Keep the Peter out of the Payroll

I just got out of a meeting with the honorary Herb Brautzsch.  This is my only disclaimer: Herb and I use raw tell it like it is language and I apologize if it offends you.  ON THAT NOTE:  Oh my that man never ceases to amaze me of the topics to which we talk about…today it was about all the women he had never been with.  I should say nothing really surprises me anymore at the craziness of topics.  ………Really?  Really Herbert? Don’t call me Herbert!  My mom used to call me that when I was in trouble!  FINE……..  This was a moment I definitely called him Herbert.  We were laughing until we cried at this ridiculousness!  We go from talking about cheap screws (which I asked him if he was referring to a whore–i told you it was rough language) and he said “she might have been a cheap screw but she was sure a nice girl” as he just wells up again with tears.

He was talking to me about a hair dresser that he never slept with then she got married, another gal Francie Weathers (yes he even remembered her name) to whom back when he was about 17 or 18 he bumped lips and made her bleed and he said he couldn’t get into her pants after that!?  Then, he said for whatever reason or another he just never did.  Like never sleeping with any of the ladies that worked for him.  That’s where his policy of “Keep the Peter out of the Payroll” comes in…Didn’t know why or what?  Just didn’t do it.  I can relate oddly enough.

He told me that he was the best thing that has ever happened to me.  I couldn’t disagree but only laugh and ask why….He told me that he had prepared me for things of the future and one day I would thank him.  Little did he realize that his “Thank you card” was in the mail  🙂

He also told me there was something provocative (not to be confused with being provocative…girls that wear turtle necks are not to be considered provocative these days…) about me.  Like he could really discuss anything with me and I not be offended and just fire right back.  OK….don’t know what that means but, can’t argue.  Personally, I think he thrives on this sort of interaction.  Keeps him moving and his soul on fire.  Keeps his spirits up and keeps him coming back for more!

Got to love words of wisdom from a 95-year-old man.

Good Ole Herb

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Love who loves you…

Today more than ever I feel loved completely and in whole being.  I have decided that I am straight up obnoxious when I am in a great mood.  Which this could be a good and a bad thing but, then again who cares?  ***OK what the heck Pandora!  You are playing “My heart will go on” Celine Dion on my NSYNC station…kind of not cool.***

Well today’s post is in regards to my amazingly awesome day yesterday.  The work day was long but the reward was greater later.  I got to talk to a friend that I don’t see very often.  I was able to go to my Special Olympics Bowling last night and it was amazing.  I have one or two young adults that I help especially and then I try to mesh between the other athletes.  Last night I have a sweetheart named Kevin B. ask if I was married.  I replied no and he then asked if I would marry him!  (How sweet!)  I told him maybe someday!  Then it was his turn to bowl.  This makes my 2nd marriage proposal in about 3 months.

awwwww!

I wish people were capable of that innocence love.  My athletes are some of the most loving, accepting, and wonderful people I know.  Whenever I feel unloved or if I have had a bad day, they totally make life better.  You see the thing is people are capable, but in order for them to experience that kind of love they have to be willing to give everything away.  You see these athletes are ones that might be seen as disabled but, aren’t we all a little impaired in certain ways?  Their intellectual disability causes them to see everything innocently as it should be.  I know that it is difficult sometimes and thankless as parents to have a child with this disability, but the parent’s that come to these events are so supportive.  They never complain, they never give up, and most of all they are there to be their child’s cheerleader!  How blessed am I am able to witness that???  Extremely!  They genuinely love, what most people couldn’t even fathom.

I have friends that that have been there for me and loved me and made me feel worth a million bucks again when my heart and spirit was crushed.  For those friends, I genuinely love back.  They are fabulously divine!  I noticed that I take those people for granted.  What makes a good friend is not how often they are there BUT, when they are there for you.  The timing is everything you see.  God places these wonderful friends in your life when you need them the most and it’s their choice to choose to help or not.  Feel blessed when they do choose to help.  That is a true friend.

Genuinely take care of those who love you.  If they do something great or were there for you, make sure that you thank them in an appropriate way.  Make sure that you recognize that.  They will know that the genuine love is mutual and that friendship is true.

Love love love...

By the way, the music selection definitely got better when I switched my station to Pandora: Def Leopard …..OH yes Gotta love the 80’s!!!

