30 Something And Searching

So neglectful

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Sat, 15 May 2010 15:14:00 +0000

I have been so neglectful of this blog this year.

In truth, it became more time consuming than I should have allowed.

With all the attempts to increase traffic and potentially make some money off the blog, I was spending hours a day doing this.

More time trying to increase traffic than time writing, which is never a good thing.

The holidays and the beginning of the year took time away from blogging naturally because it is such a busy time.

Though, the main reason I stopped was because I just wasn't feeling it. I need to feel a call to write, otherwise, it's just babbling and not anything worth sharing or reading.

So, I focused my attention on other things. Job hunting. Cleaning out my parents attic and selling my childhood things on ebay. Friendships.

Sometimes I did miss blogging and my blog friends. I will really try to blog at least once a week.

I have been entirely neglectful of writing as a whole. I write nothing other than status updates on facebook. Nothing real. No fiction. Nothing.

It's a part of me I have let go. Perhaps that is what is missing.

Almost Christmas?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 14 Dec 2009 15:29:00 +0000

How did we get here already?

This year flew by faster than usual.

And the last 2 months just disappeared.

My last blog entry was right before Halloween. November and December have been blurs.

After we chose a place for my uncle, the following weeks were taken over by moving preparations, packing, Thanksgiving prep, Thanksgiving, moving him the day after Thanksgiving, getting him settled in the first week of December and putting up the Christmas decorations last week.

With it being a shorter span between Thanksgiving and Christmas than it sometimes is, I feel like I have been shorted on my holiday season.

I love Christmas and it has been so rushed and busy and non-Christmasy that I am not at all in the Christmas spirit.

We've only got a week and a half left, so I need to get Christmasy soon.

I have about half my shopping done. I am normally completely done by now.

No baking done, though I am usually on my second round.

My cards are not out yet.

No wrapping at all done.

No gifts shipped to my grandpa or best friend on the East Coast.

I am so behind.

But I cannot get the song for the Lottery out of my head. I think it's a local commercial, so only locals would know what I am talking about. It's so catchy, I walk around singing it all the time and just when I get it out of my head, the commercial comes on.

Phew!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Tue, 27 Oct 2009 15:33:00 +0000

After weeks of hunting for a place to move my uncle, I finally got my mom to settle on a place.

It was one of the first places we saw. It's in a 55 & over building, but they allow people over 21 to live with the 55+ person, so my cousin can live with my uncle.

My mom was hesitant to put him in there even though it is as close to perfect for my uncle as it can be.

It's about 2 miles from my mom, so a mile farther than she goes now, but that's as close as we could get him.

It's also got flexicore ceilings, so it is very quiet. Where he's at now is on one of the busiest streets in Chicago and is ridiculously loud. So, it will be nice to be somewhere quieter.

It has elevators and step-in showers and it's wide open so he can get around, plus there is a balcony he can get out onto without a ramp. It's cozy and nice without being too nice that we would worry about a potential mess.

And it's affordable.

My mom kept wanting to see what else was out there and I was the one doing the research to find places. Places he could get into are either to expensive or too far.

She said he was concerned about transportation for my cousin (he doesn't have a car) and the fact that it's a 55+ building.

I kept telling her not to worry about my cousin, when he starts paying rent, then he gets a say.

She was getting herself all worked up about it and super stressed.

Finally, last week after we went to see another place that would have be good except that the doorways are far too narrow and there is no step-in shower, I had had enough.

I told her that if he was so concerned about my cousin not having transportation and being far from young people, then why did he have no problem moving from house to house going further out into the boondocks in the far North suburbs for so long? There was no bus at all. No restaurants, no stores for miles. There is a bus stop right outside this place. Not CTA, but still, transportation.

I proceeded to tell her that his choices are this place or a nursing home. There is nothing else he can afford. And his son cannot go to the nursing home with him, so, those are his choices, stop kowtowing to everything he wants. We are running out of time and if you wait, you will lose this place and he will end up in a nursing home.

I was very angry. I get so tired of all of us having to bend for them, yet they keep demanding more and more and she lets them have what they want rather than drawing a line.

So, my rant apparently gave her courage because she basically told him what I just said and he said okay.

Hallelujah!

