Oh my me my

I was home sick from work today.

This is the result.

You're Welcome.

Lori Ann 

We both know that I'm training to be a cage fighter

I've been sick all weekend.

And by sick, I mean your average cold. Not sick enough to justify taking the next few days off of work, but sick enough to feel blah, skip church, and spend too much time lazing around. 

I've only gotten one thing on my weekend to do list done.

 I haven't worked out in 3 days. 

And I upchucked some tator tots today. 

So, all in all, it's been a festive few days for me. 

I'm putting this on my blog because I suspect that many of you think of my life as some kind of fairytale. I know you are used to seeing pictures of me, walking in fields of daisies or hearing about the latest proposal I turned down from a wealthy, emotionally needy Italian man.

But I'm just like you. I'm human, people. I can't live on the pedestal you've placed me on, ok? 

ha ha ha

Lori Ann

Ray, the next time someone asks you if you are a God, you say YES!

Sometimes, when I get bored at work, I go back through my own blog (like a narcissist) rereading and laughing at previous posts and tearing up at all of my heart felt tributes.

All of that is true- except the tearing up part- I'm not that much of a narcissist.

Anyway, today I decided to rummage through my sister's blog and see what she was doing 4 years ago around this time.

 I found this!

It's Gozer the Destructor and the One Sock Bandit!! Arent' they precious?

I loved Elly at this age- she had such a squeaky voice and was starting to show her super competitive, crazy side.

 I feared Katy at this age. This was when she started to be able to break me. I would babysit for an hour or two and she would destroy so much, so fast, I usually ended up laying on the floor, crying like a little girl.

Sometimes I have the thought that they are still out there.These smaller, crazier versions of my nieces and nephews.

I just have this feeling that one day I will go to Walmart and find 3 year old Elly hula hooping, baby Jack smiling that blindingly perfect smile, baby James; with his large head, lolling about in the cart, and little Katy, knocking stuff off the shelf and shrieking with glee.

Anyway, my point is that this picture made me smile AND realize how fast time is flying by.

Lori Ann

Trying to get away into the night

Today's topic:

Questions I have been asking myself lately...

1. Why do both "hotel California" and "I think we're alone now" play almost EVERY SINGLE TIME I drive to or from work? There has got to be some meaning there that I am missing.

2. I am all for partisan bickering...it keeps me entertained. However, why is there such a double standard? In the last few days I've seen articles entitled "Why is the GOP stuck on stupid?" and "The clueless Republican caucus" and "Why can't the Republicans learn?". And these are mild compared to some that I have seen. I have NEVER seen an article entitled "Democrats are idiots" or anything of that nature.

3. Why does time slow down on the treadmill? Seriously, it sssslllllloooooowwwwwssss down. The only time it has gone fast for me is when I was watching the Breakfast club. I am sure the people around me were really excited to hear me repeating all of the lines along with the movie. "You're so conceited, Clair".

4. Is it possible to have health and fitness bipolar? Because I swear I swing from manic (going to the gym twice in one day) to depressive (eating Chinese food for breakfast and dodging my trainer).

5. Is it wrong to steal someone else's fruit kabob? Or it so wrong it has to be right?

6. Why do they put cantaloupe on fruit kabobs? Cantaloupe should be banned from all mixed fruit items. I don't think I am alone in this. Right?

7. I think I found the perfect quote for the wall in my office. What do you think?

“One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.”

It's by Maslow. I adore Maslow.

Lori Ann

But you can let your hair down

It's not summer until tomorrow or the next day (I refuse to acknowledge it before the solstice has actually occurred) but that won't stop me from announcing this years

TSC (the spinster chronicles- just to clarify) SUMMER TO DO LIST

Let's do this dance!

1. Go to Gettysburg for the 150th anniversary and see some reenactments. (first stop Civil War reenactments, next stop Renaissance Fair, baby!)

2. Spend all day at the ocean. (and by ALL DAY I mean at least 8-12 hours). I haven't been to the ocean in years. Which is said because I don't live that far. This summer all that changes!

3. Go camping. There is something about roasting marshmallows and the smell of campfire under a starry PA sky that is just good for your soul. I will camp this summer, mark my words!

4. Complete a 5k. Of course, it will be walking. But walking swiftly. I want one of those dang numbers you put on your shirt!

5. See Philadelphia from a double decker tour bus. I've more or less seen most of Philadelphia but I know there is some stuff I've missed and some stuff I haven't seen in years. I'm think that I might go this Saturday. Take the train up, hop on a bus and spend all day in my most favorite of all cities.

6. Really celebrate the 4th of July. I don't just want to passively watch fireworks and stop the children from burning their fingers on sparklers. I am going to make the 4th a spectacular and patriotic fiesta!

and lastly..the self improvement goal. Yuck.

