♥ LIFE. life. life. life.

I recently posted the above video on my Facebook account. One of my oldest and dearest friends offered her viewpoint of the video and I think that the conversation which will result can be one of controversy and a challenge to both of our ways of thinking (let me add that Rebecca and I both have a huge amount of respect for one another and I'm excited about what else she has to say). SO, this is where I ask for your input. I'll copy and paste the beginning of our thoughts and you can fill in the rest.

PLEASE, be respectful. I know this issue is big and we've all minded our Ps and Qs when I've brought it up before; so I would appreciate the same attitude this time around. Instead of entering your thoughts on abortion without a moment's hesitation, I recommend that you DO hesitate, watch the video (it's in two parts), listen to this amazing woman and then, after you've searched your heart, let me know how you feel. Love you, readers!!

Rebecca: "I hate abortion. I hate it. However, I would rather see a baby die in the womb than be raised by the state, or by a family that beats and molests them. Make no mistake, these babies are not wanted by their parents. As horrible as that is to think about, I do appreciate the element of mercy in abortion that spares these poor babies from enduring a life of rejection and hardship. Judge me if you will, but I believe that. I am not sure what the answer is to the abortion epidemic. It's ugly and murderous. I love my kids, but I would rather kill them myself than put them in the wrong hands where they will suffer forever because they are unwanted."

Sarah: "Thanks for your input, Rebecca! I love it when you comment on my stuff with your challenging viewpoints. Really, I do. I totally understand where you're coming from and I can see why you would feel that way. Actually, at first I was like, "Rebecca makes an amazing point and I have nothing to say back." But then, after I brushed my teeth (which is a prime time for me to think, btw) I began to remember all of the things that God did in the life of that amazing woman. And I also thought of all the things He does for anyone who endures suffering and pain. Of course, it is an automatic reaction for us to want to avoid pain and suffering in any degree and to protect any child from a lifetime of hardship. But, if Jesus promised us anything He promised us that we would be hated, that life will SUCK sometimes, that pain goes hand in hand with breathing, that suffering cannot be avoided AND that He is with us through every second of every minute of every hour of every day, teaching and comforting and making everything work for our good. Pain is not lost on Him. He knows suffering more than any of us could imagine. So, would it be better to snuff out a life because the chances of pain and a hard life are a reality? Or do we trust Jesus and His ways and His LOVE and His ability to rescue any child from the grips of Satan? Do we justify abortion and say, “At least they won’t know pain.” or be the hands and feet of Jesus as we reach out with unconditional love to those who have both been victims of abortion (I’m not just talking about the baby, here) and are born into this world of sin and despair? After all, babies born to the most responsible and loving parents will and could still endure their days in the shadow of pain, abandonment, and affliction. Should they have been aborted? No. No. No. No. There is no easy answer to this abortion epidemic. Obviously, the only answer is Jesus. But, we must be realistic, not everyone will accept His gift of salvation. Instead, I believe with my whole heart that we need to remain firm in our convictions and hold close to the Bible when it says that murder is wrong. Then, in the face of a fallen world, we need to trust Jesus and know that He holds each life in His tender, compassionate and loving hands. And He is asking that a life be allowed to exist so that He can be glorified in that life redeemed."

Random Discussions (RD): Part I

I have only a few things up in this head of mine, and rather than creating and overwhelming you with an entire post of my scattered thoughts, I'm going to whine about only three of them. Please read, and discuss. It's like homework, only more like therapy. And I'm getting the therapy from you guys for free.

Point 1:

I miss my friends.

I mean, I've still got all of them for the most part. Heck, I've got one girl back in my life from *gulp* 20 years ago, thanks to the book of face! The rest of them are scattered all over the state of Wyoming, and some others in different parts of the country. The point really isn't that I don't have any friends, because my friends are amazing, and still part of my daily life.

BUT. I miss having friends that are five seconds away should there be a friend disaster, an immediate excuse for a good time, or just to meet for a quick bite at the last minute. It's part of the repercussions of me moving away, and I was fully prepared for it...I think. I'm actually fine, until the feeling of loneliness sneaks up from behind. Example: I was at the bar the other night with my favorite man, hanging with some really cool people...and I realized that I missed SORELY the friends that would normally be there with me. There are two of you, in particular, that would have seen me from across the bar, and known by the look on my face what I was thinking, what I wanted to drink, and exactly what song I was thinking we needed to dance to. Le Sigh. I know it will come in good time, and I still had a blast, but I miss you.

