magick musings…

…was wonderful!

But what truly happens at the retreat STAYS at the retreat! Right, Girls?

No mention of black lace panties (not me, but some one else we all know and love)!

And no mention of margaritas, hot tubs, 2:00 am laugh sessions, wine and cheese party, oodles of chocolate, wonderful speakers, lasagne to die for, fantastic gifts from the hostess, hunky guy card decks, yummy cheesecake and brownies, killer bunnies…

Nope, what happened at the retreat STAYS at the retreat.

Thanks to Carolyn whose hard work is appreciated by all of us!

~Sandy

…leaving for a writer’s retreat this weekend.

It’s a once a year escape where a group of writers meet to share ideas, talk out problems, laugh, talk, forge friendships, reinforce a bonding as only like minds can accomplish, share a glass of wine or two, and kick some butts that need serious attention. Mine in particular.

But I am happy to say that I have been able to get a little writing done.

Very little. But I will gratefully count what is there.

I can actually feel stirrings of the passion again which has been missing for so long.

It’s a wonderful feeling. Like an old friend coming to visit. This time I will hide its suitcase and demand it stay.

It is not easy to do something you don’t HAVE to do when your life is in turmoil. I need to get back to the things that excited, inspired, and motivated me about my writing.

I was listening to Mark Cuban (owner of the Mavericks and note to my youngest son out there: there better be an invitation to a Mavs game with you this year) speak on the radio and he was asked about his experience on ‘Dancing with the Stars’. He said that every week he and his partner decide what the goals are for the week. What do they want to accomplish and when they decide, they make it a definitive goal.

That is definitely a problem of mine. I just go with the flow although I really love making lists and adhering to them. I am flexible, but need to work on being just a tad bit more stringent. If it is important to someone like Mark (whether you like him or not) in dancing, then it is a good probability that is why he is successful in business.

Did you know he is 6’3″ tall? He looks so short on television!

See ya Sunday!

~Sandy

…a big ass dead bug on my front porch!

A huge one!

I went to do my walking and checked out the front porch and there it was! A huge, black bug at least the size of a tennis ball. Okay, okay, maybe a large golf ball. But the fact is…it is there! And it is huge! Caught in some kind of web, just hanging there, dead, but nevertheless…!

And, like a moth to a flame, I keep going out there to look at it, shudder, and then run back inside. Gaw, I am such a wimp!

The front porch is small. So no matter how I try to knock it down it may – just might – could possibly – probably will fall down on me.

Which brings me to the tag that Michelle sent my way and Dennie reminded me of.

Things that make me shudder:

1. Things that go bump in the night. In the dark. When I am alone.
2. Heights.
3. Rude people.
4. Mean people.
5. People with no sense of humor.
6. BIG ASS BLACK BUGS!

I tag Sandy S, Brenda C, KB, and NH!

Now to go find my courage and a haz mat suit! A knight in shining armor would be even better!

~Sandy

…according to Sandy.

1. Patience is a virtue. Because the legal system will not be rushed. Pack a lunch. Bring a book. In fact, pack your dinner also. WRITE a book. You have time.

2. If you decide not to answer the summons with your presence, don’t worry. They will hand carry your arrest warrant to you so it doesn’t get lost in the mail.

3. They provide the parking. Miles awaaaayy but, hey, they don’t charge you for it.

4. The bus ride to the Justice Center is free. And provides ample room to stand since it is public transportation and is usually full before it ever reaches the pick up site.

5. You are instructed not to talk to anyone while sitting out in the hallway. Of course, those NOT wearing a juror’s badge wants to talk with those who ARE wearing a juror’s badge. One lady followed me in to the restroom to explain that she really didn’t mean to write a hot check. Really, she didn’t. An honest mistake was her exact words. For all three of them. Three hot checks?

6. Sometimes even the attorneys get a little confused. One stopped me in the hall and asked me if he had a jury trial today. (I’m supposed to know this?) I told him no that it was next week.

He looked relieved. :dunno:

6. You get to check out the latest fashions. Hot pink spandex pants with a blue halter top must be the newest attire to impress the judge that you really didn’t mean to write those hot checks.