7. By September 1st (I don't wait for the equinox to declare it to be fall) I want to have a good gym habit going. Where it begins to feel weird and bad if I don't go. (Right now I am still in the opposite, where it feels weird and bad when I DO go)

So...it's pretty clear at this point that this is going to be the greatest summer of our lives!!

Lori Ann

Had your eyes wide open

You guys..

Maybe I am just in a manic phase but I was totally inspired while I was at the Walmart this morning.

I bought two plain 1 subject notebooks. (and some tic tacs, baby!)

One of them is for me to write down book ideas. I have always wanted to write a book- it's on my bucket list- but I have never gotten organized.

 Since I have a giant purse, I can just keep the notebook with me to jot down ideas. I already have a few ideas and have noticed that my brain seems to be more focused on this topic since I took a step towards getting organized.

The other notebook is for working through my food addiction issues. It's completely stream of consciousness type writing.

 My first entry was about how today, the pharmacy rep brought pizza and soda and  I wanted to eat the pizza so bad (instead of the yogurt and strawberries I had packed) and so I made myself answer the question- why do I feel like I need the pizza? It was illuminating to see it out there in black and white.

This could be one of those projects that I feverishly commit to for about 2 days and then forget but I hope not.

I hope I can develop it into a tool to both build coping skills for dealing with my addiction and to begin the process of figuring out this book and crossing it off my bucket list.

Wish me luck!!

Lori Ann

Take the long way home

It's Fathers Day, y'all.

Every day I thank God for the father that I have. He is amazing in so many ways.

And so I wanted to write him a tribute that I hoped he would like so he can know that I really do appreciate him and have learned so much from him. Here it goes...

So many things remind me of my childhood. The taste of funnel cake. The smell of burning leaves. The sight of rolling hills of trees. But every sound that reminds me of my childhood: every song, every wistful lyric, every strum of acoustic guitar, reminds me of my dad.

As I have said many times, growing up with Dave Hinsdale for a father was like being raised in a History of Music class. (with an emphasis on classic rock and classical)

And so, this fathers day, I wanted to spotlight some of the music he played (so loud the floors would shake) and how both that music and he taught me so much.

Circle Game by Joni Mitchell.

Joni Mitchell albums were the kind my dad played on repeat track all night. Either Joni or Mary Black or some other folk artist. Joni taught me that life is short and appreciate the days as they fly by. By playing her music and painstakingly explaining the lyrics to my 11 year old self, my dad taught me to appreciate true artistry and to not be afraid to be myself and do what makes me happy.

Dreamer by Supertramp

Supertramp music was the true soundtrack to my childhood. And not just the classic ones that everyone knows. ALL of the songs. My dad would put on their songs (Breakfast in American and Dreamer being my favorites) and play along on the air guitar. Supertramp taught me that you can actually feel music in your whole body and that the world was bigger than my little borough of Dublin, PA. By playing their music my dad taught me to look for things outside of myself. For people and experiences that could change how I see the world.

Solsbury Hill by Peter Gabriel

My dad played all of the Genisis, Police, Peter Gabriel solo type music. I could list probably 50 songs that have the same feeling for me as Solsbury Hill. Roxanne, Don't stand so close to me, Money for Nothing and so many more. But I love Solsbury Hill and it reminds me most of my dad because of one line. The line goes "Son, he said..grab your things, I've come to take you home". My dad creates the feeling of home for me. If you ask my sisters what home means they would probably tell you the same things as me: Dad blaring music, grilling steaks, muttering about how no one can put anything back where they got it, making you eat until you feel sick, slipping you money if he thinks you need it (with a wave of his hand and "don't worry about it" if you try and thank him). He's such a deep down good person and this song always reminds me of that.

Romeo and Juliet by Dire Straits

They played this song when my European tour bus drove by Verona, Italy. It brought tears to my eyes and I wished my dad was there to see Europe with me. Nothing takes me back to childhood like Dire Straits. Industrial Disease, Sultans of Swing, Les Boys, Telegraph Road, Brothers in Arms. They all invoke instant nostalgia. Every song has a message and my dad would explain every one of them to me. Dire Straits taught me about love, loss, and politics in the 80's. By playing them my dad taught me to be socially aware, to care about the little things, and that if two men say they're Jesus, one of the must be wrong:) 

Of course, this is barely scratching the surface. I haven't even gotten to The Beatles, Indigo Girls, Pink Floyd, Mozart, every Jazz musician ever born, and about one million others. Don't worry, people. There is always next Fathers Day.

I know this was long. Maybe because I feel like I can never say the right thing or convey enough of how grateful I am to my dad for being the best father I could have ever asked for. 

I hope you know, Dad. 

Love,

Oreo