It stopped at 34

I didn't blog yesterday.

That means NaBloWriMo is over. It lasted 34 consecutive posts, and I think that's a pretty good run.

I didn't blog yesterday because I didn't feel like it. It was the first time I felt that way since this began, so I figured that means it's time to take a break.

Now, I'm going to try to find some Christmas spirit, get some work done, make some plans and research some goals.

Last night, Kevin and I went to Salina with our friends Jimmy and Maranda. We went to see Bela Fleck and the Flecktones. And we had FRONT ROW SEATS. It was pretty dang awesome.

Enjoy:



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In case you couldn't make it

At one hour, 55 minutes and 15 seconds into the graduation ceremony, I was handed my fake diploma from my dean who I had never met.



One disappointment of the ceremony was that the traditional Pomp and Circumstance march wasn't played. Since I earned my high school diploma three years late, I had never worn a cap and gown before, and I had never walked in a graduation ceremony. I really wanted to experience what I had imagined missing for all those years. Kind of a bummer.

Here it is in its entirety. The first two unfamiliar minutes are actually pretty fun.



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Allie's big show

Allie is never afraid to ask questions.

She is the first one to want to find a store clerk to find what we need. I'm the last.

Her first question after my graduation:

"Now what are you going to do with your daytimes?"

She always has a unique way of phrasing things for sure.

I already had plans to go to Iola on Thursday to attend her Christmas concert. Then I got a text the day before asking me if I would pretty please come earlier so I could take her to take her driving test exam. Could I please be there at 4 p.m. instead of 6:30? Please??

I finished things here early enough that I could get out of here in time. I picked her up right at 4 p.m. and then we made the (very) short drive to the courthouse.

And only 10 minutes later (certainly one perk of living in such a small town), she reappeared like this:



She passed!!

Now all of my children have driver's licenses - one regular, one restricted and one permit.

And this is absolutely no reflection on my age. Definitely not.

Charley, Allie and I had supper at Subway before her big show. And, again, I was blessed with good programming. Allie's group was up first.

It's not Glee and the lighting was not in my favor, but she's still cute as a button.



I was on the road about 20 minutes later, and, as always, we met in the lobby after her performance.



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Mailing it in

Warning: There is profanity here.

The Tarantino Mixtape



However, this did give me an idea on what to do with some of my new free time. I think I'll watch the Kill Bill series. I've seen none. They're good, right?

Don't forget to vote in my poll!*

*Yes, I am going to mention the poll in every post for at least the next week. If you don't like it, I would suggest not scrolling to the end of every post.

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And you thought it would never end

Today is my 31st consecutive post. NaBloWriMo could be over.

I think I kind of liked this project, too. Now, I'm trying to decide on my next move.

Take on a completely different 30-day challenge?
Keep writing every single day?
Write about a single theme for 30 days?

So many choices.

What do you think? Any opinions?

For your anonymous convenience, I've added a poll on the right side of the blog.

But if you'd like to give me a lengthier answer, you can leave me a big fat comment or even send me an e-mail directly.

Or you can do them all!

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Enough about me

Charley's holiday band concert was last night.

Here's what I said about the long drive last year.

It's still a long drive.

Apparently, I could see much better last year than this year. I really only got to see her forehead. Good thing it's such a cute forehead.



I actually caught a pretty big break. The concert line-up: band, orchestra, choir, jazz band. Charley was only performing in band, so I bailed about 30 minutes in and got home about 9:30. I later thanked her for not playing in jazz band because I still might not be home.

Just like last year, we met in the lobby when she was done and I got to give her hugs and kisses and snap that quick picture.

It still sucks, but it is still worth it.

And?

I get to do it all again on Thursday for Allie's vocal concert.

Awesome.

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Post-graduation thoughts

It's all over.

The party and graduation are now both behind me, and I'm not exactly sure how I'm feeling about it.

