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Some stuff and some things

March 12, 2015 by Jana 29 Comments

We’re diving into some Stuff and Things rather than the weekly recap because I have a thing tomorrow and I won’t be, you know, conscious, so I’m hanging out with the lovely Joey and Kristin this week instead.

Can I just say how much I love the Show Us Your Books linkup and how it’s basically my favorite blogging day of the month? First, thank you so much to everyone who participates! It means a lot to both me and Steph. Second, my to-read list continues to explode because of it. It thrills me how we all have different taste in books, with some overlap (cough–The Girl on the Train–cough), and I’m learning about books I never would have heard of otherwise.
Colonoscopy prep is the worst. I want a vegetable. And laxatives are no one’s friend.
After mentioning it last week, some of you expressed interest in the link to my side project/creative writing site. I was going to just email the link to those people directly but then I thought that was a bad choice. I’ll just share it with everyone. So here it is: Prompted Pieces. I’m only posting about 2-3 times per week right now but I might increase that at some point. Not sure yet. Hope you guys have as much fun reading it as I do writing it.
I finally finished and sent off my resume to the job I really, really, really want. And now I’m nervous that they won’t want me. Anxiety is fun.
Last weekend, we rented St. Vincent and Foxcatcher. St. Vincent is a fabulous movie. Bill Murray and Melissa McCarthy are simply awesome and the kid in the movie is going to have a long, long career. Don’t bother yourself with Foxcatcher. Slow, tedious, and it bothers me that Channing Tatum’s performance has gone virtually unrecognized. Honestly, he was the best part of the movie, and it has nothing to do with how he looks because I don’t find him that attractive.
I get irrationally angry when I really like someone on a TV show or in a movie and then I can’t stalk the actor on social media.
Last weekend after we were done at the beach Chocolate Festival, we went to a bookstore and at the bookstore, I saw a sign or book stating the average person passes something like 1 liter of gas per day. I have so many questions about this. For instance, who figured this out? Second, who volunteered to be studied? Third, how did they measure it? Also, if I were part of that study, I’d throw off the average. Big time.
We leave for Disney in just under 5 weeks. The child still has no idea. We’ve been keeping it a surprise for the last 5 months and with this little bit of time left, my big mouth almost ruined it. Fortunately, she’s oblivious and didn’t pick up on it but I’m starting to worry about my self-control.
I read and save a ton of links with the intention to share them and then I never do. If there is a version of hoarders for links, I need it because I keep saving more and get rid of none. That said, here are three of my favorites from the last few weeks: 33 Signs That Were Vandalized with the Most Hilarious Responses Ever (how’s that for click bait?), 10 Reasons Why Losing Your Shit Will Make Your Life Come Together, and this one about the MLB player who lives in a van in a WalMart parking lot.
My favorite weekly funnies:

Hope you guys have a great weekend! I’ll probably be in the bathroom the whole time and I’ve never been so glad to have an iPad and an endless stack of books. See you Monday!

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This week in…:Volume 6

March 6, 2015 by Jana 26 Comments

This week in weather…holy shit, winter please go away. I’m done with you and your snow and your cold as fuck temperatures and your snow days and your general unpleasantness. Enough already.

This week in reading…after much debate with myself and input from Instagram, I opted to start The Girl on the Train over The Martian. You know those months where almost every book you read is amazing and you can’t decide which one is your favorite? That has been the past month for me. More information on that coming in Tuesday’s Show Us Your Books linkup (can you believe it’s time for that already?)

This week in cooking…I love, LOVE peanut butter and I love foods that have peanut butter as a base. Cookies, sauces, and my personal favorite, peanut butter soup. I made it this week for dinner and whenever I do, I’m reminded how easy it is (and inexpensive, too) and kick myself for not making it more often. If you guys want the recipe, let me know and I’ll do a post.

This week in TV…I forgot The Following started this week. I’ll be catching up on it over the weekend, time permitting, along with the premiere of American Crime and the most recent episodes of Justified and Better Call Saul. My husband has been binge watching House of Lies with Don Cheadle. I’m not a huge fan of it. But I was a huge fan of both movies we watched last weekend, The Judge and Whiplash. Guys, seriously, see both of them. Whiplash is INTENSE and The Judge is just a great movie.

