin Bieber, Gweneth Paltrow and Kesha palatable to me.  I’d honestly never heard a Justin Bieber song before and Baby…it’s not bad.  I’m not saying I’m going to become a Belieber or anything…but the song is catchy.  And Tik Tok, by Kesha is now on my iPod…although the spelling still makes me angry.

It’s just a really well done show with incredible talent and wonderful writers.

So…if you were like me…thinking you’d hate Glee and avoiding it like the bubonic plague…I encourage you to give it a watch.  I think you’ll really like it.

I’ve gotten 26 items down and I’m currently working on another 18.  I’m really close to planning a trip soon that will let me cross off five items in three days…and I’ve bought some Groupons recently that will help me accomplish another 3. 

When I started this project I really thought 1001 days was a long time.  It’s not as long as it seems at first.  Especially when I have so many items left to do and less than 400 days to finish! 

Here’s where I am now…

1. Send someone flowers for no reason – Completed 1/11/12…sent flowers to my cousin Marybeth just because she’s awesome.
2. Pay for a strangers meal at a drive-through - Completed 9/3/10…read about it here.
3. Give a microloan through kiva.org – Completed 9/3/10 and it’s been fully repaid! I think I am on my third round of loans now. 
4. Find out my blood type and donate blood – Completed 1/11/12…I’m anemic so I wasn’t able to donate…but I donated some cash instead and I will try again.
5. Travel to 5 places I’ve never been - 4 down…Savannah, GA…Edmonton, AB, Canada…Lexington KY…and Macon, GA…1 more to go and I have a really good idea of who I want to go see…
6. Take a road trip alone
7. Take a walking tour of NYC
8. Visit the Statue of Liberty – Done during the Shana/Ally NYC extravaganza.
9. Spend a weekend in Atlantic City
10. Go on vacation with my sister-in-law
11. Travel somewhere by train
12. Go to Disney World
13. Write a novel
14. Participate in NaNoWriMo
15. Participate in NaBloPoMo – Done!  Finished on 11/30/11
16. Redesign my blog – The new design went live on 11/6/11!
17. Comment on every blog post I read for one week – Completed on 3/27/11
18. Crochet an afghan using the yarn I’ve had in the closet for a year – In progress…I was about halfway done, but I hated it, so I took it all out and started over.
19. Refinish a piece of furniture – In progress…working on re-doing my kitchen set…pictures to follow.
20. Use my sewing machine…finally
21. Take a photography class – Completed…I finished the class on December 21st and I can’t wait to sign up for the next one.
22. Take 48 pictures in 1 day and create a photo book of a day in my life
23. Do a 365 day photo project – I started this on April 1st.  It’s been more work than I thought it would be, but I have some really great shots.
24. Create a monthly scrapbook every month for 1 year
25. Make a calendar to give as a Christmas gift – This was a goal for this Christmas…but it was an epic fail.  Next year for sure.
26. Buy a Flip camera and make 1 home movie per week for 1 year – Well…I got the camera for Christmas last year…now I just need to start using it.
27. Create a journal of clippings, photos, quotes and other things I love – I bought a SmashBook and I started this project…so far I love it.
28. Create an emergency kit for both houses
29. Drink 64 ounces of water every day for 64 days straight
30. Complete the Couch to 5K program
31. Reach my goal weight and stay there – In progress…joined Jenny Craig in Feb 2011 and after a brief hiatus, I’m back on the program.
32. Take the dogs on a walk for at least 30 minutes every day for 1 month
33. Take a yoga class
34. Save $10,000 – I’m making great progress on this.  I managed to put a huge chunk of my bonus into savings.  I have a way to go, but I’m getting there.
35. Pay off all my credit cards in full each month for 1 year – I’ve managed to keep all my balances at zero since January!
36. Go 1 month without making a non-essential purchase - March was my month and it was pretty successful.
37. Sell 5 things on Ebay
38. Sell something I make on Etsy
39. Study something entirely new
40. Conquer a fear
