Penny Stock

Today's Confession

Sometimes when I am in my bathroom, I feel like I am in the produce department of a supermarket.

Between thesmell of the cucumber shampoo and conditioner, the raspberry Shaving gel, the orange face wash, the poisonberry body wash, the papaya face cleanser- by the time all of my ministrations are done I feel like there should at least be a fruit salad waiting for me (although I know the cucumber wouldn't tast so good in it).

I know I am weird. I know you all have the same thoughts as me but no one is gutsy enough to admit it. (As I mentioned in one of my recent blog posts, my friend, T. thinks I am very well adjusted. Her rationale behind this is that I am SOOO well adjusted I have no problem making absurd confessions like the one above to the world-and non-well adjusted people just wouldn't have the confidence to do that.)

Today's Confession

I think I am starting to like these confession things.

Anyway, today's confession is this. I can't throw out pasta. I just don't have it in me. Whenever there is leftover pasta on a plate (be it one of my children's, my husbands, or mine) I have that undeniable urge to "give it a good home." This happens even if I am not hungry.

I know it is not good to throw out and waste food. But I can't imagine that my scavaging plates of leftover Wacky Mac is a good thing either.

If anyone knows of a 12 step program for me, please let me know. Thanks in advance.

Happy Anniversary to Pennystock

I just realized that I had my 3 year blogging anniversary this week! Happy Birthday to Pennystock! In honor of my blog's birthday, I am going to indulge myself and do one of those stupid blogging memes called 40 things.. My gift to you is that I am not tagging anyone. If you have an irrational urge to answer the questions yourself, feel free to leave them in the comments section.

40 things
1. What did you do in 2006 that you’d never done before?

Started drinking coffee

2. Did you keep your New Years’ resolutions, and will you make more for next year?

N/A - I don’t do resolutions they NEVER work.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?

A bunch of my friends and my first cousin. I have another cousin due very soon (Bshaah tova)

4. Did anyone close to you die?

- Greg's grandfather, Ed G*rshman: a shock. I still can't believe he died. Luckily we visited him in CA 2 weeks before his death.

5. What countries did you visit?

- The good US of A

6. What would you like to have in the next year that you lacked in this past year.
- Organization!!!!

7. What dates from 2006 will remain etched upon your memory?

-January 14: that was when we saw O.A.R. at MSG, September 5: My cousin's child was diagnosed with a brain tumor and Greg's grandfather died.

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?

-Starting a job that I really like

9. What was your biggest failure?

-the Welcoming Committee

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?

-The big stress fracture of 2006! Luckily I am out of the boot.

11. What was the best thing you bought?

-I don't buy much but my friends bought me a new 27 inch TV for my b-day (post to follow sometime in the near future)

12. Whose behaviour merited celebration?

-Ezra's when he started a new school
-Greg's when he came to terms with my new job (and the hours and commute)
-Gila's when she started Kindergarten
-Eden's when she broke her arm

13. Whose behaviour made you appalled and depressed?

- People who don't help themselves and wallow in their self pity, some "famous" people.

14. Where did most of your money go?

- TUITION (oh and mortgage)

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?

- Getting away for a few days this month.

16. What song/album will always remind you of 2006?

-anything by Matisyahu.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:

happier or sadder? I think happier.
thinner or fatter? fatter- last year I was at the beginning of my weight watchers era- it was great
richer or poorer? Poorer in money, Richer in happiness.

18. What do you wish you’d done more of?

-Read more books

19. What do you wish you’d done less of?

-Sit on this darn computer

20. How will you be spending Christmas?

- Being happy that I have a free day off work that my kids have to go to school!

21. Who did you spend the most time on the phone with?

- My sister

22. Did you fall in love in 2006?

- yes - every year it gets better!

23. How many one night stands in this last year?

-Not quite.

24. What was your favourite TV program?

- Probably Grey's Anatomy-but I really started watching less TV.

25. Do you hate anyone now that you didn’t hate this time last year?

- Strangely enough I think I hate fewer people

26. What was the best book(s) you read?

- H@rry Potter and the Half Blood Prince (I read it in 2005 but I re-read it and re-read it again this past year)

27. What was your greatest musical discovery?

- Blogdigger media

28. What did you want and get?

-A new job
29. What did you want and not get?

