Theme Days

A friend of mine who also has a blog does what she calls "Thankful Thursdays". And I'm thinking it's time I get a theme day of my own. I want something catchy and positively upbeat. So, I'm off to the thesaurus. Not because I don't have a vocabulary extensive enough to meet the requirements of this task. But rather, for the sole purpose of finding a word that starts with M. I think that using Monday for my positive day would give a fantastic start to my week, don't you?

I Can't BELIEVE This

I love my Grammy. I really do. She's my favorite person in the whole world and I don't like when people mess with her. That means anyone. Including existing family.

Fast forward to the three seperate conversations I've had with her today. They all involved her planned trip here for Christmas. Now, I am not responsible for her plane ticket. Natalie is. But she hasn't gotten it. No. Am I sure? Yes. How do I know this? Because I just spoke with Gram and she had no idea that she was supposed to be flying out this weekend. None at all!

I called my mom because she and Natalie are the ones orchestrating the visit and low and behold she knew that Grammy had no ticket and is upset that Grammy would make other plans for this weekend. One of which we all knew existed but I believed had been cancelled.

Apparently, Grammy is expected to cancel her plans to get on what is an imaginary plane. Their master plan was to buy the ticket on Thursday night and get her on a Friday morning flight. Really? Really!! REALLY!!

I want to take a hack saw and just chop off that whole side of the family tree. Because what they are doing is abso-freaking-lutely ridiculous. And I am appalled that they have the audacity to blame my Grammy for this. It's not her fault one bit. But alas, how could I expect two people that are so undeniably irresponsible to take responsibility for this major error?

He Always Knows What To Say

I received a beautiful birthday card from my Daddy today. Its filled with all of the things that a father should say when a daughter needs to hear them most. I will share some of it with you.

Love yourself.
Make Peach with you are and where you are at this moment in time.

Listen to your heart.
If you can't hear what it's saying in this noisy world,
Make Time for yourself.
Enjoy your own company.
Let your mind wander among the stars.

Be happy.
When you don't have what you want, want what you have.
Make Do.
That's the well-kept secret of contentment.

Life isn't days and years.
It's what you do with time and with all the goodness and grace
that's inside you.

Make a Beautiful Life...
The kind of life you deserve.

I love you too, Daddy.

Most of Them Missed It

The big day - my birthday - has come and gone and this is how it went. I spent the day before wondering if anyone would remember. Some did and sent me wishes early. I was elated to not have been forgotten.

On the actual day, I got obligatory phone calls from family and a couple from friends, but it was the birthday visit that really made me smile. My bestie, Mrs. G, came over and spent some time with me. It was a blast and I was reminded of why I love her so much.

I'm on a few social networking sites. More for the networking aspect than the social one. But with as many "friends" as I have, I honestly was expecting some unsolicited wishes. Now, that may seem silly to you. It seems silly to me, but thus is life. I did get a few wishes. Five to be completely honest and only two, I feel, were heartfelt.

But the worst part is that my sister, Natalie, didn't extend a birthday wish. And neither did any of my going out friends. None of them. Not one. After seven years of knowing them and celebrating every party-worthy holiday under the sun, none of them felt the need to pick up the phone, tap out a text message or even post a message on my social pages.

Nice.

It's Almost Here

I know I shouldn't but I am actually getting very excited about my birthday tomorrow. Since I've lived here, each birthday has involved either snow or ice. The thing about that is it also involves a lot of sliding around in four inch stilettos. I would love to say that tomorrow will involve more of the same, but alas, I don't believe I will be celebrating.

Firstly because I am on a very strict budget that I already violated by purchasing fresh seafood (as a present to myself, you see). Secondly, none of my friends have mentioned doing anything with/for me. There was no office lunch planned by the girls here. They didn't even ask if I wanted to go anywhere. My 'going out' friends and I haven't actually gone out together since the summer. And even that was awkward. Thirdly, everyone has something else going on. Two of my friends have gotten married. One is now engaged. Two have moved back home with their parents. And the rest either have children or we haven't maintained the best contact.

