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	<title>Can&#039;t Remember Diddly! &#187; get to know me</title>
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	<description>Forgetting everything practically instantaneously since, well, birth... blaming it on ADD since 2001.</description>
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			<title>Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</title>
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			<description>Forgetting everything practically instantaneously since, well, birth... blaming it on ADD since 2001.</description>
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		<title>Inspired by a conversation I had with a girlfriend</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2012/02/04/inspired-by-a-conversation-i-had-with-a-girlfriend/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2012/02/04/inspired-by-a-conversation-i-had-with-a-girlfriend/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 04 Feb 2012 23:51:40 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[I wright gud]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Welcome to Crazyville; population: me.]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[work]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=2707</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[you are so confident i said how do you do it i asked - you just have to say 'i am the greatest in the world' and then believe it she said - i can't do that i said i don't believe it - you just have to act like you are until it's true she said - oh, okay i said but i don't get it i thought but i'll keep trying i whispered]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/believeit.jpg" rel="lightbox[2707]"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2708" title="believe it" src="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/believeit.jpg" alt="©2012 jenness asby dot com (please credit if reposting or relinking)" width="612" height="396" /></a></p>
<p>&#8230;and she may not even remember the conversation.</p>
<p>that&#8217;s okay i thought</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2012. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
<a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2012/02/04/inspired-by-a-conversation-i-had-with-a-girlfriend/">Permalink</a> • 
<a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2012/02/04/inspired-by-a-conversation-i-had-with-a-girlfriend/#comments">One atta-girl</a> • 
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		<item>
		<title>Here I am.</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2011/02/23/here-i-am-2/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2011/02/23/here-i-am-2/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 23 Feb 2011 19:23:55 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=2542</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Saturday night I posted a status update on Facebook, and Sunday morning a friend mentioned she thought I was awfully bold by putting up that update. It got me thinking about how much we do or don&#8217;t reveal online. So many times I&#8217;ve almost put something up, even had it all typed out and at [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/tongueout.jpg" rel="lightbox[2542]"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-2547" title="sticking my tongue out" src="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/tongueout.jpg" alt="" width="65" height="65" /></a>Saturday night I posted a status update on Facebook, and Sunday morning a friend mentioned she thought I was awfully bold by putting up that update. It got me thinking about how much we do or don&#8217;t reveal online.</p>
<p>So many times I&#8217;ve almost put something up, even had it all typed out and at the last second, instead of &#8220;Share&#8221; I hit &#8220;Delete.&#8221; I have many and varied reasons why I might choose that backspace key and it&#8217;s usually because there is no &#8220;Undo&#8221; key for Facebook. Yes, granted, you can &#8220;x&#8221; it out of your feed later, but you can&#8217;t &#8220;x&#8221; out a friend&#8217;s hurt feelings or revealer&#8217;s remorse. Once it&#8217;s out there, it&#8217;s out there.</p>
<p>But on the other hand, I better not be doing anything I would be ashamed of putting up on Facebook. For instance, you&#8217;ll never see &#8220;just stole a t-bone, a mouse trap, and a box of birthday candles from HyVee! SCORE!&#8221; or &#8220;have the sinking feeling I probably shouldn&#8217;t have had chat sex with that married guy from Idaho. Good thing you can erase logs!&#8221;</p>
<p>But on the other hand, which is actually a foot, how much have I NOT shared that I SHOULD have or just COULD have shared? Oh, look at me, a blogger pontificating upon where that line is, I&#8217;m SURE no others have done THAT before!</p>
<p>How much do you REALLY know me? For reals, dude. I&#8217;ve told you here all about my new business selling &#8220;Sensual Products,&#8221; but hardly any of my friends that profess a mutual religious belief for fear that they would judge me. I checked with The Big Guy in the Sky and between Him and me, we&#8217;re good with it. But I still fear judgement from others who follow Him. I&#8217;m pretty clear with everyone In Real Life that I have a very strong faith in God and seek to be like Him every day. But I still fear judgement from my online friends who have living rooms set up on the Internet (why did iPhone insist upon capitalizing Internet but not god? Interesting.) that the second I mention God, I&#8217;m instantly a Jesus blogger and that they&#8217;ll subsequently quit reading me?</p>
<p>So I guess the purpose of this post is to lay out my cards on the table, and then have a panic attack, sure that now EVERYONE is going to flee in terror. Or worse, wander off bored.</p>
<p>Here I am.</p>
<p>In vague order of importance&#8230;</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a capital B Believer who sometimes says &#8220;shit,&#8221; rarely drops the f-bomb, regularly drinks but seldom gets drunk, smokes a half a pack a day and considers quitting at least once a month but then doesn&#8217;t, and hopes you won&#8217;t judge me for it and tries my damnedest not to judge you, and whether you&#8217;re gay, lesbian, bi, questioning, straight, single, shackin&#8217; up, hitched, white, black, brown, purple or polka dot has absolutely no bearing upon my love and acceptance of you.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a passionately, desperately, deeply in love wife and best friend of Tom, and well aware that I&#8217;m making a choice to be every single day.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a sometimes proud, sometimes exasperated, completely bewildered mom, and I don&#8217;t see that bewilderment lifting anytime soon.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m Deaf but I&#8217;m still learning ASL so I have the passport but it&#8217;s not stamped yet, and I wish that everyone signed and that I could sign better than I do.