Get yer stretchy pants out

Amen!  Thanksgiving is my all time favorite holiday.  The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, the food, family, football...all of it!  I love it!
I love waking up to the smells of turkey and pumpkin pie and the sound of Al Roker introducing the next float.  Although now that I'm older I don't get to wake up to the smells of anything cooking unless I've put it in the oven in my sleep (wouldn't put it past me) and the sounds I wake up to come from the person in the bed with me and they come with their own smells that I won't go into detail on.
It's funny how holidays and traditions change as you get older.  We tried to keep some traditions, but when we lived in Virginia it was just the two of us so we started some of our own traditions, but now that we are back by family those traditions have flown out the window and new traditions have started. I think once we start our own family we will stick to some traditions, but right now we are up for anything!  As long as there is pie.  mmmm pie...
So as I pull on my stretchy pants and head out the door, I wish you and yours a very happy Thanksgiving.

XO XO,
tryptophan Molly

It Does Exist...It's Not Pretty, But It Does Exist

A time before 11:30am on a Saturday that is.  I've heard about coffee in bed on a Saturday morning, or a yoga class at 7am on a Saturday morning, but I've always laughed it off thinking, "there's no such thing!"
But I'm here to tell you people (without kids that is) that Saturday mornings do exist.  And you don't have to be tailgating for a Hawkeye game to find out.  You just have to have a husband doing back to back interviews flying in and out at crazy hours with one suit that needs to be dry cleaned to see what a Saturday morning looks like.
Lucky for us our dry cleaner is the plant for multiple stores, so they can do same day dry cleaning M-Sat.  The catch is you have to have your items to them by 9am.  Pretty sure this past Saturday when I traipsed in to the dry cleaner looking like this:

Saturday Morning Molly...not a pretty sight

The girl thought I was the second uni bomber who looks like this:

Oh did I mention I may have had my hood up when I walked in?  And you can't tell in the picture but it's been a while since my last waxing so the mustache is accurate! Yikes!  It's not a good resemblance.  Hopefully the next time (tomorrow) when I drop clothes off there won't be a picture of me on the wall with the caption "WANTED"!

XO XO,
Uni bomber Molly

It's Official

In the last 5 years I've lived in 3 different states and have never had my drivers license and car registration match up.  My car has always been registered in Iowa (If the renewal is sent to your parents house then...well...anyway who wants to grow all the way up and actually have to pay for their car registration) but when I lived in Virginia I got a Virginia drivers license and when we moved to Minnesota I just kept what I had.  That was until a few weeks ago when I realized my Virginia drivers license was going to expire and I couldn't put off taking the drivers test anymore.
See in Minnesota you can't just show proof of residency like in Virginia to get a drivers license, they actually make you take a test.  So my procrastination got the best of me and I put it off until I couldn't put it off anymore.  Kim basically told me she was going to pull the lawyer card out and report me to the authorities if I didn't go before it expired, so I went.  I PASSED!  And everything was done.  Life was good again.
That is until Wednesday.  Wednesday is the day I realized that the tabs on my car were expiring.  Wednesday is the day I realized that I was 30 and a real life adult and couldn't ask or assume my parents would pay my car registration anymore.  Wednesday is the day shit got real.  I put on my 30 year old fat adult pants and called the DVS (sam hell does DVS stand for?) office.  They gave me all the info I needed and the rest was up to me.
I didn't allow myself to procrastinate (see I really am working on it) and went straight from work (instead of straight to the gym, but hey I can only work on one thing a day people).  It was really quite easy and before I knew it I was walking out with Minnesota license plates.
Tom was on call that night and after the garage door incident (another day another story) I decided I could put the damn plates on myself.  So I grabbed my pink flat screwdriver and floral star screwdriver and went to the garage.  The front plate was super easy to get off and on and I was feeling pretty confident I would get the project done before the timer on the oven went off to tell me my dinner was done.
Then I saw what the back plate had in store for me.  Let's just say the things holding the plate on were not screws.  They didn't have any holes to put the screwdriver in!  First I tried banging the things loose with the screwdrivers, didn't work.  Then I tried pulling them out with the back end of the hammer, didn't work.  So then, I was forced to crawl (yes crawl, because both cars were in the garage and there's not much room between my car and the work bench) all over Tom's work bench looking for something that might work.

