The Return of the WiFi

Finally! I have real working internet again! I feel like I should throw a party and celebrate. Or at least eat something sweet and delicious. Like chocolate cupcakes with vanilla frosting and sprinkles. Or Maggie Moo's "Butter Batter" ice cream. Yummy. I'm making myself hungry. Maybe I'll just do little dance that will completely embarrass B, since she thinks I have no moves whatsoever. That would a huge highlight of my day, having my six-year-old chalked full of attitude run screaming from the room.

Michelle in the 21st Century

As much as there are times technology frustrates me to the point of hating it, I will be one of the first to admit that when I'm without it, I feel completely lost without it. And I'm not even talking about when the electricity goes out. I'm talking about not being able to go on IMBD.com to check out the info on some new movie coming out or just to see what's going on in the world. Without the internet I am a lost little puppy. I don't know what to do with myself. This is what bugs me about technology. I get annoyed because I can't check my favorite blogs. How sad is that? now I have to go and do something productive. Like actually work on my book. And because my stupid cable company has decided to show up when it's convenient for them, by the time my stupid internet problem's fixed it will have been 6 days without productive internet access. So I'm forced to try and get an unlocked WI-FI signal where ever I can. Which really sucks because every few minutes I have to angle my laptop just so in order to get the slowest connection possible. I really hate technology sometimes. Like now.

Smiles All Around

I have a smile on my face, but I’m not entirely happy. Why then do I have this huge ear to ear grin on my lips you ask? Because Karma’s a really great thing. Take for instance you have a co-worker who gets away with everything, does nothing, sees nothing wrong with doing nothing, and has supervisors wrapped around their stupid little pinky? Yes, it pisses me off to no end. But I placate myself for the time being because I know one day (maybe not today, or tomorrow or even next week) Karma’s going to bite this person in the ass. And truthfully? It makes me smile. A lot. Even giggle a little. Okay, it makes me giggle fits. Especially when this person thinks that they’re so golden nothing can touch them. Or when they think they do sooooooo much because they’re actually doing their job. Did I mention their life is sooooooo hard with no responsibilities? And that the person tattles more than my 6-year-old and they’re older than me? Yeah, sad isn’t it? So you can probably understand my slight annoyance. Not to worry, I’ve found ways of making myself feel better. I put on a little Lily Allen and “Smile”.

Sprinkles Some Music

I've been hearing a lot about this cupcake company on the west coast (it's supposed to be better than the Magnolia Bakery that got so much attention thanx to "Sex and the City") that's apparently out of this world called "Sprinkles". I haven't tried it, being stuck in the middle of nowhere, and all. But they have a "Sprinkles" cupcake mix that I picked up at Williams-Sonoma (about the only thing I can actually afford in the store) and I'm going to make them this week to see if they're really worth all the hype. And if the little 'cakes are really that good I just might have to invest. If not, it'll just be more goodies I can give to people at work. *insert evil little laugh here*. Seriously, though, I'm hoping they're yummy, cause I really don't want to share.

Yummy looking, right?

Tom Brady's married, ladies. Surprisingly enough, I'm really not all that upset. I still like him and think he's one of the best football players ever (a little exaggeration, but hey, it's my blog), but I'm not in mourning or anything. Good for him, though. Everyone deserves someone, right? And he's found his.

But on another positive note, I found this really great band. They're called Rooney and they're not new or anything. They've been around for awhile, actually. Something like ten years. And yes, it's taken me this long to notice them. Anyways, I downloaded a couple of songs on Itunes and I liked them so much I went out and bought their two albums the other night. I've listened to them like 20 times. And I'm not the type of person who actually listens to a whole album, so I really like them. The lead singer's got this amazing voice, and they're music's kind of The Beatles meet All-American Rejects. All I can say is you should check 'em out.

Its time for me to go and listen to their albums for the 21st time.