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m an artist who is too impatient to create with pencil or paint and instead prefers pixels and Pantone. I use typography and copywriting and kilobytes to share my vision of beauty with you. I&#8217;m a graphic designer and feel I am just as much of an artist as any other that chooses a different medium.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a photographer who embraces The Rule of Thirds but is not afraid to ditch it to convey an image in an unconventional way. I tend to find straight-out-of-camera more aesthetically pleasing than over-editing, and shun heavily shopped and over-processed pictures as just another way of polishing a turd. I have rarely liked an image processed like a polaroid but am not afraid of trying it on one of my images just for poops and laughs.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a patient who struggles with depression, anxiety disorder, and attention deficit disorder but strives to not allow it to define me nor turn me into a victim. I use the bad parts of these afflictions to make me and others who struggle with the same problems stronger.</p>
<p>I&#8217;m a daughter, a sister, and a damn good friend. But I recognize that there&#8217;s always room for improvement. I&#8217;m one of those annoying people who refuses to give out a 10 or an A+. Including to myself.</p>
<p>Here I am.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2011. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
<a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2011/02/23/here-i-am-2/">Permalink</a> • 
<a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2011/02/23/here-i-am-2/#comments">9 atta-girls</a> • 
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		<title>The Veteran&#8217;s Day Edition</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2009/11/11/the-veterans-day-edition/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2009/11/11/the-veterans-day-edition/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 12 Nov 2009 03:44:48 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Deaf]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[The Girlbeater]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=2112</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I am a veteran. I have a hard time writing that. In January 1992, The GirlBeater decided to sign up for the Army. He wanted to be an airplane mechanic. While we were filling out his paperwork, the recruiter was making small talk and said, &#8220;Have you ever considered joining the Army?&#8221; I said, &#8220;Actually, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I am a veteran.</p>
<p>I have a hard time writing that.</p>
<p>In January 1992, The GirlBeater decided to sign up for the Army. He wanted to be an airplane mechanic. While we were filling out his paperwork, the recruiter was making small talk and said, &#8220;Have you ever considered joining the Army?&#8221;</p>
<p>I said, &#8220;Actually, yes; there was a time that I talked about traveling with the Army Band.&#8221;</p>
<p>&#8220;Reeeeeally?&#8221; he asked.</p>
<p>An hour later, we were doing my paperwork, witha  promise for a $1500 bonus upon completion of boot camp. I dreamed of going to college on the G.I. Bill and not having to worry about student loans.</p>
<p>I took the ASVAB and we went to MEPS together. The only part I was nervous about was the hearing test. I knew that my hearing was degrading, but as we did the hearing test, I was relieved to realize that they were sending in six people at a time. I watched the girl next to me, and when she pushed the button, I did too.</p>
<p>The GirlBeater went into the job counselor&#8217;s office and came out visibly upset and dejected. He had not been approved for the mechanic job. He had to settle for infantryman.</p>
<p>About an hour later, I was put with a job counselor who told me, sure, I was approved for the Army Band pending the audition. But something else had popped up that he thought would be intriguing.</p>
<p>&#8220;Your ASVAB score is fantastic and you passed the physical with flying colors. How would you like to be an MP?&#8221;</p>
<p>My jaw dropped. Literally.</p>
<p>&#8220;Wow.&#8221; was all I could say, at first.</p>
<p>I came out of that office walking on air. I shared my good news with The GirlBeater. He was happy for me, but still quite sad about his results.</p>
<p>He went off to boot camp right away, and I wasn&#8217;t scheduled for boot camp until September. I was to start my warrior weekends right away, in February.</p>
<p>Somehow I made it through him being gone for boot camp and AIT. I continued my Weekend Warrior routine in Jackson, MI. I was part of the 303rd Military Police Corps, and I was absolutely loving it. I realized that I initially went in mostly for the G.I. Bill and the signing bonus, but I discovered something much deeper than that. I was proud. I was truly proud to be serving my country.</p>
<p>The GirlBeater came home from boot camp and AIT to do his Weekend Warrior bit, and I shipped off to Ft. McClellan, AL for <em>my</em> boot camp and AIT .</p>
<p>Right away, they said that I had to do Fitness Training Company. I was sort of bummed at first, but quickly realized what an advantage I was going to have over the other recruits going straight to boot camp. I was in FTC for five weeks, and then we were moved across the base to boot camp.</p>
<p>I loved my new life. I was quickly made a squad leader, and got a really healthy dose of good self-esteem and confidence. I asked about switching from reserves to active without consulting The GirlBeater.</p>
<p>I was doing great with the physical part of Army life, but I was having a hard time keeping up in class. If I was fortunate, I&#8217;d get a good spot up in front of the classroom and be just fine. If I got a spot in the back of the room, I had to rely on other people&#8217;s notes to keep up, as I couldn&#8217;t understand the instructor&#8217;s lecture from back there.</p>
<p>Then I did something that would change the course of my life. I asked one of my drill sergeants if I could move up to the front of the classroom from the back row. She got a puzzled look on her face, and asked why. Nonchalantly as I could, I just told her I could follow the lesson better up there. She said, &#8220;Ok, but you&#8217;re going to Noble Army Hospital tomorrow morning to see the doctor. If you have an ear infection, I want it cleared up right away.&#8221; We were going on our long march in a few days and she wanted to make sure I had meds before I left.</p>
<p>What could I say? Besides, &#8220;Yes, Drill Sergeant!&#8221;</p>
<p>Nothing.</p>
<p>Long story short, the doctor found my hearing loss within the first 15 minutes of the appointment, and did lots of testing. At the end, he said, &#8220;You can&#8217;t be an MP with the level of hearing loss you have. You have two choices. One, you let us choose a different job for you. Or two, you go home with a general discharge.&#8221;</p>
