Maybe next year

I swore up and down that this year would really be it: this year, I'd do NaNoWriMo.

Yeah, about that.

Crying shame, really, especially since part of the reason I'd resolved to blog for the last 12 months was because I was going to hone my little craft to be good enough to pen an entire novel. And the thing is, I could write a novel. I really could. But I don't know what it'd be about.

"That's okay!" you NaNoWriMo enthusiasts might say. "You don't have to have a plot. Just write!"

"Sorry. I threw around plot ideas like popcorn kernels over the past year and I've yet to come up with anything fruitful or novel-worthy."

"But but but but--"

"No buts. Not doing it. You can't make me."

"...But merch. You could have a sticker."

Tempting, really. Because stickers. But I just couldn't. I don't have the discipline to write a novel in 30 days when I don't know what to do with it. That didn't work for me last year, and it won't work for me this year. Maybe I'll write some short stories, since the fact of the matter is that I do miss writing something fierce. That writing bug has gotten under my skin for ages, and it's yet to be satiated. Help?

In other, Halloween-y news, we've had the ca-yootest band of goblins invade our front porch: pirates, ladybugs, miniature witches, a tiny Spidey, Princess Jasmine, a pop star, a ninja that had a persistent sniffle. A regular onslaught, I'll tell ya.

Zzzz

I don't ever think an early bedtime on a weeknight is ever a bad thing. Of course, it doesn't help my case for stay-awakeness when I'm sitting on my bed and my cats are being all sleepy and the house is nice and warm and --

That came outta nowhere

Saturday, it was like, 70 degrees. Yesterday, it got down to the 40s. That came out of nowhere.

And all at once, just like that, summer and fall kind of dissolved away to a snappy wintry feeling in the air. Which, of course, leads me to believe that spring and fall aren't really seasons at all, but the bits of gradient between weather extremes.


Still, that means it's time for several of my favorite things:

Scarves
Boots
Tights
Layers
Warm Desserts
Crock-Pot Stews
Hot Cocoa
Impending Christmastime
Etc.

Un-Pack-A-Palooza

I don't know if it was the high of having Our Very First House, but David and I have almost unpacked everything. I have a few more clothes to put away and a few more boxes to sort through, but other than that? Dunzo, man.

Which means, of course, that I hoe to rejoin the real world tomorrow evening. And by "the real world," I mean "the world of being online-responsive."

Because, let's face it: you've all missed me. Decision's been made for you.

Welcome Home

Unpacking has been straight-up like Christmas morn, you guys. Christmas with lots of cardboard and newspapers.

This house is AWESOME. So awesome.

We interrupt this move-a-palooza

to bring you the excitement of knowing that tomorrow night, we'll be sleeping in our bed in our NEW HOUSE.

Move-a-palooza commences tomorrow. Get excited!!

As Scarlett would say

"Tomorrow IS another day."

Let's give you a mulligan this time, dry and eczema-prone skin. Try to be healthy and un-painful tomorrow?

Almost there

Emerging from my scarcity from the online world to say just how flipping glad move-in day is only three days away (two if you count the day we can start moving boxes into the house).

Look out, world.

Because I'm a little bit lazy

Here's a bit of Internet gold that David dug up earlier today.

Yes, I did watch all 4 minutes. I wish I could tell you that I'm ashamed of this fact, but I can't quite bring myself to do that.

I did it

I kicked today's butt. Hard. I got to work early, left late, and got a ton of stuff done. And, in a sweet turn of events, I apparently won this month's award for best HR associate. Not too shabby, I'd say.

Now commences the work that is home life: laundry, cooking whatever food is still perishable before we move, and passing the heck out at a decent hour, like so:

Let it begin

The week from you-know-where commences after an all-too-short sleep tonight: getting my ducks in a row for this huge national meeting for work this week and finding time to pack and get all of my personal ducks in a row to take over the new house on Friday.

I might be scarce online during this nutty time, but it's going to be so very worth it come Saturday. Believe you me. Until then, time to get my game face on and kick this crazy week's butt. Hard.

Above: GPOY

Cure for writer's block

As soon as I'm done with this blogging-once-a-day experiment (November 17th, which is less than a month from now, but who's counting, right?), I think I'll take up pen-and-paper journaling again.

