My life is brilliant

I feel like every post I write is a compilation of random thoughts.

And I like it!

So, here we go..Random Thoughts Saturday Evening..

1. It's Harry Potter's Birthday!!!

The one with the power to vanquish the dark lord approaches..born as the 7th month dies...

2. My sisters have been keeping me entertained all week. I have to say, I have the best sisters in the world. Congratulations on your new addition, Eri. You are the most kindhearted person I know. Congratulations on finding me a mini apartment in your future home, Danielle. You are gorgeous, I hope you know that.

3. Almost done Don Quixote..then on to Walden. Good lord, I can't stand Thoreau..brilliant man, but so smug.

4. I have been trying to save money and cooking experimentally. Behold, the results!!

(this photo is blurry on purpose..you dont want to know whats next to the corn)

5. This one is for you, Allison. I drove around the block three times to get a good picture!

Lori Ann 

These are my Confessions: The Sister Edition

I confess:

I have the best sisters in the world.

Thank you so much.

The tributes mean so much to me.

My sister Erin always makes me feel like someone has my back.

My sister Danielle always makes me feel like someone sees my potential.

I have been crying at work all week.

 Like a psycho.

In two weeks I get to see my little muffin babies!!

 I am SO excited!

Someone else came out to me this week.

 That makes 4 people so far.

 Anyone else want to step up to the plate?

I hid in my office for 1/2 hour today and read Don Quixote.

My Dad keeps calling me to tell me about his plans for Paris.

 Apparently he has decided that he and my mom are going to make the trek to Normandy.

 I'm getting nervous that he is going to try and tour the whole country in 3 days!

I never got why the marsh mellows were such an important part of lucky charms.

 But today, I realized their importance to both the taste and textural balance of the Charms.

Lori Ann

J'veux ton amour Et je veux ta revenge

I have no idea what the title of this blog says..it is the only french song lyrics I know(besides Little Mermaid)..thank you, Lady Gaga!

So,

My dad's sixtieth birthday is in two weeks.

 I have been planning and saving for a gift for him.

 It's what I keep referencing when I talk about 'saving for something I can't talk about'.

My parents went to get their passports today and there was some issue with my dad's hospital issued birth certificate
 (I guess it needs to be state issued).

The guy said "Well, this might cause a delay in getting your passport, but you aren't planning on going anywhere soon, right?"

Wrong.

So, my mom had to tell my dad what I was getting him for his birthday.

A trip for him and my mom to Paris and London in November.

I am a little bummed that I missed out on surprising him
(which is what we had planned to do at his birthday in two weeks).

In any case..correct me if I am wrong, but I think I just heard the sound of someone clinching favorite child status.

Top that, siblings!!

Lori Ann

If you want to talk about it once again

My personal career philosophy

I am listening to Tracey Chapman "Baby, can I hold you tonight?".

 I don't know what it is about Tracey Chapman music that speaks to me so strongly.

You know how some kids don't look that much like their parents?

 Or how some siblings don't look like each other, but, if you catch them in the right moment, when they do a certain gesture, you can see it?

 You can see the similarities and how they are related?

I think that is what Tracey Chapman is for me.

It's the traces of my Dad's love of music that you can see in me.

I am more than half way through Don Quixote and I have to say that the Read the 100 best books of all time goal in my goal book has been the most enlightening and rewarding goal so far.

 From Dickinson to Austen to Twain to Cervantes, I've really come to understand why these are the greatest books ever written.

I've come to feel like these authors are my friends.

The only book which I did not love was "Heart of Darkness" by Joseph Conrad. Eeek.

I spent 2.75 over my 40 dollar budget.

Now I can't spend ANY money until next Friday.

Saving for something important, but can't talk about it...
(and no, its not gender reassignment surgery or anything like that! It's not even for me!)

I wish all of my friends would blog more.

 I need some entertainment at work, people!

I called out one of my clients.

 I know, not as thrilling as a real call out.

 But for me, its progress.

