When Did Summers Get So Busy?!

When did lazy summers turn into what-weekend-don’t-we-have-something summers??

Today I was fondly thinking about summers in between middle school and high school. My sister and I would sleep in, get up and make awesome breakfast dishes, then usually dress in our best exercise gear and head to the living room to catch The Grind on MTV and bust out some moves before lunch.

Then it was always a call, yes a call, no text back then, to our friends on the block to see what the plan was for the day. Sometimes it was swimming, laying out, making up a dance, pretending we were gymnasts on our makeshift apparatuses, walking up the hill to get a slush, playing capture the flag. There was NEVER a day that we didn’t do something fun. Every day smelled like fresh-cut grass, the sun shone brightly and beautifully, the wind blew through our perfect chlorine-streaked hair, and hours seemed endless.

WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED??? It’s May and I’m already realizing I have like two free weekends before Labor Day. I don’t know what transpires from childhood to adulthood, but events just keep inserting themselves into your once blissful summer life. Of course when we’re kids, we have the whole week, and now it’s just Saturday and Sunday. And boy are those days precious. Vacations are a thing of the past for most of us. If we’re lucky, we might go somewhere every couple of years, so we don’t even have that to look forward to anymore. And vacations as an adult aren’t as fun anyway because you are doing all the packing and planning and driving, while the kids are spending all the money.

From graduations, to birthday parties, to showers, to weddings, to family reunions, and everything in between, I’m just trying to figure out if we can get to Idelwild (a local amusement park) one day, or go for a long day trip just to get away from it all.

And I’ve realized that my summers will only get busier as we add more kids to the family, and they start their own activities and events.

So for my time machine wish of the day, I’d love to go back to a summer when I was 13 or 14 years old. A summer when my whole life was in front of me. In fact, maybe that’s what made those summers so sweet. Life was still an unwritten book. There was no job holding us down, or mortgage payment looming. We were just kids, with nothing but time. And since we didn’t have any of this technology back then, we were always outside, always exploring, taking in the fresh air, living life to the fullest, not jut TWEETING about it.

I miss that fresh air. I miss the smell of hot dogs on a grill when I’m not the one cooking, I miss walking down to the baseball field to watch the cute older boys, I miss slushies, I miss dancing in the street. I miss it all.

Even when adults tell you to “enjoy this time of your life,” we never listen. We were in a hurry to grow up and we forgot to relish in the utter joy of being a kid. I guess I can try to tell my son the same thing when he gets to that age, and maybe if I’m lucky, it will sink in.

I’m going to go blast some 2 Unlimited, slurp a cherry slush, and do some cartwheels in my backyard for nostalgia. NOT. DUH. (Insert other 90′s cool slang here).

Nsync Member Replies To My Tweet…Dare I Say, Life Complete?

I don’t use my Twitter very often. I only signed up for an account so I could follow fantasy football updates, and I rarely even tweet. I’ve been stuck around 50 followers for a long time now, and I’m ok with that. My husband is always competing with me, actually not much of a competition  since he tweets all the time and gains new followers daily, but I got one up on him this weekend when I received a reply tweet from none other than Lance Bass, of former Nsync fame.

Here’s the picture for proof.

Now to truly understand how big of a deal this was to me, you’d have to meet me at age twelve or thirteen. Nsync had just came on to the scene and even though I loved Justin, as all the girls did, I loved Lance more. I don’t have many old pictures at my house, but I wanted to share this one, taken MANY years ago, that may help shine some light on my love for Lance. You can see all those posters in the back, well multiply that by about ten and that was how covered the walls and ceiling were of the room my sister and I shared.

If I could go back and tell this girl that one day, Lance would actually be a person you could contact very easily through social media, I’m sure she would faint. Nowadays, access to celebrities is pretty easy through Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, Ellen. I mean if you really want to meet or talk to someone, you have a good chance of it happening.

Back in the “old days” or the 90s, that technology was just a thought in someone’s brain and far from a reality. We had to rely on our Tiger Beat and Teen Bop magazines for posters and hope for a Q and A so we could find out some new facts. I remember my friends and I setting up our VCRs to record the guys on whatever talk show they were singing on, and hoping we had enough tape or that we could get the tracking right so it wasn’t all blurry. Remember tracking??? That literally seems like a lifetime ago.