41. Go to 5 different museums - 4 down…The Ellis Island Museum, The Discovery Times Square Museum, The Metropolitan Museum of Art and The Museum of Sex (which was so interesting…next week I’m going to The American Museum of Natural History and I’ll cross this item off the list!
42. Create a house cleaning schedule and stick to it
43. Go to bed at 9PM every night for 1 week
44. Wake up at 5AM every morning for 1 week
45. Keep my inbox empty for 1 month – I started this back in April and it’s lasted much longer than a month.
46. Write a will and advanced medical directive
47. Write “in case of death” letters
48. Pick a day to perform random acts of kindness
49. Watch the sunrise and sunset on the same day
50. Watch the sunset and the sunrise without going to bed
51. Get a library card – Completed 1/11/12
52. Answer the “50 Questions That Will Free Your Mind” – Done…you can read the answers here.
53. Go to the zoo in the spring to see the baby animals – Completed on 5/31/11 with a trip to The Bronx Zoo
54. Eat a meal alone in a restaurant
55. Go to the movies alone 10 times
56. Get a henna “tatoo” on my hands
57. Get properly measured and buy 3 really good bras once per year – I actually went twice this year.
58. Go to mass at St. Patrick’s Cathedral
59. Give everyone on my Christmas list a handmade gift – Completed on 12/25/11.  Everyone got at least one handmade item this year and it was a huge success.  I will be doing this in the future as much as possible.
60. Get a bikini wax
61. Purchase a 1 year subscription to the NY Lottery – Completed 11/22/10…I’ll let you know if I win!
62. Reach 500 blog posts – Today’s post marks #483
63. Do three more blog giveaways – 1st (apron), 2nd (12 days of Christmas, which I’m counting as one) and 3rd (Kiva card).
64. Order room service
65. Write a love letter – Done on 8/26/11…I gave it to J for his birthday.
66. Organize every room of my house – I’m almost there.  The kitchen, both bathrooms, our bedroom and the linen closet are done.  I just have the guest room and den…which, unfortunately, have the most junk.
67. Buy myself a diamond ring (like Oprah’s pinky ring)
68. Watch every movie currently on my Netflix queue – In progress…after a cleaning of my list and watching tons of movies I’ve gone from over 400 to just under 200!
69. Watch all the movies we own on DVD…even the stupid ones
70. Meet a blog friend in person - Completed on 10/29/10 when I met the fabulous Ally.
71. Go snorkeling
72. Read 100 books – In progress…72 down.
73. Have a girls night once per month
74. Do a boudoir photo shoot – I did this in February…the results weren’t exactly what I’d hoped for, but it was still a great experience.
75. Visit a psychic
76. Spend a day lying in a hammock reading and napping
77. Take a walk in the rain
78. Ride in a hot air balloon
79. Build a snowman
80. Color an entire coloring book – I got an awesome coloring book and a huge box of crayons and colored pencils for my birthday, so this will be finished soon.
81. Carve a pumpkin
82. Go on a date with J once per month
83. See 3 Broadway shows - I saw Elf on 12/4/10, The Motherfucker in the Hat on 5/31/11 and Wicked on 11/15/11
84. Go to 5 concerts - 2down…Jay-Z and Eminem on 9/14/10, Sarah McLachlan on 1/12/11, 3 to go
85. Dress up for Halloween – Completed 10/31/10
86. Buy a completely impractical dress just because I love it
87. Throw a party
88. Go out dancing
89. Watch season 1 of Mad Men, Glee and Arrested Development – Done!  Finished Glee last week.  I’ve already discussed my love of Mad Men…and this week I’m going to tell you just why I love Glee so much.
90. Go to a midnight movie premiere – Completed 11/19/10 when I went to the premiere of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
91. Celebrate Champagne Friday every week for 1 month
92. Shoot a gun at a shooting range
93. Play hooky from work one day for no reason – Did this at the beginning of September…it was fabulous.
94. Attend a taping of a TV show
95. Take the pastry class at ICE – Completed 10/8/10…which you can read about here or here or here
96. Cook my way through a cookbook
97. Create a signature cupcake
98. Put together a recipe book from all the random recipes in the kitchen
99. Give a copy of that recipe book to someone as a gift
100. Write a blog post about each item I complete on the list
101. Write a new 101 list

Do you think I’ll really be able to get all this done in a year?

