Sunday, October 24, 2010

How I Spent My Weekend: A Pictorial Essay

I went to visit my dad & stepmom for the weekend -- it was the first time I'd been to their house since they moved out of Town (a small town) and into The Country.
And I DO mean 'country', complete with one-lane dirt (MUD) road and tree-obscured signposts.
It's one of those places you have to get to by landmarks - you know, "turn left when you get to that lightnin'-struck oak tree, which is about a half-mile past the red barn that has the giant rooster weathervane. If you get to where you can see the blue truck still up in the tree from the last tornado, you've gone too far".

It was FABULOUS. Also the first weekend I've not worked in...I don't even know how long.
**please to excuse the pix, they were taken with a camera phone

The pear tree in the backyard is obscenely abundant this year:



I spent a lot of time down at the fishin' hole...





Where I ran into KERMIT!



This dude was in camo - he was right between my feet. Can you see him?
I tried to catch it - I only needed this one and about 500 more to make a nice meal. MMM FROG LEGS:


ME GET FOOD!:



I wanted to make some Turtle Soup but someone beat me to it:



My offspring knows how to catch her supper too...:


...because Grandpa is a good teacher:


And there were PARACHUTERS!!! I wish you could see these - they were right next to the sun so I had to point & shoot and hope for the best. The tiny black speck? A parachuter!



I feel like a John Denver song.

Friday, October 22, 2010

10/22/88 - 10/22/2010

If I was still married, today would be my wedding anniversary.

22 years on the 22nd.
IF I was still married.
Which, as you know, I am most definitely NOT.

I have mixed emotions.

I remember being young, in love, and hopeful...
(also DO NOT DIS THE HAT, IT WAS THE 80s FOR CRAP'S SAKE)



And I remember loathing the asshat I married (now THERE is a story in itself, and it ain't pretty)...


It was a poor decision (we've established that those're about the only kind I know how to make) by a too-young & not-wise-enough girl who had to learn the hard way.
But it was a lesson learned that will never be forgotten.

Sometimes I miss that girl. But only a little bit.
Happy anniversary to me.

Monday, October 18, 2010

Back to Basics

Aaahhh, I'd forgotten how it is to blog for the sake of...well, blogging.
I know, I know, I'm late to that particular party. Some of you have remained true to your original blogging plan, some have strayed and returned, some have reincarnated and found a new home.

I've resisted returning to regular blogging because I don't have a niche. What's more, I don't WANT one. I don't want to have an "elevator pitch" to blurt out when people ask "what's your blog about?". It's about everything and nothing. It's about anything I want.
It's about kids and disabilities, work and play, it's about how I feel the gas company bending me over every winter and about random stuff that *I* find amusing, whether anyone else gets it or not. It's about inappropriate funeral humor and ranting and soapboxing and bra reviews.

Last night it felt really good to unload some feelings I've been hauling around so that I can deal with them properly. I'd forgotten that I need to examine my issues so that I can fix them. It was like blowing out the cobwebs and I feel ... nicer, today.
Well, relatively speaking.

Nowadays so many blogs are all about the angle, the motive, the monetizing. Hey, that makes no nevermind to me - none of my business. Whatever works for you.
But I remember the days before mommybloggers went rabid over advertisements and logos. The days when tech bloggers often amused us with personal posts. When no one talked CONSTANTLY and INFINITELY about branding and social media and monetize this and that. When there were like 3 blogging conferences a year and they were A Big Deal. (well, they still are A Big Deal to me)
Our once pretty tight community has spread and changed with facebook and twitter.

Remember Michele Agnew's weekend Meet & Greets? Those helped keep me on track with the blogging, because HEY! People were going to come here to say HELLO, MICHELE SENT ME and I needed to have something NEW!
Also I somehow had more time back then.
Now I spend a LOT more time on email - which I love, don't get me wrong. I couldn't get through my day without email from a certain couple of someones who know who they are.
With them, I haven't really needed to blog like I used to. So you can just blame them for my rusty blogskillz.

But yeah, this feels nice. For the moment.