Conclusion: I still have friends that are a mere phone call away. I still have friends that are actively part of my daily life, via phone, Facebook, text message, picture message, or even within an hour's drive. I'll make new friends, sure enough. I've got a good habit of that. And no matter how far away I move, or how close I am in vicinity to them, loneliness will always join me occasionally.

Point 2:

Weddings.

This is not about my past marriage, my next marriage, or my lack of marriage. This is just in general. Ah hem.

I love being friends with blushing, gushing brides. I've never been one to get envious, or feel that "always a bridesmaid, never a bride." feeling. I have, however, stood behind one or two, and noticed a few things.

#1. People take for granted how much time, effort, and lack of sleep goes in to these things.
#2. People have a terrible habit of making them about them, and not the bride and groom.
#3. You only get cake if you play nice. So stop playing not nice.

Conclusion: Planning them, is MUCH bigger than any of them expect. And while they think, or even tell you that they don't need your help, they're lying. They usually feel like they're absolutely drowning in their own bliss, and true that it may be that it IS bliss, and that they want to do it all themselves to make sure it gets done right, they're extremely overwhelmed. If all you do is sit and watch them make things happen, you're going to see some peace come in to the picture.

If you're in the wedding party, if you're related to the bride or groom, or if you're a best friend that's just getting a front row seat...it is your absolute DUTY to make sure that day goes off without a hitch (well...one hitch, get it, get it?!). You're there to support that love, you're there to comfort them, and you're supposed to be there for them every second of the planning stages, regardless of how "not a big deal" you think each step is, or how disconnected you think you are from the planning, or even how Bridezilla she's actually getting. I mean hi, she's dropping at least $6000, just to put on a show for YOU people to watch her take the next step. You do realize that your ticket to the show is free, right? Pamper the hell out of her.

Conclusion Part 2: I'm never planning a wedding.

Point 3:

I want to do everything.

I want to have a job doing Facebook. I want to waitress. I want to ride and train horses. I want to work in a retail store. I want to teach English. I want to work with special needs children. I want to be a vet. And it really bothers me that because I've changed rank in my "title" or pay, that people are assuming I'm settling for less than I deserve, or making poor choices.

Conclusion: I can't be everything, but there is absolutely nothing stopping me from trying everything once.

So, there you go. A massive rant about Things. I need therapy.

Yours Truly,
Nomz

Free The Girls UPDATE, yo!

It has been exactly 38 days, a few donation boxes and one stellar interview on News Channel 5 (which we'll post soon, if we can) since we posted our original blog announcing our desire to support (get it? get it?) Free The Girls by collecting as many bras as we can. And since August 20th we've had them trickle in and surely, steadily, our cars are filling up with boxes of bras for women who have been rescued from human trafficking.

This touches my heart in a way I could never properly describe in a blog. Women are going to be freed from the bonds of slavery and sexual oppression because of your desire to help them!!

I just called Ruby Juice and had them tally up the bras they've received since we set up our little donation box there and they have 99 (Jay has agreed to give a FREE smoothie to anyone who is willing to donate their bra then and there, to make the total 100!); combine that with the bras I have at my house and in my car and we're well over 150! And that doesn't include the other drop boxes we have placed in Burns. LADIES! We're so proud of you!

Our original intention was to collect bras just until September 30th. But, with the success of your generosity and how exciting this has all become, we've decided to extend the official deadline into October. Really though, we're going to take your bras for as long as you want to give them. How horrible would we be if we refused?!

Ways you can help:

* Buy the really cute, really stylish shirts that Free The Girls is selling on their site. Ten percent of the profits go directly toward releasing the captives and putting their captors behind bars.

* Give bras! Duh!

* If you don't have bras or have a hoarding problem, you can donate your money to Free the Girls.

* Spread the word. Word of mouth is really important for Free the Girls right now because the less money they spend on promoting, the more money they can use toward freeing victims.

* Pray. Pray for the women who have been taken; pray that their hope will remain confident in that we are looking for them. Pray that Kimba and Mama T (the owners of Free the Girls) are strengthened and can continue in this amazing cause without discouragement or stress. Pray that the men (and women, because some of them are involved, too) who commit this horrible act against humanity will realize what they're doing and STOP.

To end in an upbeat style, check out these pictures of our journey to free the girls!

