Up To Speed

So it's been awhile since I've updated. I have a really good reason, I promise! Oh, wait--no I don't, I'm just a slacker. But, the anonyposter below saved my blog from becoming a ghost town with that hilarious contribution--THANK YOU!

What have I been up to? Hmmm...I feel like all I do is work, but in truth there is a lot going on. For instance, my brother recently turned 25. He's my younger brother--I feel old. We celebrated at Texas Roadhouse, but we did not make him get on the saddle. We found out that BP08 is 100% girl and also has LONG legs. I guess she will take after D. He believes she will be taller than me by 5th grade. Sheesh! Oh, and her heart (the real reason for the extra ultrasound) looks healthy. Yay! D also tried out muscle relaxers and heavy-duty pain meds for the first time. No worries, it was not by choice and he's off them now, but he hurt his back and couldn't move the entire weekend of the 4th of July. Um, no fireworks for us:( We also completed a baby registry. This went much better than when we registered for our wedding and we both came out of the store alive. Don't get me wrong, baby registries still completely confuse and overwhelm me, but I think we figured most of it out! What else? Oh, we're going to the 3M Championship this weekend!

It appears that I have done more than just work.

Because I'm Posting About January In February

First: Apologies for being AWOL for so long. And for leaving you with lame posts. I have to work on that. I'll update you later on where I've been, also known as My Latest Excuse As To Why I Can't Update My Blog.

Second: I'm going to pat myself on the back for finishing in the Top 5 for GaGA January! I'm not nearly as AWESOME as OPH, but my local gym is not nearly as awesome as Barcelona, either. Congrats on crushing us all with your Awesome Activity and on your recent engagement! Congrats also to Kat, Erin and Nic!

Third: Here is my super cool badge for placing in the Top 5. I cannot, for the life of me, get it to appear correctly in my sidebar--even with all of Audrey's help. I'm html stupid, folks.

Third and a half: Audrey, ohmygod your dogs are cute!

Oh, I’m Supposed to Blog Here

That is enough of a break for you; I’m back and I’m posting. Let the nonsense begin!

Some of you noticed that I was not around; it makes me feel good to be missed. Some days I feel like the Internet redirects my rambling to a black hole somewhere. Oh yes, Pity Party for one, please—at a table near a fireplace lest I freeze to death in January rendering me unable to continue whining. (I did the whole Cut & Paste dance with this paragraph too many times to count until I figured that I should leave it in as it accurately represents my current mood: full of self pity with a huge helping of disgust from said self pity.)

So, where have I been? Work has been uncharacteristically busy for January. (Shhhh…I mostly blog at work.) Also, I’ve been practicing (bowling) a lot and working out a lot and all of this effort is bound to pay off at some point, right? Like maybe with a strike or five and a visible waistline? But mostly I’ve been avoiding my blog because I’ve been less than chipper recently and I didn’t want a post like this to happen. But, I’m here. People emailed. And Books said it was OK if I got fired for blogging at work as long as she was entertained.

Luckily, I ignored my blog when a decent post was left on the main screen. Had it been one of my less than stellar posts, perhaps I wouldn’t have stayed away for quite as long, though. And I completely thought about updating you all on how antioxidants almost killed me: I challenged pomegranate seeds to a cage match and those little tarty-sweet seeds kicked my arse but were disqualified for causing an allergic reaction, making my digestive system revolt. The lesson in all of this: enjoy new foods, but eat them with caution!

I really didn’t intend to take 10 days off, but this week has just gone by so quickly. (see Busy At Work above) I have a couple of articles to use as writing prompts (no worries, they are not time sensitive at all, in fact I’m certain they are both old) and some pictures I intend to post as soon as I find my camera. And I am not as crabby in person as I am in black and white. I’m fine—really. In fact, my cute pearl earrings arrived today from Blue Nile and they look great with the pearl pendant necklace from D and the combo perfectly compliments my light blue cashmere turtleneck today. That and a new coffee mug are certainly enough to make this girl smile!

