More Big 80's

OK...continuing in a series of blogs about my childhood, I feel compelled to talk to you about...fashion.

Yes, that's right. Up until about 1989 or so, I didn't much care what the heck I looked like. I mean...I wore striped child's tops and blue jeans most of the time. I do remember a pair of red pants that my mother would inflict on me.

I've seen pictures of myself as a child. My mother once got me this shorts and T-shirt set made to look like a Hawaiian island of sorts. (You'd pretty much have to see it.) That was fairly cute. I also owned two reversible shirts. One of them was red-and-white marbleized crap, with red stripes as the reverse. The other was a Mickey Mouse top. Of course, my most prominent fashion accessory was.....

REALLY BIG BANGS!

Yes, that's right. For the first eight or so years of my life, I would wear them straight across. Add a pair of glasses to this, and you can imagine what I looked like back then.

In about 1988 or so, I got my first major haircut...and a perm to go along with it. That's when the 1980's fashion victim in me took over. Most of my clothes back then were either hot pink (the hotter the better) or bright orange or yellow (the brighter the better) or any other color on the Electric Neon part of the spectrum. I actually owned a bright orange pair of biker shorts. Pazz would be proud.

I also owned several pairs of pants. The coolest ones were black, with rainbow-colored round things on them. I had a top to match. I wonder what I did with them. If they still fit, I would wear them today. No, for real.

Shoes. It goes without saying that the footwear of choice back then were Reeboks. However, I never owned a pair. My family was devoted to Keds. I think I owned a pair of every color ever made. At least I wore slouch socks. Of course, now I look back at that and ask "What the HADES was I thinking?!" But then, I'll probably say the same thing about my current attire 15 years from now.

At least I can say this with pride: I never, NEVER, used one of those banana clip things. Even at the age of nine, I realized that those things were implements of torture probably developed by Saddam Hussein. Of course, back then I had no idea who he was....

Quandry

Good news on the job front...maybe. I took an interview at the Shawnee Library today. It looked very promising.

Here's the deal on that: They can't guarantee a certain number of hours a week. So one week, I may work only 4 hours, and the next I could work 30. That could be very problematic.

Here are my options: I could work this job and still stay at Sonic. That's contingent on whether or not Sonic is willing to work around my schedule at the library. Or, I could quit Sonic and only work at the library. But I would run into the variable hours listed above. Or, I could quit Sonic and substitute teach at the same time as I am working at the library. Or I could stay at Sonic and not accept the library job, instead just keep looking till I find something full-time. And you guys know how successful I've been at that.

Of course, this is all contingent on me being offered the job. So, we may not have a problem, anyway, if I'm not offered the position.

(Edited because I now know how to spell "contingent")

The Big 80's: Part Two

OK, maybe I'm getting a bit of a nostalgia fit here. But I've been thinking back to my childhood. Here are some things that I remember:

1.) In preschool, we were rewarded for good behavior with Gummi Bears. Just a single one of these guys would make my day.

2.) On Saturday mornings, my sister and I would wake up and watch The Smurfs and Rainbow Brite while still in our PJ's. In those days, I owned a set of Cabbage Patch pajamas made with felt-like material. I miss those old pajamas. I also had a Cabbage Patch swimsuit.

3.) Remember Pogo Balls? I always wanted one. One time I spent the night at my friend's house, and she owned a Pogo Ball. This was the first time I ever played on one. I think I lasted about 2 seconds on that stupid thing before wiping out on her collection of Popples and Care Bears. I never Pogo Balled again.

4.) In fourth grade, you were considered cool if you wore Reeboks and side ponytails. Having neon Crayola Markers didn't hurt either.

5.) I remember in second grade, my older sister babysat me and my younger sister during the summer. We would eat those nasty Freezer Pops. For a special treat, we occasionally got Jello Pudding Pop. For the next year or so, my nickname was Dorothy Pudding Pop. I've never fully forgiven my older sister for that humiliation.

6.) Saturday nights, my younger sister and I were esconsed in our bedroom while my big sister would have friends over. They would be playing rock music by Van Halen, Boston, and other groups. Now, every time I play KRXO, it brings me back to those nights.

