I'm in Florida now, but...

You have 84% Iowa in you!

Nice score! Are you embarrassed or proud of being so much Iowa? I would be proud, it's great being so closely tied to the Hawkeye State.

Do you have Iowa in you?

Bippity Boppity Blog.

Today has me reflecting on lots of things, especially on what I am and what I am not.

I am a person who will try hard and do the best at what I know how to do.
I am not a person who has all the answers.
I am well-educated.
I am not sure what that means.
I am a typically optmisitc person.
I am not a person who always sees everything as sunshine and roses.
I am a person who tries to see the possibilities.
I am doing my best.
I am not happy with what my best always is.
I am always looking for ways to improve.
I am not always sure of the best way.
I am fond of my husband and dog.
I am not fond of how little time we get to spend together.
I am happy to cherish the few moments that we do get.
I am not a homeowner.
I am renting a lovely house that I enjoy living in, and can continue living in.
I am getting by, and I can't complain, and today, that's enough.

Weekend ramblings.

I'm sitting on the couch with a crazy sunburn. Can't really move because I failed to adequately apply sunscreen to my hips. Yup, that's right, the area just below where your bathing suit stops. Whoopsie doodle. Mobility is affected. Instead of the usual Sunday morning walk I'm sitting on the couch, reading the paper and watching Meet the Press. Listening to the current FEMA director talk about how much better off we'll be since the Katrina practice round, which is nice, seeing as how Ernesto looks as though he might slam directly into our neck of the woods. I can't even imagine what a disaster New Orleans must still be --- and Mississippi. On our way to the beach yesterday I was still marveling at the devestation of Hurricane Dennis, which I think was two years ago. There are still plenty of piles of rubble hanging around, boarded up windows, that kind of thing. But there are also plenty of for sale signs on vacant lots and homes, so I guess people still want to live on the Gulf Coast. What a mess. Are we ever going to learn that Mother Nature is not to be messed with? Where do you draw the line? I'm really at a loss - and wish I knew the answers, but I sure don't. All I know is I need more aloe for my burn. Youch!

Back in the saddle!

I hate to post obsessively, but today there is just too much to be happy about. I just picked up car #2, our VW from the shop. The warranty Gods came through for me, the first car repair (worth about $900) didn't even cost a penny, thanks to the $0 deductible warranty we chose, and today's $943 repair only cost $243!! I guess I will be a believer in the warranty system for a while. Ahhh, we are about to return to our super-American priviledged way of life, two cars with frigid air conditioning. That's music to this lady's ears. Oh yes, indeedy, I'm back in the saddle again.

In my home state they have it figured out.

Click here to read a right on editorial from yesterday's Des Moines Register

about our President and the Iraq war. I happen to agree with them wholeheartedly.

Folks are about as happy...

as they make up their minds to be. Do you know that quote? I think it's Abe Lincoln that said it. I had coffee with a colleague this morning, and after our work-related discussion we chatted it up about working here in our college town. You see, my friend/colleague moved here over 11 years ago to go to school, and as a student couldn't wait to get out of Dodge. Eleven years later, she's still here. At little ol' Luther, I knew plenty of people who felt the same way about leaving. I stuck around the year after graduation and worked a job that has been an important career catalyst for me. I didn't hate being there, in fact, I got to appreciate that little Iowa town for something more than a place to go to school. The reminder: live a zen-like in-the-moment kind of life and appreciate what you have. I've been afforded the same luxury here in Florida as my gig in Decorah. Most of my grad school colleagues have been and gone, on to greener and more exciting pastures. But I'm happy with my life here - working in the town where I earned my graduate education, and it's educating me in a myriad of new ways. So I say, don't make up your mind to be ready to skip town ASAP, be ready to roll with the tide, where ever it may take you, and learn something everyday, even if it's in a place you never expected.

Praying to the warranty Gods.

