Farewell to my 20's

Well it is here, the last day of my 20's.  While I don't mourn them per se, I am looking back and seeing how much I have learned in the past 10 years.  I don't feel 30 (you know the 30 you perceived when you were younger, with Mom jeans, sensible shoes, copious amounts of wine, and a general sense of fatigue and world weariness...ok maybe the wine).  How is 30 supposed to feel?  If any of you can tell me that I would greatly appreciate it.  Here are 20 things I learned in my 20's that I would like to share...

1.  I learned to stop hating my forehead and grow out the bangs...with the exception of when I was pregnant and went temporarily insane and thought they would make me look like Heidi Klum, they did not.

2.  I learned that high heels are not for height, they are for perkier buttocks and slimmer looking legs.

3.  I learned that a gay bar is a straight girl's best friend.  The dude's leave you alone and the girls are usually with their partners and leave you alone too.  You get to wear obscene amounts of glitter and it looks normal, and no matter how poorly you dance, no one cares, its all about having fun!

4.  I learned that just because he's fab in the sack, doesn't make him worth it, cause God has a quirky sense of humor.

5.  I learned that it is ok to love someone you don't even know and to measure every other guy against them, It will keep you out of some stupid situations, and put you in some wonderful ones...usually involving twitter, NYC, and the world's best pick up line.

6.  I learned that the person you loved when you entered your 20's can take most of them to get over, but on the other side you might learn a lesson.

7.  I learned strippers don't like being bitten

8.  I learned to MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE, MOISTURIZE

9.  I learned that when you start to get the spins...STOP DRINKING!  It only gets worse from there.

10.  I learned Vanilla Ice is super fun to do Jaegar Bombs with.

11.  I learned that the guy that comes to your house to watch movies with you, is always there when you need him, and makes you smile, he's the one you should be with...not the douche-bag that never returns your calls, and if you miss your chance, it will probably never come again.

12.  I learned that Mom is usually right...as is Cara.

13.  I learned to enjoy my own company, you will spend much time alone, dinners, movies, holidays, and birthdays.  And it is ok.

14.  I learned that to live and not to breathe is to die in tragedy (Thank you GD).

15.  I learned that the Muppets teach important life lessons.

 16.  I learned that my butt is a good thing.

17.  I learned that no matter how old you are, getting someone to pull your finger is STILL HILARIOUS!

18.  When it fits, buy them ALL!  Every color, in multiples.  True fit is a rarity.

19.  Buying yourself flowers is not pathetic.  Making yourself happy is a GREAT thing.

20.  No matter what, believe in yourself, true friends and love are hard to find, and treasure everything you have all the time because it can all be gone in an instant.

Love, Lola

Dancing into my 30's

My angry e-mail

I did it, it finally happened, I lasted almost a year until I lost my shit with these damn college students...following is an ACTUAL e-mail that I sent yesterday afternoon to every student (grad and undergrad) in my major.

ATTENTION!

Your alternate pin for Fall is the same as the one you used to register for your summer classes.  If you have lost it PLEASE see the attached instructions.  This will hopefully save us all a LOT of time.  Also, in the future, when you get advised for summer you are to get advised for fall as well (UNDERGRAD AND GRADUATE).  That is what early advising and registration is for.  We are here all summer for you to contact about fall registration.  There is NO reason I should be seeing ANY returning students getting advised for the first time, 2 days before classes start (yes, you may hang your head in shame).  This time is for new incoming students to meet with their advisors.  I trust that next time we go through this you all will use this knowledge to your advantage and save me from an early death by aneurysm.  Thank you, Lola ECE Secretary

Below is the attachment:

LOST YOUR ALTERNATE PIN???????

 OH NO!

8 easy steps to find it on your own

1. Go to Eagle online

2. Sign in

3. Select “Registration”

4. Select “Select Term”

5. Select the appropriate semester

6. Click “Submit”

7. Select “View Banner ID (T#), Registration Times, Advisor…”

8. TADA!!!!! You’re a BIG kid now!

A house update!