*Side note: If you have seen our garage and know Tom just a little bit, you know how deadly this could have been for me.  Not deadly in a way that I might have fallen or that there is so much stuff piled up it could have crushed me.  Deadly in a way that if I didn't hang a wrench exactly in size order back on the right nail Tom would have killed me.*

 Finally I found something that looked like this:

It worked well enough that I was certain the back plate wouldn't fall off driving to work the next morning where I could ask our maintenance guy, Rick, to tighten it with the proper tool.
So now, if you see a black Acura with Minnesota plates don't be confused.  It really is me!

Reflections

I've learned quite a few things since starting 30 Before 30.  Some came from writing the posts, some came from hearing feedback from readers of the posts, and some just came for no reason other than to teach me a lesson.
So without further ado...
My lessons, realizations, reflections, and thoughts on turning 30

1. There is never a convenient time to have a messy house (you never know when your parents might just show up or your husband may decide that one tiny room that no one uses in your house is driving him bonkers and will freak out about it.)
2. I have a sick addiction to cookie dough (which leads into number 3)
3. There is never a convenient time to be...well..not fit.  When you have to crop out half your arm and three chins from a picture you know its time to lay off the cookie dough and hit the gym.
4.  When setting tables up for a group make sure the tables are level unless there are kids there to blame all the spilling on.
5. I love margaritas (I might have already known this but it was a good reminder)
6. My mom taught me some really good lessons growing up (like how to make donkey noises)
7. I can't hang with the big boys while playing dodgeball
8. I had a very long awkward stage while growing up
9.  Be happy in the moment and live in the moment...you never know what's in store for the future.
10.  Don't compare the past to the present...times change, people change, and fashion changes
11. My wedding really was beautiful (word of advice to those of you who are not yet married: have someone video record it...I was totally against having it recorded and now wish so badly that I had.  Oh and also spend the money for a good photographer...you don't want to end up with bulletin boards and garment bags in the background of pictures.)
12. I don't know what I would do without my puppies.  Not only do they save money on napkins, but they keep me warm when sleeping in the guest room.
13. I REALLY HAVE TO WORK ON NOT BEING SO DAMN LAZY.  I promise I am working on it.
14. I have an amazingly supportive and funny family and extended family and am so lucky to have married into Tom's family who is also amazingly supportive and funny.
15. My husband is the best thing that's ever happened to me.  He's made me a better person, he's taught me life lessons, he's by my side no matter what, and he makes me laugh daily.  I can't imagine life without him. (Side note: He doesn't read the blog because he says he lives it, so don't tell him about all the compliments and mushy crap ok???)

Thanks for taking this journey with me.  I still have a few stories that I didn't quite get to that will come out at some point.

Love to the cookie dough,
XO XO

What's Happening???

I couldn't sleep last night.  I couldn't wipe the smile off my face.  So much happened and half the time I didn't know what was happening.  It was the most perfect weekend / birthday EVER and it's all thanks to a few special people and one amazing husband.

Tom flew in late Friday night from interviews in North Carolina so we decided we would just lay low on Saturday.  And by lay low I mean Tom slept in until 12:30pm (this NEVER happens) and I didn't get out of my pj's until...well...I didn't get out of them.  Even the dogs enjoyed the day :)

Saturday night Tom told me that he had plans for us all day Sunday.  He said I needed to be up and ready to go at 8:30am in casual clothes.  He then started asking about plastic cutlery and went to the store.  When he came back he said something about the dogs going with us, so I started thinking we were going to have a picnic at the dog park (not really my cup of tea but whatevs).

Sunday morning Tom woke up extra early and came in and told me I could sleep later than 8:30 cuz it was snowing outside and things were getting a bit delayed.  So of course I took the opportunity to sleep in.  I woke up a little while later and went downstairs and started a bit of laundry.  Tom was like, "are you going to get ready?"  And I said, "do I need to be?  You haven't said anything."  So I went upstairs to get ready.  As I was standing in my bathroom in leggings and an old ragedy tank top the door bell rang.  I thought, "Who the F is ringing my doorbell on a Sunday morning?"  And didn't answer the door.  The dogs started barking and I figured they would scare whoever it was away.  Then the doorbell rang again and Tom yelled up from downstairs, "Is someone at the door?" And I yelled back, "I don't know I'm not dressed appropriately to answer the door!"  So Tom came upstairs and answered the door.  I didn't hear anything and then Tom said, "No one's here." So I thought, "Good job dogs...scared the stupid people away.  Who rings peoples doorbell at 9am on a Sunday morning anyway?"  Then all of a sudden I hear my Dad's voice say, "Happy Birthday Molly!"  I looked over and there were my Mom and Dad!  I couldn't believe it!  I had just been to see them the previous weekend and thought we had celebrated my birthday then.  They had driven all the way from Des Moines just to take me to brunch and hang out for the day.  My Mom tried to take pictures of my reaction but all she got was a hand over the camera because I was not dressed for a picture!