Can't remember if I posted about the horrible two-broken-cars-on-the-way-to-Orlando adventure of August 11, but it resulted in two marginally functional cars. The Alero had to go to the dealership, something about the engine and a leak. This crap makes me feel like my brain is leaky, but that's another story. Anyway, after a couple of days it turns out that the engine problem is covered by warranty. Thank you warranty Gods. The repairs on vehicle #1 should be completed today or tomorrow, so that's a good thing. The Volkswagen (that's right, the semi-new car) has a problem with the AC compressor. Worked just fine - but stopped working. And man is it hot in that car in the middle of the afternoon. Luckily you can just put the top down and let the wind be in your hair. Anyway, took it to the shop yesterday and they thought the Freon just needed to be flushed, but they were wrong and it's the AC Compressor. So today my darling sweetheart took the VW back to the shop, where a not-so-nice adjuster guy came from the warranty company to check it out. It's illegal for that dude to talk to the customer, they have to survey the car, file a report with the warrant company, who will then make their decision and contact the shop. Then the shop can contact the customer. It's kind of a stupid plan, if you ask me, but whatever. I'm just hoping we get the answer we want - the one that will cost us $250 instead of $600. So, do me a favor and cross your fingers and say your prayers to the warranty Gods on my behalf. Resolution is what I need, baby, and I would like it to be swift.

The final countdown

Why is everything always a countdown to me? I'm counting the minutes until I go to lunch, then I'll start counting how many until it's time to go back to work. I count the days until the weekend, the numbers in the bank account, the days until I'll see my Mom and Dad again. I counted the days (at one point even computed the number of minutes) my husband was away. I need to make a goal to enjoy more of life as it comes at me, instead of always counting down to the next big (or not so big) thing. I desire a more zen existence but somehow often fail to deliver it to myself! If at first you don't succeed, try, try again. I guess I'll have to keep trying. But it's hard when there's only four days until the weekend after today! ;)

Ten things to be happy about.

So often this blog is bitch, bitch, bitch, rant, rant, rant. That's a cycle that's gotta stop. Life is too good for worry, too good for constant complaining. I'm as guilty as the next guy. What's stranger yet is that I consider myself a pretty optimistic person. I wonder if my new job's high stress level has changed my outlook a bit. I hope that it hasn't. I want to be positive and optimistic but maintain my pragmatic side. That seems to be a challenge. Well, anyway, in the spirit of Friday and celebrating the good in life, I thought I'd post a list of ten things to be happy about.

Thing to be happy about #1: Fridays. Even though I still have to work this weekend, Friday is still good. Especially when it's a payday! Woo hoo.

Thing to be happy about #2: Having a job. Even though I spend lots of time stressing out and worrying about my job, it's still a very good thing to have one. There's plenty of people who don't have a job at all or really hate the one they've got. So I guess I'm not doing so bad after all --- good gig, interesting career, etc.

Thing to be happy about #3: Summer's abundance. This morning I ate a fresh peach, dripping with yummy peach juice. This summer I got to eat Iowa Sweet Corn the last week in July, when it was in its prime. Come December I'll be dreaming of these yummies.

Thing to be happy about #4: Routine. Wake up. Walk the dog. Take a shower. Eat something. Go to work. Take a lunch break. Work some more. Go home. Read. Relax. Sleep. Repeat. I don't think it's boring, I think it's predictable. I'll save impulses for the weekend.

Thing to be happy about #5: (Good) Surprises. Like a package in the mail from your mother, finding an extra 10 dollars in your wallet or picking out the perfect gift for someone you love.

Thing to be happy about #6: Treats. Rainsettes and Hot Tamales at the movies, a Sonic Cherry Limeade or a delicious chocolate. Cold Stone Creamery is another fine example. The aforementioned summer peach also fits the bill.

Thing to be happy about #7: Silliness. I must be careful not to take life too seriously. I should laugh more often, methinks.

Thing to be happy about #8: Blogs. I love to read a good blog. They're often funny, witty and honest. There's something society seems to lack as a whole. So at least I can find it in little tiny pockets of the World Wide Web.

Thing to be happy about #9: Books. Last night I got (another) library card. I lost the first one and hadn't been to the library in several years. But now I am once again a card-carrying, Volkswagen-driving, peace-loving bookworm nerd. Mmmm, I love that.