7.) I remember one Christmas, Burger King was promoting a collection of Beanie Baby-type reindeer. I really, really wanted one for Christmas. Imagine my pleasant surprise when I was presented with an entire set on Christmas Eve! I think I still have a couple of those somewhere...

8.) I remember on TV, there was a group of books being promoted. They were called Especially for Girls. It was a type of Book of the Month club. I never joined, but I remember seeing some of the books my friends had. Cool stuff.

9.) Of course, my most treasured toy from back then was an original Nintendo Entertainment System. I remember playing Tetris (incessantly), Super Mario Brothers 1, 2, and 3, The Legend of Zelda (the ONLY game I have beat TO THIS DAY), Joust, Bubble Bobble (don't ask), and others.

So, there's just a few of my memories from back in the day. I'm just thinking back to a far simpler time, when Orange Alert didn't mean anything, when we never worried about school shootings, when we didn't have to worry about people being beheaded overseas by zealot factions.

The Big 80's

I wish there was some new news to share on the job-search front, but there's not. Sigh. Actually, something DID happen: I got a call from the school board, saying there's a workshop on October 6th at 9 a.m. for potential substitute teachers. Yay.

I've been researching 1980's toys. I've decided that I don't need every single toy that has ever come out during that period. My room is stuffed as it is! So, without further ado, here's a list of the toys I need to buy myself when I find them. (Not that they're that expensive, either: At the Salvation Army, toys range from 50 cents to two dollars.)

--Any original Cabbage Patch
--Any original Care Bears
--Any original My Little Pony
--Rainbow Brite
--Any original Strawberry Shortcake
--Any original Popples
--Pillow Pals
--Any videos or DVD's of these old cartoons, or any Super Mario Brothers cartoons

I'm sure I'll add to this list as time goes on.

Hmmm...what else...I heard about that earthquake in San Jose yesterday. Luckily, it didn't cause too much damage from the sound of things. This could be important.

Same-O Same-O

Well, yesterday I worked a little bit. I work today as well, then I'm off until Saturday. I miss the good old days of working 50-plus hours a week.

Sunday was the usual...praise Jesus. Went to church, lunch, then drama practice. Then church again, then Bible study, then hung out at Brian Mays' house...then went back home. I played Halo for the first time. It was very interesting. In most games, you can both move forward and pivot with the same deal. This game, you can't. And it takes a lot of getting used to.

Anyway, there's been the extent of my life recently. Then again, that may not be a bad thing.

Song of Solomon

Well, I slept for about 8 hours last night, and I could have slept for about 14 more. I hate getting up early in the worst way. But I do have to work this morning...sigh.

Last night I went to the Song of Solomon conference. A lot of times, these types of conferences remind me of just how lonely I am. I think I'm ready to meet the right one...not just a "for now" relationship.

Of course, I have to BE that right one, too. That's why I'm working on improving myself. I learned a lot at this conference about the kind of woman I would like to be. One thing that hit home for me is that women like to be treated with gentleness. That's me. The trouble is, gentle men are few and far between. Most guys like to roughhouse. Oh, well.

What Matters

You know, sometimes I wonder if anyone outside of my immediate group of friends reads this thing.

I look at my profile and see that I have about 55 views. So I must have a few fans. Maybe. I dunno.

Then again, this isn't the most profound blog in cyberspace.

I don't blog about politics, about the meaning of life (well, not very much). I don't link to a lot of articles about the most recent way that Bush/Kerry/Blair/Bin Laden/my dog has messed up. I don't post pictures. Maybe those things could get me more hits.

But they just don't interest me that much. I like to write about things that matter to me: God, family, good friends, my sometimes frustrating job hunt. Maybe that doesn't appeal to the blogging community. I dunno.

At any rate...Today, I looked at a bunch of websites for job search advice. I think I need to start networking a little bit more, ask trusted friends where I can find a job....That could actually work. Hmmm...I may even try that!

State Fair

Well, I made this really nice blog entry about yesterday and the fun I had at the state fair...and it got lost! Growl. I hate when that happens!

