25 Random Things

So there's this thing going around Facebook that has been really interesting--basically you just make a list of 25 random things about yourself and then "tag" other people to share yours and invite them to write their own and share them back. As much as I LOVE Facebook (certainly another post about that is warranted someday), I don't usually do these kinds of "extras". I'm an addict of the straight up status/wall post/photos variety. But these have been so fun to read and it was more reflective than I would have thought to write my own.

So I'm posting list here and inviting YOU to write your own and post in the comments. And really hoping someone (of the what, 5 of you that even know this exists?) will bite and join in. I'd love to know more about you!

1. I didn’t like fish of any sort until I was 28 and agreed to try sushi. Now it’s my favorite.
2. If I could, I would make chewing gum in public illegal.
3. I'm a complete wimp when it comes to cold weather and use the heated seats in my car almost year round.
4. I have a 6’ wrought iron Christmas tree that my grandfather made and I keep it in my bedroom with white lights year round.
5. Being an aunt is my favorite thing in the world. (And I secretly love that they call me Aunt Moose).
6. I have a “lifetime to-do list” and am determined, among other things, to visit all of the Seven Wonders of the World.
7. I grew up believing in God, but my life completely changed when I finally “got it” and fell completely in love with Jesus. I wish everyone knew this perfect love.
8. I threw up at the Great Wall of China.
9. I wish I’d been more self-aware in high school and college…I think I would have been a much better friend.
10. I love to play music in my room when I’m home alone and just sing my heart out. This works in the car, too. And maybe on a karaoke stage after a drink or two.
11. When I was a kid I wanted to grow up to be a Supreme Court Justice. Now I can think of few things that are less appealing.
12. I love to have fresh flowers in my house. Irises are my favorite—they are just so intricately beautiful.
13. I didn’t really understand the point of blogging until I recently started.
14. I am the happiest when I’m outside—especially if I’m at the beach.
15. I miss my grandfather so much it aches inside.
16. I've been skydiving once and bungee jumping twice.
17. I try to live without regrets, but there are a few things that I’d really like a “do over” on.
18. I volunteer with an amazing organization called I Am Change. Life is so much better when you intentionally try to live beyond yourself.
19. Facebook should pay me for all of the recruiting I do on their behalf. I’m an addict and LOVE that I’ve been able to reconnect with so many old friends. And hate that some of the hold outs haven’t given in yet.
20. I think working at Intel gave me ADD.
21. Despite it all, I’m still a hopeless romantic and want to fall completely, helplessly, passionately in love. I still believe in the “the fairytale”, albeit a slightly different version than I once thought.
22. My favorite place in the world (so far) is Lake Como, Italy. Spectacularly beautiful.
23. I actually enjoy blind dates. Well, most of the time.
24. Some day I’d like to learn how to sail. This will, however, require the development of a variant of Dramamine that doesn’t make me fall asleep.
25. I eat way too much Easy Mac. Really.

Tag. You're it!

Alternate Reality: The Bachelor

Wow. WOW.

So this week's Bachelor was a train wreck DELUXE! It was so chocked full of moments that are screaming for commentary that I actually had to get out a pad and pen so I could keep track of all the crazy. Chocked FULL! There's so much that I'm not even sure where to start, so I'm just going to dive in and warn you now that this is gonna be a long one.

The Singing.
It's always interesting to see what's going to happen in these moments, and future bachelor and bachelorettes should just take note--if you take yourself too seriously, you're not going to win the date. Stephanie with the operetta. In hot pink hot pants with the side pony tail, way too much bling, and a little bare midriff. So, so bad. And Lauren, you missed the point. When you are so certain of your victory it usually means the only thing certain is your defeat. Humility is hot. (Maybe we can chip in a get her a t-shirt with that on it?)

The Group Date.
There's always drama on these dates, but this was so over the top. All the "stage kissing" in front of each other didn't do anything to ease the tension, but I did enjoy the expressions from the other girls as they watched each other mug down. I thought they were going to need a real doctor after Megan mauled Jason in their scene. And Melissa could have poked an eye out with that pouf. Our little watch group had to pause it so we could try to figure out the physics of that ponytail. We were unsuccessful.