So, now we just have to figure out when to move him. We can move him in after the 15th of November and he has to be out of his current place by December 1st. The only issue is that Thanksgiving falls in the middle of that and my brother-in-law's 40th birthday, so our dates to move him are limited.

I so wish I had money to hire a moving company and let them deal with it all. He has so much stuff and there are so few of us. I hope we can keep him in this new place for a very long time. I hate moving him.

Do Your Hips Sing a Song?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 15:37:00 +0000

Have you seen this commercial?

I love the Dove campaign for beauty. Finally our differences and "flaws" are being embraced and celebrated.

When I first saw this commercial, I smiled and hummed along. Then they said:

"Do your hips sing a song" and that's where they lost me with the song.

If my hips were singing a song, I would freak out!

I would call 911.

I would need to be studied.

I could get a record deal.

Do your hips sing?

Damn Nurse!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:01:00 +0000

Last week I got a flu shot.

I don't recall having had one as an adult. I never felt the need for one.

With the whole swine flu thing, my mother basically begged me to get a flu shot.

I was hesitant, but since she was begging, I agreed.

We both went together. The doctor's office had back to back appointments, which is unusual at this particular doctor's office.

They said, just come in at our scheduled times and the nurse would give us the shots.

Excellent. In and out.

My mom's appointment was at 3:30, mine at 3:45. They had us sign the waiver as we came in. I thought that was great because it would save us some time.

35 minutes later, my mom asked the women at the desk what the problem was. They said there were only 2 nurses working and the doctor's were busy so the nurses were going back and forth between the doctor's and the flu shots.

My mom asked them what the point of an appointment was if they weren't going to stick to it? If they were busy they shouldn't have scheduled the flu shots.

She came back and waited another 10 minutes before she was called. She came out and told me she yelled at the nurse.

Great. I'm next.

It was a full hour after my scheduled appointment. I go in and the nurse gives me more paperwork to fill out. Really?

The entire hour I was sitting in the waiting room didn't seem like a good time to have me do this?

Then she proceeds to tell me that they shouldn't give me the shot because I hadn't been to the office in 4 years.

It's not like I haven't been to a doctor. I get a yearly exam and blood panel at my gynecologists. I have had mammograms and surgery in the last year. I was in an immediate care center last year for sinusitis and bronchitis.

By this point I was annoyed, plus I woke up in a bad mood.

I fill out her stupid paper work but leave the bottom empty. She comes in and tells me I HAVE to fill that out.

All it is is the part where I assign someone for them to discuss my records with.

Um, I don't think I should blanketly give permission for that.

I already gave you an emergency contact. If I have something wrong with me, I will give you the name of the person to talk to.

She tells me she will give me the shot, then I can finish that and make an appointment to see the doctor.

Whatever, lady.

She stabs my arm and I swear to you, it hurt! Badly! I kept thinking, no wonder little kids cry!

I've had shots before. I have had blood drawn. I am not afraid of needles. But that hurt!

She left and I filled out the bottom of the damn sheet. I walked to the front and no one was there. I set the form on the counter and bolted. I wasn't waiting another minute in this place.

I waved to my mom to go. I got in the car and told her how bad it hurt and she said it didn't hurt her at all.

I said, that's because you yelled at the lady and pissed her off, so she took it out on me!

Then I told her what the woman told me about not having been there and the stupid form.

My mom said I have to fill out the bottom because if I was in the ER, they'd fax it to the ER and know they could talk to her.

I said, if I am in ER in such a situation where I cannot speak or write, then they will need to work on me before they can find out who my primary physician is, contact the office and have them fax it, so that paper would be of absolutely no use.

Otherwise, I can assign a person to discuss my medical condition with at the time. I don't like the idea of giving open, blind permission for them to discuss my health with anyone including my mother.

October? Already? Again?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 14:36:00 +0000

It's hard to believe we are in the middle of October already.

It's actually pretty hard to believe we are almost to 2010! How did that happen? When did time start accelerating so quickly?

I don't like it. Make it stop.

My niece and nephew put time into perspective for me. Days and weeks and years that would otherwise run into each other and seem like one are broken down by these two kids.

My niece is 7. I shake my head in disbelief. She was just a toddler pronouncing words wrong with her wide-eyed wonderment. Now she's a second grader. Tall and toothless. Learning more every day. Developing a strong personality.