In Search of Ideas

I swear that I have all of these great ideas for posts. I think of them on my tunnel walks to Sbux. I think of them while I'm in the third step of my approach (bowling lingo). Ideas come at me from all directions. I have so many ideas!

So why don't I post?

I can't ever remember what I was thinking about!

I've taken to writing myself little notes in the hopes that they will jog my memory. It isn't really working. Well, sometimes it works; but then I start typing things out and I've lost all of my inspiration. It's like my muse is on vacation. Heh.

Since I don't have a lot to say, but felt the need to post, I will share with you some of my notes (they may just turn into posts someday).

1. Stolen cat
2. Red dress--drawing from high school French class, prom
3. Crazy ex-boyfriend, Epiphany, brown dress, 4th of July
4. Engagement story
5. Bro--Carla, glasses, etc

I'm Still Here

No, I have not completely abandoned ship. It's been entirely too long since I've posted, so I'll give you a few excuses as to why that is.

First, I was in Las Vegas for an extended Thanksgiving holiday with my family. It was a nice trip, although an extra day would have made it even better. While I was there I didn't have a computer to post. And I still haven't received the photos from my mom, so those will have to be posted much later. I have some great shots though!

Second, I returned to a full inbox at work on Monday. I miss one workday and apparently it was the most productive workday ever. Well, I guess that's job security.

Third, I had some kind of stomach bug. I was at home for two days and have finally left my house. Being sick sucks. It sucks even more when your husband is much sicker than you are and so he cannot take care of you. And D is a bad sick person. He gets really crabby. So the last two days have not been fun at all. So far today it's actually nice to get out of the house, even though I'm exhausted from being awake for two hours.

I'll try to be interesting later.

New and Exciting but Mostly Random

Yesterday's Blog Share (marvelous idea, -R-) was a success, and I was productive at work in spite of all the intriguing mystery posts. It was certainly a first for me--I'm still new to the world of blogs and all--but I thoroughly enjoyed participating. I had a few other firsts this week that I'd like to share with you:

1. D confessed to checking my blog. I never really told him I had a blog. I wasn't necessarily hiding it from him, but I didn't necessarily want him to know either. I've made entries in his presence and even talked about presents from bloggy friends, but I never really said, "I have a blog. It's called Muse on Vacation. You should check it out." Well, I guess I didn't really need to tell him, he knew, he checked it out. I don't think he'll be back often, but it might make me rethink some of my future entries.
2. I'm wearing a gray wool blazer today with a great pair of jeans. This is a first for me and I'm really proud of myself. I didn't think I could pull off this look and so far I'm very happy with it. It's Casual Friday and I've embraced that concept while still looking polished and pulled together. (Thanks, Mom, for letting me shop in your closet!)
3. I had my first volunteer training at the Animal Humane Society last night. I'm really excited to actually start volunteering so that I can accrue hours and move into different volunteer positions. I will start out on the Adoption Floor, which will be fun, but I'd really like to work with the obedience classes and especially with the dogs that have not yet been adopted. Beyond just dog walking, volunteers can go through additional training and start obedience training with dogs that are on the adoption floor and looking for homes. The thought is that the more well behaved the animal is, the easier it will be to place them in a forever home. This is something that I am very passionate about and I cannot wait to get to work!
4. Last night I also tried Garden Salsa Sun Chips for the first time. These are amazing. I highly recommend them. I mean, it's not so good for my Healthy Eating Plan, but it could be worse. And they are soooooo good. "It's a fiesta in your mouth. With a Mariachi band!" Who can resist that?
5. Lastly, I received the fabulous gold bubble necklace from BR in the mail. It's a bit larger than I thought (I was picturing it as the size of a quarter. It's bigger than that. A lot bigger than that.) but I do like it. As it is slightly flashier than I had imagined, I wasn't prepared to wear it today. I think I have an outfit in mind that could use a little flair (well, more than one, but one in particular for this accessory) and plan to wear it next week. Quite possibly I will post a picture.

