nothing and everything

I am now entering day three of "Snot Fest 2013".

I went home early on Tuesday feeling achey, and then when I woke up 7 hours later, I realized I indeed, have the flu. I'm finally feeling better enough that I feel guilty for not getting anything done. Isn't that fun? I usually take some more NyQuil and sleep it off, just so I don't have to think about it. I'm going back to work tomorrow, but have Saturday off again, just in case I'm still snot-riffic.

So many things going on right now. I hate having my mind free to wander and think about crappy things in my life. I've been having some SERIOUS wanderlust lately. It happens every few years when I hate my job. Hate my friends. Hate my house. Hate my life.

You get it.

I just want to dump everything and run away. The main point here is I really need to find a job in my life that really makes me happy and fulfilled. IE: Lets me travel more. I really really really really need to travel. I've come to this conclusion that its in my genetics.

I've put notice in at one of my jobs. Le Restaurant. I'm just so tired of being unappreciated (aren't we all?!) and pretty much useless. Yes, the money was nice, but I can make up for most of it at Le Cafe, and will be home by 5 every night. Small bonus, especially in the summer months. I liked it there, but I was honestly going NOWHERE, which again, makes me hate my life.

I really need to go grocery shopping. I mean like really really. We're don to just condiments and old boxes of take out. Oh and that stick of butter. Hmmm... what should I make for dinner?

And on the website front. I've officially purchased "serenitynowinsanitylater.com" but am now in the fun-filled conquest of finding a web hosting page, and a web design that I like. What the crap did I get myself into? I had no idea that each thing cost its own amount of money. Lame. Whatevs. I hate blogspot. I must spread my wings and flyyyyyyyyy!

I'm also procrastinating planning my trip to Hawaii. I've had travel books on my coffee table and in my bag for weeks now, and they've yet to be cracked. Why am I putting it off? What is wrong with me?!

Bazinga.

Anyway, enough ranting/rambling. Happy Thursday all, and enjoy your friday and weekend if I don't get back at ya! :)

xoxo, McGriddle Pants

observations

There is a great need for a sarcasm font.

"Do not machine wash or tumble dry" means I will never wash this. Ever.

I think obituaries would be much more interesting if they told you how the person died.

I honestly can't remember the last time I wasn't at least kind of tired.

You never know when it will strike, but there comes a moment at work when you know that you just aren't going to do anything productive for the rest of the day.

Seriously, how the hell do you fold a fitted sheet?

I would rather carry 10 over-loaded plastic bags of groceries in each hand than take 2 trips into the house.

I totally take back all those times I didn't want to nap when I was younger.

I think part of a best friend's job should be to immediately clear you computer history if you die.

Shirts get dirty. Underwear gets dirty. Jeans? Jeans never get dirty.

Can we all just agree to ignore whatever comes after Blu-Ray? I don't want to have to restart my collection... again.

I keep some people's phone numbers in my phone just so I know not to answer when they call.

I think the freezer deserves a light as well.

I would bet on any given Friday or Saturday night more kisses begin with Bud Light than Kay.

Is it just me or do high school kids get dumber & dumber every year?

Google Maps really needs an "Avoid Ghetto" routing option.

Sometimes, I'll watch a movie that I watched when I was younger and suddenly realize I had no idea hat was going on when I first saw it.




Have I missed anything?

xoxo, McGriddle Pants

my domain

I've been thinking for a while that I hate blogspot.

Its been a great little platform for starting my bloggy blog, but I feel like I'd have much more control of how my blog looks and how things work if I got my own domain.

My problem is this: What shall my domain name be?

I'm currently anne-a-bell.blogspot.com, which worked at the beginning, but is honestly hard to tell people, or to type in. Plus, most of the time I don't go by Anne-A-Bell on my blog.

I've been thinking about mcgriddlepants.com, but am afraid McDonalds will send me a cease and decist letter or something. And serenitynowinstanitylater.com is taken (however there are some lovely variations available for purchase) but again am wondering if nbc or jerry seinfeld would be able to come after me. Or would they even care?

Anyway, was just wondering if any of you had any thoughts on this. I have a few blog friends who are on their own domain name. How was the process for you? Did you have a hard time picking a name? Which site did you buy the domain name through?

I'd love some input if anyone has any suggestions or advice on the subject! Or if you have a fantabulous domain suggestion for me! ;)

xoxo, McGriddle Pants

for Boston

I know everyone is on Boston overload right now, but in all this chaos and uncertainty, so many wonderful stories of human compassion and kindness have risen from the dust.

There's not much that I personally can say about what happened, that hasn't already been said. I just feel that out of all the maddness, we are reassured how good the people of Boston are. How good we all are. And how despite all our differences, when given the opportunity, we jump at the chance to lend a hand and help our fellow man.

I just wanted to take a minute to share with you some of the tremendous offerings of support given from all likes of people.