So Sunday we all went downtown for brunch.  That didn't come without it's drama, but that's a whole other story.  When we got back home from brunch we hung out downstairs and watched the football game and took naps.  It was super relaxing and wonderful.  Unfortunately my Dad had to work the next morning so they had to leave Sunday evening.  Even though it was just a few hours I got to spend it meant the world that they would surprise me and come up just for the day.

Then Monday rolled into town and I woke up 30.  I went to work like normal and was surprised by a beautiful flower bouquet from Ann and a crazy balloon bouquet from my parents.  Throughout the day Tom sent me some e-mails and texts telling me I needed to be dressed up and ready to go at 6:30pm.

*Side note: a few weeks previous to this Tom e-mailed me asking what I wanted for my birthday and I told him all I wanted was to go out to dinner with our friends.*

He said he had tried really hard to get everyone together, but because he had been traveling so much and because it was on a Monday it wasn't working out very well.  He said we were going to go to dinner at a Mexican restaurant I like with Eric & Kim and that Jake was probably going to meet us for drinks later.  Even though it wasn't everyone, I was still happy we were doing something.

At about 6:15pm Tom said Eric was still stuck at work and we might be leaving a bit later.  No problem I thought.  But then 5 minutes later the doorbell rang.  I thought, "gee that was quick for Eric to get off work get home and pick up Kim and get here!"  Tom answered the door and Ryan & Cristy walked in!!!  (Tom's brother and his wife).  I was like, "what are you guys going here?!?"  They said they were in the neighborhood (they live 45min. away from us) and knew it was my birthday and wanted to see me and give me my card.  I thought, how nice of them but was a bit confused as to why they would be in our neighborhood on a Monday night without their kids!  They asked what we were doing for the night and I told them we were going to dinner with Eric & Kim.  They sat down and chatted for a bit.

I got up to use the restroom and when I came out Tom said, "They're here are you ready?"  I had to put my shoes on and then was going to walk out the garage entrance.  Tom said, "Just go out the front door cuz Ryan & Cristy are gonna take off"  Ryan walked out first and Cristy & I walked out together and Tom followed.  As I walked out I saw Kim standing in our driveway with her camera and as I looked farther I saw a limo in the street!!!  I started asking Cristy what was happening and was the limo for us.  Ryan and Tom started laughing and then Ryan said, "Well I guess if you guys have a limo we can go to dinner with you!"  HAHA!  They were totally in on it the whole time!

I walked to the limo and the driver had laid out red carpet for us to walk on!  I felt like a celebrity.  When he opened the door and I poked my head inside Eric, Jake & Rachel were inside!  I pretty much started screaming and I'm sure said "Holy crap" about a thousand times.  They were all laughing at me because it was quite obvious I had NO IDEA!!!

*Another side note: Ryan & Cristy have a 5 year old and a 9 month old, and Jake & Rachel have a 2 year old and a 9 month old.  So they both had to get babysitters for this.  We never all are able to get together so this was a HUGE deal!*

As soon as I sat down in the limo Kim handed me a margarita and I'm pretty sure I had a margarita in my hand the rest of the night.  We went downtown to the Mexican restaurant I like and then the driver just drove us all around.  Kim made the most amazing cookie dough cake pops (I may or may not have had them for breakfast this morning) and we all had some. The entire night was amazing!  I'm still smiling from ear to ear just thinking about it.  It was absolutely the BEST birthday EVER!

