A welcome addition

It's pretty rare when you hear that something you said or did actually had an effect on a person.

My friend Naomi has just started a new adventure, leaving New York City after 10 years to start a new life in a new city. She was contemplating starting a blog to share her experiences but seemed to be on the fence about it. It took a Twitter nudge and a Facebook word of encouragement (gotta love that social networking) to get her writing.

Join me in welcoming Naomi to the bloggersphere.

Naomi's Adventures: From "Big Apple" to "Southern Peach"

A Little Tenderness

Where are the guys who will go to any lengths to be noticed by the one they love?

I <3 Duckie!

Calvin the Explorer

The last cartoon for Calvin & Hobbes was special to me. While it was sad that my favorite 6 year old kid and his imaginary tiger friend were leaving, it reminded me that with every end is a new beginning. One that is full of magic, mystery and something exciting.

I feel it's about that time for some exploring.

10 Reasons Why Being Alone Sucks

1. No one to talk to (that will answer you back). Dogs don't count.
2. I never get any pictures taken of me.
3. Single supplement fees when traveling.
4. When something cool/funny/sad/scary happens, there's no one to share it with.
5. Beds always seem much too large.
6. Can't reach that itch in the middle of my back.
7. I can have shit stuck in my teeth / fly unzipped and no one to warn me.
   
8. If I fall and can't get up, who'll get help? I'm too young for LifeAlert.
9. Having to kill my own bugs.
10. No one else's dessert to take a bite of to sample.
    

On dreams

I have recurring dreams of being swept over by a huge tidal wave. Sometimes they're nightmares, other times they're just...dreams.

Last night I had another one.

I was on the top deck of a cruise ship. It was still in harbor and was shielded by the ocean beyond by a sea wall that put the ship below sea level. It was almost as if the ship was docked in a lock.

I was amazed by the sight of the dorsal fin of a killer whale swimming just on the other side of the sea wall. I called all my friends to witness the beauty of the orca as it swam by and breached.

But with that breach brought the wave. A wall of turquoise rose above the ship and the shadow of the killer whale was inside. I knew what was to come (from all my other tidal wave dreams), so I took a deep breath and dove into the wave.

Inside the water was calm, no violent currents. Just the water surrounding me. I knew I had to get to the surface before I ran out of breath, but I couldn't swim up because all around me were the killer whales and great white sharks gobbling everything up in sight. I saw the huge jaws of a shark swallow a person whole.

What was crazy about this dream was how calm I was. I felt the air in my lungs giving out and I desperately wanted to take a gasp in, but I knew that I would drown. Looking up at the surface, I knew I was a good 40 feet underwater and wasn't sure if I would even make it. I knew from my scuba lessons that air expands in my lungs as I ascend and there's a slight chance that I would have enough air to reach the surface, but those damn sharks and killer whales were in my way.

So I stayed there standing on the top deck of the cruise ship, 4o feet underwater, watching the terrors swim above my head and my only hope to survive beyond that. And with full awareness of my demise, I calmly waited for the air to run out...

...and I woke up.

What is your recurring dream?

Man of the house

I'm getting quotes for a patio install. I've been in my place 5 years and I think its about time to get rid of the scraggly grass and have a nice paved entertaining space. Thank God for Home Depot.

Today I got a call from the contractor's scheduler to arrange for an appointment. She took some initial information, like the dimensions of the patio, and gave me a ballpark estimate. $4500 - $4900. Yikes.

I humed and hawed for a second.

"Well, maybe you can talk it over with your husband?"

What. The. Fuck.

I hate it when people assume that I'm the 'little woman' who needs her big, strong husband to make all the decisions for me.

I didn't say anything. I let it go, because there's no use pissing off the people who you're trying to get to help you. But really, F her.

Beach, beers and big mouths

Saturday night was our third annual Pre-Summer Girls Night Out at my friend's house down the shore. We went out to Jenkinson's, a club in Point Pleasant, NJ. The riduculous part was that we all used to party there 15 years ago. And now we showed up with coupons for free admission while the now 22-year-olds were laughing at us.

Whatever. F them.

But the real question is, what the hell am I doing?