My husband put it best. He said, “Do you realize that even if it was just for a few seconds, that YOU were on Lance’s mind? He saw your tweet, your name, your picture, and made the conscious effort to reply back to you.”

I smiled after he said that. “Yeah, and he sent me hugs and kisses. What else could I ask for?”

So if I never get another tweet back from someone famous, I’ll always have Lance. Even though that thirteen year old is now nearing her 30th birthday, she finally got to make a connection with a childhood crush.

It’s the little things…

Have a wonderful Wednesday!
Who would your ultimate celebrity reply tweet come from??

My Best Friend Is A Two Year Old

I’ve come to the realization that my two-year old son is technically my best friend. No offense to my “big girl” best friends, I still love all of you, but for blog purposes, let’s just explore my title a bit further.

As a work at home mom, I spend more time with my son than any I do any other person on this Earth. That said, we are together through the ups and downs of every single day. That’s something I haven’t even experienced with my very best friends. We always had time when we were separated in the physical sense, it was never 100% interaction all the time.

Here’s my top 10 reasons why my two-year old is my best friend.

1. Best friends should be people you want to spend time with, people you genuinely love, adore, and respect. Obviously, I feel that for my son, and he feels that for me in return. Even when he makes me so mad I want to scream, I still love him and forgive him in an instant. He already knows how to use his eyes and his cute little grin to make me smile, so God help all the ladies that will come into his life someday. They are in for it.

2. We have fun together. Even though 28 years is a pretty big gap for any relationship, it doesn’t seem to matter with us. I love to dance, he loves to dance. We have dance parties in the living room all the time. We build blocks together, we read, we laugh at silly commercials. (What about the animals, what would the animals be made of? Ahh, I’m assuming candy…)

3. He comforts me, and also puts me in my place. If I’m having a rough day, he can sense it, and he will come over and give me a hug or pat me on the back. Even though he’s not saying too much yet, he talks, in his own way, and it makes me feel better. He also shows me his frustration if I am ignoring him to do work, or not reading the book for the 50th time correctly. We all need those friends who can be there for us when we need them, but also on the other hand, let us know when we need to shape up!

4. He listens to me. Even though he can’t reciprocate, I often talk things out with him. Just doing that and watching his little expressions, help. Whether it be the day’s agenda, or a creative work-related question, he somehow gives me the answers by letting me figure them out for myself. A quality we all wish we had. In the “big people” world, we just give our friends our opinions and expect them to agree. We need to learn to listen and to let them figure it out.

5. He teaches me things. It doesn’t matter that he’s 2, he’s much smarter than me in some aspects, mainly when it comes to people. If there’s an elderly woman or man in the store looking his way, he automatically waves or says hi. He appreciates people, is kind, he smiles. He also takes the time to savor the little things, the last bite of cookie, or the flower in the yard. He takes nothing for granted, and reminds me every day to act that way, as well.

6. He surprises me. Sometimes I can’t believe how he figures things out, or how fast he picks up a new habit. I love watching the changes in him and I’m continually amazed that there’s always something new he’s learning.

7. He makes me laugh. He really makes me laugh. He will fall over on purpose and laugh at himself to make me smile, or pretend to be putting on hairspray when mommy does. He’s funny because kids still have that fearlessness. They don’t care what people think or who is watching, they just do what they do.

8. He believes in me. I don’t really know how I know this, but I just do. Maybe it’s the way he looks at me when I’m doing a workout, or the way he claps after I sing a song. I feel like he’s proud of me and telling me he loves me. I ask him all the time if he’s happy that mommy is home with him and the look in his eyes tells me, yes.

9. We have a lot in common. I like the Disney shows we watch together, and he even likes the Days of our Lives theme song. We enjoy lazy mornings together. I drink my coffee and go through emails, as he enjoys his breakfast and sits on my lap. And we are both excited and happy when Daddy comes home for lunch. We are more in sync than I’ve been with anyone in my life.

