The Truth Hurts

Near the end of an engaging conversation with a buddy at church, he said, "Charlotte, I don't care what people say about you ~ you're a good woman."

* Blink*

Um...thanks. What do people say about me?
He just smiled and walked away.

According to Em, I'm a schmoozer. And I don't care what people think, I'm going to take that as a compliment.

Here's what I get to do now. Instead of the saying, "You snooze, you lose," I get to "choose the schmooze." This seems a fitting time to make a confession. I'm an addict. I have a rare condition - so rare in fact that doctors haven't been able to completely diagnose it. I've been told I have a combination of boredom and extra time. While I'm still waiting for the current lab results, I know that surfing the internet for blogs is one of the best cures. Here are two of the tastiest antidotes I've found.

La Cinquieme Montagne ~ A blogger I've never met but found through a friend of a friend...of a friend. We go way back. At least 2 months now. He blogs of common events with a satirist wit. I always leave his site not as bored with a little less extra time.

Clarissa Cooper Photography ~ As if the pictures aren't enough, her writing is captivating. Each time I visit her site I feel inspired to hike Mount Everest, start a band, chisel a statue or paint the next Monet. Then I realize I don't have any paint.

So go forth and blog! and schmooze! and paint if you have the supplies! And I don't care what everyone else says about you ~ you are a good person too.

BIG

I was on the couch with my dad the first time I watched the movie BIG. I loved it immediately. I really connected with the plot: the concept of a child in an adult body, an electronic piano to jump on, an apartment full of toys, and most of all - a wish to come true. This wasn't an ordinary whisper as a coin fell into water or a fleeting thought as the last candle flame turned to smoke but an earnest desire voiced to a dreadful and creepy mannequin at a fair.

I recently was souvenir shopping in a neighboring state. The trinkets and odd novelties all had a thin but noticeable layer of filth. I wondered if the store would survive much longer since our small group seemed to be the first in months to disrupt the settling dust. The isles were narrow walkways that seemed to force the shopper in one direction. Turning around risked the possibility of breaking too many items.

It was at the end of one such row that I saw him. That's right. HIM. He looked just like the wish granter from BIG. He called to me. I actually had to borrow two quarters. I wanted to look to make sure he was unplugged but the cable ran too far for me to tell. The grit that hung in the air now had a sparkle and seemed to dance like fairy dust. I plunked in the change and watched his eyes start to glow. His mechanical arms waved as though directing an unseen orchestra. The crystal ball blinked various colors. He became still again and the card that held the writings of my future fell into a slot.

I see you exploring a castle soon, perhaps in England or Germany. You may meet a doctor or dentist, but not for medical reasons. Events in your life come in 3's. A new neighbor offers you friendship. Unexpected free time is in your future. You find love in a Mexican restaurant. Lucky numbers: 1, 4, 11, 21, 33, 49.

I have decided once my passport returns but with my name correctly spelled, I need to travel. England sounds fun for no particular reason. Also, does anyone know a doctor that's, say, oh, 33 years old that enjoys Mexican food?

Voted: Most Gossiped About

I received an email advising me to not follow through on an invitation from a guy entering my life. The email was from a close friend but I wondered if I had been sent the email accidentally for two main reasons:

1. There was no proposition of any sort made and

2. There is no guy in my life.

Sorting the situation out later on the phone, I found out that someone said that someone else said he said that she said I was headed for trouble with some guy.

Of course I was honored.

I'm usually the one starting the rumors and never the culprit of. This throws an entire new twist into life. Now I have more to live for. I am that somebody everyone's talking about.

Can I get a trophy or something. A ribbon at least?

Beach 101

If you ever decide to go to the beaches in South Georgia remember these tips:

1. You can never pack too much food...or towels.
2. There is an Interstate 16 and a Highway 16. Take the interstate unless you want a really long scenic detour.
3. When laying out, occasionally take your sunglasses off. Looking like a raccoon is not in style.
4. Bring lots and lots and lots of quarters for the parking meters. A nickel will only get you 3 minutes.
5. The Atlantic Ocean tastes very, very salty.
6. The beach house "shower(s)" consist of a single pipe hanging down from a concrete wall that sprays water colder than the Pacific Ocean...
   
7. ...one pipe for all the beach bums equals a long line.
8. Don't stand down wind of any person shaking the sand off their towels.
9. Sunscreen should not be under estimated.
10. If your siblings get bored, it is not a good idea to lie down on the sand even for a minute.

Shelly Belly ~ who will later find sand in places she didn't know sand could hide.

The culprits: Faisal, Johnny, ...

...and one used-to-be-really-white-but-now-sunburned Charika.

Not Everything is Bigger in Texas

Johnny Cherie and I went on a walk last night. The area had received it's daily 5 minute downpour and was settling into the nightly cool temperature of 80.

The sky was filled with beautiful clouds that float after a storm.

The trees stood majestically against the sky. Despite the daily storms, we are still in a drought so you can see a few brown spots where leaves have withered. Unlike a banana, brown spots on trees don't indicate ripeness.

And then this. A huge splat of white on the corner of the street.

Wow. That must have been so-ome bird!