Not so funny anymore

I know, Roger, it's been too long... but I'm back... Hopefully, MG got all her technical glitches fixed and we can get back on track with our blog baby, whom we've been ignoring quite blatantly for the last couple of months.. what can we do if we only have mildly interesting stories to share once every couple of months?

So about a year ago, I was shopping for cards (one of my favourite ways to kill a lunch hour) when I came across a very simple, completely black card that just read 30 in letters of doom. Inside, it said: 'It's all a big joke until it happens to you..' at the time, i remember finding it absolutely hilarious.. Yeah, guess who's laughing now? Well, certainly not me...

I'm very, very quickly approaching that big milestone and i'm feeling a tiny bit overwhelmed by all the mixed emotions.. On the one hand, i'm no way near where i thought i was going to be at this age back when i was 15.. there's no steady relationship, no children, no big carreer.. on the other hand, i've done things that i couldn't even dream about when i was growing up.. and i'm feeling much better in my own skin than i did 10 years ago... so these conflicting thoughts have been battling it out in my head for the last couple of months, deciding what kind of day i'm having..

But today is a good day. Today I feel like hitting the big 3-0 is only the beginning to the rest of my life and that who knows, maybe the best is yet to come.. Today i choose to believe that we really do just get better with time and that a woman truly hits her stride in her 30s.. can I get a "hell, yeah", Mitz?

Yeah, that'll probably last me until the next freak-out, which will most likely begin in 3, 2, 1.. aaaaaaaahhh, this can't be happening to me!!!

Geriartrically yours,
SC

BFFs!!

After 3 looong years of waiting and planning, it finally happened. Married Georgia decided it was high time to see her beloved friend, Single Canada, at her house in Montreal. And boy, what a great decision that was!

It felt like a trip back to when I had nobody else to worry about but myself. I kind of forgotten my pre-mom self..where I could have an uninterrupted conversation, where I could sleep until 10Am and where I did not have to change one single diaper!! I took these simple things for granted back then, and now they have become a luxury. So for me, these 5 days spent with my friend have been so refreshing and exhilarating!

I was spoiled rotten by SC, who not only took care of my every need, but she ended up offering me her own things on top of all the gifts she already had ready for me. She either wanted to shut me up or she was just that awesome. I'm leaning towards the latter. I hope I'm right!
The fun started somewhere between "Hi!! I missed you! and "Come on, hop in the car and meet Andrew, our driver/guide for the next 3 hours. I only live 30 mins away, but he needs to pick up 4 other people and their chickens and after that we'll shortly be on our way,k?" . Needless to say, the fun never stopped. Yes guys, there were pillow fights, mud wrestling and bubble baths. That's how we roll.

So, I just wanted to say thank you again, Mitz, because I had a wonderful time over there with you!
And for all the single guys out there, you might not want to miss this one, because she's one in a billion! Don't let her get away! She makes the best coffee and knows the best brunch restaurants in town! If only I were a boy..or at least gay.

A fun-filled,
Married Georgia

Equal parts soul and awesomeness

I know, dear friends (and by friends i mean Roger), it's been a while... but we' re back! we kinda neglected our little pet project in the last couple of months, but we're getting back on track now. Right, MG? ;)

Last night i went to see what turned out to be one of the most delightful shows i've seen in a while.. I didn't really know what to expect, even though I had seen this singer before on SNL and at the Grammys... but those snippets didn't do justice to the adorableness that is Adele.

Her voice is so rich and filled with heartbreak it's almost impossible to believe the girl is only 19! i know, i know, i sound like Randy on AI (Yo, dawg, this girl is only 19!), but i can't help but be amazed by her soulfulness.. What i found even more surprising though, was how wonderfully charming the girl is. She was so cute and funny and broke into such spontaneous, silly, but completely winning monologues in between songs that i honestly wanted to take her home and say: you are now my bestest friend, please entertain me! Oh, and that London accent... Cuteness overload, i tell ya..

