My name is D. and I...

[From the archives: I just discovered about 5 years of posts that were lost in an incident over at my new and current wordpress site, compulsivewriter.com In the next few months I will archive some of my favorite ones here, just to be sure I don't lose them again].

In honor of b. who A). wrote a fabulous post about being real and dealing with addiction and 2). just now in an e-mail completely flattered me with a comment about not being able to be in withdrawal from both dp and my blog at the same time.

As I said before, sometimes I wish we could just open our meetings or other public gatherings with our own “My name is…and I…” Just drop the pretenses and be real about who we are. Be open about our strengths and talents as well as our weaknesses. The truth of the matter is we all have our own coping and avoidance mechanisms, our own addictions if you will. Sometimes I get tired of trying to be better than I really am and I just want to be me. And I just want to be with people who know me and love me and accept me just the way I am.

So I’ll start. Please feel free to join me if you want to.

My name is Dalene and sometimes I yell at my kids. (But I am really good at saying “I’m sorry” after I lose it. An evolution of the species of which I am rather proud.) I flunked flylady and would rather do just about anything than the dirty dishes. I can load the dishes and wash them, but can’t seem to arrive at putting them away. (I have the same problem with the laundry.) I pretty much have ADD of housework. I don’t buy potato chips because I could eat a whole bag. I put off paying my bills till the last minute and my checkbook hasn’t been balanced since ‘04. I get a kick out of being right…to a fault. I tend to display addictive tendencies in blogging, quilting, shopping for fabric or Bath & Body Works products or reading a good book. I dress up for work (except for my shoes) but I live for the end of the day when I can grab my sweats or some p.j.s.

I am only a little bit twisted, but I do have a dark side and sometimes engage in bleak thoughts.

On the upside, I am really mostly a cup-half-full kind of gal. I can find something to like in almost everyone and am a good and loyal friend. I tell my kids how much I love them every day, even if they ignore me or roll their eyes. I’ll tell you what I think even if you don’t want to hear it. I am kind of a “in-the-moment” kind of gal which is a good thing if I get mad at you–which I rarely do–because I will forget about it by the end of the day. But it’s a bad thing if I’m at work and I forget to go home or in the middle of a good book and I forget to fix dinner. To be brutally honest, I am not cool, but I have cool friends. And most of the teenagers I know don’t loathe me. I have few talents, and they are none of the important ones, but I take care of people. I make a mean sour cream lemon pie. (In fact I cannot make rolls to save my life but I am darn good pie baker.) I’m smart but not brilliant, and that pains me somewhat.

But I am not a horrible quilter.

So there I am. Now, how ’bout you?

From the Mixed-up Files has moved

See you at compulsivewriter.com

Rainy days and Wednesdays

Bad thing: the morning after tax day. Yesterday I got hit by the surprise fact that the lovely $1000 per child tax credit that’s been saving us the past few years stops at age 17, not age 18.
Bad thing: Knowing I will have to take a loan out to pay the state of Utah while it sits high in pork heaven with a bazillion dollar surplus. And that I paid taxes on my taxes as well as on the morally reprehensible sales tax on food. Dear government leaders: How do you people sleep at night?
Good thing: another day, another dollar. At least I’ve got a job.

Bad thing: my day at work. period.
Good thing: I stuck it out. I’m proud of myself because I did not start looking at help wanted ads during my break. Co-workers brought me notes and goodies and tried to make it a better day. And laughed at me when I turned my iPod up so loud they could identify the songs on my playlist.

Bad thing: finding out the high school my kids attend went into lock down because of a bomb threat.
Good thing: learning that everyone was OK and that my 15-year-old was in jazz band at the time and they just kept playing. I love it that the band played on. Jazz is good for nerves. I know.

Bad thing: snow when it should be spring.
Good thing: my day was feeling too busy but my seven-year-old’s soccer game got cancelled because of the weather.

Other good things: laughing because Google maps has a sense of humor and direction #23 for New York to Paris reads as follows: “swim across the Atlantic.”
Finally turning the corner with this stupid sinus infection.
Shirley’s rolls.
Family.
Friends.
A road trip across town with Geo.
Good music.
Laughter.
Having homemade ice cream tonight at the YM’s BBQ even though it is snowing outside.
Getting a Christmas card in the mail today. Postmarked 4/17/07. LOVE it!

Knowing that tomorrow is another day.

Good thing: TGIF! Friday will be a blog swap with everybody’s favorite c jane. I will post on her blog and she will be here. Can’t wait!!

You don't use coupons at prom, Mom!

Three things I learned at my first prom as the mom:

1). Boys are WAY easier to help get ready than girls. Seriously! I was out getting a pedicure and eating Café Rio with my in-laws while Melody was juggling her 14 yards of gorgeous brown tulle. It almost didn't seem fair.

2). Apparently, my son informed me (as I started to pull out Ottavio's coupons when I heard where he was taking his date), it's not kosher to use coupons at prom.

3). Although a dress would be completely beyond me, I am going to learn how to make my own darn corsage--thank you very much--before I watch another kid fork out $20 for one stinkin' (but lovely) gerber daisy. Not that his cute date wasn't worth it, but I would've made her an armload of gerber daisies for half that!





(p.s. Here's a shout out to Melody for earning both 3rd Place and an honorable mention in Segullah's annual poetry contest. And in case you were wondering, I'm not bailing on compulsivewriter.com, but until I get smart enough to post photos in something other than thumbnail or you-don't-have-a-computer-big-enough-to-see-this size, I'm not entirely quitting my day job here at blogger.)

Ever have one of those days?

The French have this wonderful capacity for understatement that is just delightful. And much more effective than the gross exaggeration (can you say “Super-Size?) that often runs rampant in America (guilty as charged!).

Which is why this little explanation of last night’s episode at the Provo Library had me rolling on the floor:

A gunshot broke the silence at Provo’s library and scared patrons Monday. The woman who fired the shot told those in the library

she

was

having

a

bad

day.

Of course, that explains it!

So, silver revolvers aside, what do you do when you have a bad day?

You must remember this...

Well, tune in to Disney Princess: Part Deux over at my new digs.

(And please update your links!)

Hey Mr. Easter Bunny...

Why don't cha hop on over to Sister Pottymouth's place and wish Julie a BIG

H a P P Y
B i R T H D a Y !!!

(Friday, April 6)

It only took me 10 years, but I finally get it!

Sure I've read each and every Harry Potter book and sat through each movie in the theater and on DVD. But today I finally caught on to the tiniest bit of clever word play. Ten years later!

Diagon Alley.

Diagonally.


(Thanks Russell!)
HaHaHaHaHa.



I'm sorry but my blog muse is on vacation and small things amuse small minds.


So are you as excited as I am for July 31? I will admit to being a fan and will probably stay up all night just to read it in one day. It's just a crazy little thing I have to do now and then when I'm in a mood. (Besides that, it really impresses small children.)



Which is why I have not been able to put down this:

"Have you ever been to the Déjà Vue before?" asked Madeleine...

Jack: "I don't think so, but it does look sort of familiar."



And one more reason to look forward to July 2007: the next Thursday Next novel. How I love to get myself lost in a good book!

What about you:

Harry Potter Y/N?

What's on your nightstand?

for sister pottymouth

G o o g l e me this!








And answer me this: Where do you do your best thinking?



(Oh and this just in, my snake charmer friend.)