In the Outfield
When I was 12, my brother and I joined a softball team. I was not overly athletic when I was little, but I was excited to join. After our first few practices, my friend Kim, who was staying at our place for a few days, tagged along to a practice. She decided to join the team too and it made for elation.
Our little team, the Boulders, was terrible. Oh my gosh, we were so bad. Not necessarily at the game, but we were a new team with no money, a weirdo for a coach, and our home field was nothing to write (home) about. I should also state that for the first few weeks I was sporting a coach on a broken left arm. And I’m super clumsy. So, I was determined not to get hit or re-injured. Kim always has said that I looked like a little ballerina out there…swinging the bat with one arm.
I was terrified of the ball too. I hated being stuck in right field, which I often was. Probably because most hits are center or to the left. Which, I was relieved for, but also terrified that the ball would come at me. But eventually, I got less scared, I got more aggressive (not a lot back then, but some), and my eventually my cast came off.
And as I improved, so did our team. Our community rallied around us and our field got some maintenance; our dugouts cleaned up, and we got a snack shack. AND eventually, we got team uniforms: Horrendous lime green tshirts and matching hats with our team name on them. They were so ugly, but we looked great as a team!
Honestly, I WISH we looked this good. (NOT US)
We started getting more spectators. We were invited to tournaments (most of I’m sure we lost – but maybe not). My skills improved and eventually I was moved out of right field and into centerfield *mic drop!*
We played through summer nights and in the rain and we played in the hottest of tournaments, having to have our parents drive us home in between games sometimes to shower or to at least get us out of the heat. Our little team was a family and we had so much fun. I loved our baseball team. We lasted two incredible seasons.
But by the time the third season rolled around, some of the team moved up to the next level because of age – including my brother and Kim. Gah! The whole point of our team was to be together and now we were breaking up.
So some of us moved up to another team, and some of us stayed behind to hold fort in our main team, with new players joining ranks. I stayed and I played. But it wasn’t the same. And by this time, I was good. I was a good hitter (well, definitely better than my casted ballerina days), and I was a great outfielder. And I had a mouth made for baseball. But it wasn’t the same.
I played that summer and that was it. I played on the girls’ team in high school for a minute and a half, but didn’t finish the season (helloo, social life), which I kind of regret. And there have been times I have wanted to join a team in my adult time, but just never bothered. Those days of playing ball in the summers with my friends were some of the best of childhood. And for that, I always keep my baseball mitt in my trunk, just in case someone, somewhere has a pick-up game going.
Each time I drive by our old field, it makes me sad. The field is overgrow, the snack shack and dugouts are caved in and decrepit, the mound is unseen, the fences falling down. Our home field has become a graveyard for our youth, and our memories of those glorious days are all we have left.
Still not us
There are no new teams. The children are busy playing online games or surfing Instagram. But me, I would never, in a million years, trade in those summer days with my friends under the hot sun, under the cool night skies, and on the green grass, swinging a bat and sliding into home.
~Cheers.
A to Z Challenge (V)
V – Valley
I live in the Annapolis VALLEY and this weekend is the 87th Annual Apple Blossom Festival. Which means, there are fireworks and a parade, and a fair, and tons of bands and dances and music and food and drink. And lots of people. Lots and lots of people. It’s basically a homecoming for us. I’m excited.
Apple Blossom from days gone by
~Sandy
A to Z Challenge (R)
R- Rare
Finding a decent person or friend can often be rare. So when you find that person – a good-spirited, kind, patient, and understanding human, hang onto him or her. Those people, it seems in this day and age, are a rarity. Unique little gems.
~Sandy
A to Z Challenge (J)
J – Journal
I used to journal consistently. For years and years I would write every single thing I felt, thought, breathed. About 10 years or so ago I stopped. I would maybe write here and there, but I had no real reasoning for it. So, I just stopped.
But I loved my journaling and I loved my writing. I sometimes will go back and read some of the things I’d written. A lot of my writing came from pain. Sadness. Depression. It almost seems like my writing is better when it comes from that dark hole in my heart and head.
I have brought journals to my friends too. Many times. In fact, one of my best friends was having PTSD issues and anxiety this past year after being in a car accident and I bought her the most gorgeous journal. Just so that she could get out the naggy little irritants eating away at her
And recently, as in just a few weeks ago, I put together a stress kit for another friend and included a journal. I don’t know if he’ll use it (do guys do much journaling??), but at least it’s there for him. Even if he uses it once, I feel like it would be a triumph.
