two dolla

Michael Jordan took a break, too.

Through a lot of thought and internal turmoil, I’ve finally decided that I’m not participating in the 2011 Susan G. Komen 3-Day for the Cure. It’s been a really great run (six years in a row!) and each year has been even better than the last, but it’s time for a break. I figure, much like Michael Jordan, I’ll end it on a good note.

I was the sweep captain last year with a fantastic group of sweep van folks that I seriously loved. Regina came all the way to the 612 to participate in her first 3 Day. With the help of my awesome friends both on and off the 3 Day, it was an experience I’ll never ever forget… just like the previous five years.

If you’re thinking about doing it this year, do it. You won’t regret it. It will change your life. Every day during the event and leading up to the event, whether you walk or you crew, you’ll find something deep within yourself that you never even knew existed. You’ll pull from strengths you didn’t know you had and surprise the heck out of yourself when it’s all over. Visit http://www.the3day.org right now and register. Don’t second guess yourself.

The fundraising isn’t easy by any means, but if that’s the thing scaring you away from doing it, don’t let it. Email me. I’ll give you some proven ideas that have helped me raise thousands of dollars every year. People are more generous than you’ll expect.

The walking? Yeah, it’s not easy either. My kid said the other day, “Why do they make you walk even after you’ve raised all that money? Why can’t you just raise the money?” Explaining awareness to him was a lot harder than I thought it would be. If you register for The 3 Day and don’t finish all 60 miles, I guarantee you that nobody’s going to think any less of you. I promise.

I’ll be back. And I’ll be asking for your donations once again sometime in the future.

February has arrived.

Tomorrow is Groundhog’s Day and my middle school band teacher’s birthday. It’s the shortest month of the year. There’s Valentine’s Day in a couple of weeks, my grandma’s birthday and my parents’ anniversary. And since it’s the shortest month of the year, I’m giving the blog every day for a month thing yet another stab at things.

This month, I’m also taking my first certification test at work. It’s a 2.5 hour multiple choice exam. Once I pass it, I’ll be certified to do my very own job. There’s a whole heck of a lot of laws and contracts and terms that I think I knew existed, but had no idea all of the details. The last test I took that required this much studying was in 2003 when I had to switch my Missouri license to a Minnesota one.

Also happening this month? Marshall is getting neutered. He is way to proud of his little kitten testicles. We walked in today and he was having “relations” with a sparkly stuffed pony.

tonight I got greasy

It wasn’t by choice.

I ran home from work long enough to change clothes, say hi to the dogs, and cash in on the 14 (including rollover) hugs The General owes me, and then I headed out the door again to do a home visit for Pet Project Rescue. This little jaunt barely got a mile down the road before I felt Danger the Vibe starting to limp along.

I stopped at a stoplight, got out to run around the car to see what was going on, but didn’t really see anything. I got another couple of blocks and pulled into the lot of the closest public library. My damn right driver’s side tire was flat.

I pulled out the donut, jacked up the car, and started the process of taking off the tire. It required standing on the lug wrench thing to loosen up those bad boys, but I eventually had everything to go except getting the wheel off. Easier blogged about than done.

Yanking, pulling, wiggling, you name it and I tried it. Eventually, a guy that was waiting for someone inside the library came over to offer his help. He walked up to me, said, “Que¿” and just jumped right into clanking things against the wheel in these very specific spots like he’d done it a million times.

He didn’t so much as say a word until the flat tire was off, the donut was on, and everything was back in my hatch. I said, “thanks” and he reached out to shake my hand. I took a chance on my limited Spanish skills and winced on the inside when I said “Gracias”. I hate being that person.

“De nada”, he said and, I kid you not, he had the biggest smile ever on his face, even after he was crouched down in the snow and ice and single digit temps hammering away on some stranger’s car.

I love my neighborhood and I love that the friendliest, most helpful people we have encountered have made us realize exactly why we were excited about moving to North Minneapolis.

And now I have to get my 2nd new tire in less than a year. Lame.

It was my idea

I have a feeling I just lost The General to the sexy gaze of DJ Hero. It came in the mail today and someone in this house over the age of 30 that’s not me spent the whole night sitting cross-legged (damn right I wrote Indian-style and then had to delete it!) on the couch mixing Flo Rida and Kanye West on a plastic turnrable. I had it coming, though. Santa brought be NBA Jam for the Wii and The General has been forced to listen to things like BOOMSHAKALAKA for the past five days.

