Finally!

Me and my bf, under one roof.

He was with another woman, I was by myself. We were surrounded by hundreds of people, but I still had myself a grand ol time.

Steve was interviewing Tina F. tonight downtown, and lots of people showed up. It was a great show, and even though I love tina, seeing her live and seeing her speak made me love her even more. So much more. She is a woman I'd like to be. Smart, funny, creative, powerful. She got a bigger applause than steve!

He was funny, she was funny. He asked good questions, and she gave insightful answers.

One thing i noticed was that...they're not as close as I thought they would be. They've worked together so much, but on stage tonight, they practically seemed like strangers. I thought they'd be the best of friends, or at least have that mentor/mentee relationship, with lots of inside jokes and whatnot, but she seemed kinda stiff and nervous around him, and he around her. There was just no warm familiarity there. Also at the end, when they stood up, she went in for a hug, and he held out his hand to shake it, so then she shook his hand. I caught that awkward moment, and felt very awkward for them.

Also the sound on stage wasn't working so well. There were issues with the mics, he asked to have the monitors turned up, they couldn't really hear the audience questions on stage. So there was definitely a technical issue. But it also made me wonder...

Was it a technical thing, or is he just simply an old man and can't hear as well as he used to? Because he seriously missed a lot of things that Tina was saying, a lot of funny things she said that we were laughing about in the audience he didn't seem to quite catch on to. Also, the technical issues may have led to this too but...well...

Was it the audio issues, or is he maybe a bit of a jerk? Some of the things he said and his demeanor just made me...love him a little less. Perhaps he's just done this too many times. He's heard all these standard dumb questions that audiences ask when they're trying to impress him. Because I can get short with people too if I feel like they're being slow or asking dumb questions, I've been there, I get it. Or maybe he was throwing a mini tantrum because people cheered for tina much louder than they did for him, and he's trying to show everyone how cool he is even though he's crying on the inside. I don't know. Whatever it is, he seemed a bit out of sorts tonight. But then again, I don't know the guy, I only know him from the tv. Maybe a dash of jerkiness is how he lives his real life.

I'm trying not to let this let down of who steve really may be get in to my head too much. After all, everyone can have an off night. Instead I'll just focus on how great he looked. Very dapper. Very gentleman-like. Great black rimmed glasses to compliment his gray suit and pink tie. Also, he was funny. We all love a man who knows how to be funny, right?

All in all, a great night.

Another tough workout today. I love that moment when you do that last rep and then sink into the floor for your cool down. Those few minutes make it all worth while. That time when your body and muscles are slowly coming out of the shock you just put them through for the last 55 minutes. I can hear those tingling muscles asking me "Whoa. SH. What was that you just did to us?" It's a pretty cool feeling. That, and limping back to my car hoping my legs won't give before I get to the door. Awesome.

I'm not digging the shows on the CW anymore. I think it's a sign of growth.

Good grief charlie brown, I'm too tired for anything. Going to watch some conspiracy movies in bed.

Small! Vanilla! Latte!

There's this coffee place I go to on the weekends sometimes, and sometimes there is this guy there behind the counter. We'll call him Peter Parker, not because that's his name, but because I don't know his name and that's how I imagine how Peter Parker would look if he worked in a coffee shop.

The first time I came across Peter Parker, he wouldn't take my order. He shook his head when I asked him for a vanilla latte. Trying to be cute I suppose. So then after he rang me up, he asked me: What's your favorite color? So I told him purple. And because there was a line behind me, I didn't stay to make small talk.

Another time, while in line, I heard Peter Park ask another girl the SAME THING! What's your favorite color? Oh boy. I just rolled my eyes. So then I realized that was his "thing."

And then TODAY, he did the same thing. He shook his head when I ordered my latte. Then proceeded to ask me about my favorite color. I told him purple. Strong color, he replied. So then I asked him what his was. I don't have one, he replied. And when I asked why not, he said, I can't commit to a favorite color. Likely story, I told him, and walked away with my coffee.