Now, I want to take a moment to say Thank You.
Thank you to my wonderful parents who drove 7 hours in a day just to take me to brunch, watch me wipe out on the sidewalk, and take naps.  You guys are the BEST!
Thank you to Jake & Rachel for getting a babysitter and coming out.  Not that I wouldn't have been happy to just have Jake, but having Rachel there too really made it special.
Thank you to Ryan & Cristy for coming all the way from New Prauge and getting a babysitter.  You guys really had me going and I'm glad you weren't "just in the neighborhood".  I'm so lucky Ryan, to have you as my brother-in-law.  I know I can always count on you and I know that you truly think of me as your sister.  Cristy, I couldn't have asked for a better sister-in-law.  I know you're always there for me and will always take my side when Tom and Ryan are up to something :)  Oh, and thanks for making two of the cutest nephews in the world.  They make me so happy and are such a joy to be around.
Thank you to Eric & Kim probably our closest "couple" friends.  I know how much you, Kim,  helped Tom make this come together and I sincerely appreciate all you did.  Thank you for always making us laugh, Eric and for being appropriately inappropriate at all the right times :)  We love you guys!
And finally, thank you to my wonderful husband Tom.  You made this a birthday I will never forget (for multiple reasons) and I will cherish it forever.  I love you so much and can't wait to spend many more birthday's with you.

Love to you all,
30 year old Molly

I did not wake up an old lady

I awoke to snow...thanks a lot Minnesota, but I did not wake up an old lady.  I didn't crack and creek when I got out of bed, and I double checked to make sure this didn't happen over night...

And I of course can still remember that my husbands name is Tom not Walter :)

Happy Birthday to me...who is not an old lady (yet)!

I am Not Donald Trump (30 Before 30 # 89302)

Donald Trump and I probably only have one thing in common and really you can easily guess what it is.  Yeah, that's right we both have awesome hair.  Other than that I don't see many similarities.
Donald Trump sits across a desk from people all the time and says two words, "You're Fired."  He makes it seem easy.  So, when it was my turn to actually fire someone I thought, "Hey Donald does it all the time and we both have awesome hair so I'm sure I can handle it!"
Boy was I wrong.  Firing someone is actually really hard to do.  It makes you practically poop your pants, take a day off of work to prepare, practice on  your other employees, and eat an entire batch of cookie dough in one sitting (which does not correlate with the almost pooping in your pants).
When I was promoted to a managerial position at the gym I used to work at part of my responsibilities were hiring and firing a specific department of staff.  Unfortunately it was the department of staff I used to be on.  It was managing people who had trained me, who had become my friends, and who I had worked closely with.  I knew it would be a difficult transition, but when it became clear in the first few weeks of my transition that I needed to let an employee go it became even more difficult.
I sat down with the person (who by the way had been working the same position for almost 7 months) and gave her until the end of the month to become completely trained, not freak out if more than one person was waiting, and to just generally become comfortable with the job.  I told her I would do whatever it took to help.
By the end of the month it was obvious it was not going to work out.  I went to my boss and asked for advice.  I went to other managers and asked for advice.  I called my Dad and asked for advice.  Everyone came up with the same answer.  You need to let her go.
So my mind was made up, her next shift I was going to fire her.  I called someone to cover her shift, changed the entire schedule to take her off, and waited.  It was still 3 days until she worked again.  My stomach was in knots.  I felt bad, but knew it had to be done.  The day before I had to take a half day just to calm down and clear my mind.  The day of I practiced what I was going to say on my assistant, another manager, and one of my other employees (who was sworn to secrecy).  When she walked in for her shift I had to run to the bathroom because I almost pooped myself.  I had never been so nervous before.
Finally the time came.  I called her in to my office and was very calm and clear and in more words basically said, "You're Fired".  She sat there and stared at me with a blank look.  She opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.  I asked her if she had any questions and she just blinked.  I almost started laughing because it was so awkward.  This literally went on for an hour and a half until finally I said, well you can go now.  She didn't move so I opened my office door and left her there.  At some point she left because when I went back to my office she was gone.
I felt bad and still do, but sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.  I am a stronger person for it, and now I have two things in common with Donald Trump.

P.S. I've now fired many more people and it got easier each time.  In fact I'm about to fire someone else real soon if they don't stop saying how old I am going to be on Monday :)

Poll

You'll notice a new addition to the right hand side of the blog, a poll!  It's your turn to tell me which 30 before 30 post you liked best!  I had to choose the answers so I picked the ones I have gotten the most feedback on.  If you would like to vote for a post that is not listed just leave me a comment and I will add it!
NOW GO VOTE!!!

Because many of you receive updated posts via e-mail here is the link to the actual blog.  YOU HAVE TO VISIT THE ACTUAL BLOG TO VOTE!

www.traditionalhappiness.blogspot.com

XO XO

Confession (30 Before 30 # Who cares we're almost done!)