 Usually I don't care about people and their loud mouths, but I wanted her to stop ruining my craft group for everyone else.

 I told her that if she needed to say something to me, she should say it.

 But she just needed to man up and look me in the eye when she did it.

That's my call out story.

Super professional, right?

If you were going to write a trashy romance novel, what would your first sentence be??

Lori Ann

Better believe i'm fearless

Ok..*taking a deep breath*..I totally chickened out from posting my manifesto yesterday!

 I drove up to the laundromat and there were PEOPLE there.

I went home, clutching my handful of manifestos, a defeated woman.

I even ordered Chinese (9.65!!) so great was my misery.

Then, something miraculous happened

. I continued my reading of Don Quixote.

For those who are unfamiliar with the story of Don Quixote, you can read up on it here.

Don Quixote may have been crazy, but he was afraid of nothing.

 Not windmills, or barbers, or sheep, or priests, or containers of wine.

 He fought them all.
  (and lost almost every time, but that is something else altogether)

He brought to my mind another one of my heroes, Martin Luther.

 He started the Protestant Reformation, and his story is here.
(yes, my source for everything is Wikipedia!)

He nailed his 95 Theses to the All Saints church door on Oct. 31st, 1517.

He nailed his revolutionary (at the time blasphemous) ideas to the church door.

It honestly doesn't get any more bad ass than that.

If Don Quixote was fearless, and Martin Luther could start a revolution, surely I could post a simple declaration of my beliefs in a laundromat??

 Right??

What started out as a fun project for me,
 (hey, I'll write my manifesto..what a great conversation starter)

 turned into an opportunity to learn how to be brave.

Location # 1- The Laundromat!! (I even saw someone reading it as I drove off!!)

Location # 2- The boarded up old Burger King (I also have a goal to dance in the parking lot of this BK, dressed as a giant whopper..but that goal is for another day!)

Location # 3- The car wash. (So many shady dealings go on here..I was once fleeced for 10 dollars here. It seemed like an appropriate location for the manifesto:)

Today, I did something that scared me. I feel so empowered.

Lori Ann 

I'm going crazy!

Today's the day, people!!

I am going to run around town and post my manifesto!!

Also, I plan to finish reading Don Quixote..even if it kills me.

Seriously, Cervantes..461 pages?

Don't worry about me though, dear readers, I've already read 28 of those pages, so the other 433 should be a snap!

Lori Ann

Money, Money, Money, Money

People, I am trying to save money.

Eek. This is not the life for me.

I REALLY wanted to go to Hobby Lobby this weekend and buy a bunch of stuff for craft projects.

I really, really want this chair from Target.

However, this saving money thing has been good for me in a lot of ways.

 It has triggered something in my brain that wasn't on before.

The "think before you spend" switch has been turned on.

Yesterday, I kept thinking that I wanted to order Chinese.

 However, every time I went to call and place the order, these thoughts would come into my mind

"I'm not hungry", "I don't even really like Chinese, just the idea of it", "I am going to regret this after I order it".

I ended up not ordering!!

 So strange, and it has been happening for a while now.

I keep thinking about elaborate gifts to get for my sister and brother for their birthdays (Aug. 3rd and 5th) and then my brain will ask me "Is this gift for them, or for you?"

I know this is kind of a boring post, but, for those of you who know me in real life, I am sure you find it most alarming!!

My free wheeling spending is my strongest attribute!!

I don't know if I like frugal Lori.

Only time will tell.

Anyway, in honor of this crazy new lifestyle and to further my goal of saving money, I am going to try and live the

Next two weeks with only 40 dollars spending money.

For some of you frugalistas out there, this might not seem like a challenge, but for me, it will be insanely difficult!

Lori Ann

Everyone's working for the Weekend

Japanese Cherry Blossom Bubble bath: 5 dollars

3 glade scent of spring candles: 4.75

1 trashy novel: 39 cents
 (from the thrift store)

1 icy cold glass of ginger ale: maybe 50 cents

The end of the work week: PRICELESS

Lori Ann

Random Thoughts Thursday

I started writing my manifesto today.