10. He makes me a better person. He does that by all the reasons I’ve just mentioned, and for showing me what unconditional love should be.

Your best friend should be someone you love, have fun with, comforts you, listens, teaches you, surprises you, makes you laugh, believes in you, has common interests, and most importantly, makes you a better person. So thank you to my son, my best friend in the whole wide world. I love you more than anything.

My Microwave Is Creaking!

I’ve figured out about how long it takes for all those amazing and new wedding shower gifts to become OLD. Right around seven years is the magic number, and after a quick review of my current kitchen situation, I thought I’d share what’s going on in there for nothing more than your amusement.

It all starts with our microwave, which actually wasn’t a shower gift, but was new seven years ago, so it fits in the time frame. It now creaks every time I run it. Literally CREAKS. It sounds like someone walking up the steps in a horror film, and I’m pretty sure I even saw it “Harlem Shake” a little, as well. It’s lost all of its “Kenny Powers” and now it takes me more than a minute to get my coffee to that steamy goodness I love so much. I know this is very long, because after a recent trip to my moms, her microwave took 10 seconds to reach the same pinnacle.

Next up, the blender, which I think was a shower gift. It still works, which is a plus, but we somehow lost the little black topper that goes into the lid, so now when we use it, we have to put foil on top so the contents don’t spray all over the place. I’m pretty sure this blender could make an appearance in Riff Raff”s next rap video: Rap Game Foil Blender. I actually love Riff Raff and I’m pretty sure my husband is the only other person reading this that will get that reference, so that’s for you, Justin.

Neighbors to the blender is our toaster, also a gift. It used to be a stainless steel, four slice, controlled temperature, great little machine. Now it looks more rusted than anything, the knobs are all stuck in the same position, and I have to cook each toast/bagel/waffle/pastry at different intervals to get them hot. For instance, my bagel is 1.5 pushes down. It also incessantly smells like something is burning, and the tray at the bottom that’s supposed to catch all the crumbs, has turned into one giant crumb, and doesn’t even scrape clean anymore. And I’m not sure, but it may actually be stuck forever to the counter top.

Last but not least, the pots and pans. Each one was a beautiful non-stick, lid intact, made for a Chef, quality gift. Now, the ones that are left, have turned to “what won’t stick” and I think we eat more of the pan particles with each taste of our scrambled eggs or bacon. The handles are all loose and I can’t find any lids that actually match. And due to my stove, only four years old, but already more trouble than it’s worth, the pans don’t seem to fit on the burners. They are lopsided and I have to keep moving them onto different areas of the heat to keep things cooking.

You don’t have to feel too bad for me. I do have my brand new, perfectly capable Keurig to lead the other misfit toys and a brand new kitchen faucet that makes doing dishes a much  more enjoyable (if you can call it that) experience.

But you know what, even though these items are past their prime, and we will have to replace them soon, they are still a part of our beginning. Some of the first things we received when we started this crazy journey together, and for that, I’ll be a little sad when they are gone.

So thanks for the memories my little gadgets, here’s to new memories and new appliances hopefully in the VERY NEAR future.

Writer’s Block, so here’s 10 short, unfinished “head blogs” for you…

I rarely get writer’s block, but lately it has consumed me. My insomnia doesn’t help either. My brain fires on all cylinders as soon as I lay my head to the pillow and a million thoughts run rampant. I can’t seem to focus on one good blog, so today, just to get back into it, a random sampling of thoughts, or ten “head blogs” for you.

1. I wish Oz was a real place, and the wizard was a real person, because I think a walk down the Yellow Brick Road would be pretty awesome, and I would ask him for a switch to turn off my thoughts at night. While there, I’d hang out with Glinda and see if she’d let me wear her crown for a little bit, dance with the Lullaby League, and get some spa treatment at that place where the “horse of a different color” lived.

2. If The Voice was The Pen and it was for writers, who would be the judges? My ideal judges would be, living or dead allowed: William Shakespeare, Ernest Hemingway, Steven King, and Nicholas Sparks. They are four of my favorites, and I would be happy with any one of them turning their chair (or desk) around for me. I’ve realized after typing that, I am a giant nerd to even think about this scenario. 

