That’s what friends are for …

My good friend Laurie has been contemplating moving out of state in order to give her child a better life (doesn’t that sound like a movie synopsis?) away from the horrible state that is Florida.  I understand her desire to move, because Jesse and I have the same desire.  Living in a Republican state when you are a staunch Democrat, being surrounded by child molestors and road rage and too many stupid white people to count, yes, you’d want to move, too.

But the thing that keeps both Laurie and me here is the family we’ve created.  It’s not the family we were born or married into (although those folks are important, too), it’s the family we’ve made of all our friends.  My extended family consists of some amazing girlfriends that have been there for me over the past few years in the most generous, family-like ways.

I’ve never really had a “best friend” – seems like people who are “best friends” declare it in some way, and then everyone knows it.  I’ve had really good friends, but they always had a best friend before me, and everyone knows you can’t have more than one best friend.  Jesse is my best friend now, but before him, I had two girlfriends I considered to be my best friends – my college pal Melissa and then my friend Jamie.  But both of them moved away and, although we still keep in touch, distance, time and life have made them really good friends, but not “best” friends.  I have three girlfriends now that are as close to best friends as I think I’ll get.  It’s ok if they don’t consider me their best friends, I’ve realized that it doesn’t have to be reciprocal – they can be my closest friends but it’s fine if they have friends they are closer to than me.  It’s not about who’s “best”, it’s about who is there for you when you need them.

So to Laurie, Lisa and Jen, I just want you guys to know that you are my family.  I don’t remember how we met or when we became friends, I just know that you are the girls I turn to for support, comfort, laughter and friendship.  Even though we all have other good friends, I know that you guys are there for me when I need you.  Just as I am there for you, in a heartbeat.

Ok, enough mush.

Self-inflicted stress, anyone?

We had our first get-together in our house on Saturday, a casual game night with a bunch of friends.

Why is it that when I try to do something that I think has a limited amount of stress, it always ends up being stressful anyway?

We decided to just do chips and dip and some dessert.  That was actually the easy part, I made all the dips and desserts ahead of time so I didn’t have to stress all at the last minute.  No, the hard part was getting the house presentable for company.  We’ve been homebound for the last three months, so the mess had sort of taken on a life of its own.  Plus, we wanted to try to get the front room and hallway finished before the people arrived … we’ve only been meaning to finish it since we moved in in July.  So we (well, mostly Jesse) scraped and sanded and painted all week before the party.  Even so, we didn’t really finish.  But what we did finish looked awesome!  Jesse did an awesome job with the painting, and I tried to help and not splatter too much paint all over our newly refurbished wood floors.  We still have more painting to do, but we are finally getting to a stopping point in all our renovations.  Once the front of the house is completed, we are taking a much needed break.  We are going to be smart and hire someone to redo the kitchen and living room for us.  And we will also hire someone to do the yard.  This is a house where there will always be more to do, but we are finally learning that we can’t do it all at once.

The party was a success, in any event – everyone had a good time, I think, and we are hoping to do this on a bi-monthly basis.  It was really nice to have everyone over to our new house, and Jesse and I were very proud of ourselves for our hard work.

Now if we can just keep the coffee table free of magazines going forward, I’ll be a happy woman.

There are some crazy people out there

I have a friend who has found herself in a stalker-type situation with a guy. 

What the hell is wrong with people?

I honestly don’t understand what makes a person so messed up in the head that they can do something like harrass a person.  I mean, obviously something has happened to them in their life that has affected them deeply.  But speaking as a (semi) normal person, I just can’t fathom it.  I am so glad I have never been involved with someone that had the potential to be crazy.  But you just never know, do you?  People can blame it on poor judgment, but really, how can you tell what will set a person off?  So many people are out there that seem normal but are really walking time-bombs.  It’s really easy to create a facade of normalcy, I think, because our definition of normal these days is so broad.  Sure, someone can seem a little odd or eccentric, but we still consider them to be normal, I suppose because the alternative is too scary.  I mean, if every oddball out there was considered dangerous, we’d be living in a world of terror 24/7.  I know lots of people who are strange, but I would never think they were potentially crazy – they just don’t conform to what you think a normal person should be.  In the industry I work in, we have lots of hermit-type people, lots of introverts, and lots of oddballs.  But that is what makes them unique and fun.  Every once in awhile I’ll run across someone who I will think, "hey, he/she is creepy", but usually it’s because I don’t know them very well.  Almost every person I’ve ever worked with that I thought that about, once I got to know them, they were actually great people, just really shy and didn’t have great social skills.  But none of them were bad people.