I'm gonna now go all Nostradamus on you and predict that this girl is going to be a huge star! I just hope that won't ruin her personality. You know that someone is still super genuine and unaffected by sudden fame when she asks the audience at her concert to raise their hands so she can take a picture for her myspace page...

Melodically yours,

SC

A hairy situation

Why do we, as women, need so many things when we take a shower?(and not only then , but now I'm talking about this specifically). I mean, the goal is pretty simple. Lather up with soap and get clean. One bar of soap would be all one needs. But why make things easy when they can be complicated and take a long time. Why not have 75 bottles of crap, that take 2-3 minutes each and after you get out, there's a few more waiting to be applied to damp hair. With all the stuff in, I should just jump right back in the shower, my hair is so heavy with them. I was looking in there earlier when I was taking a shower and I counted all the bottles of shampoos and conditioners and God knows what else I have in there. 9. That's the number I came up with. 9. Not including shavers and scrapers and loofahs! Unbelievable. And guess how many my husband has? Yup.2. A 2-in-1 shampoo and conditioner and a bar of soap. Must be great to be a guy.

And even with all the so called help from my wonder bottles, my hair is still a poofy mess.

Not fair!!

An unnerved,

Married Georgia

For the girl with the broken smile

First, I was going to name this "Ode to my friend" but i thought maybe it'd be a little much. My second choice was "My declaration of love" which you will agree would have been way less lame and / or cheesy. Finally, I went with an inside joke. If any of our many followers is interested to know what that's about (and I'm looking at you Roger!), just ask and you shall get a reply.

But i digress.

One of the greatest feelings in the world in my humble opinion is to feel like somebody gets you: they get your sense of humour, the get your sadness, they get your craziness and your emotional storms, your bad TV habits and questionable (to some) life choices and even when you're not sure of anything anymore, they still think you're worth a phone call (almost) every day.

And that's no small gift, people.. for me one of those very, very (and i mean very) few people who fit that description just happens to be one of the most fabulous, funny, smart, quick-witted, kind-hearted, brave, thoughtful, fiercely loyal, get-shit-done people you could ever have the fortune of calling your friend.

Since she's not getting anything for her birthday this year (oh, you didn't know? 29 doesn't even deserve a mention), I thought this should be enough sucking up till next year.

This one's for you, capri.

A ta prietena pentru totdeauna,

SC

I could not wait to get to Florida this weekend.

All I wanted to do is sit on the beach and watch Luke play in the sand while I sipped a few(5)margaritas..It started very well, the car trip there went fine even though it took us 11 hours. My Mom, God bless her, did everything in her power to keep Luke occupied. She pretty much talked non-stop to him. Look Honey, see the truck? and the sky? and the birds? and the plane? and mommy pulling her hair out??
But we got there and we couldn't be happier. We stayed with my dad in his 1 bedroom apt. There's lots of things going on with this apartment. His windows do absolutely nothing to keep the noise out. And it just so happens that it's right near the fire station. And apparently there are many emergencies in Riviera Beach. Especially at night. All requiring sirens. The louder the better. And when they leave the station, it seems that they come right through my dad's living room, we can hear them that well. Another noise issue are the neighbors. They looove riding in their cars with the music volume turned way above human limits. Or just sit in front of their houses doing the same thing. As if this wasn't enough, my dad's mattress box makes the weirdest and loudest noises when I touch it in the slightest way. And since I have to sleep in the same room with Luke, I have to figure out a way to get in bed without waking him up. I have to have a plan. I try to put my leg right in the middle of the bed so then I can catapult myself at once and only make one big noise instead of multiple ones. Easier said than done and I end up losing my balance and crashing and creating many more sounds that I've planned. Then, of course, I have to remain still for the rest of the night.

But by some miracle, my dear baby manages to sleep in this chaos. That until his fever kicked in. Because ever since we got there he's been having high fever. So instead of going to the beach and enjoying ourselves we had to go to the doctor and give him lots of medicine, which didn't help anyway.
And because Murphy's Law never disappoints, now that we're back home, he's feeling much better. And I'll take that happily over any vacation.