<p>I didn&#8217;t want someone just choosing what I would be doing for the next six years, so I chose door number two. I was crushed. I was devastated. I cried and cried and cried. Two of my drill sergeants did, too.</p>
<p>One week before boot camp graduation, I was Pulled From Training. It only took a couple weeks for the rest of the paperwork to go through and I was home by Thanksgiving.</p>
<p>One good thing that came out that experience was that I found the courage to stand up for myself and confidence that I deserved better than The GirlBeater. I left him <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2009/01/20/i-wish-i-had-a-nickel-for-every-time-i-heard-or-read-the-word-hope-today/" target="_blank">January 20, 1993</a>.</p>
<p>But I guess what I&#8217;m trying to say is that I am technically a veteran, but I have a hard time saying it. When I think of a veteran, I think of a person that has been in combat or in a police action or similar service. I think of a person that gave their life for their country. I think of a guy in the desert that&#8217;s seeing his child for the first time via webcam. Not someone who did seven warrior weekends and about 12 weeks of training.</p>
<p>I am a veteran.</p>
<p>I just wish I could have been a better one.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2009. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>Buh-bye now, 2008. You bitch.</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/31/buh-bye-now-2008-you-bitch/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/31/buh-bye-now-2008-you-bitch/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:10:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1489</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[A great big ol&#8217; &#8220;Good Frickin&#8217; Riddance&#8221; to 2008. The important thing is, I&#8217;m not bitter. Some good stuff came out of 2008.  Top Viewed His name was Dice. Eeet&#8217;s not a too-mah. We&#8217;ve been Elf&#8217;d! Signing Saturday, the Pilot Episode Joyce Meyer 26th Annual Women&#8217;s Conference Musings on Steps, Grief, Love, and Old age. [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>A great big ol&#8217; &#8220;Good Frickin&#8217; Riddance&#8221; to 2008. The important thing is, <em>I&#8217;m not bitter</em>.</p>
<p><em>Some</em> good stuff came out of 2008. </p>
<p><strong>Top Viewed</strong></p>
<ol>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/03/his-name-was-dice/">His name was Dice.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/08/22/eeets-not-a-too-mah/">Eeet&#8217;s not a too-mah.</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/11/weve-been-elfd/">We&#8217;ve been Elf&#8217;d!</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/10/25/signingsaturday/">Signing Saturday, the Pilot Episode</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/10/07/joyce-meyer-26th-annual-womens-conference/">Joyce Meyer 26th Annual Women&#8217;s Conference</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/01/11/musings-on-steps-grief-love-and-old-age-oh-and-divorcing-dinosaurs/">Musings on Steps, Grief, Love, and Old age. Oh, and divorcing dinosaurs.</a></li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Top Referrers</strong><br />
Where&#8217;d ya&#8217;ll come from? Besides my old blog, then Google Reader, and then Twitter and Facebook, these lovely folks made with the kinky linky love. Thank you so very much, you lovey people!</p>
<ol>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://www.fivestarfriday.com/">Five Star Friday</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://countrygirl-citygirl.blogspot.com/">Country Girl, City Girl</a></li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://okayfinedammit.com/">Okay Fine Dammit</a></li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Top Commenters<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Sorry, this only goes back to August when I switched from Blogspot to WordPress. I just didn&#8217;t have the energy to do the math between the two casas. Nonetheless, my most loviest of love goes out for my dealers of verbal cocaine.</span> </strong>You give good comment, Mah Peepull. I love you guys.</p>
<ol>
<li>Kizzle (27)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://countrygirl-citygirl.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">City Girl</a> (19)</li>
<li>BEG (16)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://h31n0us.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Jim</a> (16)</li>
<li>Heather P. (11)</li>
<li>Caron (9)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://okayfinedammit.com/" target="_blank">maggie, dammit</a> (9)</li>
<li>Trienne (9)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://makelardhistory.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">fatboyfat</a> (8)</li>
<li><a target="_blank" href="http://britchik96.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Britchik96</a> (7)</li>
</ol>
<p><strong>Top Posts<br />
<span style="font-weight: normal;">Handpicked by yours truly.</span></strong></p>
<p>January 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/01/22/theres-no-place-like-home-except-your-childhood-home/">There’s no place like home. Except your childhood home.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;I’m not sure how deeply I want to dissect the last few days, because I’m just exhausted; physically, emotionally, and mentally. So we’ll break it down in a safe, distancing, I Use Humor as a Defense, sort of way. Ready… Break!&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>February 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/02/22/my-hmo-declined-to-cover-that-particular-er-visit-the-bastards/">My HMO declined to cover that particular ER visit. The bastards.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;Cut to two thirtysomething women up on bar stools laughing uproariously and weaving back and forth in their seats as only the seriously shnockered can. Several empty shot glasses (one of which has been licked clean)&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>March 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/03/21/the-one-that-almost-was-not/">The One That Almost Was Not</a>  &#8221;&#8230;I don’t share Dr. Jekyl side of myself a whole lot; well, I did once and got no comments that post, so I had to conclude that no one wanted to hear that crap, much less put a hand out to steady me. So I thought, Aw hells no, I’m never doing that again. Then I changed my mind&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>April 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/04/15/thats-alllllll-i-waaaaant/">That’s Alllllll I Waaaaant…</a>  &#8221;&#8230;Now, never having been in this situation before, let’s just discuss exactly what I pictured Mr. Bondsman to look like. The only thing I have to pull from is Janet Evanovitch’s Stephanie Plum series and Dog The Bounty Hunter&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>May 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/05/04/stoo-pid-is-as-stoo-pid-does-or-life-is-like-a-box-of-cat-poop/">Stoo-pid is as stoo-pid does. -OR- Life is like a box of cat poop.