Ashley! donated her talent to make us this awesome sign for our bra box. Isn't it pretty?!

A HUGE thank you to Rylee from Cheyenne's News Channel 5 (and to our friend, Bruce, for his awesomerest connections) for helping us spread the word about Free the Girls!

Sarah: "We should totally wear these on the outside of our shirts for the interview."

Camera guy: "Please, no."

If you're wondering, YES, the ladies of RJ do get hit on. No, these are not their bras.

They're Nomz's bras. Heh. :)

Sorry ladies, Jay is married. :)

We LOVE Jay for being such a good sport and collecting bras from his customers. GO JAY!

♥ Bits and pieces of my brain.

* Yeah, I thought of zombies after I read that title, too. What are ya gonna do? It just fits.

* I love words. I love that one word can be pregnant with a thousand different meanings and a thousand different explanations can’t do justice to one word spoken at the right time. My favorite word? Tapestry. I don’t know why- it just has the most beautiful connotation. Also, when written it’s all flowy and pretty.

* This was my thought process last night as I watched E News: “Who cares?” “Who cares?” “Who cares?!” “Wow, Matt Damon is getting OLD!”

* I received one of the most encouraging emails from my Naomi this week. I'm saving it for forever. My favorite part? "Love will happen eventually, even though every single roadblock seems to be popping up in your way."

^ That right there? Yeah, it makes me wanna blub like an over-emotional girl.

* Oh, if you didn't know... today is Nomz's last day at her place of employment (dood, she 's been there 5+ years. THAT is dedication!). It's scary when one chapter of life ends and another one begins, but she's handling it with grace and and poise. Like she handles everything. Overachiever.

* Today seems like a quote day to me. So, you're gonna get a blogful:

“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one's weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”-Mahatma Ghandi

"There are four questions of value in life... What is sacred? Of what is the spirit made? What is worth living for and what is worth dying for? The answer to each is the same. Only love." -Johnny Depp (That's right. I'm quoting Johnny Depp.)

“Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is of life” -Jonathan Edwards

“God always teaches us patience, when we do not have time for the lesson.”

"It was a high counsel that I once heard given to a young person, "Always do what you are afraid to do." -Ralph Waldo Emerson

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing." -Helen Keller

"A smooth sea never made a skillful mariner." - Anonymous

"Give me a fruitful error any time, full of seeds, bursting with its own corrections. You can keep your sterile truth for yourself." ~Vilfredo Pareto

* I saw a candle commercial last night with the sort of song that they play in Pier1 during the holidays and now I'm fully in Fall mode and definitely fighting the urge to begin planning white elephant parties and wearing red for most of the week. *fighting fiiiiiighting*

* If you missed them, check out the epic family photos Mal and I just had taken. I'm so in love with them:

P.S. Yeah, I know you tried to write out "tapestry" in your prettiest writing just as soon as I mentioned its beauty. I know you...

♫ Social Marketing

Nomz here, telling you, that I have a real job. I get to be on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and several blogs, and call it "work". It's Social Marketing. Some find it laughable, but I can tell you, if you're a business, you're going to get laughed at for not jumping in this very shiny boat with me. Read more about my job, and why you should not only join me in the boat, but make yourself comfortable, bring a lunch, and cast a line, at one of my other blogs: Casual Marketing.

What do you do for a living?

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♥The Post With No Title OR ♥ From the Valley to the High Places.

Ever go through those seasons in life where the poo hits the fan and all you can do is look up and point out the obvious? “Oh, the poo just hit the fan. Huh.” I’m there. Not in the worst case possible but yesterday was bad. It was a roller coaster of emotions so loopy and unexpected that I barely had time to react. I just sat there with a dazed look on my face and before I knew it, the day was all over.

Later on, not even before Tuesday had thrown the last of her punches, I found this quote by C.S. Lewis:

“God, who foresaw your tribulation, has specially armed you to go through it, not without pain but without stain.”

That right there? It’s my life, for the past year, in a nutshell. True story. If you had told me, last summer, what I was about to go through and endure I would’ve passed out then and there at your feet. Never ever ever ever in a million years would have I guessed that God had already begun equipping me for the turbulence that I was to soar through.

Yes, soar.

I say soar because looking back it wasn’t as bad as I thought. Was it painful? You bet. Were there days that I wanted to give up, curl into a ball and hide under by bed until the world ended? Almost every day. But somehow, someway that only Jesus is aware of I was able to put one foot in front of the other and make my way out of the cold and dark valley.