Create not Hate

Yesterday after work I went to pick up some supplies to paint some items for a friend.  I went to Hobby Lobby and man was it windy!  I practically got blown over!  Well, I was only in there for maybe 20 minutes and when I got out to the car I about had a heart attack!  There was a huge white paint mark on my beautiful blue bug!!!

See what I am talking about?

HOW RUDE!  There was no note.  No sign of anyone trying to admit…ugh.  Rude people!  I was venting to a friend last night about it.  He decided that rude people had no place.  I told him that I couldn’t be mad because it probably was an accident really…and  they only make me write more creatively!  It works really to my advantage.  🙂   Create not hate.  There is no reason to hate.  It pulls you down to their level and  it actually makes people more mad when you don’t react!  Think of that one!

Next, instead of getting angry with anything or anyone, I peacefully sat for an hour in quiet time then took it all out on the canvas’.   I was in one of those empowerment moods.  I just pushed out two really cool concepts on them.  Here was my criteria: something to match a sage green, blue and light brown comforter, chocolate brown walls, and something outdoorsy.  YEAH, that is a crazy combo.  But, I think I did well with 2 out of 3 for now!  There was not much guidance or anything on this project so bear with me…they are not quite finished but close!

 

This will be the center frame 🙂

This is “The Owl” that will be on the far left hand side when looking at the wall…

There will be another blue frame on the right hand side but, I am redoing that this evening.  I am super excited!

I have felt so empowered lately.  I have felt more like I am finding what makes me feel like myself.  I am learning how to bloom and figure it out!  Friends that are there to help you along the way…so life is good!  Maybe tomorrow if your lucky, I will share with you a secret!  You will just have to stay tuned for you never know what is in store in the life of a little CatMan.  😉

xoxo

The Curse of Catherine

I must say I truly believe in the “Curse of Catherine” today of all days.  In my family, we have what we have deemed the “Curse of Catherine”.  On my dad’s side of things, both of my Great Grandmother’s were named Catherine, my grandmother’s middle name was Catherine, my Aunt Cathy (also Catherine)….etc….I think you get the idea.  Well my mom’s side it was the exact same…well sort of but, all you need to know is that this is why it is a “cursed” name.

Catherine’s in my family are known for being opinionated, tell it like it is kind of people, well dressed, klutzy, saying things at inappropriate times, woman on a mission, sometimes moody, etc.  I won’t bore you with the gory details.  Oh did I mention random-funny humorous whatevers… (like things that would never ever happen in a million years to someone else) happen to us all the time?  Anyways, so today I was sitting at lunch and I got approached by a man who very closely resembled and Italian Model.  Yes he was just that good looking!  OMgoodness he was so HOTT.  Sigh.  OK sorry you might start to notice I get off on tangents often….I will try to get back to the root of the story now!  AS I was saying….

This man was so good looking.  NO. Stop.  There was a gentleman that came and asked me if I was all by myself today.  I said yes, I was all by myself.  He was cute, young, and looked like he was a million bucks.  OH and he even smelt like a million bucks!  Well, he asked if he could keep me company since I was all alone.  I accepted.  🙂

Oh I was so flabbergasted that a guy of such a caliber could be sitting with little ole me!  We had a delightful conversation.  It was engaging, lively and most of all he had me so mesmerized!  We ordered our lunch and everything was going so well…As the conversation goes, I always knew that no cute random guy wants to talk to me without a catch!  sigh.  Well, it turns out he is ACTUALLY and Italian hustler looking for a cute girl to pimp out and he thought that I might be looking for some extra cash.  Judging by the way I dressed today, yeah I don’t blame him.  It was pretty bad.  When I jumped on my soap box and informed him in my most stern voice ever that “…I have standards and how dare you think that I could ever be made to look like a 2 ton floozy for cash none the less.  You should be run back to your country for this!  I think you are an ass!”  My voice, which I had been paying NO attention to, kept getting louder and louder and by the “ass” everyone had heard it in the joint.

After that, the little creep got his stuff and picked what little pride and dignity he had left and stuck me with his lunch!  What a jerk!  Needless to say, he must have been the one needing the money because you know like heck I could afford it!  😉  I am a high roller don’t ya know?!  Some people….

Well today was definitely a day for the “Curse of Catherine” to sneak out!  I told you.  Sigh.  Who else would this have happened to??  Oh well….guess we will try again tomorrow!