You see, I don't have a Best Friend. You know? That person that picks you up when you fall flat on your butt. Or makes everyday a celebration. I don't have anyone who understands the very essence of who I am and that I know I can count on for any freaking thing.

I want to be sad about it but I can't muster the strength. I'm not generally a selfish person. You can see that I'm making excuses for the people in my life who have obviously forgotten me. But that's ok. Because no matter what tomorrow does or does not bring, you can find me in a tavern on Main Street toasting myself.

Why, Yes I Am!

Yesterday evening, I went with a friend to check out a product that he sells. He and I are both very determined to be independently wealthy and so are always open to new opportunities. Basically, we're the new Amway generation. Most people that enter into Multi-Level Marketing or MLM do it for extra cash, vacations they can't afford, or because a smooth talker convinced them that they too could get rich quick! But Chad and I are different. We are hustlers. We are champions. We are determined to at least make back the money we invest.

What Chad didn't know was that I've been in MLM since I was old enough to sign a contract. So I've been there, done that, and can tell you who will and who won't be around six months from now. All that aside, his goal was to recruit me. I can't blame him, as anyone in MLM will tell you, ask absolutely everyone you've ever met because that is the only way that you are guaranteed success in your own business.

Last night, I'm sitting talking with the local Regional Director and I can see the lust (for me to be in his downline) in his eyes. He asked what business opportunities I had previously been a part of and I shared, including the one I currently participate in. The mental war between us was intense. He, the hunter, trying to keep his heartbeat in check so as not to lead off his prey. Me, the hunted, knowing my predator and that I possess the only thing he currently wants. The dance was careful and calculated. And then he caressed me with words soft like Angel Whispers. Yes, he guessed my age and pegged me a year low!

That's right! According to this man I not only don't look my age but I, in fact, look younger. As a single, twenty-something, non-white, professional woman, I was floored and totally took it as a compliment. The giggling and blushing persisted for at least 60 seconds. Unfortunately for him, I snapped back into business mode the moment he mentioned compensation packages and products. I find their compensation program lacking in incentives and the quality of their products inferior. But I told him to keep me updated. This MLM is still young. If it were a child it'd still be wearing diapers. They will find their way. And when he can feed me a cookie that doesn't taste like carob and cardboard, I just might reconsider.

Ponderings

My birthday is swiftly approaching. I would like to say that my advancing age isn't on my mind but that's not true at all. It's always on my mind. It's on everyone's mind quite frankly. My father - in his efforts to help - continues to remind me that it's perfectly normal for my generation to wait for marriage and that he would much rather me wait and get it right the first time, then for me to rush into it and suffer the heartbreak of divorce. My mother believes that if I establish roots and buy a house that I will attract the kind of man that is ready to settle down and start a family. Gram is sure that as soon as I get back into church, the Lord will bring a good, Christian man my way. Ethan, my brother, simply said, "Me and you, we're not the marrying kind" -- I mean, seriously, who says stuff like that?

I guess what I'm saying is: I know I'm getting older but I still don't feel ready to link my life to someone else's. I'm just not. There are too many things that I want to see, do, and experience before I embark on the journey of "forever". Putting it in this blog seems as pointless as saying it to my mother - who just happens to send me real estate listings once a week. All I want to do is eliminate my debt so that I can travel to far away lands. Sounds dorky, right? Well, that's what I want. And it's curious to me that this is the one thing that I want and yet it's the one thing that none of them will help me with.

I know it seems selfish for me to hold tight to my own ambitions but I think I'm allowed to be selfish in this respect. Mom only wants me to buy a house because she wants to move Gram here. Sadly, Mom's house is already overflowing and if I bought my own 1800 square foot chateau, all of our problems would be solved! Except I'd be bitter and resentful. But why let that get in the way of her grandiose scheme?

All this leads me to scheming of my own. In a few short months, I will be completely debt free. And if I'm clever enough to stop being so malcontent, this job will allow me to save many, many dollars in one very short year. Twenty months is all I need to be free of all of this. Yes, I'm being completely selfish but it's high time that someone put me first, I think.