There’s something about that valley, though, that has its redeeming qualities. Despite the gloom and doom of being in a place where pain dwells and weariness hangs overhead, things grow. Miraculously. I’d even venture to say that things grow, in our hearts, in a richer way than they do when life is perched on the mountaintop and nothing can touch it. But that’s just me.

I’ve learned a new way to love. I’ve learned a new way to trust. I’ve learned deeper levels of patience and seeking the heart of my Father and His will. I’ve learned that He is always nearer than I think He is and He draws nearer to me even before I can call out to him.

Then, as if God doesn’t get enough joy by bringing me through the hardest time of my life unstained, He smiles and says, “This is only the beginning my super awesome amazing epic plan for you.” And I can just see us cracking up as He reveals His will little by little and it’s everything I’ve wanted and so much more.

See? This is why I serve the God that I do. He never lets me down, He sticks with me closer than my own heartbeat and He makes me more than an over-comer.

-Sazaran

♫ Random Monday: 9/20/10

Rolz and my new puppy, Nova! We call them, "Rollanova"

*One more week of commuting. Just one. It's bittersweet. But lawdy am I ready to not be making that long commute anymore.

*I found my girls a preschool! Screeeeeeeeeeee! Bless you, little church preschool, for being the most time-sensible, curriculum desired, safest place I've found yet.

*I got glasses! I've got 20-25 vision, but two astigmatisms. Which is fancy for "you can't drive, operate machinery, or even a computer, without wearing a cute accessory."

*Thanks to Christie (don't worry when you don't recognize her name, most of you don't know her...your loss, really), my girls will soon be doing three flavors of dance classes, AND having recitals. *prepares to cry*

*This weekend had the perfect balance of reality, romance, and go-time. I got swept off my feet, swung around a dance floor, time alone to think hard on some things, and epic sleep-in time, and bonus shopping time with one of my best girls. The things that can be accomplished in one weekend!

*Have you heard the latest Octomom drama?! After showing a co-worker (Octomom), he said "she's gotta looked like a popped balloon, right?" Ew.

*I'm job hunting. Officially. Know somebody hiring in the area I've moved to? Let me know! (Creepy blog stalkers, I'm SO glad you find our blog interesting, we hope to continue entertaining you, but I'm not going to tell you where I live. Sorry.)

*Ever notice how when you're reading a really good book, the chapter ends on such a cliff hanger that you're dying to keep reading? Ever notice that life is the same way? Weiiiiird, huh?

*Speaking of that, how the HECK are they going to make the seventh book in the Harry Potter series TWO movies? I'm going to die of anticipation, that's how. Along with the other 7 million addicts. They'll torture us with three hours of The Titanic, but Harry Potter? No...you get to pay double the money for that feature. Jerks.

*Autumn does indeed bring cooler weather, but with it comes good tv! I'm right back to addicted to Sons of Anarchy, and have huge plans to disappear entirely in to Grey's Anatomy Thursday!

*It's weird how I just started a blog with nothing to say, and here I am writing your eyes off.

*I am absolutely in love with this:



*If you can handle Jewel's voice, listen to these lyrics.



Yours Truly,
Nomz

**Hitching Post Fire Under Fire!

For those of you that don't live in the Wyoming area, you might not know that one of those most historical hotels in Wyoming burned down in the last 24 hours. (See more on the story here: Hitching Post Fire)We've all been following the story pretty closely here, and we've got a ghost-blogger that needs to talk about the subject. Any thoughts on this, readers? -Nomz and Sazaran

I just finished reading the article and comments about the Hitching Post Fire. Now I have the overwhelming feeling to rant! To those that have left comments on the tribune website! While you sit at home a complain what a horrible job the firemen did to extinguish the fire at the Hitch I have one question. Do you really even know anything all about fighting fires? Here is just one comment from the article written by "Taxpayer".

" I see Cheyenne fire did another outstanding job burning down a historic building. Why do the fire department even exist if all they do is park fire trucks outside and squirt water? don't they know how to do any other kind of fire fighting. Did they at least call in the professionals from the base and the guard, or did they wait till it was to late.

Its a a shame Cheyenne does not have fire fighters who actually fight fire. I say we bring in district 1 and 2 & give then to city, at least they know how to put water on the fire and do it safely and lots cheaper. "

Everyone is entitled to their opinions I understand that but do you really have to insult the men and women that risk their lives to do their job?

