DLand - the Buddy System

I just found the Buddy List in the members area of this crazy thing. I feel like such a technophobe for not scoping it out sooner. It finally hit me that instead of prowling around looking for diary updates (particularly now that half my regular reads are on vacation in the deserts of Pennsylvania), I can just scoot to my buddy list and find folks who've updated lately. So I had to update my "buddies" to make sure I got the required reading down. And I feel all dirty because my favorite diaries are no longer in alphabetical order. Having worked with librarians or had them as clients for many years now it's hard to resist the urge. But there's colin-g settled neatly in the S and T's. Oh, the humanity! But it's laziness, not lack of good education that motivates me. Have you tried adding a C favorite in the middle of all of those? You have to re-type or cut and paste them all! And good luck adding the Diary King himself - an A name and all! That was the last straw. So, it's just a jumbled mess of names now. Next I'll be adding names with no comments (incomplete bibliographic records). Some cataloger I'd make.

check out my lame-o profile if you have no idea what I'm talking about.

Got a pixie haircut yesterday (not as short as my babe-o-licious sister-in-law, but shorter than before). So I've been tossing my head around all day like the star of a cheap shampoo commercial. I'm gonna wreck the car I keep checking the rear-view mirror so much. Saturns apparently are not designed with vanity in mind so I only have a vanity mirror on the passenger side. I still vividly remember driving to Pennsic many years ago with my boyfriend Steve and his friend Lee who was incredulous that Steve's Chevy van had no passenger vanity mirror in the visor. "I'm vain! I need a vanity mirror!", he cried.

Just as a note, Steve is the coolest guy in the world. Some lucky woman is gonna seek him out (he lives in Mass. now all you wacky New Englanders) and catch herself a prize. Had I not fallen hopelessly for Sweetpea you'd probably be hearing witty stories about another swell fella these days. One of the fabulous things Steve did for me was give me a pocket Swiss army knife (for my birthday I think). First of all, how cool is that to get a knife from your boyfriend?! And it's great because I use it ALL THE TIME. It's red and saucy and practical and sharp - just like me. I looked for a replacement for it once half-heartedly but they "don't make 'em like they used to". Mine has scissors (with a broken spring from much use) and a screw driver and file and little knife and toothpick and tweezers. I lost the toothpick but that's kinda icky anyways. So I keep using the Steve knife, in my purse, got it with me all the time. My little piece of Steve. What a great guy. I'm a card-carrying member of his fan club.

If he ever gets a Diaryland diary, he'll be on my buddy list too.

DLand - Food For Thought

All I ever needed to know in life I learned while watching Iron Chef - A healthy sense of theatre is highly underrated.

- Accept challenges with enthusiasm and defeat with grace.

- When life deals you natto, make natto ice cream.

- Most women are pushovers (at least to your face). They'll give you anything you want, never want to hurt your feelings, and therefore make horrible judges.

- There is no subsitute for the right tool or ingredient but never be afraid to improvise. You will usually surprise yourself.

- There will never be enough time to do everything you want to do. Accept this and go with it.

- Look for balance in all things - whether it be the crunch of a vegetable next to soft meat or the round entree on a square plate.

DLand - Do Not Pass Go

While driving home last night my weekend trip, I consciously resisted the temptation to speed. I tend to speed not only in the car, but in life as well. It's as if I have a list in my head of things to check off and "finish" in life. Survive puberty (check) Graduate high school (check) Get into college (check) Survive college with degree (check) Get married (check) Get real job (check) Make my fortune so I can retire at 40 (in progress) Buy house (in progress) Own a car large enough for two people and two 90 pound dogs (in progress) Make more little GenieAlisas and Sweetpeas (one day)

But one day I'll check all those off, and then what? I've always been a little spastic when I find myself without a plan - like I'm in the woods without a map. In the past, though, it's always been easy to have a goal. I was not a "grown up" yet, so I was rushing to get all that kid stuff out of the way. Now, it would seem that I'm getting into Grown Up Land (population 1) full swing and I keep thinking that maybe I missed something along the way. Not sure what, really. But just keep thinking that once you check off something and move into the next phase of your life it's not healthy to worry about the things you didn't do earlier. Once you've eaten the ice cream it's not healthy to worry about whether it would have been better with chocolate chips in it.

So the point of all this is I've been trying to slow down. I've been trying to enjoy what Fredericksburg looks like on a Sunday evening without freaking out about how fast I can get to Richmond. Because once I get there, I'm just going to freak out about how much further it is to Williamsburg and then how far it is to home. Even just thinking about slowing down has sated me a little.

I have to remember that unlike Monopoly, you don't get $200 at the end and another chance to go around the board.