From what I've heard, the party was a success. I got a ton of requests for the recipes of my dishes, and we didn't run out of anything. Well, I take that back. We did run out of vodka. Apparently, 1.75 liters of vodka is not enough for my group of friends. Are you all Russian?? Yowsa.

The graduation ceremony was OK. However, I really thought it was going to be more of a magical experience. It was two hours and 40 minutes of boredom and five pretty awesome minutes when I walked across the stage and then waved to my family on the way back to my seat. I liked that part quite a bit.

There was a group of girls (graduates) sitting behind me who were extremely rude by cussing and singing Christmas carols the entire time. They were stealing my joy and I kind of wanted to punch them. I did not.

Maybe I would be feeling more elated today if I had my toes in some warm sand on a tropical beach somewhere like other graduates are. Or maybe if I didn't have a final tomorrow. Or maybe if I wasn't folding laundry today.

I don't know. I just don't have that special feeling yet. Maybe it will come if Kevin and I go out to dinner to celebrate in a nice quiet way that doesn't require so much work on my part. Or maybe that feeling will come when I find a job.

I'm not trying to be melancholy, but I'm just feeling pretty average today.

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Graduation Day

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Countdown: 0 day to party - 1 day to graduation - Part 2

You should probably be pretty happy you don't live here.

It's mid-afternoon and you're feeling a little peckish. You head to the fridge for a snack, and this is what you find.



Would you care for Diet Coke and a slice of onion?

Or how about one egg and a beer?

And this isn't a rare occasion. This is what our fridge looks like on most any day.

It's not because we eat out a lot or because we use a lot of frozen dinners. It's because most of my cooking comes from the cupboards - grains, beans, tomatoes, sauces. And we either eat or freeze leftovers immediately.

But not today. Today is SPECIAL. Today is my PARTY.



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Countdown: 0 day to party - 1 day to graduation - Part 1

My heart rate literally increased just by updating the title of this post.

Seriously.

I know this is all I've been talking about for the past few days, but I seriously can't believe it sometimes, like right now.

College. The biggest, most massive undertaking of my entire life. Done. Just done. Just like that. Done.

It might even be the final course correction to get this train back on the right track.

But here's the curious question: If I had never gotten off track, where would I be right now?

Who knows. Nobody can say.

But I wouldn't have Brent, Charley and Allie, and they are really great kids. Smart, funny, kind - the total package.

I also wouldn't have Kevin. Our paths wouldn't have ever crossed, ever.

I wouldn't have my motley group of friends, and they are pretty awesome.

So...I guess I'm glad my track was so out of sorts, so meandering, so scenic.

It's taken me to a pretty nice place.

I'm 34 years old and I'm on the hunt for my first "real" job. It's exciting. It's scary. It's fantastic.

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Countdown: 1 day to party - 2 days to graduation

As much as you love to read my writings about me, have you found yourself wishing that you could read someone else writing about me?

Good news.

Print senior graduates with experience, honors

And I only used the word awesome once, so that's...awesome.

It's 10 a.m. and I've been up for seven hours. That's right kids. SEVEN hours.

Kevin had a little situation at work that required his alarm to go off at 3 a.m. And what happens as soon as I hear an alarm go off?

"Do I have bobby pins for my cap?"
"Should I put green chilies in the bean dip?"
"Don't I need to pay bills today, too?
"Where will be the best place to snap a good photo on Sunday?"
"Should I paint my nails?"
"Should I put up SOME Christmas decorations?"

So after I tried to bargain with my brain for an hour to PLEASE let me sleep, I got up.

Bills are paid.
Beans are on.
Lists are made.

Of course I'll be in bed by 4 p.m., but whatever.

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Countdown: 2 days to party - 3 days to graduation

Today is my last day of classes at WSU.

More specifically, today is my last day of regular classes.

I have a post-graduation final on Tuesday. How absurd is that? Very. I even asked the professor if I could take it early. The answer was pretty much a "hell no."