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;He so stoo-pid, he chewed the cord on the LitterMaid, gave himself a pretty good jolt, and is now afraid of his own litterbox. In his feeble mind, The Potty Bit-ted Me On My Mouf&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>June 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/06/03/happy-13th-anniversary-yay-us/">Happy 13th Anniversary! Yay, us!</a>  &#8221;&#8230;Syllabus&#8230;Class: How You Can Can Make Yer Wimminfolk Happy Just Like I do; Instructor: Hunky; Location: Billiards Room; Pre-Reqs: Meaningful Commitment With a Significant Other&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>July 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/07/19/the-one-where-we-went-to-michigan-again-now-with-added-contest-at-the-end/">The One Where We Went To Michigan. Again. Now with added contest at the end!</a>  &#8221;&#8230;At one point, Dino went and sat on Seester’s lap and she leaned into him and deliberately burped in his ear. He turned around to look at her, and completely dead-pan said, “That was HAWT”. I laughed so hard I almost peed. That’s my boy. We’re SO proud&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>August 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/08/22/mi-casa-es-su-casa-times-200-divided-by-pms-squared-or-something/">Mi Casa Es Su Casa times 200 divided by PMS squared. Or something.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;Now, before we begin, let me warn you that today I am sporting PMS colored glasses&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>September 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/09/02/where-do-you-send-the-fire-truck-if-teh-innernets-go-up-in-flames/">Where do you send the fire truck if Teh Innernets go up in flames?</a>  &#8221;&#8230;To the estrogen laden population of my readers, and the testosterone-y ones who have estrogen-laden significant others, I don’t need to explain this next revelation. But just in case there’s one or two readers who I dunno, possibly live in a frat house on a men-only campus on another fooking planet, I will state the obvious&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>October 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/10/17/in-mah-damn-house/">In. Mah. Damn. HOUSE.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;About an hour went by, and all of a sudden, I wrinkled my nose and inhaled a little more deeply. Smoke<em>. OMG, something’s on fire! </em>Just then, Hunky came out of his <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">cave</span> office, and said, “Do you smell cigarette smoke?&#8230;”</p>
<p>November 2008 (a very hard decision, since I had 30 to choose from, damn NahNoMoFoMe) <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/20/smoke-and-asses-and-mirrors/">Smoke and asses and mirrors; that’s what little bloggers are made of.</a>  &#8221;&#8230;I caught myself starting to whine, “Why don’t I have H8Rs and Trolls and obnoxious Anonymousi spitting their venom all over my comments?” Then I pulled my head out of my ass&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p>December 2008 <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/09/aint-no-such-thing-as-a-homeless-playah/"><br />
Ain&#8217;t no such thing as a homeless playah.</a> &#8221;&#8230;For the most part, the people who are given clothes really need them and are very grateful. Every once in a while, Hunky’ll get the guy who comes in and says, &#8216;Ah need me a coat.&#8217; and when he’s shown what they have in his size, he says, &#8216;Ah cain’t wear dat. I’m&#8217;a playah.&#8217;&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><strong>Top Tall Finger</strong><br />
Goes straight out to 2008. Screw you, man. You sucked. </p>
<p>Rip it, roll it, and punch it, dude. Best wishes of a blessed, happy, and healthy 2009 to you and yours from me and mine.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>The One Where it&#8217;s My Birfday. Again.</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/19/the-one-where-its-my-birfday-again/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/19/the-one-where-its-my-birfday-again/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 07:00:01 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1409</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[36. Thirty-Six. XXXVI.  I really don&#8217;t feel as old as THIRTY-SIX sounds.  Dang, another year shot to hell. Oh, well. What&#8217;re ya gonna do?! Last Friday Hunky surprised me. He wouldn&#8217;t tell me where we were going, only that I needed to dress up. He took me to Ames to see The Nutcracker. Very cool.  I invited a bunch [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>36.</p>
<p><em>Thirty-Six. </em></p>
<p><strong><em>XXXVI. </em></strong></p>
<p>I really don&#8217;t <em>feel</em> as old as THIRTY-SIX <em>sounds</em>. </p>
<p>Dang, another year shot to hell. Oh, well. What&#8217;re ya gonna do?!</p>
<p>Last Friday Hunky surprised me. He wouldn&#8217;t tell me where we were going, only that I needed to dress up. He took me to Ames to see The Nutcracker. <em>Very</em> cool. </p>
<p>I invited a bunch of friends to 5th Gear tomorrow night to celebrate. I&#8217;m going to have a button made that says, &#8220;No matter how much I beg or plead or cry, do not, I repeat, DO NOT, buy me a shot of Tequila.&#8221;</p>
<p>So. 36. Eh, not as much a big a deal as 35 was. I&#8217;ve put the check mark in the 35-55 demographic instead of 18-34 for a year now, and it&#8217;s not near as traumatic as I thought it would be.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p style="text-align: center;">This <em><strong>is</strong></em> me.</p>
<p><img class="aligncenter" src="http://bp3.blogger.com/_S-i2eB5qugU/R2jG9EIFVjI/AAAAAAAAAGU/HIqQrWhWYEI/s320/me+tub.jpg" alt="" width="320" height="319" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">Not much has changed. <br />
I still get that look on my face when I get drunk and happy.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>Meme-wars of a Blogger</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/15/meme-wars-of-a-blogger/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/12/15/meme-wars-of-a-blogger/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 15 Dec 2008 14:31:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[meme]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1381</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mah Peepull&#8230; the inimitable Grandy over at Functional Schmunctional has tagged me for another Random Things meme. Obviously, I didn&#8217;t run fast enough!  Link to the person who tagged you Post the rules on your blog List 6 random things about yourself Tag 6 people at the end of your post Let each person know [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mah Peepull&#8230; the inimitable Grandy over at <a target="_blank" href="http://functionalshmunctional.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Functional Schmunctional</a> has tagged me for another Random Things meme. Obviously, I didn&#8217;t run fast enough! </p>