Thing to be happy about #10: A fresh start. I have always loved back-to-school time. New clothes, new shoes and new notebooks. A blank page to fill with new ideas and knowledge. Now that I'm no longer involved in the echelons of academic and also not teaching school (where I had always predicted I would be spending my career) I find myself really missing School Daze. Even though I am not teaching students and not schooling myself anymore, I still love the time of year for the hope and promise it brings to the lives of many. Hopefully my summer of struggle is over and I can look forward to a school year as a new, fresh start.

Sometimes you just have to go to Plan B.

Last Saturday I faced not one but two broken down cars in my quest to fetch my one true love at the Orlando airport. I had to be ready to revert to Plan B. (And no, I'm not talking about the controversial birth control pill, don't even go there.) Mr. Sunshine took a Greyhound bus and arrived home safe and sound, FINALLY. The plan often changes.

Today I read this article about Tom Wurth, an up-and-coming Nashville country artist from my hometown. In reading Tom's bio today, I recalled the fact that he was a car accident victim shortly after moving to Nashville. He had to go to Plan B, a plan he probably never suspected. Well, today this dude is on the path to success and I hope that he makes it huge in the music biz. Hit that MySpace page and listen to his music - it's a great sound and an inspiring story. I love that Tom is from my same small town and also dreaming big dreams. Right on, man. Here's wishing all the dreamers continued success.

Dear friends, we all must be ready to face Plan B. Life never seems to go as planned, you just have to be ready to roll with the punches and do your best. And try and remember that life is short, we have to live every moment and love an awfully lot. I wish I had more witty stuff to share today, but I don't. Live, love, laugh. Peace out y'all.

I need a freakin' easy button.

I thought the last few days of this crazy summer plan might be easy and bearable, but how wrong I was. I couldn't help but cry and have a meltdown this morning when I turned on Good Morning America and heard the news. To top it all off, I had another challenging day at work - this time I have to got meet payroll tomorrow and haven't even started with the IRS and withholdings. I thought I had until the end of the month to get a few part-timers paid, but evidently the end of the summer is tomorrow. I'll do what I can, but the miscommunication and expectation is difficult. I'll do my best, I'll go the extra mile but I hope I'll be able to expect the same in return. We'll see. It's been a tough summer, and if I can make it through the next couple of days I'll feel much better about things. Again, we'll see. It would all be much easier if I could punch a button like they do on that Staples commercial. So it goes. What's a girl to do?

What I learned from reality TV.

Last night as I was cleaning up around the house, I was watching reality TV. This is something I rarely do - turn the TV on to a single channel that's not PBS and just let 'er rip until it's time to go to bed. But last night, that's exactly what I did. Amidst the Dysoning, dusting and dog playing I watched Wife Swap, Supernanny and One Ocean View. Surprisingly, I still have brain cells left to pull together coherent thoughts. Here's what I learned from those shows last night:

Wife Swap: We all have something different to contribute and what fun would the world be if we were all the same? We should respect one another, our similarities and differences and appreciate the way others live their lives, while striving to live ours to the best of our abilities. And that can mean making changes and comprosmises.

Supernanny: You sure as heck don't get anywhere when you are screaming. It's just a joke when you can't control yourself and expect others to respect you. Calm it down and think before you talk.

One Ocean View: I don't have much hope for humanity while watching these idiots get drunk, aruge about dating and fool around. Yuck. This is the least highly rated in my book. Get a grip and do something. Pull it together, dudes, your 15 minutes is going to be up before you know it if you're not careful. Then everybody will just laugh at you and how silly you truly are. Sex in the City goes to the beach my foot.

I'm no pop culture critic, but I know what I like. Maybe there will be more fun in store on the boob tube tonight!?!

Combatting lameness.

This week I will have to fight an impatient attitude everyday. This weekend is a big deal to me - life will sort of return to normal and this crazy summer thing will be a memory. And as a result, I find that I'm not as patient as I should be, because I'm just so excited! Yesterday when my car wouldn't start (probably because I didn't depress the clutch far enough) I almost started to cry. Later in the day when it chimed a little tune during a mile-and-a-half drive I got really inflamed. I'm going to have to figure out a way to be more patient. I've booked myself up with activity, from a few past-due lunches with friends, to evening house-cleaning chores, but I feel like the week is still going to drag. At least I'm off to a better start this week - I started with a walk with little Etta this morning. That little bit of exercise sort of acts like a mood regulator for me. Last week I'm convinced that part of my bad attitude was because I wasn't exercising enough. I've got to get with the program. So here I am, making an effort and hoping that it will pay off big come Saturday. Cross your fingers for no more catastrophes this week! Hope you've started your week with a smile, too. Have a good one...