And when I do, I'm going to start it off with this little beauty:

Here it is

Your Friday moment of zen, brought to you by this snapshot of the truly real and not-made-up World Internet HQ:

The U-Haul has been reserved

This is getting mighty real, mighty fast. HOME OWNERSHIP, GUYS. I want to go all gangsta and chuck money out the window just like that one time Spanky did.

Cold weather skin

I love fall. I truly, truly do. But there's a big problem that arises when cold weather sets in: my skin takes a turn for the worst. Yours truly has battled eczema every year of her silly little life. Some years it's practically non-existent. Other years, it's wretched.

This year, it's been particularly wretched. Anyone out there in TV land have any sure-fire tips for moisturizing and dealing with this awful itch?

Almost there

Only about 30 entries to go until I've fully fulfilled my write-a-blog-entry-every-day-for-a-year goal. I'm pretty impressed at how well I've stuck to it over the past 12 months, even if I'm constantly filled with a lack of desire to type anything for the world to see.

I've learned a lot, too. Probably worth culminating in my final entry. We'll see what else I can scrounge up between now and then.

Thankful

Happiness and gratitude are a choice. I'm going to make that choice today (and, okay, tomorrow should carry over by default).

Even if that does mean I have a dentist appointment tomorrow.

Fried Green Tomatoes

For Mumsey's second day of her visit, we moseyed on down to Juliette to show her the home of Fried Green Tomatoes.

And, naturally, that included a trip to the Whistle Stop Cafe to indulge in the real deal. My word, thems is some delicious delicacies.

Suwanee Saturday

Spent a delightful day with Mommy, David, and Brian scoping out Suwanee. We got to check out the house again, and it made me positively itchy to get moved in already.

Itchy, I tell you.

Here it is

Your Friday moment of zen, brought to you by the way I feel now that my mommy's in town for a visit:

Approved!

Today, we got some awesome news from our realtor: we officially have short-sale approval for our cute little dream house in Suwanee!

Monday, we'll have the home inspection. Provided all goes well, we'll get our paperwork for the loan squared away. After everything is said and done, we just might be able to move in by the end of the month.

Holy smokes, do I ever need to start packing.

Cleanse - Day 7

Last. Day. Of. The. Cleanse. Brown rice, corn, broccoli, and oh, what the hey -- I'll splurge with some oatmeal. And to mine own self be true: I'm already so excited about eating Real Food However I'd Like It tomorrow. Man. Such unspeakable power I hold.

And hey: tomorrow, I can go back to writing things of actual substance, in the imaginary land of People Actually Care About Menial Details On The Internet.

Cleanse - Day 6

Almost there! Today was strictly my concoction of beef and veggies, blended with the rest of my spaghetti squash. Lots of water, and the usual vitamin.

Tomorrow's my (gasp) last day of the cleanse. And I get to eat brown rice! Glory be, I've missed eating grains.

Cleanse - Day 5

Welp, I'm well over the hump of getting this cleanse done. Today was ground beef and tomatoes, and a crap-ton of water. I confess to squeezing in a spoon of peanut butter, a half-cup of hot cocoa, and a fun-size Butterfinger in as well. In my defense, I'm experiencing a visit from every girl's favorite aunt this week. It's a wonder I didn't eat a regular-sized Butterfinger and a chocolate shake.

Look, I know none of you really care about how well this cleanse/diet/whatever-it-is thing is going, but it's at least keeping me (somewhat) accountable. And hey, I'll have some stuff of substance to write about again come Thursday!

...Possibly.

Cleanse - Day 4

Kind of a weird regimen today: like 6 bananas, a few glasses of skim milk, and the rest of that vegetable soup I'd made. I tried something interesting with some of the bananas (thanks to Pinterest): Freeze a few of them in pieces, then run 'em through the blender with a little bit of skim milk. It ALMOST tasted like ice cream. It definitely had the consistency, almost more like a Wendy's Frosty. Oh, heavens yes. It was enough to stave off my craving for sweets.

Earlier tonight, I threw tomorrow's regimen into the slow cooker: lean beef and tomatoes. I added a little onion and green pepper for flavor (because seriously, what are vegetables going to do to sabotage my cleanse/diet?), and it'll be ready bright and early for a little bit of breakfast tomorrow before work. Then lunch. Then dinner. Whee?

