Get a Clue

Christmas eve, Joe gave me a new board game he bought. I love board games but he isn't a big fan. Therefore, I don't buy them unless he specifically requests them.

This game is called "Smart Ass". It basically works like this - one player reads from one of three categories (determined by rolling a special die), where, when or what am I. The other players are then to shout out a guess whenever they like within the 10 clues. The first to shout the correct answer rolls another die and moves the corresponding number of spaces. With only two players, we just took turn asking the questions and answering.

In a related story, Joe doesn't seem to enjoy wrapping gifts. He left it until almost 8pm on Christmas eve and apparently finished off my bottle of Southern Comfort in the process. By the time we sat down to play the game just after 9pm, he was pretty tipsy. This resulted in the following exchanges:

me: Vincent Van Gogh is famous for cutting off what body part?
Joe: Head!

me: Born in Edinburg (Edinburgh). Edinborough. It's pronounced Edinburg, right?
Joe: Scotland. Yeah.
me: Began his career as a model and bodybuilder.
Goldfinger. 007.
Joe: Schwarzenegger!
me: Really? Arnold is Scottish?
Joe: Oh. Brosnan.
me: Goldfinger. Not Goldeneye.
Joe: What's Goldfinger? Man, are you gonna blog this?

Duh. And now I'm following through.

It was about then that Joe "needed to lay down his head" for just a minute. And promptly fell asleep. At 9:30pm. "Smart Ass" indeed.

Six Word Saturday

Describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does each week with their entries.

One year of Six Word Saturdays

Yeah, that's right. I started Six Word Saturdays a year ago, never dreaming so many of you would join in but it's been an absolute blast! I really appreciate each and every one of you who play along.

All that's necessary to participate is to post your own six words. You can post an explanation if you wish but it's certainly not required. If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!) but I'm not going to delete your entry or punch you in the face if you don't. Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

<a href="http://www.showmyface.com/search/label/6WS"><img src="http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp35/showmyface/guts/6wsButton.jpg" /></a>

Note: Please be careful to make sure you've linked to the right post. I've had a lot of links to non-Six Word Saturday blogs lately. Just trying to cut down on the confusion. Also, if you want to link directly to the 6WS post, that's super-helpful as well. Thanks!

A Letter to Cate, 2010

Dear Cate,

It's a new year. Full of dreams, free of mistakes, brimming with potential. Don't be afraid to do something with it.

The goals and dreams you have are going to take work. Devote time to your writing. Set aside time to read offline. Research and plan ahead. Get off your arse and go to the gym. Put down that cookie!

Not all of your dreams will be realized. And some dreams you don't even recognize as such yet - they'll be revealed along the way. Be open to them. Be willing to chase them.

Be confident. Love. Be loved.

Specifically:

WRITE - you have three blog projects you are actively working to cultivate. Be aggressive with them. Make them happen.

READ - in order to write, it's helpful to read. It's also calming. And inspiring. And enlightening. 25 books this year, any kind you like. You can handle that easily.

JOB - you know better. This isn't it. Fix it or move along.

HEALTH - you have 1/3 of yourself to lose. I'm speaking of the extra pounds that have piled on. The gym (and your goal of running a 5k) are great for relieving stress as well as decreasing your booty.

JOE - continue to support the husband. Remember to speak up for what you want and need; it's not that he doesn't care or support you but mind-reading isn't among his many talents. Be a good wife and allow him to be a good husband. Stop pushing him away.

SELF - you've made fantastic progress with your anxiety and reactions to situations. Continue to do so. Love yourself - you're more than you give yourself credit for. Don't let fear hold you back from doing the things you want to do or being the things you want to be.

It's going to be a big year, an even bigger decade. You can handle it. You can be happy in it. Now, go kick its ass.



P.S. This is from yesterday's cue at 7 Days 7 Answers. Write a letter giving yourself instructions for the new year. Would love for you to write yourself a letter. But mostly, I just feel good about writing mine.

Ahead

Yesterday I spent an hour or so with someone I don't spend enough time with - me. No Gwen, no tv, no laptop. Just me, bouncing around inside my brain with a pen and some paper.

I wanted to give some thought to 2010. Last year, I set what I felt were reasonable resolutions but life had other plans. I think I'm setting reasonable goals for this year but time will tell. Health-related, writing-related, etc. You'll hear me babble about it from time to time I'm sure.

2010. It seems like some kind of magical number. All "new decade" and even numbers (my favorite kind). I wonder what it will hold. I wonder how much of what it will hold fits in with my current hopes, what new dreams will spring forth, what speedbumps will be encountered along the way.

Somehow I think this is going to be a big year in a lot of ways.

P.S. I'm going to pimp 7 Days 7 Answers briefly. I like today's cue - Write a letter giving yourself instructions for the new year. I might even have to take a stab at it myself.

Angry

I hate feeling angry. I also hate hating. Such a waste of energy in a negative manner.

But if it truly takes the same amount of energy to love or be calm, why do I keep feeling the anger? Maybe I'm just that well-practiced.

It's like how they say "it takes x muscles to smile and x+y muscles to frown," arguing that smiling takes less energy or work. Except you know that whole thing is crapola because the numbers in the saying change with every version.

Plus, you know, the practice.

I'm late posting this morning because everything I think about to post is leaning towards angry or negative. So I'm just going to call myself out on it right here and get it out of my system.

I'm angry that:

• my foot is in a lot of pain for no reason I can determine
• my back has been bothering me now for several days
• I'm grossly overweight and hurting too much to go workout
• lately I've been losing things around the house
• I have much to do and little motivation
• I left out the best part of the story in yesterday's post
• gifts I sent the family for Christmas were barely acknowledged, nevermind receiving any thanks for them
• I can't do everything myself

There, maybe now I can move on to do something more productive with the rest of my day. Anything you need to get out?