My blog is me, in text form.
What's yours? Has it changed, evolved?

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Dear My Blog:

Hello, you.
I've missed you. Have you missed me?
I gave myself some advice today - sometimes you have to go back to the beginning and start over.
I guess that way a person can see where she might have strayed from the path.
The trick is to NOT TAKE THE SAME FORK IN THE ROAD.
I mean really, that just sounds like good common sense, right? But I surprise myself with the propensity for doing things the exact same way even if I didn't like the outcome the first (or second or third or even fourth) time.

So, my blog, my friend, my pal, remember when you and I started together, back in LiveJournal land? So much ANGST! ANXIETY! PRESSURE!
Those were the Zoloft years.
I'd forgotten how much you smoothed my rough edges.

So I thought I'd tell you - because hey, we all need to hear it, right? - some of the reasons I love you, blog.

1. You never criticize me. Which is good, because you ALSO know how much I don't like to be criticized. Even if it seems like I'm taking it well, I'm really NOT.

2. You always allow me to share my feelings, good and bad, and never once have you told me I was wrong to feel that way. You don't interrupt and you always let it be all about ME, if that's how I want it.

3. You don't analyze me, you don't pick me apart, and you're never mean on purpose. You let ME be mean on purpose though, and I really love that you don't judge me for it. Well, there have been a couple of disapproving looks but I knew you just did that for form's sake.

4. No matter how badly I screw it up, you never hold it against me. You comfort me instead and help me realize that next time will be better. You make me feel better instead of bad about myself.

5. You let me vent, cry, laugh, snark, yell, complain, swear, talk about sex toys and cleaning products and chocolate fried pies...and you always let me be exactly who I am.

Blog, it's good to be home. And remembering why I moved in here in the first place.
Oh, and thanks for not moving without telling me, like my parents did that one time.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Say....

Have you ever been sitting at work and feel a little tickle on your foot and you glance down & you don't see anything so maybe it's just a piece of lint or fuzz or a hair and then you feel it again later and don't bother looking except it keeps tickling and then you look and IT IS A SPIDER and then you scream and jump up and kick out and of course you're wearing flipflops so your shoe goes sailing across the room and almost takes out your co-worker's earring and then nearly cracks the window?
No?
Oh, me neither. I was just asking for someone else.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

What the WHAT?

I keep forgetting how to blog.
I'm all OH THIS IS SO BLOGGABLE and then I forget by the time I sit in front of the computer.
Or else maybe I'm taking less showers than I used to, because everyone knows showering is the best way to percolate a post.
No? Just me?

TWO THINGS.

1. If you're local to OKC, (or just visting, whatever), I invite you to check out Mayhem At The Market on Sept. 30th. If you're into boxing, kick-boxing (KICK-BOXING, SPORT OF THE FUTURE! I LOVE YOU LLOYD DOBLER), or Mixed Martial Arts, you'll have a great time and get caught up in the excitement of live matches!
IT IS GOING TO BE FUN. OR ELSE.
I mean...please come!

B. Big thank you to KLOUT and FOX TV's Lone Star for the most awesome Party Pack they sent!
As soon as Jami & Lisa get theirs, we gon' have us a LONE STAR WATCH PARTY!
Plus I had to order some Lonely Guy cardboard cut outs so I could have some guests.

OH YEAH I get to preview Lone Star BEFORE the rest of you losers who have to wait until the September 20th premiere and they gave me the party pack but I am NOT OBLIGATED TO SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THEM AT ANY TIME.

**official disclaimer type thingy so you people don't get all up on your soapboxes or high horses or whatever:
I was given a free product or sample because I'm a Klout influencer. I was under no obligation to receive the sample or talk about this company. I get no additional benefits for talking about the product or company.


SO THERE.

This concludes our advertising and promotion for this week.

Thursday, August 19, 2010

Make me laugh. I dare you.

I have an assload of work this week and I'm stressed and crabby.
So play a game in the comments and make me laugh.
Just write a sentence or two and together we will make a story...

"It was a dark and stormy night. I was alone in my kitchen, heating up some milk to go with my bottle of whisky, when all of a sudden..."

