A Big Block of Cheese

I have to credit my friend & co-worker Jeanine for honing in on my one-liners and urging me to blog about them. Good thing we had the Natalie conversation first, or this entire blog might have been called "a big block of cheese."

Allow me to explain: I'll start by saying that there are two TV shows that I truly love and make an effort to watch every week--The Office (that's what she said!), and The Biggest Loser. On last night's episode of TBL, Michelle (my favorite remaining contestant) said "Nothing tastes as good as thin feels."

As I shared this with Jeanine this morning, I said something to the effect of, "So I'll just have to tell myself that when I'm faced with..." (pause to imagine a tempting food) "...a big block of cheese."

For some women, it's cake or chocolate. Alas, for me it's cheese. What can I say? Two best foods in the world: bread and cheese. (Think about it--bagels and cream cheese, pizza, grilled cheese, cheese and crackers, cheese quesadillas, brie and baguette... uh-huh.)

At any rate, enough about cheese. I have to share with the world how happy (and completely sad) I am that my two favorite dogs at the SPCA, two American Staffordshire Terriers named Brutus and Buttercup (60 & 70 lbs, respectively, and 6 & 3 years old), were adopted last Friday!

Brutus and Buttercup were surrendered by their owners over the summer--probably sometime in July if I recall correctly. They quickly became favorites of mine and the bulk of the staff and volunteers at the SPCA. Although they looked quite intimidating (especially to someone like me, who grew up with miniature schnauzers), they were complete sweethearts. Brutus wanted nothing more than to cuddle and have his belly rubbed, and both were very affectionate. A number of times, I went into their room to visit them and sat on the floor, and both would curl up next to (or sometimes on) my legs. (My heart would melt.)

I am delighted that we were able to place them in a home together, but I did tear up when I saw their empty room on Saturday. Although I'd been fortunate enough to work with them the week before, I still felt like I hadn't had a chance to say a proper goodbye. If all goes well, though, I won't see them again because their new owners will love and adore them as much as I do! Okay, enough sappiness.

For a final note, I will leave you with an amazing quote from a NYT article. I will preface this by saying that, although I have my political leanings, I consider myself a very open-minded person who tries to focus on merit rather than political affiliation. In fact, I split my ticket pretty evenly this November. That said, the thought of Sarah Palin in any other office outside of Alaska frightens the dickens out of me. Here's why:

"Here’s Palin’s response, after Matt Lauer asked her when she knew the election was lost:

'I had great faith that, you know, perhaps when that voter entered that voting booth and closed that curtain that what would kick in for them was, perhaps, a bold step that would have to be taken in casting a vote for us, but having to put a lot of faith in that commitment we tried to articulate that we were the true change agent that would progress this nation.'

I have no idea what she said in that thicket of words."
-Timothy Egan, Guest Columnist http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/07/opinion/07egan.html?ref=opinion

Blog, The First

Welcome, friends and soon-to-be-friends!

...So. I grew up in the 1980s--the height of teased bangs, blue eyeshadow and intensely emotional and synthesized music. And along with the Sarahs and Kims, there were Natalies. I realized today, however, after talking to a friend and colleague (I won't go into the specifics of what prompted this discussion) that I don't know anyone named Natalie now. Natalie Wood (deceased). Natalie Portman (I will never meet her). And, um. That's it. So--I ask you--where have all the Natalies gone? Perhaps by the end of my blogging days, I will have that answer.

Okay. Now that that's out of the way, onto the blogging topic itself. Public speaking teaches us to never open with an apology or something that could undermine our credibility--"I'm not a great public speaker, but..." or "I'm not an expert on this topic, but..." Well, since this is blogging I think I can bend the rules a bit and openly admit that I'm not quite sure what I want this blog to be.

I have visions of chronicling my dating escapades (ahem, assuming I ever go on a date again... perhaps this blog should be called "Where have all the single, eligible, kind, career-oriented and family-oriented men who like women like me gone"). Or perhaps I could chronicle my perpetual attempts at self-improvement (go to the gym more, stay on top of paperwork, keep in better touch with friends), or I could talk about my favorite tv shows, music or movies. I could be the next Bridget Jones! Ha! Somehow I don't think the world needs another Bridget Jones (although I'd settle for a Mark Darcy).

Perhaps (more likely) I'll post regularly about my adventures volunteering at a local animal shelter, about good (and not so good) experiences I have about town in the Triangle area, and, well, whatever else comes my way.

And (just in case you were wondering): (a) yes I do enjoy using parentheticals, and (b) no, my name is not Natalie.