I figure it is about time for another house update.  I have gotten a few more areas painted, and only want to repaint one of them, so I figure I am doing pretty well.  Dad moved in (apparently temporarily) so I had to rush to get that room done.  It was painted Pepto and Barbie-puke pink stripes.  First step was to sand the entire room.  When a pattern is painted on a wall it leaves a small ridge of paint that, when painted over will show through (please don’t paint patterns on your walls then try to sell your house, it truly pisses off the new owners).  After it was sanded I had to then wash the walls and trim work to get all the sanding dust off so the tape would adhere.  I got the room taped off, did two coats of primer and two coats of paint and voila!  A pale grey room that will look very nice when Dad moves out and I turn it into a guest room/craft studio.  With touches of coral and some whimsical geometric prints it will fit in nicely with the “Midcentury chic” look I am starting to put together.

BEFORE

AFTER

Some fabric inspirations for this future room design

I painted Spencer’s room one weekend while he was out of town.  I only painted the top half of the wall b/c the bottom half will be getting a treatment of bead board.  I love the look of it and think it will work nicely to protect the walls from a growing boy’s toys and grimy extremities.  I chose a dark grey color that went nicely with a piece of graffiti art I had made for him when he was a baby, and that will grow with him.  I also think it will pop when all the white bead board is in there.

Spencer's Room waiting for bead board and crown molding...

The hallway was a dilemma.  I LOVE the color I put up in the living room and wanted something different and bright because it is what you see right when you walk into the house.  It was early spring when I was choosing the color and I fell in love with the color of the newly growing grass.  SO I went to my Benjamin Moore store (the only place I buy paint) and pulled some paint chips…I taped them to the already painted living room wall and stared at it in all different lights for probably 3 weeks.  I narrowed it down to 3 colors and purchased them in samples so I could paint them on the wall they would go on and see them IRL.  I didn’t like any of them.  So I went back and repeated the paint chip process.  I FINALLY settled on a color and painted it the same weekend I did Spencer’s room.  Let’s just say I am glad it is the hallway and easy to redo.  While I like the color, it just never seemed “right”.  It didn’t flow with the other colors, so while doing a little online browsing I saw a baby’s room that had been done in coral and soft grey.  That’s when I knew that the hall way should have been coral.  It would work well with the honeydew green in the living room and flow well with the grays and blues of the bedrooms.  Now to decide on a shade of coral…to be continued.

It just doesn't work.

"Let's Start A War Shall We" a poem by me inspired by Green Day's "21 Guns"

This piece is to be read along with the instrumental version of Green Day's "21 Guns" following is a link to a fantastic youtube version

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z6wpX7prMn0&feature=BFa&list=WL754836B115DD0EC8&index=1

Hollow eyes stare back

at me.  I see the blue ocean

Sky.  Rain from invisible clouds, saltwater ocean

Tears.  Thundering shakes and crashes around me

Is the sky falling? 

Is my heart too full to hear the screaming clashing with the wracking sobs?

The world is ending

as this war is

Beginning.  Wounded hearts

form battalions of rage and rally the broken

masses to their battle cry.  The tears from my eyes

are wiped away by the hand of God…

or Bob…

or whoever the fuck is real around here.

I’m not real. I’m not here.  If I was

wouldn’t someone pay attention?

Wouldn’t someone see my fatherless generation

screaming from the pain from the pointlessness of it all?

If I stood and screamed, could you see

my blue sky eyes condemning you?

If I stood before you open and willing

To accept your inadequacies how would you disappoint me this time?

How would you try to turn my eyes

to right, turn my Sin to shame and my shame to your power.

How do you make me feel like the scum of the earth?

Would you even see the air around me thickening and charging with electricity?

Do I shock you?  Does my anger come as a surprise

party to your ignorance?

While my first strikes the air and pumps in defiance

in time with the music

in time with the sound of the thunder

in time with the heart beat of my bastard brothers and sisters

an extended family of blood lines and fear and unwanted guilt born babies.

We stand with Earth colored eyes that have seen pain and suffering handed

out like party favors and we fight

this life of deception you have given us.

These lines of bullshit you have fed us, we no longer accept

The way that it is.

The same old same old will be conquered and a new day will rise.

MY hollow eyes stare back at me from the mirror

of this empty home, my fist strikes lightening at the mirror and thunderous

the glass shatters

raining down a self-borne hurricane

demolishing the island that is

ME in a shower of silver and black

Shards that cut and tear away

The pain of being,

The pain of breathing

The pain of knowing

you.