So, there you go. J is for journal.
~Sandy
A to Z Challenge (F)
F- Fester (and Friends)
1. First of all, I have to say I have the most incredible group of friends. They are seriously so great. They have stuck by me and kept me busy and won’t give me any (or much) alone time lately. And for that, I am so thankful.
2. When Winston died in October I was shattered. A great big chunk of my soul died with him and I vowed to not get another pet. Unless it can be guaranteed to live forever, I didn’t want another animal. But for the last 6 or so months, I’ve felt like I’ve had this gaping hole in my heart because I miss him so much. I wavered about the idea of adopting another animal, but when I met her, I knew she was the one. Her big blue eyes looked back at me with adoration and I swooned. I have welcomed her into my home and my heart with open arms, and we are so in love.
I initially thought that a new kitten would be a boy, like Winston, and so I decided to call him Uncle Fester. But, since this little lady is a lady, the Fester has stuck, to the dismay of many others, but she gets Fessie and Kitty often. The Fester is sticking.
~Sandy
Doppelgangers – Part 4
If you’ve ever looked at this blog over the last however many number of years, you should have come across my Doppelgangers posts: Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3.
I love celebrity lookalikes. Sometimes, when I’m watching TV or a movie, I can’t get it out of my head how much one actor looks like another. This was the case again last night which is why I figured it was finally time to do a Part 4.
The very first time I watched Matt Leblanc’s newest show, Man With a Plan I was stumped for a bit….trying to rack my brain to figure out who Lowell reminded me of. Then suddenly it hit me!
Lowell….looks (and sounds!) just like…..
Lowell aka Matt Cook
Hermey from Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer!
Seriously….watch Man With a Plan and then Rudolph and you’ll see it (and hear it!)
A few years ago there was a character on The Walking Dead named Eric. He was Aaron’s boyfriend and he bit the dust in a hard way. Whenever I saw him on screen, I thought he could be Alicia Witt’s twin.
Jordan Woods Robinson
Alicia Witt
Ever think you’re seeing double? What about triple?
Emily Osment
Carrie Underwood
Jessica Lowe
Emily Osment and Carrie Underwood often look like the same person. But Jessica Lowe (aka the boob shaking new wife in Blended (with Drew Barrymore)) has the same nose and bears an unremarkable resemblance to Emily Osment. When I first saw Blended, I totally thought I was watching Emily Osment.
You may recall I was (am) a huge fan of the original 90210. So, of course when the new redux series started, I had to watch. My friend Amy (Amy Whoreface) had a big crush on Matt Lanter from the show. He wasn’t Dylan and the show wasn’t the original.
Matt Lanter
And speaking of not living up to the original (although most people disagree with this one), Buffy the Vampire Slayer, the series, in my opinion, sucked. Maybe I felt that way because I was part of that cult following the movie and think, although it oozed fromage, it was stinkin’ perfect. (Plus, it had Luke Perry – aka Dylan.). And since I didn’t much care for the series, I didn’t much care for its actors, including Riley aka Marc Blucas…but maybe Amy Whoreface would have liked him. (PS. Sorry Cat!)
Marc Blucas
*whew* That was a roundabout way of getting to my point, wasn’t it?
Back in the Dawson’s Creek days, I always thought Kerr Smith (Jack) and Julian McMahon (Cole on the original Charmed) were older and younger versions of each other.
Kerr Smith
But also….I was watching some a few months ago and I saw this guy who I thought was Kerr Smith, but it was some dude named Wes Brown.
Kerr Smith (doesn’t he have a nice smile??)
Wes Brown
Seriously? How are these people NOT related??
Speaking of 90210 earlier, Ryan Eggold, who’s now the star of New Amsterdam, also played a teacher, Ryan, on the new 90210. Back in that day (which, let’s be honest, wasn’t that long ago), he looked a lot like Justin Chadwin.
Ryan Eggold (just post-90210 days)
Justin Chadwin
Justin Chadwin definitely has a more square-shaped head, but that considering, they could be related.
Now that Ryan Eggold has moved onto playing a Doctor on New Amsterdam and has that gnarly buzz cut, he looks a lot like Matthew Fox when he played a (stranded) Doctor on Lost and sported a buzz cut.