Thing is, if you're going to have a "thing," at least remember who you do your "thing" to. Or change it up every now and again, a girl needs variety. I think today was the third time he's asked me what my favorite color is. If you're not going to remember, then stop asking, because it's weird for me to have the same conversation with you every time!

But now for next time, I can beat him to the punch and say, vanilla latte, purple, and none. Or tell him I don't have a favorite color when he asks and he'll be so amazed because he doesn't have a favorite color either that he'll think we're soul mates. Or just straight up tell him, Look Peter Parker, you've asked me already, and I've told you three times it's purple. You don't have a favorite because you can't commit to colors, now give me my vanilla latte!

Thank you.

Addendum

So I thought I wasn't feeling well last week but I wasn't sure if it was real or a mental thing, or me just being completely lazy.

Well I am here to say, it was real! Huzzah!

I don't get achey or tired during the day this week. I had this hard tough workout and still feel ok, other than the inevitable soreness. I don't feel out of breath. I'm just not feeling generally BLAH like I felt last week.

So yea, i was definitely some subtle sort of sick last week.

No pain no gain.

It's so amazing what your mind and body can do. It's true what they say: mind over body. Hm...actually i think it's mind over matter...dang it. But body is matter, :. A+B, B=C, so A+C, right????

Just say yes.

I would think that my mind is on my side all the time, because it's in MY brain, and it's working in conjunction with MY body, but it's really not. I've learned this with my short running stint last year, and from my workout classes. When I was running, as soon as I started, I can hear my mind going, no no no, too hard, too fast, you're tired, your shins hurt, you have to go pee or your bladder will burst and you will die on the side of the road by yourself with pee all around you and a broken bladder all because you didn't want to stop and pee for 2 minutes.

Seriously, my mind will think of all these excuses and reasons why I can't keep running, or do 8 more reps of leg lifts. Why does it do that? Why can't it just HELP me out, and wander in the direction of: yes you can, yes you can, SI, SE PUEDE!
(Ok, probably because my mind doesn't think in spanish.)

Instead you have to have coaches and instructors who know better, who are yelling at you saying, you can do it, push through it, work for it. And then I have to try very very hard to tell myself that I actually CAN do it, it's just my mind telling me that I can't, but my body CAN physically do it...it just comes with some pain. Dang it mind! I'm already busy working out the rest of my body, I don't have the energy to mentally convince myself that I can do something!

Doesn't that seem counter intuitive? Cuz it sure does to me.

I just came home from a work out. It's called Cardio Barre, I've been doing it off and on for the past year or so. You'd think I'd be really good by now, but I'm not. In fact when I looked up while stretching today, I was one of 3 girls in the class whose body wasn't bending all the way down like the rest of the girls. Sigh. I don't know when I'll get there. But I'm seeing very very tiny improvements, such as, being able to touch my toes with my legs straight, and even the floor! It's kind of exciting for me, I'm not of the bendy kind.

Last week I ventured into the advance class, which I did again tonight. Whew. Talk about no no nos. No it's too hard. No i'm too tired. No it burns, I don't think it's suppose to burn like that. No I'm not really advance, I'm just trying it. All these excuses!

I wish I had the mental ability of a sports star to mentally power through it. I guess that's what the instructor is there for, to tell you that you CAN do it while I'm busy telling myself no.

But now here I am, at home, my body feeling good. I'll probably be sore for the rest of the week. But hey, I was able to touch my toes again when I got out of the shower! Which, as small as it is, is still WINNING! (I know I know, Charlie Sheen is so 3 weeks ago.)

