“If You Ain't First, You're Last…”

Since I was a little kid, it’s been drilled into me that I am expected to succeed, thrive, and outshine everyone around me. Nothing but the absolute best was expected of me, so I pushed myself at whatever I did. It’s not that I wanted all the achievement; I just didn’t want to hear the complaining.

Because of this, it may not surprise you that I am Type-A personality who can -- and has -- gone bonkers over little things. So ingrained into my mentality is this need to achieve, even my highest accomplishments seem to be tempered with the want for even higher results. Like Ricky Bobby’s daddy told the class on career day in the movie Talladega Nights, “If you ain’t first, you’re last!”

My childhood was really fun:

I finished 2nd at the piano competition! You screwed up on the fortieth measure and you used too much damper pedal in the final phrasing. And why didn’t you place first?

Unbelievable! I won the school election! I’m Student Body President! Okay, Miss President…why can’t you get your closet in order?

The lady at the store told me the dress looked good on me. She was just being nice, that’s what she’s paid to do.

I thought that being a grown-up might help. I was wrong:

One of my blog articles was picked up and highlighted by the L.A. Times! Great, when are they going to hire you?

I have a boyfriend. It’s about time…or are you making him up?

I’m employee of the month! Do you get a raise? And when are you going to finish your degree?

With this kind of stuff flying at me, you’d think I’d be on Jerry Springer’s couch weeping my eyes out and throwing a chair at a family member’s head. Or writing a new century version of “Mommy Dearest” (“YOU CRACKED THE EGGGGGS!” would be my tagline) and cashing in on my supposed misery. Why not? A lot of people in my shoes willingly shovel off their issues, bad luck, and horrible choices into a pile of blame marked “Shattered Expectations.” They feel sorry for themselves or even apologize to those around them for not succeeding. But, there are a few of us who seem to have come through unscathed.

Why? Because we think other’s people’s expectations are a bitch.

Don’t get me wrong, I do want my family and friends to be proud of me. I try my hardest to fulfill the potential they see in me. And I continue to work hard in everything I do because I don’t roll over and quit. But I decided a long time ago that if I couldn’t be happy and make peace with what I expected from MYSELF, how could I ever truly be happy?

There is a definite line with what I am happy with and what everyone around me is happy with. They’re two separate things that shouldn’t be mixed. Like dairy and meat in a Kosher house.

When I was younger, and more desperate for acceptance, I would fume and huff and pout whenever my parents or other adults would burst my bubble about an achievement or milestone. It would really affect me to the point, where sometimes I cried and wept “Why don’t they love me?” or “Why can’t they accept me for who I am?”

I did learn very fast that everyone hates a whiner.

During my short stint at Community College and then the experience of moving out on my own, I realized that I was chasing this kite in a really strong wind. Full acceptance from my parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other relatives would never come the way I wanted it or they wanted it. The adults in my life had all these ideals, scenarios, and paths drawn out for me. This was cool at some point, because it set me off in the direction right for me. But then I realized I needed to accept what my own goals were. I had to embrace who I was and like who I was becoming. The adults and authority figures in my life didn’t have to be me for the next 100-years. That is my job and my job alone.

I have to live with who I am more than anyone else in this world. Hating myself for not living up to everyone’s expectations would condemn me to a seat on the talk show circuit.

So I ditched the public expectations. Not completely, mind you. I remember where I came from and who helped me to get here. It’s my duty to make sure I make them a little happy. I will be the dutiful oldest daughter, the bitchy older sister, the cool aunt, and even the occasionally the (GULP) compliant wife. But never again will I be a slave to someone else’s expectations. I believe I’m a successful adult and a good person. If people around me can’t accept that, then they just don’t understand me.

If I ain’t first…then I’m probably in the top three. Not a bad place to be!

The “Right” Path is Covered with Thorns

After spending almost 20-hours on a Saturday with a few hundred teenagers, all you really want to do is relax the next day. So, that’s what Lenny and I did today. We woke up late, went out to lunch and then stopped by our neighborhood Starbucks for some caffeine. As we’re walking up to the door, I notice a blue car with a large orange bumper sticker. Being one who likes to read stuff, I peeked over at the bumper and started laughing.

It read: The last time we mixed RELIGION and POLITICS, we were burning people at the stake.

How true a statement is that? Never have two subjects been a more volatile and destructive mix than Religion and Politics. Even separately they are pretty risky topics. But together, it’s like oil and water. Baking soda and vinegar. Donald Trump and Rosie O’Donnell. They just don’t get along as conversation pieces. So divisive are these two topics that Yours Truly walks away or even (GASP) clams up when they enter the conversation.

Society always says you should never bring up these subjects in polite conversation. It’s not that I’m afraid to state my opinions. I think we all know me well enough by now to know I have inner censor at times. But, Religion and Politics are what I call “No Win, No Happy” topics. No matter how good the intentions or how sweet the people are, by the end of chats involving Religion or Politics, no one wins and everyone is pissed off at each other.

Knowing this, it boggles my mind that one’s Religion has increasingly flavored the way people deal with their Politics. I’ve never been one for the things like the Christian Coalition. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But more and more their presence and opinion seem to be more prevalent as the current administration continues their second term.

If history shows us anything, it’s this: Secular politics with clerical views don’t mix. Religion and Politics can’t exist harmoniously because eventually, one overtakes the other. Either you become greedy for power or a zealot for Religion. In the end, somebody has to pay the ultimate price. Let’s stay in the context of the bumper sticker I saw:

Joan of Arc – A very good Catholic who believed she was doing work in the name of God. Joan was asked by God to lead France against the armies of England. Happily and dutifully she did, and won. It wasn’t enough. She was burned at the stake in May of 1431 by a pro-English tribunal of clergy from her own religion.

William Tyndall – All he wanted to do was spread the word of the Bible by translating it to English in the 16th century. The Church nixed the idea (some say because they wanted to keep the class system in order), but he did it anyway. Tyndall was executed in October of 1536

Martha Corey – Known by people in her town as a pious and religiously devoted woman, she bucked the trend during the Salem Witch Trials. She believed the trials were driven by human interests, rather than protection of religion. The local government didn’t burn her; however she was accused and convicted of being a witch for her views. Corey was hung in September 1692.

By the way…aren’t we militarily involved with a couple of countries that Religious Extremists have run into the ground?

