It Ain't Alcatraz

First off, let me say that I in no way feel any dislike toward the people of Oklahoma but WTH?  Are your prisons made of nerf?  Ever heard of bars or guards or locks?  I ask this because on my social media feed, I receive updates from an Oklahoma news channel.  Having lived in Oklahoma for a couple of years, I found it interesting to get the local low-down on the what's up in Okie Dokie Land.  Anyway, daily, ok maybe weekly, it seems that the police in OKC have surrounded a house containing a suspect believed to have escaped from so-and-so prison.  I guess I was young and naive when I lived there because I don't remember Oklahoma being one of our more dangerous states unless your talking tornadic terror.  I just don't get how all of these people keep escaping.  Hubby says that they are most likely on a work detail but don't they still have guards with them.  And we all know that Oklahoma guards like their guns.  Why don't they just shoot them?  Then Hubby reminded me that its not the guards in Oklahoma that like their guns, its the police.  See when we lived there, an elderly man with dementia on his front lawn weilding a weed-eater was shot several times to his death when he charged police with said weed-eater.  Now, man charged with assault trying to escape prison or elderly man with a weed-eater - which one would you shoot?  And they aren't just escaping prison.  They are doing it with flair.  I recall a posting from a few weeks ago about a young man who escaped prison and went to a local fire department and stole a fire truck.  The posting told anyone seeing a man in prison garb driving around in a fire truck that "well, you know what to do".  At first I thought this was a very nonchalent treatment of the situation but upon further consideration, I think it was an invitation for the gun-toting populace.  I think it was Oklahoma code for shoot him yourself.  This may not be a bad idea because I have often wondered what would happen if one of those major Oklahoma twisters hit a large penitentiary.  But maybe that's why so many Oklahomans have guns.  They are just waiting to hear that secret code.  So take caution who is around next time you say "you know what to do".  You may just open a whole can of worms - worms with guns who are ready to take you down.

Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better -or- How Delusional Thou Art

I have a problem.  See, I see things on etsy (the online craft emporium) and I think - huh, I could make that.  I mean, it looks easy enough.  So I secretly yearn for the supplies.  I go to the craft supply store and look longingly at the materials I would need and price out the cost of each project.  I wrestle internally with rationalizing my need for this new creative outlet.  I feel held back by my lack of supplies.  I am tethered to the world of the uncreative by my inability to finance my artistic dreams.  But then, one day, I go for it.  I decide to try my hand at this new craft.  Usually I justify my purchase of materials under the guise of "I'm making it as a gift for a friend" and "It is much cheaper than buying the finished project."  The former is typically true.  I have all intentions of giving this as a gift.  The latter is also true.  If I had the talent, the project would be much cheaper than purchasing a final product.  The problem is that I know better than to believe both of these "excuses."  So today, I sit down with my clay and my sculpting tools to make a wedding gift for a friend.  It takes all of ten minutes for me to realize that this craft is going the same way as many of the other crafts I have attempted over the course of my life.  See when it comes to crafts, I am either a natural or I totally and completely suck.  There is no in between.  No grey area where the project turns out "good enough."  Its either awesome or crap and todays experiment was a big stinking pile of crap.  So I pass on the clay to my daughter to play with.  The tools will probably make it to a yard sale ten years or so in the future after living in a closet or the basement until then.  My ideas of sculpting the perfect gift are quickly thrown by the wayside.  They join the ranks of the pottery wheel, the handmade drapes, the quilt, the afghan, the cake decorating, the painting, the ceramics and all the others in my ever-growing unfinished craft project graveyard.  I should probably just stick with jewelry, card making, scrapbooking and drawing - things I know I can do.  But even as I type this, I think of the faux stained glass and the mosaic tile creations I have seen.  Surely they can't be THAT hard???  Hi, my name is quirky and I'm a delusional crafter . . .

If Only I was You're-a-peein'

I was pondering what to write as a blog entry today.  Numerous ideas crossed my mind such as my latest tangle with my local pharmacy ("No I will not pay you $322 because you keep pushing the wrong button") but I settled on a topic that I'm sure we are all interested in - the bidet.

