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