Okay, so I lied I have a few questions for those that feel the need to bash the Fire Department:

1. If it was your house that was on fire would you be insulting them?

2. Do you have any idea how hard it is to fight a fire whether it is from the inside or the outside?

3. Would you run into a burning building?

4. Do you know how hard it is to hang on to a hose that is pumping out thousands of gallons of water per minute?

I am just guessing... But suspect that you would be grateful to the fire department when they show up to your home to extinguish the flames ripping through your life! It takes a very special person to fight fires and not just anyone would be willing to run into a burning building or even stand next to one of that intensity!

When you insult the men and women of ANY fire department I tend to take personally. My husband is a volunteer fire fighter and have seen all the hard work that they do. They have more training then most would expect.

There are many people that were affected by yesterday's fire. It is hard to watch a landmark go up in flames, but do you really have to insult those that work for hours to put out the flames!

-Al, Ghost-blogger

♥Dear....

Dear Printer, please take your time. Because, you know, I have allllll day.

Dear Summer, you were so lovely and mild and green all season, you're invited to stay for the next.

Dear Nomz, I miss the heck out of you. Please be my co-blogger forever and ever.

Dear Pickle Chips, even two years post pregnancy, you are the best chip that has ever happened to me.

Dear Vacation, I know that if I wait for you, you will be worth it. Please be worth it.

Dear Malachi, Mama loves you with everything she is; you're the best boy and the greatest gift.

Dear Future, you're so bright! I'm excited to jump into you and see how God planned you with my best in mind. Let's always trust Him, yeah? Yeah.

Dear writer's block and/or any form of intimidation about spilling thoughts and feelings- googly, googly, be gone!

Dear Fall, I know we're something like frenemies. But, let's put our differences behind us and just enjoy each other's company. I like how colorful your personality is; I like how you inspire great photographic moments. I don't so much like your cold shoulder, though. Let's work on that.

Dear Ashley, your beauty stuns me every time I see you. I can't wait to see what your babies look like.

Dear Readers, Ashley is NOT pregnant. I'm just uuuuber excited for way-in-the-future stuffs. :)

Dear Emotions, go ahead, run rampant for a little while. You're usually so wrangled in that I'm sure you've got to get out and let off a little steam. Just be sure to leave my pride intact when you're out there doing your thang. kthxbai.

Dear Element Church. WOW. Wonderful, life-giving, convicting, fellowshipping, motivating, encouraging church! I'm in love with you and with your people and with your heart. You're proving to me that God cannot be contained in any box or any standard set by mere men. I'm having the time of my life watching God take you to where He has called water to spring forth in the desert.

Dear Switchfoot, thank you a million times over for writing Your Love is A Song. It's rocking my spiritual face off. And quickly moving to the top of my list of Most Amazing Songs Ever.

Dear You, you're amazing.

♫ Every Girl Should...

My list, of things every girl should own, know how to wear, a skill she should possess, and an experience she should have. In order to survive this world...us girls, well, have to be girls!

Every Girl Should...

*Get kissed in the rain, at least once, if not over and over again.

*Own a pair of ridiculously high heels.

*Keep her favorite pair of pants, and kill herself a few times a year for no longer being able to fit in to them (but you will someday, so keep them!).

*Fall in love. At least twice.

*Feel like a $5 hooker. Seriously girls, it's ok to get a cheap thrill out of seeing your man wildly attracted to you in your hooker boots, dark makeup, and fantastic body.

*Compile a stack of chick flick movies to cry at when you're home alone, or craving a girls' movie night.

*Gather, and keep close, a good stock of girlfriends. (Yes, girls are evil, but who the heck else is going to understand your insanities AND take you out on the town to feel young again?!)

*Have bitch-out music. Forgive the language, but you KNOW when you have THAT SONG playing in the car, windows down, after a rough day? All is well in the world, without even a second thought of needing a guy to fix your day.

*Red high heels (Cheesy video, but makes the point for me.):



*Have a favorite type of wine, easy access to a deep bathtub, and candles. At the ready, at all times.

*Obtain a journal that will fit in your purse. Or seven. Don't worry, nobody ever actually finishes them, or writes in them every day...but you've got so many thoughts, it's a good thing to have on you at all times.