Confession: I once painted my nails with white car touch up paint.
Why: I was bored waiting in the car for my Mom and found the touch up paint in the glovebox and there were no snacks.
Outcome: Car touch up paint does not come off with nail polish remover..or anything else for that matter.  I had white nails for a looong time, then when my nails started growing out I had half white nails.
Oh also during this time I was selected to play a piano solo in a highly competitive competition where the judge practically sits on the piano bench with you.  My mother was mortified.  I told her, "that's why you always keep snacks in the car!"
Lesson to be learned: always keep snacks in the car, and never paint your nails with car paint.

Dodgeball vs. Molly...Winner Dodgeball (30 Before 30 #??? I lost track and proabably skipped some days too)

Dodgeball and I are not really friends, but we've had some good times together.  See Dodgeball is a game where the point is to hit other people with balls.  For a girl who is scared of balls being thrown at her face this game does not bode well, but normally when playing (with a certified PE instructor) you use soft foam balls that don't really hurt when they hit you, so I was able to overcome my fear for 4th grade PE class.
In fact in 4th grade I was pretty good at dodgeball.  Considering I had an early growth spurt and was the tallest person in my class people were scared of the King Kong sized girl and pretty much ran the other way when I had a ball in my hand. 

 
Little did they know I could hardly throw or that I wouldn't grow anymore and quickly would become the shortest girl in the grade.  But I digress...back to dodgeball.
Before graduating from the University of Iowa I had to take a PE class.  My friend G and I decided to take an easy Stretch & Tone class expecting it to be like the up and coming fad yoga (yes I know this dates me).  On the first day of class we came dressed and ready for yoga as did many of the other people girls.  As more and more people guys football players arrived for the class we (the girls) starting quietly talking about how they were not dressed appropriately for yoga showing up in baggy basketball shorts and t-shirts.  We figured after the first class they would realize that baggy clothes wouldn't work well for yoga.
However, it was us girls that were in for the surprise.  As class began this big burly muscle guy stood up and introduced himself as our instructor for the class.  He looked like he belonged in the weight room not teaching a yoga class.

What we expected                                What we got

He explained that we didn't need to buy the book that was listed for this course (girls had already purchased, ripped off the cling wrap, and looked through the book, guys cheered at not having to buy another book) because we would be doing our "own thing".  Sam Hell does "own thing" mean you ask???  Well let me tell you...

It means running the track, doing spider crawls, lunges, jumping jacks, weight training, oh yeah and playing stupid dodgeball.
After the first class I told my Dad I was dropping the class and would be taking an actual yoga class instead some other semester.  My Dad told me I was overreacting and to stick with the class.  He said the instructor surely couldn't be as terrible as I had explained.
So I stuck with it.  G and I made a pact that we would get through this awfulness together.  So two times a week, week after week we went to the stupid stretch and tone class and did NO stretching or toning.  One day the instructor e-mailed the entire class and told us to meet in the big gym past the swimming pool instead of in our regular area.  He said he had a special surprise for us.
When we arrived to the Big gym past the swimming pool we saw the special surprise.  We were going to be playing dodgeball.  Of course the football players cheered and the girls moaned and complained.  We were broken into two teams and told the rules.  Football players were not to throw their hardest or use the hard foursquare balls and no one was to aim for heads.  As the game got started it was clear the boys were not following the rules.  The instructor warned them, but really it did no good.  They continued to throw their hardest, throw the hard foursquare balls, and well they tried not to aim for heads.  Most of the girls let themselves get hit right away so they could be out and didn't have to play.  Key word there = Most.  Stupid me thought I was still the Amazonian woman from 4th grade and actually tried to play against these guys.  Let's just say it ended with me on the floor with an imprint of a foursquare ball on my face and everyone rushing to make sure I wasn't knocked unconscious while I held back tears of pain / embarrassment. 
 Luckily the instructor felt bad for me and didn't make me play the rest of the day.  Oh yeah, and he was nice enough to e-mail me later on and make sure I was ok.  Which was pretty cool since I ended up marrying him :)  Yep, you read that right.  The instructor = Tom.  If it wasn't for dodgeball, a pretty crappy yoga class, and my Dad encouraging me to stick with the class,  I never would have met the man of my dreams :)
Oh and did I mention this all happened on my birthday???  Pretty great way to celebrate I would say.