Paging Dr. Eggold
Matthew Fox (by the way….WHERE is Matthew Fox these days?)
I tried really hard to find pics of them both in scrubs but…I just wasn’t finding what I needed. I would still let either of them kiss my boo boo better.
I know I’m not the only one who has thought this about this next one – I’ve heard other comments about it. “Hey, doesn’t that girl look like the girl from Saved by the Bell?“
Alexandra Daddario (from San Andreas)
Tiffani Thiessen
I’m sure it’s the eyes and the round cheeks and the hair…..and, of course, the boobs.
And lastly, what got me to stop being lazy and finally make this new post of twinsies.
Last night I was watching Law & Order: SVU and it was driving me nuts how familiar the main guest start looked. I checked out her profile on IMDB and I’d never heard of her. Then it hit me with a *thunk*.
This woman, Willa Fitzgerald….
Willa Fitzgerald
Looks like a blond version of Rachel Weisz.
Rachel Weisz
Still not quite convinced? (I swear, you need to see her in person aka on screen) to really see it.)
Willa Fitzgerald
Well…do you see them? All the resemblances?
Who else will be popping up? We’ll have to wait and see.
~Cheers.
A Little Christmas “Spirit”
As you may know, I lost my beloved Winston in mid-October and I continue to mourn him. I miss him beyond expectation and I still, at the very least, get a lump in my throat when I talk to him. More often than not, however, there are tears.
The other night I went out for Merry Christmas festivities with some girlfriends and had a little gift exchange. One gift bag had a big bottle of wine and a gorgeous pair of earrings. And a box. The box was light as air and when I opened it, it was full of tissue paper. When I put my hand in and felt the roundness of a ball, I knew exactly what it was. I said “Is this going to make me cry??”
Of course it made me cry. How amazingly thoughtful.
Late that night when I finally got home, I put the ornament on my tree. I made a special place for it him – right in front where he belongs. Not much later I was on my couch watching an old SNL Christmas special, I heard a rustling under my tree – in and about the Christmas presents. I’m sure it was a bag of gifts shifting, but in my heart, I’m going to hang on to the belief that Winston is with me. In my heart and in spirit.
~Merry Christmas
O’ Christmas Tree
Last night it snowed. And it snowed a lot. At least it snowed at Honey Boo Boo’s. It came down fast and heavy and covered the ground and the trees with a fierceness and a beauty that only December can bring.
And now it’s Sunday evening and it is raining – heavy and wet and mixed with ice. Rain that is coming down so fast and heavy with its own fierceness, I can hear it beating off the window. Weather that seemingly only Nova Scotia can bring.
And I’m pissed! I was all set to go to a community Christmas Tree lightening tonight with my BFF and her little one. My first tree lighting/community anything in a very long time. In fact, I was more than set. I was there. I parked just on the outskirts of town, all bundled up, and I walked to the centre where the “show” was supposed to happen. It had just started a bit of freezing rain when I left and I had my umbrella in hand, but I didn’t expect the down pour that’s happening outside right now. Let’s just say it’s a good thing I brought it.
Once Spanky and her mini-me and family arrived, we were told that the tree lighting happened a half hour before. Uh, what? It was supposed to happen at 6pm! But those mofos lit that damn tree up at 5:30. Grrr.
So, since it was raining, there was no point in standing around in the cold and damp, we said our goodbyes and I declined a drive back out of town to my car. I wanted the walk, regardless of the weather. And since I missed a tree lighting, I decides to take a picture of the decorated lawn trees I passed on my way in and out of town.
YUP. There you go. Rather pathetic isn’t it?
Ah well…It was a short 40 minute adventure that I rather enjoyed.
Cheers.
A Swipe of Lipstick and My Best Friend
I’ve been very sad since my poor Winston died last month. I would never have expected that I would miss a cat so much…but whenever I think about him, I get a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes and almost always, the inevitable crying happens.
Then a week and a half ago, I smoked a deer with my car. Ugh!! My luck is sucktastic. Fortunately, I was able to brake a bit and just nailed him in the ass. But still….the thought of harming an animal – especially after losing my cat – is stressful and hard on the nerves…and heart. AND I’m out a car for a month. (The deer is fine, by the way. He was a big boy and kept on going.)
Ugh….poor Elvis. 😦
And last week we had a bunch of crap snow and ice storming here in Nova Scotia (schools were shut down for 3 days) and the roads were a mess so travel was limited.