Thanks.

During these last few weeks of school, I've spent a lot of time thinking about how I got here. It usually happens when I'm on a familiar road. I think about how many times I took Central all the way to Andover for my classes at Butler or how many times I've driven north on Oliver to get to WSU. Hundreds I bet. I think about all the different classrooms I've sat in and all the different assignments I've completed. It's overwhelming. It's all so much. The science, the English, the literature, the Spanish, the algebra, the public speaking, the writing, the reporting. I did it all.

This graduation has always seemed like something that was so far away, so abstract. And now it's so close that I'm working out what I'm going to wear underneath the gown and where to meet my friend Natalie at check-in.

I've already decided that I need to wear something with pockets, so I have a place to store a hankie. I don't see how there is any way I am going to get through this without crying.

I cried when I finished the 5K in September, and this is a slightly bigger deal. Slightly.

This is really happening.


For Kevin:

Our Internet connection was down for HOURS yesterday. Hours and hours. You might not be surprised to know that I spend a good deal of time with the interwebs each day, so I had to occupy my time another way.

I made cookies for my party, listened to much of my 6+ hour party play-list, did some laundry, straightened up the joint, etc. I had relayed all this information to Kevin during out nightly dinner-coffee-TV session. Then as we were about to go to bed I mentioned that I also cut all the loose strings from our sofa pillows. They have this loopy edge that sometimes gets unruly and I wanted to clean them up before the big bash on Saturday.

What I specifically said was, "That's what happens when the Internet goes down, pillows get hair cuts!"

Kevin thought this was dang funny and wanted to make sure that I shared it with all of you.

So there you go.

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Countdown: 3 days to party - 4 days to graduation

There have been lots of lists involved with planning my graduation party, thing to buy, things to make, things to do. I like to complain that I'm doing it all myself and that other lucky grads have these kinds of parties thrown FOR them.

But really,

Can you imagine me not being in charge of my own party?

Absolutely not.

So, I've gotten:

olives
toothpicks
cherries
pretzels
wine glasses
napkins
beans
martini glasses
coffee
swizzle sticks
creamer
etc.
etc.
etc.

But I realized today there was one small thing I had overlooked, forgotten to put on any list, forgotten to buy.

PLATES

Plates people! We almost didn't have plates!

Criminy.

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Someone's getting ready for a party, yo.

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Just say thank you and be happy

After several hours of running errands today, I was stopped at a red light at the intersection of Central and Woodlawn.

On the northeast corner of that intersection sits Beard's 66, a gas station that has been there for decades.



Pay at the pump? Hardly.

The pumps have never been updated to the newer, electronic versions.

In fact, this gas station doesn't even advertise its gas prices on the sign. People who go there aren't concerned with the price. All of the pumps are full-service all of the time.

For a few years now, I've had a little dream of pulling into that station and asking someone to "fill 'er up."

As I waited for my green light, I sat there thinking about that gas station, its sights, its smells, and I was immediately taken back to when I was about 5 years old.

My dad was a careful driver who never dared to embark on a drive with less than a quarter of a tank of gas. Getting gas was an errand all of its own, not something you do on the way to somewhere else.

Dad knew the owner/operator of the Standard station in town, and he would often take me with him to go fill up the car. Each time we went, I would get out of the car to make sure the owner saw that I was there. Because each time I was there, he would come out and bring me a treat.



One piece of Super Bubble.

But?

I secretly wished that just one time he would surprise me with a Kit Kat or a Hershey Bar.

He never did.

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Mmmmmmm

Yup. We totally bought a 25-pound bag of coffee.

Kenya AA @ $6.20 per pound. That's a damn good deal.*

*As long as it doesn't go bad before we use it all.**

**Of course if you're interested in a pound or two at such a great price, you know where to find me.

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That bridge in that county

Bridges of Madison County - 1995
Starring: Meryl Streep and Clint Eastwood



Oh how I love this movie. Love, love, love.