After running for 26 ridiculous miles, when hearing what happened, runners continued on, past the finish line, running another TWO MILES to Mass General to donate blood.

Absolutely amazing.

Other people opened their homes to those who were stranded, or offered lifts to people without transport. A Google document was set up with offers of help. People offering what they had and where they were located.

I love the people of Boston.

And others offering something simple like blankets, a bathroom, and something to drink. They had afterall, just ran a freaking marathon!

 Of course first responders are amazing. Civilians too. Running toward the chaos to help those injured. Some carrying people away from the danger and then going back to help more. One man was caught on camera rushing straight to site where the bomb had detonated, where bloodied people were lying dazed on the pavement. He ripped off his belt to make a tourniquet and stem the bleeding, before turning to assist other seriously-injured victims.

And of course this made me smile:

So I wanted to say Thank You.

Thank you to my friends in Boston who stayed safe and sound.


Thank you to everyone who is good and caring and loving.

Thank you for doing what is right.

Thank you for restoring my faith in humanity.

Some of you know that I ran my first 5K Saturday. (I'll tell you about that later.) I had no desire to run a 10K or a Half Marathon, or even God forbid, a whole, actual Marathon. On my run today, I was mentally complaining to myself about how I was tired and wanted to be finished. But then I remembered the picture of the man in a wheelchair with his feet blown off. I thought to myself "I'm running for those who can't run anymore. I'm running for the man in the wheelchair. I'm running for the little 8 year-old boy who will never run again. I'm running for anyone would give anything to walk, let alone run again. I'm running for Boston."

I know this sounds cheesy. But, this mantra gave me the endurance to finish my run strong. Its moments like these that make me realize how small and trivial most of my problems really are. A perfect time for that ever-so-popular phrase First World Problems.

So I've decided to run a 10K, and dedicate it to The City Boston, and to those affected by this tragedy. To all those who can't run, or will never run again. I know it sounds sort of self-righteous to do this, but I'm not going to make a big deal about it. I'm telling you my bloggy friends, and maybe my boyfriend and mom. It just seems like the right thing to do, for me, to help me make some sense of all this insanity.

xoxo, McGriddle Pants

For Boston, for Boston,
we sing our proud refrain
for Boston, for Boston
'tis wisdom's earthly fane
for here are all one
and our hearts are true
and the towers on the heights
reach the heavens own blue.
for Boston, for Boston
'til the echoes ring again

Lyrics by The Dropkick Murphys

thirty-five

I'm turning 35 this year.

This of course begets the, "What am I doing with my life?", "Am I happy?", "Why the hell am I still friends with this person?", thoughts.

This is the thing: When you hit 28 or 30, everything begins to divide.

You can see very clearly two kinds of people.

On one side, people who have used their 20s to learn and grow, to find themselves and their dreams, people who know what works and what doesn’t, who have pushed through to become real live adults.

Then there’s the other kind, who are hanging onto college, or high school even, with all their might. They’ve stayed in jobs they hate, because they’re too scared to get another one. They’ve stayed with men or women who are good but not great, because they don’t want to be lonely. … they mean to develop intimate friendships, they mean to stop drinking like life is one big frat party. But they don’t do those things, so they live in an extended adolescence, no closer to adulthood than when they graduated.

I don't want to be like that. Don’t be like that.

I feel like I'm stuck. Don’t get stuck.

I work with a dear, sweet wonderful woman, who forgets to live today. She lives in yesterday and tomorrow simultaneously. She refuses to "grow roots" because she knows shes moving in a few months. It makes me sad because I feel like shes not giving me a chance to be her friend. I have to remind myself that its her loss. Making herself unhappy because she misses people of yesterday, but never looking at today because all she can think about is tomorrow.

I don't want to live like that.

Move, travel, take a class, take a risk. This is what I feel like I need to do. But what? But how?

There is a season for wildness and a season for settledness, and this is neither. I feel like I'm in the inbetween.

This season is about becoming. Don’t lose yourself at happy hour, but don’t lose yourself on the corporate ladder either. Stop every once in a while and go out to coffee or climb in bed with your journal. I'm asking myself some good questions like: “Am I proud of the life I’m living? What have I tried this month? Do the people I’m spending time with give me life, or make me feel small? Is there any brokenness in my life that’s keeping me from moving forward?” Now is the time.

Walk closely with people you love, and with people who believe life is a grand adventure. This is a big one.

Trying SO HARD to not get stuck in the past, and not try to fast-forward myself into a future I haven’t yet earned.

I try to constantly remind myself life is a journey, not a destination. Try to give today all the love and intensity and courage I can. Think positive. Plan, but not forget about today. This moment. This now.

Do small things. Do big things. Do the things that make me happy. That make me move to where I want to be, but not forget where I am right now.

Today is a gift. Not everyone gets a tomorrow.

xoxo, McGriddle Pants