I'm proud of the people they are becoming, but it's difficult to wrap my head around the time that has passed.

Years and the seasons within them fly by.

Fall is in full blast, which is my favorite season. The seasons represent changes in nature, but also within us and I am looking for some big changes in my life.

I've been distant as of late. Partly out of frustration. When my life turns chaotic, I turn within myself. I withdraw. Not healthy, I know, it's just how I am. One more "gift" from my father.

Most people turn to each other to sort things out. I go inside myself. I've always been that way. I work things out on my own.

Most bloggers blog about what's going on their life. I do too if it's positive things.

My absence started with me helping a friend with something. It's not something that I would blog about. Partly because it's not my business and partly because it's a part of myself that I do not share with people because it generally attracts judgment.

When that was resolved, then the whole job thing happened and I really did not want to talk about it much.

Then we found out we have to move my uncle, which is a daunting task. It's difficult to find a place that a bedridden person can physically access. The building has to be ground level or have an elevator. The doorways have to be at least 33 inches, which only newer buildings have. It has to have a step-in shower. It has to have central air because his MS is worsened by heat and central air is the only way to really control the air temp of the entire place. And it has to be affordable. Someone on social security disability has a very limited income. If he had a few hundred more dollars each month, it would be much easier, but he doesn't.

Then there is the task of packing up all his things and moving it all when there are few of us to do it. Add to that that he has to move during thanksgiving again....

Needless to say, I've been a bit distant and quite crabby.

Long Time No See

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Fri, 25 Sep 2009 14:18:00 +0000

Hello!

Sorry I have been gone for so long.

As many of you know, I started a new job the beginning of the month.

What you do no know is that after being at the new job for about an hour, the person I was replacing decided to come back, so I was once again out of a job.

I will admit that I wasn't terribly upset. I was upset about not having a job, but just not really upset about not having THAT job.

I had a strange feeling about the place from the first interview. I was very uncomfortable there.

The day that I started, I was alone for the first 45 minutes. Completely alone. I also found out that I was also to be the Receptionist and Office Manager, which nobody bothered to mention prior.

So combining the strange feeling and the misleading and dishonest nature of the people, I was a bit relieved to not have to be there.

I just didn't feel like talking about it. After telling me family and friends, I had had enough of repeating my story.

I am waiting to hear about another one. So fingers crossed!!!

I Got a Job!

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 14:46:00 +0000

I got A call!

I was offered one of the jobs and I accepted. I start Tuesday. YAY for having a job in this economy!

It's not the one I REALLY REALLY want, but I could still hear from them....

I'm just relieved to have a full-time job, especially after hearing that the unemployment rate grew. I just have to remind myself of that when I feel whiny about not hearing from the other one....

But I got a job!

I had been hoping to have a job by my birthday, which was yesterday, so I got what I wanted!

That being said, I will do my best to update a few times a week, but with a new job and commuting down to the Loop everyday, I don't know what my time is going to be like yet....

Thanks for all the luck!

Waiting On A Call

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 31 Aug 2009 14:47:00 +0000

Many of you know that I have been job hunting for quite some time. Part of my tag line is that I am searching for my career.

A while back I had determined that I wanted to work in the legal field as a paralegal or something similar.

With the current job market, though, I am open to other job opportunities, especially if it is a job that I could be happy doing.

I have had some bad luck with all of this getting maybe one call a month if lucky, sometimes, a couple months go by with nothing.

In the last 10 days or so, I had 4 interviews, 3 at law firms. One for a paralegal, one for a receptionist and one for an assistant position.

All three are downtown and within blocks of each other. In fact, 2 I interviewed for on the same day were literally across the street from each other.

What is also interesting is that I interviewed at each company according to size. The first firm was tiny, only 4 lawyers. The second has 13 layers, the 3rd has 42 lawyers.

All 4 positions are looking for someone to start immediately. The one that is not at a law firm is part-time, but it would be a fun job. The other 3 at the law firms are full-time and all vary in responsibility. All 3 would be great opportunities.

However, I am hoping for one of them in particular. I think it would be the best fit for me and vice versa as well as being a fun job with the most potential. I should be hearing from the 3 law firms anytime in the next day or two, so fingers crossed!