<ol>
<li>Link to the person who tagged you</li>
<li>Post the rules on your blog</li>
<li>List 6 random things about yourself</li>
<li>Tag 6 people at the end of your post</li>
<li>Let each person know they have been tagged and leave a comment on their blog</li>
</ol>
<p>It&#8217;s going to be hard to pull more out of my ass come up with more random things, <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/07/28/my-first-meme-how-momentous/" target="_blank">because</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/08/17/my-second-meme-not-as-momentous-as-the-first-i-suppose/" target="_blank">I</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/10/08/must-have-hot-tub-not-negotiable/" target="_blank">have</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/12/18/but-my-fave-is-eggnog-with-a-shot-of-kahlua/" target="_blank">done</a><a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/11/18/100-things-about-dory/http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/12/29/the-wannabe-meme/" target="_blank"> this</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/11/16/there-are-7-deadly-sins-too-coincidence-i-think-not/" target="_blank">a</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2007/11/18/100-things-about-dory/" target="_blank">time</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/10/29/why-use-one-word-when-ten-will-do/" target="_blank">or</a> <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/17/siete-mas-uh-thing-os/" target="_blank">two</a>. I&#8217;ll do my best.</p>
<ol>
<li>I haven&#8217;t ridden a bicycle since I was in 8th grade. That was about 22 years ago. But then I bought a motorcycle, took a safety course, and got my license in 05/2007. I don&#8217;t really like driving a motorcycle; I&#8217;d much rather just be a passenger. When I&#8217;m driving, it&#8217;s just too scary and out of control. The whole time, all I can think about is how many different incredibly painful ways I could die on that bike. This doesn&#8217;t exactly make for a relaxing hobby. But I&#8217;m glad I did it, because it made Hunky awfully happy.</li>
<li>I&#8217;ve only had one speeding ticket in my whole life. That&#8217;s not because I&#8217;m <em>careful</em>, it&#8217;s because I&#8217;m <em>lucky</em>. </li>
<li>My dad does stained glass, and I wish I could, too. But I can&#8217;t imagine taking on <em>another</em> hobby in addition to sewing and photography <em>and</em> scrapbooking <strong>and</strong> woodworking <em><strong>and</strong></em> riding on the back of Hunky&#8217;s motorcycle. </li>
<li>I miss the smell of having a real Christmas tree, but it&#8217;s just too much hassle. But then again, it doesn&#8217;t <em>really</em> feel like Christmas without that smell.</li>
<li>When I was in 6th-12th grade, I played flute in symphonic band and marching band. THIS DOES NOT MAKE ME A BAND GEEK, HUNKY. Back me up, here, Mah Peepull.</li>
<li>I&#8217;ve watched the entire series of Friends, all ten seasons, at least five times all the way through. That&#8217;s not as bad as it sounds; it&#8217;s just that when I&#8217;m working on the computer, I like to have it on. I&#8217;ve also been through Scrubs seasons 1-6 four times. And Will &amp; Grace seasons 1-4 at least three times, and House seasons 1-3 once. </li>
<li>Sorry, I&#8217;m having to dig in the muck at the bottom. The cars I&#8217;ve owned: 1986 Gutless Cutless, 1989 Pontiac Grand Am, 1992 Pontiac Grand Am, 1991 Dodge Dakota, 1990 Dodge Shadow, 1986 Dodge Aries K Car, 1992 Plymouth Acclaim, 2000 Dodge Stratus, 1999 Saturn SL.</li>
</ol>
<p>So there ya go. I&#8217;m not going to tag anyone because I just did less than a month ago, and I&#8217;d rather not be lynched or tarred and feathered. And if anyone tags me in the next couple months, my head is going to explode.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>Smoke and asses and mirrors; that&#8217;s what little bloggers are made of.</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/20/smoke-and-asses-and-mirrors/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/20/smoke-and-asses-and-mirrors/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 20 Nov 2008 14:30:43 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[I wright gud]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1235</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Mah balance. I haz lossed it. I blame NahNoMoFoMe. It is just so hard to write every single day. I worry that I&#8217;m going to lull you into a state of unconsciousness. I worry that I&#8217;m going to lull MYSELF into a state of unconsciousness. And the more inept I feel, the less I want [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mah balance. I haz lossed it.</p>
<p>I blame NahNoMoFoMe.</p>
<p>It is just <em>so hard</em> to write every single day. I worry that I&#8217;m going to lull you into a state of unconsciousness. I worry that I&#8217;m going to lull MYSELF into a state of unconsciousness. And the more inept I feel, the less I want to write.</p>
<p>Between writing posts, reading blogs, commenting, fussing with my blog design, and twittering, I&#8217;m spending way too much time in front of the computer. I haven&#8217;t cheated and backdated any posts. But is it worth my brain disintegrating in a fiery hell of SUCK?</p>
<p>My Google Reader is so voracious, I can barely keep up with it. I haven&#8217;t cheated and &#8216;Marked as Read&#8217; a single post without a least giving it a good skim, and at most reading then clicking over to comment. But is it really worth it reading until my eyeballs fall out and roll around on the floor picking up dust bunnies and/or my family has put my face on the back of milk cartons?</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve worked on my blog design for <em>at least</em> a few hours this month. At first I was just kind of sprucing up the place. Well, then it <em>did</em> actually crash once, and I never did figure out why. I had to deactivate every plugin and reactivate a few at a time, and then rebuild everything including the Tabbed Widgets as I lost all my text widgets in the crash. I like it better now than before the crash, but was it worth 47 days of my eyes being <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">stabbed by those little drink swords</span> crossed by code?</p>