We ARE the UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

I have flown over every conflict since my inception into this world.  I have seen the grassy fields of Gettysburg, the waters in the Pacific, the sands of Iraq, the skies over Yugoslavia, and the mountains of Afghanistan.  The mere sight of me invokes tears of joy, pride, and dedication to those who believe in what I stand for.  I also provoke fear in the hearts of terrorists and nations of those who oppose me.

I know no gender or race or religion, and accept all who will accept me.  I am no God, but hold a bond over men and women who serve under me that is equal.  I have no voice, but people listen.  I cover a nation with hope and vision, and sadly blanket those who have given us everything.  Of all the nations and all the flags, none makes its presence known as I.

I am a leader among leaders.  I encompass the lives of friends and family, brothers and sisters, this living and the dead.  I will continue to give hope to those who do not fully understand my message of freedom, and meaning to those who do.  In return for all I can give, I ask for but one thing.  This I cannot tell you, it is something that only you will come to know.  I do ask that you be patient for I am young and continue to build on the great principles from which I was borne.  Proudly display me for all the world to see, and look to me, and I will show you the past, the present, and the future.  I am committed to you, the children of my country.

I AM THE AMERICAN FLAG.

Live! It's Last Candidate Standing: TV and political reality merge?

I found this and had to share...Perfect for today.
*Disclaimer: I am in no way trying to portray my political beliefs or push politics on any of you, my beloved readers.  I simply thought this was funny and love reality TV.*

Excerpt written by James N. Watkins

The people I cheer for on reality TV never win.  But at least it got me thinking that perhaps national elections should be staged as reality TV shows: The Amazing Political Race, Keeping Up with the Kandidates (way more interesting than the Kardashians), Conservative Eye for the Liberal Guy, Dancing with the Issues, or Survivor: Electoral College.  And the best part?  It would run only from September through November "sweeps" each election year!  And on the season finale...

"Live from the nation's capital, it's The Last Candidate Standing.  Thirteen weeks!  Ten candidates!  But tonight, just one president elect!"

Yep, let's put all the wannabe candidates for president in that Big Brother house in Hollywood - and then lock and bolt the doors until the September before the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  There would be some real advantages to elections conducted as reality TV.

We'd have to listen to their political pontifications for only on hour, one night a week for 13 weeks!  Enduring the past year of constant campaigning was nearly enough to make me escape to a remote island where I would survive by eating Madagascar hissing cockroaches.

For each episode, candidates would have to successfully perform tasks to stay in the running: balancing a checkbook, finding a job for a homeless stock trader, and negotiating a win-win settlement in a messy divorce case.  If they can't perform these tasks, what business do they have with the federal budget, the job market, and keeping Iran from nuking the free world?

Candidates, of course, would have to answer the requisite trivia questions:
1. What is the capital of Libya?
     a.) Tripoli
     b.) Tripwire
     c.) Trytophan

2. The best way to stimulate the economy is:
    a.) tax cuts for the poor
    b.) tax cuts for the rich
    c.) amphetamines for everyone

3. Your stand on same-sex marriage?
     a.) I'm for it
     b.) I'm against it
     c.) I can go either way (wink)

Next would come the immunity challenges.  After living off the government payroll and enjoying political perks, maybe a dose of The Real World would be the best thing for presidential candidates.  How about giving them each a $1,500 Social Security check and make them find decent housing, medical insurance, and an affordable cell phone plan.  Let's see them live on ramen noodles and off-brand macaroni and cheese.  The possibilities are endless!

The weekly tribal council would whittle the number down to one Republican, one Democrat, and one Independent "wild card".  Those who can "out wit, out play, and out last" would go on to the two-hour finale on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November.  Voters at home would text REP, DEM, or IND, call 1-800-VOTE-NOW or login at lastcandidatestanding.com.

Then again, the people I want to win reality shows never do, which just goes to prove:

• TV reality shows are not really "reality."
• Political campaigns are not really "reality."

James N. Watkins is a humorist and author and contributor to 24 books and over 2,000 articles on social and spiritual issues.

Whoops! (30 Before 30 #22)

The first weekend of November is a standing reservation to go home and visit my parents.  Tom goes deer hunting with his Dad and brothers and that is just too much testosterone for me.  So the dogs and I head home for a weekend of good food, good TV, and relaxation. 

This weekend my goal was to interview my Mom and Dad about me turning 30 for the blog.  If you are a daily reader you know I got the interview done with my Mom, but my Dad?  Well his response was...what's a blog?  So yeah, that interview didn't get done.  Maybe I'll try again a different time over the phone or something.  Anyway, the interview with my Dad was supposed to be yesterday's post, and it didn't get done...sorry!