So Neglected

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Thu, 27 Aug 2009 14:49:00 +0000

I have neglected my blog, sadly, for nearly a month. I didn't realize it had been that long.

The month of August has been so very busy for me. Between working on my online classes, birthdays, accompanying people to doctors, general summer things, helping out friends in need and interviews, I have been busier than I normally would be.

As such, I just have not had time or focus for blogging. I feel bad about it because I have ignored that side of myself, but also because I hate when I go to a blog and there are no updates for weeks on end. Sorry!!!

I will try to update more frequently.

Such Genes

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:39:00 +0000

Today is my paternal grandfather's 94th birthday. Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

I am blessed with longevity on both sides. As you probably know, my maternal grandmother is 90.

I pray I am blessed with a combination of the two as I age. They both have all their faculties. Both have excellent memories of the past and still have their senses of humor. My grandpa still loves to sing and my grandma still loves to read and watches CNN every day.

My grandma took care of my uncle (who has MS) up until 2 years ago when his accident and near death took a huge toll on her physically. She still gets around pretty good, but needs assistance. She is shakier on her feet than my grandpa.

My grandpa still drives, though he only drives the block and a half to the diner he goes to every day. He lives entirely on his own and sleeps in the upstairs bedroom rather than the one on the ground floor. He took care of my grandma, who had had a couple of strokes, before she passed 6 years ago.

I often forget how blessed I am in this department. I am so accustomed to having my grandparents that I forget that most of my friends no longer have theirs or never knew theirs.

My grandpa lives on the East Coast so I have not seen him in a very long time and cannot wish him a happy birthday in person. None of his children live near him (well one does, but she is a junkie, so, she is of no help) and my sister and I are his only grandchildren. Thankfully, he has some fabulous neighbors who bake him a cake every year and act as the surrogate children.

Happy Birthday, Grandpa!

The Kid Made My Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 23:44:00 +0000

I was in the grocery store today, the soup aisle to be exact, when a little girl ran up to me.

She tapped me on the arm and I looked down to see this smiling face looking up at me.

This girl was about 8 or 9, I'd say, and had some form of Downs Syndrome. She was showing me some pieces of paper she had found.

I could see how proud she was of this paper. I smiled and talked to her about it for a minute or so. When I said how nice it was, she smiled, gave me a thumbs up and said, "nice." The first word she said to me.

Her mom and brothers (who looked like twins) were about 5-10 feet away during this encounter. When they came closer, she tapped me again and said, "bye" then gave me a big hug.

She made my day today.

My Little 13-Year-Old Me

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Sat, 25 Jul 2009 17:23:00 +0000

A month before we both turned 20, one of my closest friends gave birth to a beautiful baby girl.

Being that we were so very young, this child was the first among all my friends, so she immediately took a special place in my heart. Not to mention all the other factors around this child's life.

For the first few years of her life, I was very close to her. I took care of her part time while her mom was in school and I spoiled her with presents. I even hand made her an Easter dress, making the pattern as well. After holding her in my arms for hours, I could draw a pattern to fit her little body perfectly.

As time passed and our friendship changed, as most relationships do, my friend and I have not been as close. I rarely see her and speak to her just as infrequently. She pops in and out of my life randomly, usually when she has big news of some kind.

I have always felt a special love for that little girl. She turns 13 in a couple of weeks.

I planned to send her a card with a note and then I got an email stating that her aunt, my friend's sister, is compiling a scrapbook of letters from strong women who have touched the girl's life, whether in a big or small way. She asked us to write a letter to our 13-year-old selves and tell that girl anything we would tell her if we could go back in time.

This is just a part of what I have written:

Never let anyone make you feel like you aren’t enough. You are. You are good enough, smart enough, pretty enough, funny enough, thin enough. YOU are enough. Anyone that makes you think otherwise is not good enough for you.

Don’t let people make you feel like you have to do things you may be uncomfortable doing. Just because it’s cool or they think it’s fun doesn’t mean you have to feel that way too. Chances are that if they are trying to make you feel weird about not wanting to do it, they really are afraid to do it too.

Live with no regrets. That means that you don’t do things just to fit in or make someone else happy. That means you live as authentically as you can. Be who you are and do what makes you soar inside.

Do not let fear control you. While some fear is healthy and can keep you out of danger, other fear is debilitating and can stop you from growing, progressing and truly experiencing life.