Needless to say, with all that’s been going on, I’ve been feeling pretty blue.
So Saturday my best friend and I made a road trip into the City for all the Black Friday deals and Christmas shopping. We had a hoot of a time.
She is the girl that I laugh with most. We basically have our own language – some made up words, some singing, some animal sounds, and a whole lot of cursing.
And on top of spending the entire day with her outside of work (yep, we work together), I bought myself a new lipstick. A bright rosy color that is normally out of my pallet (and not for this time of year). Whowuddathunk that a lipstick could boost your mood? I mean, I always feel better with lipstick on anyway, but this pink is making me feel sassy and smiley!
A Bright Pink to Brighten the Day
The day in its entirety cheered me up.
~Cheers
Full Circle
Winston died 4 weeks ago today. This morning, actually. And although I am still in full devastation mode, the days have been seemingly a teensy bit better. I can’t imagine I’ll ever get over this loss, but I’m managing.
The morning he died, we had a delivery to my office and one of the delivery men was my friend’s “little” brother. I say that but I suppose once you hit a certain age, you stop referring to people as little anything. I was surprised to see him because he is not our usual delivery person. But there were two of them so he might have been in training that morning.
My office door had been closed most of that day because I was bawling the entire day and just honestly didn’t feel like talking to anyone. But for some reason, my door was open when these guys came in. I think maybe someone had been in back with me checking on me. Little Brother and the other delivery guy popped around the corner to make their way downstairs and spotted me in my office….crying. I said hello, as one does, and they both stopped with sheer concern on their respective faces and asked if I was okay. My coworker announced the news that my Winston had just died that morning. They both expressed condolences, and Little Brother came right in and gave me a big hug. He started exclaiming to his colleague that “Sandy is the love of my life. I have loved her since I was 10 years old!”
Waiittt…..what?????
Apparently, I was Little Brother’s big crush. I had no idea. His sister and I were such good friend in high school and the years that followed and spent a lot of time at each other’s houses. How did I not know this? Maybe it’s because he was Little Brother. Just a cute little blond teddy bear that always says hi and hugs me through the years when we see each other. I never thought twice about it….
But would you look at that? I was someone else’s Jordan Catalano.
Full Circle.
~Sandy
Chasing Jordan Catalano – Chronicles (Part 1)
Remember “My So-Called Life”? That ridiculously real show from the 90’s that launched the careers of Claire Danes and Jared Leto? Remember how Claire’s Angela pined for Jared’s Jordan? (“Don’t you just love how he leans?”)
Ah, Jordan Catalano (via Yahoo)
Jordan Catalano was the epitome of teenage boy crushes. Because he embodied everything we had imagined, our entire lives, our soulmate to be. Jordan was imperfectly perfect.
I’m sure we have all experienced a love like that of Jordan Catalano.
The one guy who you see for just a split moment in time and you simply….fall.
You can’t sleep without dreaming of him, you can’t eat, you see him in everything you do; his name is written on every page or sign. You simply can’t function because your “Jordan” is everywhere.
I remember the first time I saw my Jordan. I noticed him from across a very large and crowded room. I recognized his name, but had never actually met him. I will admit, although he was not what I expected, he caught my eye.
The next time I saw him, several weeks later, my eyes lingered on him for a long while. An amidst a sordid incident with others, I felt an unrelenting need to protect him. That same day, I found myself in his presence, hearing him speak and being in close proximity to him. And I can say this with complete honesty, I have never wanted to physically put my hands on another person so badly in my entire life. Standing just a few feet away from him, all I wanted to do was reach out and touch him; to graze even just his stomach. I had never been this physically drawn to someone before. And maybe never since.
Less than a week later, I was sharing space with him again. We spoke briefly before an event and it was as if the world stopped around us for those few moments. Mini fireworks seemed to go off in the background while we chatted. For the next hour, we watched each other from across a room. Eyes meeting eyes. And then once again, we were next to each other in a small room, amidst a small crowd, and once our eyes met, they never left each other.