Also, I always think about this, and it's a no duh kind of thought, but working out is really WORK! I know that's what they call it, but you know how you attach a name to something and you lose the meaning? Well the meaning definitely comes back to me when I'm working out, and in pain, and sweating like a...like a....very sweaty person. It is VERY HARD WORK! I mean, I don't even know that I work that hard at my everyday job work, something that I'm getting paid for! Instead, I'm PAYING someone else for these classes, or the gym, or training, or workout dvds. I'm PAYING someone to yell at me and put me in pain, and make me WORK! It just...it just doesn't make sense if you think too hard about it, so I try not to. These are the thoughts that come to me when I'm sweating buckets.

RANT OVER and out.

Munday

It's like my body knows when the weekend is, and when to break down. I wasted a good weekend doing nothing particularly much other than resting on the couch and getting lots of sleep. I guess because of the strong work I did doing all that nothing, I'm feeling much better today.

So Hills helped me to realize something yesterday during brunch. I may have a chip on my shoulder. I realized that I seem to think people are against me all the time when they're really not. Like the situation with my accordion. I felt like the couple was being shady and trying to trick me, but in the end, I ended up paying what they had quoted me from day 1 (well...and plus tax). I got into a similar situation the other week as well, thinking that a friend was purposely trying to hurt me when he was just being inconsiderate really. Something of the sort. Isn't there that saying: people aren't thinking about you as much as you think, or something? Yea. That.

I'm working on crocheting a blanket for my future niece. I hope it goes ok.

Now it's time to go get ice cream wasted.

All mine.

I haven't been feeling well all week, but part of me wonders if it's just a mental thing. I woke up feeling not great, but is that just from sleeping too much? You know how it gets.

I finally purchased my accordion. It's all mine now. I don't have to go back to the store ever again! (Unless something breaks) If that couple weren't older, I would think they're really shady. Well, I already do. I won't go through all that they said while I was in there, but everything they were doing seemed to be a tag team effort to pull one over me. As soon as I walked out the door I pictured them looking at each other, and giving each other a small chuckle. "We got another one!" They just make me really uncomfortable. I even had a sleepless night over this days before I went in. But that's all done now. Now it's time to practice.

30, how about 60?

I just sat down with some soup and started watching Masterpiece Classic's Wuthering Heights. It's 8:30 on a Friday and I'll probably be in bed in an hour. What's happening to me.

And the answer is...

I'm seriously an awful test taker.

I know I know. As an asian, you'd think I'd be good at math, a whiz with tests, A+ on everything. But that's not me. And it's even harder when there is that expectation and you don't meet it.

Today I went to take a safety training test to get into the editors guild. I've been putting it off for a while now, but finally had time today to go do it. My friend Fernando had already done it a few weeks ago. I asked him what it was like. His response was something along the lines of: Totally easy. You watch a video. Then you take the test. The test asks you things about what you watched in the video. And there's a booklet so if you don't remember you can look it up in the booklet.

As easy as that sounded, I still had my doubts, knowing my history with tests.

So I watched the video. I took the test. 27 true/false questions, and two multiple choice questions. Should've been super easy. The other guy in the room with me finished 15 min before me. I looked up questions in the booklet, just to make sure. And still. STILL, I got 3 wrong. Apparently the guy administering the test probably never had anyone get ANY wrong before, because he had to go to the back and ask what to do with my wrong answers.

In the end, all I had to do was re-read the questions and circle the right answers, which, in a T/F scenario is a no brainer. I didn't have to take it over, I didn't flunk. But boy was I embarrassed. I was reminded of the day I flunked my driving test. A different type of test, but still...embarrassment and pain.

As I walked out of the building, my head hung in shame, and I realized why I'm so bad at tests. Because of my over thinking nature!! I totally over think and over analyze the questions, putting emphasis on words like "always" and "required" when there is no emphasis needed. Especially in T/F scenarios where you don't really know what they're asking and they're just asking you to pick black or white when sometimes...sometimes things are gray!

Or maybe there is no excuse, I'm simply bad at test taking, and possibly not that bright. Could be...could be.