Trust your gut. Always. God gave us all gut instincts. Most people do not trust theirs. Always go with your gut. If you learn to do this, it will never let you down. If your gut tells you to do something that you are afraid will hurt someone’s feelings, don’t worry about that. Do what your gut tells you.

Cherish your friendships, but know when to let unhealthy friendships go. Some people are soul-sucking, learn to let those people out of your life. And some people are only meant to be in your life for a period of time while others are meant to be there forever.

Realize that everything in life happens for a reason. Even the really terrible things that you think you can’t survive. Every experience, good or bad, happens for a reason. Sometimes you won’t know what that reason is, sometimes you are not meant to know, but there is a reason. Embrace the good and bad. It makes you the person you will ultimately become.

Don’t waste time being unhappy. It takes a lot of energy to be unhappy. It is so much easier to choose to be happy.

Learn to forgive. It is hard. Harder for some than for others, but you need to learn to do it. Holding on to grudges is unhealthy for you and it serves no purpose. Forgiveness does not mean you forget or even stay close with someone who wronged you terribly, but forgiving them frees you.

It’s okay to do things for others as long as you truly live for yourself.

Don’t let experiences slip by, but also do not be in such a hurry to be an adult. All those things you think make you an adult really don’t. It’s the time that passes and knowledge you gain with each experience that makes you an adult. Doing the things does not. You will be an adult before you know it, so let yourself be a kid while you are one. Once you are an adult, you will be wishing you had some of that time back.

Vibrating Mascara?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 20 Jul 2009 15:40:00 +0000

Can anyone tell me WHY we need vibrating mascara?

First it was vibrating toothbrushes. Then vibrating razors. Now vibrating mascara?

Seriously, is this necessary?

Is this even safe?

How do I know that when I put this mascara wand to my eyelashes that they won't be ripped painfully from eye from the pulsing action?

What real purpose does this have other than taking more money from my wallet?

From what I can see, the "benefits" are exactly the same as every other mascara on the market except this one "vibrates 7,000 times per stroke."

I've questioned the purpose of the other vibrating toiletries and I have to ask again, is this some type of acceptable sex toy marketed as a cosmetic?

No woman would be embarrassed to purchase a sex toy disguised as mascara.

Is it like a James Bond sex toy? Looks like real mascara, but is something entirely different.

You can carry it in your purse or keep it in your nightstand without worrying that someone might see it.

Aversion To White Blouses

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Wed, 08 Jul 2009 22:05:00 +0000

I've had an aversion to the basic white blouse for a while.

I've never known why, I just hate wearing a white blouse. I'm okay with other color blouses, or even a white blouse with something else on it, but plain white is no good.

Polos too. I have never liked a polo and I always thought it was because it was a bit yuppie-esque.

Today, I had what Oprah would call an "aha" moment.

I was getting ready for an interview. I was putting on a light gray suit and a white blouse. I know, I just said I don't like them, but they say it's good for an interview.

This was a cuter white blouse with some cute seaming and sleeves (similar to the one in the picture), but still, just a white blouse.

As I'm putting on the shirt, I had a flashback to my 12 years of Catholic school and it hit me!

I hate white blouses and polos because I wore them every day for 12 years! It's the damn uniform quality to a white shirt that I hate! It's nothing personal against the color or the style, just more than a decade of trauma wearing these shirts!

How was your 4th?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Tue, 07 Jul 2009 15:09:00 +0000

I hope everyone had a great 4th of July.

This is the first year in a long time that I actually enjoyed the 4th. It wasn't very hot. The morons in the neighborhood could not afford to buy an entire flatbed of fireworks, so I could actually sleep at night the entire weekend. It was very relaxed. And, of course, the kids were really cute.

A lot of people in the neighborhood shoot off fireworks, so we just sat in the backyard and watched as if we were at some municipal display.

We had burgers and hot dogs, potato salad and coleslaw, chips and that kind of thing.

We also had lots of fruit, chocolate covered strawberries, rice krispies treats and we made s'mores.

The kids had a great time with the snaps you throw on the ground and those snakes you light on fire. They enjoyed the pyro aspect more than watching the snakes grow...

They also followed grandpa around the entire time. It was cute.