In the U.S., we flaunt the fact that we are granted Freedom of Religion and we celebrate that there is a separation of Church and State. However, discussions about issues such as Abortion, Gay marriage, and Stem Cell research are divided right down the middle. You have the Clerical view on one side, the Secular on the other. Groups like the Christian Coalition want you to vote their way because they believe that it’s immoral and we shouldn’t subject ourselves to that.

I’ll state right now that it’s cool that you believe that. It’s your right. But, everyone has the right to choose for themselves, and I think that’s the way God wants it. Don’t believe me? Let’s look at a biblical example.

Adam and Eve knew eating off the Tree of Knowledge was wrong, but they still did it. They made the choice and God made them live with it. But it was a choice. According to most Christian based religions, God is omnipotent and all powerful. Don’t you think if He wanted to, God could have taken that temptation away from them? He could have fenced off that tree or put it behind a wall or even not create it at all. But He didn’t. Why? He designed us to have free will.

I guess in my long-winded way, I’m trying to say: Get the Religion out of our Politics. I really don’t think God cares who we love and how we live. I believe (and I think there are a lot of people out there who agree with me) He is concerned about how we treat each other. Once we figure out the secret to that, I don’t think we’ll ever have to worry about mixing Religion and Politics again.

We Herd Cats

"We herd cats."

I covered my mouth and giggled. The rest of my teammates tittered with laughter, not quite believing what we just heard. But glancing back at the Boss Man during our project update meeting, we knew he was right. We are in a service business.

We are in the business of herding cats. Those finicky, picky, petty, infuriating, high maintenance, demanding, time consuming, self-centered, Your-Business-Revolves-Around-Me, penny pinching, corner cutting, change resisting cats.

Just because I work in Project Management doesn’t mean I get away from dealing with the customer. In fact, sometimes it means I’m directly responsible for how the customer’s experience goes. There’s always someone, internally and externally, who needs to be pleased as the patron. Luckily, I am the type of person who enjoys helping people and will do everything in my power to get the job done.

I just no longer subscribe to the old saying that, “The customer is always right.” Does that make me jaded and bitter?

No. The customer isn’t always right. They can be right sometimes. But they can’t be right all the time. It seems that today, the customer is a blow hard who’ll fly off the handle even if it’s their fault. The idea of customer responsibility is a myth.

In short – all cats want to be petted and pampered in an air of self-entitlement. And they think it’s up to the Cat Herder to make it happen.

I’m not saying that all customers don’t have a right to be disgruntled at times, however lately they tend to complain about the dumbest things. For instance: Part of my job is to answer a variety of customer e-mails that come in our general e-mail box. I recently received an e-mail from a customer who just APPALLED that we would not process her online payment. WE are causing her a late fee. Why didn’t this payment go through when she’s made TONS of payments on our website before AND she copied all the information for this cancelled payment from the information from her last payment?

Well, after a little research, it turns out this customer fat-fingered one of the account numbers. The payment rejected because the information SHE PROVIDED TO US, was WRONG. I wrote her back explaining the error and I think I did a very good job of it. I didn’t point fingers and scream UNCLEAN! In fact I told her an error was made and that all she had to do was resubmit the payment.

If you read her response, you would have thought I accused her of stealing money from the U.S. Mint! She proceeded to DEMAND that we take the payment as is and asked for our corporate address, the relationship we have with the company that we process payments for, and explain to her how I know FOR SURE that the incorrect account number is the real cause of the payment rejecting.

OH COME ON!!!

Who made the error? Are we supposed to reprimand the software for doing its job and rejecting items that don’t match a list provided to us by our client? And where does she get off thinking this is a personal vendetta? Yes lady, I personally went into our system…sought out your payment and screwed it up so you would have to pay a late fee. It’s like she thinks I do nothing but sit at my desk randomly selecting lives I need to disrupt.

It’s thinking like this that just irks me! Anyone in the service industry does their best to help a customer. But because the customer has been bred on the idea that they’re always right – it’s caused this new form of abuse to start cropping up!

Customer service is a two way street. If we’re wrong – we’ll take the fall. But there is some responsibility on the customer’s part. And I’m not the only one who feels this way about it. The service industry is starting to vent their feelings. Thousands flock daily to the popular website Customers Suck Website to read, laugh, and write about their worst customer experiences. But becoming aware of bad customers doesn’t end at website built for venting. When esteemed business rags like Forbes Magazine decide to give tips on dumping bad customers, you know that this is a real concern.

Just not fast enough. But I take heart that there is some just at the end of the day. Recently, a teammate of mine celebrated our division “firing” one of our clients. Dealing with this client had sucked up so much time and effort, the Boss Man decided to cut the strings. We didn’t need the business THAT badly. I guess if the Customer Service industry realized that losing a customer isn’t the end of the world, maybe the customer wouldn’t be such a pain in the ass.

Bad customers are a drain on customer service staffs. For every stupid problem we spend an hour on, it means we’re ignoring other customers who actually need our help. And causing a scene gets you nowhere! It just makes us want to get rid of you faster. Worse yet – you become our entertainment. If you work in a service industry job, you know you have an impression of the last customer to piss you off. And LOVE doing it!

A seasoned Cat Herder is willing to go to hell and back for a good customer. But they can also tell you that once bitten, twice shy. We get asked to own up for our mistakes all the time. At least do us the courtesy of not scratching up our face when you ask us to fix your mistakes.

Remember that at some point, everyone is on the other side of the counter. The next cat round-up might be yours.

Tuesday...And I'm Already Up to My Neck

This is Lily...




This is Lily when she has to bring home work...



This is the Modern Girl Friday Blog...



And this is the Modern Girl Friday Blog when Lily has to bring home work...



Any questions?

...if I make it past Wednesday...I'll be back Thursday.

PEACE!

- Lily

BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Women & Men

Last year my parents celebrated 30 years and this year my husband and I will celebrate 3 years and some things do not change...

WOMEN'S REVENGE

"Cash, check or charge?" I asked, after folding items the woman wished to purchase. As she fumbled for her wallet I noticed a remote control for a television set in her purse.

"So, do you always carry your TV remote?" I asked.

"No," she replied, "but my husband refused to come shopping with me, and I figured this was the most evil thing I could do to him legally."

UNDERSTANDING WOMEN

(A MAN'S PERSPECTIVE)

I know I'm not going to understand women.

I'll never understand how you can take boiling hot wax,

pour it onto your upper thigh, rip the hair out by the root,

and still be afraid of a spider.