This week in creativity…For Christmas, my in-laws gave me a book of writing prompts, 642 Things to Write About. I’ve been going through, writing stories in my head, but not actually writing them down. So I started a little pet project blog with my responses to the prompts. You’re supposed to hand write them but I’m too wordy and run out of room and plus, I can’t lose a blog but I can lose a book so I started a site. When I have a few entries, and if you guys are interested, I’ll share the link.

This week in getting healthy…Remember I shared a few weeks ago that some test results showed my vitamin D levels are low? Well, I’ve been taking supplements and wow, do they make a difference! I’m sleeping better, have energy to get off the couch and do things like exercise (T-25 Beta cycle), and my depression seems to be at bay. I haven’t felt this good in a long time.

This week in wanting to scream in someone’s face…There’s a blogger I semi-follow and I read a post she wrote a day or so ago, a “getting to know me” post and in that, she said that she is put up on a pedestal. Um, full of yourself much? Yes, you’re a popular blogger and all but a pedestal? Really? I hope she meant something more along the lines of “put on display” and it was just poor wording in the post because if it wasn’t, and she really thinks people put her on a pedestal, I don’t think I can follow her anymore. (Actually, upon rereading it, most of the post was a humblebrag, including her pouty face in the makeup room of The Dr. Oz Show. If you’re that pouty to be on TV, stay home. No one held a gun to your head and forced you to do it).

This week in 40 by 40 progress…One of the items on my list is to volunteer somewhere meaningful to me. I’ve been researching and trying to pick and I finally decided that I’m going to apply to be a CASA (court appointed special advocate). Child welfare is an issue that’s very close to my heart, and this is a perfect fit. It’s an intense commitment but one I’m very excited for.

This week in making me laugh…

Have a great weekend! I’ll be cramming all my errands and chores into Saturday because of a competition on Sunday. Hope you get to do something a little more fun than that. See you back here on Monday!

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I wonder, wonder, wonder

March 4, 2015 by Jana 31 Comments

I spend a lot of time alone. While it’s true that I like it, being left alone with my own thoughts and imagination often lends itself to me having way too much time to think about things. Important things. Life altering things. Things like:

Just how much money have I spent at Wawa over the years?

If the human head weighs 8 pounds, how much do my boobs weigh because I’m pretty sure mine weigh more than a head.

How would I go about weighing my boobs to find out? Would a produce scale work? Or maybe one of those scales drug dealers use?

Why do so many people hate black licorice? It’s delicious. I don’t understand the vehement hatred.

Will I ever be able to use flour and have it not look like I’m dealing coke out of my kitchen?

Why does Jelly Belly continue to make the buttered popcorn and toasted marshmallow flavored jelly beans? Seems like a waste of money. I have yet to meet a person who likes either of them. They taste like vomit and I can’t possibly be the only one who gets irrationally angry when one sneaks into a handful I’ve tossed in my gullet.

How does one get a job naming nail polish? I think I’d be good at a job like that.

How do my dogs know the precise moment I’m finally comfortable to decide that’s when they need to pee?

What’s the deal with all these posts about parents letting their kids dress themselves going viral? It is really that big of a shock to anyone that kids pick out weird combinations?

Why does the internet tell me I’m doing everything wrong? I make coffee wrong. I make peanut butter and jelly wrong. I eat sushi wrong. I poop wrong. I’m getting a complex and feel like I’m failing at life. Can we get it together and maybe start telling people all the things they’re doing right?

Has the chick who started that whole dress debate gotten hate mail? And as far as fights she’s started as a result of posting that fucking picture, how does she compare to Monopoly? I think it’s probably close. Monopoly has years of experience but the internet is vast.

Is there a word for the panic sets in where you’re at someone else’s house and you use the bathroom and the toilet looks like it’s about to overflow after you flush? I feel like there needs to be.

I don’t have a shovel buddy. I need to get one of those. I should probably start by getting some friends first. (Side note—I finally worked shovel buddy into a post! I’ve been wanting and needing to do that for years)

Is there something wrong with me that I genuinely don’t care that Paul McCartney is headlining Firefly this year? I feel like I should care more since it happens less than an hour from my house, yet I don’t.

I wonder if I practice enough, I can keep my eyes open when I sneeze. I sneeze a lot when I’m driving so I feel like this is a safety precaution. Also, if I can do it, can it qualify as a defensive driving discount?

What do you guys think about when you’re alone?

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Never have I ever…

March 2, 2015 by Jana 29 Comments

This is a companion post to both my 40 by 40 and my list of things I have done.

