I went out shopping with my mother today.  Never, and I do mean never, go anywhere with my mother if she has a headache.  My mom typically sees life right down the middle.  She usually sees the glass as both half full and half empty.  But when she straps on a headache…. the darn glass is all the way empty.

We went to a new super grocery store and nothing could please her. “Apples cost a dollar, who would pay a dollar for apples.” (all under her breath)  The store was nice but it was crowded.  And Toots (her nickname when she is grumpy)  hates crowds and avoids all social interaction with the outside world at all costs.  She got better as the night went on.  But my favorite point of the night was when we were at Borders looking for a book.  She decided to buy one and so she waited in line, but the girl at the cash register was chatting with a customer and was going slower than Toots would like.  Toots stormed out of line and put the book back… even though she was next to be rung out. She left the store all the while muttering under her breath about customer service and incompetent cashiers.

Then Toots was in such a fluster that she started walking further away from where her car was parked and looking around for her “missing” car.  Mind you it was about 4 feet away from her.  When she hit the car unlock on her keys she was surprised to see the lights come on so close and the look on her face was priceless.  I can imagine what was going on in her mind:  Why is this other car lighting up when I press my unlock button?   I couldn’t stop laughing… she said she thought it wasn’t her car because it was so shinny.  Maybe it was because she dumped her half empty and half full glass on it at the beginning of the night.

I have been tapped this year to perform a Thanksgiving Day miracle.  So I am going about it like a military plan of attack.  I am calling it Operation Picklepuss.  Today my mother and I went over what we want to make and a rough time table to cook it in.  I am starting a briefing booklet with a  time table, recipes, and grocery list.  If anything goes tits up… it won’t be because of careful planning.

I have been chastised for not updating my blog as much as I would like others to update theirs. But, my lovely readers (all two of you) I have nothing interesting to talk about in comparison to my sisters. It is a mighty shadow they cast.

My older sister is in the Peace Corps. She is stationed in Burkina Faso, Africa. (The link to her blog is on the right side of this page under Links.) She is dealing with a life without running water, modern conveniences, and no toilet… just a hole in the ground. Hilarity ensues.

My younger sister is in China. She is teaching English to college students in Tianjin, China. (The link to her blog is also on the right.) She is dealing with Chinese logic, naive college students that act like they are 12 years old, and the ever present China Belly. Hilarity also ensues.

The perfect start.

I am living at home with my awesome parents in America. I run my own freelance company from my bedroom in Pennsylvania. (This is my blog, no need to look for a link to it.) I am dealing with living at home again, cooking delicious desserts for my parents, and helping my parents with whatever project they have up their sleeves that day. Hilarity doesn’t ensue. Where the highlight of my week was the acquisition of a new headband. The only thing that is even different about my life is my relationship with my boyfriend (long distance, different religions, and different cultures) … and I refuse to turn my blog into a ‘dear diary’ about my personal life. I am not saying I won’t talk about it, but its not what I will focus on.

I am an adult living at home with my parents. In the past I would have judged someone harshly for the same situation I am now in. Wait, I do judge myself harshly. (Note to self: I must learn to stop doing that.) In an economy that is in the dumps, Graphic Designers don’t really get hired into companies. These companies bid their Graphic Design projects out to the lowest bidder or freelance group. So my office is now my bedroom, my desk is a dinner tray and my cushy chair is my bed. Don’t misunderstand me I like this… my sheets are awesome. I am currently trying to find a full time job with benefits. OOOOH, I have dreams about having medical benefits again. Dreams where I (dressed in the perfect outfit from head to toe) and my future insurance provider will skip arm and arm down a yellow brick road towards a Dentist’s office. And once we have achieved dental perfection… I float towards the Doctor’s office where every concern is taken care of by a knowledgeable physician with perfect teeth and shoes. Ahh, when I have these dreams I wake up with a smile on my face and a song in my heart.
The good news is that I am one step closer to reaching this dream… I have the perfect headband for my prefect outfit. Now all I need is the rest.