From that moment, I could not stop thinking of him. He was on my mind constantly. The mere thought of him made me dizzy and I often had a hard time catching my breath. And each and every time we spoke by phone or email or in person, my heart rate would jump and the butterflies in my stomach would swirl around in a frenzy. When I had plans to see him again just two days later, I couldn’t shake the feelings of excitement, nervousness, and anxiety. Here was this boy that I barely knew, and I was headed to see him. My palms were sweaty, my heart was racing, and my breathing labored…or at least it felt that way. I felt like I was on a roller-coaster that would never end. I spent those two days thinking of him…of nothing but him. I was like a kid at Christmas waiting for Santa.
….To Be Continued.
~Cheers
I Carried A Watermelon
My BFF/work-wife, Spanky is currently off on maternity leave. This girl and I met years ago when we began working together and we became instant friends. And, although we both had changed job locations, we maintained our friendship AND continued our lunchtime shenanigans all these years. And now we’re back to working together. ❤
We just did Mud Hero together Yesterday. #BFFs
And we have spent 10 years lunching together, walking thru Town, running the trails (training for races), running errands, or just sitting around stuffing our faces. But one thing has always maintained the same for us, wherever we were and whatever we were doing, you can bet we were laughing our heads off and having more fun than should be allowed. I have often said I bet people see us each day on our lunchtime ventures and are totally jealous of how much fun we’re having. In fact, one day, just a few years ago, while running an errand in one of the little shops in downtown, we had a good case of the giggles and could not stop laughing and an onlooker, a chef from one of the local restaurants had been watching us and said he thoroughly enjoyed watching us have so much fun. See…jealous.
But, when Spanky left to go off and have Baby Ruth I was saddened because I thought I was going to be alone for my lunch hours and, although I can go out and have fun make my own fun any damn time I please, I always enjoy the company. And, just my luck, Spanky’s work replacement has also become my lunchtime replacement and Boo Boo and I are having tons of fun together.
We decided months ago, when there was still snow on the ground (which, let’s face it, this is Nova Scotia and that means it wasn’t that long ago that there was snow on the ground), that we were going to walk during our breaks. Actually, it wasn’t so much a decision as it was something that just happened one day and we haven’t stopped. It’s because of these lunchtime walks that I’m hitting my FitBit step goal way early in the day.
Boo Boo and I walk and laugh every day. We are having way too much fun and, just like Spanky and I did, we’re making our fun.
One day last week, while out on our roam, we stopped into the local grocery store. Boo Boo was checking out the watermelons and was intending on picking one up until I reminded her that she’d have to carry a watermelon through town, in 34 degree heat, and we still had a half hour to go on our break. She left the watermelon there. But, as we were in the checkout line, I noticed the guy in front of me was holding a watermelon. When he glanced around at us I said to him “Can you please take that back to work or wherever you’re going and pretend you’re Jennifer Grey in Dirty Dancing and announce “I CARRIED A WATERMELON”.
Boo Boo held her breath (because I’m a nut!) and the guy just looked at me for a few seconds like a deer caught in headlights and then the both of them cracked up. He said he had heard us talking by the watermelons as he was picking his out and realized that he would be the one carrying the watermelon thru town in 34 degree heat (with a long-sleeved knit sweater on, mind you) and he felt like a dummy but he wanted to do something nice for his co-workers.
Nice gesture or not, I’d not be carrying a watermelon thru town in the heat.
The three of us a had a long-lasting chuckle and he kept the conversation going until he finished his purchase and had to leave us, although it seemed like he would have rather stayed with us (Boo Boo said he’s now the president of my fan club).
I’m very thankful to both these gals, Spanky and Boo Boo, because you make my work days a heckuvalot more entertaining. I soooooo look forward to Spanky’s return because I loooove her. And I’m keeping Boo Boo too, so we can be the workplace Three Musketeers or Three Amigos – which, with the shenanigans and oopsies, seems a lot more fitting.
I love my life.
#makeyourownadventure
~Cheers
Celebrity BroMances
Is there anything more entertaining in Hollywood than the bromance? Seriously, I think a good bromance is healthy and sweet and fun…and hysterical. In fact, I love them so much that I’ve posted on them before (see The Best BROMANCE on TV)
Here are a few of the best bromances in Hollywood.
THE FRAT PACK
Back in the 90’s Hollywood opened its doors to a slew of new young up-and-comers including Matt Damon, Ben Affleck, my boyfriend Cole Hauser, Rory Cochrane, Vince Vaughn, and Chris O’Donnell, to name a few. This group of guys rotated in the same circles, same movies, and even same homes, often sleeping on each other’s couches off and on for several years. Most of these guys are still good friends and still pop up in each other’s films.