Tuesday, August 03, 2010

Because sometimes Life Sucks And Then You...Don't Get To Go To BlogHer

Due to a series of bad-luck and bad-timing circumstances beyond my control (far too long and boring to go into right now), I've had to cancel my trip to BlogHer NYC.
My heart hurts.

I've never been to New York and so of course I'm extremely disappointed about that, but mostly I am sad over the fact that I will not get to spend this tiny but essential bit of time with my friends - some of whom I was (anticipating with great delight) going to meet face-to-face for the first time.

Don't you hate it when Real Life gets in the way?
(P.S. PLEASE FEEL FREE TO SEND ME SOME SWAG. I love that stuff.)

Thursday, July 29, 2010

Well that's certainly nervy.

I'm sure many of you remember THIS EMAIL from StepfordMomCentral I got recently?
Well imagine my surprise when I got another "review opportunity" in my email today!
Clearly one hand doesn't know what the other is doing because they've grown and expanded (AND lost or moved all the good and wonderful ladies with whom I loved communicating)...OOORRRR maybe they're just sadistic Mean Girls and want to twist the knife, taunting me with another opportunity  so that they can summarily REJECT ME YET AGAIN as they have for EVERY review I've signed up for in the past year.
I imagine them cackling madly and sneering and saying "HAHA LOOKIT SHE'S SO DUMB SHE'S GOING TO ATTEMPT IT AGAAAAIIIINNNN! Now let's see if we can make her bang her head into a brick wall!"

Okay, not really -- clearly my little blog and I don't matter so much in the grand scheme of things.
I am just amazed at the ABSOLUTE NERVE.
If I was the last blogger standing, I wouldn't review a product for MomCentral.
But it sucks because I wouldn't mind checking out the sunblock wipes.

Monday, July 26, 2010

Where's akaMonty?

Let's play a game!
As previously mentioned, I will be traveling to BlogHer '10 wearing this:



And I will be coming from Will Rogers Airport & landing at LaGuardia, via changeover at DFW.

You can find me here Thursday night:

FIND ME!


And remember...


THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT.




The game is... come and find me. You will receive the prize of one hug. Or handshake. Or smooch if you're someone I think will let me smooch them. I have breath mints.
WELL HELL I DIDN'T SAY IT WAS A GOOD GAME.
Also it has the crappiest prizes ever. But WTF THEY ARE FREE SO SHUT IT.
That is all.
Have a day.

Wednesday, July 21, 2010

Forget Foursquare: How to find me in The NYC.

I have a shirt made every year for traveling to BlogHer. (P.S. THANK YOU VistaPrint for free t-shirts!)
It actually comes in handy... my first one was for San Francisco a couple years ago, and to my great good fortune I was spotted by Schmutzie and she was my very first blogger contact in SFO. 
She is beautiful and delightful and brainy and I was so so so glad to connect with her in the airport! Together we found our way to a shuttle and to the hotel and 2 years later I still think she is totally ginchy. <3

So if you are in an airport or on a shuttle bus or in a taxi on your way to New York City next month and you see the chubby lady with (lots and lots and lots of) "laugh lines" wearing this shirt, PLEASE COME TALK TO ME. 
PLEASE.
For reals.

As BlogHer '10 creeps closer every day at the speed of light ...well, I have mixed emotions about it.

Don't get me wrong - I LOVE going. I love almost everything about it: I love renewing friendships, spending time with people I adore but only get to be with once a year, meeting many blog-pals in person AT LAST... I love the swag, I love the awesome meals... I love the topics and the speakers and of course all of the people who work so hard every year to make BlogHer a success. I love visiting cities to which I've never been, seeing sights I've never seen, eating food (like my first attempt at sushi in San Francisco with Fausta, Mamacita, and Kimberly!) that I've never eaten...smooching Karl (don't be hatin' because you're jealous).

But if you truly know the real me then you're aware of one of my biggest secrets: I. Am. Painfully. Shy.

