Sometimes I Write...

Good day people.  So, I have decided to write more.  "What?" you say. "And break this beautiful trend of not writing regularly?!"  But it is true.  I shall write more.  Tuh-duh!  Anyhow, I found this website that will allow me to write under a nom de plume (fancy, I know) and my first article is on beaded wedding dresses of all things.  It was quite the challenge being forced to write in 3rd person and keep a formal tone.  But do me favor and read it anyhow.  Let me know if you learn anything as that is the goal.  Here ye go...

http://www.designweddingdressonline.com/do-i-want-beads-on-my-wedding-dress-aid-12708/

Let's hope its not an epic fail.

Cheers,
Moi

Fasting

I love that moment when I'm fasting when my stomach decides to rise up and proclaim:

"There is nothing in me!  You are ridiculously hungry!!  WHY are you doing this to me?!?!"

I truly do love that moment.  It's a reminder to tune in to my reason for abstaining from food and drink for 24 hours in the first place and pow-wow with the Big Guy Upstairs (I feel the need to capitalize the spelling of this colloquialism, otherwise one might think I was living in an apartment or something and there was an actual big guy who lived upstairs - you never know).

Typically the way things work for me with Heavenly Father is that I make a decision, act on it, and then He will either do nothing (approval by silence) or in essence slap me upside the head and say, "I don't think so" (non-approval).  But in the current case of making a rather big decision, I have already made my decision but haven't received a slap upside the head yet.  However, I have been experiencing many doubt and even some very compelling reasons to contradict my current decision.  Therefore, I am tapping into the wonderful resource of fasting for this specific purpose and hopefully either a confirmation or denial.  My parents are fasting with me and I will gladly take any help I can get.  Strength in numbers, right?  My purpose of this post, however, was not to be cryptic or raise suspicion, but rather to share that I really do love feeling hungry in a fast.  Medical benefits aside, it's the penny in the shoe, the bow on the finger, the gentle or not-so-gentle reminder that I am cleaning out this vessel to make me perhaps a little more ready to receive whatever answer I need to hear - or not hear.

Remember when my kitchen wall was on fire?

All I wanted was some tea...  Today was not my day.

I am a property manager and my apartment door leads right in to my office.  So from time to time while I'm at work I will leave the door open for funsies.  It's a good thing I left it open today.  I turned on the stove to heat up my kettle for a bit of afternoon tea and went back to my desk to get some work done.  A couple minutes later I smelled something that reminded me of a campfire and I thought, "That's nice."  Then something triggered in my brain that the smell was coming from my apartment.  When I entered the kitchen, my favorite oven mitt was on fire along with the wall.  (The kettle wasn't anywhere near warm by the way.  Maybe I turned the wrong element on...)  Thankfully I was able to put the fire out.  Sadly I lost my beloved red gingham double oven mitt and it is now lying in the garbage.  Rest in peace, my faithful oven mitt.  You kept my hands and wrists safe for over 10 years.  *Sniff.  *Tear.  I was able to remove any traces of the burn from the wall with my magic eraser (seriously those things are awesome!) with the exception of the two large bubbles that formed under one of the many layers of paint whilst on fire.  Thankfully this apartment is so ghetto-old and has been painted a gizillion times that no damage touched the actual wall and I think with a bit of touch up paint, no one will be the wiser.  Yes, the smoke detector went off.  No, the fire department was not called.  But as for the smell in my kitchen and parts of my apartment? Well, to paraphrase Ralphie Wiggum... it smells like burning.

Excuses, Excuses (But I'm Back!)

Hello there. Remember me? I know. I know. We're already in mid-April and not one post in 2012 from yours truly. Well allow me to remedy that...

Why I've been seemingly absent from the das Blog:

1) I'm in showbiz!

But seriously, I auditioned for community theatre back in October, actually got cast and have been auditioning and doing shows ever since. Let me just say it's been so fun. I forgot how much I really do love performing. I am working with ManeStage Theatre in Sumner and have had the opportunity thus far to be in "A Christmas Carol: the Broadway Musical" (Mrs. Fezziwig/dance corps), "The Wizard of Oz" - (Glinda), "Narnia! The Musical (Phoenix, u/s White Witch), and now I'm currently in production for "You Can't Take It with You" (Essie Carmichael). I love it. All of it. It is definitely a saving grace in my rather random life.

2) I got a puppy!

Yup. I live alone with my closest family members in Arizona (the rest in California, Washington, D.C., and Africa). So after my sister Anna came to visit me in December, I think she felt bad for me and decided that I need a dog. So for Christmas she and my other sister Lindsey decided to give me one. Enter Fiona. And for any of you who have or ever have had a dog... you know. I am so thankful for her, though, and my sisters were right on the money. I definitely needed her and am happy to have her as a part of my family.

So there they are. My lame excuses. But I am back. And don't worry. I'll make it up to you.

Nothing but love for ya!

But if bad luck doesn't exist, then what is this??

It's the day before Christmas Eve and instead of blogging about the show I was in ("A Christmas Carol") or the fact I miss my family and am all alone in Washington, I am going to share with you a true story that happened this evening in an attempt for sympathy. This may also come across as me venting. Take it how you will.

I came back to my apartment from the corporate office in Tacoma this evening to find the emergency tech Oleg with a plunger in his hand standing in the middle of the parking lot hollering at me while I was still in my car,

"Hallo Maygin! You're manager, yes? Maygin, yes? Maygin! You recognize me!"

Well, apparently the unit next to mine had a toilet overflow issue and naturally they didn't turn the water off which means the carpet in the their apartment is nice and wet from the bathroom, through the carpeted hallway, all the way into the carpeted living room. Good times.