*Know how to use a gun. Ladies, you'll never be self sufficient without feeling protected without a guy. Get yourself in a self defense class, a hunter's safety class, and buy a gun. It'll make you feel all risky, too...bonus!

*Learn how to drive stick-shift. Yes, we live in the day and age where every car practically comes with autopilot (omg, have you seen the commercials for that car that PARALLEL PARKS FOR YOU?!), but learn how to do it anyway. I've got one you can borrow!

*Ride on the back of a motorcycle. Feel it, like it.

*Make a huge change to your hair, at least once.

*Write a poem, feel empowered.

*Conquer a dance class. if you've got a heart, you've got rhythm...even if it's buried seven layers underneath your clumsiness.

*Have your mama and daddy on speed dial. Forever and ever, no matter how crazy they get, or how much you think you don't need them.

*Know how to work a plunger. At some point ladies, you'll live alone and really regret not knowing how to work one of these nasty beasts.

What am I missing??

Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Random Monday: 9-13-10

I'm sorry I'm blogging fail. I've been training my replacement at my job, which is a far better excuse than Sazaran's excuse...I promise. Actually, I have no idea what her excuse is. But mine wins anyway. ;)

*I officially want a polka dot dress, and red high heels. Like this, only with more red in the heel area.



*I'm in love with my life, and that's ok. That doesn't mean that everything is perfect, that just means that I really am succeeding in looking past life's imperfections.

*I've caught the dancing bug. This weekend? I'm begging that boy to take me out and swing me around a dance floor.

*Do you ever look around yourself, and say "mannnn, my friends are AWESOME."? Because I do.

*I'm realizing I'm a little bit of a control freak. And I'm ok with that.

*I've decided I'm going to be put as much effort in to people's lives that they put in to mine. So, here's me telling you boldly and plainly...This friendship or relationship is only as good as BOTH people involved, step it up.

*I've gone from "Mannnnnn, the summer is almost over, boooohissss" to "OhMahGah it's almost CORNMAZE season!" Who's in?!

*Compromise means "meeting halfway". This can be a very literal definition...not just figurative.

*I'm wearing a hair flower today, and hanging out with the girl that inspired it. Pictures might have to take place to prove this madness.

*Every single girl goes through this phase where she finds herself completely unworthy of love. It's our own little way of putting up walls to protect ourselves. Yes men, your girl is normal in her insecurities.

*I love my blondes. But everything in me wants to be brunette again, with a purple streak. Or maybe an entire head of bright red. For my hairs' sake, I need to invest in wigs.

*I'm in search of a little black dress, girls. Where is your favorite place to shop for such things? Skater-girl-looking, just below the knee, and absolutely fabulous...must all be in the description.

*"A true friend advises justly, assists readily, adventures boldly, takes all patiently, defends courageously, and continues a friend unchangeably."

*I am in desperate need of a pedicure. For serious.

*People keep asking me, "Why, with everything else going on in your life, did you get a puppy?!"...coincidentally, I'm also questioning my own sanity. BUT, I refuse to be home alone ever without a dog, and since the other dog goes everywhere with the man, I have to have something to trust with my sanity. Seeeeee?

*The first thing I read before I started my day...and cried. Because it's just...perfect.

If suddenly and without warning you had absolutely nothing to worry about, do you know what the world would begin to look like?

Un-huh, exactly the same as it does right now.

Alright, if suddenly you had absolutely nothing to be afraid of, do you know what you'd begin to look like right now?

Yeah, cool as ever.

OK, OK. If suddenly you had absolutely no expectations to live up to and no one to disappoint, do you know how free you'd suddenly be?

Yeah, same, same.

Get it? The only thing that would really change is your thoughts.

And you don't need circumstances or other people to help you with that, do you?

I say it's time to blow the lid off this popsicle stand.

- The Universe

*Dear song, thank you for saying exactly what I can't. (Thank you, Prairieeeee!)



Yours Truly,
Nomz

♫ Random Monday : Tuesday 9-7-10

The title makes sense, doesn't it? It IS a Monday, after all....

*It seems like all I have time for these days are these random blogs...y'all don't mind do you?

*I just spent an entire four days with my guy. On top of watching him slave away, I painted my living room (thank you sis!), slept in a lot, got served breakfast in bed (say wha?!), ate out with one of my favorite couples, and got lots of me time. Just what the doctor ordered? Totally.