MARRIAGE SEMINAR

While attending a Marriage Seminar dealing with communication,

Tom and his wife Grace listened to the instructor,

"It is essential that husbands and wives know each other's

likes and dislikes."

He addressed the man,

"Can you name your wife's favorite flower?"

Tom leaned over, touched his wife's arm gently and whispered,

"It's Pillsbury, isn't it?

WIFE VS. HUSBAND

A couple drove down a country road for several miles, not saying a word.

An earlier discussion had led to an argument and neither

of them wanted to concede their position.

As they passed a barnyard of mules, goats, and pigs,

the husband asked sarcastically, "Relatives of yours?"

"Yep," the wife replied, "in-laws."

W O R D S

A husband read an article to his wife about

how many words women use a day...

30,000 to a man's 15,000.

The wife replied, "The reason has to be because

we have to repeat everything to men...

The husband then turned to his wife and asked, "What?"

CREATION

A man said to his wife one day, "I don't know how

you can be so stupid and so beautiful all at the same time.

"The wife responded, "Allow me to explain.

God made me beautiful so you would be attracted to me;

God made me stupid so I would be attracted to you!

WHO DOES WHAT

A man and his wife were having an argument about

who should brew the coffee each morning.

The wife said, "You should do it, because you get up first,

and then we don't have to wait as long to get our coffee."

The husband said, " You are in charge of cooking around here and

you should do it, because that is your job,

and I can just wait for my coffee."

Wife replies, "No, you should do it, and besides, it is in the Bible

that the man should do the coffee."

Husband replies, "I can't believe that, show me."

So she fetched the Bible, and opened the New Testament

and showed him at the top of several pages,

that it indeed says.........."HEBREWS"

The Silent Treatment

A man and his wife were having some problems at home and were giving each

other the silent treatment. Suddenly, the man realized that the next day,

he would need his wife to wake him at 5:00 AM for an early morning business flight.

Not wanting to be the first to break the silence (and LOSE), he wrote on a piece of paper,

"Please wake me at 5:00 AM." He left it where he knew she would find it.

The next morning, the man woke up, only to discover it was 9:00 AM

and he had missed his flight. Furious, he was about to go and

see why his wife hadn't wakened him, when he noticed a piece of paper by

the bed. The paper said, "It is 5:00 AM. Wake up."

Men are not equipped for these kinds of contests.

MGF Battle Royale: Overrated vs. Underrated, Part II

Welcome to Part Deux of our MGF Battle Royale! This is where the overrated get judged and the underrated finally get their due!

Before moving on to the next set of battles – thanks to the few of you that wrote in. There were some great suggestions – which I’m going to save for a rainy day! In the meantime, here’s the next round of Overrate vs. Underrated! I’m a little longwinded on this one – but cut me some slack! I had a lot to say.

DING! DING! DING! Let’s get it on!

Overrated – Men “in touch” with their “feminine side”
Underrated – Guys
Ladies, this battle is kind of our fault. Since there was Adam and Eve, we’ve confused men with some of our demands. For centuries and eras of time, we’ve said that men have to be more sensitive to our feelings and needs. We wanted them to take better care of their looks. We wanted them to make a few decisions with us. So, a good number of them did. WHAT WERE WE THINKING!?

While it’s nice to have someone who’ll go to a chick flick with you without bitching or cater to your every need, it gets old…really fast. Men in touch with their feminine side become so concerned with how you’re feeling every minute you’re together that it becomes claustrophobic! And they’re so high maintenance! Many of my single friends have dumped a clinger or two simply because they found they had to be “the man” in the relationship.

What we really should be celebrating are GUYS. These are the fellows who don’t pretend to know everything about women and how they tick. And while they’re willing to walk the line for a chick, they’re not going to change themselves completely for a woman. They’re okay with a woman making own bread at work because they know a woman that secure will share that bread with them! But Guys are also the type who will take care of you when you’re sick and be patient enough to answer your 500th question during the 4th Quarter of an NFL Playoff Game. They’re quirky, they’re funny, they’re sweetly insecure at times – Modern Guys are the perfect answer to Modern Girls.

Overrated – VH1
Underrated – MTV
Okay, hear me out before you shoot me on this one! While MTV has been accused in the past for being shallow and kicking out the “M” in MTV, it’s VH1 that is now guilty of being as deep as a soup spoon. I am guilty of turning on VH1 for some mindless fun – but I can’t watch it all day long like I used to because that’s all it is, mindless fun.

Where it used to be home of some pretty great music based series like “Behind the Music,” it’s devolved into a gluttony of pop culture epilepsy! I loved the 80’s too, people…but you’re on your third version of the decade review series and you’ve burned through the 90’s twice already! And some one needs to answer for two seasons of “The Flavor of Love.” OMG…I DID NOT need to see Flava Flav make out with all those skanks! And then you went out and made the spin-off “I Love New York?” I WANT NAMES. I WANT HEADS ON A PLATTER. What happened to my smart and spunky VH1? Why not make more “Rap School” instead of “The White Rapper Show?” “Breaking Bonaduce” was enough, but do we really need to start “Shooting Sizemore?” How many more music countdowns do we really need?

Meanwhile, over on MTV – their shows have taken on a decidedly more “real” feel to them. There are still clunkers of melodrama (“The Hills” and “My Super Sweet Sixteen” are admittedly guilty pleasures – but I just like seeing rich bitch boys and girls cry), but when you pair them up with MTV’s stellar documentary shows like “True Life” and “Made,” you see that MTV has finally come of age. They found the balance between sugary pop fun and relevance in this world. They’ve decided to show how the world is today; and more importantly, they take their time doing it. The breakout series of the fall on MTV for me was their examination of the religion of high school football with “Two a Days.” As someone who deals with teenagers in an activity as time consuming and all encompassing as football, it was great to see how these kids deal with the pressure and deal with themselves. Kudos to MTV for giving us something to watch!

Overrated – Skimpy Clothing
Underrated – Clothing That Leaves Something to the Imagination
When Elusive Orchid and I get together on Yahoo Messenger late at night, we’re usually perusing clothing websites for clothes. One of her favorite places to shop is Victoria’s Secret. And that’s cool because she totally has the bod for VS! But whenever we look on there, I always wonder where the “secrets” went. Victoria has the worst kept secrets of all time!

