Farewell January

I've said this before and I'll keep saying it.
If it wasn't for the fact that BOTH OF MY KIDS were born in January I would despise this month.

But as it is, there are two really great days in January.
So I give the LONGEST MONTH EVER a pass.
For the most part.

However, this January has been a real bear (except for those two days).
The month has dragged on FOREVER.
Like for reals.
I thought it would never end.

I blame January 20 for the shit factor this month.
I mean, if we're being totally honest here, that day sucked.
A lot.

And it hasn't gotten better since.
In fact, it's getting worse every damn day.

I'm literally waiting for the day when we're all assigned districts a la The Hunger Games.
I just have one request - please give us Finnick Odair.
Kthanxbye.

Seriously though.
I think we're past the whole 'waiting for the other shoe to drop' part of this shit show.
Now we're just waiting for the impeachment.
I'll be popping popcorn for that. ;-)

So goodbye January.
Don't let the door hit you on the ass on your way out.

Also: #Resist

Monday Musings - January 25

Another Monday....more random thoughts from me. Aren't you lucky? ;)

I'm honestly viewing these posts as a way to make myself write something that isn't work-related. Why? Because I need to write. I love to write. And it's a lot easier to be passive aggressive in a blog post than on Facebook.

Kidding.
Sort of.

Anyway....

1. January. Seriously this month. It really feels like the LONGEST MONTH OF THE YEAR. Every. Single. Year. I know there are only 31 days in January - just like March, July, August, October, and December - but damn. This month just goes on forever. And I can't really dislike the month since BOTH girls celebrate January birthdays. It just feels really, REALLY long.

2. I make a ton of lists. Honestly you should see my desk right now. I have a "to do" list for work. I have several sticky notes for things I can't forget to do (one of which I already forgot to do today). I have lists in my head. It is ridiculous. So man lists, so much shit to remember. Do you ever feel like maybe you're trying to do too much?

3.I'm disturbed by the increasing lack of common courtesy online. I just don't understand why people have to be rude to others whether it is on Facebook, Twitter, or even in an email. I wish everyone would stop and think "would I say this to this person's face?" or "would I use this tone (usually the "you're an effing moron" tone) when speaking to this person face-to-face?" I'm gonna bet that NO for the most part you would not behave like that if you were face-to-face so WHY IN THE WORLD is it OK to act like that just because there is a computer/smartphone/iPad between you and the other person. Think before you hit send.

4. This is how my week usually goes:
Monday - Long list of things to do and the mindset "I have all week to do all of this stuff!"
Tuesday - Still have a lot of time. Oh look, Pinterest!
Wednesday - Oh man. Just a couple more days. Better get busy.
Thursday - Crap.
Friday - Looks like I'm working on a Friday night.
Saturday - Time to do the laundry.
Sunday - Relax. A little bit.

Here's to a stress-free week.

An Ode to January: Why Do You Have to Be Such a Jerk?

If it wasn't for the fact that January is the birth month of BOTH of my kids (yay, good planning!), I would hate the entire 31 days that make up this frigid, snowy, b*tch of a month.

As it is, I ONLY love two days in January - the 9th and the 24th. Other than that the month of January can suck it.

Today is January 6.
It was supposed to be the kids' second day back to school after winter break.

I say "supposed to be" because after receiving a paltry 1 to 1 1/2 inches of snow last night (that's all you've got Mother Nature?) THEY CANCELLED SCHOOL TODAY.

Seriously folks.

We live in freaking NORTHWEST OHIO. It snows from NOW UNTIL JUNE and you're going to close schools around the area because there's a little snow on the ground???

I. Just. Can't.

It's not like this snow was unexpected. They've been forecasting it for days - the weather guys have been practically giddy with excitement about the prospect of SNOW! And yet, the city plows are nowhere to be seen.

Nary a plow has cleared my neighborhood all morning.
And yet, the roads are NOT impassable.
It's literally an inch of snow.
The sun is shining.
Sure, it's COLD outside.
But it's WINTER.
And we LIVE IN OHIO.
Put on a freaking snowsuit and clear the roads.

And now we have just 4 more snow days for the entire year.
Way to go school system.
Way. To. Go.

Dear January: Suck it.

It's a Good Thing I Don't Make New Year's Resolutions

You know, it's a damn good thing I don't make resolutions for the new year...you know like "I resolve to blog at least three times a week." 

Because honestly friends I would totally fail.
Every. Single. Year.

I swear I think about blogging all the time. Hell, I even write really awesome posts IN MY HEAD as I'm trying to fall asleep. Because THAT works wonders, don't ya know?

I don't know why I don't write more. I don't have any good excuses. And I know I have enough "material" in my everyday life to write a blog post or two or three each week.

My month so far: I got a flu shot. Then I got sick. The end. 

OK. Not really. There was more going on this month. But I'm focusing on this.

And yes, I do know those two things (flu shots and getting sick) are NOT connected so please don't start leaving me comments quoting the CDC or Dr. Oz and telling me I'm full of crap for thinking the flu shot can make me sick.

However, I did go to my doctor's office before the New Year to get a flu shot because my mom made me. Yes, I'm almost 41 years old and my mom still has to make me get a flu shot. Because I hate shots. And I hate going to the doctor. But I also hate the idea of getting H1N1, so I went. And got a flu shot.

And three days later I had strep throat. Honest to goodness, I have not been that sick in YEARS. I'm talking at least a decade. The last time I can remember being so sick that I couldn't function as a human was when I had walking pneumonia in 2004. But strep throat really, really sucks. A lot.