In fact, my first experience at a BlogHer conference was as a speaker on this very topic.
My online self, while it is totally real and completely me, is also much braver about "speaking up and speaking out".
My online self doesn't hesitate to type what I might only THINK in the "real" world for fear of embarrassment or a joke that falls flat or a reference that no one gets.

On the other hand...

My offline self does not go out of her way to avoid confrontation, but she is somewhat more tactful and more hesitant to speak up and out.
My offline self is shy.
My offline self is cursed with incredibly low self esteem and wonders why anyone would possibly want to be around her. 
My offline self hangs on the fringes of the groups for fear of being thought too pushy, or too loud, or too TOO.
My offline self is envious that she is not more of a joiner and doesn't get the "cool" party invitations... although she'd probably be too shy to go anyway. MAYBE.

My offline self is currently suffering anxiety at the thought of the crowds and the people and the cliques and the groups of friends to which I long to belong.

I only remind you of all these things so that if you recognize me at BlogHer and I do not speak or return your wave, it's only because I was busy looking at my feet or the ground and I didn't see you, or there was so much noise that I didn't hear you.

And if you're waiting for me to come up to you first... well, good luck with that.
It's only because I tend to freeze up with the pressure. 

But once you get to know me? Well, I am at least somewhat likeable. 
Or so people tell me.
If you're desperate for friends I mean.
Unless of course you LOATHE me online, then you will also most likely loathe me in person.

Just know that I am DYING to talk to you.
And all my misanthropic tendencies will be carefully put away until I get back home.
Promise.

Saturday, July 17, 2010

Breaking in to Rock Star

I am taking a well earned break from bitching and so decided to steal a MEME (I KNOW. SHUT IT.) from the one and only Karl Erikson (I pretend he's my boyfriend sometimes, and say things like "OH, my internet boyfriend Karl does THIS and says THAT and LALALALALA" so that people stop giving me That Look because I am 42 and unmarried and then they don't want to introduce me to their boyfriends and husbands because CLEARLY I AM A BLACK WIDOW/COUGAR TYPE and OMG I forgot what I was even talking about just now. What?).

SO.
I saw this at Karl's place and he said it'd been around forever but I've never seen it so HOORAY, COOL!
I thought it was not only nifty, but also swell.

Here's the what:

Album Cover Meme

1 – Go to “wikipedia.” Hit “random”
or click en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:Random
The first random wikipedia article you get is the name of your band.
2 – Go to “Random quotations”
or click http://www.randomquotes.org/
The last four or five words of the very last quote of the page is the title of your first album.
3 – Go to flickr and click on “explore the last seven days”
or click www.flickr.com/explore/interesting/7days
Third picture, no matter what it is, will be your album cover.
4 – Use photoshop or similar to put it all together.

My band Apia just released our debut album, "The Sum Of Both Of Us".
I hope you enjoy it.
It is truly awesome.



PLUS if you order now, you will receive the 30 cd set of "Polkas Through The Ages" ABSOLUTELY FREE! That's a value of over $7500 and can be yours only by calling our toll free number RIGHT NOW!
1-800-YOU-SUCK
Thank you for calling!


**original photo located here


Thursday, July 01, 2010

From the "Are you fucking KIDDING ME right now?" Files

As many of you are aware, I have been a big fan of Mom Central and the people I've worked with there (IN THE PAST, I MEAN) for a couple-three years. I used to get a ton of blog tours - in fact, there were a couple of months that I had several reviews in a row.
Mom Central and Mother Talk... ah yes, in the beginning when they were starting out and wanted blogs that seemed to have a decent readership. I also recommended Mom Central & Mothertalk to several of my favorite fellow bloggers, helped bring them on board so that we could share recommendations about different products, services, and books.

Sadly, it appears that they've fallen victim to the Too Big For Their Britches Syndrome.
They don't need little old ME any more.

They keep sending me offers and I keep signing up --- and I keep getting rejected.
WTF?
Finally about a week ago after YET ANOTHER REJECTION, I replied that I was very disappointed that for the last year I hadn't been given any tours.