Remember that drinking game where someone would say something that they’ve never done and then all the people who have done it stand up or take a drink or both? I didn’t really play it much but I’m sure there were a couple of times and it was fun so we’re going to play it today except you don’t have to tell me if you have done the things I haven’t (unless you want to) and you don’t have to drink if you have (unless you want to. Unless you’re at work. Then maybe that’s a bad idea. Unless you’re a bartender. Then drinking at work is probably okay). I’d prefer if you didn’t judge me on the things I haven’t done but I can’t stop you so try not to judge me too much.

Alrighty then.

Gotten a tattoo
Watched an Indiana Jones movie
Drank Mountain Dew (it looks like something someone in a comic book would fall into and come out a supervillian)
Changed a tire by myself
Been arrested (or thrown in the drunk tank)
Stayed awake for 24 straight hours
Read the Harry Potter books (or Twilight or Divergent)
Had short hair
Gotten a massage
Attended a professional basketball game
Been on a cruise
Played Cards Against Humanity (which I do realize is a crime against humanity)
Watched an episode of The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Real Housewives of Anywhere, or Big Brother
Eaten a Big Mac
Gone horseback riding (clarification: because I am TERRIFIED of horses)
Cooked on a barbecue (I have eaten at a barbecue. I have never cooked on the actual grill because, like horses, I am terrified of them)

Bonus: I’ve never whistled because I can’t.

That’s all I can think of right now. I’m sure there’s more, particularly in the never watched or read and when I think of them, I’ll write them down and then maybe I’ll do a part 2.

Your turn. What are some things you’ve never done?

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All these things that I’ve done

February 23, 2015 by Jana 32 Comments

A special thank you to The Killers for today’s post title as I have had this song stuck in my head for days.

When I wrote my 40 by 40, I struggled a bit with coming up with a list because, thus far, I’ve been fortunate and I have done, seen, and been to a good number of places. Don’t be mistaken, there’s still a ton left to do and see and try but I have a pretty good list going and, as part of my Choose Your Own Adventure Challenge, I said I’d write it down. So I did. And, as proof and accountability and all that jazz, I’m sharing it with you guys. 37 things for 37 years I’ve been alive.

Oh, sorry for the lack of pictures but we’ve been living in our house for 18 months and for the life of me, I still cannot find my photo albums. But I assure you, I’m not lying. If I were, this list would be way more interesting.

Traveled to France and saw all the things including the Louvre, the Notre Dame, L’Arc de Triomphe, Carcassone, Nice, the Palace of Versailles, and I spent a night on one of those overnight train things
Stood on a glacier (and drank water from said glacier)
Slept on a Native American reservation
Been published (in a compilation with other writers, in an eBook about writer’s block. Not a novel)
Had a stereotypical spring break in Cancun
Been to both the East and West parts of Canada. Not the middle. (Is there even anything in the middle?)
Traveled to a number of islands including Aruba, the Bahamas, and Jamaica
Participated in the Conch Republic Independence Day celebrations, including the mock Navy battle in the harbor
Speaking of Key West, I’ve also seen the sunset at Mallory Square
Ridden in a 1954 Bentley
Visited the Grand Canyon
And Niagara Falls
Went white water rafting on the Snake River
Camped at Yellowstone and Yosemite
Met a celebrity
Interviewed a celebrity
Been an extra on a TV show (Romper Room)
Seen Broadway shows
Visited all the major attractions in California including Alcatraz, Lombard Street, the San Diego Zoo, and Hearst Castle
Attended a MLB playoff game
Won a beer pong tournament
Hiked in Bryce Canyon
Gotten my Master’s degree (I used to be smart)
Learned another language
Given a speech in public
Quit a job I hated
Made pie from scratch, including the crust
Performed a Zumba routine on stage
Cooked Thanksgiving dinner by myself
Attended TV show tapings
Seen my favorite band in concert (4 times!)
Visited Disney World and Disney Land
Been to Bourbon Street (aka the most disgusting street in all the land)
Been to a music festival
Sat in club box seats at an NFL and MLB game
Played with and fed penguins
Had a pinup photo shoot (these pictures have never, nor will they ever, see the light of day)

Looking at the list, I’m pretty proud of what I’ve done so far and I’m so excited for what’s still to come. Should be a fun few years until I’m 40 and then beyond.

Now you go. Tell me some of the things you’ve done!

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Some stuff and some things

This week in…:Volume 6

I wonder, wonder, wonder

Never have I ever…

All these things that I’ve done

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