Funny story. My 7 year old niece likes to hear herself make noise. Sometimes she sounds like a donkey, sometimes like a horse, sometimes like a monkey. Saturday, she sounded like a squealing pig and I told her so.

She said, "that's a bad word." I said, "what is? Squealing?" She said, "no, pig."

I laughed and said, "pig is not a bad word." She said, "yes it is, Muslims don't like pigs."

I laughed again and told her you can say the word pig in front of a Muslim. She said no, you can't. They don't like pigs. One of her classmates and her 1st grade teacher are Muslim.

I said, "they don't eat pork, but you can say pig."

She said "no, you can't."

I said, "either way, you are not Muslim, so I can say pig to you."

She said, "oh yeah." She forgot she's not Muslim. Strange little child. She is so concerned about offending others, she doesn't think about whether or not those that could be offended are present.

Kit Update

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 15:13:00 +0000

About a month ago, I told you about Kit, my version of Windy.

Kit has endured some serious storms and threats in the last month. There were a few instances which concerned me. The wind was so severe I thought not only was Kit a goner, but the tree that held her as well.

But Kit and that tree held tight.

Poor Kit is slightly battered and tattered, but she is still there, a bright, colorful, welcoming sight outside my window.

Kit did face another kind of threat. The human kind.

Shortly after I took the most recent photo (below), there were two fully grown men who tried to assault her.

I think they were watching one of their kids play ball in the field, but I cannot be certain because they acted more like an 8-year-old than the 8-year-olds playing ball.

They started by shaking the sad little tree Kit is in. If you did not notice, that tree is the only one in the field without leaves. I don't think that tree is well. I do think Kit is keeping it company and they have become very good friends.

After shaking the tree did not stir Kit, the one tried to climb the tree. The tree recognized what the man was doing and refused. The tree made it impossible for the man to climb, so the man tried to jump as if he had springs in his feet that would propel him 12 feet in the air.

Then he started throwing twigs up at Kit. I felt so protective that I nearly went out and yelled at the man. I wanted to ask him how old he was that he thought it was okay to try to damage a tree to get to a kite that is stuck at the top of the tree. I wanted to ask him how he thought the Forest Preserve Police might react to someone damaging their property.

Eventually, they got tired of abusing the tree and threatening Kit. Kit is still there, though with all the wind and storms we have had, I am not sure how long Kit can hold on.

3 Icons Gone

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Fri, 26 Jun 2009 13:57:00 +0000

The death of Ed McMahon, while sad, was not too terribly unexpected. He was 86 and struggling with cancer.

No doubt, I was saddened to hear that he passed. He has been a presence my entire life from watching the Tonight Show as a kid to Star Search to seeing him knock on doors presenting sweepstakes checks to lucky winners.

He had a long, fulfilling life for which we will all remember him. It's unfortunate that he had to spend his last years dealing with his very public financial issues. He will be missed.

Farrah Fawcett's death was also not too terribly unexpected. However, I feel very sad about her passing. Her battle with cancer has been long and very public; I don't think there was a person out there that wasn't pulling for her to beat it.

I was born in the 70's, so I grew up with her image and her name all round me. Her image as one of Charlie's Angels and the hairstyle named after her feathery hair will live on forever. Most recently her image has been of a courageous woman truly fighting cancer and a woman preparing to marry her longtime love, Ryan O'Neal.

I'm sorry she lost her battle and I am sorry for those who loved her. I think I am particularly touched by her death because she was only a year older than my mother. May her family find peace.

Michael Jackson's death is such a shock. I first saw it online and I did not believe it. Then my mom told me she heard it on the radio.

I know his life has been strange the last decade or so, but he is an icon, a true American Idol, the King of Pop. I do not remember a time in my life when Michael Jackson wasn't influencing something. The first record I bought was his. I have his doll. I had a glove like his.

He was a musical genius. Like Prince, he was eccentric, but beyond talented in everything he touched. A true performer.

I will not speak to the allegations and charges he faced nor his plastic surgeries. I will not disparage the dead. However, I will say that he will be remembered for his musical contributions and the way he changed the face of pop music and videos.

His death is shocking me almost as much as Heath Ledger's. I just cannot believe it.

I hope all three icons can rest in peace and their families can also find peace. The world will not forget them.