Check out this episode of Dinner for Five with Jon Favreau, Vince Vaughn, Cole Hauser, Rory Cochrane, and Brian Cox (a bit of an oddball choice here) and make sure you watch “The Phone Booth” at 19:15 for some laughs.
SIR IAN MCKELLAN and SIR PATRICK STEWART
These two are acting royalty and they have had an ongoing love affair, bromantically, for years. They have appeared on screen together numerous times (obviously including all the X-Men movies), as well as on stage. Their friendship is one of longevity, laughter, and love. We can all strive for this kind of affection.
Watch the Sirs play the Newlywed Game. Too funny!
It’s like everything they do is perfection.
22 Times Patrick Stewart And Ian McKellen Proved They Are The Greatest Best Friends Of 2013
Old Man BFFs!!! #squadgoals
MICHAEL FASSBENDER AND JAMES MCAVOY (and HUGH JACKMAN)
Speaking of the X-Men movies, let us not forget the most recent bromance from that franchise. That being Michael Fassbender (playing young Ian McKellan) and James McAvoy (playing young Patrick Stewart).
(Fun fact: Patrick Stewart has two roles in common with James McAvoy: McAvoy played Macbeth in ShakespeaRe-Told: Macbeth while Stewart played him in Great Performances: Macbeth and Stewart played Professor Charles Xavier in X-Men, X-Men 2, X-Men: The Last Stand, X-Men Origins: Wolverine, The Wolverine, and X-Men: Days of Future Past, while McAvoy played him in X-Men: First Class, X-Men: Days of Future Past, and X-Men: Apocalypse. They also each share the role of Macbeth with their respective Magnetos, Ian McKellan and Michael Fassbender (IMDB).
The most epic of bromances!
Apparently, James and Michael have a huge fan-base for their bromance. People have dedicated fan-art and fan-fiction to the friendship between these two. It’s not hard to see why, they do seem to have that..spark.
So sweet…so touching
19 Times McAvoy And Fassbender Were The Definition Of Friendship Goals
Hugh Jackman (newest future husband!) sometimes seems like a third wheel but, watch the threesome’s appearance on the Graham Norton show and you can see why he is included in this as a trio. Like Dinner for Five, I have watched this interview over and over. It is hilarious! It actually makes me want to be part of a bromance.
*sigh* Again, #goals.
HUGH JACKMAN and ANY Co-Star!
It is no secret that Hugh Jackman is one of the nicest, most charming men in Hollywood. And it seems all of his co-stars fall madly in love with him too. Aside from the trio above, Hugh is loved by many:
HUGH JACKMAN and Jake Gyllenhaal
(Prisoners)
HUGH JACKMAN and Patrick Stewart
Here’s that X-Men connection again. These two have appeared onscreen together a bazillion times and it seems like their friendship just.might.last.
HUGH JACKMAN and Ryan Reynolds
Although they totally troll each other on social media and in interviews, these two seem to have a fun bromantic chemistry. The two have been friends for years (having worked together on X-Men: Origins – Wolverine) and like to pop up in each other’s lives here and there. Ryan even hijacked Hugh’s interview while he was doing press for Eddie the Eagle (a great movie, btw).
It seems that these two good ol’ boys do have a sweet affection for each other. One that almost borderlines…Single White Female.
This isn’t creepy. Not.At.All!!
Wouldn’t the world be such a better place if we could all love our co-workers as much as all of these mates seem to.
#friendshipgoals
~Cheers
2016 Christmas Wish List – Part 1
Today I put up my Christmas tree. This may be the earliest I’ve put it up but, it has been crappy weather outside, I’m home, and after doing some crazy Black Friday weekend shopping yesterday in the City with the girls (followed by an evening of spicy wine and girl chats) I was kind of in the mood.
So, the tree is up, the presents are underneath (although not yet wrapped), and I did some more shopping this afternoon.
I also got a massive splinter underneath my fingernail in the midst of all this, which is still dug in there and doesn’t seem like it’s planning to vacate itself anytime soon.
But, since I’m at the computer already and basically in the Christmas mood, here is the very first of my Christmas Wish List posts for 2016.
BIB NECKLACE
I love bib necklaces. They are the perfect way to make a statement and dress up any outfit.