3. I just watched my 2-year-old son dance to a New Kids On The Block song (they were on the Today show) and I realized that I was dancing to their music over 25 years ago. All things that are “old” really do become new again.

4. If this Pittsburgh weather doesn’t warm up soon, I think we’re all going to go crazy. It’s been snowing and cold for the past 6 months, and we’re just starting to give up and pretend it’s warm. On the 47 degree day (heat wave as of late) I saw people in shorts, spring dresses, and flip-flops.

5. I turn 30 in less than 3 months and I’m not upset about it. I’ve done everything (mostly) that I wanted to do before I was 30 (got married, own a home, have a baby, own a business, write for a living) so I don’t feel depressed about it at all. I actually think my 30s are going to be great, and I’m going to embrace it. Let’s see if I still feel like this on the eve of the day when that cute little 2 in front of my age, becomes a larger, more daunting 3.

6. I miss Hostess Cupcakes and Twinkies. A LOT.

7. Saturday Night Live is still of one of my favorite shows and if you haven’t seen the episode that Justin Timberlake recently hosted, do yourself a favor and watch it. He’s insanely talented and they brought back tons of old cast members and skits. If you’re not an SNL fan, you seriously don’t know what you’re missing. “Bring it on down to Veganville…”

8. Movies I will watch ANYTIME they are on TV, even if I’ve seen them 100 times:The Princess Bride (AS YOU WISH), Serendipity, The Labyrinth (DANCE MAGIC DANCE), The Never Ending Story (FALCOR!), The Hangover, Bridesmaids, 21 Jump Street,
The Devil Wears Prada, The Proposal, The Notebook, Wedding Crashers, and basically any movie with John Cusack in it or any Step Up movie. I’m sure I missed some, but you get the idea.

9. Sunshine coming in through the window in the morning is of the most beautiful things ever, and it makes me feel alive, motivated, and blessed.

10. I’m an Apple snob. This laptop I’m using is a Dell and with each tap of the keys, I wonder why I’m not back in the other room using my beautiful, new 21 inch iMac. I guess because the sunshine isn’t as bright back there.

Thanks for helping me through this block. Hopefully a succinct blog will follow soon.
Until then, Happy Wednesday!

I’m Romy, and I invented Post-its

If you know the title, then you know the movie that inspired my blog today: Romy and Michele’s High School Reunion, circa 1997. Hilarious movie, one of my faves, and one that got me thinking about high school reunions and how different they are and will be nowadays, versus the older days.

When Romy and Michele were ready to return to their old stomping ground and catch up with their classmates, they really hadn’t seen or talked to those people for TEN YEARS. That’s almost crazy to think about in our era of social media craziness.

We know exactly what most of our classmates are up to, whether we want to or not, and making up a story like inventing Post-its, wouldn’t fly for even a second.

The mystery is GONE. There’s no wondering if our own high schools’ Billy Christensen (the hot football jock) is still dating Christie Masters (the popular cheerleader and leader of the tormenting A-Group). There’s no surprising everyone with our awesome jobs or how skinny we got, or how cute our kids are; everybody already knows.

Sure, not every single person we went to high school with has Facebook or Twitter, but a simple Google search would at least probably land you on a LinkedIn page, or some article they were mentioned in. It’s near impossible to not be found anymore.

So in a way, it’s kind of sad. I hear my own generation, most of us just about out of high school for 10-12 years, and no one really feels the need to go to their reunion. If you’ve stayed in touch with people, you probably still see them, or at least talk to them online, and the other people you didn’t keep in touch with,  well you probably still have them on your social networks, or know someone who does, so what’s to talk about?

Getting together and just being in a room with everyone you once went to school with is cool, I guess? But now we’re also faced with the awkward part of the day.

Maybe you haven’t “friended” a certain person, not because you’re blatantly being rude, but just because you weren’t friends in high school, so why connect now? A lot of us find ourselves doing the annual cleaning up of Facebook friends, and I don’t know about you, but I literally feel bad every time I delete someone, thinking that if I happen to run into them, that’s the first and only thing I am going to be thinking about and feeling some strange need to explain. I hate that feeling!