At any rate, I had a lot of fun at the state fair. I went with Pazz, Misti, Brian B., Leigh Ann, Erin, Phillip, and Mark. Of course, the best part (other than the wild rides) was the food. I had a chicken gyro. Mmmmmmm. I remember a few years ago, a friend of mine told me that they sold fried candy bars, like Snickers. That sounds delish. Unfortunately, I couldn't find any vendors that sold those.

In other news, I'm in the process of having my first facial breakout since I've been about 21 or so. Everyone seems to think it's stress. I don't know what it is. It started as a small blemish on the side of my mouth. I made a joke about my face breaking out on Sunday, and people laughed. Now it's really happening. I've got one on each side of my mouth, TWO on my left side, one under my eye on my cheek, one big one and two small ones on my chin...and it's destined to go on and on. I'm thinking about investing in some Clearasil stock. Sad, huh?

Weird Times At....ah, never mind.

So this weekend was very interesting. On Saturday, I worked hard at my job. I think I'm getting a LITTLE bit better at it. Which is beside the point, since hopefully I'll be leaving soon.

Sunday was interesting too. As alluded to in a previous comment, I did blow out a tire on I-40 on my way to church. That's the bad news. The good news is that I was able to get it fixed, thanks to a very good friend with the initials MG.

Anyway, after all that drama, I went to church, then Bible study, and then a whole bunch of us went over to Brian Mays' house to play with his (da da DA!) BRAND NEW DANCE PAD! He got a program for his Playstation that's kinda like those dance things in the arcades. Of course, my natural klutzyness shone through like the sun in a crystal blue sky. (Don't you love my simile?) At any rate, I only fell once, though. It was a lot of fun. Maybe I'll get a little better at it.

Virtual Reality

Now that Big Brother is slowly grinding to a close (for this year), I have to find a new reality TV obsession, at least, until American Idol starts up again.

Unfortunately, the pickings are kind of slim. There's this new series called The Benefactor, with Mark Cuban. Now, Donald Trump he is not. He does not have the savvy to pull off the "You're fired" thing. And, here is his idea of an elimination competition: Jenga.

No joke.

Jenga.

Now, if this game were used as a way to see the personality of the people who played it, that would be one thing. However, he just used it in the sense that "the person who wins goes on, and the other person is out." Gah!

The Apprentice is on again, too. I haven't gotten the chance to watch it yet, but I hear it is pretty good this season. I even heard mention of another Omarosa. This could get interesting.

Soo....what have I been up to? Not a whole lot. Last night I went and watched my nephews play football. They play for some Pop Warner-type team. It was a lot of fun to watch. Afterward, one of them chased after one of the little cheerleader girls from the other team. Ah, young love.

So that was last night. Today was the day from literal HADES. We had one of those real busy days. I swear I had eight consecutive orders with about 10 drinks apiece, and shakes to boot! Well, I ended up with a bunch of red crap on my face, a bad attitude, and sticky stuff between my fingernails. What fun. The good news is, I feel a bit better now. At least I don't have anyone breathing down my neck now.

Small Steps

I'm finally taking steps in the right direction in finding a new career, as it were. I went to my public school board, plus another one, and applied to be a substitute teacher.

Now, why, you may ask, is this a step in the right direction? Well, I have certain objectives that I would like to accomplish in my lifetime. One of these is to become a college professor. I feel that substitute teaching will help me out by giving me experience in a classroom environment.

Plus, the pay's not bad.

Of course, you always have to have a contengency plan. In fact, I have a contengency plan for my contengency plan. I am simultaneously applying for jobs through Express Personnel. I plan to complete my application tomorrow. I'm also filling out applications for various server positions, as they come available.

Tonight, I attended a meeting at the church. I signed up for the Information team for the capital stewardship plan. Basically, I call people and inform them about the meeting that we're having a week from Sunday. Awesome. I feel this is one small way I can help out my church.

Ye Olde Schoole

Not a whole lot to blog about today. I slept for 14 hours last night. No joke. I was off work today, so I went thrift-store window shopping. Lots of fun. See, I collect toys from the 1980's. I love old Care Bears and Rainbow Brite and stuff like that, so I go to thrift stores like Goodwill and the Salvation Army to see what I can find. I haven't had much luck as of late, though...seems that everyone is wanting to shop there to find stuff to sell on EBay. Not me...I just like the toys.