I have a few “sorta” bib necklaces, but when I visited Amazon recently I was overwhelmed and jealous of all the gorgeous necklaces that popped up. I want one…or two….or a half dozen.
I mean, isn’t it *JUST*
Just enough
This is one of my favorites – and currently in my cart on Amazon.ca
I love every variation
And of course the list wouldn’t be complete without an orange one (I have a yellow one in my cart)
Listen, if anyone out there in WordPress Land wants to indulge me and buy me a bib necklace like these – or any variation – I happily accept.
~Cheers
Enchanted
My friend Cheri has somewhat accomplished this dream. I am forever envious.
When I injured my back several years ago and was down and out and barely able to walk, books kept me sane and busy. And when I first started working out, books are what kept me going. I’d jump on the elliptical with a novel and boom! Just like that an hour (or sometimes two!) would be gone.
*sigh* My new best friend…my summer escape.
Hitting the Family Jackpot
To say that I grew up in a loving family is an understatement, to say the least. I grew up in an abundance of love. With warmth and hugs and kisses. I hit the family jackpot!
Catching a fish and wearing white jeans with a thick black belt – this woman was ahead of her time
Fight Club
Oh my God the 90’s! That’s me and Kim, Betty and Veronica (I’m the brunette) , the terrible two, gearing up for one of our infamous adventures in SandyLand.
Valentine’s ReBlog
Happy Valentine’s Day! *barf*
Just kidding. It’s been a pretty good weekend. I spent it at my beau’s but he’s had a man-cold the last few days and woke up today feeling like a bus ran over him….twice. Poor guy. So, we’re postponing V-day dinner and instead, I hit the gym to run a few miles. Lord knows I don’t need to get sick.
But in the spirit of Valentine’s Day and it being completely overrated and lame I’ve decided to be super awesome and re-post my CRAPPY VALENTINE’S from a few years ago. (And once again WordPress has changed the format of the site and I’m trying to figure out how to add the link.)
Now that I’m home I’m going to sit back and binge watch Law & Order: SVU merely to catch up with Anic/StunBunny so that we can bond over our mutual love Peter Scanavino (aka Carisi):
“How you doin’??”
and hope that this damn cold weather goes away soon – after all – that damn hedgehog DID NOT SEE its shadow two weeks ago and *this girl* is looking forward to less laying and way less road salt!
~Cheers
A Super Bowl Sunday Story
Happy Super Bowl, everyone!
As the weekend approached I remembered this silly little story from back in the day and figured, meh, why the heck shouldn’t I share my sadness and stupidity with you?
When I was 15, a few days before the Super Bowl I received in the mail a letter from Publisher’s Clearing House stating that “I could already be a winner” of something like $15 million bucks!! I was young, naive, and ecstatic. The winner was going to be provided with the cheque on Super Bowl Sunday.
I thoroughly believed that I was going to win 15 million dollars. *le sigh*
So, Sunday approached and, while everyone was making plans and doing their thing, I made my best friend come hang out with me allllll day so that she could be there when my winnings arrived.
But, the faux cheque they sent me HAD my name etched into it already…..so I had to win, right??
Every damn time the phone rang I thought it was Ed McMahon calling for directions. And every single time I heard a car coming down the street my heart jumped into my throat and I held my breath. And every time the car kept driving past my house I felt a little more devastation enter my heart.
This idiocy went on for hours. Eventually Kim had to go home, and sometime around midnight I figured it was time to let go of the dream.
Damn you, Ed McMahon!
I mean, how could I ever have trusted this face??? (Ed McMahon (March 6, 1923 June 23, 2009).
Go ahead. Laugh at a girl who’s down and out $15 million dollars. Kick me too while you’re at it.
~SandyLand
It’s My Boyfriend’s Birthday!
Okay, not my real boyfriend. It’s my Blair-gives-me-permission-just-like-Rachel-gave-Ross-permission-in-that-episode-of-Friends-with-Isabella-Rossellini-pretend-boyfriend.
Today is Cole Hauser’s 40th Birthday.
via source
This guy who I’ve fantasized over since I was 15.
via my dreams
And I haven’t been 15 in a very, very long time (*ahem* although I am still claiming I’m 23 so, y’know, just for shits and giggles let’s all keep that between us, shall we?).
And the first thing I saw him in (when I was 15) was School Ties when he looked like this:
It’s that red hair…..
