Hitchhiking

Was yesterday National Hitchhiker's day?  Upon arriving at my work exit yesterday morning there was a gentleman attempting to hitchhike and he had a couple of bags with him and a cardboard sign.  Then on my way home that night an entirely different gentleman was attempting to hitchhike, also with a few bags in tow, and his sign indicated he needed to get to a town three exits away.

Three things immediately cross my mind:  1.) isn't it illegal to hitchhike?,  2.) I feel guilty that I'm not a Good Samaritan offering to help, and 3.) Creepy! I've read one too many Dateline Crime Reports to ever pick up a hitchhiker. 

Q&A Today

I have always been a sucker for those email questionnaires that go around.  I received this ten question one recently, but instead of sending it back out to the masses over email I figured I would post my responses on here.  I know, I am tempting the email gods by not forwarding to ten people in the next ten minutes but I think I'll be okay.

1. If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? Ryan Reynolds.  He's hot and funny, you really can't go wrong there.

2. What was the last film you saw in at the cinema? The Hangover II.  It was funny, but not as good as the first one.

3. What would you hate to be left in a room with? Spiders or snakes.

4. What inspires you? Love, life, money.

5. Beach, city, or country? Each for their own purpose.  Beach for vacation, country for living, city for working.

Fit to Strip

You didn’t misread.  Today’s blog topic title is Fit to Strip. A few years ago I bought Carmen Electra’s Fit to Strip DVD set because it promised to work all my problem areas and it got pretty good ratings from other end users.  Well, let me let you in on a little secret:  if you are looking for a good workout the second DVD in this set is the meat and potatoes.  Carmen and her trainer walk you through six different workout regimens including cardio, abs, and lower and upper body routines.  What I love about it is you don’t need anything special aside from a yoga mat, a chair, and a few light free weights which are completely optional.  Plus, this DVD has a few extras in case you only have time for a quick workout, want to focus strictly on toning, or want to target a specific area. 

Furry Friday: Like Clockwork

I’ve decided that in blog-world, Fridays will be dedicated to Riley Chance.  He’s such a fixture in my life that I’m not sure if one day’s blogging will do him justice, but I’m sure sharing any details of his antics will certainly bring a smile to your face.  Besides, who doesn’t like a pet photo now and then?

Family Traits

Ok, so I am just like my mother.   I admit it.  I organize the contents of my fridge the same way,  fold laundry the same way, always have a tea kettle on the stove, and there's always a sponge and a cup brush in the dish drain.  If that's not proof enough, here are a few more:

I like a tidy house.

When Justin, the hubs, cannot find something he left out on the counter the conversation starts something like this "So Judi (that's my mom's name), when you were cleaning today where did my ____ go?"  My response, very Judi-like, "away...where it belongs."  What can I say?  My biggest pet peeve is clutter and things being left out. 

♫ Raindrops keep falling on my head ♪

♫ ♪ But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red, 

Cryin's not for me, 

'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin' ♫ ♪

So it's pouring out, hence the the little sing-song I've subjected you to.   I also have a hair appointment this evening.  These two things seem to coincide quite regularly - bad weather and hair appointments.  Good thing my hairdresser Kimber is flexible with me because in the winter time, for those of you familiar with upstate NY, sometimes bad weather means I'm calling her up to reschedule.  Of course, I'm not rescheduling for rain but just figured I'd put it out there that it's a tradition of Kimber's and mine to schedule hair appointments and bad weather.  I'll be sure to update you as to the next scheduled appointment because it will no doubt precipitate in some fashion and you'll at least be forewarned. 

The ladies at work and I were just joking around about wearing plastic bag helmets to get out to our cars and it got us on the topic of those old lady rain hats.  You know, the kind the little old lady in church with the curlers wears, even on sunny days.  Does anyone know if Wal-Mart carries these?  I'm thinking of starting a WTF Stocking Stuffer tradition this year.  Not a bad idea, eh?

photo courtesy of cachebeauty.com

Awwwbany Shopping

Oh how I miss Albany shopping ("Awwwbany" as a friend of mine says).  Albany has the convenience of being 5 minutes from just about any store you could want or need.  Don't get me wrong, where I live now I kind of have the best of both worlds.  I live on a country road but I am still 5 minutes from a Price Chopper, a Wal-Mart, an Agway, a handful of pizza places, a movie theater, and a small shopping plaza.  However, as you can probably already guess, the store selection is very limited and most close around six p.m.  A new store is in development by my workplace and it was rumored to be Target (aka Tar-Jay).  Boy was I excited!  Well I was until I heard officially that it's TJ Max instead.  Don't hoot and holler - I like TJ Max too, just not as much as I love me some Tar-Jay. 

