First, Happy New Year!

Second, allow me to let down the facade of the self-possessed, organized, energetic, happy and productive woman/sex goddess/mother/wife/employee that I love to fantasize is really me.

What?! You weren’t fooled? Sheesh.

It’s only January 3rd and I’m having a panic attack at this very moment. I feel so overwhelmed by the incredible number of obligations hanging over my head. The very anxiety they are causing is further preventing me from accomplishing any of it.

My hope is that by sending this out to the world some of it will diminish, so I can go back to my peaceful world of soft, furry unicorns and rainbow-striped excrement. It’s such a happier place…and way more colorful.

Blogging friends, if ever there was a time I needed you it is now.

I had Live with Regis and Kelly on this morning as I was getting ready (Anderson Cooper was sitting in for Regis–he’s funny and I’ll admit here I’ve watched Kelly since she was on Dance Party USA) and Michael Bolton was on singing some Christmas tunes.

Here’s the problem.

When he was chatting with Kelly and AC at the end, I actually thought to myself, “Hmmm. He’s kinda cute. I can finally see what makes the girls swoon.”

OMFG!!!

I’ve hit a new low.

Kris and Kim–my girls–come hit me over the head now before I set up my own fan page.

Driving along on my way to work this morning I was daydreaming and thinking about Florida. The weather was grey and chilly and I was imagining the warm touch of the sun on my skin.

I know I moved away from my home town as soon as I could, but there’s still a soft spot in my heart for a few things St. Pete.

Anyway, you know how you get in the zone when you’re driving a route you travel often? I had just gotten on the highway when all of the sudden I noticed that I was surrounded by white cars. Of course, white cars make me think of Florida. They always jumpt out of me when I’m home for a visit. White just doesn’t seem to be the color of choice for drivers here in the mid-Atlantic states. So when I all of the sudden felt like a golden chariot riding through white puffy clouds, I took note.

Then the car behind me on the left pulled up in front of me. And where was the license plate from? You got it–Florida.

I love starting my day with a chuckle.

Mr. 3 after falling off the bench in the kitchen last night:

The Dad: Are you okay? What did you hit?
Mr. 3: The floor

Mr. 5 sitting next to me on the couch:

Mr. 5: I just farted.
Me: What are you supposed to say?
Mr. 5: It stinks.

Mr. 11 calling me at 6:30 p.m. while I’m in Target–and it’s raining outside:

Me: Hello?
Mr. 11: Mom, it’s me. Have you seen my shoes?
Me: Um? Not since this morning. I’m at Target.
Mr. 11: I can’t find my shoes.
Me: Did you look around? Did you look in my room?
Mr. 11: I can’t find them anywhere! I don’t know where they are.
Me: It’s raining outside and dark. You don’t need them right now do you?
Mr. 11: I’ve looked everywhere. I can’t find them. Moooom…
Me: I can’t do much about it right now. I’m at Target.
Mr. 11: Well! I can’t find my shoes. I’m not going to be able to go to school tomorrow.

Friday night me and the hubs got a little time to ourselves. It was late. We tried to start something, but we just couldn’t–um–finish. I got a little upset, but I was so tired I fell asleep. I then woke up to the sound of the hubs dry heaving in the bathroom–bad sour cream we think.

The next day…

Me: Do we need to talk about last night?
Hubs: Um.
Me: Is there something wrong? Is our sex life over?
Hubs: No. No.
Me: Was it because you felt so bad?
Hubs: Yeah, that sour cream killed me.
Me: Well why didn’t you tell me to stop?
Hubs: I didn’t want to say “Hey babe I gotta stop I think I’m going to throw up.”
Me: Awww. You wanted to save my ego?

Am I a lucky girl to be living with these four guys or what??

…April, May and thank goodness November!!

I have to say I love the challenge of NaBloPoMo. What I need to admit is that it completely drains me of any worthwhile posts.

I’ve been exhausted this month. Each night, I’ve waited until after 10:30 p.m. to even begin writing. It’s no wonder you’ve had to put up with the schlock I’ve been shoveling out.

So enough, I say. Enough!

I’m a political consultant. That’s what I do in real life.