I wanna catch my stride.

My spirit has been a little crushed this week. I started with my week of defeats on Sunday afternoon when my flights were delayed and I was on an airplane with little air conditioning power. On Monday I couldn't catch up with my boss, on Tuesday I just felt hopeless, Wednesday I had an early morning arguement that put a damper on my whole day. Yesterday was rainy and cloudy and I felt blue. This morning I have been stood up at a meeting and can't seem to get it together. My friend T. said it perfectly: "It’s like time is zooming past and I’m stuck in a vacuum. I can’t seem to get organized. So much is happening...and my crazy work and trying to...deal with the day to day-ness of everything. Yikes." I feel the same way, and I don't like it. I feel like a failure a lot of the time, and while I don't really believe it, I can't seem to catch a good break and hit the pavement running. I guess I'll keep hoping that next week will be better - 'cause I really wanna catch my stride and take the world by storm. For now, I'll try and learn to deal. Here's wishing you better luck with your day than I seem to be having with mine. Peace out.

August 2: Then and Now

Then: Roast beef, chicken, champagne, lemon cake with raspberry filling
Now: Leftover Hamburger Helper, and probably chips and sour cream dip for a snack later

Then: Live band
Now: Working late (parent meeting)

Then: Hundreds attended
Now: Just me and Etta

Then: Mild and sunny
Now: Hot, humid and raining

Then: Iowa
Now: Florida

Then: Wonderful day
Now: Had a bad day

Then: Wedded bliss
Now: Wedded stress

At least tomorrow is a new day. I'll try and turn over a new leaf then, because of today is just a lost cause. As was yesterday. Hey - when it rains it pours, y'all. Peace out.

Life in a post 9/11 world.

This is the latest excuse I've heard when struggling with corporate America. Today it's Nextel who is ready to rape my organization for all it's worth. Two weeks ago I called to try and resolve the issues. I was told someone would return my call. No one did. Now our cell phone service has been cut off. What's frustrating is that no one would return my call, and no numbers for supervisors can be shared with the lowly customer. That's because it's "life in a post 9/11 world." Great excuse, huh? What a pain in the ass. Since complaining on the phone or via email is no good, I guess I'll just have to write a blog about it. SCREW YOU NEXTEL! YOU SUCK! I HATE YOU! I HOPE YOU GET BOUGHT OUT! I HOPE YOU GO BROKE AND I HOPE YOUR CEOS GET CAUGHT DOING SOMETHING TERRIBLE AND NAUGHTY! I HOPE THEY GO TO JAIL. I HOPE YOUR SUPERVISORS HAVE FUN WITH THEIR COFFEE AND CIGARETTE BREAK WHILE I SIT ON HOLD WITH SOMEBODY GETTING PAID MINIMUM WAGE WHO ACTUALLY SEEMS TO UNDERSTAND THAT IT'S ME, THE CUSTOMER WHO IS GETTING SCREWED. AND THAT'S PROBABLY BECAUSE YOU'RE SCREWING YOUR EMPLOYEES TOO. WHILE YOU SCREW THE REST OF US, YOU'RE JUST MAKING MONEY. I hope you have fun doing it and rot in hell for it later.

Don't even get me started on Delta and Target. But do you know what really sucks? These corporations have got you by the balls, even if you don't have any. You get to wait on hold, your phone service gets disconnected when their "customer care representatives" don't return your calls, you get to work tired and sleepy because your flight was late and you know Delta damned well won't hold a flight for 5 minutes to wait for you. They'd rather you sit in the airport at all hours of the day and night. They're happy to hold you up, but they'd never let you inconvenience them. I guess that's the way of the modern world. It seems to me that customer service is dead. Would you please hold?