So…I’m not going to waste any more time…because the faster today goes, the closer I am to tomorrow and next weekend…

• Did I mention “tan mom” on here?  For those of you that don’t know, she’s a mom from NJ who is so addicted to fake tanning that she’s practically made of leather and she’s the color of an oompa loompa.  She’s been accused of taking her 5-year-old daughter to the tanning salon with her.  Well, it seems “tan mom” has some competition in the race to be the biggest embarrassment NJ has to offer.  Her competition?  “The Hotdog Ho”…a woman who runs a hot dog truck where you can get more than hot dogs.  She serves up her dogs in a bikini…and if you ask nicely you can get a lap dance or a side of sex.  Oh…did I mention that her boobs sag down to her knees?  Yeah…she’s a class act.  Oh…and she’s “acrobetical”…her word, not mine.  Seriously…you can’t make this stuff up.  And you guys thought Snooki and The Situation were the best NJ had to offer. UPDATE…Apparently, the Hotdog Ho is from Long Island…which is NY, not NJ. Also, she prefers to be called the Hotdog Stripper. I really wish she was from NJ.
• Why do people think it’s ok to take their shoes off on the train.  On Wednesday morning, I sat across from a man who took his shoes off and put them up on the seat next to me…right next to my lunch bag.  It was gross…and it was also the morning, which made it even worse.  Of course, there were no other seats on the train so I had to just sit there.  But people…please understand that it’s public transportation and not your living room.  Leave your shoes on!
• There is a woman who works in my building, but for a different company.  She’s the only woman in an office full of men and she didn’t want to share a bathroom with them.  Since we are an office full of women, she asked if she could use the bathroom on our side of the office.  We said sure.  Except…she’s always in there.  Yesterday, my coworker came into the office, put her bags and coat down, turned on her computer, walked down two flights of stairs to use the bathroom on a different floor, walked back up two flights of stairs…and the girl was still in there.  We estimate that she spends 2-3 hours of the work day in there.  We figure she’s either trying to kill time or she’s got some sort of stomach issues.  But as my co-worker pointed out this morning…if it’s stomach issues, girlfriend better get herself to the doctor!

And lastly…and most importantly…

• President Obama’s tweet about gay marriage yesterday is the most retweeted message in the history of Twitter.  I think that’s awesome.

Now…grab the button, link up below…and have a wonderful weekend!

Even sadder is that North Carolina was the 30th state to pass a ban on same-sex marriage.

I don’t understand it and it makes me sad and angry and frustrated.

But then something else happened yesterday.  President Obama went on television and said “I believe that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.”

Wow.  That’s amazing.

He only made a statement…he’s not enacting legislation.  I understand that they are just words.  I understand that just saying it won’t make it a reality.  But for the President of the United States to come out publicly in support of same-sex marriage is a big deal.

Well done Mr. President.  This is the first time in a long time that I’ve been proud of you.  I just hope they aren’t empty words…because everyone does deserve to be treated fairly and equally.

Want to know what it means?  Come visit me over at From The Sidelines today to read about why Mariano Rivera is my favorite Yankee and what happened to him this week that makes me so incredibly sad.