Also another idea of mine involved taking on some freelance transcription work that’s probably way late at this point, which is why I was working on it tonight instead of perfecting my scratching skills on the Wii. I’ve been trying to transcribe 4 hours of a seminar about mindfulness and being centered and finding your inner… zzzzzzzzzz. Wait. What? Yeah, I can’t listen to 10 minutes of it without having to get up and walk around or slap myself in the face repeatedly.

I am full of good ideas, no?

the beginning of 2011

A lot of it has been in the bathroom. We opted to stay at home to ring in the New Year last night and I’m glad we did. I’d been feeling a little achy throughout the day, but it wasn’t until shortly before New Kids on the Block and Backstreet Boys performed in Times Square that the massive chills and fever kicked in. If it wouldn’t been for the nightmares I had about Dick Clark stroking out in the middle of the countdown, I would have thought I’d hallucinated the entire thing.

NEVERTHELESS. I’ve had two pieces of toast today and I’m starving, but by the noises my stomach is making, eating anything else would be ill-advised.

I have a few resolutions I’m planning on trying to stick to, but like with a few other of my super nerdy friends, my main goal is to knock some more things off my 101 things in 1001 days list. I updated the list yesterday. (See list here.) I realized I’m 7.9% through the list. I’m chalking that up to having 93 New Year’s resolutions, plus a few more I need to has out just as soon as my stomach stops making noises I can hear over the first season of Dexter.

ode to 2010

Thanks to Chele and Jenni, I don’t think a year could be complete without finishing this meme.

1. What did you do in 2010 that you’d never done before?

• Adopted a kitten.
• Changed my oil. (With the supervision of my brother.)
• Made snow ice cream.

2. Did you keep your new years’ resolutions and will you make more for next year?

I didn’t make any last year! I have a whole list of 101 things to do in less than 1001 days, so I’m gonna be using that one as my resolution for the next two years.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

Bill and Katie had Abby. Cindi and Adam got a new puppy named Abby, so that counts in my book. My cousin’s cousin birthed baby Brooks, who I met this past weekend and am working on a plan to kidnap his handsome little babyself. And my friend Beth had her 5th baby, Max, this summer and I still haven’t seen him. Dang.

4. Did anyone close to you die?

Luckily, no.

5. What countries did you visit?

USA. USA. USA.

6. What would you like to have in 2011 that you lacked in 2010?

More vacations that don’t involve Missouri. Sorry, family, but mama needs some quality ocean time pretty bad. Maybe some more money, too. I’m always a fan of that.

7. What date from 2010 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?

Our family trip to Chicago was one of my favorite vacation experiences ever. I can’t imagine forgetting that ever.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

Man, I was full of achievements. Most of them personal, but achieving all in the same!

9. What was your biggest failure?

I don’t fail. I just learn how to improve things.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

Nah.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

Danger the Vibe.

12. Whose behavior merited celebration?

My 3 Day homies near and far and the volunteers of Pet Project Rescue.

13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?

Haters of all kinds. The public school system.

14. Where did most of your money go?

Rent. Still dog food, just like last year.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

• NBA JAM FOR THE WII… which should be delivered sometime this week.
• Moving into our house.

16. What song will always remind you of 2010?

Ones that contain lyrics like: “The square root of 69 is 8 somthing, right??” and “Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6. Like a G6, Like a G6. Now I’m feelin so fly like a G6.”

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

i. happier or sadder? Happier
ii. thinner or fatter? Thinner
iii. richer or poorer? Richer, although not by much.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

Camping, traveling, saving, taking pictures.

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

Worrying. I just have to tell myself that everything will always turn out all right.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

Spent it in Missouri with my entire family. One of the better Christmases I can remember in years.

21. Did you fall in love in 2010?

With Monday Night RAW.

22. What was your favorite TV program?

Got hooked on Criminal Minds in a bad, bad way. And Monday Night RAW.

23. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

Not at all worth the time, man.

24. What was the best book you read?

I wish I could remember. I red more books than I’ve read in a long time in 2010! I just haven’t read any in the last couple of months.

25. What was your greatest musical discovery of 2010?

The Current. Seriously. I know that answer is so 8 years ago.

26. What did you want and get?

A house with a backyard!

27. What did you want and not get?

ONE MILLION DOLLARS! (Totally copying Jenni’s answer!)

