Book #8: Life Happens: Bounce Back! by Lisa Bien

Book #8 of the year is Life Happens: Bounce Back! By Lisa Bien.

A  self help book that comes across as anything but self help.

Lisa personalizes everything she writes about and makes you feel as if you are the only person she is speaking to.  Relatable and humorous, she shows how to learn to self love.

By giving you her childhood history right up to her marriages, you learn Lisa didn’t have it easy.

She did, however, realize she could change herself.  It took some hard work, 90 days of hard work.

Ms. Bien challenges you to do the same.  After reading her challenges, I am game.  Anything to help me make myself feel better is my motto.

I would definitely check the book out.

Let me know if you do!

Oh no you din't!

I work in an office.

A large office.  With a warehouse.

Probably about 120 people, give or take .

I’ve been in this building for 6 years.

I bring in my breakfast sandwiches and put them in the freezer.  This way I have them when I get to work and do not have to stop at WaWa for a Sizzli.

I brought a brand new box in yesterday, threw it in the freezer but forgot to write my name on it. 

This shouldn’t have been a problem because the last box I didn’t write my name on it and no one touched it.

Not so much with this box.

I went to get one of the four biscuits this morning.  Imagine my surprise when I found the box open and one biscuit left.

Yes, someone or some people, at my food and left me one.

Guess I should be grateful.

Who does that?

You know you didn’t buy it.

You also know that my company doesn’t provide you with breakfast so those sandwiches belong to someone who shelled out money for them.

I was going to put a sign up, well I did but took it down because I didn’t want to get it trouble.

Here is what it said:

The balls of some people just astound me.

Didn’t their parents teach them any better?

Do they not know right from wrong?

Or do they just not care?

I would have given the whole box away, had he/she/they just asked.

That’s all it would have taken.

“May I please have one?”

Sure thing.  Take them all if you want.

It just made me feel violated.

Have you had someone eat your food at work? Or worse?

Strong-Armed by a Second Grader

This is the story of how a 7yo boy strong-armed his mother.

His one and only mother.

Not like my older two…they have me, stepmom Meghan, and their mom.

They are lucky…two moms.

Of course, they have strong-armed me in the past as well.

This tale is how I got taken by the 7yo.  I think he has learned the tricks from his older brothers.

We went to Toys R Us on Saturday morning to buy a gift for a birthday party that was starting at 11am.   We to “mecca” at approximately 9:45am.  Immediately upon entering the store the whining began. 

“Please can I get something” “No, we are here for Gabe’s present”.

“Mom! All my toys are boring” “Well then when we get home you can donate them”.

“I’ll never ask for anything ever again” …I didn’t dignify that with an answer.

I grabbed the gift, while my son perused the aisles (note: aisle is what you find in a store, isle is a small mass of land surrounded by water…just a personal pet peeve)

Keep in mind for about 18 mos, on a daily basis, my entire family has heard how much my son wants a Lego Hulk.

I searched to no avail for it in stores and online.  Even Ebay.

Nada!

I did find one kit that had him in it but it was going for over $150.

No. no. no.

Well we sauntered over to the Lego aisle.  I told him if he could find something $5.00 or less, I would get it.

We looked and looked.  Surprise, nothing that cheap.

The he saw it. Top shelf.

The Hulk Smash Lab.

Cheeks eyes glazed over, he started to quiver and he goes “MOM! LOOK!”

I could see the light shining behind the lab, & I heard the same Angels Cheeks did, singing Hallelujah.

We checked the price and it was up there. 

At first I told him no.

The tears flowed and his lip came out so far I thought of putting a hook on it to hang my coat.

I held strong.

I made it all the way through check out where he began to sob.

That’s when I lost it.

Next thing I know I was in the checkout lane again buying it.

I am now the best mom ever.

He promises to be good til the end of time.

Of course, he will never be mouthy again (that lasted til this morning).

He has thanked me a million times and keep saying he thinks he’s dreaming.

And that is how I was strong-armed into buying the Lego Hulk!

Book #7: City of the Sun by Juliana Maio

Love, espionage, and power amid the shifting sands of 1941 Cairo is how the book’s back jacket description starts off.

Yes, the book is about all of the above.  Sadly, not enough to make it worth my recommend. 

I persevered, read from start to finish.  The love story caught my attention, as I am a romantic at heart, unfortunately my interested weaned from there.

Juliana Maio, Egyptian born, describes the city of Cairo in such vivid, bold descriptive wording that you feel as if you are there.  You see the colors, smell the odors and sweat with the heat. I wish I could say the storyline gave me the same imaginary and feelings. 

What have you read lately?

Winner! Winner! Chicken Dinner!

Day 39 of 100 Happy Days.
What could it be?
Did I win something?
No.
Did I give away something?
No.

I bought Cheap Chicken Monday.
Best deal out there.
Dinner was done in 3.3 minutes.

Gotta love Acme!

What's your happy?

Happy Little Boy (38)

Today's happy is easy.

It involves this child:

He just ran through my living room.
Arms flailing in the air.
Yelling:
Ah Shitake!
Ah Shitake!
Ah Waisabi!
Ah Waisabi!

It just made me giggle.

How 'bout you?

100 Happy Days #36 & #37

Howdy Ho Neighbor. 
Quick, who used to say that?
Sitcom neighbor from the 90's.
10 points for the answer.

Yesterdays's happy was easy.
It was Friday and the day went by fairly quickly.

Today's happy is a photo happy for prosperity.

Two of my favorite men, eating vanilla ice cream right out of the container.
A light snack.
It made me happy because it made me realize just how much my son loves his daddy & his daddy loves him.
I wouldn't share my ice cream with anyone.
Woeppel's do not share ice cream.  Right Aunt Patty? Dad? 

Seriously, I just loved it.
Shows the dad/son bond they have.
Made my heart feel great!

What's your happy today?

Guess What I Got? (Day 35)

Yes, yours truly got Jury Duty.
Just Petit, thank goodness.
I was originally called for 20 consecutive Fridays in the capitol of NJ...Trenton.  I live about 90 mins from there.  Not to mention my job only pays for 5 days of Jury Duty.
Hello! Financial hardship anyone?

That's what I plead & they gave me one day of Petit.

How could it be that having it made me happy?
Well I got there at 8:45 (15 mins late thanks to weather related traffic), watched a 15 min. video on why I should be proud to serve, then played on my electronic devices til 12.  Just as my Nook was going to die, they announced we could go home.

At 12!

I serve Jury Duty every 3 years and never, ever have I gotten released that early.
I was so happy I skipped.
Oxygen was needed but I skipped!

So happy that I took Bob out to lunch.
Cheesecake Factory.
I now can not move!  It was delish tho.

So what did it for you today?