BEWARE LADIES! THIS MAN HAS BEEN SPOTTED AROUND TOWN! DO NOT....I REPEAT....DO NOT FALL FOR HIS ANTICS! (Isn't he cute though??)

Holy Socks

Monday, Monday, Monday…holy socks.  I want to dispel a nasty rumor that is going around that Catholic’s have special socks.  On Monday, I had a holy sock on and my friend thought that we actually wore “holy” socks!  I lost it.  No, unlike the Mormons we do not wear “holy” underwear, or socks for that matter.  Mine, just so happened to have a hole in them.  sigh.  Silly people and their silly believes and thoughts.  heavier sigh.

Today, I am torn.  I am torn because I have so much laundry to do tonight and just not enough time.  I have too much things on my mind to focus clearly and my blackberry just got reformatted and updated.  Now it is running like new.  Billy Joel is getting me thru this apathetic work day and making it more bearable.  Is it bad that today I just don’t care?  I don’t care to be taking on my horrifically long to-do list from heck, or if I don’t care that I am starving and have yet to eat lunch?

A friend of mine shared with me a dream of hers…it was fabulously epic!  She dreamt that I was dressed up as Sandy from Greece, leather and curls and all!

Yep this is definitely me! HA.

Absolutely the most amazing thing.  Lets just put it this way, I can relate.  You know I go for all the bad dangerous guys!  Like my last boyfriend Mo.  He was a biker that I met at this Country Western Bar here in town.  He totally asked me to take a ride on his Harley.  It was love at first bike.  🙂  It was better than I could have ever imagined.  My long flowing hair just blew in the wind.  I must say there was no feeling like it!  Sigh…and then he broke my heart and told me that he wasn’t into girls anymore.  I cried for days then, I moved on to the next man!    I am a serial dater you know…or maybe you didn’t know…well NOW you know  😉

CatMan got her grooooove back…look out!

Yesterday was so much needed.  I think I feel more like myself than I have ever!  I feel like this stage of my life is picking up where I was shattered and create a beautiful masterpiece that will allow me to mature and grow into an amazing woman!  Not saying that I am not amazing now, but DANG (I am trying to give up my nasty habit of cussing!) think of the possibilities!?!?

I was given a card of a single Realtor in the area thanks to my “nail lady Lily”.  I will put it this way….I was definitely not his type.  He is a regular there and I am pretty sure that he was looking for a skinny mini model-esk girl that he could swing around and take out like a Barbie.

Does this look like me? UH I DONT THINK SO!

NEWS FLASH, I am definitely NOT that girl!  🙂  Well just for the record, I do clean up nice but I would rather do my own thing versus have some lousy expectations set for me to fit a mold!  I broke the mold with my awesomeness thank you!

I received a letter from my dear friend D.Robb who is in the Army.  He is one of my best friends and always knows how to make things better.  I wrote him back a letter. D. Robb and I go way back and it was just fabulous hearing from him.  I miss that man dearly!

Sunday was spent with a Nick while I was in recovery mode.  I must say we did a whole lot of nothing and it was the best night ever!  We watched Braveheart, played “spoons”, and ate Hawaiian pizza!  I swear he is like an OLD GRANDPA!  He had a crazy night on Saturday and so he too was coming down if you will.  I feel so secure with him…there is never a care in the world when I am hanging out with him and in fact he introduced me to a new therapy for being pissed off!  My newest therapy–shooting off fireworks!  HAHA.  I felt so amazingly relieved once I lit my little Sparkler Ball (yes that is what it was ACTUALLY called!).  It was a rush because I am usually not coordinated enough to use a lighter and do two things at once but, last night I conquered it!  It was amazing the amount of liberation I felt when I tossed it across the open lawn!  🙂  10:30pm hit, and grandpa was ready for bed!  HAHA!  Between him and my friend Nick man, they make my life so much better!

Now on to my Monday, today I realized I didn’t have any jeans clean for work so, had to dress up dang it!  It kind of stunk because I know that I will be doing kind of some dirty jobs if you will.  Today has been great and very productive thus far.  I was itching my foot this morning and I realize I definitely had a hole in it.  Typical Monday!