When I arrived we went to the most delicious breakfast of goat cheese omelettes and cheese grits…which I didn’t take any pictures of.  But I did take a picture of the menu…which made me laugh…because it’s so true…

Then we went to the Martin Luther King Jr. memorial…

Where we visited MLK’s birth home and the Ebenezer Baptist Church where he was the preacher…

When we got home, we broke out the champagne…of course…

Over the next few days…we went to Perry, GA for a delicious lunch…which I also forgot to take pictures of.  Luckily, Ally remembered to take one…

We drove by the Blue Bird Bus Factory and saw the million buses parked in their parking lot…including the prison models…

We went to the peach orchard…because, you know, it is Georgia…and we ate some delicious peach and strawberry ice cream…

Despite the incredible heat, we went to the airshow on Robins Air Force Base and saw some really awesome aeronautical tricks…

A current fighter jet flying next to a WWII fighter jet…

A jet powered porta-potty…

A few characters that you can only find in Georgia…

And the Blue Angels…who were amazing…

We went to the adorable Whistle Stop Cafe…where they filmed Fried Green Tomatoes…

And where they still make the most delicious fried green tomatoes…

And fried chicken…

There was also a lot of girl talk…and hanging out on the patio with Captain Miller…and relaxing.  It was such a great weekend and I can’t wait until July when I get to do it all over again!

Now…I have lots of random musings this week.  I have to make up for last week after all…

• The grass is growing like crazy, so two weeks ago J decided to do some lawnmower maintenance and get ready to start cutting the grass.  So we took a trip to Sears…where we bought our riding lawnmower last year.  You know what…Sears doesn’t carry replacement parts for their lawnmowers.  The guy suggested we try Home Depot.  Except…our lawnmower is a Craftsman…manufactured by Sears and sold only in Sears.  Out of ten different stores, only one in our area sells the replacement parts.  J didn’t seem so flustered by this…but I was.  It just doesn’t make sense to me.  But maybe that’s why Sears isn’t doing so well. 
• We had new cable installed in the CT house.  The tech that came out was super nice and really helpful.  I was just in the middle of thinking that he was the best service tech of any kind we’d ever had at the house…until he basically told us he had been having really bad diarrhea all day.  I mean, really…do I need to know that?  I do not.  Please keep that shit to yourself…literally.
• I was listening to the radio and the morning news woman was doing the entertainment news.  She referred to Kim Kardashian and Kanye West as Kim-ye.  She said “We are calling them that now.”  My question is…do we have to???  Bennifer was funny.  Really funny.  And TomKat was slightly clever…but you lost me at Brangelina and now Kim-ye?  Please…let’s just stop with the stupid names.  Or better yet…let’s just stop talking about Kim Kardashian altogether and maybe she’ll go away.
• The night before I left for Georgia, I stopped into a store by my office to pick up a few last-minute things and I found a dress that I loved.  It was comfortable and perfect for the hot temperatures I was travelling to.  I took the dress to the register…where the store manager told me she couldn’t sell me the dress because the price tag was missing and it was the only one in the whole store.  I explained to her that I was sorry for the hassle, but she’d better figure something out…because I wasn’t leaving that store without that dress.  I stood there for 45 minutes and missed three trains…but she figured out the price and I got the dress.  And it was absolutely perfect for a day of shopping and visiting the peach orchard. 

And lastly…my favorite…

• Don’t you love when people push you out of the way only to discover that they are going the wrong way?  Earlier this week, a woman pushed past me while we were getting off the train and practically knocked me over.  Then she proceeded to march down the train platform…in the completely wrong direction.  The look on her face was priceless as she turned around and slunk back the right way.  A few months ago, as I was waiting for the bus, a woman cut in front of the line and jumped onto the bus.  She paid her fare ($7) and sat down…only to realize she was on the express bus to Westchester instead of the local city bus she was looking for.  She’d only been planning to go 8 blocks.  Instead, she ended up going 20 and paying an extra $5 for the pleasure.  She was very upset…but  I loved every second of it.  Maybe if she wasn’t so busy being rude, she would have realized her mistake. 

That’s it for me this week.  Don’t forget to grab the button above and link up below to share your random musings of the week.  Have a great weekend…

But I did want to give you an update on the bird situation.  It turns out, I did run into a bird during my travels…

Luckily…this bird doesn’t fly.  He’s more adorable than dangerous!  He became the official mascot of my trip.

Stay tuned for some excellent photos and some stories that could only come from Georgia…