Save a Turkey - Eat an Artichoke

Complaining comes easy. No practice required.
Work is a drag. I hate the rain. When will I ever get ahead? This traffic sucks. Does anyone else in this house know how to change an empty toilet paper roll? Men. I don't get enough sleep. I have to color my hair - again. Kids. Calories. Exercise. A little help now and then, please?
It's the gratitude that's a challenge. So hard to remember that there's so much to be thankful for.
A steady paycheck. Water. Striving for success. A car. A home. Men. Shut-eye, when I can get it. Excellence by Loreal. KIDS. Three squares. Rockin a treadmill. Being self-sufficient.
For every yin there's a yang. I can go on and on but there's a turkey that needs basting.
Happy Thanksgiving to all.
Count your blessings until you run out of numbers.

The New R & R

It wasn't all that long ago when it meant rest and relaxation. Two words that conjure up images of 400 thread count cotton sheets, lazy Sunday mornings, maybe even a long-awaited, highly anticipated vacation out of town. That was then; peacefully, oblivious then.
R & R has a different meaning now. In fact, it has several:
request and review - this is a good one. Somebody, some elusive somebody thinks that perhaps you've created something worth a second look. Well, okay then. Now you're talkin'.
Or, it could also stand for -
revise and resubmit - also not a bad one. Not as great as the initial request since it signals the commencement of the roll-up-your-sleeve changes and more second guessing, followed by serious nail-biting. Overall, however, still not a bad thing since potential lingers and hope still floats. For now.
Which brings me to the dreaded -
read and rejected - Simply and by far my least favorite of the r & r's. Very little explanation needed here. It is precisely what it is. No thank you. Move along. Do not pass go. Have you ever considered a career in yodeling?
Lately I've had a run on requests. My cup runneth over. And yet, there's this unwavering dark, gloomy patch of land, at the far southeast corner of my soul that taunts - You still don't have the ultimate R - the offer of Representation. For this I stumble on, collect my r's and grab a nap when I can, on 400 thread count cotton sheets.

The Fog

(I wrote this as an ode to all the lovesick &/or middle-aged people whose once nubile minds have temporarily turned to a dissonant state of disarray. The opinions expressed herein don't necessarily reflect my own...)

Its gloves on my feet
A cold drink to eat

Page one says “the end”

one plus one is three
M and E just isn’t me

Is this a strange new backwards trend?

I sit to stand
The ocean is sand

Its sense in logic never-land

A tear is a smile
An inch is a mile

Is that my heart there in your hand?


Is it love when reason leaves
or is it fantasy deceives?

My toes are planted in the sky
The answer to because is why
It’s evident or it would seem
I’m caught up in some crazy dream
Wake me quickly if you will
or maybe there’s a magic pill

The fairy tales have all come true
What does that mean for me and you?

Holidazed & Confused

It arrived stuffed between two innocent pages of the latest issue of People magazine, wedged snuggly between Kate and that guy. The bright red envelope should have been a clue, as it tumbled out announcing itself. "Here I am. Your very first Christmas card."
Wait, what?
I mean, I know I've been a little tired lately...but had I slept right through November? No offense to the over-enthusiastic sender. I'm a huge fan of organization and a solid pro-active attitude. Why put off till tomorrow what you can do waaaaaay too early? I promise I won't rant and rave over how time is careening away and about my pet peeve of doing anything to help it move along any faster. And no, I won't waste a single second expounding the virtues of living in the present moment, especially since I've yet to master that particular skill. However, I'm still munching on Halloween leftovers (all the good stuff is long gone). Can't I just have one minute to breathe before the turkey and trimmings? Am I allowed to digest my Mounds bar, put away the plastic pumpkin flowerpots, and dust, maybe read a book?
I suppose it's inevitable. Every year the holidays come sooner than they did the year before. I think it might be a side effect of that whole global warming thing. Either way, now I am merrily mindful that the season is only a postage stamp away.
Fa la la la la.