why are the ugliest things the most comfy?

must be in some random contemplative mood today, because all i keep thinking about is comfort. ;) and i find myself pondering why it's the fugly things in life that are simply the most comfortable.

like Birkenstocks. don't get me wrong, i've got several of my own pairs - that have lasted me looooong time!, but they're certainly not the most beautiful (or flattering) shoes.

or granny panties. there is NOTHING attractive about a good ol' pair o'grannies. slip 'em on, though, and automatically, a girl finds herself cradled and cocooned....ahhhhh. bliss! no, i'm not typically a granny panty wearer. in fact i loathe the word 'panty.' but sometimes, even i find myself in the need of cradling... go figure.

or that bra. you know the one. the one that you'll be wearing the first time you're about to hook up with That Guy Who Might Be The One and it's guaranteed that he'll think you're a prude (ok, well, maybe I am) because you're refusing to let him get anything close to 2nd base...yeah, that one. the one that is so effin' comfy, but you promised yourself another living soul would never, repeat NEVER see on or off of you, much less his living room floor.

and there's the requisite baggy sweats that you wear to get the paper, coffee, and an egg'n'cheese bagel on Sundays.

or the ex-boyfriend's deliciously broken-in denim shirt that you snuck out of his place when you went over for break-up 'ya know.'

or those thick wool socks that you just can't seem to toss...even though mom's darned them. twice.

have to admit, that's where my a-ponderin' got stuck. so, bloggers and readers, help me out. what else should go on the "dear gawd it's ugly, but laws i feel comfy" list?

and...go!

waddaya do?

...when you almost really Like someone? and all they do is throw roadblocks? do stay with your persistent self and hang in? do you decide to 'hear' what they're saying and run like hell?

should a gal even *want* the bone that could be thrown knowing it's not really there? probably not...but, wow, it'd be nice to know that you're hearing what's said. give. me. something. to. work. with. and a gal might-could (to use a southern-ism) hang in there...that's how much the Like is there.

but nothing is given...and that's even worse than silence. so much worse. 'cuz then, i just walk away...

anyone been in a situation like that before? or is that just dating on the east coast?

= funambulism...

word o'the day:

funambulism \fyoo-NAM-byuh-liz-um\ noun
1 : tightrope walking
*2 : a show especially of mental agility

love it!

is 'zaftig' ever a compliment?

Main Entry: zaf·tig
Pronunciation: 'zäf-tig, 'zof-Function: adjective
Etymology: Yiddish zaftik juicy, succulent, from zaft juice, sap, from Middle High German saf, saft, from Old High German saf -- more at SAPof a woman : having a full rounded figure : pleasingly plump

So, I was recently called 'zaftig' and, I must admit, I'm having issues...several of them, in fact. According to my friend Webster.com, the true definition is having a full figure. According to social lore, zaftig is the polite form of calling someone chubby.

Now, I know that I no longer have the low 19% body fat that I had at 16 or 17, but I really don't think of myself as chubby. I've got bosoms (again, we're being polite here, right?), a juicy hind end, and a buddah belly that's been around since forever - always had a slight belly even with hardly any fat. But does that make me chubby? 'Zaftig' rather... Are men I date "chubby chasers"???

I'm a lifelong athlete, dancer, and yoga-head. I'm truly struggling with seeing my body image as fat. grrrr. hisssss.

Thoughts? Those of you who know me...please be honest. I'm struggling here...

5 tips for women...

1. It is important that a man helps you around the house and has a job.
2. It is important that a man makes you laugh.
3. It is important to find a man you can count on and doesn't lie to you.
4. It is important that a man loves you and spoils you.
5. It is important that these four men don't know each other.

I know we've seen this circle us many a time...but when I got the email - again - this morning, it struck me as appropriate. How many men do *YOU* have? ;-)

Taking presents in a totally different direction...

I would also love, love, LOVE one of these as a present, too. Valentine's, birthday, Christmas stocking, 'just because'...whatever works. They're SO useful. And we use 'em all the time on-event (work).

I just want to be cool like the other Lot Kids.

Remember my ORIGINAL birthday party idea?

Lookit what someone sent me...how fun, fun, fun is this???? Anyone love me this much for Valentine's Day?

And, no, I'm not sorry I went with Burlesque instead. Each has their own time and place.

Growing old...watching silver turn to gold...

The days of listening to Sean Kelly and the Samples are long gone and so are silver rings. Right now, I'm wearing a gold ring. Not a typical 'Hannah' ring as gold isn't one of my "things." But it's a Grandma ring.

As my Grandma was in the final stages of her life, she spent some time deciding which rings of hers us gal cousins would be honored with. The one that was bequested to lil' ol' me was the sapphire...and, I have to admit, I really AM honored to wear it.

As estranged from parts of my family as I am/was, I also have an odd passion for my super immediate family...and value it incredibly highly. Family *IS* important. And, as silly as it sounds for ME to be saying it, I really love wearing this ring. It's not a rock; it's not something Melanya would be seen wearing, but there's sentiment. Knowing that she bequeathed it to me - all the rings to all 3 girls - as she was wheelchair-ridden in the final days of dealing with a hideous brain tumor and all her energy should have been spent living certainly softens the hardest of hearts...mine, too.