TODAY I GET THIS EMAIL:


Hi Shannon,



We conduct periodic evaluations of our Blog Roll for quality assurance purposes to ensure that all blogs meet the needs of our brand partners. At this point, due to some of the editorial content of your blog (for example, the use of swear words), we don’t feel as though you are a good fit for Mom Central campaigns. We will conduct another evaluation in a few months and would be happy to re-evaluate your blog at that time.

Please let me know if you have any questions, we would be more than happy to jump on the phone to talk with you about this further. 
Thanks and have a great holiday weekend,
Elizabeth



Elizabeth Chapin 
Project Manager

Mom Central Consulting

So...I guess moms don't swear?



I was always under the impression that the WAY I wrote my blog, without pretense or fakery or suck-uppiness, is WHY Mom Central picked me in the first place.

But clearly MOMS DON'T GET TO SAY FUCK.
OR SHIT.
Or talk about dildos.

Well you can keep your blog tours and products - it's not worth having to be someone I'm not just to tell people how much I love Clorox products.

NICE GOING, STEPFORDMOM CENTRAL.

Wednesday, June 30, 2010

Women Are Not Funny. Theoretically.

Clearly I am a natural choice.
Behold me in all my glory! This Friday at 4pm ET I will be the much honored and fêted (not fetid)(although some would debate that) superdeeduper special best of anyone ever guest on Women Are Not Funny with the much less popular but much prettier Kay Ballard!

You will want to be there, if only to make fun of me as I sit in awkward silence for 60 minutes before becoming belligerent and possibly drunk and do my best to ruin not only this particular show but also Kay's ENTIRE REPUTATION.

I mean, she's already got a bad reputation, but I'm talking about ruining her professionally. That kind of thing is just really fun for me.

Aaaaand I know my own show is on a temporary hiatus, I really think that I should celebrate being on Kay's show by having a Friday Night Live at its regular time - Friday night at 10pm EASTERN - wherein I will probably do a lot of smack talking about Kay and her fans.
If she has more than I do...well, prepare for some headstabbing.

To recap (because some of you NEVER PAY ATTENTION AND OH YEAH YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE AND I AM TALKING TO YOU):

FRIDAY July 2 at 4pm Eastern: Women Are Not Funny with me and Kay Ballard
FRIDAY July 2 at 10pm Eastern/9pm Central: Friday Night Live with me and some music and bitching and stuff. The usual.

Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Counting Of The Blessings

I find that every so often it's a good idea to remember to be thankful for the little things that we tend to take for granted.

Things For Which I Am Thankful Today:

1. Waking up this morning.

2. Deodorant. (I wish everyone was as thankful for this as I am. Srsly.)

3. Whoever first got their chocolate in someone else's peanut butter.

4. Whoever first got their peanut butter on someone else's chocolate.

5. Toilet paper.

6. Duct tape.

7. O_____ B_________a.

8. Inside jokes. (see #7)

9. The person who thought baking soda and peroxide would make a great toothpaste.

10. You. (well, most of you. Or some of you. At least a few of you. You, and not that other guy.)

What are you thankful for today?

Saturday, May 22, 2010

How do I put my life on a diet?

I try not to complain *too* much about the particular challenges in my life, especially the things I don't talk about here...or anywhere, really.
I'm superstitiously afraid I'll jinx it because THINGS CAN ALWAYS GET WORSE.

But some days I am completely overwhelmed with an inability to cope. I feel as though I'm held immobile by a 20 ton weight, filled mostly with Failure and Self-Pity.

Today is one of those days.


In other news, I "stole" a cigarette from my neighbor.
It made me sick and dizzy and was fan-fucking-tastic.
Don't judge.

Monday, May 10, 2010

FINALLY!

You remember the movie TWISTER? And the town where Helen Hunt's aunt lived, Wakita?
Right around there is currently getting pounded with severe baseball and softball sized hail and tornado ON THE GROUND (at least as of 10 minutes ago).
There are HOOK ECHOES! There is CYCLONIC ACTIVITY! WALL CLOUDS! CIRCULATIONS!
What does this mean??
IT IS TIME AT LAST to break out the annual
GARY ENGLAND DRINKING GAME!


