Regrouping

Regrouping, restarting, re-energizing....it all seems to be a theme with me. Yesterday I started a new 90-day intensive planner book, which will help me and which is why I am recommitting to writing every day.

So much has happened in the last month that has pulled me off track, but I keep climbing back on for the ride. I thought I would be living in Atlanta by now working for the High Museum of Art running their wine auction. However, since it has been a month since my most recent interview with no word from anyone, I have to assume I didn't get the job and move on . I am incredibly disappointed because I pulled out all the stops: flew myself down there twice, had former colleagues and mangers proactively contact the hiring manager on my behalf, and was prompt, friendly and professional with my follow up. Still nothing.

I have since taken on a temporary gig with OgilvyAction/American Express, dropping in on Amex merchants to review benefit materials and refresh their signage. It's not an awful job, as it gets me out of the house meeting people, which I like a lot. The down side is everyone automatically assumes I am trying to sell them something and it's a lot of footwork--literally walking from place to place in the summer heat. But as with everything, I am trying to stay positive and see this as an opportunity to really get to know my community, while building up a cache of blog fodder.

In the meantime, I am still looking for permanent full time employment, preferably in the arts doing arts administration and/or event planning. So...yanno....if you hear of anything out there for me.....

Really??? The Drug Test

I have learned that there is nothing that makes me feel quite as much like a criminal as having to do a drug test. Even if it's job-related.

This kind of thing seems to be a pattern. I had to get fingerprinted for the temp job I recently finished. And now, the part-time gig I've taken to bridge the gap between now and when I land full-time employment requires a drug test.

Here's the kicker: my job is representing a certain winery at in-store consumer tastings, only in the state where I live, consumers aren't allowed to actually taste the wine in the store. So I was drug tested for a job where I have zero actual contact with alcohol. Oh, and I have to undergo certification that I know how to card someone because I can't give tchotchkes with the name of the winery on it to anyone under 21.

Really??? Really.

So I go to the basement of a medical building along with former addicts and their children in order to pee in a cup. The grossest part, though, was the instructions: pee in the cup, do not flush, do not wash your hands.

Do not wash your hands?????? EWWWWWWWW!

I'm sure there is a good reason for not running water in the sink, but still....do you have any idea how many pee-covered hands must have touched that door handle? Plus as a girl, peeing in a cup gets a little...um...messy. I get pukey just thinking about it.

And yes, when they finally did let me wash my hands I scrubbed them raw. It took a gallon of hand lotion to make up for the layers of skin removed.

I suppose I understand why companies do drug tests, but what happened to good old fashioned observation? This test was particularly for meth. Now I'm not expert, but I'm pretty sure if I had a meth problem, you'd know it by looking at me. Right?

In any case, I survived and I'm hopeful that I didn't catch any diseases in the process. (blech) Some adventures I'd rather not have.

True Tales from the Temp Job

I'm working a temp job at an investment consulting firm. They basically advise companies on how to invest their retirement funds. I answer the phone (among other things) and today was the best.

Me: I'm so sorry. I tried to lure [name] off the phone to take your call, and he just couldn't.
Him: That's OK. Never yank a man off when he's trying to make money.

Indeed.

I also got the best text ever from my bf, who was practically dead asleep this morning when I left, so I didn't think he really heard my screams of terror from earlier. 

Vacuumed nails, killed bug and cleaned stove top. Off to G'pa's for a bit. 

The bug in question was the most grossest yuckiest of house bugs--the centipede. BLECH ! And it was in the bathtub this morning! I almost died! This is too much adventure for me before coffee!

Adventures in Book Buying

I recently bought Jen Lancaster's new book, My Fair Lazy. I had unfortunately missed her book signing at the local store, but went to that store anyway to buy it. When the cashier saw that I had already started reading it in line, she asked if I'd like an autographed copy.

Yes please!

She found the autographed copy for me, got me hooked up with their rewards program and the book was 30% off. Plus I had the most awesome travel read for my unfortunately longer than expected trip to Atlanta. The book was finished before I landed back in Detroit, and that is only because I paced myself on the last leg of the trip.