It’s never personal, or rarely is, it’s mainly because our news feeds are cluttered, and we can barely find time to comment on our family and close friends pictures and events, let alone the 10 people we met on vacation last year, or the friends of the friends who add you to their list because they are seriously one of those people who have over 1,000 friends and seem to just add daily.

Also, reunions can be awkward because social media makes it very easy to offend someone, without even knowing it. I’m not one to post any of my political or social or religious beliefs,  but many people do. I saw a lot of “good friends” fighting with each other over political posts last year and now with the gun issue at hand, it’s happening again. So when you walk into the reunion and someone you thought you were close with gives you the evil eye, it might stem from one simple post, or quote, or article you shared.  It might be a completely different experience, than if you really hadn’t seen them for 10 years.

We’re all kind of stuck in the spider web of the WEB and we can’t hide who we are.
Nor should we.

The bright side: social media has given us a way to truly stay in touch with the friends we did and do hold dear, and that wasn’t as easy even as little as ten years ago. Romy and Michele decided they were going to be themselves, just like they were in high school, not caring if the A-Group liked them. And that’s a great way to live your life. Our personalities are not going to mesh with every single person we ever meet, go to school with, work with, so why try to be someone we’re not? Be you, do you, and the people meant to be in your life, will be there.

I’m Tara. I’m a very happily married, work-at-home mom, freelance writer, and
all-around goofball. And unfortunately, I didn’t invent Post-its.

My Favorite Word: Serendipity

For those of you that know me, you probably know my obsession with the word Serendipity. It’s my favorite word and even more so than that, I truly believe in its definition and live by it. Life is made up of “fortunate accidents” and “unexpected surprises.” You always need to have your eyes open.

Wikipedia says: The first noted use of “serendipity” in the English language was by Horace Walpole (1717–1797). In a letter to Horace Mann (dated 28 January 1754) he said he formed it from the Persian fairy tale The Three Princes of Serendip, whose heroes “were always making discoveries, by accidents and sagacity, of things they were not in quest of”.

What a fantastic word. So much so that I even have it tattooed on my back!

My favorite movie in the world is also, you guessed it, Serendipity, starring Kate Beckinsale and John Cusack.

Here’s a clip of one of my favorite parts of the movie, when Kate talks serendipity:

I absolutely agree that the universe gives us little signs to help us find our destined path. Sometimes we miss them, and sometimes, if we are lucky enough, we realize them.

We may not even know it’s happening. Maybe you got stuck behind a school bus today because you were going to be in an accident if you were on time. Maybe you forgot your phone at home, because you were going to see that you left the iron plugged in when you got back. Maybe you took a job you ended up hating, but you met some of the best friends of your life there. Don’t coincidences like this happen a lot? Do you think it’s fate? I like to think so.

Sure we all have free will, and we can do whatever we want, but how do you explain the moments that just “feel right.” Or the ones that don’t.

I met my husband when I was 22 years old and guess where? The one place you aren’t supposed to be able to meet someone, A BAR. And I sure as heck wasn’t looking for anyone. I had just graduated college, was enjoying the time with my friends, not working full-time yet, and had no plans at all to find THE ONE.

But that little beauty Serendipity had her sights set on us that night, and when I first saw him, I felt an instant pull towards him, like nothing I can describe, nor have ever felt since. It was like a magnet. I guess when your heart finds its other half, it’s pretty determined to let you know.

From the first few words we spoke to each other, it was as if we had known one another a lifetime. And it only took us 6 weeks to get engaged after we met. Now we’ve been married 6.5 years, together 7.5. That chance meeting, that “unexpected surprise,” gave us a true happy ever after.

And I thank my lucky stars that I went up and talked to him, because like in the clip below, from a really funny movie, fate only takes us so far…it’s up to us to make it happen. Guess the movie??

So to all my fellow dreamers and silly-hearts out there, I’m with you. I believe in it all. True love and soul mates and destiny and fate. We only have a short time on this Earth, so why not go for it?

Follow your instincts, look for signs, and even if just for today, for me, live a serendipitous life!