MLK Jr. Hijacked My Birthday

     

Awhile back there was this guy who fought for some things, said some other inspiring things, received a special day in honor of all these things, and every once in a while that special day falls on January 17th, and I get a day off for my birthday. So I guess it's not such a bad thing that I have to share it with MLK Jr. this year. It's not like I'm not used to sharing my birthday, what with the whole twin thing. 

So yeah, I've got the day off, and my big plans include laundry, hanging curtains, cleaning, cooking, and maybe I'll throw a shower in at some point. There are some dinner plans to hit the Russia House Restaurant (however, upon viewing the menu, I might be having second thoughts about it...)

If you're so inclined, pop over and wish my sis a Happy B-day.

RST: Homeless man, Laziness, Home alone, Snow and An explanation.

     

        

It's Tuesday, which means, time again for another Random Shit Tuesday! 

My randomness...
        
     

Source

I'm happy for this man. Really, I am. But can we please stop talking about him now? Yeah, I'm looking at you, Today Show. Please stop featuring stories about this man. I could really use a tear-free morning. 

I mean, okay. Tell us the story once, let me shed my tears, and then let's be done with it. Did you really need to then reunite him with his mother the next day, show footage of him calling her "Mommy", and then discuss how his mom doesn't want to be disappointed by him again?

*Sigh* I'm tearing up right now.

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Have you seen this yet? 

It's no wonder foreigners hate Americans. We're so gluttonous and lazy!

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I've spent some time home alone recently. It sucks. I've noticed that I have, um, some odd behaviors when I'm home alone. 

• I turn numerous lights on throughout the house and don't care about turning them off for fear that something might get me if I do.
• When I sleep, not only do I close the bedroom door, but I also lock it. Yeah, it gets a tad nippy in there, but at least I have a barrier between me and would-be murderers.
• I talk to myself.
• I talk to inanimate objects ("Hey bed! I can't wait to crawl into you!").
• I eat poorly. I mean, really, really poorly.
• And I don't clean up after myself. At all.

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Source

I can't believe I'm going to say this. I miss snow. Yeah, I said it. I miss real snow. I mean, if it's going to be so freakin' cold, there should at least be snow on the ground, right? Right now we have a weather warning in effect for our area. Apparently there's *gasp* an 80% chance it's going to snow tonight, and we might get *gasp* 1/2"-1" of snow accumulation. Whatever will we do? How will get anywhere tomorrow in such horrendous conditions? I should really go and stock up on some bread. And milk. Crap. What if it starts snowing while I'm at the store? How will I get home? WHAT WILL I DO?

Oh, right, I grew up in an area and a time when it was quite common to get hit with multiple feet of snow in one storm.

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I'm losing that blogging feeling. I think I've mentioned this before, but I'm perfectly content with my life right now. I have no inspiration or motivation for blogging anymore. In fact, the thought has crossed my mind (numerous times) to quit altogether. I think my humor and cleverness comes from a dark, bitter place inside of me, and that place has been silent for quite awhile now.

I started this blog as an outlet while trying to deal with my nomadic and confusing lifestyle. I was trying to figure shit out. It appears that my life is in the process of settling down, and my shit is figured out. I know where I'm headed. I know, for the most part, what tomorrow will bring. 

I'd hate to give up on this blog altogether. But as my life is changing, I think it's time to revamp this ole' bloggy blog. There are changes on the horizon. A new voice. A new look. A new focus. 

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6 Trends I'd Like to See Die in 2011

    

1. Mustaches. Enough already. Yeah, they were amusing for a bit, but now? It's time to move on. Let's leave the 'staches for the funky grandpas and Burt Reynolds. 

Men's Facial Hair Trend I'd Like to See in 2011: Bushy eyebrows. 

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2. Bacon. Personally, I love bacon. As a food. Do I want to wear it/sleep on it/hang it on my wall/become friends with it on Facebook? No. Can we please put bacon back where it belongs? In the frying pan.

Meat Trend I'd Like to See for 2011: Purchasing locally raised meat and poultry from independently owned farms.

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3. Cupcakes. Honestly, I liked cupcakes better before they were trendy. They were quick. They were easy. And you didn't feel guilty after eating one like you would after eating a mongo slice of cake. I'm happy the world is finally getting over them so I can now enjoy them again.