Hearing Voices

My three thirty p.m. inner monologue:

“Oh my gawwwd I’m starving!!  I wonder what’s in the vending machine…”

“No, you don’t need anything.  You’ve got an hour until you head home.”

“Mmmm… can’t wait to go home.  What’s for dinner?  I’m hungry.”

 “Just drink some more water, you’ll be fine.”
“Ugggh, water.  So not as appetizing as a bag of chips right about now.”

“But now I have a headache.  Maybe I should go get something…”

<<insert stomach grumble here>>

“It has been proven that dehydration can simulate hunger pains, have more water.”

“But I only had a salad today for lunch...”

“OMG – will you shut up already, you have no self control!”

Home-ownership is grand…

It appears we have a variation of King Midas’ curse: everything we touch turns to crap.  Earlier this spring the lawn tractor battery needed to be replaced, the truck battery needed to be replaced, some capacitor thing in our flat screen TV decided to overheat, and our house decided to start peeling.  Then the truck exhaust went, the boat starter, and now the bearing spindles on the mower deck for the ride on mower.  And of course, all of these things cost money.  Big green dollar signs.  I’ve decided I don’t want to be a grown-up anymore.  It’s suddenly lost its appeal.

I take back all those times that I fought my mother to take a nap.  God, I miss naps.  I take back all those times I said “I can’t wait to grow up and move out!” Living was free and easy then.  Unfortunately I was one of those precocious five year olds determined to grow up and be successful.  Well, the growing up part happened and I guess I’m successful to a degree but much like the rest of the country, I was not counting on our “Great Recession” and the compounded greed of politicians.  So as successful as I am, it never seems to be enough.  I laugh now because my mother always used to say “how does it feel to want?” when I was a whiney little kid at the checkout line.  Well, now I have a new found perspective and a whole new appreciation on how it feels to want.

Vitamin-D Recap

This weekend was Gorgeous with a capital "G."  Temperatures were in the upper eighties and the sunshine was constant from sunrise to sunset, so needless to say I was outside soaking up as much Vitamin D as possible.  One would think that being an all-American mixture of Russian, Polish, German, Italian, N.American Indian, and Irish (and I'm sure I'm forgetting a few) that exposure to sunlight would result in a beautiful golden bronze but apparently this is not the case.  It must be a genetic science that Irish skin trumps all and results in a speckled trout appearance after any sunbathing.  I even varied between SPF 30 and SPF50 sunblock this weekend, but alas all I am capable of is a burn and freckle. 

Aside from roasting myself like a marshmallow, my husband and I took our money-pit of a boat out for a spin on the Lake.  We had an enjoyable day of fishing, swimming and enjoying each others company until it came time to head in.  That's when the boat's starter made a terrible whining sound which meant we were going nowhere without a tow.  All I can say is thank goodness for the kindness of strangers because eventually some gentleman in a boat from Massepequa, NY was kind enough to help us back to shore.

Furry Friday - Meet Riley Chance

Inspired by a recent post over at Amanda Talar's blog, I've decided to blog about my Furbaby on this Friday.  I know it's going to sound cheesy, but every now and then my husband Justin and I like to look back at photos of Riley when he was a pup.  It's hard to believe he was once less than five pounds. 

"Riley Chance" - day of adoption

Coffee, Chinese Food & an Award

Yesterday afternoon my office smelled like Chinese food.  This phenomena is not entirely uncommon because people microwave their lunches in the adjoining office.  However, what is uncommon is that it still smelled like Chinese food today when I came in.  Normally lunch hour smells dissipate.  After sleuthing around to ensure no remnants were left in my garbage and no funky spills were located anywhere on my floor, it dawned on me.  The other day I had made a small pot of coffee and poured the last cup's worth into my plants.  Well, yesterday was a pretty hot day and my plants were basking in the sunlight on the window sill.  So, you've probably guessed it by now:  old coffee in plants plus sunshine equals a smell similar to Chinese food.  Isn't that appetizing?  Not so much.

