age is just a number. and 29 (for the 3rd time) is fantastic

I had a birthday yesterday. It’s the 1st one that I haven’t really paid much attention to or stressed out about. I have spent so much time in the past few months soul searching. In the past month or two I have really felt my soul settle into something peaceful and happy. In the past few weeks, it has become docile and content with me, my past, my life and my future. It’s a confusing feeling, but one that I am cherishing and enjoying, in case it doesn’t last.

In the past, I have equated birthdays to the insanity that was my life during that particular year…

24 – The year my granny was sick. Dying. Died. Mom moved in. Sick and dying.
25 – The year my mom died and my world crashed
26 – The year I was depressed, miserable, lonely but worked through.
27 – The year of trying to have a baby and failing.
28 – the year my life crashed down again. Seperation. Divorced.
29 – the year I thought was going to be THE year.
30 – the year of the breakup, trying to buy a house, being “homeless”

Now – 31. Another year to make something amazing happen in this life. I still have the same dreams and hopes and aspirations. I just have all of the jaded-ness and experience to help (or hurt) my chances. I haven’t been happier than I am right now. Ever. Right now I can’t wipe off the stupid ass grin that has taken up residence on my face. I am surrounded by the most beautiful friends and family. I have a fantastic job. My kid is amazingly funny. I am the happiest I have ever been, yet, nothing is how I “planned” for it to be. You have no idea how happy it makes me for my life to not be what I planned for. If I was where I wanted to be in my life by 31, I wouldn’t have the life that I have right now.

Saturday night my friends and I met out for birthday drinks and fun times. I didn’t take that many pictures because my camera was stolen (not for real stolen! My friends took it from me and used it all night!) and everyone else took the photos. I ended up with some great shots from a point of view that wasn’t my own. This also means that I ended up in ALL of them. It’s nice to look through them and see me, having a good time with people I adore. I have some great ones of folks sitting around being awesome, but my favorites were the ones of me and my girls.. and one guy.

Me and Kelli rocking our new hair.

Me and smurf. (so happy this girl is back in my life)

Me and Rizzle Mcfizzle… the party planner, the contract writer, the over-all amazing girl.

Me and Ms. Shay… my hair looks this good because she worked her magic!

Me. Being a princess. In my tiara…

And this guy. I have great things to say about him, but I will keep them to myself for now.

Happy birthday to me!

-m

Patron, popcorn and zombies Speakeasy style

yes sir… that’s my plan for this evening! You can’t go wrong with tequila and zombies… right? You should come too!

I will be here:

Watching this awesome zombie flick: (even though  I have seen it 100 times!)

“There’s a girl in the garden”

( Shaun of the Dead photos from here and here )

drinking this and eating that:

Hopefully hanging out with my zombie loving friends.

oh and just for fun… here is a picture of me as a Zom-BEE…
that’s right I am funny!

Man I love Halloween… Is it October yet?
-m

goonies revisited

When you combine people, $1 beer, movies, and popcorn…

You end up with loud drinking people trying to watch a movie on a sheet on the wall,  while throwing popcorn at each other.  And wearing popcorn bowls on their heads.  At least that’s what you get with my friends! Brett and Rosalind wore them well!

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But it was fantastic to hang out with Jenny, Barry, Kris, Brett, Roz and Wayne. Though I am to old to drink on a work night!

-m

so looking forward to goonies night…

I am sure i will have pics to post from this one later.

I am leaving work. Driving 45 minutes home, walking the dogs, showering, driving 45 minutes back to “the city” and drinking a beer. with my friends. while watching The Goonies. in a bar. It’s gonna be fantastic.

after a weekend of blah and days of more blah, i am ready to kick back and enjoy some laughter with my bestest besties. I am even looking forward to the hangover tomorrow. Atleast it means I have done something besides mope around, cry and sleep.

so YAY! for goonies and beer and Speakeasy. George Cowgill, you are the best bar owner ever.

-m

one of my best “girlfriends”

Meet Barry (notice the “life imitating art” pose)…

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aka: Bazza, BMFK, Barry “MF” King (except not the shortened version), the best dog sitter in the land,  and the 3rd person in the Roz-Melissa best friend war.

