to Cry Baby with love, L.O. Annie

When I was young I wanted to be little orphan Annie.  I loved her curly red hair.  I got a perm to look just like her when I was 6, but the perm burnt my hair and I had had my same straight hair in a boy cut.  Awesome.

My love for curly red hair has not changed.  I love it.  I want it.  I'll settle for curly hair.  Or deep auburn red.  But I really want the combo.  Is that too much to ask?

Beauty desires aside, today I felt like a cry baby.  One of those days where you wake up on the wrong side of the bed, get stuck behind the train, forget your purse, get to work late, spill on your white shirt, and that is all before 9:00am... kind of days.  One of those days where the before 9:30am part of the day is the highlight of your day.  I threw myself a pity party at 10:30am and again at 11:47am and another one around 2:00pm-ish.  But I didn't stop there.  I fully engaged in a whine-a-thon around 5:43pm before realizing that the day was almost over and I just might live to see tomorrow.  Around 8:22pm my Little Orphan Annie side had a brief but meaningful convo with my Cry Baby side, and then I allowed myself to drown away stupid head Thursday in mind numbing TV.  I'm over my Cry Baby moment and have put away my violin.  Pity party done... mostly in part to the pep talk and a little bit to the TV.  :)  Here is my pep talk in case you ever have one of THOSE stupid head days.

Dear Cry Baby.
Suck. It. Up.  It's not that bad.  You could be a starving child in Africa.  You could be taking cover in a war torn country.  You could be back in middle school.  So you woke up on the wrong side of the bed and got stuck behind the train and forgot your purse and spilled something all over yourself before 9:00am.  So what?  At least you have a bed, and a car, and you only live 5 minutes from the office, and the TIDE stain stick that worked like a charm.  So the rest of the day was rough.  So what?!  You had a tough day but it was a full day and you get to have another day. Buck up.  Shake it off.  Let it go and press forward. And guess what?  The sun will come out tomorrow.  Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun. 
With love.
L.O. Annie

the three b's.

The three B's...
     1.  Birthday Month!
     2.  Books
     3.  Bucket List.
First... and most important... Birthday Month!!!!!!!!!  It starts officially in less that 4 hours. :)  I love birthday month.  I've already got birthday month ideas like: sleeping in one day; indulging in a massage; going to the hair salon for a way over do trim; getting a pedicure; treating myself to a yummy cheeseburger; sneaking in a little Everything But The... Ben & Jerry's; going to see movies like "The Help", "Harry Potter", "Captain America", "Cowboys & Aliens", etc. (if you're around and want to come along let me know); buying myself some cute new earrings and maybe even a new work shirt or two; and more!  I hope I can squeeze it all in!!

Now, on to the books!  I am bored with what I've come across recently.  There have been a few enjoyable ones like "The Help" and "The Hunger Games" series smattered in a lump of predictable blah. I haven't even come across any enjoyable 'beach reads'.  HELP ME!!!  I'm open to pretty much anything and currently taking suggestions.

Lastly... my bucket list.  I have one for South Carolina, but I want to really hone one for my life.  Here's what I have so far.. in NO particular order:
1. Go to Italy.
2. Go to Greece.
3. Go to London.
4. Write in a journal every day for one year.  (I'm terrible at this.  TER-RI-BLE).
5. Visit all 50 states.  Actually visit.  Driving through does not count. 

So far I've been to: NY, NJ, MD, WV, VA, PA, OH, NC, SC, TN, AL, GA, MS, FL, UT, ID, CA, MT, ND, SD, IA, KY, NV, WY, CO

Still have left to visit: KS, ME, DE, NH, MA, AK, HI, TX, WA, OR, AR, MO, MI, WI, AZ, RI, CT, NB, VT, LA, IN, MN, NM, OK, IL

6.  Go to the temple in Palmyra.
7.  Go to the temple in Nauvoo.
8.  Learn how to make bread.
9.  Visit my Venezuelan converts.
10.  Write a book.
11.  Learn basic sewing skills.
12.  Learn to make earrings.
13.  See Phantom of the Opera live.
14.  See Wicked live.
15.  See an On-Broadway play.
16.  Learn basic Italian.
17.  Learn basic Portugese.
18.  Read all seven Harry Potter books back to back and then have a HP movie marathon.
19.  Memorize the Relief Society theme.
20.  Go whale watching on an Alaskan cruise.
21.  Go to Australia.
22.  Go to New Zealand.
23.  Write an article for the Ensign.
24.  Do 30 guy push ups in a row.
25.  Tour the White House.

Today I started by working on my passport.  Suggestions for the list?  Over and out.