We'll just have to hope that next time things will go better.

A vacation deprived,

Married Georgia

Office space

I heard this thing on the radio this morning about a teenager who managed to declare an official "cuss free" week in LA county and planned to take it national. Yeah, good luck with that, kid!

So that got me thinking about how ever since I moved to Canada I have a new-found love and appreciation for swearing in Romanian. This was never a favourite hobby of mine and weirdly enough when I was back home, I used to only curse in English.. I guess according to my twisted logic, swearing in a different language than the one spoken in the country where you find yourself, automatically erases the bad karma of a good cuss. I wonder if MG has the same MO.

Now the greatest satisfaction i get from cussing is when the copy machine starts acting up.. I know i probably should know better than to take the malfunctions of office equipment personally, but there's just something about the phrase "paper jam in tray 4" that sends me over the edge. I'm aware of how crazy it sounds, but if it makes it any better I'm not the only one that has lost her temper over its moods. I swear IT has a full (and really shitty) personality. See what i mean? I just start talking about IT and potty-mouth syndrome kicks into high gear.. anyhoo, the funny thing is that whenever anybody else is blowing a vein cause their document got jammed and is about to start kicking IT, i just swoop in, all calm and collected and fix IT. That's right, just like that.. But God forbid that IT does anything to my documents!! Then it gets personal. and that's when I start spewing the most impassionate Romanian curses.. coz I'm classy like that.

A bilingually cuss-loaded,

SC

An epiphany for $5. I'll take two, please

I just saw my life flash before my eyes. On the big screen. When i say my life, i use that in the broadest sense of the word. Meaning way, way less glamorous, less fashionable, sans cute male object of affection and minus one fabulous Sex and the City wardrobe consultant. OK, you need it in English: I just saw Confessions of a Shopaholic. Aside from its cinematic lack of value and almost embarassing predictability, it struck a chord (and made me chuckle a couple of times).

You see, as Married Georgia can eagerly attest, I too have a little, tiny bit of a problem in that department. I'm the first to admit I like shiny, sparkly new things. A lot. Just like the gorgeous Isla says: they make me feel special and happy and warm and fuzzy inside.

For about 20 seconds. And then guilt sets in. Ah, the guilt! Proof that i am indeed my mother's daughter. Allow me to explain: my Mom - the total, complete and utter opposite of a shopaholic. All her life her mantra has been: save, save, save. And because the universe needed to find its balance again, I came into the world with the occasionally unique purpose to? You got it: spend, spend, spend.

Now I'm not saying that seeing this on a huge theater screen will make a difference. I'm just saying it got me thinking about it. Again. Shut up. Baby steps, okay?

Unthriftilly yours,

SC

Home improvement

Let me start by saying that my husband, a.k.a Mr Handsome, does not usually enjoy removing himself from the couch, unless dinner is ready. In that case, he will tackle any unlucky bastard who happens to be in his way. He does however love a "project". So this past week he decided to paint the living room/family room. We did not stay in his way, we let him express his talents and he actually did most of the work by himself! I was a little afraid that his exuberance would only last until he realized that he needed to tape every inch of that damn room, and I was left to finish everything for him, but I was pleasantly surprised..He gained a few red dots in my book.

And then the aftermath of painting came, stuff was everywhere and mom and I were left to put it all back. It took us an entire day but now it looks clean and a little more put together. Of course, that will only last until my son gets up from his nap, but for a couple hours we remembered what it felt like to know where everything is. Before we know it, the books will be put back in the fridge and the ketchup will end up in one of my dresser drawers.

Oh..the joys a toddler can bring!

A more organized,

Married Georgia

When Mom comes to town..

Since my son was born, I've been a stay at home mom and I do everything around here, from laundry to cooking and cleaning and everything in between. Aww, did you just pat my back? Thanks!

