Gut Check

My gut usually doesn't let me down.  I need to learn to trust it - it tells me when I need to make a #2, when I'm going to be sick, when I'm full, when I'm empty, and when something just doesn't feel quite right. Yesterday and today were no exception...the barometer was right on.  I should go do something that takes wicked accurate gut-checks. JS.

~C.

True or Fate

On the radio the other day a man wrote in telling about his plans to play with some money that he and his wife had saved over the past four years. The money was their in vitro fund.  You see, the couple had not been able to conceive on their own and this was the next step.  The thing about the savings is that it was only about half of what they needed for the first try. Bummer, right?  Well the husband's idea was to go to Vegas and put all their money on Red - the wife's favorite color.  His thought - if it hits, we are meant to have a child.  If it misses, it is not meant to be. Oh and I should mention that the wife was not aware of this plans.

Fate: 1. something that unavoidably befalls a person; fortune; lot. 2. the universal principle or ultimate agency by which the order of things is presumably prescribed; the decreed cause of events; time. 3. that which is inevitably predetermined; destiny. 4. a prophetic declaration of what must be. 

I'm not sure how I feel about this thing called fate.  "Things happen for a reason" people say.  "It's in God's hands" others like to say. To some degree, I agree with this thinking. But when I really think about it, you can call every moment in life 'fate'. Never mind how hard you work at something. Never mind how you orchestrate you life to go 'as planned'. Never mind getting a wild hair in your behind and doing something unusual.  If something happens to throttle your progress, well "it just wasn't meant to be."  But who gets to decide what or was not 'meant' to be? Does that mean you give up on your dreams because shit happens? And on the flip, all your hard work pays off! The credit just goes to some universal being, God or otherwise, for making it happen?

Some things are certainly out of our control.  You do all you can and your future lies in someone else's hands. I think that fate can play a part in some aspects of life but it takes work to make it go any further.  So many times people just want things to fall in their lap.  No work involved...no effort. And when it doesn't, well 'fate' just gave them a excuse to be lazy. Take control of your own destiny.  Stop relying on some universal magic fairy dust to get what you want in life.

I promise that Vegas would not have the prophetic declaration of having the man in the story win.  It doesn't match their business plan. Which means this 'fate' thing would have to play one against another. He won the bet. But as we all should know about conception, there is still no guarantee.  I wish the best to them and hope they get what they wish for - children are amazing additions to the world. But if, God forbid, their one shot doesn't work, was it not meant to be after all? Everything in life is a gamble. Risks are inherent in our nature. Just be prepared for the consequence without pinning it on fate.

C.

The Many Faces of S

WARNING!  MOM BRAG!

The kid is good at taking pictures.  I never realized his true potential until I saw these shots. He's got something in this blood - Performing? Acting? Modeling?  Whatever it is, I am sure he will find his place in front of people somehow.  Thank you, Jennifer!!

 

C.

 

 

The Day After...

Yesterday was called a "blizzard" by the weather people. I think that was a bit of an exaggeration. It snowed.  It was a little windy.  Hardly a blizzard in my opinion. Sure, we got 8 or 10 inches of the white stuff and sure, I didn't want to go out an drive in it.  But c'mon. Those meteorologists sure to have a way of making much to do about a little snow.

I had the distinct pleasure of moving this crap around - while wearing my husband's snow boots. I don't have any - fail.  This wasn't the light and fluffy sort of snow.  No, ma'am.  It was the heavy, awesome-for-snowball, kind. And since we are a bit old-fashioned, I got to use a shovel. Oh, how I long for a snow blower. My neighbor, who apparently got one, didn't bother to go beyond her invisible property line either.  Not surprised.  This is the same lady that never, and I mean NEVER, mows under the split-rail fence that serves as a property line between our lawns. Somehow that is my job. But I digress...

The kiddo joined me for a bit while I was shoveling. He was having a ball! I wish I could play "imagination" correctly...I usually mess up the details.  I had to send him in after about 30 minutes because the wind was just biting at our cheeks. I was getting a bit tired but wasn't done yet. I was just glad both cars were in the driveway.  I would have wanted no part of digging around a car in the street. I gave myself a marble since it took me 45 minutes.

Fast forward to today...sore back! Luckily I used my arms and other muscles enough that it didn't make my lower back sore. My shoulders were a bit taxed yesterday but are fine today.  My trapezious and lattisimus dorsi are the sore ones.  I'm pleased to know that 1. they are still there, 2. I worked them out.

Blizzard. Psh.

C.

Totally Cheating

I would first like to say that I did earn a workout marble today.  That being said, I ruined it with letting my inner fat kid come out and play. (Cheat #1 - diet) I'm a big carb lover. Huge. And it goes without saying that it is harder for me to tell which consumes more of my carb budget - pasta or sugar. I'm a big giant sweets fiend. I suppose it's no wonder I have a partnership in a cupcake bakery.

Cupcakes...which go back to cake...which goes back to cake batter.  Oh delicious, raw cake batter. There is little better in this world.  It is a miracle that I manage to get any in the oven. But it doesn't stop at cake batter for me.  There is also cookie batter.  And brownie batter. And ice cream. Then some sweet genius finally put cake batter and ice cream together. Sweet Baby Jesus - heaven on Earth! But the anty keeps getting upped with countless cake batter creations. It was time for me to try something I've seen - cake batter rice krispy treats. Oh. Yeah.

I made them. (Cheat #2 - used boxed cake mix) They are good.  Not as good as I was expecting but it could be because I got a nice little bellyache from eating the batter from the cake batter cookies I made as well.  The baked cookies were not delicious. I would rather have a sugar cookie.  I know. I just said that.

The shit show didn't stop at the RC treats.  I also added a bit of Ben & Jerry's....there may have been chocolate covered potato chip clusters in the flavor. Maybe. I did exercise some restraint and only got a little bit (1/4c perhaps) from the cardboard container. I was only able to eat half the treat too...

I guess the diet might be working.  I can't handle this crap like I could about 4 weeks ago. I should probably double up on the workouts tomorrow to make up for it. That might make two of my A.P.s happy.

C.

Cupcake Cobblers

We have worn many hats over the course of this past year and yesterday we got to add another to our arsenal - cobbler. We were up very late last night fashioning some cupcake high heels for a 30th birthday.  A "must" from the client was a few with cheetah print. Check. She also wanted some pale green and pink.  We added the bows to punch up the adorable and girly factor. Check the runway for this new brand, "Fab30"! So fun and mega cute!

Eat your heart out, Manolo Blahnik!
C.

Blasted Door Tag: Take 2

The signed door tag did the trick.  The package was delivered.  I should have known - the replacement phone is a refurbished one. And wouldn't you know it - it is WHACK!

I turned it on and it said there was about 70% battery.  In the middle of setting it up, it turned off. Completely.  I tried to turn it back on. No dice. I plugged it in. The charge said 70%. So I turn it on and get it going again. In the middle of setting it up, it turned off. Rinse and repeat.

This time there was suddenly no charge on the battery.  So while it is plugged in, I attempted again to set this thing up.  I was going to add our WiFi to it and since it is a completely nonsensical password,  I was planning to take the device with me to retrieve the password. Bam. Turned off. Keep in mind the battery icon on the screen says it was fully charged. So I plug back in.

Again, attempts were made to finish setting the dog-gone thing up...and again, it turned off completely.  I quit.  It is charging but I'm not going to hold my breath for anything. I mean if the phone isn't even sure of how much battery life it has, how can I? Makes me wonder if that is why they had the phone to give to schmuck #2 anyway.

At the rate this thing is going, I should probably start carrying quarters and get a map of payphones.

C.