I will be posting it in all the laundromats in town, giving it out to random people, and posting it on facebook.

So yeah, I think it's safe to say that I'm going places.

 1st step- manifesto.

 2nd step- public office...or starting a band.

Whichever happens first.

I have recently become obsessed with that new Paramore song "The Only Exception".

I am listening to it over and over as I write this post.

My dad's 60th birthday is coming up.

 I am so excited.

 That's all I can say.

I was listening to my iPod on shuffle today at work (yeah, I'm not focused on the children I work with AT ALL) and every song I heard reminded me of the kids.

I miss them so much.

(they are the only exception, in the words of Paramore)

Apparently, the kids had another lemonade stand today.

 Beware, thirsty people of North Eastern Pennsylvania..beware.

Any recommendations for good books?

I was thinking about seeing "Salt" but the reviews made it sound really horrible.

 Has anyone seen Inception? Was it good?

Lori Ann

The Great Laundromat Showdown has begun!!

Ok,

Today I faced my fears. I went to the Laundromat!!

I am not afraid of the Laundromat people..I feel at one with them.

I dread it because of the time consuming, hot, torturous process of it all.

However, if there is one thing I have learned, it is that independence comes with a price.

Sure, I don't have the responsibilities of a home and family, but I also don't have the luxury of yelling "will someone throw my laundry in?" (then again, I don't know many married women who have that luxury either!)

Anyway, I decided rather than grumbling and whining I would face my fears head on..in that light, I present to you...

THE GREAT LATE SUMMER ROCKINGHAM COUNTY LAUNDROMAT SHOWDOWN OF 2010!!

I will visit all of the 3 or 4 Laundromats in the town I live in, take pictures, really get the feeling of the place, and then announce which lucky Laundromat has won my heart and my allegiance!!

Unbeknownst to you all, dear readers, the contest began today!! I give you...

THE SCRUB BOARD LAUNDRY MAT # 6!!

There is only one thing to say about my experience at the Scrub Board..

It was breath taking:) Especially the bathrooms and the threatening signs.

Lolee

p.s. Today I am announcing the very first SPINSTER CHRONICLES GIVEAWAY WINNER!! Hayley Miller!! You can check out her blog HERE ! Thanks for your quote Hayley, it actually is really meaningful to my clients and a few of them have already commented on it:)

There's a whistle up above..

Patrick the robot, in the trash

(Part of my "express yourself through artistic photos" activity)

One of the best/worst things about the life of a Spinster:

You have to work outside of the home.

Some days its amazing and I love my crazy job.

Some days it sucks and I wish I was home, tending little ones, while a husband earned money.

One of the funniest and most bizzare things about working outside of the home is

OFFICE POLITICS

It's a little like the movie "Office Space".

There are company wide emails about shredding documents, preferred seating at company parties, management spies, backstabbing, confrontational staff meetings, and much more.

Management has bathrooms that only they are allowed to use. There have been secret meetings at the local steakhouse, only workers allowed. Management has had secret meetings at the coffee shop. I have secret meetings with myself in the cleaning closet.

. (I'm getting a little irritated though, because I am the only one that signs up to bring treats to my secret meetings..come on, everyone needs to take a turn!)

Sometimes there are the strange promotions and mysterious firings. People come and go and move up and down in the company and you never know why.

(I tried to sleep my way to the top, but the lack of hotness in my superiors and my own dang morals kept that plan from really getting off the ground.)

I don't quite know how to end this post..maybe with a quote.

If you can smile when things go wrong, you have someone in mind to blame.

Lolee

Just a few more hours..aka the post with too many pictures!

This one line from Glee keeps going through my mind..

"Oh Bambi, I cried so hard when those hunters shot your mommy"

Someone ate my ENTIRE jar of olives in one day!!!

Someone could just not put them down, no matter how many times that someone said, "walk away from the olives"

Gosh, someone..get some self control!!

I am checking things off my "Bucket List" right and left...