7. You have to watch a film that explains how you are summoned to jury duty by random acts of computer choice. Sometimes you get chosen, sometimes you don’t. And if the address on your voter’s registration is different from your driver’s license – your chances of getting chosen are doubled. Everyone in the room pulled out both of theirs to make sure their addresses matched.

8. Did you know you get paid for jury duty? A whopping six dollars to help keep the criminals off the streets and have justice served for the innocent.

I did my civic responsibility this week. Have you?

~Sandy

…full week! Literally!

Let me start at the beginning. Last Monday was my birthday. But the celebration started on the Saturday before with Michelle treating me to…

PF Chang’s. We had to travel all the way to North Dallas, but for those of you that have ever been blessed with visiting this establishment of culinary delights, it is my all time favorite! The owner asked me what I normally have there and when I answered Orange Peel Chicken, he told our waiter under no circumstances was I allowed to order that and instead brought me the Chang’s Spicy Chicken.

Yum! It is now my favorite out of the many that I have there. We started with lettuce wraps and ended with banana spring rolls. Double yum! The only thing I missed was the calamari. I am not a big favorite of calamari normally, but their’s is to die for. I love it!

What is it that makes me feel so good to accomplish eating my meal with sticks? This is America. Land of the spoons and forks. But, now that I am an expert with the chopsticks, I feel as if I am so cool. So grownup. But, humor me, folks, it is my life. And if eating with little black pointy things makes me feel good…back off. Life is too short not to find what fun and enjoyment we can.

Next, my bosses and the administrative secretaries took me out to eat at Pappadeaux’s, a seafood restaurant where I had the Mixed Seafood Grill – a skewer of assorted charbroiled seafood and veggies. Which means it had a lot of grilled scallops that were absolutely delish! They also have a wonderful gumbo. But I have been told mine is better.

Not many people know this, but my boss has the same birthday as I do. Exactly. Born on the same day, in fact. I have to explain to everyone, though, that I am six hours older than she is. I believe it makes her feel better. Fine with me, she is a great person. And I love the relationship she has with her husband. We took her to Mi Cocina and had Mexican food to celebrate her birthday. Muy bueno, mi amigas!

I went with some friends from work to a ‘wine dinner’ at a place called Johnny Carino’s, an Italian restaurant. It is held every fourth Tuesday of the month and the head chef fixes a special meal that is not on the menu accompanied by a different wine for each of the four courses.

Four course – four wines. You do the math. And you do the imagination after everyone has had at least four glasses of wine. Most of them, much more.

I am such a schmuck about wines – stuck on my White Zinfindel – so I didn’t enjoy the wine (just tried a sip of each), but the food and company was a real treat.

To recuperate from a week of overeating, I relaxed this evening by lighting my candles, pouring a glass of White Zinfindel and settling into my favorite chair. I missed most of the new TV premiers this week – one of which was Dancing with the Stars and the Unit – but tonight got to enjoy Ghost Whisperer ( I still love the relationship between the heroine and her husband) and the new one called Moonlight.

Wow!

It. Was. Great!

But I have been told:

1) I am a romanticist at heart (hello, my name is Sandy. I believe in soul mates and true love…is there a twelve step program for this?)
2) I am easily entertained

so you really can’t go by me.

Thanks to everyone who made my birthday such a special one. Suprises included!

Have wonderful Friday!

~Sandy

I have the cutest neighbors across the street. They have been so kind and so willing to help in any way they can. For grins, let’s just call them Mazzie and George. Mazzie is all of four feet tall, has a thick accent of some sort, and is just adorable. It is fun to watch her giggle at everything George, her husband of a million years, says and does.

I had just walked in from work when the door bell rang. It was Mazzie wiping her hands on her apron with such a worried look on her face. She proceeded to tell me how she and George noticed around 10:30 that my garage door was up!

I never leave my garage door up. I always watch it go down before driving out of the driveway. I know I did this morning. I. know. I. did.

After much debate, they decided the best thing to do was come over and close it for me. I can just picture them holding hands as they sauntered across the street, nothing but the mission on their mind.

The garage is a fairly deep one. And the button to close the automatic garage door opener is located at the opposite end of the garage. So it is a loooong way from the button to the garage door.

George was first up.

He pushed the button and ran to duck under the door but couldn’t quite make it. He tried again. And again. Finally, he had to rest, Mazzie explained, and she was quite worried the way he was breathing so hard.