************

You know you're getting old when the once "peers" on American Idol when you first started watching now look like babies to you. Kids with too much makeup on. Kids who, even though they have beards, still look like kids with beards on, not adults. I'm starting to look my age. Years ago, I looked young but was told by many that I acted "mature" for my age. Now I'm just catching up, and I'm finally looking and acting my age, no longer "mature." The cute guys I'm spotting here and there were once cute, but now they're just "cute but young". What's happening to me!

Oh yea, Im turning 30, that's what.

I still haven't decided what, if anything, I'll do for my birthday this year. Every year it's been pretty casual, but this year, I keep going back and forth between doing something big and spectacular!, or not doing anything at all. There's going to be several other July birthdays and between that and my niece being born, I may just be too busy. Too busy to have a declarative 30. Also, it'll be the summer. People go away on trips and vacations during the summer...

But whatever I end up doing or not doing, at least I have a dress for it. Several dresses in fact.

Do you guys have any ideas? Rollerskating is out, because not everyone wants to skate and renting out the place will be quite pricey. I should probably do some research on viable options.

Dream when you're feeling blue.

Last night I fell asleep listening to a podcast, like I do most nights. It was about a comedian who lost his daughter to cancer, but still had to get on stage and be a comedian. It was powerful, sad, and very touching. I stayed awake for all of it. And then had a really strange hour after that.

I fell into that in between moment of sleep and consciousness, and had a fantasy/dream about an encounter that I can't even fully remember now. I say fantasy because I feel like I was consciously thinking about an encounter that I would have to confront eventually, and I was just trying to figure out the best way to approach it. But I also say dream because somewhere in the middle, it took on a life of it's own and took off on it's own, like when someone blows on a dandelion and the seeds fly everywhere.

All I remember now from last night's fantadream is running into a few people at a bar, two of which were friends from high school. One was Pabs, a guy that I had just talked to earlier that day, so it made sense that he was in my dream. And he brought with him this other guy Dan, who I hadn't seen in a long long time. I remember just being able to see the back of Dan's head, but somehow still knowing it was him, you know how dreams usually work. And then I slipped out of the dream and came back into that in between, thinking, I wonder what Dan's doing now. Why have I not heard about him through the grapevine. Wouldn't it be nice to catch up with him and see what he's been up to? And the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to see Dan and know about him, and the more conscious I became. I kept asking why and how in my head until I was fully awake, and finally realized or remembered that Dan had passed away years ago. It may even be ten years now.

That's why I haven't heard about him through the grapevine, why there is no news of him. I suddenly realized this in bed and felt very sad. He was a friend to everyone, and even though we didn't run in the same circle in highschool, I still thought very highly of him. In my fantadream I had such a strong urge to know about him and his current life, his girlfriends or kids, his jobs, who he still hangs out with from highschool, and the fact that he never had a chance to live a longer life like most of his peers made me very sad.

And then the other day I was in a workout class, and during our cool down, the instructor played a very familiar song. At first I got excited because it was familiar, but then I realized why it was so familiar. I had used it in S's mom's slideshow a few years ago. And as the song played while I did my cool down stretches, all these memories of that time and that day came back. And I suddenly realized that I could never casually listen to that song anymore, without having all these feelings and memories attached to it. It totally took the high out of the work out.

But despite all these really sad memories that seem to keep coming up, I'm glad my brain is still capable of remembering these memories. The older I get, the less I remember. I know people say that, but I'm starting to LIVE that. So thanks brain, for keeping these memories of these lovely people.

Goodbye Osaka

What a stressful week it's been.

After much contemplation, I decided to not go to japan. I canceled my ticket on Thursday. I had everyone giving me their opinions. EVERYONE. And finally, when it came down to it, the travel agency via Delta gave me an out, and I took it. I'm not happy about it, I've been quite bummed all week, but what's done is done. Steve will still go, as his situation is different than mine, but now I will be here next week, and not Japan.