Throwing In The Towel

***First, I need to admit that I did fail miserably at NaBloPoMo. I was home sick yesterday and could not get the frickin' computer to work. Granted, I only tried twice, but I was sick. So, I slept yesterday instead of posting. I have no idea what I would have posted, so perhaps you are all the better for not having to read through it.***

It's Tuesday. I missed posting on Monday. Sorry. I need to say that I am giving this my best effort. Also, I'm going to be in Las Vegas over Thanksgiving. Yea! But, we do not have a laptop. I'm still trying to figure out how I'm going to post from Las Vegas. I might need to amend my commitment to NaBloPoMo to days that I am at work.

I need to catch up on work today, but hopefully later I will be able to catch up on your blogs and possibly write another inspired post of my own. It's been awhile, so maybe the Muse's holiday is over and she will return so I can redeem myself.

Day 8 And It's Getting To Me

1. I often admit to being under inspired for blog entries. Why I thought I could do NaBloPoMo is beyond me; but here I am, posting nothingness.
2. Well, that was an incredibly negative way to start this post.
3. It often happens that I have tons of great ideas that come to me when I am no where near my computer.
4. My cathartic walks to Sbux often leave me feeling creative; something which rarely happens at my desk.
5. The great ideas never seem to stick, though, or the humor and/or insight is lost as it runs the course from my right brain to my fingertips.
6. What I need is a digital voice recorder, then I could dictate my blog entries on my walks and just type it up--or hook it up to specialized software and be done with it.
7. I actually did this my senior year in high school for a poetry contest. I borrowed my teacher's recorder and as I would run errands for her during my TA hour I would work out the lines of my poems. It really worked; the creativity just flowed. Two of my three poems won in two different categories. (Unnecessary pat on the back for something done 10 years ago.)
8. I guess this means I'm not the type of person who can harness the creativity, or I just haven't learned how to yet. I'm guessing it takes work for most.
9. The last thought made me imagine lightning bugs in a jar.
10. Do you say lightning bugs or fireflies? Is it regional?
11. Back to not being able to come up with inspired blog entries from my desk, this shouldn't shock me. In college I hand wrote all of my papers in a local coffee shop on a red velvet couch and then would type them up back in my dorm room. A laptop would have helped me out greatly, Mom and Dad.
12. What all of this means to me is that I really need to blog someplace other than work.
13. Also, online shopping does not cure writer's block, but I did buy the Banana Republic bubble necklace. Score!

Better Than A Radio Station T-shirt

Yesterday was just an average day, just like any other day in the life of KM & D until we arrived home and D went to get the mail. He came in the house and said, "Who is Lastname from Somecity, MN?" To be honest, I wasn't quite sure, but then I turned around and saw that he had a package for me. "That's my prize from my blogger friend!" (Thirty before 30)

A huge eye roll followed.

D: Why did you get a prize?

KM: I won her Tuesday Tunes contest.

After a short explanation of blogs and the contest...

D: But you suck at that.

KM: Well, yes. But I named the song and someone else named the artist so we both got something "Real Nice".

But D is right; knowing artists names is not my strong suit. For the first 4 years that I listened to country I didn't know that Garth Brooks sang more than half of my favorite songs. I knew I liked Garth Brooks, but I didn't know how much I liked him until D gave me the box set of all of his albums. Apparently he knew how much I liked Garth Brooks. Coincidentally, Garth Brooks has a new album out called Ultimate Hits--it hits shelves today.

Anyway, I did win the contest. (I won! I won! I really, really won!) and Thirty sent me a great package full of prizes (pictured above). I do have a crush on Jim from "The Office" so I really appreciate the I Heart Jim notepad. And who wouldn't love hot chocolate and Lip Smackers? Thank you, Thirty! I love my prize(s) and I will continue to play; but now you know that it was a complete fluke that I won!

Jumping On The Bandwagon

OK, so I just joined NaBloPoMo as a way to keep me on track with the whole blog thing. This will indeed be a challenge for me as I've been known to go weeks without updating and have never successfully updated everyday in a work week.