Jen Lancaster, you and your growing menagerie (which of course includes Fletch) made my trip. And to the Borders in Birmingham, Michigan, you rock!

Tanner Tuesday

Carrying over a feature from my old blog to my new one, it's Tanner Tuesday! My awesome vizsla mix "puppy," Tanner, is a daily adventure as we play, train and generally destroy the house together. Here are his latest pics. He's gettin' BIG, and at 7 1/2 months old, he's still growing!

By comparison, here are pictures from the day we brought him home, and then two days ago.

I love him a lot, and can't imagine life without him! We've nicknamed him BoonBoon, (the origins are complicated, so go with it), and my BF sends me daily videos of him while I'm at work. We call them The Daily Boon.

We made dog training a priority and took him to Fido Dog Training classes. His latest trick is to play dead, which is really cute, and our next training adventure with him will be loose leash walking. Very tricky with a puppy as rambunctious as he is!

The Hokey Pokey

"The Hokey Pokey. Think about it. At the end of the song, what do we learn? What is it all about? You put your whole self in!"

That is from the late, great, improv teacher Martin DeMaat. This is what this blog is about. Putting your whole self into your life. Strange, funny, adventurous things happen to us every day, and I believe the more we can focus on these everyday miracles, the more enjoyable and meaningful life will be.

My miracle this past weekend was that my birthday was exactly the day I'd hoped it would be! My big celebration was a rock-star cruise 3 weeks ago. Literally a rock-star cruise, as the boat was populated with....rock stars. It was the VH1 Best Cruise Ever with Three Doors Down, Lifehouse, Shinedown, Finger Eleven and many other awesome bands. It's been very difficult getting back to "real life" after that experience! Check out this video clip of Lifehouse sound checking for their atrium concert. The show was supposed to be outside by the pool, but thunderstorms were rolling in through Grand Cayman, so they decided to play indoors.



So for the actual day of my birth, my wants were pretty simple, and I got them all, which is what was so awesome about the day.

Scrambled eggs w/ truffle salt for breakfast
Workout (completing a full week of P90X btw!)
See Iron Man 2
Go to the fancy Kroger for steaks
Get hair cut
WoW raid with online pals (Yes, I'm a nerd. I embrace it, and I know my Norwegian friend Anita is proud of that!)
SNL w/ Betty White

Plus I got to spend the entire day with my sweetie and my dog. (No, they are not the same thing.) It could not have been a more perfect day, and I am incredibly grateful for it!

Midlife Manifesto

Today I turn 40, and I’m tired of wondering if I’m doing it right.

I do not know everything, but after thismanyyears of Oprah, prayer and therapy I know myself enough to stop questioning every little decision. I have a good compass—MY compass, not yours. You do what feels right for you, and I’ll do what feels right for me and the discrepancy is where our relationship is interesting.

Even my bad decisions have turned out to be blessings in disguise, so throw off the disguise and just see the blessing.

Your high-maintenance bullshit does not stick to my sneakered shoes. If you can’t handle the fact that you flew coach instead of business class, or that the caterer forgot to use the lemons from your family orchard in your cheap-ass chicken dinner, then you need to find your momma and go cry to her because I’m busy solving real problems.

Inconvenient does not equal impossible. Yes, it’s a pain to separate out my recycling and exercise every day, but I was meant for more than sticking my flabby butt to the couch, burying myself under a mountain of water bottles.

As much as I wish I could, I cannot fix you.

Or you.

Or that.

This is why I have roadside assistance, a boyfriend and a dog. If it can’t be fixed by one of those things, it’s not worth having anyway.

“I can’t afford it,” is no longer in my vocabulary, replaced by “I choose to spend my money/time/energy elsewhere.” Sometimes my choices will be different from yours, and that’s OK. I still like you.

Life is an adventure to be had, worlds to be explored, new leaves to be turned. Finding the wonder and joy in life every single day is the key to my happiness and that is simply how it works. If this kind of thing does not agree with you, then thank you for your time with me. I will treasure the experience.

And for those of you still with me, I am truly blessed.