<p>My house projectile vomited all over itself. Some of the laundry came up the stairs and tapped me on the shoulder and politely inquired as to when it might expect for an estimated time of washing. Coincidentally, Hunky walked up to me and announced that if a load wasn&#8217;t done tonight, he was going commando tomorrow. (Hint: He&#8217;s not currently enlisted in any of the Armed Services.) Then I opened the fridge, and either the boys have been doing more fancy science experiments than I ever conducted, or I believe it&#8217;s time to throw out some leftovers. My kitchen floor is so filthy, I can&#8217;t come up with hyperbole outrageous enough to do it justice. I&#8217;ve been slacking around here and it&#8217;s really not fair to Hunky.</p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t been giving my job hunt the priority it deserves. I&#8217;ve been applying for jobs, but not near enough. I&#8217;ve been temping, but it&#8217;s never a full week, and never more than I would get for an unemployment check. So by the time they take my earned wages off of my unemployment check, I&#8217;m making the exact same amount as I would have sitting my ass at home on the couch watching movies and collecting full unemployment. But my unemployment benefits are about to run out, and at this point, I have to start applying for shit I really don&#8217;t want to do to pay the bills.</p>
<p>I haven&#8217;t completed a single book in the month of November, and that is SO not like me. That&#8217;s like Martha saying, &#8220;I haven&#8217;t carved a single gourd into lovely&#8230; &#8221; Turkey booties? I don&#8217;t know, honestly; I don&#8217;t watch her show.</p>
<p>I have at least three picture collage frames that I&#8217;ve bought but I haven&#8217;t ordered the prints to go in them. I rilly, rilly want to finish cleaning my basement so I can set up a place down there to have all my craft crap in one place, and a small rec area with TV, DVD, VCR, and PS2. I want to go out into the neighborhood and take more pictures. I want to kick Manual Mode&#8217;s superior, snarky, smarmy ass. I want to set up an Etsy shop for my photography. I haven&#8217;t done any sewing (unless you count me sewing that patch onto Kizzle&#8217;s hockey jersey) and I miss it. I want to cut out more squares for the boys&#8217; t-shirt quilts, because they&#8217;ve actually been asking for them. Every time they outgrow a t-shirt they&#8217;re particularly fond of, they ask, &#8220;But I&#8217;ll see it again in my t-shirt quilt, right?&#8221; Well, yes, but at this rate, it may be your high school graduation gift, if we&#8217;re lucky, son.</p>
<p>I just want a magic pill that gives me an extra 12 hours in a day.</p>
<p>I saw a commercial for something like that, where this chick was just, like, on her hands and knees scrubbing her kitchen floor, obsessively lining up the throw rug fringe, and cleaning the bathroom tile with a toothbrush&#8230; What was the name of that stuff?</p>
<p>I wish I could remember&#8230;</p>
<p>Oh, yeah!</p>
<p>METH.</p>
<p>So, yes, I know they already make them and they&#8217;re called Methamphetamines, but I&#8217;ll pass, thanks.</p>
<p>No, just a little pill that will grant me a spare half day, with no nasty side effects such as my teeth falling out of my head, over-obsession almost to the point of insanity, [;/'''reeeeeeeee Emma just walked across my keyboard and she wanted to share that] insomnia on steroids+HGH and vitamin supplements; oh, and an addiction more powerful than heroin. OOOooo, can you make them with no side effects and make &#8216;em taste like Mike &amp; Ike&#8217;s? That&#8217;d be groovy, dude.</p>
<p>I just need to make the scale swing the other way. I need to spend less time in front of the Mac, and more time investing in my family. I want to complete the NahNoMoFoMe thing, then take a couple steps back and reassess to <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">admit I&#8217;m not</span> make sure I&#8217;m spending my time as wisely as I can. I know I can do better than I&#8217;ve been doing.</p>
<p>But we have a more dire issue presently.</p>
<p>Mah funneh. I haz brokeded it.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve been looking over the last few months and for the most part, I&#8217;ve felt disappointed with the quality of the word dance I&#8217;ve pushed out onto my little stage here. I&#8217;ve wondered and pondered and obsessed and worried that I&#8217;d lost it. My voice.</p>
<p>I almost allowed myself to forget why I&#8217;m doing this.</p>
<p>I was reading writers way out of my league and starting to think that as good as they are, made me worse.</p>
<p>I was frustrated with throwing myself into trying to find my connections with the blogoshere and starting to think that as popular as they are, made me less lovable.</p>
<p>I was watching my feedcount a little too closely, and trying to figure what I might have written that would explain a drop from 25 to 9 in one day, and was starting to think that as fickle as they are, made me less interesting.</p>
<p>I was reading pro blogger tips and was starting to think that as successful as they are, made me more of a failure.</p>
<p>I caught myself starting to whine, &#8220;Why don&#8217;t I have H8Rs and Trolls and obnoxious Anonymousi spitting their venom all over my comments?&#8221;</p>
<p>Then I pulled my head out of my ass.</p>
<p>This is MY casa.</p>
<p>I reminded myself that the writer I needed to be comparing myself to, and constantly challenging, was <em>myself</em>. I need to push my <em>own</em> limits, and refine my <em>own</em> voice. I haven&#8217;t <em>lost</em> my voice; I&#8217;ve just suffered a little laryngitis.</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve got to write for first of all, myself; to dare myself to push my talent harder and longer and stronger. (That made me feel a little bit dirty just then, how about you?)</p>
<p>And second of all, all of you, my Innernetz Budz; to make you laugh a little bigger, forcefully spew a little more raspberry mocha cappuccino in your keyboard, think a little longer, feel a little more connected, and care a little more.</p>
<p>And if the big girl (and boy) bloggers never notice me, that&#8217;s got to be ok.</p>
<p>As small a world as it is, <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dooce.com" target="_blank">Dooce</a> will never be my non-practicing lesbian lovah complete with matching decoder rings. Someone told me she was just a mythical hobbit, and I know she&#8217;s not, but she might as well be Angelina Jolie for all it will change my life. <a target="_blank" href="http://thepioneerwoman.com/" target="_blank">Ree</a> will never invite me out to her ranch to work cattle with MM and the punks and give me one-on-one photography lessons.</p>
<p>I will try to write as strikingly as <a target="_blank" href="http://windinyourvagina.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Black Hockey Jesus</a> and as unabashedly as <a target="_blank" href="http://www.avitable.com/" target="_blank">Avitable</a> and as bitingly witty as <a target="_blank" href="http://thebloggess.com/" target="_blank">The Bloggess</a>; but if I never do, that&#8217;s got to be ok.</p>
<p>And damn the page views and subscriber count. I&#8217;m thankful for how much I&#8217;ve honed my writing talent to this point, and will continue to spin the mental Thesaurus and dig a little deeper. I&#8217;m grateful for each and every comment you guys grace me with, and will continue to enjoy connecting with you.</p>