Instead I'm trying to think of some fun things to do, like maybe go rollerskating, or get back into salsa again. Maybe I'll try to eat as much japanese food as I can next week. Before I canceled the trip, I decided to watch Lost In Translation again to get in the japanese spirit, and when I finished it, I remembered what a crappy movie it STILL is. Also instead I'll be here when the big one is suppose to hit, sometime next week. Great.

So now it's on with the plan. Now that my holiday is out of the picture, I've got work to do. Hard work. Things to learn. Plans to make.

I just quickly looked up a trip to Chicago...it's too late to make plans. I don't do well with short notices.

It's been raining all day. I went out a few times today, but still I feel stuck. Just...stuck.

Lentils

I'm making lentil soup right now and the smell is killing me. It won't be done for another 40 minutes and I hope it tastes as good as it smells.

And then my microwave just stopped working in the middle of timing my soup. Weird. I tried unplugging it and plugging it back in to reset it. But it didn't work. Maybe it couldn't handle the smell either so just gave up and committed microwave suicide.

I tried to do some research today on accordions in the hopes of purchasing one, since my rental will be ending shortly, and it doesn't seem to make sense to keep renting. But they're all so pricey. I don't know that I should be spending the money on one right now but...I really love the accordion. It just has such an awesome sound. Sigh...decisions decisions. It's kind of depressing, knowing I'll have to part with the current accordion soon, even though I know it could work better if it wasn't so old.

I've been meaning to write up the trip to vegas but just haven't gotten around to it. Luckily for me, the bff did. It really was such an awesome trip in such a short time. I hope we get to do more trips like it in the future. Maybe when her kids are old enough to babysit themselves?

Holy cow, the microwave just came back to life. Guess it wants some soup.

Black and Blue

Note to self: Do not listen to Adele's new album alone, while eating a bowl of pasta. The album is fantastic, but you'll end up depressed for the rest of the week. By the way, this woman is gorgeous. Her hair and makeup is always flawless. And she's only 22. F. Kids these days.

So the accordion took an interesting turn today. I went in for a lesson, only to realize I'm paying them a lot of money to do something I can do by myself at my house, and quicker. I finished book 1 on my own the week after my first lesson. V said it takes most people 6 weeks! Ok ok sure, but, I'm already half way there. I know how to read music, play the keyboard side, it's not a huge feat to finish book 1. I spent half the lesson today showing her I can play the songs in book 1, and then the other half starting with some new tunes in book 2. But I can get these books on amazon. Go through them on my own. Without paying for an expensive lesson. First though, i need my own accordion.

It saddens me because I'm feeling like the same thing happened with skating. Taking lessons wasn't helpful anymore. I wanted more education on a faster track. Maybe I just have no patience. What if I get my own accordion and stop playing it as soon as I get it? But then again, skates and accordions are very different things. I can play the accordion any time I want, where I'd have to go to the rink to skate.

I'm having a hard time getting things done lately. I just want to veg on the couch. I blame bad reality tv. The kind that sucks you in and doesn't make you think. It doesn't help that I'm eating horribly, not exercising, getting home late from work. Yarg.

Dans mes mains

I'm kind of obsessed with these videos:

They just look so good, and the people are so jcrew pretty. The thing that annoys me is that they all kind of insinuate that you'll meet a cute boy or girl when you're in a foreign land. Not that I'm against it, just that...you're putting so much added pressure to that country! Makes me want to take up french again. I wasn't too bad.

But first I must concentrate on my Japanese. Which needs lots of work. It'll be the end of march before I know it, and I've got a lot of research to do.

When I get back though, maybe it'll be time to finally think about going to France. They'd probably have some authentic french accordion sheet music there I can get. Sure sure, I've got amazon. But I'd love to say I bought it in France.

I realized that taking up the accordion is another way to get closer to my France non obsession. I call it non obsession because I'm not obsessed with all things France, no. It's just that I, like most girls, have this unrealistic romantic idea of what Paris holds based on movies like Charade and Love in the Afternoon and Moulin Rouge and Amelie. Movies that romanticize floor to ceiling doors with knobs in the middle, berets and stripey sweaters, loaves of bread that always stick out of the grocery bag next to the bunch of parsley, the the Eiffel Tower, love.