Once they moved to the "wrap party" it just got worse and the real soap opera began. All the crying! I might have felt sorry for Jason but I think he amped it up with his sleepover with Molly the night before. I'm a single woman out there in the dating game. I can assure you that if I went out with someone and knew he'd spent the night with someone else and woke up that morning to go out with me, I might, well, be feeling a little drama myself. Then again, I wouldn't be on a date with other women at the same time...hmmm...OK...I digress.

Rising to the top of the heap...Lauren with the ultimatum. Seriously?? Single friends--please tell me you know this approach never works. Couldn't you just see it on his face as hie imagined, uh, being "dominated" for the rest of his life? Not pretty. Melissa with the shorts--another point where we had to pause and inspect to figure out what was going on. We decided that they were spandex-ish workout-ish shorts. Not a fashion trend that I'm gonna be getting on board with anytime soon! If you have insight on what she was wearing, please post it in the comments section!

And finally on this date: The. MOST. AWKWARD. Bachelor. Moment. EVER. Poor, poor, crazy, stalker, Shannon. I laughed so hard I cried. But let me assure you that I did not end up with the oh so unattractive snot face that she was sporting. The "I won't let you leave me" stalker revelation followed by the nose blowing/picking followed by that attempt at the kiss. Classic. Really one of the best Bachelor moments ever. Chris Harrison says it best on his blog, " Don't blow your nose, pick it, and then go in for a kiss. And if you do, don't be so shocked when the other person rejects you." Yeah. Enough said. (BTW...Chris Harrison rocks, as does his blog with the weekly behind the scenes scoop).

The 2 on 1 Date.
I'll be brief here. I just need to say that while Stephanie seems like a perfectly lovely person, her mannerisms are that of a 45-50 year old (no offense to the many fabulous women I know in this age range...who act much younger and hipper than Stephanie does). I did feel bad for Nikki here. And I hope that she seeks some counseling because it's tough times for her and she's clearly not over that last break-up. Stephanie's face when Jason chose her was painfully smug. I'm only glad she's still around because I get so tickled by Laura's reaction every time Stephanie says "My man". Which is A LOT.

The Rest of It.
I'm giving Jason props for not giving out all the roses. He did manage to lower the crazy factor before he takes them home next week. And speaking of the crazy factor...Shannon, Shannon, Shannon. Sigh. Really?? Did you notice that in each frame of this episode she managed to look more like a crazy bag lady? Topped off with the macrame mu mu. Really. Not. Good. But, bless her for giving us the MOST AWESOME moment in all of Bachelor history. Her exit interview and those final last words, "I'm going to go home, get my electric toothbrush and give my puppy french kisses."

Let's just hope she wiped the snot off first.

Just a Note...

Due to scheduling conflicts I haven't watched The Bachelor yet...tomorrow night. And, I'm embarrassed to admit it...I'm dying to know what happens!

I've seen the previews. I know it's The. MOST. DRAMATIC. Rose. Ceremony. Ever.

I will finally be in the know tomorrow night. And I'm sure I'll have thoughts to post on Friday.

Yes. My life is kind of pitiful.

I own it.

Thirty-six

Thirty-six. Somehow it feels a little better to spell it out rather than just throw out the numbers. And since that number is now my age, I'm just going to go with that. Or maybe I should just make this the first anniversary of my 35th birthday and adopt this as my new approach to birthdays.

I'll skip the commentary on how I can possibly already be this age, and certainly won't brooch what will happen in just 4 little years. For now I'll just post the pictures and be so grateful for a SUPER FUN birthday celebration! Oh...and please note The Bachelor inspired pouf...that was just for Laura and Tracy!

The girls looking oh so lovely.

With Debbie--a.k.a. my first (well, and only) official follower...that's why she gets her own pic with me on the site. Holla!

Lynsey, Julie, Tracy & Laura

With Hawley, Deb & Julie

Yes...I'm on the piano. I have no logical reason other than it seemed like a good idea at the time.