No More Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:59:00 +0000

You might recall the post from a week or so ago about my shorts with the built in hips, or wings.

This is what they looked like:

Fit great in the waist, but had these strange flaps for the hips, as if I didn't have enough hips on my own.

I finally got around to sewing them. I sew by hand, I rarely use a machine. I sewed them once to find that all I did was move the wings further down my leg. I didn't realize when I began that I would have to sew the entire length of the shorts, but I went back and did so.

Now they fit! No wings! Nobody would ever know these things were deformed before!

Bliss & Promises

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Wed, 24 Jun 2009 00:08:00 +0000

I was preparing to report to you my new favorite thing. Hershey's Bliss Dark Chocolate candy.

I am a chocoholic. I have said many times that I don't have a sweet tooth, all my teeth are sweet.

I have a really healthy diet all day long, but at night, I get the craving for sweets like ice cream or cookies. I have kept it at bay with cereal, but sometimes, I just need some real chocolate.

The Bliss candy has really helped. I can eat one and am satisfied.

I've lost about 10 pounds in 6 months by cutting out the ice cream and cookies, so, I was going to report my excitement about how the Bliss has helped.

Yesterday, my mom bought me a bag of Dove Promises Peanut Butter candy.

I cannot eat just one. The serving size is 5 pieces, same as with the Bliss, but I don't eat more than one Bliss. The Promises, I have a hard time stopping at the 5! In the 24 hours since I have had this bag of candy, I'd say I have eaten about 15 or so pieces.

I told my mom not to buy any more of those! They are evil! Delicious, but evil. They should not be called Promises, but rather Gluttony.

Migraine & A Free Day in the City

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 22 Jun 2009 15:14:00 +0000

I have been MIA again and I apologize.

Partly due to physical issues. Last week I had so much pain my right neck, shoulder and hand that I stayed away from the computer as much as possible. Then Friday night, just before bed, I got a terrible headache which turned into a migraine and is still here.

Thankfully, I felt just fine Friday because I had plans to go into the city with an old friend and her 4 and almost 2 year old daughters.

The forecast threatened of severe weather, but we were going regardless. It was a free day at the Shedd Aquarium.

She called me to tell me she'd be late because it was already storming by her and she was having a hard time getting the girls in the car because the storm was scaring them. It hadn't started by me, though I could see lightening to the West, which is the direction from which she was coming.

An hour later she arrived and it was just starting to drizzle. By the time we got to the Eisenhower (I-290), it was raining pretty hard. By the time we got off and were making our way to Lake Shore Drive, it was a torrential downpour. I was so glad she drove her minivan rather than me try to drive my Grand Am! I would have been stalled on LSD with as much water as was on the street.

We made it into the parking area of the Shedd when we saw the sign that it was a 2 hour wait to get in. With the line to get into the parking garage wrapped around the corner, a 2 hour wait, the storm coming down like it was and a 4 and 2 year old, we decided to go to plan B.

Plan B was the Museum of Science & Industry, which is about 4 miles further south. It was also free that day, but it hadn't been advertised on the news and such like the Shedd had.

We felt bad for the kids, especially the little one. They were excited to see the fish.

We got to the museum and turned into the parking garage just as they were closing it because it was full. We were having really terrible luck up to this point. We were giving up and getting ready to turn back onto Lake Shore Drive to head home when my friend decided to go to the right to see what was over there. We turned into an open parking lot near some benches and a pond.

We actually found a spot too and by that time, it had stopped raining. We had to walk a little bit to get to the entrance, but it was so worth it because the parking was FREE!

I can't say I have found free parking in Chicago for anything before. We had expected to split the parking making it either $8 or $10 each depending on where we parked, but Free?!

The museum was crowded, but not like I would have thought, though it was a sauna in there. We had so much fun and it was completely free!!!!

Now, if we had known about that parking lot and intended to park there for free, we would not have found a spot, I just know it. The parking gods felt sorry for us and let us have a spot because just after we parked, a stream of cars came in asking us if we were leaving as we were unloading the kids!

It's rare to get a free treat like that and it was even better to have it with a friend I hadn't seen in a year and two incredibly sweet little girls.

Little Con Artist

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 14:54:00 +0000

My niece is becoming a little con artist.