AND I just got off the phone with good ol’ Herb to which he had the HARDEST time hearing.  HE WAS COUGHING AND CLEARING HIS THROAT LIKE MAD TODAY!   I asked him how he was feeling.  I asked ” Herb how’s your lungs feeling?”,  “meh…who?”,”YOUR LUNGS”, “what the hell are you saying?”, “your L-U-N-G-S!”  (I had to actually spell L-U-N-G-S!) “Lunges?  what are you saying?”… “NO, L-U-N-G-S!  You know what you breathe with?”…..”OH LUNGS!  Oh they are just fine!  I feel good!”…. “OK that’s all I needed to know buddy!”.  This is a very typical conversation for us…going back and forward for 5 minutes until the message finally gets across.  Oh well.

Today life is good.  I am so blessed and I don’t thank God enough for it!

Simply Beautiful...

A little bit of ME time…

I began my weekend with a movie with a dear friend.  We saw Hereafter, which was amazing.  Then after I met out with some friends at a place called The Rusty Spur.  Last night, I danced like crazy!  I took on the persona of a sexy cow girl drinking my Beam and Coke.  I was complimented on my smile by a complete stranger (how simply amazing is that?), told that I looked cute and confident, told by a friend from HS that my Facebook statuses were something that she could really look forward to and over all it was just enough to keep my spirits up on cloud nine.  🙂  I was simply amazed at what a great impact on my spirit.

I must say today was one of the most rewarding days for me in succession with last night.  Today, I finally felt satisfied.  This never happens.  My little cheerleaders took 1st place at their state competition.  They did so well and I was so glad to see the stress and hard work pay off.  I have provided their link:  

.  This has been the biggest stress as of lately.  Between the girls attitudes, having to discipline, condition, and shout thru things–it became exhausting.  All of my emotions, all of my energy, and time placed into helping develop these girls and finally it has been rewarded in their eyes, their parent’s eyes, and my eyes.  🙂

We had the best ride home in the world.  I am pretty sure that we all were the talk of many dinner conversations due to our craziness.  We were listening to music or all kinds, getting truckers to honk at us, and over all singing our little lungs out.  I have no voice now because of it.  We were laughing, and over all just enjoying each other’s company.  When we got in, I went and got my nails done with my best girl friend.   It was so nice seeing her.  So pleasant  🙂

Currently, I am watching Love Actually.  What a beautiful movie!  It gives me such great hope.  I cannot wait to see what tomorrow brings  🙂

"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands." -Robert M. Persig

And so tonight, I sit and ponder what little changes those bits of encouragement have made in my life and wonder how might I return the favor to help my friends feel the same way!  What a precious gift!

Peace and love  🙂

Hungry for Bandido’s…or Gingervitus?

So I am driving home from work when my sister Claire calls me whining she is hungry.  This is a usual thing at my household considering she is ALWAYS eating!!!  Well she suggests we go to a local restaurant Bandido’s for some food!  She is a good con artist into talking me into getting food.  Well we ventured out seeing as we were the only 2 home this evening.  As we are getting seated, our waiter was laying the “schmoozing” on reaaaaalllly thick.  I mean like thicker than blue cheese.  Claire can’t stop laughing and she claimed that just as he saw my face–he lit up!  Weirdo!  Well the best part of everything is when he brought out our food.  Here’s for daughter and here’s for mom (WHAT?!)  Uh…..no.  Big sister.  His reaction=priceless!  OH, I was going to say…you look great for having a kid this age!  UH…if I had a kid that was 13…I would have been 13 when I had her…and that is DEFINITELY a problem.  He recovered; however he proceeded to stalk me.  He actually “came over” to talk.  I am just trying to enjoy my little sisters company and this creep wouldn’t leave us alone.

Not to sound prejudice against red-heads or anything but, I don’t want to catch your gingervitus.  NOT cool.

So Claire continue to eat and laugh and ask for a to-go box.  On our way out, he goes “so I will see you around again right??”  oh sure….blah!  Get a life tool bag.

Ode to the Creepers that hit on suspected MILFS…

There once were some single ladies,  Who just wanted to eat.  They sat and ordered patiently as the man waited on hand and knees.

Please leave us be now– kind sir for you are kind of being a creep, my sister–yes sister and I…we just want to EAT!

I don’t want to talk to you, I don’t want to lead you on, I don’t want you to ask for my number I just want you to be gone!