I have developed a plan to help me be successful over the next month. I have several small goals I would like to reach or at least work on before December 1st, so I will post on my progress as it relates to these projects and goals. Exciting, isn't it? I realize that this might get boring for you all to read, so maybe on a few slow days at work, or days where the inspiration just keeps coming, I will have additional posts. So, here are the things I hope to blog about:

• Fashion: I'm working on the whole accessory thing. Maybe I'll post pictures of...something. (Way to start of with something exciting!)
• Working out: I go through cycles on my commitment to work out and get in shape. Usually I come within 3lbs of my goal and then all of my dedication goes out the window and I binge on caramel corn and frou frou lattes. I'm hoping to hit my goal weight by December 1st and stay committed to the Healthy Eating Plan and weight training/yoga/cardio schedule.
• Recipes: I would like to start making more meals at home and I have several great recipes that are tried and true and a few more that I would like to experiment with.

This is just titillating, isn't it? I hope I don't bore you all to death.

Luv U

How is it that people will call and email and even text me about my blog, but they won't comment? Just silly. That's okay though; at least I know someone checks in every now and then. And really, no guilt about not commenting. Really. I did get several calls and emails regarding my hair cut though, so that was fun. For the record, I am starting to like it a lot more now. I won't go shorter, but I might keep it at this length for awhile.

So, what is it with all of the texting and such? My brother rarely answers his phone, but if you text him he replies instantly. And the abbreviations--I always thought the texting commercials on TV were kind of humorous (It would be so cool if I knew the company name to insert here, but you know, the commercials where the mom is all crazy over the wireless bill because of the excessive text messaging? You know that one, right?) and completely exaggerated until I received a text from a friend that was down right laughable with all of the NBD and IDK talk. And she's a professional woman! I swear she's not 16. Although, as I type this I feel as though I'm a bubble gum blowing, head-tilting, 16 year old Valley Girl. Gawd! The tone of this entry is so teenager-y.

Moving on. Texting reminds me of the days of pagers and typing out messages with the numbers. Or 9-1-1-ing people over completely stupid things. (I never had a pager. I wasn't cool like that.) And the upside down number/word thing reminds me of 6th grade prank of writing PEN15 on some one's hand.

Anyway...I'm glad that we have all sorts of ways to keep in touch, so whatever way you choose, I'm just happy that we're connected.

luvyakbye

Doughnut vs. Donut

First, let me say that I really miss Mister Donut. I used to have doughnuts with my grandparents all the time, and on my birthday we would get a box from Mister Donut--chocolate cake doughnuts with coconut--YUM. (And yes, you read correctly--chocolate cake doughnuts. I do not like chocolate, but I really loved this particular chocolate cake doughnut.)

Moving on. Kind of. I prefer donut to doughnut. I think it looks better. I like it's simplicity. My fingers would also prefer to type it. But, as an English major I must insist on doughnut.

So, the reason this is my chosen topic of the day is simply that one of my coworkers proclaimed, and others immediately agreed, that I am not a doughnut person. Some well-meaning-but-healthy-eating-plan-screwer-upper brought in doughnuts today. As I walked over to survey my options and try to decide whether or not any of them looked appealing enough, Mr. Coworker said, "KM! You're going to eat a doughnut? You're not a doughnut person." In shock, I asked, "Then what kind of person am I?" No answer. So I posed the question to Google and it brought me to a quiz.

What Donut Are You?

You Are a Glazed Donut

Okay, you know that you're plain - and you're cool with that. You prefer not to let anything distract from your sweetness. Your appeal is understated yet universal. Everyone digs you. And in a pinch, you'll probably get eaten.

Oh no! I put a blogthing in my blog! I've become that blogger. Way to get off on the wrong foot. Oh well. The topic really called for it. Really. Oh well, I hope you come back anyway!

By the way, I did end up eating a doughnut. It was a plain cake doughnut. And it was delicious. Now I'm off to ponder what kind of pastry person I am.

Attempt Number Two

This is a fresh start with only a few lingering thoughts from my first blog. No, you can't see the old one. It's a FRESH start. OK, now that that's out of the way.

I'm here because I usually have a lot to say about nothing. But really, everything I have to say is fascinating. Sometimes I'm funny, and I'll usually tell you when that is.

Oh, and I'm actually going to tell people about this blog. Maybe that will inspire me to keep up with the entries. Stick around and find out!