Fill in the blank Friday

Today, I'm joining Lauren for fill-in-the-blank Friday. Happy LD weekend!

1. One thing that is completely superfluous, but that I could never give up is snail mail.

2. Dudes who hit on me in elevators and other confined spaces make me feel awkward.

3. I can't wake up without snoozing four times.

4. Pita/hummus is my favorite snack.

5. Lately I've been thinking that Ryan Gosling’s smirk might be even better than Julia Roberts’ toothy grin. Deep, I know.

6. If at first you don't succeed take a nap, then chug a cold press coffee and dominate the shit out of it.

7. Fall is the magical time of year when skinny jeans, boots and cardigans come out of hibernation; Leaves change color and I spend half my paychecks on pumpkin-flavored drinks and treats. I remember running isn’t so bad when it’s not 80 degrees out, and promise to start up a workout plan that will last through the winter, but it only ever lasts through Thanksgiving. Most importantly, windows are open. Windows are open. Windows are open.

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Happy 3rd Birthday, A Wooden Nickel

I’m fully aware that my blog has been sucking lately. And while I normally blame my long absences from this page on busy-ness, that’s not the case this time. Yes, life’s been a bit crazy but the truth is that I've just been living, rather than thinking, these past few months. Beginning at the new year, I dove into my life headfirst and tried not to worry so much about how my choices affected others.

I choreographed and cooked for one, didn’t return phone calls when I didn't have time, and missed engagements for which I didn't have the time. I looked a guy in the eye, and said “I like you. What are we waiting for?” and watched as my boldness paid off. When people expressed disappointment in me, I didn't immediately default to an apology. I owned my coaching personality rather than trying to be a mirror image of the others.

One friend said, “We’re single and we have 401ks! This is the dream!” and I laughed my ass off, but I knew she was right. I won’t always be able to choose unabashed selfishness, so I should take advantage of it now.

So while my blog is better when I’m living in my own head, but my life is better when I’m a bit reckless. It seems like a pretty obvious choice to me.

Someday I’ll be a cool mommy blogger who regales the whole of the internets with stories about my children denouncing the Republican party at age 3. For now, I’m happy to report that this silly old blog has made it to the 3-year mark, and has 25+ devoted readers a day. Twenty-five people give a crap about my ninja sleeping habits? You guys. That’s like, the middle child’s dream.

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All these mamis look fly today

Lots of things made me happy this week. Mostly the good things involved bacon (TWICE!) and 'forgetting' to brew my cold press so I got to drink the sugary variety from my local coffeeshop all week long. However, since I can't take most of you on a culinary tour of the Twin Cities I figured I'd share some fabulous links I came across instead.

1. Pat Benatar is releasing an autobiography entitled Between a Heart and a Rock Place. Just when I thought it wasn't possible to love her anymore. NYT reviews, all but declaring Benatar the darling of 80's rock while trashing Belinda Carlisle.

2. My favorite Newsweek columnist Julia Baird wrote a spot-on piece that discusses the below-the-surface feminist context that is driving many of Mad Men's current plotlines.

3. This is old-ish, but worth sharing. The summer Anthropologie magazine, translated as a Southern Gothic novella. So glad someone finally called out their ridiculous models/backdrops.

4. In case you didn't immediately recognize the title of this post, you should probably immediately listen to and begin working out to "Good Day" by Nappy Roots. It's the only song I've ever supported that includes a children's chorus.

Last, if you are in Minneapolis you should go see the Guthrie's production of A Streetcar Named Desire. Ricardo Antonio Chivera was spot-on as Stanley- equal parts mouth breather and sexual magnet. Equally impressive was Gretchen Egolf as Blanche. Her nerved up, cunning, but pitiful portrayal of Stella's sister will stick with you for a long time. (Especially her final exit from the stage- I got chills.) Fun fact from the playbill- in a working draft, Tennessee Williams originally named Stanley "Ralph". Can you imagine?!

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Hodge Podge

I have a lot of material left over from the alphabet blogging challenge- half-typed posts saved as email drafts and the like. As that challenge put me over the edge on blogging and I'm now detoxing from the intense pressures I felt for a full month, enjoy some miscellaneous thoughts that weren't worthy of their own posts.

Name:

For all of 4th grade, I signed my name "Regina". Every paper, spelling test. I even got my gym teacher to write it on my Presidential Fitness Certificate. I thought it was extremely regal, and I also wanted to personally use the expression 'I usually go by my nickname'... which would have been my given name, Gina.

Over the years, people have additionally been shocked to hear that my full name isn't Virginia.

I came home excited in 5th grade to share that my name was in the word "original" and told my mom that it was going to inspire me to be my most original self. (She was very bemused at my early life-coach tendencies, if I remember her reaction correctly.)

I was slightly less enthusiastic when I hit "Family Life" class in junior high and the boys delighted in telling me that my name was not-so-well-hidden in the word for the lady nether-regions.

Vocabulary:

My dad had to miss my brother's first baseball game of the season because he was traveling. That night I listened to my mom give him a Dick Bremer-esque recap of every inning. It was unbelievable, if only because my mom seems to never know the specifics when she is at the game. One time, after witnessing a pitcher's sidearm style, she said "Oh, ISH." Apparently when she's attending by proxy and knows she'll be quizzed, she can give details like:

• They finally put T in a the mound, and he removed all doubt. 5 Ks in the first 2 innings, then another in the 3rd.
• Once he came out though, the other team's bats really started going. They were just rocking CC. And every hit to the gap- at least 4 runs scored in one inning. Just brutal.
• We were able to come back because they kind of fell apart in the 6th, a few errors and a pitcher that couldn't hit the third strike walked a few guys on full count.
• T hit a blooper but it was good enough to round in N from 3rd due to an overthrow
• Overall, it was a good game but it would've been a whole different game if we could get rid of these hometown umps.

I had my computer right by me so I could type her rant as I laughed hysterically. She definitely didn't absorb this much knowledge at the 12 years of dance competitions she attended.

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