*I had time to realize that while I've got some bumps in my life I'm trying to get over, some people have it a lot harder. I can't even imagine my youngest being in hospitals enough to know what to expect, and even find the strength to grin about it. (Codi, I'm SO glad your day went well!).

*I applied at a daycare and three awesome possible jobs today. Pray for me!

*I gotta puppy, I gotta puppy...I gotta puppy, hey, hey, hey, hey!

*My life isn't perfect. I try not to make it sound that way. Being an optimist even when I'm struggling is an entirely different matter.

*Are there any volunteers out there to drag me down the road and force me to run? My body misses it terribly...but I just can't find the motivation to get out there after a 12 hour day. How do you people do it?!

*My friend got a jeep. Correction. FOUR of my friends got jeeps in the last year. Me <--gets to ride in all of them.

*I miss the way my kids heads smell after they've been gone even a day. It's so weird that they just smell like home.

*All I can eat Italian Buffet tooootally happened this weekend. See why I need to start running again, see?

*I don't respond well to bulk texts. I wanna feel like an original, yo!

*Sons of Anarchy starts tonight (OhEmGeee guyzzzz, I can haz real tv!). Do not text or call between 8pm and 9pm, I won't be responding.

*It's five til five, which means I get to go get my favorite five year old and four year old going on twenty five.

*I've always loved this song. This morning I youtube'd it so I could put it on here and tell you how much it reminded me of me. And then laughed my ars off at how cheesy it was. No, seriously: Faith Hill - Wild One

Yours Truly,
Nomz

**TJMaxx, we're talking about you...

A ghost blog! For those of you that don't know...occasionally, we get an email from one of our readers wishing they could get their rants, raves, and words out in the internet realm without actually starting an entire blog for it. Today is one of those days! We LOVE hearing from you guys, via comment or ghost blog! Let her know what you think of this scenario, mmmmkay? -Nomz and Sazaran

I was on a mission today: find spankies, or spankie alternative so I don’t flash people at the gym.

It’s not that I often wear incredibly short shorts, but I bought a pair of Adidas shorts at Kohl’s a few weeks ago, and they are a tad *too* short for my comfort. Especially when I run. Spankies or tight spandex shorts were my cheap solution.

I went to TJMaxx to see if I could find something that wouldn’t break the bank. And I did. I also found something for the fiancée, picture frames for the wedding, and other useless crap that I couldn’t live without (TJMaxx will do that to ya).

So I get in line. And wait. And then wait some more. I concentrate on the woman in front of me who can’t stand still for a second (and consequently she touches and opens every little kid book within 2 feet of her cart, picks up two last minute DVDs, and decides she can’t live without a couple packages of overpriced M&Ms). Then I look at a screaming child two lanes over. Count the tiles on the ceiling. Think about what I’m making for dinner… you get the idea.

25 minutes later I’m still waiting in a line that hasn’t budged an inch. There’s only one person in front of me (the woman decided she wanted gum in addition to the M&Ms). There’s two cashiers and both are still working with the same customers. Lane 12 bought $643.88 worth of merchandise—and that’s after insisting that she didn’t want a shirt. Lane 9 bought the entire child’s clearance section and every tag is coming up the wrong price. Multiples of an item are writing up different prices. No manager is available to fix this.

I wait a while longer and the guy behind me, holding a small pink backpack that is a gift for his daughter, goes to a nearby worker and asks if it’s possible to get another cashier. Nope. Sorry.

So I count some more. 4 carts of merchandise to go back. 6 people now in line. 9 employees, 7 of whom can’t work a register.

Wait what? There were 9 employees at the registers doing various things. Only 2 had clearance to work a register.

At this point it’s 30-35 minutes from when I first got in line. My picture frames are heavy (should have gotten a cart!) and I’m starting to get irritated. I hear the Lane 12 cashier ask the customer where she found a particular item, and if it was available in the cashier’s size…

*blank stare*

Why can’t they work a register? Or find someone else who can?

I eventually check out, ask to speak with a manager, tell her I’m surprised that 9 employees are there and we still had to wait 30+ minutes for a register to check out.

She smiles at me. Not in a friendly, “I’m sorry for your trouble” way. It was more of a, “This isn’t my problem. Deal with it” kind of way.




Am I wrong to be slightly upset at this? How long, dear readers, do you wait in line before you give up? How long before you get upset? Do the same rules apply for store lines as they do for restaurants? And was I just bitchy?

