circle of life

lately i have been contemplating the idea of fairness. it sure is a bummer that not all people are free from worrying about money or never experience heartache or loss. but it really irks me when i hear someone say, "that's not fair." 

what is 'fair'? 

is it fair that we in the U.S. never have to worry about religious persecution while christians in China have to go to church underground and live in constant fear of losing their lives if discovered? is it fair that people in third and fourth world countries have to live in poverty so that developed countries can maintain a high standard of living?  

i am not suggesting that it's bad to wish your life was different. i'll be the first to admit that i have those days. but instead of complaining about it or feeling sorry for myself i slip into my oversize sweatpants and granny panties, grab a pint of ben & jerry's 'imagine whirled peace' ice cream, and pop in a flick about someone whose life is far more deplorable than mine. and i feel instantly better.

after much consideration i have decided that the only thing fair in this life is death. no matter who you are or how much money you have (or lack), you will die. so cease feeling sorry for yourself and make sure that you live the life you've been given before it's too late. 

this is not to say that i don't fantasize about karma (or a similar higher power) keeping the universe in balance. when i watch the vikings games i can't help but think, "karma's a bitch, brett favre (and so are you). and that's what you get for being too proud to admit that you're too old to play pro football. and for breaking the hearts of millions of packer fans." i mean, i do feel sorry for him when he gets hurt; i'm not sick enough to rejoice when a grandpa breaks his ankle or has to get stitches in his chin. however, he should have quit while he was ahead. and wearing a green jersey. 

yeah... i'm bitter. 

speaking of bitter and unfair... i hate the game skip-bo (aka spite & malice). how about my 0-13 record? justin is 8-5, amy is 3-10, michael is 2-11. and i am ZERO for thirteen. you may wonder why i continue to torture myself. it is because one of these days i will win and it will be glorious.

cosmic encounter is a whole other story, however. suffice it to say, i dominate. 2-0 for me last night. and unlike skip-bo, this game is based mostly on skill. i feel vindicated. if you are a board game aficionado it would be an injustice for you not to play this game. it's delightfully dorky and crazy fun. 

it is essentially me in board game form. 

i am proud to be in the ranks of dorkdom. it gives me pleasure to include eco friendly tips in my posts, even though i'm pretty sure it solidifies my position as dork extraordinaire. the tip for this post is inspired by the overwhelming smell of taco meat that is presently taking over my apartment (the worst part is that the smell is coming from the neighboring unit). 

since it's too cold outside to open a window, a candle unfortunately becomes the best weapon in my arsenal to fight the smell of dead animal. and while my bath and body works candles will make my room smell amazing, relief of the stench of taco would come at a cost and may be hazardous to my health. so i woefully resolve to live with the smell that is wafting through my walls.

"por que (why)?" you may ask. well allow me to be the bearer of bad news.

the wax in most candles is made with paraffin which is petroleum based. and i hope that at this point you realize that petroleum is a non-renewable resource and its production causes pollution. additionally, burning traditional candles causes indoor air pollution as oils used to scent the candles are toxic when burned. 

so, next time you buy a candle consider purchasing a soy, pure beeswax, or vegetable-oil-based candle as these are naturally occurring products and are non-toxic. my favorite places to find such candles are target and the body shop. they smell just as good and your lungs and mother earth will thank you. 

stay neat, peeps.

another snuggie sunday

as i was sitting alone in my apartment this morning talking aloud to myself i decided that i might as well write down my random thoughts instead of wasting them on non-existent ears. and while i like to pretend that the football players, seemingly only a few feet away from me, can hear me yelling at them, i realize they cannot. or else they'd probably be playing better. and sadly i don't live in toy story world where bear and mooska are actually alive.

i had a vision of my future self just now... and it isn't pretty folks. i was sitting, watching football, in a well-worn leopard print snuggie. drinking coffee. with a big brown bunny as my sole companion. yikes!

quick side note... let me offer you a word of advice about 'big brown bunny'... i suggest you avoid doing a google image search of that particular phrase. you will find yourself viewing more than a few unsavory images... lots of cook-a-boos and penetration and things these innocent eyes need not see. feel free to look into it though if you're interested in that sort of thing. no judgments if you are.

i have a confession. and as i won't judge you i trust you'll reciprocate the gesture. here goes...
i was freezing all night last night and i couldn't figure out why. until this morning. when i realized that the window right by my bed was open a crack. oye... blond moment of the day has been had. i am allowed one a day, you see, since i was born a blondie even though i am no longer a member of the light hair persuasion.

seeing as how i live in the great state of minnesota it's that time of year that i dread... the inevitable passing of summer. however, the cooler weather is made sweeter by the many great things fall brings... like football and sending the little ones back to school. and if you haven't made it out to an apple orchard or bonfire yet this season, i suggest you do so stat. it's too bad i can't have all the beautiful colors and lovely scents and tasty foods and still have the temperature be above 70 degrees. but if you get yourself a hot apple cider and find a buddy to snuggle up with fireside you'll warm up to the idea of cooler weather as i have.

to make things even better, it is the first fall that i have not gone back to school. feel free to congratulate me. anyways, as a recent post-grad with a bachelor's degree in environmental studies i feel that i should put my education to use. so i have decided to include an eco-friendly tip in each of my posts.

i am noticing that it is the best time of year to decorate eco-friendly. i was at my friend jen's house last night and she had a great centerpiece on her table... it was a tray piled high with miniature pumpkins and gourds. it was so cute! another option would be filling a big glass bowl or hurricane with red and green apples, limes, pomegranates, cranberries, etc... you could also forage for acorns, pine cones, and paper birch bark. that is going to be my project on my day off tomorrow... if i can get my lazy butt out of my snuggie that is.

today is a beautiful day and tomorrow is going to be AWESOME.
stay neat!