All in all, one of my favorite people to hang out with. We used to have a “House” night. Barry would come hang out and we would watch House. Then it turned into House and Fringe. Then House and Fringe and Lie to Me. Then they split the days up that those shows came on. Then Barry and I couldn’t see each other 12 times a week to watch TV, So we dvr’d it and picked a night to hang and eat. He only came for the food I think, and never complained when it was just sammiches! (sometimes it was actual cooking though!)

Anyway, after I moved out of the big city, it became impossible for us to hang out every night… so we have to pick and choose our time together!

A week or so ago Barry called and asked for a ride. (BTW I am the Taxi service for my friends with out cars and jobs apparently!) After I completed my route Barry convinced me to go have a beer. Which turned into 2, then 3… you see what I am getting at! I was supposed to be back home around 8… instead I taxied Barry home at 10:30! Have I mentioned he’s a bad influence. Never ask him who did it… he blames it on “Barrylee”. And trust me that combination is TROUBLE!

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I love these hours “wasted” with Barry. We have a blast, and solve the worlds issues all at the same time! I bitch about girly stuff, he preaches politics. It’s good times!

I love me some Barry.

-m

D-day, a tribute to Larry’s left hand

So, I was scanning through my blog surfer and saw that Momromp called me out again! Calling my blog “funny, honest, journal-style writing and quirky, fun photos.”

I am  thankful for the shout out, but now I feel like I have a standard to live up to!! Ha!

In staying true to the honest, funny, journal-style writing and  quirky, fun photos name I have made for myself… I am going to tell you about my friend Larry.

Larry is an awesomely funny guy. Lanky and skinny, even though all he eats is junk food and McDonald’s cheeseburgers. He is best known for the interesting way he says things, his voice, the bottle of Old Crowe Whiskey in one hand and the bottle of Pepsi in the other!  Obviously there is much more to him then this… but these are the things we make fun of him most for. (In a friendly, we-love-you-Larry, kind of way.)

But now… we add another thing. A month or so ago Larry was on his second day of work at a new job. He was using a grinding machine. The grinding machine decided it was hungry for cheeseburger and whiskey flesh. So it ate Larry’s left index finger. The real term for it is “degloving” I think. Look it up if you want, but I think it’s pretty icky! Basically, it ripped the skin off of his finger. Down to tendons and bone. The initial skin graft didn’t work, so they had to sew his hand to his chest so it would grow new skin. Let me repeat that. The doctors had to  SEW HIS HAND TO HIS CHEST!

One night we were all hanging out and Larry told us he would get “detached” March 26th. So then we started talking and laughing about his “Detachment Day”. And we decided to throw a party for Larry’s “D-Day”. Hey… we love a good get together and will use any excuse we can get. Roz ran with it, making the party announcement on Facebook and adding several “jazz hand” pictures with Larry’s face photo-shopped in. Over the past week or so, we came up with half a dozen ideas on how to celebrate. Some worked (see hand poster), some failed miserably (see helium balloons).

Friday, Larry was detached and surgery went fantastic. Roz and I spent 2 hours cutting out poster board hands for people to decorate. Saturday I spent an hour blowing up balloons and latex gloves with helium. Stupid Latex gloves floated until we got to the bar… then they all fell. Except one. It was waiting on Larry I think! Larry’s awesome girlfriend Renee had a jazz hands cookie cake made for the occasion.

The night was a success. We got to hang out and laugh at Larry’s new-found hand. Renee has gotten a little bit of a break from having to zip up Larry’s pants for him. And in a few days he will actually be able to take a real shower! Everyone came up with some very witty, and disgusting thoughts to write on the poster board, and Larry has a great keepsake from his D-day party.

Here are several pictures from the D-day extravaganza:

what happens when Roz and I decide to craft!

the almost complete hand poster

failed attempt at helium glove balloons

the man of the evening!

jazz hands for d-day!

oh, i forgot to mention, Nicholas Cage was there!

and Tiger!

Larry missed playing pool more than he missed his left hand!

So that’s it! The adventures of our D-day party… we’ll take any excuse!

-m