I’ve supported his career since day 1 – which included (Tanya R., I’m soooo sorry to admit this/disappoint you) boycotting FRIENDS (oh, the horror!) because it was up against Cole’s show High Incident and I really wanted the ratings to pull through. I did my best, Cole. I.Did.My.Best.
Look at that adorable little face in the center.
I’ve even blogged about him in the past: for instance, here and here.
I’ve watched his “Dinner for Five” appearance a dozen times (which, frankly, was a great little show and you should YouTube the episodes)….the Rory Cochrane story at the end of the episode is hilarious! – check it out: .
And I was super elated to find out he was in Halifax – a mere hour away from me – this past fall filming The Lizzie Borden Chronicles. How I did not know this information BEFOREHAND pissed me off….Blair and Stephanie (who has been by my side since School Ties) did their best to console me. Clearly, I was devastated but here’s hoping he comes back to Nova Scotia to make it up to me film again.
Now that I’ve professed my undying and long-lasting love for this guy (one of the longest relationships I’ve ever had), here’s to wishing him a happy birthday.
Cheers
BIRTHDAY WEEK!!
I’ve never pretended to be modest.
Birthday Week is finally here and I’ve already began the preparations and celebrations.
I’m very much looking forward to stuffing my face with Birthday Dinner with my family Friday night. I’ve even given the heads up that there will be no classes Friday evening because I don’t want to teach on my birthday (because I want to eat cake, obvs.). I plan on having a glass or two of wine afterward (who’s with me?).
Saturday is the main event – after doing my shizz and picking up a friend, I have a massage mid-day, followed by drinks, Sushi dinner with my girls,
and finishing the night off by carrying the party back to a friend’s where, I’m sure we’ll continue to stuff our faces with wine and food.
Yep! Because my friends and I like to pretend we’re a lot classier than we actually are. 😀
And Sunday my Birthday Weekend will be topped off by having a wonderful date day with my main squeeze. I am very much looking forward to it all.
(Oh yeah….Happy Birthday to my FAVORITE sister-in-law! xoxo)
~Cheers.
Our Thoughts
@ourthoughts
Oh yes – There are a few people in my life who I feel this way about. And not just family or the “other half”, but specific people who have just become a part of me. Those few who I can’t imagine my life without because they’ve just always been there and they make me happy. Those people who are really just love.
Cheers.
Chalk it Up to Love
Today I had such a laugh-filled day with my friend, Angie Whoreface. Honestly, we laughed thru our whole lunch break and after work we had a dinner date with a bunch of other friends and she and I laughed then and afterward. Our laughter idiocy carried into the grocery store where we had a few others laughing with/at us. It turned out to be a giggle-fest of a day and I chalk it all up to this:
Sidewalk Chalk
While taking a stroll on my lunch break I saw this sidewalk chalk art. Love is everywhere. 🙂
(We could also play “Name that Stain”…..but we won’t go there.)
Happy Friday!
Cheers.
Find It in Everything
I’ve been inspired.
Last week I picked up Drew Barrymore’s book “Find it in Everything” in which “Photographs by Drew Barrymore reveal hearts found in everyday situations.”
“I have always loved hearts,” writes acclaimed actress Drew Barrymore in the foreword to this heartwarming gift book. “The way that continuous line accomplishes the most extraordinary thing–it conveys love.” In FIND IT IN EVERYTHING, Barrymore shares the photographs she has taken of heart-shaped objects and patterns she has come across over the past ten years. Some are obvious and others barely discernible. A discarded straw wrapper, a hole in a T-shirt, a scallion in a bowl of miso soup — seemingly everywhere she turns her lens a heart reveals itself. A very personal collection of images, many of them accompanied by brief captions that reflect on beauty in the everyday, FIND IT IN EVERYTHING is a delightful book from the beloved actress and director, who now adds photographer to her list of credentials.” {Chapters.com}
The other night I was out for dinner with a few friends. And while chowing on my plate of potato skins I saw my (first) heart.
A delicious heart-shaped potato skin.
It seemed like a sign. That if I can see the love in a freaking potato skin (of all places) then I, too, should be able to find It in everything.
And here I was, at a little restaurant that I’ve been patronizing since I was 14; one that held some of the loveliest memories with my best friends. And on this night I was settled in with girls I used to work with, enjoying the company, catching up and making new memories. I found It there.
Stay tuned for upcoming posts of where I’ve found It.
Cheers.