Skirts that also double as headbands, tops that show as much chest as they do belly, and pants so tight your gender is apparent from 20 miles away are not sexy for public consumption IMHO. And listen up hooch bags: GUYS DON’T FIND IT ATTRACTIVE EITHER. While the lingerie from Victoria’s Secret is great for a little striptease for your spouse or significant other, it’s best in the bedroom. In public, men like their women like presents on Christmas: A little mystery to unwrap in their own time.

I have a good friend who says a woman looks her sexiest in the winter when she wears a comfy pair of jeans, boots, a shapely sweater, and a scarf. One of my male guest bloggers loves a girl in a sundress, especially if it’s a little long. “Lily, you have noooooo idea,” he said to me once. For him, its wondering what’s under there that drives him crazy. A former co-worker professed a weakness for women in their yoga workout gear. Another says trousers and heels are a dangerous combination. Yet another goes ga-ga over knee length skirts and knee-high boots (“She’s a demure dominatrix!”). I was on a business trip with a boss when I learned that he fell in love with his girlfriend-turned-wife’s body when he saw her bundled up in a pea coat. Who says less is more?

Overrated – Cynics
Underrated – Optimists
Glass-Half-Empty people, Negative Nellies, and Doomsdayers…get outta my way before I smack you!

Cynics, I’m through with you. There’s a lot of shit happening in the world today. A lot of it bad and it doesn’t seem to be getting better. That does not mean as a human you should roll over and just let it happen and spread a woeful message to everyone who’ll listen. YOU are part of the problem, not me! Would it kill you to be just a little bit happy? Everyone seems to listen to you because you’re willing to say ANYTHING to get attention and put down people who want to say “It’s gonna be alright.”

Well guess what? If I want to go around seeing the best in people and situations, it doesn’t make me naïve and ignorant. Optimists know just as much as you do about the news and issues – sometimes they are better informed – we just choose to put our head down and work it out. If everyone just concentrated on their little part of their world, things would be a lot easier. If we put more optimism in our media, maybe half of us wouldn’t be living in fear. Get happy or get out!

MGF Battle Royale: Overrated vs. Underrated, Part I

Society and pop culture are full of things that receive more credit than it’s really due. And in the course of these events, we often allow these overrated things to pass. We’re far too busy to worry about them, and surely we have better things to do with our time, right?

But what kind of MGF would I be if I didn’t point out a few things that have slipped on by for far too long? I’d be an irresponsible Blogger, that’s what. Lucky for you – I need to vent. Lucky for me – I have a blog to do it in. So…without further ado…

DING! DING! DING! Welcome the MGF Battle Royale!

For the next two posts, we will examine those things that deserve our attention and those that deserve a boot in the ass. And if anyone has any better ideas, I’d love to hear ‘em! But until then…enjoy the blood bath!

Overrated – Rosie O’Donnell
Underrated – Ellen DeGeneres
With similar backgrounds as comedians turned talk show mavens, one would think that any acceptance of an alternative lifestyle celebrity in the mainstream would be a win-win. Well, it would be if Rosie would shut-up for a moment. Far be it from ME to discourage making waves, but it always seems that Rosie squawks on “The View” because of some notion that she’s speaking for the public. If that’s the case, I vote we pick a new spokesperson. And then there’s the lesbian thing that gets thrown our faces every chance we get. Let’s get one thing straight: I’m not siding with Donald Trump AND I don’t hate lesbians. But the way Rosie handles things is just too showy for my tastes. SHUT UP ALREADY!

Meanwhile, Ellen DeGeneres has become the girl everyone wants to be friends with. The talk show that bears her name is a hit, while acting sometimes as a platform for things that matter to her. She and girlfriend, Portia de Rossi have set up a cute little romance for themselves amidst the Hollywood spotlight. And those American Express commercials? HILARIOUS! When she speaks her mind, she doesn’t shoot off her mouth. Ellen doesn’t pretend or grandstand. She’s comfortably who she is. I’d love to hang out with her!

Overrated – Basketball
Underrated – Hockey
The American sports psyche is completely filled with football and baseball. Luckily for the two sports, they are in separate parts of the year. Unfortunately for our two battle contestants, basketball and hockey, it means they have to fight for whatever attention span is left during the same set of months. While I enjoy the NBA and find the players somewhat interesting “characters,” I really think hockey gets a bad rap for no apparent reason!

Basketball is a fast game and has the “street cred” of tattooed and rapping players. But hockey is just as fast and just as street. Most NHL skaters can reach speeds exceeding 25 MPH on the ice. Add to the fact that they have to follow an object the size of a Hostess Ding-Dong with a stick in one hand and a 225-pound defenseman right behind them, basketball looks absolutely pedestrian. And the street cred? What other sport in the world has fist fighting as a part of the rules? I told my fellow blogger Sunny Treasures that Raja Bell of the Phoenix Suns is in the wrong sport! In the NBA he gets suspended for clocking Kobe Bryant in the jaw – in the NHL he would have sat in what in essence is a “Time Out” corner for 5-minutes!

Raja – call the Phoenix Coyotes – I hear they need help!

Overrated – Keeping Up With the Guys
Underrated – Making the Guys Keep Up With Us
This winter, the TBS channel gave us “My Boys.” The premise of the sitcom is that of PJ Franklin. PJ is living the sport fans dream of being a writer for the Chicago Sun Times. With exception of gal pal, Stephanie, PJ surrounds herself with the guys. Her character bio states that “Almost everything in dating and relationships is a parallel to sports, especially baseball.

And she wonders why she’s still single?

Look – I’m a sports fan. A HUGE SPORTS FAN. But why do women think they have to be accepted by men by inhabiting their domain? There’s nothing wrong with being knowledgeable, but don’t forget you’re a female…men automatically are attracted to you because of nature, chemistry, and instinct! It’s okay to be a girl. It’s okay to like sports, smoking cigars, and playing poker. But remember that your biggest advantage is being able to keep them on their toes by just being YOU.

Overrated – Sex
Underrated – Everything Before Sex
I bet there are a few of my family members who are cringing right now, LOL! Look, I don’t have any kids. Skip over this part and pretend I’m still a virgin at age 30. The rest of you – read on.

I enjoy it. I think humans were built to enjoy it and be fascinated by it. But geeze – its not the end all and be all of relationships! According to the website Answer Bag, the average time for intercourse amongst married couples is 30-minutes. And in a few magazines I’ve read, some people say it’s less than that.