It was probably about 1996 when I first saw this movie. I was 21 years old, had three babies and was in a terrible marriage.

For reasons I don't remember, I had the opportunity to rent a movie from the grocery store and time to watch it, alone. It seems like it was a Saturday afternoon.

I sat in a chair in the corner of the living room, an ugly chair that had been passed down to me from my dad because I couldn't afford to buy my own furniture. A chair that was beaten up, snagged and lifeless.

I sat there and watched Francesca fall in love with Robert.



She struggled with her simple life on the farm in Iowa. She wanted more. She wanted to feel. But she didn't want to upset her family, scar her children or abandon her husband.

Ultimately, she decided to set her love for Robert aside and to remain in the life she had always known.

But she struggled. She wanted so badly to run away with Robert and create a new life. It was a decision that devastated her.



When she sat in her husband's truck and watched Robert drive away, I wept at the finality of it. I remember the tears streaming down my face because I wanted Francesca to have the big love.

Of course what I really wanted was for me to have the big love.

I felt completely stuck in a completely miserable and small life, and I didn't know how to get out, make it better.

I wanted my own Robert to come and take me to a better life.

We all know that I did eventually get out. I did find the big love.

But when I watched this movie again last week, I still wept. Even though I was sitting in a much better chair, in a much better house, with a much better life, I cried for the old me.

I just love, love, love this movie.

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A rare glimpse

I have massive, massive amounts of hair.

My stylist has told me it's probably enough hair for three people to have too much hair.

The best way to keep this hair in check is to wear it curly. That way the inherent manic style looks intentional.

But today is haircut and color day. (Step one for graduation prep.)

If I arrive to the salon with naked hair, it makes my stylist pretty dang happy.

And I sure do like to make people happy.

Me with naked hair:



Why black and white?

Because I'm not loving my skin today. So there you go.


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One voice of reason

I'm SICK and TIRED of people talking about Tiger Woods.

Done. SOOOO done.

I didn't realize there were that many high horses to go around.

Skip to about the :55 mark of this clip.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

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With apologies to the USPS

I'm not sending Christmas cards this year.

I'm so over it.

For me, it's just one more measure of how many people I don't know or how small my circle of friends is.

I have a relative who gets massive amounts of holiday cards. They display each and every one of them in their home and they look like very popular people.

But how well do they really know these senders?

If you ONLY hear from these people at Christmas, what really is the point?

It reminds me of the people who have hundreds of Facebook "friends." Most of them are not your friends.

Can you call them if you run out of gas?
Do they know something unflattering about you?
Have you had conversation over a cup of coffee?

Those kinds of people are your friends.

The rest?

Those are just people you know. You might even like them, but they're not your friends.

Anyway...

I'm not sending cards.

My favorite people read this blog.

So Merry Christmas!!

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It's good to have goals

Since Saturday evening, there have been cinnamon rolls, pumpkin bread, pumpkin pie, apple pie, poppy seed cake and crescent rolls in my kitchen.

I haven't eaten any of it. I haven't even wanted to eat any of it.

For the past few weeks, I've focused my attention to how I will feel after eating the treat instead of how I feel while I eat the treat.

It's genius.

I physically feel terrible when I eat these vapid forms of so-called food. When I think about that first, the food loses its magic - its power.

I'm really going to put my new theory to the test in 10 days at my graduation party. I'm planning the menu, so we're going to have many, many yummy things.

So I'll have two goals:

1) Enjoy the food, but don't eat to excess.
2) Stay sober.

Number two is more important than number one, but we'll see.

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National Novel Writing Month

Is over!!

I'm really, really impressed that two out of our original group of four completed this daunting task.

A big congratulations to Sarah and James!



In other news, I now hate my new pillow.

My neck has been sore for two days and I've been getting up way earlier than I need to because cozy, comfortable sleep is elusive.

Blech.

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