Heaven on Earth

I've decided to shake things up and expand my list of favorite foods and YoCrunch Fruit Parfaits are to blame.  They are Oh My God good.  That's right - they are OMGG - I'm coining this acronym Jersey Shore style.  They are so good, you almost forget they are good for you!  At only 170 calories with 35 grams of carbohydrates and 5 grams of protein, these little boogers are pretty stinking good.  Not to mention they include 15% of your daily intake for both Calcium and Vitamin D and 4% of Iron and Vitamin C.  They will be making a daily appearance in my life for breakfast, we've decided we're going steady.

Here are some other foods that make my Heaven on Earth list:

The Shoes Have It

My husband and I attended the CRUSH 105.7FM VIP party at Vapor Night Club in Saratoga on Saturday.  Friends of ours had won tickets and were in the drawing for their Cruise Giveaway.  Sadly they did not win, but we had a great time anyway.  I must say that coming up on our thirties, it's nice to find an age appropriate night scene.   The music was the perfect blend of today's top hits and music from our younger years.  We also weren't surrounded by college kids just looking to get completely obliviated and hook up.  We were partying with folks our own age who knew their drinking limits and were just there to have a good time.  One word comes to mind: refreshing.  It also didn't hurt my ego to be one of the youngest ladies on the dance floor, just saying.

As nice as this club was, it still proved fun to people watch.  My friends and I came up with our own code words for certain people throughout the night.  There was Soccer Mom Turned Party Girl, Creepy Guy, Ronnie Wannabe (Jersey Shore reference), and last but not least White Shorts Girl. 

Air Conditioning & Fandango

Let's talk turkey, shall we?  I have found that there is no happy medium for air conditioning in large industrial buildings.  Once the summer weather hits and that switch is flipped, it's 48 degrees Fahrenheit all the time.  It doesn't matter if today is only 62 out and rainy, that air conditioning unit is still going to town as if it were Africa hot out. Seriously, my fingernails have a blueish tint to them.  I know I shouldn't complain about being in air conditioning, but at least at home when I turn the a/c on there is a thermostat which adjusts for when it's cold and crappy out.

What's in a name?

For those of you who have just started reading my blog: welcome.  You picked a good time to join in because today I am going to explain the hidden meaning behind "Gidget's Two Cents." From my profile you can already tell my given name is not Gidget.  However, I am a girl of many names: Christine, Christy, Chris, Crustybagel, Jezebel, Blossom, Christine-Marie, and of course "Gidget." For whatever reason, those closest to me have taken to calling me different things.  Shortened versions of my real name are logical and make the most sense.  Names like Jezebel, Crustybagel, Blossom, and Gidget are the fun ones that keep you guessing.

Rapture & Porcupines

So May 21, 2011 came and went and I am still breathing.  Imagine that.  For those of you unaware, May 21 was supposed to be the day of Rapture (aka, the end of the world).  Apparently Mr. Harold Camping got his dates wrong and it's now been rescheduled for October 21, 2011.   Good to know, I'll mark my calendar. 

In other news, I have seen three dead porcupines in less than a week in my travels to and from work.  That has to be a sign of something to come, right?  I mean, if it weren't for the Discovery Channel I'm not certain I'd even know these things existed and yet there they were, three in one week, dead on the side of the road. So in the spirit of Rapture, I propose you throw your Farmer's Almanac away, Get your dog a sombrero and await one hell of a sticky situation.

That's all I got for now folks.  What are your thoughts of the impending Rapture?  Are you a superstitious person?

Reminiscing

This time last year I was in a bad place.  Well, technically speaking a good place location-wise but a bad place in my life.  On year ago today, I was on vacation in Ocean City N.J. with friends at a gorgeous condo just a few blocks from the beach.  It was just what I, or should I say we, needed.  Only a few weeks beforehand my husband and I were finding out that our very first year of marriage was truly turning out to be the most trying one (save your "I told you so," trust me, I know).  After being together for ten years we really didn't think any surprises would be in store once we got married, but fate has this neat little way of sneaking up on you and biting you in the proverbial arse.  On top of all that, my chiropractor turned nutritionist tells me that my thyroid is slow (no kidding - ice cold hands, hungry all the time, lethargic, low motivation, dry skin, headaches...you get the picture so I'll spare you the rest).  Her genius idea is to try an organic approach and put me on a 21 day cleanse.  Let me tell you, the last thing an already irritable person needs is to be told what she can and cannot eat and especially not right before a vacation!