<p>I hope I&#8217;m not blowing smoke up my <em>own</em> ass.</p>
<p>I hope you all notice the difference.</p>
<p>But if you don&#8217;t, as long as I&#8217;m doing my best, that&#8217;s got to be ok.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>We interrupt your regularly scheduled naval gazing for a special report.</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/12/we-interrupt-your-regularly-scheduled/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/12/we-interrupt-your-regularly-scheduled/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 12 Nov 2008 17:57:25 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[blog bling]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comment whore]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[photoshop]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1181</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[This just in&#8230; An unnamed source has just disclosed that Dory is writing for Blissfully Domestic on their Photo Bliss Channel. Rumors had been flying around for a few days, but now there is proof: Dory&#8217;s first article has been published. Supporters are strongly encouraged to show their backing by leaving a comment on said [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blissfullydomestic.com"><img class="alignleft size-full wp-image-1182" style="margin-right: 10px;" title="Blissfully Domestic" src="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/11/blissfullydomesticlogo1.png" alt="Blissfully Domestic" width="175" height="56" /></a>This just in&#8230;</p>
<p>An unnamed source has just disclosed that Dory is writing for <a target="_blank" href="http://www.blissfullydomestic.com" target="_blank">Blissfully Domestic</a> on their <a target="_blank" href="http://blissfullydomestic.com/channel/photo-bliss/" class="broken_link">Photo Bliss Channel</a>. Rumors had been flying around for a few days, but now there is proof: Dory&#8217;s <a target="_blank" href="http://blissfullydomestic.com/photo-bliss/family-portraits-photoshopping-less-nervous-breakdowns/" target="_blank">first article has been published</a>.</p>
<p>Supporters are strongly encouraged to show their backing by leaving a comment on said article using the most superlative hyperbole they can muster in their endorsement of this exceptional example of outstanding journalistic essay.</p>
<p>That is all.</p>
<p>We now return you to your regularly scheduled naval gazing.</p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>Nosmo King*</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/06/nosmo-king/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/11/06/nosmo-king/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 07 Nov 2008 05:57:52 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1123</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[So, I don&#8217;t wanna jinx it or something, but I think I quit smoking. When I met Tom (Hunky), he had smoked a pack or two a day since high school. Reds. We were friends for a while, and that was fine; I kind of liked the smell of a cigarette lit with a match [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>So, I don&#8217;t wanna jinx it or something, but I think I quit smoking.</p>
<p>When I met Tom (Hunky), he had smoked a pack or two a day since high school. Reds.</p>
<p>We were friends for a while, and that was fine; I kind of liked the smell of a cigarette lit with a match when we were taking his car. He and his roommate smoked in their apartment. But I could tolerate my friend smoking around me. That was fine.</p>
<p>But. We became a little more than friends. Before we got very far, I told him I couldn&#8217;t date a smoker. Just not an option. He didn&#8217;t quit.</p>
<p>Later, I told him I couldn&#8217;t accept a proposal until he quit smoking. He didn&#8217;t quit.</p>
<p>Later-er, I told him I couldn&#8217;t marry him until he quit smoking. He didn&#8217;t quit.</p>
<p>So after begging and pleading and fighting and coercing and arguing and crying and groaning and gnashing of teeth, nigh, even unto hyperventilation, guess what? He didn&#8217;t quit. And I had the unmitigated gall to act surprised.</p>
<p>What was it about cigarettes exactly that was so great? Because, he must really love smoking more than he loved me, of course. (Did I mention I was kind of a drama queen about the whole thing?) Why couldn&#8217;t he just quit? Why didn&#8217;t he <em>want</em> to quit?</p>
<p>I was working second shift at MCI and we&#8217;d all get off at 11:30 and go to the bar across the street, O&#8217;Maggie&#8217;s. One night, I was sitting there with my friends, drinking and laughing, and long story short: they showed me how to smoke. I was 21. At first, I just smoked after work at the bar. Then, I was smoking on breaks, too; I had discovered the social aspect of smoking at work. Then, screw it, I&#8217;m smoking at work and the bar, why not just one in the morning before I left, and one with Tom before we went to bed? And one day when I wasn&#8217;t paying attention, I became a smoker.</p>
<p>Fast forward a few months, and I found out I was pregnant with Rocky. I dropped the cigarettes like a bucket of cockroaches. Then after he was born, post-partum depression hit, and I started drinking, then smoking, again. I kept smoking even after I found out I was pregnant with Dino. I told myself since they were ultralight 100s and I was rationing three a day, it was fine. I smoked for another few years after he was born. Several times I tried to quit, and I&#8217;d get a week or so in, sometimes a month, and something would happen that I would go, screw it, I gotta smoke just one. And the next day I was a smoker again. There was one time that I tried to quit, and I started having what we thought were maybe asthma attacks but then decided maybe they were panic attacks (it&#8217;s all very which came first, the chicken or the egg; asthma, then panic or panic, then asthma) and I started again to make whatever it was go away. I said, <em>leave it to my stupid body to have trouble breathing </em>after<em> I quit smoking!</em></p>
<p>In October 2004, I quit, and managed to stay on the wagon for a while. Then I did smoke the night of my graduation party. The next morning I was so hungover, had I tried to smoke, I&#8217;m convinced it would have been like a scene out of The Exorcist. I managed to only smoke that night and not pick it back up.</p>
<p>I started working at my first real graphic designer job in January 2006. By December 2006, I was having huge problems at work and started having panic attacks again. I started smoking just one or two, because it would make them stop. Again, when I wasn&#8217;t really paying attention, I became a smoker again.</p>
<p>Now, today, I still really <em>like</em> smoking. I know I shouldn&#8217;t, for my health and good hygiene, but gosh, I really <em><strong>like</strong></em> smoking. I like the habit. It&#8217;s like a blankie. I like the social part of smoking. There&#8217;s like, a bond, between smokers, almost like the bond between motorcyclists. I don&#8217;t smoke in the house, and I do smoke in my car. (And it smells like ass.)</p>