WARNING: This blog post contains juvenile wording for natural human processes and parts.  If this will offend you, please stop reading here.  If you're ok with words like pooh and tinkle, please proceed but comments saying how offended you are will not be tolerated.  You've been warned.

I don't know how it came up.  I think we were watching an episode of House Hunters on HGTV and the house the people were looking at had a bidet.  The potential occupants were surprised and in their uncomfortable way made some borderline inappropriate jokes.  But my daughter asked why they had two toilets.  I responded that one was a bidet.  She had no idea what that was so I explained to her that you use it after the toilet and it shoots water on your lady bits to clean you and then blow dries your private zone.  I explained that they are very popular in Europe but nobody uses them in the United States and I got to thinking - why not?  Why are we as Americans not blessed with possibly one of the greatest forms of hygenic cleansing ever invented?  I mean, what are we afraid of?  A little water?  A little air flow?  We pride ourselves in having technology out the whazoo but when it comes to our whazoo we skimp.  I did however have three questions for my European followers who are veteran bidet users.  First off, does water do the job?  I mean the full job.  Let's face it. We've all had those moments where we need to use more toilet paper than an overzealous three year old.  Does the stream of water have some force behind it to force our behind into clean territory?  Second, same question basically but this time it involves the dryer.  Do you end up feeling like you just sat in a puddle?  And latestly, how does one get from the toilet to the bidet without making a mess or leaving a trail?  I mean they are typically positioned close to each other but not THAT close.  Now, given that I have zero patience to wait for my European friends to comment.  I did what any normal American does when they don't know anything about something.  They Google it.  This is where I discovered the Swash 1000 Bidet Toilet Seat.  With an installation time of less than 20 minutes, you too can feel as though you are poohing abroad.  The review was good (Well I guess it was good.  I don't read many bidet reviews so I don't have a standard against which to measure this one.)  It even answered some of my questions.  Yes, the water does the job.  Yes, you still may need a minimal amount of toilet paper.  And with this particular model, there is no messy transfer from seat to seat.  Its an all in one deal.  It even has a smell elimination feature!  The only real downside is that you will hate poohing anywhere else once you've experience it.  You will become one spoiled tinkler.  But I say, bring it on.  Look out toilet paper industry.  Here comes the Swash 1000.  It will put you out of business.  Maybe that's it.  Maybe the supression of the bidet has been formulated by the toilet paper industry to protect their profits.  Like a toilet paper mafia!  See - good things come from waching cable TV and frequent Googling.  Without these, I never could have warned you about the toilet paper mafia.  Feel free to leave your thanks in the comments and remember this is America - it is your right to bidet.  United we Swash!

Oh Yeah, Its Confirmed. I am a Genius!

So my hubby just got home and shared a conversation that he overheard at work today.  He was passing by the "watercooler" and was intrigued by the talk of cell phone signals.  See, we do not get a good cell phone signal here in our house.  Even though we pay our bill on time and our house is located in their "green zone", we get an average of zero bars.  One if we are lucky.  I have found a solution to this that has made my hubby chuckle on more than one occasion.  I hold the cell phone on my head.  Yup.  You heard me right.  I hold the phone on my head which, to me, seems to work.  My hubby insisted that this was a coincidence and not an actual effective method of signal reception.  But today, in the midst of a human systems engineer (I'm not even smart enough to know what that is) my hubby was told that the human skull can actually amplify cell signals!  Who knew?  Apparently I did!  Boo-ya!  In your face guy who almost has his master's degree!  I - am a genius!  When people are walking around holding their phones on their heads everywhere, I can say I was doing that long before it was the "thing to do."  And that my friends makes me a GENIUS!!!  So next time you can't get a cell signal, hold that phone proudly on your head and say "My friend quirky does this all the time and she's a genius."  If contacted, I will confirm your affiliation with me and your cranial/mobile combination.  Oh, but please note, if you too find out that you have been a genius all along and just didn't know it, do not ask said husband how to spell genius.  It kind of ruins the illusion of intelligence.

Guess Who's Back. Back again. Quirky's back. Tell a Friend.