Now one of my favorite things in a situation like this is the excuse that is thought up. Why didn't they turn off the water? Or how did it overflow? For any of you who don't know, the ONLY way to make a toilet overflow is if it is clogged or there is some sort of blockage. So, sorry resident's excuse. If the "orange flappy thingie in the tank thingie" isn't working, the toilet may still run but it will not overflow. I think it has to do with gravity, but I digress. I did my due diligence and assured the resident we'll take care of it and try to be nice and calming so as to keep the resident from freaking out. I leave their apartment and call the carpet company which is naturally closed because it's a holiday weekend, but never fear - they have an emergency line. So while I'm on the phone with a very effeminate but also very nice middle-aged man, I get back to my apartment, take off my shoes, set my stuff down and walk into my bathroom so as to grab a hair-tie to pull my hair back when lo, and behold, my socks are soaked through and my feet feel awesome. And by awesome I mean gross. You see, my bathroom and the genius' bathroom next door share a wall. I have no clue how the water got through and that's quite disconcerting, but I am just grateful that the whateverness that came out of their toilet and into my apartment did not make it to my carpet. Also, there's nothing quite like an impromptu let's-clean-my-bathroom-even-though-I-just-cleaned-it bathroom cleaning to prevent my not-so-well ventilated bathroom from getting mildewy and to keep the overflow from making it to my carpet (which means I am going to miss a friend's birthday party AND my dinner is now cold). Oh, and I now need a new pair of socks. I think throwing away the wet ones is a must.

Please feel bad for me. Merry Christmas.

New Post = This (aka stuff...)

I may devote more time on a later date to some of the things mentioned below, but for now here some things that are on my mind. In no particular order. Take what you can get.

Thought #Apple: This (Schloss Neuschwanstein bedecked with snow) is what I currently have as the desktop wallpaper on my computer at work. I figured since Christmas is approaching as well as the impending weather (which as a property manager of a small property I will have to get up early to check the condition of my sloped parking lot due to said weather - snow on Friday? - and spread ice melt ... what I wouldn't give for a husband right about now), I want something pretty and nostalgious to look at. Done.

Thought #Tree: Between work, church, and rehearsal for A Christmas Carol (http://manestagetheatre.com/MS_currentshow.html), I have no life.

Thought #Green: I am going to be missing my YSA branch for the next 3 weeks which means I don't get to teach Sunday School or play the organ. However, this does not mean I'm ward-hopping. I don't believe in ward-hopping. I believe in order to magnify my calling I should be where I'm called and not galavanting around scoping for possible mate prospects. (I of course make exceptions to attending other's meetings for support and love.) I've, unfortunately, never been very good at making church a social function. But I love it. I love being a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (http://mormon.org/me/5RM9/). I love being edified and uplifted and learning the lessons Heavenly Father needs me to learn.

Thought #Spinach: I quit the cleanse early. Yup. I did it for about 7 days but had a wedding with a dinner (which I ended up not having any) and a really bum week. So I decided to recommit after the holidays. The affects were wonderful, though. I find that whenever I have a desire to grab fast food that I immediately think of the physical consequences - my stomach on the inside, my stomach on the outside, my skin, my health. Don't get me wrong. I love a McChicken as much if not more so than the next girl. Oo. And those tacos from Jack in the Box (I WILL be writing a post on that). But I digress. Another cleanse for another year. In the meantime, I'm happy with my green smoothies every morning and my herbal tea throughout the day.

Thought #Eyes: GAHHHHHHH!

Thought #Envy: It's NEVER to early for Christmas. I have been listening to my Jazzy Schmazzy Christmas station on Pandora.com since before Halloween. I know it's no NKOTB's "Have a Funky Funky Christmas" in July, but you bet your bippy the songs of the season are playing any chance I get.

Thought #Flower: I really miss my family. Mum and Dad are in Africa, the Cowart's (Jessica, Joseph, Samuel, Clara, Avery, Eli, Henry, Lily, Isaac) and the Worthen's (Britton, Lindsey, Aubrey, Chloe', Benton, Max, Preston) are in Arizona, the McKeown's (Anna, Gregory, Grace, Evie, Jack, Essie) are in California, and Whitney is in Washington, D.C. And I'm in Spanaway. SPANAWAY!! But this is where I'm supposed to be.

So that's it for now. Blerg. Don't be mistaken - I know who I am and am quite confident in the person that, actually, so few truly know. But for now, I'm going to close up my office and continue to listen to Christmas music.

The Next 10 Days

In case you haven't heard me mention this before, starting Monday, November 7th I will be doing The Master Cleanse. It's part of my regimen in training for a marathon (which is going abysmally by the way but I'm not giving up!). The cleanse can last anywhere from 10 to 40 days and include such fun things as salt water flushes, senna tea, lemon juice, grade B maple syrup, lots of water and herbal tea, and my favorite... cloves! (This stint, however, I will only be on the cleanse for 10 days because let's face it - it's the holidays and I want to at least taste the smells I'll be experiencing.) I've done it before so I know what to expect. Now, for those of you who are familiar with The Master Cleanse you either think I'm crazy or have your own personal testimony of it's positive effects. So let me just say the reason why I am doing it is to detox my body and get rid of bad habits (aka living off of fast food - bad... bad... bad...). It is true that weight loss is a side-effect, but it's not lasting. Changes in one's diet and exercise routine have to be made in order for any lasting effects to occur. And yes, this is the same "Lemonade Diet" that Beyonce used to prepare for her role in Dream Girls. But I digress. I will keep a log for you and post at the end of the cleanse. Till then, peace out and happy cleansing!