<p>Things have been changing in my environment that affect my smoking habit.</p>
<p>Strike one: In July, Cedar Rapids became non-smoking in all restaurants and bars. So no more smoking when you go out to eat. When you&#8217;re drinking, if you&#8217;re lucky, you have to go outside to a beer garden. But sometimes that isn&#8217;t even an option and you have to smoke a certain distance from the building.</p>
<p>Strike two: This year, I don&#8217;t have a set habit of smoking at work because, well, I don&#8217;t have set work. I temp or I&#8217;m at home. And oddly enough, when I&#8217;m at home, I don&#8217;t smoke for several hours at a time, sometimes even a whole day. So no set habit of smoking at work.</p>
<p>Strike three: A couple weeks ago, I bought my brother&#8217;s car from him, and oh my gosh, it actually smelled really nice. I decided no smoking in my new-to-me car.</p>
<p>Adding insult to injury: Every winter, I end up smoking less because I go out to the garage to smoke, and that&#8217;s kind of a pain in the ass when it&#8217;s toasty warm in here and nipples-at-attention cold out there.</p>
<p>Finally, I got whatever chest cold that&#8217;s been going around and I&#8217;ve been sick as hell since last weekend. My chest was so congested and painful, I <em>couldn&#8217;t</em> smoke.</p>
<p>Now, today was the first day that I felt not-so-sick anymore, and I didn&#8217;t smoke. And I haven&#8217;t smoked yet. I kind of feel like I could maybe not smoke tomorrow.</p>
<p>I just know that the problem comes at the moment I decide, Ok, NOW I&#8217;m not smoking. Because then, all I want in the whole wide world is a damn smoke.</p>
<p>We&#8217;ll see.</p>
<p>Rip it, roll it, and punch it, dude. But this is the non-smoking section.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">*Remember this from one of the Beverly Cleary &#8220;Ramona&#8221; books?</p>
<p style="text-align: center;">
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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		<title>It is a riddle, wrapped in a mystery, inside an enigma; but perhaps there is a donkey.*</title>
		<link>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/09/09/it-is-a-riddle-wrapped-in-a-mystery-inside-an-enigma-but-perhaps-there-is-a-donkey/</link>
		<comments>http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/09/09/it-is-a-riddle-wrapped-in-a-mystery-inside-an-enigma-but-perhaps-there-is-a-donkey/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:10:13 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Dory</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[get to know me]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[quiz]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/?p=1001</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[I&#8217;ve never really dug politics. In general, politics makes me feel stupid, when I know I am not. It doesn&#8217;t help having an incredibly smart opinionated husband (yes, I am biased, thanks for athking!) bolstered by an $18,000 a year education going off on a 20 minute rant carefully constructed monologue, of which I recognized [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>I&#8217;ve never really dug politics. In general, politics makes me feel stupid, when I know I am not. It doesn&#8217;t help having an incredibly <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">smart</span> opinionated husband (yes, I <em><strong>am</strong></em> biased, thanks for athking!) bolstered by an $18,000 a year education going off on a 20 minute <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">rant</span> carefully constructed monologue, of which I recognized all the words he was using, but they made no sense in that particular order. Kind of like when you order something that has some assembly required. But you open up the instructions, and it&#8217;s obvious that it&#8217;s been through a few translations on the way back to English. Because obviously, what part of &#8220;Lean screw tab for to in bracket slowerly SLOT A adjacent quick in for the TAB B except nut through for to shelf can washer toward construct missing&#8221; do you not understand?</p>
<p>Which, BTW? The <a target="_blank" href="http://twitter.com/dorydorydory">twitters</a> all through the DNC? All me. The twitters through the RNC? <strong><em>Not</em></strong> all me. While I was out <span style="text-decoration: line-through;">shopping</span> stimulating the economy, he hijacked my twitter.</p>
<p>Anyway, this election year, I&#8217;m really trying to GET IT. I really want to understand why I chose the candidate I did, and be able to back up my choice with a more intelligent argument than &#8220;BECAUSE&#8230; shuddup.&#8221;</p>
<p>Because politics and smart choices and cheesy online quizzes all go together sooo smartly&#8230;</p>
<p>Way earlier this year, I regaled you with my <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com/2008/01/08/blue-and-red-make-purple-my-list-is-grape-scented/">grape-scented</a> list.</p>
<p>Then I took this.</p>
<table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="2" width="350" align="center">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="center" bgcolor="#eeeeee"><span style="font-size: 14pt; font-family: Georgia,Times New Roman,Times,serif;"><br />
<strong>Your Political Profile:</strong><br />
</span></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td bgcolor="#ffffff"><img src="http://www.blogthingsimages.com/howliberalorconservativeareyouquiz/politics.jpg" alt="" width="100" height="100" /><br />
<span style="color: #000000;"><br />
Overall: 60% Conservative, 40% Liberal</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Fiscal Issues: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Ethics: 25% Conservative, 75% Liberal</span></p>
<p><span style="color: #000000;">Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal<br />
</span></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
<div><a target="_blank" href="http://www.blogthings.com/howliberalorconservativeareyouquiz/">How Liberal Or Conservative Are You?</a></div>
<p>You see why I have more homework to do?</p>
<p>I can&#8217;t wait to watch the McCain/OBama debates.</p>
<p>[we pause a moment for those who <em>know</em> Dory to pick up their dropped jaws off the floor in amazement at that last statement]</p>
<p>I&#8217;ve never cared this much about politics in all my life. Who <em>is</em> that chick in the mirror?</p>
<p>Rip it, roll it, and punch it, dude. Don&#8217;t slip on the confetti.</p>
<p style="text-align: right;">*This is a play on the <a target="_blank" href="http://www.phrases.org.uk/meanings/31000.html" target="_blank">quote by Winston Churchill</a></p>
<hr />
<p><small>
© Dory for <a href="http://www.cantrememberdiddly.com">Can&#039;t Remember Diddly!</a>, 2008. All rights reserved. This post cannot be republished without express written permission. •
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