A couple of weeks ago, my sister asked our dad to watch the kids so she could go to dinner with her husband. He has never watched the kids. My sister has been too nervous to leave them alone with him. Personally, I would not leave my kids with him, but that's me. She spends a lot of time with him, so, since no one else could/would do it, she asked him.

They were watching a movie and suddenly my niece pauses the movie and says, "grandpa, this is the time of night when we give the cat her can of tuna."

What? They don't ever give the cat table food. They might let her eat a piece of tune that fell or lick the can when it is empty, but they have never given her an entire can. She knows this.

My dad, gullible as he is, follows her to the kitchen, lets her get out a can and opens it for the cat. The cat ate a little out of the can and now they have wasted a can of food.

Then she says, "when aunt Kelly watched us last weekend, she made us popcorn while we watched the movie. Can you make us popcorn too?"

That one was true, but I can just feel her testing the waters with him more and more.

So he makes them popcorn.

A little while later, she says, "grandpa, this is the time of night when we get to have a pop-tart."

He obliges, of course.

When I was there the weekend before watching them for my sister's birthday dinner, she told me that they couldn't have pop-tarts at night because they are pure sugar and you just can't have sugar.

The kids know they cannot get away with anything with mommy, daddy, grandma or me. The rest, would believe anything they say.

She got in trouble when my sister and brother-in-law got home.

Sunday, she was playing at the neighbors and her dad was there hanging out with that dad.

My niece comes home for something and my sister tells her they can only play over there for about 10 more minutes because dinner would be ready then.

My niece goes back over and does not tell her dad this. When the neighbors offer them ice cream, my brother-in-law says I don't know when my wife will have dinner ready, so I don't see why not. Instead of saying, dad, mom said dinner will be ready in 10 minutes, she grins and eats the ice cream.

Needless to say, she went to bed early that night.

She's 7. Is it normal to test the boundaries of truth at that age? As far as I know these are the first times she has intentionally conned someone.

Pants with Wings

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 20:52:00 +0000

Today I put on a pair of city shorts, Bermudas, knee shorts, walking shorts or whatever you want to call them.

I have not worn them since last summer and I had forgotten that they have wings.

Well, no, not wings, but built in hips.

I understand that women are curvy and should have clothes made to suit our bodies, but really, I do not need built in hips.

These shorts fit me well in the waist, but make me look like I am wearing the clothes of someone else.

Look. You might be able to see the wings I am referring to in this shot:

If not, here I am pinching the amount of space between my actual hip and the end of the material where they suggest my hip should be:

In this one, I have pulled the material back so you can see what these shorts ought to look like.

I can sew, therefore, I am hoping to salvage these shorts because they are nice and rarely worn. I know I have lost a few lbs since I wore them last, but they fit like that then. With wings. Built in hips. Most women do not need added hips, including me.

Have you ever come across pants with built in hips?

Were You Prepared?

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 20:34:00 +0000

Last night I saw a preview for the ABC 10 pm news.

They said: the digital revolution is here. Stay tuned to find out what you need to do if you are not prepared....

Um, if you weren't prepared by noon, when the switch happened, I am thinking you could not see that report....just a thought.

No Sleep & JackHammers

noreply@blogger.com (Kelly B) — Fri, 12 Jun 2009 16:22:00 +0000

I couldn't sleep last night.

One reason is because I had Starbucks and did not take a sleeping pill.

I did not take it because the last few times I did, I ended up waking up a dozen times, so I thought I'd just go without.

Last night, I dozed, but never went into a full sleep until about 6:30 a.m. Up until then, I was either wide awake or dozing for a few minutes.

Then, at precisely 8:00 a.m., the jackhammer began.

(p.s. some of the images I came across when searching for an image of a jackhammer would make a stripper blush.)

I knew it was coming, but still....

We are having our porch replaced because it is crumbling. The very snowy, cold winters we've had and all the salt have not helped the cement porch.

This morning the crew came to demolish the porch and started with the jackhammer at 8:00 and did not stop until about 10:00. I tried to sleep through the noise, but that was impossible.

I feel like I'm hungover, though no alcohol was consumed. Now that I think of it, I bet that would have helped me sleep! Oh well. I'll keep it in mind for next time.

(I thought the jackhammering was done....they just started up again! BAH!)