28. What was your favorite film of this year?

Babies. We went to go see it at the Riverview Theater and it was such a fantastic movie. Also, babies.

29. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

I turned 32! I had happy hour drinks with Amelia, Jenni and Matt, and then hung out with a ton more friends and bowling league that night.

30. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

More sleep, but I wouldn’t have wanted to sacrifice any of the the other things I did for that sleep.

31. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2010?

T-shirts, thermals, jeans and cargo shorts, baby. Or grown up lady business pants during the work day, but that’s just so boring.

32. What kept you sane?

Friends, family, pets. Same answer every year, but I wouldn’t change it for a thing.

33. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

John Cena. The Miz. Courtney Jensen, the beatboxing Mormon, from The Sing Off.

34. What political issue stirred you the most?

Education, healthcare, DADT. A lot of it bugged me this year.

35. Who did you miss?

My grandma. Friends I didn’t get a chance to hang out with in person.

36. Who was the best new person you met?

People from The 3 Day and from PPR.

37. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2010:

Living well is the best revenge. It’s a quote I found somewhere sometime in the last year and absolutely love it.

38. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year.

Every year, baby, it goes like this:  No one will ever be, like me.

More about Marshall

This is what the last two nights have been like for me as soon as I get home from work. Not sure if it’s the cold weather or if I’m getting sick or what, Marshall doesn’t seem to mind for one single second.

Secondly, we noticed that he was six toes. He’s totally from Key West. I kind of love him even more… weird extra toe and all. That damn thing better not be opposable or we’re all screwed.

it will always be chilito to me

I signed up for Reverb 10 yesterday and promptly ignored the prompt. Wrap up my year in one word? C’mon. I don’t know that many words. Anyway, I’m going to get back on track with that today and catch up with Prompt #1 (One Word) and Prompt #2 (What do you do each day that doesn’t contribute to your writing — and can you eliminate it?). That’s a lot of thinking to do.

Meanwhile, I decided to stop at Taco Bell this afternoon for lunch. I haven’t made a run for the border in probably a month and it’s been a really bad day. You know what always cures a really bad day? A chilito. (Screw you idiots who didn’t understand what that was and made them change the name to chili-cheese burrito, by the way.)

I pull up to the window, hand over a five dollar bill, and the girl at the drive thru says: “Thank you, Miss Wendy”. Did you see the part where I paid with cash? Yeah, I don’t write my name on my money.

It’s the Taco Bell that’s closest to my work and I usually pay with my debit card. And the girl in the drive thru remembered me. But clearly I’ve gone there too much in the past. I can’t decide if it’s depressing or hilarious, but I’m going with both. In that order.

First night in our new home

My computer still hasn’t made its way to being on top of my desk just yet and I have a quarter of a battery left, so this will be brief.

The move went surprisingly well. We hit one snag which resulted in a bannister being removed. It’s back in place now and our queen size box spring is where it should be.

It’s only 10:00 but we are where we should be too after the last couple of days. In bed.

insurance is for in case…

Am I the only one that thinks about Chris Rock’s stand-up routine about insurance anytime I even hear the word?

I just switched over to a new car insurance company a month or two ago. It had nothing to do with the service that I had with my old insurance company; it had to do with the fact that I could save $60/month. When I canceled the policy with my former insurance guy, he turned into a 7 year old throwing a temper tantrum because he didn’t get to play outside with his friends after school. In other words, I would no longer recommend him!

The insurance guy I have now is, I’m pretty sure, someone that just started in the field and is doing everything he can to build his client base. And, honestly? He’s doing a heck of a job. He responds to my emails super quickly. He called the bank that has my car loan when they kept saying I didn’t have any insurance at all. So if you’re looking to switch insurance companies and need someone that’s going to do everything he possibly can to make sure you’re happy, I totally have a guy for you.

While I’m sure I’d much prefer my dad’s aarp auto insurance discount I’m sure he receives since he is ALMOST 60!! (how is that even possible?), I’m pretty happy with my current insurance company and rate. I just hope it doesn’t skyrocket when they find out I’ve moved to the dreaded North Minneapolis area*.

*And for those of you concerned, the area we’re moving into is so gorgeous. The Kid was confused because it was so dark when we left the house the other night. We had to explain to him this is what living in a neighborhood is like versus living so close to industrial/business areas like he does with his dad and with the last two places we’ve lived.