No, I'm not obsessed. I'd just like to go and experience the country for what it really is, whatever that is, and prove to my non obsessed self that it's all made up, Paris is all in my head...and in the movies.

Also, I've learned that my obsession with romantic comedies is best experienced by myself. I went to see No Strings Attached this past weekend. I invited a friend at the last minute, she couldn't make it. Thank goodness! Because 90 minutes later, I found myself crying over a scene I can't remember now, and being really embarrassed yet relieved that no one was there to witness it. Whew. What can I say, I'm just a sucker for love stories that involve period mixes. And by period, I don't mean the Victorian type, I mean the monthly type.

Tweens

My hair is in the tweens. It's in an awkward stage. It doesn't want to be told what to do, it has a mind of its own. It doesn't listen to me or obey my orders. It made such a fuss this morning that three different people commented on my hair's behavior. It was really embarrassing knowing that I can't control my own hair in public. It was so cute back when it was short...but that doesn't last forever. Sigh...I can't wait til we're past this awkward tween phase.

Friday I'm off to Vegas with S to celebrate her 30th birthday. (haha, sucker!) No boys, no kids, just us girls. Should be a fantastic time. Neither of us have been in a while. We're gonna go crazy! Maybe.

New Dress!

This girl is killing me.

Gurrrrrrl.

Freedom

I know everyone's talking about it, but what's happening in Egypt really is so amazing. For the past few mornings, I've been waking up to historic news. One morning it was that Mubarak was going to make a speech about stepping down. All that excitement led to disappointment. Next morning I wake up to the news that he was leaving the capital, so that warranted a quick snooze. Five minutes later, I'm up as I hear he's stepped down. At work I went over to Noreen's office to discuss the good news with her and found her on the phone with her aunt in Egypt. She relayed to her aunt that I was in the office, so I took the chance and shouted congratulations over the phone. She heard me! My message reached Egypt!

Technology is amazing. Social networks are amazing. People are amazing. Huzzah!

It's been a big week. All that stuff in Egypt. Big things going down at work. The superbowl that I didn't watch. Dinner with a ginger who turned out to be chinese...

Got another few big weeks coming up, and then it's on to Japan! Still haven't received my passport in the mail...but I guess it's only been a little over a week.

Oh also, I wandered into the neighborhood accordion school last week just to ask some questions and look around. I ended up at home with a rental accordion! And I've got my first lesson tomorrow with Dave. I haven't played with the machine as much as I was hoping to this week, but hopefully I'll put it to some good use this weekend.

Until next time, please enjoy this video. I know I did. I hope to be able to do this one day:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XcU09xOd0aM

This morning I thought I'd do something unusual and take myself out to breakfast. That's right. On a weekday. And I had a coupon so I saved myself a few dollars. Welp. It turned out to be the most expensive breakfast I've ever had. It was all going so swimmingly until I got out to my car and saw that parking ticket. I had fed the meter and everything. Turns out it was street cleaning day...AGAIN! Zut Alors. Shit.

So my friend vonne and I went over to my former coworker, now friend's house to record some doo wops for his album. It sounded fun when he proposed it, but I wasn't sure how well it'd work out, seeing how I don't think either of us have done such a thing. I did with my violin but that's a bit different. I figured we'll do one song and see how it goes. Turns out, it turned out fantastically! We had so much fun. And we bounced ideas off each other, got each other's opinions. It's truly what making music is about. We ended up going through four songs. And now he wants us back on Sunday, to do a few more. Vonne came up with a name for ourselves: The Maestro Twins. It's funny because we look nothing alike. And it'll fit with our string duo we're trying to start (even though we've only had one practice!!).