But, I did find some gems on their computer that I am willing to share to make up for missing a day.  Also I will try and do another post for today.

XO XO

Me with my Grandma & Grandpa Cornwell

Me passing out programs for my cousins wedding.

Glamor Shots for my birthday one year...Oh Lord!

An Interview with My Mom (30 Before 30 #21)

First off, how do you feel about Molly turning 30?
It's kind of unbelief.  I remember making cookies with her in the sling and playing for hours and hours when she was a baby and now I turn my back and she's already 30.  How can time go so fast?  Unbelievable.

What's your favorite story to tell about Molly when she was little?
Her caring and loving nature came through so early.  When her Dad was so sick she was about 15mo. and she drug her blanket all the way from her room down the stairs one step at a time all the way to her Dad to lay her little blanket on him.
Oh also, when she did flips and cart-wheels on the soccer field.  She wasn't too interested in playing soccer.

Picking her butt on the soccer field...not too interested that the ball is RIGHT there!

What's your favorite story to tell about Molly as an older gal?
When she was finally singing in a very prestigious high school choir with a guest conductor she finally got to be in the front row and was sharing music with her best friend Ann and all of a sudden they dropped the music.  A HUGE venue.  Then Molly in her beautiful choir uniform (a dress) bent over in front of everyone to try and pick up the music.  Ann & Molly were laughing so hard.  Needless to say they were never in the front row again.

What's your favorite picture of Molly?
When she wore a pink dress as a flower girl in Mary Cornwell Garza's wedding.  She was so sweet and knew she had to lead her cousin Chad down the aisle at 3 years old.
(I can't find it right now, but I'll try to update later).

Do you read the blog regularly?
Yes!  Now that I know how to get on it :)


Did Molly & Ben get along well growing up?  What about now?
LOL...well I think they loved each other a lot.  They got along well on Sunday's after church when they played the naked game and ran around the house crazy like.  They were at different stages and definitely a boy and a girl.  Molly was very intolerant and Ben was very impatient.
Now, I think it's at a more mature level and they see each other as young adults.  They want good things for each other.  They respect each other and are not judgemental.

What was your first impression of Tom?  How do you feel about him now?
Oh...um...massive good looking Minnesotan...and smart.  He was shy at first with me.
Now, LOLOLOLOL...I think he...how can I say it...I just think of him as another son that I can hug and love up on.  I see how hard he works for everything and how many achievements he's made because of his focus.  He works hard and plays hard.  Kind of like my husband.

Tell us about a time Molly was super naughty.
When she wouldn't do something...oh what was it???  Help me remember.  She was kind of stubborn as I remember.  Molly do you remember one that I don't recall???  Let's see when she was little and playing...I don't think she was ever very naughty.
Oh I remember a time she was super naughty...a time she wanted to wear something inappropriate to school.  She missed the bus and I told her she would have to knock down the door to get by me because she weren't wearing that.  Finally she went up and changed.  Molly was really mad at me. (Um p.s. I was wearing overalls with a short shirt that showed my sides a tiny little bit.  It wasn't that bad.)

Tell us about a time Molly did something to melt your heart.
She's always been so thoughtful in every regard.  When she surprised me for my birthday last year.  And always cheering me up with her sense of humor and teasing me.

Anything else we should know?
That Molly is a very talented young woman.  She's been able to use her talents in any way they've needed to be used whether a job, in your house, a real helper with Tom, and amazingly been able to learn how to rake and go outside and help Tom.  That's something we never thought she would do with her allergies.

Wawenock Spirit Never Dies (30 Before 30 #20)

I wrote this in 2004 for a nonfiction writing class.

***Dedication***

The following is dedicated to all the girls whose hearts

are filled with Wawenock love, whose minds are filled

with Wawenock memories, and whose bodies are filled with

Wawenock spirit.  May the fire live on forever.

Up in the attic looking through pictures of memories I thought I had lost. My mind starts to wander back to my camp days and all that I held so dear. Warm summer breezes, late night whispers with friends, crashing of waves on the beach, singing in the dining hall, I just close my eyes and I can be there, Camp Wawenock. My summer home for nine years, an all girls camp on Sebago Lake in Maine.