She thought a moment and decided that since she was so much smaller, she had to be faster so she convinced him to let her try. She tried three times, but never could make it to the door before being cut off each time. It wasn’t long before she was resting next to George.

While they were leaning against house catching their breaths, George spied a long 2 x 4 piece of wood lying in the garage so he got an idea. Armed with the wood, he punched the button with the end of it and being closer to the door that way, he didn’t have quite so far to run to slide under before the door closed.

Mazzie got more and more animated as she told me the story. She was so proud. She actually clapped her hands and the smile on her face was priceless.

I felt horrible. Can you imagine me coming home with two sweet little old people collapsed on my driveway?

There was no way I was going to rain on her parade though. I thanked her perfusely and made a big deal of what wonderful good samaritans and neighbors they were.

But I did give her my numbers to call should it ever happen again. Now I just need to think of some nice gift to bring them to show my appreciation.

~Sandy

…come in different shapes and sizes. And genders.

Thanks to my friends who are always there for me. And who have been there for me this whole year.

Who have never judged me.

Who have answered the phone each time I call and remind me everything is going to be okay.

Who make me laugh and not let me take myself so seriously.

I love ya! And you know who you are.

Went to the dentist again today. He convinced me I wouldn’t need the nitrous oxide this time.

Uh huh, sure.

But I fell for it.

About half way through the procedure, he and his dental assistant started laughing uproariously and when I inquired as to what was so funny, they asked me if anyone had told me how expressive my face was.

No, never. Well, except that time playing Texas Hold ’em and I got a straight flush and yelled, “Holy sh*t, I’m all in.” And the time… well never mind, I digress.

Anyway, the dentist said it was worth a little pain to see the expression on my face.

I’m going to show him a little pain next time. And I hope it is a barrell of laughs for him.

~Sandy

…not to think about something, what do you think about? Exactly! The very thing you are NOT supposed to think about.

Talked to a friend at work today about her craving for her favorite ice cream. She was bemoaning the fact that she needed to lose 20 pounds but her husband had recently purchased a gallon of Blue Bell’s Hot Fudge Sundae ice cream – her favorite – and how she could think of nothing else but it sitting in her freezer.

Calling her name.

Her husband just told her not to think about it.

Riiiiigghht!

So now all I can think of is the pint of Blue Bell chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream sitting in my freezer.

Calling my name.

Don’t think about it…don’t think about it…don’t think about it…

Came home tonight and did my walking but only walked a mile. Slacker.

I’m just so tired this evening and can’t even begin to imagine why.

I feel a bubble bath and calling it an early night coming on.

But I will NOT think about chocolate chip cookie dough ice cream!

~Thanks to Nancy for submitting the quote!

~Sandy

…last night. So here is something to make you smile.

**Tom forgot his wedding anniversary and his wife was really ticked off at him.

She told him, “Tomorrow morning, I expect to find a gift in the driveway that goes from 0 to 200 in under 6 seconds, AND IT BETTER BE THERE.”

The next morning, Tom got up really early.

When his wife woke up a couple of hours later, she looked out the window, and sure enough, there was a small gift-wrapped box sitting in the middle of the driveway. Confused, the wife put on her robe, ran out to the driveway, and took the box into the house.

She opened it, and found a brand new bathroom scale.

Tom is not yet well enough to have visitors.**

…Have a good day today!

~Sandy

…yes, I have been drug into the MySpace craze kicking and screaming by my friends. Last weekend, after being appalled at me not having one, they put one up for me.

Me being me – knowing that people may actually see the thing – worked until 1:00 am last night to get it just right. I haven’t still figured out the purpose of a MySpace page, but have figured out that it gets totally addicting.

And it helps the time go by.

Check it out here.

Saturday, Brenda and I braved the mall. I think she is still in shock as she normally only treks out there on a week day. This weekend it was overrun by preteen girls. In the stores, in the food court, hogging the counters at the Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Factory. While standing in the looooong line in the restroom, Brenda mentioned quite loudly how she thought that Justin Timberlake had just walked in the mall entrance nearest the bathroom.

I am not sure any fell for it, but the line did get a little shorter.

Tomorrow have a huge presentation. Wish me luck and think of me.

~Sandy