It's the Little Best Things

The best thing about today so far?  That I got to take a shower.
Yesterday I realized I was out of propane the hard way.  Oops.  Totally my bad, but when I called requesting a fill-up, I was told if they went that day, it would be an extra hundred bucks (which I totally don't have), so I'm roughing it.  I asked if they could get me Tuesday, and the guy said he'd try but no promises.  How do you like that?!
Anyway, thank goodness my parents live only two miles away and that I got a shower this morning.  Now, fingers crossed the propane comes today!

Emails and Phone Calls

So, I promise yesterday's posts weren't really a cry for help-- well, maybe the one about the text enhance and the ads.  Still working on that.  I'll redesign when I get a chance.  But many thanks to all of you out there who read my ramblings.  I appreciate the love you sent my way.

A couple of best things:

First, a phone call from my nieces.  I LOVE when they call me, because they always say the funniest things.  Once, Zoey told my mom that she needed a siesta.  Seriously.  But yesterday they called because I'd left some Halloween costumes on the door for them to find.  Sylvia and I got them at a garage sale in Artesia.  Now Z will be the Candy Corn Queen and Paiz will appear as Belle.  They were SO excited about the gift, that I'm pretty sure babysitting tomorrow will include many conversations about how to appropriately accessorize. 

Second, Lou, I hope you don't mind me posting an *edited* version of your email to me this morning, but it easily qualifies as the BEST THING.  It is in response to an email I sent her about some of the difficulties I've had with a few individuals of late.  For those of you who don't know, my good friend Louise is a Peace Corps volunteer in the Philippines, and this came through today, just when I needed it:

Ok. Now seriously. I'm over this Peace gig. I'm coming back and busting knees. Let's play who would win in a fight.

Round 1 me v K. Easy. No question. K, I've got something to show you that's going to make you mad, then boom show him my fist!

Round 2 me v N.. Easy enough. Not even worried. Doesn't he have big ears or a nose or something, an easy target.

Round 3. Me v DK. I'll take him and all is ultra syllabic name on easy peasy. That being said having no idea what he looks like, but 27 months of peace build up!

Round 4 me v M. Dekilt him, job done.

Round 5 me v the world. I got your back.

If that doesn't qualify as THE BEST THING, I don't know what does.

And another thing

Who knows how to get all these horrid ads off my page?  And the text-enhanced script?  I'm not making any money off these ads, so I don't want anyone subjected to them.  Suggestions?

The Best Thing: On my way to a Miracle

Yesterday I had lunch with my friend JW, who reminded me that even though I'd promised to be better, I'd not posted in MONTHS.  So Judy, this one is for you, because you may be the only person who sill even bothers to check, but we'll pretend there are a ton of people reading!  Also, loved your short hair, and I don't think I mentioned it.

The main reason I haven't written for ages:  It boils down to the fact that I've been a sad little puppy for too, too long.  When people say, "How are you?" I'm always fine.  When they ask what I've been up to, the answer is "working."  These things are true, because so long as I bury myself in work, I don't have to focus on the crappiness.  Ready for a brief Negative Nancy List of Things that Hurt My Feelings over the past couple months:

* Went on a date with a boy I thought I might like.  At the end of the night, he hit me.  Not that hard, and not that damaging, except for the emotional toll. 

* Other long-term boy in my life has completely dropped out of the friend capacity.  We actually texted last night about an activity we've both been invited to for tonight.  He said, "I have nothing against you coming."  I pointed out that this is not the same as him saying, "I'd like for you to come."  There was no response, so I'll probably stay home and mow my lawn.  And perhaps go to the gym.  And clean house.

* Talking to another friend not long ago, he encouraged me to go live my dreams.  This resulted in a personal crisis, because I don't really even know what they are anymore.  I need new dreams.

But no one visits www.rachelsego.blogspot.com to feel like poo, including me, so now seems as good a time as any to turn things around.

