Hey Everyone… I know there haven’t been many updates lately… Rest assured I am still alive and well, just fully engrossed in my writing. Progress on WHEN LOVE ISN’T ENOUGH is steady, and I’m rapidly approaching the halfway point! Yay! My new goal is to finish this novel by Christmas – which I truly believe is within the realm of the possible. As long as I continue to stay disciplined and focused.

I did run across a few funny jokes this week though that I thought I’d share for all my single friends 🙂 I can’t take credit for writing them, but I can definitely relate 🙂

*THE WORLD’S SHORTEST FAIRYTALE*

Once upon a time, a girl asked a guy, “Will you marry me? The guy said, “No” and the girl lived happily ever after and went shopping, drank martinis, always had a clean house, never had to cook, remained skinny, and was never farted on.

The End

LOL! And I love this little quote–

“Turns out my knight-in-shining armor was just a loser in aluminum foil…”

I just about died laughing when I read that… Cause it is so true – there are far too many boys out there masquerading as men…

So a strange thing happened to me the other day… My dear friend Hyim, whom I absolutely adore, had a show at Porter College on Tuesday night, and I cruised over there to show my support. The show was out in the middle of the Porter quad, and the crowd was made up of mostly undergrads, many of them probably first or second year. It was so strange. As most of you know, I turned thirty this year, and am almost ten years removed from my college years. I still work at the University, and live in a college town, so I’m used to being around students. But when schools started up this year, for the first time, I feel so much older than these kids, like I’m part of a totally different generation. Until it dawned at me that I am a part of a different generation.

The thing that drove it all home was when I got hit on by this sweet, sweet boy. We’ll call him Smith ;-). So I’m sitting on the bench, waiting for the show to start when Smith walks by and asks me what’s going on… Never missing a chance to sing Hyim’s praises, I tell him my friend’s band is playing, describe Hyim’s sound/style, and encourage him to stay and check them out. So he does. Sits down right next to me on the bench and we’re chopping it up and hanging out the rest of the night.

Eventually come to find out that Smith is only twenty years old. A baby. I actually exclaimed, “God, I was TEN when you were born!” after he told me, LOL. He also could not Believe I was thirty.

“How old are you?”
“Guess.”
“Twenty-two?”
I had to laugh. “Higher.”
“Twenty-three?”
Shaking my head. “Higher.”
“Uh, twenty-five?”

I guess I still got it 🙂

Anyway, this blog is not about my brush with pedophilia, lol. Hanging out with this boy really showed me how much time has passed without me noticing. College feels like it was just yesterday, even though it was actually almost ten years ago that I graduated. I am no longer in my twenties (thank god!), and for the first time, I really see the difference. Sure a part of me misses the youthful idealism, uninhibitedness, and irresponsibility that marked my twenties… But I don’t miss the insecurity, uncertainty, and instability of not knowing who you are or where you’re going. I wouldn’t trade the calm and clarity I have in my thirties for anything. I can actually enjoy life now, with a seasoned sense of perspective. Older and most definitely wiser. I don’t know why people approach their thirties with so much anxiety and dread – this has been the best year of my life.

Smith did ask me for my number at the end of the night (he seemed to be digging the whole ‘older woman’ thing), which flattered the crap out of me (he is way, way hot and reminds me of an old flame who I’ve never really gotten over), but every time I think about dating him, it feels sooooo inappropriate. I mean, technically he’s of legal age, but just barely. LOL. Maybe when I’m 40 and start dating 30-year olds it won’t feel so icky 😉

Well, I have to apologize for my lack of blog updates lately. I know some of you check regularly (daily even! xoxo), and I have been very conscious the past week about how badly I’ve been neglecting my audience 🙂 I actually sit down every night with the computer and start a blog topic, but never finish them. I’ve had so much on my mind lately, I just don’t know where to start…

Processing this summer has been intense. I’m not sure if I mentioned it on blog before, but somewhere between Texas and Florida, I turned into a totally different person. I can’t even call it an epiphany cause it was much more subtle. I just woke up one day with this amazing clarity about my life and my path, and literally changed my mind about a whole bunch of stuff. Things I thought I really wanted – turns out, I don’t want them so much anymore, lol. Things I thought I could tolerate – nope, not anymore. And my to-do list is wildly impractical but I don’t care. I need to feel happy and fulfilled every second of every day. Anything less is just not good enough.

Well I’m sure you can imagine how difficult it is to sustain that level enthusiam back here in the “real world”. My old routine just doesn’t work for me anymore, so I’ve been trying to implement all these lifestyle changes, on top of the roommate changes, all while trying to finish WHEN LOVE ISN’T ENOUGH and spend as much time with Devin as humanly possible. There just aren’t enough hours in the day, and as a result, the blog suffers.

I did turn a corner this weekend though, and have settled into my “new” routine. Hopefully I will be feeling energized and inspired again soon, and I can return to thoughtful blogging (which I really love). But in the meantime, I thank you for your patience faithful readers 🙂

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
Out in the yard with your wife and children
Working on some stage in LA
Did you stand there in shock at the site of
That black smoke rising against that blue sky
Did you shout out in anger
In fear for your neighbor
Or did you just sit down and cry

Where were you when the world stopped turning that September day
–Alan Jackson, Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)

Today marks the fifth anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Center, the most vicious act of terrorism ever committed on U.S. soil. Trent at Pink is the New Blog, instead of blogging today about superstars and overexposed starlets, posted a full listing of all the Americans who lost their lives on September 11, 2001. Scrolling down the list really brought home the tragedy once again, the human costs, which tends to get obscured as this incident has been reframed to serve various political agendas. But I don’t want to rant about politics today. I just want to take a moment of silence to remember all those who lost their lives on that September day, say a collective prayer for all the families who lost loved ones, and reflect on how blessed I am to be living and breathing today. Life is a precious gift – we owe it to ourselves to live it to the fullest and not take a minute for granted. We also shouldn’t take any of the people in our lives for granted either. Take a moment today and call your mom/dad/sibling/best friend/old friend/whoever means something to you – and tell them you love them. I really think that is the best way to honor those that have fallen, to live and love as fully and completely as possible.

In other, happier news, one of my oldest, dearest most cherished friends FABY is celebrating her 30th birthday today AND an engagement! So I would like to take this space to say HAPPY BIRTHDAY and CONGRATULATIONS to Miss Fabiola. I love you more than words, and trust me when I say, 30 is just the beginning of the BEST years of your life!