Yep…that’s it. Thirty whole minutes, if you’re lucky! This is why I never understood why “losing it” was so important! To me, what you do before the lovin’ is the best part! No one kisses anymore. Kissing is like that two lane freeway no one ever uses. People just zoom right past that and head straight for the six- lane Horizontal Mambo Expressway. Think about the thrill of your first kiss. The brush of a hand on your cheek. The warm breath on your neck as you romantically converse with your partner. Pretty much anybody can have sex. It’s how you get there that’s the most thrilling!

Overrated – Sneakers
Underrated – High Heels
Sneakers and tennis shoes: Love them! They’re comfy, they’re utilitarian. They get you where you need to go. However, they don’t really go with my formal wear.

There isn’t a pair of sneakers around that can turn my short ass tree trunks for legs into the curviest and shapeliest things in the world! You can’t even say that they’re uncomfortable anymore! Heels are by far the fastest way to boost your posture and ego. If I want to feel like I own the joint, I wear a black leather pair of 1-inch pumps with my favorite suit. Feeling sweet? My favorite pair of round-toe sling backs with a chunky heel and ribbon accent. Sexy? Find me something strappy and STAT! Woman cannot live on athletic kicks alone. You can try – but I guarantee you – its just not the same.

Can This Relationship Be Saved?

I’m thinking about cheating on him.

No…seriously.

It’s just too much work to be with him anymore. I find myself forcing out a smile when I tell people I’m going to meet up with him. We used to have so much fun! We bustle about…reading and listening to our favorite tunes. Now, I can’t stand to look at him. He makes me a better person, but is that enough? We discussed taking a break from each other last month – hid it from the family and everything. Who am I kidding? It’s no fun getting all hot and sweaty anymore. The thrill is gone.

I think I’m going to have to divorce Gym.

All kidding aside (You know a part of you thought it was Lenny…SICKOS!), my relationship with Gym is being tested the last few weeks. It’s been almost a year since I decided that I needed to take better care of myself. And I think I did a rather good job keeping up with a 2-3 day routine last year, even when my schedule blew up. I ate right – but didn’t get all manic about it.

Then of course, the holidays came – along with an unexpected workload. So, Gym had to take a back seat. I promised myself that I would hop back on at first chance. And I did. Back on the elliptical trainer as of last week along with dance class on Wednesday. Damn…that was the roughest three days of my life this year! Every bone in my body hurt and while I was on the trainer, I was looking for any excuse to get the hell out of there 5-10 minutes earlier. Which I did.

You remember that character Tim Meadows played on SNL called “The Ladies Man?” Well, sneaking out on my workout felt like Leon Phelps leaving his latest conquest.

“Uh yeah baby…I gots to go.”

It’s not like I WANT to be a lazy, fat ass. It just seems hard to find my focus. It’s that part of the relationship where you get past all the good, weird, and exciting stuff. Basically, Gym and I are in our version of the “Seven Year Itch.”

Gone is the early sweetness of the honeymoon phase where I couldn’t wait to clock out of work and head out to see Gym. I’d hop on the treadmill and walk my ass off for an hour. Then we moved to the thrill of discovering of his different quirks: Cardio, weights, resistance…even contemplated a little Yoga. And finally, we got comfortable with each other. I showed up every other day and spent my time with Gym.

It’s just so damn hard! I’ve been working out regularly since last year and I feel like I’ve hit a wall. There are little changes here and there with my body – but I guess I’m falling into the trap of wanting more. I want to see the results faster. My patience is wearing thin and reminding myself that it takes time is losing its luster. So, I take out my frustrations on Gym.

Where did the magic go? Can this relationship be saved?

Well, I’ll tell you this – I’ve invested too much time and effort into this relationship! Despite this little bit of drama, I’m going to rough it out with Gym. I have dance class tomorrow and I WILL make our little preset date and sweat my stomach away.

I will love Gym…and dammit…HE WILL LOVE ME BACK!

Ohh…that sounded a little Fatal Attraction-esque. Hee hee. But the bottom line is – I’ll get out of this funk. At least I hope I will. Otherwise, I would have just wasted my time.

And what woman wants to admit wasting time on a relationship?

BrownSuga's sweet spot: The Golden Mouse Awards

And the winner for Best Supporting writer for an amateur blog is…

<>BROWNSUGA!

Oh my *cries* gosh! I can’t believe it. I was not expecting this. Wow, I have to thank the National Association of Bloggers for recognizing us little people who so enjoy what we do *mumbles* for no money. The Golden Mouse Award is an honor. And to me nominated with so many wonderful other bloggers. It's such a pleasure to be nominated but I have to tell you, winning is SO much better.

First and foremost, I have to thank God! For His blessings keep me here. *cries*

Ms. Lily White, thank you. You are the reason I write. You keep me inspired. Thank you, Lily for creating such a wonderful blog where we women can feel comfortable spouting our opinions. And for bringing such a wonderful group of writers together. To the cast and crew that keep MGF up and running. You are an amazing bunch of people.

I must thank my husband for pissing me off regularly so that I have someone to bitch about when all other topics slip my mind.

George Bush, although I don’t write about you directly, you are the main person who gets under my skin and pushes me to write to rid myself of anger or frustration.

Thank you to my family and friends who continually make idiotic remarks and are oblivious to the fact that they are the subjects of many of my blogs.

Thank you to the very interesting men and women online. For you are the people I write for and the people I enjoy meeting. If it were not for you, the readers, I wouldn’t be writing!

*shut up music starts*

Oh and thank you Al Gore for inventing the internet!

Thank you again.

*and she walks gracefully off the stage*

I Came to Rant and Eat Crow

Pain. Disappointment. Rage. No tears…at least not yet.

Dammit. Why do I still do this?

It was the perfect team. We were 14-2 in the regular season. We have MVP LaDanian Tomlinson. Our whiz kid, Philip Rivers was pulling miracles out of his @$$. For once in my life, it’s MY team that’s the favorite. THIS WAS THE BEST TEAM WE’VE EVER HAD. All those years of taunting, taking it in the shorts, and sometimes being the laughing stock of the entire football league were going to be erased TODAY.

As a Charger fan, I should have known better.

In what has to be the single most painful moment in my sport watching career, I have just shut the TV off in light of the New England Patriot’s 24-21 victory over my beloved Bolts. We had it in our hands…and we lost.

Again.

Once again, my football season ended too soon. I don’t even get the satisfaction of saying that we were robbed. Well, we kind of were. But how can you tell other football fans you mugged yourself? I will say this now – we have no one to blame but ourselves.