Anyway, I also went to a couple of pawn shops to see if they had any CDs for my collection. Pawn shops are getting away from selling CD's, though. Too bad. I may check CD Warehouse tomorrow, though, to see if they have anything I like.

I Will Lift My Voice

I just spent the last hour applying for jobs. No, really. I filled out an online application on Oklahoma Job Link, and I applied for several clerical-type jobs today. Now I'm just praying that God will lead me somewhere.

I feel a lot better about my job situation than I did on Friday. I think it's because I read my Bible this morning before work. I keep thinking about that one song by Third Day:

Your love, O Lord, reaches to the heavens
Your faithfulness, reaches to the sky
Your righteousness is like the mighty mountain
Your justice flows like the ocean's tide

And I will lift my voice, to worship You, my King
And I will find my strength in the shadow of Your wings...

One of the coolest songs I think I ever heard. I'm gonna see if I have it on CD. At any rate, I feel like things are gonna get better for the first time in a while.

They're Coming To Take Me Away, Ha Ha!

Last night was the first Village Baptist coffeehouse. After last night, "nut house" might be a more apt term. Of course, I was in on most of the nuttiness. Poor Phillip! He probably left wondering what he was thinking by going tonight. Here's what was involved:

--a whole lot of singing
--a pair of $1000 shoes
--running like the wind
--alarm systems
--a rehashing of every Collegiate Mafia story since the beginning of time
--laughing fits

Yep, it was funny. Pretty much, you had to have been there.

Well, I ended up spending the night at Melissa's house. Today we went shopping. Or rather, I watched as she shopped. We met Brian Leon Mays in the food court, and we had a long discussion as to why I don't have a boyfriend yet. They gave me some helpful advice, though. I might even take some of it (SHOCK!).

Gone Visitin'

Sorry about the non-updates. I've been in Kansas City since Monday evening. I went to visit my brother and sister. My sister and her three children are staying with my brother while my brother-in-law is out to sea.

Anyway, I had a pretty good time up there. I got to visit my three little neices. That was cool. The oldest is almost four, the middle one is almost two, and the youngest is 9 months old. Awwww. They are cuties too. (They get that from their Auntie Reagan, of course.)

The weather was beautiful up there. I'm reminded of the fact that fall is fast approaching, and that soon it will be cold. Sigh. I hate (HATE!) cold weather. Oh well, not much I can do about it. The fun part is going to be driving on the ice. Growl. At least my car has a low gear, so I can drive 20 miles an hour. :-(

Happy Macaroon on Fire Day!

Well, I just got done ordering some pictures from Shaunna's going-away party. Unfortunately, I didn't have my own camera for that. But Rich was kind enough to provide us with pictures so we could order them online.

Speaking of pictures, I just about have all of mine developed from high school. Some of them turned out pretty good, but most of them were pretty blurry. Of course that's thanks to the camera I used back then...a 110 camera I got for five bucks at Wal-Mart or somewhere. Ugh!

Anyway, I've been spending most of the morning sleeping, if you can believe it. Yesterday I went shopping with my friend Josh...I boought some new clothes. Yay! I found some cordoroy pants that I badly wanted, and a couple of shirts to wear with it.

On another subject, I've been entertaining myself watching the whole discussion about the Melissa triplets, the macaroons for Columbus Day, etc. Rich, you better make me some macaroons for Columbus Day!

Acts of Discovery

Tonight, as well as tomorrow and Friday, I'm finally going to go through my collections of "stuff" (hi, Memphis!) to see what needs to be thrown away and what I could keep. See, I have kept nearly every scrap of paper since high school, college, etc. It's time to sift through that and get rid of some of it.

The rest of it will go into a scrapbook that I plan on starting soon. I'd like to make one of my college years and one of high school. I actually already have one of high school. I just have yet to complete it. I look forward to doing so, though.

That will be one goal of mine: to consolidate all my "stuff" so that I can save on space. I expect to throw a lot of stuff out the next few days. But that's OK. I need to do that.