Around Christmas my mom came here to stay with us for a few months and help a little. I couldn't be happier! Thing is though, that for almost 2 months now I barely do anything anymore. She cooks, does laundry, cleans and even babysits Luke. All I do now is move from one couch to the other to watch TV or play spider solitaire and surf the internet. I've become so lazy! You'd think that by resting all the time, I would actually have lots of energy and desire to do stuff, but negative..No energy here. What is going on? I should be loving this situation, right? Next week she will go see my dad for a month so I am very curious to see how hard will it be for me to get back in the game.

Maybe I also need a vacation! Aly, can I please come along with you? Right..like I need more time sitting on my butt doing nothing. That should help.

I'm going to get myself out of this funk..you'll see! But now, excuse me while I go finish my game of solitaire..I've got to keep my percentage numbers up. It's what I live for right now.

A lazier than ever,
Married Georgia

¡Vamos a la playa!

I finally did it... yes, i did! I booked my vacation.. and I am doing a little happy dance as we speak!

Look, I'm a summer person.. Always have been, always will be. But since i've made the transition to the great white North, where winter lasts 10 months and you can pretty much narrow down summer to a Thursday in July (my personal twist on a literal translation from "vara intr-o joi".. and that's how we do it), my longing for sunny summer days has grown exponentially. Please don't ask me what posessed me to willingly move to this country..

All i know is that tomorrow when the snowstorm that they keep threatening us with will hit, i will be daydreaming of palmtrees, sand and sun and thanking the Almighty for inspiring what I suspect was the laziest man ever to come up with THE most awesomest idea of all time: having a bar IN the pool.

A beach-bound Single Canada

More than lab reactions..

Such funny creatures we are... how is it that we can react like giggly school girls when faced with guys that are neither nice, nor particularly desirable, but can't quite find that undefinable "je ne sais quoi" when a genuinely decent, warm guy comes along...

I think you know where this is going..

Don't get me wrong, the date was great, the conversation flowed, there were some laughs, no awkward pauses, no minor or major incidents.. I even managed not to spill coffee on my white shirt (no small feat for me) and he didn't ask me if I was Chinese (which believe me, HAS happened before)...it was in many ways better than I could have hoped. And yet for a little more than 2 hours there was no flirting to speak of. Nope... none whatsoever. For those keeping score: Friendship potential 10 out of 10, Chemistry level 1 ouf ot 100...

Which is so infuriating.. Watching too many bad movies and reading too many lame self help books might lead you to believe that if you try hard enough, maybe you could just create "the magic" using one simple ingredient that all of us have plenty of: wishful thinking. But what if that's the advice coming from people who haven't found it either?..

So i'm torn.. In the meantime i haven't heard anything more from him either. Which i'm thinking should kinda give me a bit of a hint..`

A chemistry challenged,

Single Canada

Love me today. It says so on the calendar.

As a married couple, we almost feel obligated to celebrate the big V day. Oh my, it's Valentine's day! We should do something, right? So we tried to do something. But being from Romania where we didn't really celebrate it, it wouldn't have mattered much to me if we went out on the 14th or on the 21st.."
Here are a few reasons why we'll consider going out for Valentine's Day on a different day:
*You won't be late to your dinner reservation because of traffic
*You don't need to sit so close to the other table so you can actually reach over and taste their bacon wrapped scallops
*You don't look like you're part of a group sitting at one big table, because you are ALL sitting so close to each other
*You won't need to pay double for everything on the menu - hellooo? we've been here before! we know what your regular prices are!
*Chances are you will find a parking spot
*You can have a coffee somewhere else after dinner without needing a reservation
*You can plan this evening around your period.

What's always nice to get though, Valentine's Day or not, is a card saying "You are the most beautiful woman I know". Even though I know that's sooo not true!
And also, having a cute little boy hand you a rose and a card, signed, Your little LOVE bug.
AWWWWW..how cute is that!?

In love in Georgia,
Married Georgia

Hopes and cookies..