Also, I don't know if I've mentioned this, but lately I've been on the look out for an accordion. I know, it's just going to be another toy that I might get bored with in a month, if not an hour. Which is why I'm looking to just borrow one and play around with it before I invest in one. Today I think I've got the perfect solution. And it's been in my neighborhood this whole time!! I can't believe it! Will report back on this later when I get more information.

A great question...

So, B and I were talking the other day, and he came up with this great question. A question that I'm not sure I know the answer to.

A few of our friends lately are pursuing things that I'm sure are dear to their hearts, but neither of us think they're doing it particularly well.

And so he posed this question:
When do you tell a loved one, whether it be a friend, a lover, a child...when do you tell them to stop pursuing their dreams?

Now at first that may seem a bit harsh. Of course you don't want to stop someone from pursuing their dreams! But let's say your child loves playing the piano. But he plays it awfully. No matter how much he practices, how much education he receives, he's just not good. And the music industry is VERY competitive.

At what point do you tell your child that they need to move on? And that maybe there's something else he should be pursuing?

Ok, that's a bit harsh, let's try another example.

Those kids on the American Idol tryouts. The ones who go in with so much confidence, and end up sounding like a screeching cat. The ones who leave crying and screaming, cursing Simon and Paula for not knowing a good thing when they see it. The ones who can't believe they didn't get to hollywood, because in their heart of hearts, they KNOW, they BELIEVE they are the next american idol. Even though they sound like death. Even thought the whole reason they GOT on the show is because they sound like death and don't know it. Sure some people are faking it to get on TV. But I think a lot of those people truly believe they can sing.

Suppose one of those people were your friends. Or me? Sure, you love me dearly. But would you let me go embarrass myself on NATIONAL TV and sing like a dead cat? Or would you sit me down and have a heart to heart? And at what point would you tell me about it?

I think if I was one of those tone deaf singers, I'd want a friend to tell me ahead of time, before I went on TV. If I had a big piece of spinach stuck in my teeth, I'd want you to tell me while we ate, before I go on an important interview. And vice versa, I would tell you if you had spinach in your teeth. Because good friends look out for each other.

But I've also had people tell me that I'll never be a working musician because I'm just not that good, and while it's true, it stung for a long time, and is probably why I have low confidence in my playing abilities.

Also, one time, I asked a lady how much a dress at her store cost. She looked at the dress and said, "Oh honey, you won't fit into that dress. It's got such a small waist." On one hand, she was probably right, and was just telling it like it is. On the other hand, maybe I wasn't buying it for me, maybe I was buying it for my tiny waist-ed sister, and her being honest just lost her a sale. (And don't call me honey, bitch!)

I guess it's a two part question: Would you say something? And at what point would you say something? When are you just "looking out" for that friend or loved one, and when are you butting in? (ok, 4 parts)

I want to say, everyone should reach for their dreams. But when that dream is not a reality, how long do you go before you quit? Do you never quit, because it's a dream? Or do you realize it's only a dream, and let it BE a dream, while you go on to pursue other things and live a different life?

Let's say your kid who is awful at the piano was a whiz at science. But he likes piano a lot more than science. When do you tell him that piano is maybe not the career path to take? And while that may seem harsh, you also don't want him wasting away his life trying to get good at the piano when he could be spending that time into doing sciency things and becoming a great scientist. So when do you tell him? 15? 30? Never?

Sigh. It's a big question I know. I'm not saying I have the answers. But I'd love to hear what you guys have to say.

Tard

I've taken to calling myself "Goodjob SH", modeled after the President of Nigeria: Goodluck Jonathan. Every time I nail an edit, or finish the dishes, I feel like I've turned into Goodjob SH.

Well, Goodjob SH does it again!

I got so much done this morning. Woke up early so I could get to the post office right when they opened. I shipped off my passport renewal, here's to hoping that it gets back in time!! Then I dashed to work early for the blood drive, and got it all done and was on time to my 10am meeting. It's amazing how much you can get done when you wake up early. It's just too bad I can never wake up early.

Um....had much more to say but it's late and I'm tard. (That's southern for tired)