7/4: Whitmore Lake July 4th

I currently live in Whitmore Lake.  Whitmore Lake is an interesting little community.  We have Polly's Market with over priced out of date product.  It also contains the largest beer, potato chip and ice cream selection of any store that is the size of my house.  We also have the Bobber Down and the Family Video.  This Family Video also happens to contain the largest collection of barely legal porn of any Family Video I have ever seen. (Yes, I know, Family Video has porn?  What?! (I hear this "What?!" as Christy's sarcastic "What?!" in my head) Family Video is apparently for every member of the family whether it be a small child into princess movies or a hormonal teenage boy (or middle aged man) into almost pedophile fantasies.)

I come from a small town in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.  This small town is quaint, not unlike Whitmore Lake (if you can call this quaint).  We have several Bobber Down type bars.  We do not have a porn video store.  Our stores are also a bit more proportional in their nutrition vs. bad carb varieties.

Whitmore Lake also really enjoys Fourth of July.  I mean, really enjoys Fourth of July.  Fourth of July started here about two weeks ago with a barrage of fire crackers and M80s being blasted in neighbor's lawns.  The drinking began a couple of days ago.  A lot of drinking. Drinking beyond my capabilities for drinking (and if you knew my former self, that was a lot of capability).

I have never experienced such a frightening display of indulgence and trash.  The cursing, the screaming, the explosions, the beer cans.

I learned today that I do not want to live here forever.  Or any place like it.

No offense to the people here, seems like your thing.  Just not mine.

7/3: Payday Thursdays!

I love payday, as most people probably do.  Today, however, was a great day not only because it was payday on a Thursday but also the start of a 3 day weekend on account of the July 4th holiday.

Woo hoo!  Today is my favorite day for today! 

7/2: 60% Means It Will Rain

The weather is a strange thing.  We have all these fancy maps with strange little people with odd names like "Hunter" and "Tad" telling us what will happen in the future with our weather patterns.

And I believe this stuff!

Anyway, I was getting a bit cocky about the fact that the Tads and Hunters weren't ever getting it right, so today I decided that there was no way it would rain. This is despite the fact that the report said there was a 60% chance of severe thunderstorms.  No big deal, right?

Wrong.  Everything was going very well until I came out of my regular Wednesday night meeting. It looked pretty gloomy.  Exactly as predicted.

I rode my scooter.  SCOOTER.  60 mph wind gusts, torrential downpours and a rain suit purchased from Dunham's for 30 bucks.

Needless to say, I learned that I am not smarter than Tad or Hunter.  That 60% means it'll rain.

I was very wet and very scared.

I also learned that I may need to invest in a better rain suit.

Just in case.

7/1: Overcommitment Anyone, Anyone?

Okay, so at my work - I'm in food - check out my other blog about food (shameless plug, oh so shameless), but I am also involved in the sustainability efforts for our division.  As such, I need to do my normal job (remember, food, very busy, very stressful, very time consuming) and work on various projects surrounding the saving of our most precious mother, earth or gaia as some prefer. 

I have spread myself way too thin.  Meeting after meeting.  Project after project.  Sustain after sustain.  What to do dear reader, what to do?

I have learned, just for today, that I need to write a task list and accomplish those things that are the most important for my daily functioning.  This includes sleeping, eating, etc.  Then I will work on my work (I mean they pay me, right?).  Then I will work on sustaining some sort of balance.

I learned to say no today.  No, I am too busy for that meeting or this appointment.  It felt okay.

6/30: Transposing Days

Blogger has switched 6/26 and 6/27 so as 6/27 appears first.  I learned this today.  This was not intentional.  

6/29: Lazy Days

I have decided that Sundays are for nothing.

I don't mean that they aren't worth anything, in fact, they may be the most worthwhile of all.

I'm saying that Sundays are a great day for nothing.  I do not want to do anything on Sundays ever again.  

I won't shower.  I won't cook.  I certainly won't clean.  I hell no will mow the lawn.

Sundays are now for nothing!

Hooray Sunday!

6/28: Sweet Tarts

This may be silly.  Of course it is, but I just learned that I really don't like sweet tarts.  I had a sneaking suspicion that this was true, but I decided to confirm it with a small purchase.

What are all you crazy sweet tart lovers (sounds so dirty, that it could be good, but it ain't) thinking?!  They are terrible.  They hurt your mouth, make your tongue retreat into your throat and to make matters worse, the give you a quick sour headache (very similar to an ice cream headache but located towards the top of your jawline creating a quit stabbing feeling followed by numbness, seriously, next time you eat something really sour, check it out).

What a terrible invention.  I am angry at the sweet tart people.  Why Willy Wonka Why!

6/26/08: Money Problems?

Today, I learned that I am not the best with money.  No, I actually knew this but it was reconfirmed in the fact that I found a check from Edward Jones for $18.33.  I guess that this check was for some kind of class action settlement that I unwittingly became a part of.

Now, $18.33 doesn't seem like a lot of money.  But, when you are poor, it is.  Especially when you realize that the check was dated 3/20/08 and it became void 90 days after.  Today is 6/26.  I could have cashed this, but no...I forgot.  $18 could have bought me a couple of dinners at local coney islands or a lot of swedish fish.  I could have used that money.

Instead, I will save this voided check for cold weather.  I'll burn it in my fireplace to save on gas to heat the house.  That way, it will at least give me a penny of energy.  With heating costs rising, anything is better than nothing.

Right?

Cash your checks babes!  It is the right thing to do.

6/27/08: Fundamentalist Mormons

Today, I just finished the Krakauer book, "Under the Banner of Heaven." I am always a few years behind on my reading list and just about everything (please reference the previous post on perpetual tardiness).  This book is unbelievable!  I am so intrigued by this religion.

There is no evidence to support the claims of Joseph Smith, the doctrines are ludicrous and the principle, oh the principle.  It has caused so much harm for these little ol' Mormons.

This book is great and Mormons are interesting, especially the fundamentalists.  

I would tell you more but I really want you to read it.  Then realize how well "Big Love" portrays Mormonism.

At least to an outsider.