- A new car

30. What were your favourite films of this year?

- BBM, I think that is it.

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?

-I turned 30!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I will write about what I did soon.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?

-I don't want to write that.

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2006?

-Desperately trying to be cool at 30 but totally failing.
34. What kept you sane?

- Family, friends, internet, youtube

35. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?

- Jake Gyllenhaal (I finally said it in public!)

36. What political issue stirred you the most?

- Not much stirs me politically (sorry) but anything having to do with Israel.

37. Who did you miss?

- My friend, Tamar.

38. Who was the best new person you met?

- Did I meet anyone knew this year? I really don't remember

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2006.

- You have to be yourself. If you are not true to yourself, you won't be true to anyone and you will never be happy. If you feel like you have to be fake around people, then you shouldn't be friends with those people.

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year?

"Jesus walks with me." (It is a joke!)

Today's Confession

This was the p.s. of a birthday e-mail I received from one of my good friends (who I really wish would start blogging again...)

"I REALLY AM UNDER THE UNSHAKABLE DELUSION THAT YOU ARE AN EXAMPLE TO US ALL OF NORMAL WELL-ADJUSTEDNESS. So, please keep expressing yourself in your not-all-negative, not-all-positive, rye bread kind of way and I'll keep peeking at your blog."

Here is my confession: I am so not well adjusted, that it isn't even funny.

I really wish I could express myself on this blog and be one of those annoying people who writes about everything going on in their lives and bore all their readers with their innermost feelings of fears, hopes, dreams, and completely non-well adjusted thoughts.

Oh well, at least I like rye-bread (especially with some tuna, lettuce and tomato on it).

The show to end all shows

I really have to write about our NY trip and my birthday, but that will have to wait until tommorow.

I just came back from a show entitled "The Flying Shisel" which was performed by Bubby's choral and drama group to raise money for the Shock Trauma Center. I went because my grandmother, the famous Bubby Susan, was the assistant director.

I am going to write about this because I am fairly certain that Bubby will not be reading my blog. I am so depressed. I am never going to get back the last three hours of my life. The show, while creative and entertaining was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO long and a bit too disturbing. Here are a few random thoughts that ran through my head (and my sister and my mother's heads) while sitting there:

-How are these old people on stage able to be up there for 3 hours? Don't they have to use the bathroom?
-How many times can you see an old Pikesville man dressed up as the Naked Cowboy from Times Square?
-Should I be disturbed that my grandmother and her lifelong best friend (who incedentally, my husband and brother in law make a ton of fun of- nuff said) directed a show that had a song about women in jail who killed their husbands?!?
-These women are really too old to be on stage wearing so few clothes.
-These old people are really randy and the sexual innuendoes in the show were really a lot more obvoius than innuendo (and my grandmother was one of the writers!!!!!!!!!!!)
-The choreographer was a man who is under the age of 40 (the only one in the group)- why did he look better as a Las Vegas showgirl than all the other women dressed up like that?

I think that is all for now, but I am going on the record to say this.

Attention: Greg, Moishe Potemkin, SZT, and ALT: NEXT TIME, YOU GO!!!

The last week of my twenties

Well, I am turning 30 next week. Next Thursday, October 19, to be exact (this isn't a plea for presents or cards or phone calls- just a statement).

I have mixed feelings about this monumental event. On one hand, when I look back at the last decade, my twenties, I can honestly say I have done a lot:

- I got married
-I gave birth to three wonderful children
- I graduated college and graduate school with pretty decent grades if I may say so myself (note to SZT: shut up about your 4.0- I actually took classes)
-I bought a house (and refinanced a couple of times!)
-I have successfully (more or less- I didn't kill anyone) worked as a geriatric speech-language pathologist
- I am actually working at a job which I actually like
- I have started a blog which has been up and running and basically consistantly updated for 3 years (take that you blogging noobs!)
-I have read all 6 H@rry Potter Books many many many times
-I have gotten into reality TV and I have gotten sick of reality TV
-I went to Florida for the first time and 3 subsequent times
-I went to California two times
-I finally got to go to a hotel for pesach
- I have made pesach (3 times!!!)
-I have learned to recognize the beauty of old friends and the specialness of new friends (to quote DW: Make new friends, but keep the old: one is silver and the other is gold)
- I have started to drink coffee (and I love it!!!)
-I can successfully make two shabbos meals in under 3 hours
-I have a H@rry Potter Podcast
-I tried out for Jeopardy
-I started to eat Sushi (and I have even made it a few times!)
-I started to sleep with my mouth closed (thanks to surgery)
-I started doing things to benefit my own mental health
-Off the top of my head I can list 15 pokemon without pausing
-I haven't ever gotten drunk, tried drugs, or smoked anything

On the other hand, sometimes I feel like I don't know where this decade went and I feel like a huge loser:

-I drive a freakin minivan (and hate every minute of it)
-I am no longer the size 2 chickadee I used to be (nor will I ever be again)
-I don't have nice hair anymore
-I haven't been to Israel in almost nine years
-I haven't been to Europe
-I am still a slob and probably will be until the day I die.
-I am really not cool anymore (asssuming that I ever was cool)
- I have a H@rry Potter Podcast
-I haven't written the great American Novel (I never really wanted to, but I still haven't done it)- heck I haven't even read the great American Novel
-I never lived in New York
-I waste way too much time (especially on the stupid computer)
-I haven't made any major contributions to society
-I had to quit the shul welcoming committee because I didnt give out any welcome wagon bags
-I have done next to nothing for my spirituality (heck, I don't even know where I am religiously)
-I am as cynical and as sarcastic as ever
-I don't flinch when I hear people cursing
-I have a list of people who I avoid seeing around town because I never returned their phone calls
-I am horrible at inviting people back for meals
-I sat through Star Wars, Episode 1 in the theatre (and regretfully, I will never get those two hours back)
-I have no idea how to pay bills and I know next to nothing about taxes
-I (along with my mother and sister) made my 12 year old niece cry by telling her that we put a chip in her brain so we can monitor her at all times
-I barely exercise
-I haven't ever gotten drunk, tried drugs, or smoked anything
-I have lost some crucial hair cells in my ears thanks to listening to my iPod with earbuds
-I haven't ever gotten drunk, tried drugs, or smoked anything

When I look at these lists, I do realize that the top one is more qualitatively significant than the bottom one. But, I am turning 30 and I think I have the right to be negative about my life and accomplishments. It is my gift to myself.

Leggings. Seriously? Seriously.

So, on Thursday night, Greg and I went to a photography viewing party in New York that Greg's brother threw to showcase his photography and some other up and coming photographers. So this party was held in a gallery in the West Village in Manhattan. There were around 400 people there and most of them were in their twenties.

I had heard that 80's styles were coming back in. Specifically, I had heard about leggings coming back in. I didn't believe that regular human beings would wear those G-d-awful things that were bad enough the first time around (let's be honest, all 80's fashion was bad enough the first time around). As you can tell from the photos above, there was a plethora of legging-wearing at this party. The two pictures above are just samples of some of the leggings we saw that night. I don't have a camera phone and I was only able to steal Greg's phone a few times. But as you can see people are not only wearing leggings with skirts, but they are wearing them as pants as well. They are wearing them with ballet flats as well as stylettos (I know I spelled that wrong and I don't care). To say the trend is disturbing would be an understatement. I am having major issues with this.

Oh, my other major issue is that I have one celebrity crush. If you know me, you know who it is. If you don't know who it is, there is no need to announce it on this blog. There were no "real" celebrities at this party (sorry Benj) but I was told in all seriousness that my celebrity crush happens to have an apartment across the street from the gallery and that he happened to walk by the gallery while the party was going on and asked what was happening there. He didn't come in. I confirmed this story when I went on gawker stalker (not linking it because it is not worth it) and saw that this celebrity was on the exact corner that this gallery was on. Gosh, that hurts.

All in all, an interesting day in NY. Also, as always, Abigails rocked!