Bad play choices. Bobbled balls. Stupid penalties. Horrible game management. We didn’t finish the job! All the stuff we did in the regular season? Blown away by a team that wanted it more and nailed their assignments! Tomorrow, all the sport pundits will be talking about will be how the Chargers blew the biggest opportunity yet.

I am so pissed. Not that they lost – that I have to defend and explain to my friends why my team can’t pull the damn trigger! They had them where they wanted them and they couldn’t deliver.

And now I have to live with it. *sighs* Okay – bring it on! Let’s get it over with. C’mon you Giant’s fans. I know you’ve wanted to take a shot at me since I wrote that thank you note to Eli Manning! Everyone just pile on now and get it over with. I want to be in a better mood for next week’s round of playoff games!

In the meantime…I’m going to go wash the loss off my conscious. Cry in my bowl of Wheaties. Maybe I’ll just give up hoping. Give up the dream of having a winning football team.

Until training camp that is.


***Addendum: To the person who posted a "HA HA HA HA" comment on my "A Thank You Note to Eli Manning" (no doubt rejoicing in my loss) -- I had the balls to call my shot and back up my team. At least have the balls to leave a post with a name on it! Otherwise, the girls around here start calling you Mr. Nutless Wonder. *smiles*

New Year's Mission Statements

Second week of a brand new year. To quote me and my boss, “This year has pretty much sucked so far.”

To be fair – you’d think it suck too if you spent your whole day in front of a computer and on the phone with people who would know the on button from their belly button. And these people usually own their own business and handle very large transactions of money.

How they figure out how to dial the phone is really beyond me. And my Mom wants to know why I’m not “successful” like these people?

Anyway – due to the massive pile-up of work – I neglected to take a moment (Read: I was being lazy and gave myself and extra week of mental loafing) and create my resolutions list. I know you cynics out there are going “Resolutions are for SUCKAS!” Well, I can agree. Which is why I believe in New Year’s Mission Statements?

Who wants to make a resolution when we all know that we’re going to break it by February? Making statements just seems more moving to me. It’s not what I’m going to TRY and do this year…it’s what I WANT to do with my year.

Plus, I don’t know about you…they’re a lot more fun to write.

LILY’S RESOLUTIONS FOR 2007

1. I will define my beauty with my personality…not my waist size.
2. I will stop listening to the loud squawking sound that is Rosie O’Donnell. She WANTS you to fall into her trap of caring about stuff that’s she has no business talking about.
3. I will be nicer to my husband. He is a wonderful person and I’m way too hard on him…even though he starts it most of the time.
4. I will go to more baseball games.
5. I will have more MGF staff meetings with Orchid and BrownSuga…we do not talk to each other enough anymore.
6. I will get back into reading one or two books a month – woman can not be informed on Glamour and Lucky magazine alone.
7. I will not diet. I will be more mindful of what I eat. I will not feel guilty for eating that cream puff after my garden salad.
8. I will not compromise myself for anyone.
9. I will try and convince myself I don’t need that huge Coach purse I’ve been eyeing since June. But this will be difficult…it’s COACH.
10. I will not feel guilty for other people’s problems. Everyone will either thrive or hang themselves.

Here goes nothing! Good luck this year to Resolution Makers and Mission Statement Believers alike!

BrownSuga's sweet spot: Spotlight: Diane Keaton

I blame my husband! Ok so it’s really my fault. I completely forgot to post my blog last night. What reminded me was a commercial for Diane Keaton’s new movie “Because I said so”. I got extremely excited because Ms. Keaton is one of my favorite actresses. The Academy Award actress just turned 60 and after publicly downing plastic surgery became the new spokeswoman for L'Oreal Cosmetics. Her characters make me laugh out loud. And in honor of her new film I bring you my top 5 movies with Diane Keaton. Check them out and tell me your favorites.

5. The Godfather Trilogy – Sensible Kay Adams. In the midst of mob mentality, Keaton’s character believes love can fix anything. We watch her, her marriage and family be put on the back burner for “the family business” *wink*. And when she prayed for Michael’s soul, we all prayed with her.

4. First Wives’ Club - Doormat Annie Paradis After being left by her no good husband (played by cutie Stephen Collins who also co-stars in her new movie) for their younger psychiatrist, Keaton, Goldie Hawn and Bette Midler team up to get revenge. Two hours of hilarious shenanigans keep this movie at the top of my list. Her final rendition of “You don’t own me” makes me get up and sing every time

3. Something’s Gotta Give – Independent Erica Barry Both Diane Keaton and Jack Nicholson have semi-nude scenes, what more could you ask for? I didn’t even want to see this movie at first but one night I picked it up from my local video store and was thoroughly surprised. Nominated for an Academy Award, Keaton was made for this role. Her character’s penchant for wearing white reminds me of Keaton’s love of turtlenecks. Both women understand and accept their age with grace and style. You are never too old to fall in love. And acting your age is sexy.

2. Baby Boom – Urbanite J.C. Wiatt CLASSIC C-L-A-S-S-I-C. Whenever this movie comes on television I have to watch it. And now that I started my own business I love it even more. She is an inspiration to all entrepreneurs. Her gourmet baby food rivals Gerber. And her shift in priorities is just cheesy enough to make us want to watch it over and over again.

1. The Family Stone – Matriarch Sybil Stone I can’t even begin to explain why I love this movie so much…well maybe I can. The family dynamic in this movie is wonderful. It’s so good; I want to be a sibling. Keaton plays the mother of 5 adult children. The family black sheep (Dermot Mulroney) brings home uptight “racist, bigot, bitch from Bedford” Sarah Jessica Parker, who completely doesn’t fit into the liberal, comfortable, laid-back dynamic. I can’t get enough of this movie, and the fact that it’s set in northeast U.S. during the holiday season makes it just that more enjoyable.

Inmates Running the Asylum

When I was a kid, I definitely knew what my place was. Sure – I was “mouthy and sarcastic” according to my Mom – but I certainly lived with a respectable level of fear about my parents. If it was a choice between the cops and my parents? I’d rather have the cops. Ask siblings 2 and 3 in my family…I was on the receiving end of A LOT of parental discipline due to my mouth and actions. And yes, much to the chagrin of some of my relatives there was spanking. But in hindsight, that was clearly a last resort on my parent’s part.

One of the things I used to hear from my Mom was “You don’t think I know what you’re up to? Everything you’ve done, I’ve done. I know what you’re up to.” And for the most part is was true.