Goals accomplished:

This one is a little blurry. It's my "see a sunset over the Pacific" goal

Goals still not quite accomplished:

Plus many many more.. Every time I accomplish a goal, I swear I add three new ones:)

Lori Ann

p.s.- If it was you that ate all of the olives, I forgive you..this time. Just don't let it happen again!!

p.p.s.- This blog title is dedicated to those babies in Pennsylvania. Thanks to Glee (how many times have I said that?) I love the Kiss song "Beth" and there is a line that says "just a few more hours and I'll be right home to you". I wish I could be home to see them.

It's Summer, Summer Time..

Dinner at Chez Lori

(yes, I eat at my coffee table)

(I know..I'm classy)

There are only a few perfect foods out there.

Cheese fries.

chocolate ice cream with sprinkles.

tamales.

and my summer favorite..

PASTA SALAD!

I decided to experiment and make my own pasta salad today.

It turned out AMAZING!

So, next step is probably my own cooking show. I knew I was destined for a life of fame!

Lolee

I am SO excited!!

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

SO SO SO SO SO SO SO EXCITED!!!

Repeat to self: I can keep a secret, I can keep a secret, I can keep a secret!!

Lolee

Random Thoughts Thursday

It's time for Allison's Random Thought Thursdays again!!!

Here we go...

Today in group, we made lip gloss. This is an activity which I have had planned for a while, meaning to do it with a girls group.

There was a reason I wanted to do this in girls group. This is the reason.

Proving the age old theory that men and homemade beauty products DO NOT mix.

My lipgloss was kick-ass. It was a peach, cherry mix, made with poprocks (which I couldn't quite get to melt). You know you want the recipe!

The lipgloss is already working in my favor..a man is sleeping over at my house tonight!!

Unfortunately that man is my brother. Dang it!

I saw two little blond boys at a restaurant today and it almost made me cry. Not only did I miss my nephews, but I missed them as little guys of 3 and 4. It makes me think of that "sunrise sunset song" from Fiddler on the Roof. *sigh*

I need to move on to another one of my 100 greatest books..should I finish Walden or start Don Quixote?

I am probably the only therapist slash craft director in all the world.

It makes me feel kinda gangster.

Lolee

Give it Away Now..

My quote wall at work

There is a lot of buzz about this blog on the Internet.

I think the majority of people are looking to me to fill the void left by the series finale of "The Hills".

What can I say? Popularity is my cross to bear!

That being said, there is one thing that I have noticed makes a blog extra annoying popular..and that thing is GIVE AWAYS!!!

Oh yes, it is time for the first ever

Spinster Chronicles Give Away

Let's do this thing!!

Ummm...there's only one catch. You don't actually get anything..at least nothing tangible..here is what you receive..

Space on my quote wall!!

Somewhere between the words of Mother Teresa, hand made cards from the kids, notes from my clients, and my favorite Emily Dickinson poems...

Words totally inspire me. I have a thousand quotes that I love, but I would LOVE LOVE LOVE to hear the ones that inspire, motivate, comfort, or captivate you.

Just leave your ALL TIME favorite quote as a comment, and, after a few days, I will pick a winner and that quote will get posted on my work quote wall.

You'll be inspiring all the emotionally unbalanced kids who get trapped in my office. I will show your quote to each and every one of them .

But seriously, my next giveaway will be something awesome. Like a giant, hand painted wooden spoon that you can smack your kids with!

Lolee

Here I go again on my own..

For the last two hundred...umm.. two years, I have been a mommy blogger.

A mommy blogger with no children.

Strange, I know.

For the most part my blog has documented my adventures with my nieces and nephews. Everything from tee-peeing our own house to racing rubber ducks down the Dan river.

It was a wild ride while it lasted.

Now those munchkins have moved and I find myself alone. Well, it's me and my good friends PEACE and QUIET!

However, as I indicated a few posts ago, my blog is at a cross roads.

After a lot of thought, I decided to rename my blog

"THE SPINSTER CHRONICLES".