I'm very excited for you my dear friend! I hope things will start going the right way for a change! I can't wait to hear the stories that will come out from these dates..because let me tell you people, there are always stories, but maybe this time they'll be less "he brought his mom and sister to meet me" and more "he picked me up in a helicopter and we had cheesecake on top of the world!".

I spent my day baking cookies with my son. We want to offer them tomorrow to Mr.Handsome as a Valentine's Day present. He's on a diet so a cookie will fit the spot. Of course I'll expect diamonds and pearls from him in exchange for my cookie. It's only fair.

OH, and the chocolate is gone. What will i do now?

Sending all good vibes,
Married Georgia

Anticipation

So the photo that launched a dozen hits achieved a minor miracle yesterday.. Now, it may not mean much (if anything) for the average person, it won't solve the financial crisis and it definitely won't cure any fatal disease.. But it already managed to give me something i have been missing in a good long while: a tiny bit of hope that there may be better days to come.

The suspense must be killing you, so i'll just go ahead and say it: I got asked out on a date. No, no, the end of the world isn't next, for you cynicals out there! Although you never know..

The irony of the fact that my first date in centuries will be on Valentine's day is not lost on me... i can't quite decide if that's kinda romantic or very cheesy..

For now i'm just enjoying the feeling of knowing i have something to look forward to for a change. And that's more than enough. Until tomorrow.

A kind-of-enjoying-her-status Single Canada

Boys, boys, boys, I'm ready for the good times..

Ah, boys... don't we just love them, straight ladies? i sure know i do.. Love their teasing, love their sense of humor and yes, even their almost ever-present cluelessneess. There's nothing quite like seeing yourself through the eyes of a guy that finds you interesting.

So as I said, I'm on these dating sites.. And recently i've changed my profile picture and noticed that all of a sudden I started getting more hits from interesting guys than a week ago, when i still had a perfectly presentable photo.

Mind you, I'm painfully aware of my place in the food chain.. far from me the thought that I might be God's gift to men. And i totally understand how much somebody's picture can make a difference in your desire to get to know them better or not. But i still find it absolutely fascinating how visually driven guys are.. I'm not saying girls aren't, but we definitely put less emphasis on it. As Ellen D would say: Am i right, ladies?

All of this to say: Boy, am i ever glad i posted that new picture...:)) Yup, that's how shallow I am.

So obviously Single Canada

Catching ZZZs

I had such a good night's sleep last night! I feel so rested! NOT! My son, Luke, who's 2, woke up crying at 4 in the morning, probably from a bad dream..I get him back in bed and sleeping quickly but it doesn't last long until he's crying again. But this time, he doesn't want to go back to his crib. So I bring him in bed with me and my husband. He doesn't want his name revealed so I will call him Mr.Handsome. For some reason I think he will be OK with that. So, we get in bed with Mr.Handsome and Luke gets very cozy and starts dozing off. I knew exactly what was going to happen next but since I enjoy torturing myself I still brought the baby in bed with us. Right then, Mr.Handsome starts his louder than 2 trains colliding snore..and of course, Luke wakes up, I'm still up and all the neighbors are up. I know it's not necessarily his fault, but in times like that, all I want to do it rip his tongue out and feed it to the cat. It's that annoying! So, all I'm left to do is just sit there and try to predict the next loud snore so I can kick him before that happens. Meanwhile, my poor baby is tossing and turning, and can't fall asleep either. Only his father seems to have the best sleep! Nothing gets to him. Not even my kicks.
Towards 5.30, I couldn't take this anymore and we go in the living room and put Luke on the couch. I try to fit in there too, my butt half way hanging off and it's cold but I don't care. It's finally quiet and we can sleep. Just then, my cat starts scratching at her food jar. Meow? Meow? Stopppp!!! Can I feed her to my snoring husband now?
I throw the cat outside, find my way back on the couch again and it's happening. I'm falling asleep..
Mr.Handsome wakes us up at 8, all innocent looking..What's the matter guys? Why are you here??
If only I weren't so tired..you'd see what we're doing here..
So see Mitz, kids or no kids, married or single, a good night's sleep doesn't come by often.