Maybe.

With my husband and a good number of my friends working as educators, I get first hand information on the uphill battle they wage in the classroom over the school year. Many in my social circle regale me with tales of super tantrums and spoiled rotten nieces and nephews. And add to this the recent “Fab Five” cheerleading scandal at McKinney North High School in Dallas, Texas, I can concur that kids today are just like me when I was growing up.

Well, we’d be alike if I had posted pictures on my MySpace of me and my friends in the local condom store simulating something that would be considered in ALL circles as an act sexual in nature.

What the hell happened to DISCIPLINE?! And moreover, what happened to the supposed authority figures? You may remember who they are…ADULTS? In the aforementioned cheerleading scandal, after I picked myself off of the floor reading about the condom store picture, my jaw hit the ground again when I read about their further escapades. These five “Mean Girls” pretty much had the run of their high school. They cussed out their teachers. They stole their coach’s cell phone and sent sexually explicit messages to her husband and another coach. Their behavior was described by many to be “bawdy” and “raunchy.” And each time they acted up, the call for discipline would be shot down.

It got so bad that the school district spent $40,000 to investigate the claims. This resulted in the resignation of Principal Linda Theret, the possible removal of the school’s Assistant Principal, the girls either quitting or getting kicked off the team, and much of the country scratching their heads wondering “How’d it get this far?”

What disturbed me the most was that one of the girls said in a recent interview, that if the Fab Five’s behavior was a problem, “Why didn’t they take it up with us when we were freshman?” She felt that it wasn’t fair that all of a sudden, now that they were seniors, their behavior was labeling them as “horrible girls.”

How funny is it that the kid nailed it on the head? Why did this become a problem FOUR YEARS after they started? How did it become suddenly okay for teens to act out so publicly and without repercussion. Many involved in the case point to Principal Theret, who not only is the principal of McKinney North, but the MOTHER of the Fab Five’s ringleader.

I don’t know about you – but the first HINT of trouble would have spurred my Mom to action. I would have done significantly LESS than those girls and I guarantee you that my ass and a belt would have become quite good friends. This is the same woman who always said, “When I promise you something….YOU WILL GET IT.” Shoot. I still get crap for things I did when I was 16.

But back to the point: Why are parents today afraid to discipline their kids? When I grew up, there were consequences to my actions. Time and time again, I have to shake my head because there are a lot of parents out there who let their kids run wild, leaving other authority figures who have to work with them powerless to modify or regulate their behavior.

Case in point: Earlier in Lenny’s tenure as a high school teacher, he was herding his kids back from an assembly. He noted that one of his charges (a girl he’d had issues with before) had ditched his class. Per his class and school policy, he notified the parent by phone regarding the truancy. The father’s response to the matter?

“As long as she’s not doing drugs or having sex, I don’t care what she does at school.”

GAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH! Who gave the keys to the asylum to the inmates? It saddens me to see it happen all the time. It amazes me the way young children and teenagers treat authority figures. But it doesn’t surprise me. No rules, no consequences, no problem!

I normally am not into reality shows like “Super Nanny.” But if there is one thing that show proves to me it’s this: Discipline starts at home. But parents don’t want to parent, their instinct nowadays is to overprotect. Parents need to take control back. We may joke about “Little Terrors” and “Problem Children,” but those kids turn into cheerleaders in a condom store.

I am not a parent. At this present time, I don’t foresee becoming one. So, I know that my advice on this subject is probably unwanted. But let me tell you the basic rule of child rearing I picked up from my family. Your children and their behavior is a reflection of you as a parent. You may be willing to put up with your kid being verbally abusive to you – but society won’t be as forgiving.

Do you really want to be the parent of a “Fab Fiver?” I’m sure if it were your kid…you’d be SO PROUD.

I Crack Me Up Sometimes

So around this time of year, I start digging up old things from closets to look at or think about some of the stuff I’ve done in the past. Sure it’s a new year…but that doesn’t mean we should forget everything in the past. I’m a reflective kind of girl…what can I say?

It was during our search for a new TV set (Freak picture tube accident! Lenny was sad.) tonight after dinner. While we were waiting for the Target stock staff to bring us our TV, I stood in the middle of the electronics department thinking about the last time we were in San Francisco. Just out of the blue it came. This was about four or five years ago now and it ranks as one of my favorite trips with Lenny.

The funniest part about this trip actually happened on the flight home. Our plane was delayed on the tarmac for at least 45-minutes; there were cranky babies and cranky adults everywhere! Having traveled a lot and (at the time) employed in the travel industry, I tended to take most discomforts of travel in stride. Once you start racking up 120-call days at a reservation center, you tend to sympathize more with your hospitality brethren.

Anyways…we’re in the air for about 20-minutes. Lenny and I kind of have a laugh at the expense of the woman (a loud one, with a nasally accent) in the seat in front of me as she bitched about the trip like she’s the only one who’s affected by it. We hate whiners…and boy was she a whiner. I doze off in my seat for a moment. When I wake up, I discover that the woman has leaned her seat back…ALL THE WAY INTO MY LAP.

The effect was pretty drastic. I may be short, but I do tend to need more than 3-inches of space to sit uncomfortably in a plane. Put my tray table in the full and upright position? The tray table was in my lap…in the full and upright position while locked into place! Lenny and I couldn’t trade seats because I was pinned to the upholstery. I tried to get her attention, but no luck…she’d gone down for a nap of her own.

I could have kicked the chair. I could have blown up an air sickness bag and popped it over her face. I could have made the stewardess handle it for me. But I had yet to find my “I Don’t Give a S@#t!” attitude. So what did I do?

I wrote haiku.

Three of them to be exact. In hindsight…they kind of suck. However, at the time, it was a GREAT catharsis! The simplicity of a 5-7-5 stanza prevented me from smothering that woman with one of those paper pillows. Proving to myself yet again – I was born to put words to paper!

When I thought about my “Airplane Haiku” while shopping, I so wanted to see them again. Thank goodness Lenny is a pack rat with several flash drives! After some minimal searching, he found it. I had a good laugh once more relieving the reason behind the verse.

So – I felt like sharing. Like I said, I wrote them to amuse myself in a time of stress. But that’s okay. I wrote them for ME! If you can’t write for yourself…how do you expect to write for others!

Enjoy…or not. The choice is yours. But know this: I crack me up sometimes!