I read this amazing quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson, it goes:

There are a lot of things I have missed in my life. Wedding day. Babies. Exaltation. A really great deal on a foreclosed home that I redecorate with stuff from pottery barn. :)

Some of it, I might still have. Some of it, I will more than likely never have.

I don't regret it though. Just as all of those mommy bloggers would never say that they regret giving up some of their freedom and choices to the responsibilities of marriage and children.

I rejoice in the life that I have. Yeah, I've missed a lot, but there is a lot that I have gained.

There is a kind of a dizzying thrill in being a spinster. There is free time galore, a career, getting my Masters, the opportunity to pursue all of my dreams, trips to Europe, no compromising about stuff, and the thrill of sleeping in.(which I didn't appreciate until I saw my sisters life!)

So, from this post forward, this blog will document my adventures as a future crazy cat lady, my long distance love affair with the kids, my bizarre job, and really any random thought that comes into my head.

I hope the excitement doesn't keep you up at night!

Lolee

My Wish for you..

The muffin babies have left me.

Moved to Pennsylvania and living the summer of their dreams with Nana Terry.

To those muffin babies, I say:

(in the immortal words of Rascal Flatts)

I hope you never look back, but you never forget,

All the ones who love you, in the place you left,

I hope you always forgive, and you never regret,

And you help somebody every chance you get,

Oh, you find God's grace, in every mistake,

And you always give more than you take.

But more than anything, yeah, and more than anything,

My wish, for you, is that this life becomes all that you want it to,

Your dreams stay big, and your worries stay small,

You never need to carry more than you can hold,

And while you're out there getting where you're getting to,

I hope you know somebody loves you, and wants the same things too,

Yeah, this, is my wish.

All my Love,

Aunt Lori 

Random Thoughts Thursday

My sister's former roommate and an AWESOME blogger does RANDOM THOUGHT THURSDAYS...you should go check it out!!

Anyway, on with the random thoughts...

I am just not a big fan of the flower birds of paradise. I just don't get it.

My sister and her girls are moving up to PA to where her husband and boys have been waiting for them for a week. This makes me SAD, because I am going to miss those munchkins and game night with Jackie boy and Danielle, but HAPPY because now I can live my dream of peace and quiet. I swear I am ready for the rest home!

Today, the car in front of me was pulling up to red lights, looking both ways and then RUNNING the red light. What the heck? It was so strange. The law abiding anxiety that I feel was making me angry, but then I was like "eh.."

I hate the heat. Summer..when will you end? I despise you!!

My boss shaved his head bald.

I watched all of season 8 of Last Comic Standing on Hulu last night. Hilarious.

Now that Danielle is moving , I am going to have to wash my clothes at a Laundromat. Yuck. If someone asked me to live in sin with them, the first thing I would say wouldn't be "How dare you? NO!"..it would be "Do you have your own washer and dryer?"

Where do we go from here?

I am trying to redesign this blog. I change my mind 100 times a day. I think that is my defining quality..my wishy-washyness.

I like the idea of being a trend setter, but I am much more comfortable being a trend follower.

I look at every one's blogs and think "I want that" or "I need that".

I veer between blog designs and topics. One day I want a bright pink blog with posts about my job and pictures of my apartment. The next day I want a black and white blog that is all about politics and my opinions on everything.

I don't know.

I guess I need to come up with something. Go in some direction.

Stay tuned.

BLOG UPDATING IN PROGRESS....GET EXCITED!!

Sweet Land of Liberty..

I really do love the Fourth Of July. I haven't celebrated all that much in the past few years, but I vow to celebrate more in the years to come!

What I love about being an American:

1. our amazing history

2. The principles our nation is founded on

3. Our unique traditions and customs!

4. that being American is not about a shared ethnic history or similarity in appearance, but a group united by a set of ideals

5. That this really still is the land of opportunity!

I shall conclude with the lesser known, but most kick ass verse of the Star Spangled Banner (the 4th verse)..

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand

Between their loved home and the war's desolation!

Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land

Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,

And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."

And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave

O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!