Baked Good Trend I'd Like to See in 2011: Cup-pies, à la Chuck's cute little desserts from Pushing Daisies.

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4. Skinny Jeans. Let's call an orange an orange, shall we? These are restyled tapered jeans. They weren't cool in the 80s/90s and they sure as sh*t aren't cool now. And unless you have the body of a tween, you're not going to be able to pull these things off. No, you're not. And if you think you are, you're friends are lying to you.

     

Jean Trend I'd Like to See in 2011: Jeans made from 100% cotton.

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5. Pajamas as Clothing. This has been an ongoing hot topic, and as long as I continue to see adults wearing their pjs in public, I'm going to continue to be against it. Wearing your jammies all day while hungover and in the safety of your own home? Okay. Wearing them outside of said home? Not okay.

Intimates Trend I'd Like to See: Slips (worn as they were meant to be worn, as undergarments, not clothing).

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6. Longer, Shaggier Hair on Men. This trend has been around long before that twit, Justin Bieber (my nephew has been rocking it for years). I say enough already! Go get a damn haircut already! (You look like a girl).

Men's Hair Trend I'd Like to See in 2011: The powdered wig.

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What trends would you like to send to the grave?

My Pear-y Christmas

 

This Christmas my family surprised me with some of my gifts. It seems I have an affinity for all things pear right now, and my family picked right up on it. Check out these sweets treats they bestowed upon me!

This fabulous clock from Etsy seller, KitchenTableVintage.

Now my challenge is to find a place to hang it!

Three of these precious ornaments from Etsy seller, Defabricate.

I can't wait to hang these on my tree next Christmas!

This amazing timer from ModCloth.

Technically, this was an early birthday* present.

I can't wait to add to my pear collection now, and the color works perfectly with my dream kitchen color scheme!

(*10 days away)

My New Year's "Resolutions" v.2011

   

Last year I made a list of "resolutions" that was pretty lame and, for the most part, unrealistic. I'm not a huge fan of the idea of "resolutions", nor do I necessarily like the definition of the word resolution. Therefore, let's call these my goals of 2011 instead, shall we?

OBG's Goals for 2011

1. Gain Weight. I know what you're thinking. Any resolutions or goals made in regards to weight are just about guaranteed to fail right out of the gate. This is a risky goal. I get it, but with enough determination, I know I can accomplish this goal. Sure, I might slip a few times throughout the year and actually end up losing weight, but I'm pretty sure that with the right diet and the right balance of exercising and loafing, gaining weight is a very attainable goal this year.
2. Try New Things. I've got this one in the bag! In fact, I've already started. Today I tried soy milk for the first time (I'm not a fan). I am positive that in 2011 I will be able to try new things all the time, making this one of the smartest goals I could probably set for myself.
3. Buy New Clothes. How can I not achieve this goal, what with the changing seasons and my anticipated success with goal #1? Plus, my wardrobe is still, primarily, geared for life in NY. It's time to switch over to a VA wardrobe.
4. Meet New People. Again, a very doable goal, especially considering where I live and what I do for a living. In fact, I received an email just before winter break to inform me about new students entering the schools I teach in. That counts.
5. Play More Games. And not the bad kind (mind games). The good kind. The ones that people play for enjoyment. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm going to jump on my Kindle sometime this afternoon and play a word game.
6. Decorate the House. Boy does it need it. Although we're off to an okay start, this place really needs some more personality. We're talking curtains, wall decor, areas rugs, lighting... Heck, we're here until at least October. Might as well make it feel like home, right? (For the record, because we move around A LOT, we have a hard time settling into any place we live and making it feel like a comfy, cozy, welcoming home. We've decided to make an effort to do it with our current place of residence, especially since we really like it.)
7. Revamp the Blog. I'm bored. Again. And when I get bored with something I decided to change it up quite a bit. Assuming I'll be able to find the time to do so this year, you can expect this little 'ole blog to go through some changes.
8. Disappoint Family Members. This is pretty much a given for any year, so why not actually make it a goal? That way I can feel good about disappointing my family (you know, because I've accomplished a goal) instead of just miserable and guilty about it.

I think that's a decent enough list. I don't want to put too much on that list. Got to set the bar low. I tend to be an unambitious procrastinator, so the less I have to put off doing, the better.

What are your resolutions/goals this year?