I stole this from Sleeping Mommy a couple-three years ago, and if you have ever lived in Oklahoma this game will make perfect sense to you.
Hell, if you've ever visited Oklahoma in the spring or summer, it will make perfect sense to you.

Have fun!
and GO HANK! You're my dude!
GARY ENGLAND DRINKING GAME

(I left SleepingMommy's comments in parentheses because they made me giggle)

*Pregame


*1. Everyone selects a storm chaser other than Val Castor.
(Monty sez: I choose Hank when I just want a little buzz. He doesn't get as much action)
(Val lives in Stillwater and Gary talks to him CONSTANTLY.)
Every time Gary talks to your storm chaser, you take one drink.
Take two drinks every time we see footage from your storm chaser.
Take four drinks if your storm chaser says "tornado on the ground!"

2. Everyone selects a county other than Pottawatomie County.
(Because we are always hearing about Pottawatomie County.)
Every time Gary mentions your county, you take one drink.
Take two drinks every time we see footage from your county.
Take four drinks if a tornado touches down in your county.

*One drink


*1. Take one drink every time Gary says the following:
Hook Echo | Updraft | Metro | Doppler radar | Wall cloud |Ranger 9 | Underground | Mobile home
2. When Gary gives a list of counties, take one drink for every county in the list.
(Oklahoma has 77 counties but somehow they all get mentioned at some point.)
3. Take one drink every time Gary interrupts a program.
Take one drink if Gary says "You’re not missing any of [program name]." (This is a major concern damnit!)
Take one drink when Gary says "We’ll keep you advised." (Like we had any doubt that you wouldn’t.)

*Two drinks


*1. Take two drinks every time Gary says the following:
Baseball-sized hail | Waterloo Road | Pottawatomie County | Deer Creek High School (How many times has that high school been hit anyway?!?)
2. Take two drinks every time Gary mentions the following towns:
Altus | Burns Flat | Dill City | Gotebo | Hydro | Lookeba | Meeker | Mulhall | Oktaha | Olustee | Shattuck | Slaughterville | Tryon | Vici |Waukomis | Wayne (or Payne) | Weleetka | Wetumkah (The only one that is even slightly big is Altus.)
3. Take two drinks every time Gary talks to Val Castor. (Now we are gonna get really drunk!)

*Three drinks


*1. Take three drinks if we see footage from Val Castor.
2. Take three drinks if we see footage from Pottawatomie County.
3. Take three drinks if Gary mentions the following:
Immediate tornado precautions | National Weather Service | Mesocyclone | Portable Radio | Take shelter | Tornado warning in effect until ...

*Four drinks


*1. Take four drinks if Ranger 9 must land to refuel. (Notice it doesn't say when it lands to take cover, we don't land our aircraft in a tornado around here, we fly AROUND them.)
2. Take four drinks if Gary issues his own tornado warning, not recognized by the NWS (He's a renegade that way) or says the following:
"Will someone please answer that phone?" (He takes this stuff seriously damn it, answer the phone.) or "Do you see the power flashes?"
3. Take four drinks if a shirt-less tornado victim is interviewed. (Redneck land, yo. There is a reason I get dressed and put on shoes when a storm is in the vicinity.)

*Finish your drink


*1. Finish your drink if someone uses the word tornado as a verb or if Gary mentions the cross streets nearest to you.
2. If Gary says "We’ve lost Val," pour a little out for your homies and finish your drink. (Poor Val…)


If THAT won't get you drunk, it can't be done.

Monday, April 19, 2010

MY BIRTHDAY VIDEO!

My dear friend Jami made this for my birthday... ENJOY. I sure as hell did.


April 19. What a day.

The RHOK

Although I am not technically a "housewife" -- I work outside the home and I am NO kind of wife, the Real Housewives Of Oklahoma let me play with them anyway.

The Monday question from TheRHoK this week is "Where Were You On April 19, 1995?"

That was the day our Federal Building was bombed, and at that time the worst "Domestic Terrorist" strike. 168 lives were lost. Some of the faces of those lost ones were familiar ones to me.