LILY’S INFAMOUS AIRPLANE HAIKU

Haiku I – Take Off
Brown haired she-devil
Please pull your seat up for me
My space is too small

Haiku II – Leveling Out
Look out the window
Enjoying the vast vast blue
It’s all I can do

Haiku III – Final Approach
One foot between us
Several thousand feet below
A long drop for her

A Thank You to Eli Manning

Dear Eli,

A pleasant New Year to you! I’m sure you are busy getting ready to play this weekend versus the Philadelphia Eagles, but I hope that you might take a moment and perhaps peruse the internet and come across this little thank you note I wish to write to you.

I know, a man as busy and successful as you must conserve all his energy and game smarts for the upcoming playoff game. It’s that kind of drive and concentration brought your vaunted New York Giants to that sterling 8-8 record this season! Oh and hey, don’t worry…that meltdown in the second half of the season…NOT YOUR FAULT. You know the New York media can be too harsh sometimes. Ask Randy Johnson about his first day as a Yankee.

But who can blame a Manning, right? I mean, your family is football royalty! You can do what you want to do! Be the quarterback you want to be! Win the Super Bowls you want to win…oh wait. I’m jumping the gun, aren’t I? You need to get there first! Way to put the cart in front of the horse there, Lils!

But back to my thank you. I have to admit, that when you were drafted in 2004, I was a little miffed. Being a San Diego native, I love my team (GO BOLTS!). I want them to succeed. Sure we have our sucky years, but I stick with them nonetheless. Your statistics and family lore obviously made you a top prospect for a team searching for a quarterback. Yes, I was angry, hurt, and perhaps a little offended. I mean – who turns down America’s Finest City?

Year round sunshine! Real grass! Beaches! Shamu! The World Famous San Diego Zoo! The Charger Girls! There are reasons why sports figures like Junior Seau and baseball legend Tony Gwynn chose to hang around so long, Eli. This is why I couldn’t understand why you weren’t even going to give us a shot! Like the typical Charger Fan, I walked around with a chip on my shoulder, only masking my anger around my father-in-law, who is a big Giants fan.

But that was three years ago. And you know what they say! Hindsight is 20-20. There was no way you, your father, your handlers, or the Giants organization were to know that Philip Rivers would suck up all that aura learning the system while Drew Brees was making his comeback? How could anyone have guessed that Shawne Merriman would have turned out to be such a defensive STUD? Nate Kaeding? There was no definable research that said this guy could be the second coming of John Carney!

It’s probably a complete fluke that those three guys punched their ticket to Hawaii for the Pro Bowl this year while you booked your reservations through your travel agent.

It just doesn’t seem fair, does it? You got what you wanted…but the Chargers ended up 14-2 this season with home field advantage. It’s just bad luck that Marty Schottenheimer morphed his coaching skills into the second coming of Air Coryell, complete with Ground Attack Force.

At least things haven’t been all that bad. You had that Division title last season. Carolina just got lucky when they shut you out. You got Tiki Barber powering the offense. A shame he’s probably retiring. But these are small things. I’m sure things are looking up.

Dang…I strayed from my thank you again. Let me get back to business before I yammer your ear off!

Thank you, Eli Manning. From the bottom of my heart, this Charger Fan thanks you. Thank you for turning up your nose without tasting the cuisine. Thank you for passing up the opportunity to play in San Diego. Because, let’s be honest – who knows where we’d be this season if you chose to play!

And yes, I am fully aware of the “Any Given Sunday” rule in football. As long as you’re in the playoffs, you have a chance to win. You can run the board and meet the Chargers in the big game and prove your worth. But it can just as easily flip around too. There are no sacred sheep in football. It’s blood, guts, and honor time!

But you have to give the Charger Fans their moment in the sun. How often do you get to see hubris take it in the shorts? (Psst…Eli…”hubris” is another term for “big ass ego.”)

The Charger Nation can forgive, Eli. But they NEVER forget.

Good luck this week! (GO EAGLES!)

Best wishes,

Lillian T. White
San Diego Charger Fan
(Yes, even when they were the “Re-Chargers”)
1976 to Present

BrownSuga's Sweet Spot: Auld Lang Syne

Dear 2006,

Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot
And auld lang syne?

It’s time to say farewell. Personally, I’m not sorry to see you go. No offense intended, but you know that you didn’t treat me as well as past years. And like any relationship, it’s not always one side’s fault. So I will take responsibility for my lack of interest, my short temper and my blatant excitement for 2007.

Don’t feel like you’ve let me down. There are many people who fell in love with you and will remember you fondly for the rest of their lives. You were good to some and even better to more. I can be a difficult person to appease. I find fault in all the little things. Although, there were times when I was truly happy.

I will always remember you as the year that I got to spend Christmas in my hometown with my husband. I lost 20 pounds during your 365 day reign. I even rediscovered things about myself I had forgotten.

So all in all it wasn’t all bad. But I won’t cry to see you go. I ate my greens the last two days in hopes of good sense with finances this year. I don’t eat black eyed peas and since I’m an adult now my parents can’t force them on me anymore, so I’ll have to skip on luck (I don’t believe in luck anyway so I guess that all works out). Resolution-wise I refuse to make the common ones about weight, money, and being a better person. They are usually so vague they ask to be ignored and given up on by February.

What I will take into 2007 are the lyrics to a song I fell in love with during your reign.

"Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield

I am unwritten, can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning, the pen's in my hand, ending unplanned

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Reaching for something in the distance
So close you can almost taste it
Release your inhibitions
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten

Oh, oh, oh

I break tradition, sometimes my tries, are outside the lines
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes, but I can't live that way

Staring at the blank page before you
Open up the dirty window
Let the sun illuminate the words that you could not find

Can it be anymore vague? But that is the point. Today for so many is the beginning of a new book, new chapter and for some a whole new damn library. No one else can tell us what it is we want out of 2007. We have the power to make ourselves happy so use that power wisely.

So, farewell dear 2006. I’ll never forget you. And as the immortal words of a song sung as one year ends and another begins…

Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and never brought to mind ?
Should auld acquaintance be forgot,
and auld lang syne ?

For auld lang syne, my dear,
for auld lang syne,
we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And surely ye’ll be your pint-stowp !
And surely I’ll be mine !
And we’ll tak a cup o’ kindness yet,
for auld lang syne.

And there’s a hand my trusty friend !
And give us a hand o’ thine !
And we’ll take a right good-will draught,
for auld lang syne.

Bye,

BrownSuga