Yours truly tired,
Married Georgia

When you have waaay too many options

This morning, after i convinced myself that the alarm didn't go off in the middle of the night, yes it's really that late, fed the cat, took my shower and laughed out loud listening to snippets of David on painkillers (it's even better when you see it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e-bNunsWkIw - poor kid, he's SO out of it and so funny), i was getting dressed and thinking to myself: "See, Aly.. isn't it great when you think about what you'd like to wear the night before and you save so much time in the morning. You should do that ALL the time!". And i'm done getting dressed, look in the mirror and you guessed it: it doesn't work. Might as well accept it, it's just always gonna happen.

So, 5 outfits later i'm running kinda late and i start fixing my hair, which I had let air dry last night while temporarily insane, and of course that takes me ANOTHER 10 minutes, by which time I am officially horribly, horribly late and still look like i spent the night shooting heroine in my eyeballs and then got ready for work in the dark - i tried to adapt the "dormit pe trepte" in English, but wasn't so sure of the outcome: "spent the night in the stairwell"? yeah, still needs some work..

As does my morning routine.

Messy Single Canada

Oh, fudge..

So..I like chocolate. I like chocolate A Lot! And the other day I decided that the 35 blocks of chocolate in my pantry weren't enough anymore so it was time to make some fudge. And while I like chocolate a lot..I looove homemade fudge. 20 mins later, the fudge was DONE. I put it in the freezer and sat down on the couch. 1 min later, I'm thinking.."I wonder if it's done yet" And I go check and by check I mean eat a spoonful. "Hmm..not quite done yet. But still good" I go sit back down on the couch. This time, I wait 2 mins and back to the freezer for another spoonful. "mmm...so delicious..but still kind of soft". I could not focus on anything, but that damn fudge! Why?? Why did I make it???
A quarter of soft fudge later..I start feeling nauseous. I refuse to think that it's because of the fudge. So, on my way to the bathroom, I stop in front of the freezer. "Yay! It's done! I can finally eat a piece!" But no, I was interrupted by my growling stomach..Where is the bathrooommm??
It's been 2 days since I made the fudge. I eat the fudge everyday. I think of the fudge every minute. I am nauseous everyday. I behave like an addict around it. I can't let anyone see that I visit the fridge every 5 mins. I'm afraid they will link my eating fudge to my being nauseous and take it away. I can't let that happen!
Oh, and did I mention that I'm on a diet??

The always nauseous,
Married Georgia

Blogger baby, u so cute..

Welcome to the world, little blog baby! You'll see, it's not such a bad place once you get used to it..

So last night I went on that dating site for my daily dose of rejection.. this time it was from a guy that decided after 2 sets of questions that there wasn't enough chemistry between us. Why do i do this to myself, people? Oh yeah, probably because i've been single since longer than i care to remember.

But as they say, what doesn't kill you.. scars you for life.:)

Anyhoo, the good news today weatherwise: no -170 degrees temperatures to report. The bad news: freezing rain in the forecast, which should make for a fun walk/slide home from the metro this afternoon.

Feel better, Mitzishor! Here's to the beginning of a beautiful bloggership...

Pitifully yours,
Single Canada

The first One

It's finally here...our little blogger baby is about to be born! I hope he or she(we still haven't decided which one it is yet) will bring us lots of joy! We can call this LABOR..until we have a defined idea for this.

I woke up this morning with a big "guguloi" in my throat..That's what I get after 2 days of sore throat. But it's ok, the sun is shinning and another warm day is on the way! How's weather in Canada these days? Still 800 billion degrees below? Oh..so sorry to hear that.

I'm looking forward to finding little dark secrets in here..as they will probably be mostly mine :)

Let's kick this off by saying..Happy Blogging my dear friend!

Your's truly,
Married Georgia