Today I attended a conference about “innovative advocacy.” A panel of Congressional staffers spoke about the types of contacts that gain their attention. They discussed faxes and emails phone calls and personal meetings. They described the overwhelming amount of information they must process on a daily basis in an attempt to stay on top of the issues they cover. An audience member asked them if they read blogs. Across the board, each one of the staffers said no they didn’t have time. Bloggers, they said, were just rogue folks spewing out whatever their whimsy. They also said they discouraged their bosses from reading blogs.

I was a bit put off.

But then the next panel came on.

This panel was comprised of grassroots practioners who were there to present case studies of some of the more innovative grassroots programs they had seen. Obviously these two panels hadn’t talked. The very first presenter is now involved in internet advocacy BECAUSE of a post he wrote for DailyKos that eventually led to the Congressional Committees Project. Each of the panelists discussed blogs in one manner or another, especially underscoring the value of advertising on blogs and how economical it is.

Now I realize the first panel was talking about the grassroots efforts that got their attention and there is no reason to believe that they are out searching the blogs to see what folks are saying, but they seemed to discount them so thoroughly. But I’ve witnessed the viral nature of blogs. As someone who has worked for an advocacy organization, I’m constantly amazed by how quickly bloggers can get information out and gin up support for issues in a matter of days.

I was mad that bloggers didn’t seem to have the respect of folks who are essentially in charge of making the laws of our land. But I didn’t get too angry because I know something they don’t. And they have no idea how wrong they are to ignore such a source of power.

I want to run away from home. RIGHT NOW!

Everyone in my house is deaf. That might be because none of them has stopped whining long enough to give their eardrums an opportunity to stop reverberating in their own heads.

There are three TVs on at the same time and husband is being pissy because I didn’t get the right frickin sour cream.

Yes. Sour cream.

He NEEDS the fat-free kind. So badly apparently that he just left for the grocery store even though I just returned from there.

Pray for him that he doesn’t run out of gas or break down between here and there, because it’s fairly unlikely that I’d go get him–at least right away.

Ever faithful to my beloved NPR, I’ve been listening to stories about the peace talks that took place in Annapolis, MD this week.

One caller to the Diane Rehm show referred to all of the participants as “lame duckers.” I had quite a chuckle over that in my car all by myself.

Last night as I was driving home, journalists were discussing the meetings, the participants and whether any of them were really in the position to do any real negotiating. I believe one of them may have wondered aloud if the conflicts could be better resolved by children–or I could have wondered it while I was on auto-pilot on my way home after a day of staring at numbers, though I doubt I would have such a great idea on my own. Anyway, it got me thinking.

Our kids are taught about peer mediation and conflict resolution in school starting very early. I really am sure SOMEONE must have thought of this already, but wouldn’t it be interesting to give a group of sixth graders who had been trained in peer mediation a case study resembling some of the more difficult world conflicts and see how they would resolve them?

Would it be that outlandish to suggest we put the conflict resolution responsibilities of the world in the hands of our children? Without years of ingrained hatred, might they be able to find solutions that will bring more peace to the world?

Maybe it’s the time of the year. I have peace on the brain. I want my children to live in a safer world. My inner-idealist is oozing out.

Maybe all the kids would refuse to agree and stomp out of the room with all the snacks or even resort to beating each other up. But would that really be any different than what their parents’ are doing already?

Or maybe I missed it.

I just lost one hour and forty minutes of my life that I can never get back.

I just watched Knocked Up.

Sure there were some funny lines, but really?

Katherine Heigl and that curly-haired dude had NO chemistry. And the woman who played the sister? Oh and Paul Rudd. Paul Rudd. What happened? Did Hollywood run out of cute boyfriend roles for you? You’re stuck playing the dopey husband now?

I know I’m late to the party with this review, but give me a break. I don’t get out to the movies much right now. And thank the goddess of discount boutique shoes, because holychristonacracker this movie would have been a GIANT waste of my money.

The great part about all of it though? My husband sat and wasted his whole evening with me watching it. And we ordered in dinner. It was a veritable date night on a Tuesday.

And last night I was compelled to sweep the floor before I went to bed.

Yep, the devil’s shopping for a parka.

I came across a headline this evening that caught my eye. I was visiting Penelope Trunk’s blog via a link from Veronique about linking when I saw this (see how I followed her advice?).

Stop Worrying that Your Twentysomething is Lost

I thought, “Hmmm, I need to check this out. What’s HER secret to not missing the possibilities that were my twenties.”

And then I read the first words.