It's a MOOSE! I tried to stand on a bar stool to get a little closer for a better photo, but for some reason the management didn't feel like that was a good idea. I thought they were worried about my safety...turns out they were worried that I would somehow hurt the moose. Nice.

Just a glimpse of a very fun night. I have to say that when I climbed into the cab at 1:30 I was very aware that I'm just not as spry as I once was. It's a good thing that 50 is the new 30...that makes me, what, about 18? Oh, how I do enjoy the new math.

Thanks again to those of you who joined me and made my day so special!

TBL Thoughts

A few quick thoughts on this week’s Biggest Loser (because I said I would and think it would be bad to drop the ball in the blog’s first week):

1. Did I just miss it or did Dan and David not participate in the temptation? It kills me that David isn’t on the ranch…every time they show his “progress” at home I want to cry. That boy needs to learn what the ranch has to teach. I seriously hope Dan gets him back there in a few weeks.
2. Bob’s face when he found out he had to go to Detroit was priceless. Clearly the LAST place he wanted to go this week.
3. Tara. This chick is tough as nails. ‘Nuff said.
4. Joelle is crazy lucky. Not to mention just plain crazy. And I feel certain that if she’d gone home this week Carla probably would have eaten her for breakfast. Those two are quite the pair.
5. It was tough to see Damien go home, but I love how great they looked in their update. These updates save me…I get so bummed when the contestants have to go home and might hate this show if I had to wait all the way until the end to get a glimpse of their success.

Yeah. I really love this show.

My Country Tis of Thee

Just watched the inauguration. I love the pomp and circumstance and the level of ceremony that goes into this event. And the hats (although I'm really not sure what Miss Aretha was thinking).

While I'm still feeling a little cynical about what kind of change we're really going to see, there's no mistaking the historical significance of what happened today. I am so proud to be an American. Really...we are so incredibly fortunate and I take it for granted every day.

May God bless you, President Obama, and heap loads of wisdom upon you. You're going to need it.

Alternate Reality

Ah reality TV. You have to love it. And hate it. And, of course, realize that there's NOTHING real about it. There are two reality shows that I watch, well, in a way that some might describe as obsessive. One is the so-bad-you-have-to-watch train wreck variety (The Bachelor) and the other is the feel-good-inspire-you-to-be-better type (The Biggest Loser). These shows have too much good material not to comment. I'll start with TB and try to post on TBL tomorrow.

OK...there's really only one word for this group of girls. CRAZY. Seriously--where do they find these girls? I get that most of the normal girls out there appreciate that they probably won't find true love on national television whilst competing with 24 other girls and so maybe they don't apply, but this particular bunch is all kinds of wacky.

So where to even start...I'm going to just do a list (and will try to be brief):

• Stephanie--Sigh. She's a nice enough girl, but seems so much older than the rest. And I really do feel for her with all she's been through...but I'm ready to know something else about her--ANYTHING else--beyond her loss. It's time. OH...and as LBC and I had to discuss at length during the show last night, what was up with all of Sophie's wardrobe changes? Who wears a princess dress to Lego Land...and then reveals swimwear underneath...I think she had 4 outfits all together?? Still scratching my head on that.
• The group date--Yeah...I'm all for doing a good deed and all, but there's only the slimmest of chances (like NONE) that I would have lost my top and gotten all plastered up in that setting. And while I'm not complaining, I was amused that Jason just didn't put his shirt back on. Oh...but LOVED Jillian's dress. Having a little dress envy, in fact.
• Natalie--Wow. I love bears??? Yeah...I think that's enough said.
• The drama--With this much unstable crazy in one house, it's inevitable, right? But I felt a little for Lauren for basically getting called out after Jason all but begged her for the scoop on the other girls.
• Shannon--Poor Shannon. I haven't gotten past her total stalker revelations from the first show. And I kept hoping that they had a lot of mouthwash in that bathroom that she kept, uh, visiting. I can't believe he hasn't let her go yet. And filed a restraining order.

I'm not sure if I can pick a favorite at this point. I guess it's a toss up between Molly, Melissa, and Jillian (the dress bumped her up!).

This season is so, so bad. And yet I will certainly watch again next week.

