It's about time

I've been thinking a lot lately about time.  And about patience.  Mostly because I spend the majority of my days feeling like I don't have enough of either.  So, I've starting making a mental list of what I do and don't have time and patience for.  It reads as follows:

Things I don't have time and/or patience for:

- dishes that don't wash themselves
- self check out lanes at Meijer (aka the 7th level of hell)
- the local news (stop trying to make me afraid of EVERYTHING.  Please.) 
- reality tv (with the exception of Food Network Star, Project Runway and Top Chef)
- LEGO pieces that like to embed themselves in my feet
- neighbor dogs that bark incessantly the minute I put my toe outside (it's been FIVE years.  I'm not here to rob/maim your owner or pee on your favorite tree.  And, P.S., you look like a mop with teeth.)
- people who suck (this includes people that tailgate, text and drive and people who douse themselves in cologne/perfume and ride elevators with me.  Also includes crazy people who try and suck me into their craziness by handing me a bunch of BS to manipulate my feelings.  I'm immune to this.  Move on, please.  You're wasting your time.)
- Rachel Ray (still the anti-christ)
- jicama (what the effing eff IS that crap?)


Things I DO have time/patience for:

- my kids (always)
- my husband (always)
- my cat, even though she honks up hairballs, like, fifty times a day
- reruns of Frasier on the Hallmark Channel (Hey baby, I hear the blues are callin', tossed salads and scrambled eggs...)
- my friends (especially the ones who make me laugh and help me eat cookies)
- my writing (even though it often makes me want to jam pencils in my eyes)
- caramel sauce
- Ella Fitzgerald
- pants that don't give me muffin top

So, what does your mental time and patience list look like?

Meeting My Imaginary Friends

Yesterday I got to do something so very cool.  Not ONLY did the hubs take the offspring to play with their cousins so I could get a break from having to tend to stink-o diapers and Richter scale baby meltdowns, but I also got to attend the Carrie Harris's book launch party for Bad Taste in Boys.  The day had many different levels of awesome.  

Awesome level one was that my good friend/fellow mom/writer/blogger Maria came with me.  She got to be part of a "Bickell Family Outing" which, of course, included running late, following the GPS to the wrong location and some creative colorful language.  Yay for her!  

Second level of awesome was visiting Nicola's Books for the first time and falling in love with every nook and cranny of this independently owned book store - a RARE find these days.  I kinda wanted to just move in and live there forever and ever.  Wonder if they'd mind.

Third level of awesome was, of course, meeting Carrie in person.  We've been blogging friends for a couple years now, and I found out a few months ago that we lived only 40 minutes from each other (shut the front door!).  So, I was so excited to be able to attend the book launch and meet her in person.  It's such an bizarre thing to meet someone you've only know online.  Even though they seem completely legit, there's always that small chance that they're just a figment of your imagination (or that they're really some hairy dude with a creepy doll collection).  I'm happy to report Carrie was neither imaginary or hairy!  She was awesome.  Warm, welcoming, composed, articulate and...well, friggen' hilarious (but that's no surprise).  She talked about the book, read an excerpt, answered questions, signed our books and fed us binge-worthy cookies (hello, muffin top!).  Most of all, I was really inspired by what she said - she talked a lot about her journey to publication and if I took one thing away, it was that it CAN happen.  You just have to do what you love, be true to yourself, and throw a little faith into the universe.  Also, it helps to have a dress with zombie unicorns on it.  Don't ask me why.  

Next level of awesome was meeting another one of my imaginary friend - fellow writer/blogger Ray Veen.  I've always had such admiration for Ray - for his talent, devotion to the craft, the fact that he's a super cool dad and that he loves a cold Guinness and isn't afraid to wear a puffy shirt and a kilt.  Meeting he and his lovely wife, Cindy, was as awesome as it gets*.  We had a chance to talk and catch each other up on the latest with our writing.  All I can say it that my admiration for Ray and his motivation and devotion to his writing multiplied by a bazzilion.  I fully believe that the stars have good things in store for him.  I know someday soon I'll be attending his book launch party.  I might even wear a kilt. 

All in all, it was a multi-level awesome day.  Ummm....aside from our adventure after the launch party when we tried to get coffee.  I won't go into it.  I'll just say that poor Maria had to bear witness to my total OCD coffee snobbery.  Sorry, Maria.  But on the upside, it wasn't so bad that I felt the need to pelt Sugar in the Raw packets at anyone.  (Oh, wait....that's because THEY DIDN'T HAVE ANY!)

*ehem* Anyway...here are some pics of the awesomeness:

Carrie reading from her debut novel Bad Taste in Boys

Carrie and I (and the god awful flash on my phone.  We both were seeing bright spots for about 10 minutes after.)

*total side bar - but Ray and Cindy look WAY too young to have teenage children.  Srlsy.  Not fair.