Wearing it, I remember the way she would toy with her rings. The seemingly absent-minded way she played with them...was she remembering the moment Grandpa gave them to her? Was it simply habit? Regardless, it reminds me of the love they shared - 54 years worth...til the very, very end.

Family's difficult, but so very, very worth it.

Re- or dis-?

A profundity occurred to me recently. Maybe I'm just slow...maybe it's occurred to many a folk and just not me. There are occasions in many a life, I would assume, that cause folks to stop and assess. Whether it's life in general or perhaps a single moment, there are moments that make one 'pause'...as an Ally McBeal follower might say.

In moments like this, do you, dear friend, re- or dis-? That would be reconnect vs. disconnect. In times that make you think on deeper levels, do you choose to further disconnect from life? Disconnect from life for the first time perhaps? Do you choose to feed into being a 'victim' or blam others for whatever your current state of discontent may be?

Or...do you choose to reconnect? Does a period of contemplation make you realize that you do have so much MORE life to live? Do you remember that regardless of how full and well-rounded your life may be that there really is more?

I'm in that moment. I made a choice at 15 that I was never going to be a victim; that I was never going to let 'him' win. Why would I begin now, 15 years later? I choose to reconnect. To remember to not get caught up in the minutia of bullshit that can present itself in the process of daily living. To stay out of my head and to reconnect to my heart. Why stray from instinct?

My promise to myself - there's more...why wait for someone to present it to me. I'm gonna go find it myself.

I know there's life out there to be lived and *I* want to live it. Don't you?

'Typical guy'...

I was asked the other day by a very interesting friend what my 'type' of man is...good gravy. Most folks that know me well know that there isn't really one type that I'm attracted to - they've run the gamut. Yet, I'm not one of those women that can list 37 things they hate before focusing on what they WANT.

So, what was my answer? Of course, I mentioned that I'm a height-ist; being a tall girl, I do prefer a man who's at least my height with, hopefully, a larger waist-size...I do love 'boyfriend jeans.' I think, unfortunately, that I might have gotten distracted by shiny objects and not continued the conversation...and, therefore, making myself sound much more shallow that I typically am. Hey, I had Saturday Brain...

Here's more:

I want intrigue, mental stimulation.
A multi-dimensional man.
Creativity, however it manifests in your life.
Truth. Spoken and emotional honesty.
Indpendence.
Parallel lives.
Interest in the world - traveling, cultures, books, food, art.
Open-minded and -hearted.
A man that wants to dig deep inside o'me - goals, passions, fears, what makes me tick AND tock.
Someone who'll say 'NO' to me if it's necessary...no pushovers, please.
Inner strength.
A hand-holding, Saturday afternoon couch-snuggling, kisses in the morning, noon, and night kinda fiend.
A man that will let me in and not only feed himself to me piecemeal.
Someone who wants it all, too, and isn't willing to settle for less.
No members of the 'plaid shirt & khaki brigade.'
The kind of guy that'll chase me down the street to toss snowballs because I nailed him with one REALLY well...and laughs the entire time.
A Saturday-night-Scrabble-player who moonlights as a NYC pubcrawler, too.
Did I mention multi-faceted?

Essentially, a man that loves coffee & all types of food; that is convinced 'sexy' is an attitude, not a body part; that prefers no make-up and lip balm to fake nails & spiked heels; and that always considers dog hair an essential part of my wardrobe.

Everything's negotiable 'cept ethics, morals, and values. Ok...maybe not. ;-) I also require the amazing rolls in the hay that all Harlequin novels proclaim to be 'normal.'

Taking time to smell the roses...

We're in the middle of another topsy-turvy family time - truthfully, I guess I'm upside down in all facets of my life - and it's yet another reminder to stop and smell the roses. Tell people what they mean to you. Be honest with yourself. Follow your heart...personally and professionally. Don't waste time on bullshit. Stand up for yourself.

You don't know how long you have...don't hold back on being the best you that you can be.

Cliche, cheesy, but always true.

sticks and stones...

CBLong74 (3:48:12 PM): then i'd be blong
nannerli74 (3:48:31 PM): not as funny
CBLong74 (3:48:54 PM): no.
CBLong74 (3:48:58 PM): blong water
nannerli74 (3:49:29 PM): dumb
nannerli74 (3:49:31 PM): not funny
nannerli74 (3:49:35 PM): not makin' me giggle
CBLong74 (3:49:43 PM): that's because you like dick
nannerli74 (3:50:16 PM): how on earth do the two compare?
CBLong74 (3:50:23 PM): heh
CBLong74 (3:50:32 PM): "clong duck dong"
nannerli74 (3:50:37 PM): there's no parallel ANYthing there
nannerli74 (3:50:41 PM): that's giggle-licious
nannerli74 (3:50:50 PM): blong water? notsomuch