I feel really bad for my friend, because I know she blames herself for her situation.  Of course, it’s not her fault at all, and I keep telling her that.  You just never think this could happen to you, and now that she has found herself in this crazy situation she can’t understand how it happened.  I don’t think it’s wrong to put yourself out there and to trust people that you think are your friends.  If you’re too cautious, you will end up missing out on some great friendships.  And I think that is what is going to happen to her because of this – she will close herself off from making new friends because she won’t be able to trust people anymore.  It’s such a shame that one crazy person can take away your ability to trust.

Some people just suck, that’s all there is to it.

Here come the babies

Congratulations to my sister’s best friend Sarah and her husband John.  They have been joined by their very own Rhubarb, Payton Laurel.  She was born yesterday and weighs 9lbs 1oz.  She is very cute and I am very excited for them.

I KNOW I know that guy!

I watched Nanny 911 last night, and I KNOW I know the father on last night’s episode.

It is going to drive me crazy until I remember where I know him from.  I never forget a face, and hardly ever forget a name.  It drives me crazy when people say, "I’m not good with names."  I don’t believe that.  I think, instead, that people are lazy and/or just don’t pay attention.  Then they use that stupid excuse so that people don’t think they are lazy and/or just don’t pay attention.  But really, if you are only meeting one person at a time, how hard is it to remember that ONE PERSON’S NAME?  I can understand if you are meeting a group of people, yes, that would be hard (but not impossible), but one person?  Come on.

Anyway, this dad on Nanny 911, I think he either worked at the job I am at right now or possibly at another place I worked in Orlando.  I called my friend Laurie last night during the show:

Me:  Hey, it’s Korey.  Are you watching Nanny 911?

L:  Of course I am!  (Laurie and I are addicted to this show)

Me:  Do we know that dad?

L:  He does look familiar.

Me:  I KNOW!  Why do I know him?  I think he used to work with us.

L:  I don’t know, I don’t remember him.

Me:  He didn’t use to have a beard or mustache.  His name is J___ S_____.

L:  I don’t remember him.

Me:  WHO IS HE?!?!?!?  This is going to drive me crazy all night.

It did, too.  It was really hard to enjoy the show because I couldn’t stop racking my brain to figure out where I knew him from.  I’m almost 90% positive he worked at my current place of employment, but I’m not totally sure.  Anyway, his kids were bad (as they all are) and the mom was a nag and very negative.  Nanny Deb really socked it to her, told her everything she was doing wrong.  And I loved the way Nanny Deb potty trained the little girl – Laurie, did you get any ideas for my boyfriend?

ABC is coming out with its’ own version of the nanny show, SuperNanny, but I don’t know how it could top Nanny 911.  It is beyond awesome.

Anyone got a dollar?

I shouldn’t even admit this in public, but I am thinking of starting a baby fund.

Don’t get excited.  I’m not pregnant.

Kids are expensive.  I don’t want to end up in total debt over this rugrat, so I’m thinking I will just set money aside every paycheck, so that by the time this becomes reality, I will have a little nest egg.  A diaper fund, if you will.

My friend is having her baby on Monday (they are inducing).  I am very excited for her, but I’m not jealous.  Just imagining the pain she is going to go through really helps to curb the jealous instinct.  Sure, afterwards she will be happy, but during?  That sucks.

I watch too many "A Baby Story" on TLC.  They are really interesting in a horrific way, sort of like when you can’t help but stop and look at a car wreck.  Watch too many, and you can scare yourself.  Here’s something that bugs me about this show – if you are interested in learning more about the family, you are supposed to go to the TLC website and they will have an epilogue of sorts.  Except, you have to look them up by the family’s last name.  Um, I wasn’t paying attention to the family, I was watching the BABY!  Hence the title, "A Baby Story."  So ask me for the baby’s name, not the parent’s name.  I mean, COME ON!  Common sense!

I am frustrated because I feel like writing but have nothing interesting to say.  Nothing exciting has happened to me today and I can’t wrap my head around a topic.  So I end up spewing nonsense about babies and television.

Don’t take me seriously today, Internet.  I don’t know what I’m saying.

My new man

I have a new boyfriend.  He thinks I am the cat’s pajamas.  He likes to lean on my shoulder and stare at me with googly eyes.  He says I can come over to his house anytime I want. 

Don’t you all want a guy like that?

I tell ya, who needs a husband when you can have a three year old admirer?

Now, if only I could get Cole to cook…