Sleepless in the Snow

Yup, it’s official. I’m not a snow bunny anymore. After over a dozen years of living in Chicago, and then spending just 9 short years away living in Colorado, followed by Italy, the fascination with snow has completely disappeared. I’ve only been in Ohio for 7 months, but I’m all over the snow. I don’t ever need to see it again in my life, much less drive in it. Strangely enough, people around here really don’t know how to drive in the snow. Icy roads to some people here apparently means, “please, go faster and hit my car”. I missed the memo on that one. I want to go some place warm ASAP. And to top off my love of the snow and all things icy, I was leaving work the other day and guess what happened: I slipped and fell on my ass. Pretty hard, too. Hard enough to make my elbow feel a little useless and leave bruises in places I didn’t know could bruise easily.

I’ve also decided to write a self help book for mom’s called “I’m not a bad mom just because I don’t make cupcakes from scratch.” Because seriously? I’m sick of some of the P.T.A mom’s I’ve been running into at B’s school acting like it’s a sacrilege because I buy cookies from the store for bake sales at school. I don’t think they get it makes a person feel like they’re a bad mom. I have more than half a dozen things on my plate and baking at 2 in the morning so I can look like an oh-so perfect mom isn’t high on that list. I’d rather been an imperfect mom who puts things like that on the back burner so I can spend time with my kiddo.

And that whole thing reminded me of an episode of “Top Chef” I watched about a month ago. This is one of the few reality show’s I’ll sit down and watch because I enjoy it. Normally, I can’t stand reality shows. So, I’m watching this, and the chef’s quick fire challenge is using food items that you normally find in the canned goods isle at the store. All of the chefs are used to “fresh” ingredients. Nothing condensed or crappy for them. Everything’s got to be fresh. Their looks were the first thing that set me off. It was this disgusted “I can’t believe you’re asking me to this” look that everyone seemed to share. Now, there was this one chef I was rooting for. (and, yeah, I put extreme emphasis on was) Radhika, who said the one thing that really ticked me off. She said “This is what stay at home mom’s use to cook with”. Does she even have kids? She really shouldn’t open her mouth unless she has actual personal experience, because if she had kids she’d probably know that it’s not always possible to hand make your pasta or make your tomato sauce from scratch. She really irked me when she said that. Let’s just say I was really, really happy when she had to pack up her knives.

Well, I’m done with my high horse moment, so I’m off to bed.

More dysfunctional than the norm

I have a new favorite show, even though the show's been cancelled for three years. "Arrested Development" is a surprisingly refreshing humorous show. The Bluth's possibly the most dsyfunctional TV family I've seen in a very long time. I can't even begin to describe it. From Gob (pronounced Job), the talentless magician to Lindsay, the self-centered activist, everyone in the family brings something to the table. I've treated myself to mini-marathons in between the daily grind that is my life.

How can you not love this family?

I finished two of my classes and I just started two more this week. Strangely enough, one of the classes is being taught by an author I have a few books by. She's my English 102 class. I guess she tells me I suck at writing, I can probably give up my novel writing dreams for good.

I also stole, I mean borrowed, these photos my best bud uploaded on her myspace page from our time as bridesmaids.
I love this picture. Aren't we all purdy? We look happy, natural and not at all stressed about being bridesmaids. But I still stick by the theory that we were probably the worst bridesmaids in history and we should have been fired at the wedding. And my arms don't look that huge.

Also, I've actually written more of my book, and at this point, (but even that will be replaced soon) I have 57 pages. That's really huge for me. Like I might actually finish writing this thing for once.

Homecoming

This is completely inspiring for me.

Homesickness is where the Heart is. . . .

It's hard to believe that just a year ago I was still living in Italy. I never thought I'd miss it as much as I do, and to be honest, it still feels more like home than Ohio does. I'm afraid it always will. I won't say I ever hated Italy (I was SO stoked when I found out I was going), but for a time when I first got there, I was so homesick for the States, I would have given anything to be back here just so I could see a mall and have normal internet. After a little bit of time, I got used to Italy and the European way of life. I enjoyed it, I loved traveling, eating the local food (lots and lots of pasta, my favorite form of carbs), shopping in the shoe store down the street to pick up the latest pair of boots. It became home to me. Even now as I sit here writing, I'm homesick for Italy. Out of every place I've lived in the last nine and a half years, Italy was the one place I felt completely at home in. Right now, I'd drop everything in heartbeat if I was given the option to go back. It's HOME to me now.