Socially, things may be difficult for a while.  I could use some new friends, but I don't know where to find them.  I've got an extra ticket to see Sondre Lerche in a few weeks, but we all know how my last date turned out, so I'm feeling a little sick about it.  I may just go alone.  Who knows?  Maybe I'll meet some nice folks at Low Spirits!

One thing I would like to do is keep a regular feature going here, at least until I perk out of my grumpiness.  I'm going to call it "The best thing that happened yesterday."  Here's the first one:  The best thing that happened yesterday was I stopped to fill up in Roswell on my way home from Sylvia's.  I'd gone 400 miles on a single tank of gas (which is a strong contender for best thing) and so I had to be a big Sabbath-breaker and get fuel (big because I'd also had lunch out with the fam).  The little fellas working at the filling station were super sweet.  I imagine they weren't much more than 21, only because they needed to be legal to sell alcohol to their other customers (Not to worry-- I may be a sabbath-breaker, but I don't drink!).  Anyway, the best thing that happened yesterday that as I was leaving, one of the clerks said, "Dude!" (I'll forgive him for failing to notice that I'm not a man) "Those are the coolest shoes EVER."  They were burgundy high-heeled Mary Janes from Target.  Nothing particularly special, but it made me feel good.  He went on to explain he was kind of into punk rock (not a huge stretch of the imagination, given his piercings and Mohawk), and that he had some combat boots in the same shade.  It made me laugh!  Still, a little acknowledgement from the clerk and his gas-pumping co-worker meant the world to me, because I was feeling a little down.  I know I sashayed out of the station, instead of schlumping the way I came in. 

Stay tuned for more "best things of the day."

From One Fully Ensconced in her 30s

OK, peeps.  I'm back, and I'm better than ever.  JW, your diligent, daily checking will finally pay off. 

Oh dear, where to start?  Life is busy, and life is good.  Here are a few reasons why--

1. Jordan, my dearest cousin, got married about two and a half weeks ago, and I'm seriously blissed out on his behalf.  I don't know that I've ever seen him so happy!  His wife, Andrea, is cute as a button and we all suspect she has the patience of Job (or, at least, we're praying she does).  Mom, Ash and I went to the wedding and had a marvelous time!  Savannah, GA, was a major highlight for me with a trip to Back In the Day Bakery and Primary Art Supply.  Also, have you ever had South African food?  Totally delicious.  Charleston also won my heart.  The architecture is gorgeous and so are the people.  Everyone is fit, and everyone has a dog.  I noticed flying back that people got less and less attractive the further west we went (but don't say that to my California buddies!).

2. The famed Cupcake Exchange was a total success.  What?  You haven't heard about it?  Well, lemme fill ya in.  Even though I was on death's door the day of the party (darn airplanes and their dry, recycled air!), it was a smash.  Basically, I'd invited a bunch of my cousins and their little girls (plus a few other friends) to a cupcake party at my house.  We had great (non-sweet) food, the kids did a cakewalk, and there were prizes for the Most Creative, Prettiest, and Best-Tasting cupcakes.  And as if the children weren't already hyped up on sugar, they all took several boxes of cupcakes home.  All the fun, none of the naughty leftovers.  I was pleased.  I'd like to try this party again with adults.

3. The birthday came and went, and it was mostly painless.  I spent the afternoon/evening before the big day with Michael, who was good enough to distract me from my vanishing youth.  We stayed up til midnight so he could see if I'd instantly sprout grey hairs a-la- Chia pet, but no such luck.  I did find a stray grey on my bathroom counter this morning.  Seriously didn't know I had them til Ashley plucked one out of my head a few Sundays ago.  Anyway, after a very nice Saturday, the birthday itself was pretty chill.  Heard from several long-distance friends, and would have been able to talk to more of you had I not indulged in a birthday nap.  Boy, I needed it though, because I had to store up my excitement for this little beauty:

Ben, Skye and the girls got me a bike for the big 3-1, and I LOVE IT.  I've been thinking about getting a cruiser for a long time, but the problem has mostly been finding one that fits.  Yes, this is a "tween" bike with 24" wheels.  I still had to lower the seat all the way down, but now I'm a riding fool!  I'll try to post a picture with the bell and the basket, because they really add a whole level of awesome.  Between my bike and my uke, I think I've crossed fully into the hipster zone, though I really didn't mean to (I submit this based on evidence from a very poorly written YouTube video called "What Hipsters Say and What They Really Mean."  It's horrible and not worth your time, but all the things the girl makes fun of are things I do).

Other goodies soon to be reported on-- a possible part-time job, outlines of my magnificent summer plans, and perhaps more pictures because I also got a sweet camera for the birthday and I'm ready to use it!  Ta!

Pontifications and Revelations

OK friends, get ready-- this is a long one! But I know you won't mind because you look to me to lead and guide you in all things, right? Right? (Crickets chirping here? Oh well, let's not put off the inevitable free advice!)

First, let's talk about a movie you should never see:

I think "Georgy Girl" is one of the most depressing shows ever. Because you're not going to see it anyway, I'm going to tell you why it is so awful. If you are a sadist and think you'd watch it despite my best advice, go ahead and scroll down. I believe this is the only spoiler alert I'll need in this blog, ever.

OK, so here's the premise: Lynn Redgrave plays Georgy who is absolutely bonkers, but is generally a good person. Gives us a sense of empahty, right? Plus also, she is a bit on the chubby side and a virgin, and one would initially think this film is my life-story, right? Wrong. Poor Georgy has awful parents-- her father thinks she should do whatever she is asked by his rich employer, even if it's awful. Daddums also tells Georgy what an ingrate she is, and consistently calls her ugly. What a chump! Then you've got the rounder who employees Daddy, who honestly asks Georgy, via contractual agreement, to be his mistress! Cheeky and entitled, I'd say. Poor G also has a self-absorbed roommate, and falls in love with the father of roommate's illegitimate child. This guy is a slacker and a nutter, and in the end Georgy is left holding the responsibility bag for just about everyone. The moral of the story seems to be "Heaven help you if you're weird and overweight. But maybe you'll get lucky. No, of course you won't find true love, but you might end up married to a rich old man." And it's all set to a very chipper tune. The English are a very cruel lot, or at least they were in the 1960s. If you want irony, go watch "Harold and Maude" instead.

Next up, a little information about a book you can take or leave:


Ann Brashares brings us an update on Tibby, Lena, Bridget and Carmen in this latest installment of "The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants." The bottom line: read it if you were somewhat invested in the initial four books, but if you miss it, don't feel like your world is ending. To be honest, I didn't like the 4th book in the series at all, but when I saw this at my local Hastings, I decided to give it a whirl just the same (this, it should be noted, should be a book you borrow, not buy, but Lou has the others in her Leyte Library, so I thought I'd complete the series... I'll send it soon LS!). To her credit, Brashares has created characters so strong that as you read the book you realize "Of course this is what B would do. Lena wrote herself!" The story is engaging, and still will tug on your heartstrings.

Of course, if you want a real page-turner, may I suggest:

If you love Brandon Mull, and you know you do (and you know I do), the second installment in his Beyonders series is delightful. I'm not finished with this one yet. I love Brandon's work so much, and taking the time to savor it is difficult-- I'd love to sit down for a few hours and read it at once, but as he only has about one book come out a year, I'm taking my time with this one. So far, very engaging. I do wish I'd re-read the first one before I jumped in again, only because there are so many characters, but Brandon refreshes our memory without a ton of heavy exposition.

So what else have I been up to besides reading and watching DVDs (it should be noted I've finally broken down and started trying to watch all James Bond movies-- Pierce Brosnan is not my favorite Bond)? Believe it or not, I've actually had a life recently! I'm happy to tell you about it.

