I Want Followers!!

I know my blog is emailed to a few friends after I post, but I would really love it if some of you could sign up as Followers on my blog. I have no followers. I'm feeling lonely!!!

Plus I'd love some comments, debate, or even venting! Let me know I'm not alone out here in blog land.

... Please???

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Shopping

I have to be the only woman I know who hates to go shopping for clothes. Really - I despise it. I hate shopping for "home furnishings" as well. I wish I had the money to pay somebody to just come in and "design" my rooms. I'm clueless. But clothes shopping has to be the worst.

I had to go shopping today for a dress to wear to a wedding next week. I seriously considered cancelling going to the wedding, and just giving her a cheque as a gift that would cover our dinner. Ever since I gained weight, I have no idea of how to dress. I go for comfortable these days - I'm tired of sucking in my stomach!

I like that television show "How Not to Dress". They TEACH them how to dress and then give them money to go out and buy. Well, I'd hate the going out to buy part. Trying on clothes pisses me off. It's too long, it's too short, it's too loose, it's too tight, my God that colour looks terrible on me, sleeves, no sleeves, clingy (let's not even go there!), it just goes on and on.

You take off your clothes and try something on, then you come out in your fancy dress that makes you look like a pumpkin, with your bobby socks and running shoes and try to imagine how you're going to feel wearing the dress at a special occasion.

Then there's the salespeople - they alternate between incompetent and disinterested or they tell you everything looks good and you feel like screaming "Are you a moron? There's mirrors here, I can see what I look like." Liposuction starts to feel like a sensible choice. We improve the look with body slimmers (let's face it, they're just really tight elastic you squeeze your body into and hope you never have to pee) and high heels (as if they're going to not hurt after an hour of dancing). I might look okay if I don't turn sideways and see what my profile really looks like.

I know the answer - lose weight. I'm on the cusp of regular size and fat lady clothes. Even the smallest size at Pennington's or Addition-Elle's is often too big for me, but the same size at a regular store is probably too small. They way I'm treated in each store is only slightly amusing. At regular stores, I'm treated with disdain - like how dare I think that I can fit any of their fabulous clothes, while at the fat lady stores - oops, I mean Pennington's, the large ladies that work there would rather help other really large ladies and think I'm just there to make them feel bad.

I'm going to check out the cost of having my clothes made for me - either that or learn to sew. There has to be a better way to find clothes. I am so tired of marching into malls and stores, Visa card in hand, ready to SPEND, only to leave empty handed two hours later. Most woman love that whole experience - going from store to store, trying on tons of clothes, buying nothing. I hate it. When I go shopping it's because I HAVE to, I have no choice. Either that or stop going out in public.

That's starting to be an attractive alternative.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

Sometimes I just need to vent

Through the various roles I've taken on in Toastmasters, I've learnt the importance of having a positive attitude. I struggle with that sometimes though because, let's face it... sometime we just need to vent.

I am learning that I don't need to verbalize every thought that runs through my head, but sometimes I feel if I don't vent, I'll just explode one day. I've thought a lot about my need to vent, and believe me, I don't vent to everyone. I try to vent to at least person who I know will understand and validate my frustration.

We have all met some people who irritate us from the time we first meet them. Maybe they act really smug, and project that somehow they're "better" than we are, when in reality, we know they're not. That's our opportunity to learn how to "bite our tongue". Let it go... walk away. But sometimes, I can't do that. Sometimes I want to know that it isn't just me... that someone else finds them irritating as well. Then I can go "Whew! It's not just me!"

I'm never going to be the type of person who is always happy, chipper, positive, sees the good in everyone. I swear those people are on drugs - and I find them irritating as well. Yes, try to stay positive, smile a lot, and learn to walk away when one such irritating person decides to join your conversation. Because it isn't worth wasting anymore than two seconds with some people. You may have to deal with them occasionally, but you can attempt to keep it to a minimum and admit, at least to yourself, that you would NEVER be friends with them. NEVER. EVER. Life's too short to put up with some people. I'd rather pretend they don't even exist.

Usually when I vent to somebody, there's wine involved and we end up laughing it off. That's healthy, at least I think it is.

Stay positive by all means, stay pleasant and polite, but remember - stay real!

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.

I'm Back!!

I know I haven't posted anything in a really long time, but I have a good excuse, really I do! Over the past year, while I was an Area Governor with Toastmasters, I kept a blog for my area. Also, I was filling a lot of roles in my home club - VP Education (the most time consuming) and Immediate Past President. Plus I was filling in as VP Public Relations, since we didn't have anyone for that role.

But that's behind me now. I don't expect to be as busy as Division Governor - no blog, no clubs to visit on a "regular" basis. I really should get back to this blog, if only to keep my creative writing skills up, if this can be called creative!

Have you ever sat back and reflected on your life? Wished you had a chance to do something over? That's where my head's been at lately. No regrets though - every journey in life has brought me to this moment - all the good, all the bad, all of it. But, what if we did just one thing different? How would that affect where we are today? What if I'd never joined Toastmasters or never moved to Keswick, or married someone different? What if I'd changed just one thing. Would I still be who I am today? Who knows, but it's interesting to think about.

I don't have anything special to rant about today - nobody's pissed me off... yet. It's been a funny kind of day - the heat has driven up my blood pressure and I've felt "out of it" for most of the day. Good thing what I'm currently working on is drudgery, not requiring creativity or much thought. Whoever heard of a release announcement that's over 600 pages, anyway? Well, I don't make the decisions, I just do as I'm told by the person who signs the cheques.

I was looking forward to my favorite show - Big Bang Theory, which is on every Monday night. Just my luck though, it's a rerun tonight. Good excuse to write in my blog and to go to bed early.

This work by Suzette Leeming is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 Canada License.