A word to the wise: don't get really REALLY sick two days before Snowmageddon and the Polar Vortex are about to hit, because then you have to go to Urgent Care in a snowstorm and that's a joke because they tell you that you don't have strep but "here's an antibiotic anyway just in case you get worse." And then you'll spend three days feeling like DEATH and unable to go to the doctor's office because your entire town is shut down under a LEVEL THREE SNOW EMERGENCY and you'll GET ARRESTED IF YOU DRIVE.

But then it got warm (read: 1 degree above zero) and I made it to the doctor in a LEVEL TWO SNOW EMERGENCY. The doctor gave me antibiotics and they were the ONLY kind she thought I might be able to handle because just about every freaking antibiotic out there wreaks havoc on my body (or causes me to partially rupture my Achilles. No joke).

So...10 days of antibiotics later the strep is gone (whew!) but I'm back at the doctor's today because I'm having an allergic reaction to the antibiotic.

Of course I am. 

Apparently the medicine I was on was a "sulfa"drug (no clue what the hell that means) and my body decided to break out into a rash head to toe. Oh, and I'm sorry if it sounds unpleasant to you, but just imagine how I feel.

Seriously. I'm nearly 41 years old and there isn't ONE SINGLE ANTIBIOTIC that I can handle. Which means if I get sick again, I'm totally screwed. I'm also itchy. And grumpy.

And so....I now get to go to an allergist to determine exactly what the hell is my problem. I spent my entire childhood visiting an allergist (from age 4 until about age 18 when I was deemed "cured" of my seasonal allergies...they lied..I was never cured). And now I get to go back and get tested. Again.

Oh yeah, I'm also on steroids right now. So if I sound 'roid-ragey, I'm sorry. :)

As it is, there are 10 days left in this month. Here's to trying to write at least five blog posts between now and January 31. And no, that is NOT a resolution.

29 days 23 posts

Two days. That's all we have left in January (if you don't count today, which I'm not). And since I started this month challenging the writer in me to WRITE EVERY SINGLE DAY, I have to say I'm mildly pleased with the outcome. I've written 23 blog posts this month so far - which if we're being "technical" isn't one blog post per day...but whatever.

I was writing.
A lot.
And darn it all...it felt good.

This personal challenge was exactly what I needed to get 'back on track' and reignite my passion for words. Sure, I write a lot every day ... but 140 character tweets aren't the same as blog posts. And that's OK with me. Sometimes fitting in what I want to say in 140 characters is more challenging than writing a 400 word blog post.

And so here we are...almost to February.

Yes, professionally I'm still in the same place I was when January started - looking for the "right" job - but I have to believe that it's out there waiting for me. I have to keep believing that last year happened for a reason and that 2012 is MY year and that good things are going to happen very soon.

I have to believe this because if I stop then it means I stop believing in my dreams. And I refuse to allow that to happen.

So I'm going to keep doing what I'm doing.
I'll be challenging myself again in February with more NaBloPoMo.
For me, it's all about the writing.

Yep. My name is Traci. And I'm a writer.

New Day. New Year. New Beginnings.

Well, nothing like a "clean slate" to start the new year off right, I suppose.

But is my slate really clean?
I suppose it is.

I'm sort of at the beginning - looking for a new job, trying to follow my passion, starting fresh...you know...all the things you're supposed to say and do on January 1st. 

And so I figured, why not start fresh with blogging too? By that I mean posting more than once or twice every few weeks - really focusing on the writing aspect of it and remembering why I started blogging in the first place.

Because I love to write.

So, I'm going to begin with January's NaBloPoMo "challenge" - one blog post every day for the month of January.

Other things I'm "beginning" anew in the next few days....

My job search. Or at the very least figuring out what I want to do.

"Training" for my first Disney 5K.
Which is in 53 days.
I need to keep a 16 minute mile pace...walking or running.
I must get my butt in gear.

I'm sure I have other things I need to "begin"....like another load of laundry .... but those will do for now.

Happy New Year.
I'll be seeing you here quite a bit this month....I hope.

An open letter to January

Dear January,

We need to talk.

It's not that I don't like you - I do.
For two days.
I like you on the days my daughters were born.

But aside from those two amazing, magical, wonderful days....well, you're worthless.

It's NOT me.
It's you.
All you.

First, you have this superiority complex with this whole 31 day thing.
I mean really...
WHY in the world should the first month of the year have 31 days?
Especially when that month is the coldest, snowiest, most miserable month of the year?

If I had created the yearly calendar, I would have totally picked February over you, my dear January. Twenty-eight days is a much better way to ease into the year. Thirty-one days is just WAY too long.

And then there's your weather.
You're bitterly cold.
And icy and cruel.
And snow covered.
None of that makes you fun, like oh...June.
June is a nice warm, fun month.

January?
Not. At. All.
Don't believe me?
Ask the East Coast how they like January right about now.
Snowmageddon 1, 2, and 3...that's all I'm sayin'.

Around these parts, it has snowed at least once a week EVERY SINGLE WEEK this month.
And this week, it snowed 2" today and another 1-3" tomorrow.
That is just uncalled for behavior from you, dear January.

If it weren't for the two birthdays we celebrate this month, I would break up with you forever January. I would skip straight into February with her measly 28 days.

In the past 27 days we've had too much snow, way too many bitterly cold days, an illness (or two) every week, three or four doctor's visits, and as of tonight....one trip to the emergency room.

January....you suck.
You're just very lucky my daughters were born this month or we'd be so over.

Next year try to be a bit more considerate of people's feelings (and health) and cut back on the cold and snow and sickness, OK?

Thanks,
Traci