1995 was the year my children were born. On this day in 1995, my children were still in Children's Hospital - far too close for comfort to the bomb site.
I remember going ballistic on the NICU staff because a bomb threat was called in to Children's Hospital, as well as the VA Hospital across the street (where my dad & stepmom both worked at the time), and they said THEY WERE NOT EVACUATING at that time.
They were "waiting" until closer to the time of the threat.
You can imagine how well that went over with this first time mom who's children were already in a touch-and-go situation, having been born three and a half MONTHS early.

When the truck-bomb went off in front of the Murrah building, I'd heard the roar and my windows shook a little, but having lived for years under the flight path of Tinker Air Force Base, I barely even noticed and if I thought about it at all, it was easy enough to put down to a sonic boom from passing aircraft.

Until I turned on the news and ... was devastated. I cried that whole day.
I didn't have a job at the time - I spent most of my time at the hospital with my kids.
This day I was at home by myself because I had a slight fever and cough and was not allowed in the NICU.

It was my birthday.

I'm glad it was my birthday, though bittersweet from then to now - because I will always, always remember the ones we lost.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

STOP LOOKING AT MY EYES, my boobs are DOWN HERE


And lookin' pretty spiffy, if you ask me.

Those of you who REALLY know me, know how much I hate shopping. The only time I get even the smallest enjoyment is around Christmas time, and even then I do it begrudgingly because THERE ARE LOTS AND LOTS OF CROWDS AND PEOPLE REALLY REALLY ANNOY THE CRAP OUT OF ME.
Ahem. But that's not what I want to talk about right now.

I especially hate shopping for myself -- which is why I am currently wearing my House Of Blues t-shirt that I got in New Orleans in 2000.
It has a lot some holes.
And okay, so MAYBE you could read a book through it.
BUT ONLY IF THE INK on the pages was really dark.

And so maybe I'm wearing Frankenbra because the wires keep breaking on my favorite bras and I end up with ONE good bra from two half-broken ones - and I am too lazy WAY TOO BUSY to go shop for a new bra.

ANYWAY.
When you get to be almost 42 (which I will be in only THIRTEEN SHORT DAYS), and your breasteses happen to be au naturel (as mine are - no silicone, saline, or even silly putty), then some women (me) start to worry about ... saggage.

THAT'S RIGHT I SAID SAGGAGE.

Luckily I was given the opportunity by a great company, N-Fini Shape to try out some shapewear.

My usual body shape is sort of...circular. So I was hoping this would squeeze in where I need to be squeezed and smooth where I needed some smoothin'.

I expected this to be uncomfortable -- I've tried "shapewear" before from other makers and it's been uncomfortable and girdle-like and the edges roll up whenever you sit down and UGH.

I can honestly say that N-Fini's Double V-Neck Bralet is VERY comfortable.
I fell asleep in it one night and had no sore spots in the morning from bands or straps cutting into my fat flesh overnight.
It's very smooth, very stretchy, and just firm enough to be supportive.
My favoritest favorite thing about it is that I do not spend all day hauling the freaking shoulder straps up.
SHOULDER STRAPS ARE THE BANE OF MY BRAEXISTENCE.

I got the bralet in nude and while it doesn't have the LIFT I want (clearly I likes me underwires and this particular one doesn't have them), it does keep all the moving parts from being jiggly. It also creates a nice smooth line under my closest fitting tank tops.

THEY ACTUALLY MAKE THIS WITH UNDERWIRE - and I am so pleased with the bralet I have that I am willing to pay actual good money for one with an underwire.

I KNOW. I'm almost as shocked as you are.
Also? PLUS SIZES.

They've also got tank tops, undies, shorts, capris -- all manner of things to help you look smoother and shaplier.

And at my age, it ain't gettin' any easier.

P.S. Also buying me presents will help ease the pain of aging. Is all I'm saying.




**DISCLAIMER: To be CLEAR and TRANSPARENT and ALL THAT OTHER CRAP: I was given a sample product by N-Fini to review but I am receiving NO OTHER COMPENSATION whatsoever.
For really-o.