Cute story alert: One highlight of my life comes in the form of spending time with the nieces. I love the two I have, and we're getting No. 3 on Friday! Yes, they wear me out, but they're really what I live for. On Friday the fam went out for my dad's birthday to our favorite restaurant. Zoey, 4, came in with four pennies in hand and slapped them on the table saying, "I'm paying tonight." Love, love, love!

Another fun Friday fact: Did you know that Smith's in the Mountain Run Shopping Center has sensors in their aisles for saving light usage/energy? Pretty cool, except the place did seem a little dark. I heart grocery shopping (or any kind of shopping) with Michael. I was pretty excited when he bought this:

Yum! Blood Orange juice is to die for. Bahahahaaha! I really love it, though.

As a matter of fact, Michael and I had several food adventures this weekend. He'd never been to Sweet Tomatoes (gasp!) so we hit it for some most excellent salad and the Grilled Cheese Focacia. Yum, yum, yum. They only have the GCF in March and for one week in October, so I take advantage. After lunch, we joined the beautiful Christina V for Albuquerque's Chocolate (and Coffee, though CV was the only one partaking) Festival. Hooray for Chuck from Theobroma. He was delightful, and his wares were the prettiest in the whole show!

As if that weren't enough, we capped off the afternoon with "The Hunger Games." To Seneca Crane, in the immortal words of Ke$ha, "I like your beard."

So you see, my life has been pretty jazzy lately. Mostly it's been work, work and more work, but the weekends are packed with fun. Of course, it's not all just hearts and flowers. I did have a minor-major-breakdown (if you see what I mean) which, upon reflection, I think stemmed mostly from a) M and I talking about my old bf and b) the fact that my doctor didn't authorize a refill for the good old tri-sprintec in time for me to start the Rx, and I'm pretty sure a month without it is making me an emotional wreck, if also atypically fertile. Sigh. Such is life.

But one other important thing: My friend Corey needs your advice. He's going to Thailand for his 30th birthday in a couple of months and can't decide-- to wax, or not to wax?

I apologize for the less-than-stellar representation. I'm not sure this is exactly what his body looks like because for some reason he didn't want to show me his shirtless chest (though he wanted me to touch it-- WOOT for 2nd base-ish!). He is orange because he is planning on getting super-tan. His arms are lumpy because a) Paint is a crap program, and b) Corey has been working out. If you know him in real life, I suggest you go check out his arms. Nice.

Anyway, please weigh-in with your opinion. Corey wants to know what the ladies like, and doesn't trust just my opinion. I think I'm getting more tolerant of weird body hair in my old age (see picture of Seneca Crane above). I promise to forward all relevant information and comments to him. That way, you can exert your expert opinion in the same way I do! Thanks friends!

Pure Pleasure

The other night in bed just before I fell asleep, I counted my blessings, and sometimes you just have to express gratitude for things that make you blissfully happy. Here's one of mine:

"The Invention of Hugo Cabret" by Brian Selznick. Have you read it? What are you waiting for?

Not only is the story enchanting, but the artwork is fantastic. I love pencil on watercolor paper. The texture makes the work that more emotive. Also, major props to Martin Scorsese for being so true in the film adaptation, which I loved months ago.

But if I'm being really honest, the experience was heightened by the pure joy from the way the book smelled. Bibliophiles know what I'm talking about. And if you happened to attend BYU, you'd recognize the smell of "Hugo." It smelled like every official booklet you ever received-- from Orientation to Grad Guide, there's this particular smell of ink on that thick paper, and you can experience it all again by picking up a copy of this book.

Many thanks to McMichael MacHansen for his recommendation.

Not gonna lie--I take a lot of pleasure in the viewing of this picture. I knew Michael and I would be friends from the beginning, mostly because we both have great hair. But you know how I adore people who celebrate their heritage.

PS. I ironed that kilt the night before.