As an eight year old I began my journey through life as a Wawenock girl. I heaved my back pack and tennis racket onto my shoulders and jetted off the plane in nervous excitement. Summer after summer the anticipation of getting off the plane in Portland, Maine never changed. There was always someone there to greet me, and after a few years I began to recognize the faces, usually greeted by Ron and his big hugs.

Arriving summer after summer my nervous excitement turned to pure giddyness, and I could not wait to start making more memories with all of my camp friends. Friends who in the beginning taught me about cutting my own hair, friendship bracelets, and do-rags, and who as we got older taught me of nothing books, fashion, shaving my legs, boys, and music. These girls came from all over the world, each with different backgrounds, but when we arrived back at camp to start another summer, our lives in civilization were put to the side. It didn’t matter how much money our families had, or if we had the coolest new thing. All that mattered was that for the next seven weeks we had each other.

Camp Wawenock is a place like no other. It takes prima donnas from around the world and drops them in cabins with no electricity or bathrooms, wearing matching blue uniforms. Materialistic items no longer matter, as all campers turn in headphones, CD’s, Gameboy’s, and money until camp is over. A person looking from the outside might wonder why girls beg their parents year after year to go back to a place where the bathroom is called dewdrop, but that all lies in the wonderful secret of Wawenock, its spirit. Wawenock spirit never dies, it lasts with any girl that has ever been enthralled by it for a lifetime. There is a camp song we sing called “Wawenock Spirit” which embodies all of the camp Wawenock spirit.

“Wawenock spirit never dies, them girls gonna rise again. 

Hit ‘em in the head, knock ‘em in the eye, them girls gonna rise again. 

I know it know it, indeed I know it sister, I know it WHOA! Them girls gonna rise again. 

Wawenock born and Wawenock bred and when I die I’m Wawenock dead. 

So RAH! for Wawenock

RAH! for Wawenock

RAH! for Wawenock

RAH! RAH! RAH!”

The most powerful line in that song is, “Wawenock born and Wawenock bred and when I die I’m Wawenock dead.” After thinking about that particular line I realized, it is so true. Once a Wawenock girl, always a Wawenock girl. No one can ever take that special bond away, and no one can have that special bond without having experienced at least one summer of camp Wawenock fun. A person is changed whether they want to be or not after a summer at Camp Wawenock. Many girls come away being more open minded, more positive, and more confident in themselves. Camp Wawenock has helped in the process of raising many girls into the powerful women they are in today’s society, and continue to do so.

The best part of Camp Wawenock is its ability to create a camp family with 112 campers, and 50 staff members. It does this through the wide variety of activities offered, which help each girl strive to greater heights, including, ceramics, tennis, horse back riding, sailing, swimming, archery, and music and drama. Most of these activities are activities campers would not have the opportunity to learn in their everyday lives, and allow the campers to try new things successfully or unsuccessfully in a safe and comfortable atmosphere. There is also a friendly competitiveness thrown into it all, which keeps the campers on their toes. Sunday morning breakfasts are usually a very intense time as the two tribes search for a clue, to signify the upcoming tribal meet. During this time a Wawenock girl realizes how important the colors orange and blue can be. Even if your tribe does not win the clue, everyone is still supportive of each other. No one puts anyone else down, and everyone wants everyone else to succeed. Wednesday night campfires are a time for individual recognition. A camper may have jumped in the water off the stone pier for the first time, or received her 12th award in archery, and the whole camp will feel just as good for the individual as she feels for herself. All the campers are proud of everyone else’s accomplishments.

Waking up to reveille at 7:00am and going to bed at 9:00pm to taps is how every Wawenock day starts and ends. In the middle of those two bugles anything could happen. A camper could go on a scavenger hunt during outdoor living skills, sail in a regatta, play tennis against the boys camp, be in a play, shoot a rifle, go to the Super, or see June Gray one of the directors in her yellow rain coat. At Camp Wawenock each day is a surprise!

Camp Wawenock will always have a special place in my heart. From its hills I gathered courage, from its water pride, from its rocks inspiration, and from its glowing sunsets contentment. All of these attributes have helped to make me the person I am today. They are with me from day to day, and help to guide me in all of my decisions no matter where I may be. Camp Wawenock…Reveille, laughter and song, Sebago lying still and blue as the sky it reflects, the rhythmic dip of paddles, rest hour, letters home, the music of wind in the pines, a flaming sun dropping into a lake of fire, the whispered goodnight of a friend, taps, peace, contentment…

***Some lines come from Camp Wawenock Songs or www.campwawenock.com***