Getting to the Root of It

The image of "roots" is something that has long intrigued me. It's probably because of its Biblical significance--the vine and the branches, being rooted in Christ, etc. It's a common metaphor. So I'm drawn to photographs of trees with lots of groovy roots and even spend time looking at the roots of weeds when I pull them. (OK...a) yes, I'm a dork and b) yes, from the looks of my flowerbeds it would appear that I think flowers, shrubs and weeds should all coexist and the truth is that I don't weed them very often). Nonetheless, I think roots are cool.

All of that said, my long holiday weekend was a bit interrupted by another, much less groovy kind of root. In my tooth. Up close and personal in the form of a root canal. Ouch. So lest you think that I just ignore my dental hygiene, there's a back story to this one.

When I was around 11 my parents had the grand idea to buy a new game for the family to enjoy. I don't recall the official name of the game, but it involved placing two stakes in the ground (akin to horseshoes, a time tested family favorite of ours) and then tossing these disk thingies and trying to "ring" the disk on the stake. The disks are round with a hole in the center, but with these triangular pieces that also have holes in them--tough to describe, but you basically get points based on where you "ring" the disk.

So there we are, playing away and, as with all games that involved my brother and me in those days, the tide turned, tempers flared and before you know it (completely unprovoked, I'm sure) J decides to sling that sucker right at me. He told the story recently and swears that he was aiming at my shins or knees and remembers just watching it slowly rise as it sailed towards me before hitting me square in the mouth.

We're not going to talk about the pitiful lack of instincts that prevented me from moving out of the way. I'm sure there's a reason that I just can't recall at the moment. Really. There must have been a reason.

The disk hit me right in the gums above my top right tooth. So...yes...not only did I not move, but apparently stood still with my mouth wide open. Another point I'd like us to just gloss over. Except I can't because this is where it all comes back around. So the disk sliced open my gums and, as I wouldn't come to realize for many years, actually damaged the root and ultimately killed that tooth.

So 25-ish years after the incident, the tooth has been starting to discolor and the dental professionals decided that it was time to clean it out, hence the root canal that is impeding on my nice, long weekend.

[OK...gross alert...don't read this unless you like crazy medical details.]

The endodontist (Dr. Staci Ianiro--fabulous and I highly recommend her if you need someone to inflict pain in the name of dental healing) gets into the tooth and lets me know that it's "really cool". So, while I really dig Dr. Ianiro and she's a hip young doc, we have very different ideas of what qualifies as "really cool". She then tells me that the tissue inside my tooth and up through the root has mummified. That's right. Mummified. I won't give you any further details, but you can feel free to call me King Tut. Well...I'd prefer Cleopatra.

I'm happy to report that the pain has now mostly subsided, and due to Dr. I's handiwork the tooth has already changed back to it's proper color (yay!). My brother is completely unfazed despite my attempts to make him feel very guilty about all of this. I'm determined to plot a little friendly revenge but haven't yet decided what it will be.

I guess I should just be glad we weren't playing horseshoes.

Life as a Moose

I guess this is the proverbial "about me" first post as I dive into the blogosphere, so it makes sense to start with the whole Moose business. First and foremost, I hope that when you meet me you'll be surprised that this is my nickname. I mean really, how many women hope that they personify such a moniker? Yeah. Exactly.

But I've been Moose for as long as I can remember thanks to a very persistent (and loud) older brother. The back story is long and not all that interesting, but the gist is that when I was about 11 my older brother started calling me Moose and it stuck. High school friends call me Moose. Sorority sisters call me Moose. And there was no way I was getting out of "Aunt Moose". There's even a very obnoxious "moose call" involved--though I'm happy to say that doesn't get unleashed too often. It's the kind of stuck that really doesn't get un-stuck.

And so you embrace it.

As I start of this I'm 8 days shy of my 36th birthday. I won't even begin to go there right now. That is most certainly it's own little rant, er, post. I'm footloose and fancy free (read: single, no kiddos), with a great job and an even better circle of friends. I have a big ole (Southern) extended family that I'm sure will provide a lot of material to write about and I love them a lot.

So that's the story. I'm diving in...jump in with me and let's have some fun!