Well, its been months upon months since I've posted a new blog entry so I figured why not.  I guess I should catch you up a little on whats been happening and what life has taught me over the last three-fourths of a year.  I think the most efficient way to do that would be in the beloved Top Ten form.  So, here goes.

10. Hugh Jackman is real.  Woverine is not.  I will never have a shot at either of them.
9.   Disney is the happiest place on earth.
8.   Projects help you focus and keep your sanity.
7.   Moleskin is a lifesaving invention.
6.   It is possible to be so manipulative that you unknowingly manipulate yourself.
5.   Everyone needs dreams and goals in life.
4.   Turning 40 isn't hard. Its the "being 40" that's hard.
3.   You can't save everyone but more importantly you can't feel responsible for saving anyone.
2.   Life is fragile and shouldn't be taken for granted.
1.   Helping young birds learn to fly hurts in the moment but is the right thing to do. 

So, I guess I'm back.  Not everyday but back nonetheless.

If I Wrote Fortune Cookies

I'm trying - really, I'm trying.  I just can't seem to make this work.  I have tons of opinions about everything that is happening around me, I just feel like I can't voice those opinions.  I tried to come up with some small annoyance to rant on or some great accomplishment to share but I got nothin'.  With all the major stuff that is happening, I just can't be bothered by the little things.  So stay with me peeps.  I am trying to come up with a way to share my opinions.  I guess the best way to sum up all that is happening is with one of my favorite things - a top ten.

My Top Ten Words of Wisdom

10) Money can buy happiness - or at least everything else you need.
9)   It doesn't matter if the glass is half full or half empty if you spill it.
8)   There always comes a point where you need to move on.
7)   Secrets are meant to be kept.
6)   Fake it till you make it can be exhausting if you never make it.
5)   You can't always kill them with kindness. 
4)   Whether you like it or not, things change.
3)   Take it one day at a time - sometimes one hour at a time.
2)   Listen to yourself.  You know more than you think.
1)   Drama will happen, you don't need to create it.

We Interrupt Your Day for this Not So Important Message

According to my husband, I have been neglecting my blog.  I have to admit that this is true.  I want to say there is good reason for this but there really is not.  Since my daughter left for college, I have been through a sort of depression.  It wasn't my normal depression.  I didn't sleep all day and spend my waking hours crying and staring at the television.  No.  This time it totally caught me off guard because it manifested itself differently.  I became obsessed with my online shop and could think of nor do much of anything else.  I made lots of jewelry and marketed a lot.  I even sold my first piece that didn't go to a friend or family member.  But the catch here is I closed out the entire world and secluded myself away.  I didn't care about much else.  I did the minimum to get by.  I missed my baby girl.  And now I am aware of that and trying my best to change that.  I am trying my best to figure out just how life is supposed to be now.  Things are changing.  Things HAVE changed.  And they just keep changing.  Things have happened that I'm not sure I want to talk about here in public.  I mean, don't get my wrong.  I love all my blog readers but there are things that have been happened that are not mine to divulge yet they affect me in a major way.  Because of that, I am not sure what to do.  Do I break confidence or risk betrayal just to include everything honestly in my writing or do I stick to what is happening to me directly and keep what is happening to those around me and who are important in my life the secret I am sure it should be?  I am trying to get back to normal.  I have been reading again as well as posting in my book review blog.  I have written a few letters.  I should call some people that I promised to call and do lunch with but I'm just not up to it yet.  I was going to volunteer but that didn't work out.  I tried to tell one place that I was interested in volunteering.  They gave me a pamphlet and told me to call a phone number.  What do you mean here's a pamphlet, call the number?  I'm standing right here in your facility.  So I kind of gave up on that.  I am feeling a little worthless right now.  Mostly because I am not bringing in any money.  For some reason that makes me feel worthless.  That and the rental house that we own but can't live in because of me is sitting empty and sucking our bank account dry.  Another thing that I feel is my fault.  My hubby says its nobody's fault but then why do I feel like crap about everything.  I am hoping to be able to figure out how to continue my blog while being depressed and maintaining confidentiality.  So please forgive me for neglecting you and I hope that you will hear from me again soon.