Help a girl out!

--Ghost Blogger

♥ Daddy's Girl

Almost 26 years ago, a certain man (we'll call him DAD) took a three day journey into the middle of nowhere. With nothing but his Bible, his tent and his heart, he spent those three days in prayer... for me. He prayed that I would have a heart that always seeks the Lord and His will; he prayed for my health; he prayed that I would have beautiful eyes. Since the moment he learned about my being knitted together in my mother's womb, my dad has given every part of himself to me- to make sure that I am well provided for in every area of my life.

Not one day escapes me that I know how wonderful he is and how blessed I am to have him as my DAD. I have always known how mighty a man of God he is, how great his love is for me. By far, he is the best figure I have of my Heavenly Father.

A certain quote goes like this:

"Henry James once defined life as that predicament which precedes death, and certainly nobody owes you a debt of honor or gratitude for getting him into that predicament. But a child does owe his father a debt, if Dad, having gotten him into this peck of trouble, takes off his coat and buckles down to the job of showing his son how best to crash through it." ~Clarence Budington Kelland

^ That, right there, is MY DAD. Through life's misdemeanors and felonies he has been right by my side, imparting his wisdom (one of his most commonly-used reminders was, "You can learn the hard way or you can listen to my wisdom.") and helping me trudge through the consequences. Apart from the grace and help of Jesus, I don't know how I would've recovered from my stumblings.

{Not so much of a} NEWS FLASH: the man has stumbled, himself. Like any daughter who sits upon her daddy's lap with a heart full of admiration and joy, learning the lesson that he is a human was a blow to my soul that hurt more than any others. But, you know what it taught me? The man can recover from anything. All credit belongs to Jesus, but, He doesn't make anyone do anything; my dad submitted himself and God has been glorified in him. It makes my admiration and love for my earthly father swell a hundred times over.

My dad is my hero, he is the example of what a Godly man look like. I see him and I know that there are good men out there who love the Lord and how know to seek after Him with their whole heart. Though he is human, I strive to be like my dad, with his compassion for people and his desperate desire for the Holy Spirit.

Dad, I love you. I love you. I love you. Thank you for always being there for me, for supporting me in prayer, for teaching me. You are the most gifted and anointed teacher I have ever come across and I consider it a huge honor and blessing from God to have you as my own father- with unconditional access to your heart and wisdom. Thank you for loving me.

♫ Laundry is the devil.

CindyLou bought me a candle that smells like fresh laundry, bless her, because the rest of my laundry does not ever smell clean. Generally speaking, the pile of dirty laundry is much larger than the clean, so it wins.

I'm trying to figure out why I loathe it so hard. I've come up with the following reasons:

#1. It's never actually done. You can do it all day long every single day, and it never actually ends.

#2. The dryer bitch (as previously discussed on Twitter, if you have something in your dryer that steals socks, it does not deserve to be called a fairy) steals socks.

#3. It involves waiting. Every other chore can be done the MINUTE (or 15) that you get motivated to do it. Laundry? No. You have to find it all, sort it, wash it, dry it, put it away. One load is a waste of like...2 hours.

#4. It smells amazing...but only for like...20 minutes.

#5. The dryer itself collects lint dust. Yay, so I get to do laundry AND dust? Lucky me!

#6. ...and probably the most logical, I might actually be doing it wrong. Here's where you handy readers come in.

Everything I read says that the more you wash your clothes in cold water, the more energy efficient you're being, and the more environment you save. Yay!

I've also read that it gets clothes equally as clean if washed in cold. <--those people? Dirty liars. If I wash the dirtiest jeans everrrrrr (which I now live with) in cold water, they don't come even a little bit clean. And my whites are so much brighter after being washed in hot water.

I've also heard that powder laundry soap clogs drains, and therefore always use liquid. And then somebody else told me that liquid causes colors to fade. Le Sigh. I need to hang out with Martha Stewart, for real.

So....my questions for you (and I expect comments, people! Show me the laundry love!) are:

#1. Do you sort your laundry, or does everything get thrown in the same pile and washed the same?

#2. Do you dry anything?

#3. Do you change the temperature of your water?

#4. Do you use liquid or powder soap?

#5. Do you use fabric softener (you should, because OMG DOWNY SMELLS SO GOOD)?

Anything else you'd like to add would be just lovely. <3

Yours Truly,
Nomz