I'm doing better than I thought I would, and at least the hard part's over. Tomorrow and Tuesday I can have meat again. Wednesday I enjoy the sweet luxury of brown rice. And then I'm done (and hopefully conditioned to make healthier choices and not go so bonkers).

Cleanse - Day 3

Fruits AND veggies today. Was particularly challenged since we went to the Cumming Country Fair today. You don't know an internal struggle until you've walked through the aisles of fried carnival food and said no to all of it. "No" to fried Oreos. How could I?

I'll admit, I did cheat a little. Had eggplant soup and two slices of a Greek veggie pizza. But still, it was LOADED with veggies. I needed some calories after walking around in the heat all day.

Tomorrow, it's back on track.

Cleanse - Day 2

Veggies today. I did cave and had a few fruits, but I behaved myself for the most part. I was allowed to have a freaking baked potato for breakfast, so there was that. Lots of the veggie soup I had, some southern-style cole slaw (that consisted solely of cabbage and apple cider vinegar, and salt and pepper).

And I made spaghetti squash for the first time! It was pretty bland all by itself, but I added some lemon juice and a liiiiittle bit of butter. That plus a salad, and I'm kinda full. Tomorrow is fruits and vegetables, but all I really want at this point is some freaking protein. And cake. Lots of cake.

Now comes the hard part: sticking to the plan over the weekend. We're going to a freaking fair this weekend. How am I not going to want to jump the bones of the first funnel cake I see?

Cleanse - Day 1

Here we go, gang. Day 1 of 7 of non-processed food cleanse. Today was fruit day. All fruit. As much as I could muster. Apples, pears, grapes, cranberries, cantaloupe, and a ton of water.

Last night, I made the "wonder soup" (which is supposedly allowed whenever you want) that consisted of cabbage, onions, green peppers, tomatoes, and celery (plus one permitted packet of onion soup mix). A crap-ton of it, to be honest. I had a little bit of it for dinner. Right now, though, I'm experiencing a serious sugar crash. I'm exhausted, and it's barely 9 o'clock.

On deck for tomorrow: Veggies. All of the veggies. I'm even supposed to have (gasp) a baked potato with butter (okay, so just "a pat," but c'mon) for breakfast. Then it's probably more soup, my own personal brand of cole slaw (i.e., just cabbage and white vinegar), steamed broccoli, and whatever else I can literally cook up.

Let's Try This Again

Going to try another cleanse again. This time, I'm allowing myself some solid food. It can't hurt. Fruits, vegetables, lean meats, lots of water? Might be tricky, but I'm willing to take a crack at it.

Day 1's going to be tomorrow. Fruits only. Bring on the cantaloupe, apples, pears, and grapes. Lord, give me strength. And no cravings.

Scaretober

When David comes home, he's been getting into the practice of (a) eating candy corn and (b) watching scary movies and The Walking Dead on Netflix before bed. 

I wish I could join in, but (a) candy corn is ugh-yuck-ptooey and (b) scary movies aren't my thing. Golly, but it'd be nice if they were. Life would be easier if I enjoyed things like scary movies and haunted houses and roller coasters. I'd be more socially acceptable. As it is, though, I'll veer toward comedies, the occasionally intriguing drama and, of course, a plethora of Disney films.

There is a fine line

between exercising your right to free speech and supporting your candidate of choice (or, more accurately, bashing the other guy) and bludgeoning us over the head with your political rage fits.

Yes, we know there will be universal, abject misery if the OTHER candidate gets elected. We know we'll be on God's bad side and on the fast track to the apocalypse if he's in office. We know the other guy is one "zeig heil" away from being the next Adolf Hitler. We know that only intelligent/rational/true Americans will vote for your guy.

We know that your opinion matters. We know you've got the right to say whatever you want. And yes, we know that if we don't like what you've got to say, we can filter you out of our feed. We get all of that. But we also know this: your tantrums aren't likely to sway the opinion of your neighbor, especially when both of your hands are filled with the mud you've been slinging.

Sincerely,
The Majority of Users on Social Media

PS: We still love you. But shhhhh. Inside voices, please.