So as we asked for the bill, and we’re still carrying on, this man just comes at random times simply to check in…

We take our leftovers and walk right out as the man gives us a shout “we will see you soon, I hope?” our response is “sure you dope!”

All in all a lesson learned, don’t call a girl a mom when she is merely a twerp.  Common sense when needing a good tip, don’t act like I am a mom or old enough to have a kid.

Gingers and creepers beware, stay away from the Manning women, they are sure to scare!

🙂    The end…..

Creeps and Gingers beware!! STAY AWAY!

Throw me a floaty!

Sometimes when we are drowning, we reach out to whatever we can get our hands on to help pull us back up.  For a lot of people, there are so many things that we take personally or to heart.  They aren’t meant to be like that.  But, as humans we can sometimes take ourselves too seriously or forget who we are in the process of figuring out where we are going next.  We are emotional creatures, duh!  For me personally, I am trying to find a balance between figuring out things on my own and depending on others.

I like to learn from others so that way I can make a reflection and apply something from their experience in my own.  This is how I have developed my perceptions.  This too keeps me emotionally protected.  I too am an observer.  I, much like a camera, love to capture the real perception of what or who the subject is.  The truth and beauty of it.  Now, I not so much like the camera, enjoy seeking out what makes my subject really tick.  I am enthralled with digging deep into a person to figure out why they do something or  why they think or perceive the way they do.  There are sometimes however, I must say I have to go with my gut and steer clear from the subject.  Usually they have some emotional negatives attached that I could so easily pick up and frankly I don’t want it!  I have enough of my crap not to worry about other people’s stuff!

As emotional creatures, human beings pick up emotional trash from others.  I like to explain it like a person with tons of strings attached and at the ends of the strings are these tin cans that just follow you where ever you go.  If we don’t let go and cut the strings they just get everything all jumbled and create a mess!  Right now, I am learning to cut those unhealthy strings and move on.  The issue is there is always a scar; so no matter how much you want to forget it, leave it behind there will always be a footprint behind!  How do you forget an emotion?  Yeah, if you find out how, let me know!

Last night I was talked through a panic attack, got to speak with a dear friend who too is swamped in her own life, and hung out with a friend who fed and gave me an amazing embrace.  People so severely take hugs for granted.  A hug was just what I needed to get through my yesterday.  Now I sit with my Jamie Cullum station (oh man that guy just is so sexy!) and am finally relaxed and at peace!  And no, I didn’t dream I wet my pants like I did the night before but, I did throw my scissors out in the hallway this morning.  🙂  If your lucky, maybe I will tell you the story behind it….stay tuned!

Does it seem like scissors are a theme here??  😉

Which one can you relate to?

Dream Interpretation….

I have been a little stressed lately.  My dreams have been reflecting them I am afraid.  Last night, I had a crazy dream that I was going to a faucet and I was getting a glass of water and I urinated on myself (i know gross right??) but instead of getting embarrassed that someone might have seen I just poured a glass of water on myself and laughed “ooops silly me!”

In looking up my dream interpretation this made the most sense: “…To dream that you are urinating, symbolizes a cleansing and a release of negative or repressed emotions. Depending on your dream context, urination is symbolic of having or lacking basic control of your life. You are literally “pissed off” and not expressing yourself in a positive or constructive manner.”  BINGO!  What do I do now to fix that?

Instead of getting “pissed off”, I need to positively deal with them thru therapeutic acts.  Right now, I am listening to 80’s music.  I am trying to let go of the awful situations I cannot change thru singing.  Does it help?  Um…maybe?  But not even Billy Joel could cure this one…I can’t really sing so I feel bad for the other’s in the office.  Do I care?  No!   Maybe I will paint more?  Maybe…but that costs a lot of money sometimes…MAYBE I COULD pick up a hobby!  YES!…but which one?   Maybe I could just laugh?

After today, I might just be insane.  Might as well throw my scissors into the hallway.  I am tired, frustrated but not quite defeated yet.  I am discouraged, but not defeated.  I think I will choose laughter as my therapy at this point in my day.  Stay tuned….

My kind of Therapy! Laughing with a full heart 🙂

Maybe I am getting frustrated because I am in the process of learning how to transform the ugly negative in my life into light and love but I AM NOT THERE YET! What a transformation of patience (that much like singing–I don’t have that one either!)  One of these days I will get there…Promise!