It's a short trip to Crazy Town

I used to pride myself on having a good memory. I never forgot a face. I could accurately identify every unlabeled baby picture in my mother's photo albums box of family photos. I could sit in a college class, pay decent attention and pull out a B without ever cracking a book.

And then I hit the real world. And got a job that completely fried my brain. The more responsibility I gained, the more completely useless information I was required to store in my increasingly overtaxed brain.

So now, while I still have an excellent memory, much of it is useless. I can recite every policy and procedure my old company had for the credit card program. I can parse out a VIN for you and tell you exactly what each section means, down to where your vehicle was built. I can recall the name of every vendor I did business with. during my 4.5 years there

But it seems I have no room left for any new information. You know, like the names of co-workers or vendors I presently work with. Or the fact that our anniversary is tomorrow and I completely forgot until yesterday.

I have always been a master list maker, but now I need lists of my lists. I live in a world populated by calendars, To Do lists and bright orange sticky notes. If I don't write it down, I will forget. I keep a notepad by my bed so I can write down all the things I think of while I'm lying there desperately trying to turn off my brain and sleep. I tote my To Do list with me practically everywhere I go.

My latest forget-me-not inspiration? My Palm Pre. Every time I think of something I want to add to my To Do list, I email it to myself. My inbox is full of notes to self: blog post ideas, emails I need to send, appointments I need to make, books I want to read.

Am I the only one who wishes she had a delete file function in her brain? What tricks do you use to keep yourself from losing your mind?

Facing the Giants Needle

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I come from a family full of bad backs and had my first bulging disc at the ripe young age of 24. I was suspicious of chiropractors in general, believing them to all be quacks who hurt more than they helped. That is, until I needed one. Now I am a firm believer in chiropractic care and I consider monthly massages to be a health necessity.

Unfortunately, I've not found a chiropractor that I like here in Indy. My Knoxville chiro set the bar pretty high and despite my best efforts, I can find no one even close to his level in our no-longer-so-new hometown. And although my monthly massages have staved off the daily headaches I used to suffer, my back and shoulders are wound tighter than a Nate's hand around my credit card on Black Friday. At this point, I don't think simple massages are going to fix this.

So I'm considering this:

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Acupuncture.

I am terrified of needles. I have to be dying before I'll visit a doctor because I'm convinced all they'll want to do is suck out my blood. My phobia is so bad that I don't even like to be touched in the crooks of my arms because it gives me the needle heebie jeebies.

So considering acupuncture means I'm desperate. I lie in bed at night and rationalize to myself: It won't be so bad, it's just in my back. I won't even be able to see them. I won't look at the needles. I can take drugs before I go. Maybe they'll let me have a cocktail if I promise not to drive.

I get all brave at night, thinking I can do this and I'll make some calls in the morning - and then I look up an acupuncture website, take one look at those needles and start hyperventilating at the mere thought of someone jamming pointy-ended sticks into my delicate as a baby back.

My head knows it will help. My back is screaming for relief. But I just don't know if my nerves can take it.

Have you ever tried acupuncture?

Have you ever faced a fear head on and overcome it?

Tuesdays at the Table

This one's an oldie, but a goodie. And now we'll be making and eating it on our brand new deck. Summer lovin', havin' a blast.

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Grilled Pizza

Ingredients:
Pre-made pizza dough (I use the Pillsbury kind)
Baby spinach or arugula mix
Tomatoes
Mozzarella (fresh or processed, whatever your preference)
Salt
Black Pepper
Extra virgin olive oil
Balsamic Vinegar

Instructions:

1. Prepare outdoor grill to medium heat.
2. Spray a large cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray.
3. Cut the pizza dough into 4 sections, so you have 4 mini 'crusts'.
4. Place pizza dough on hot grill. Cover grill and cook 2 to 3 minutes or until dough begins to stiffen. (Time will vary according to your grill, so watch carefully the first time so that you don't burn your dough!)
5. Carefully move the dough back to the cookie sheets with the 'cooked side' up.
6. Top the dough with spinach, tomatoes and cheese.
7. Return dough carefully to the grill. The topping side should face up and the 'uncooked' side should face down.
8. Cover grill and cook another 1 to 2 minutes (again, your grill will vary) until the bottom of the dough stiffens and cheese begins to melt.
9. Remove the pizzas from the grill and drizzle with olive oil, balsamic vinegar, salt and pepper and to taste.

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I have been making this recipe for several years and unfortunately I have absolutely no recollection where I found it, but it is one of our favorites. I would eat it every single week if I could. We do it on the grill in the summers and then when it gets too cold, we just use the oven everywhere that it says 'grill'. It doesn't have the grill flavor but it's still super yummy.

I like to make mine exactly like the recipe. I add mushrooms and pepperoni to Nate's and leave off the olive oil drizzle, so there are lots of ways to play around with this idea.

Happy grilling!

Happy Anniversary, My Love

I Love You

by Roy Croft

I Love You,
Not only for what you are,
but for what I am when I am with you,
not only for what you have made of yourself,
but for what you are making of me.
I love you for the part of me that you bring out.
I love you for putting your hand into my overflowing heart
and passing over all the foolish, weak things that can't help,
dimly seeing there, and for drawing out into the light all the
beautiful belongings that no one else had looked quite far enough to find.
I love you because you are helping me to make of the dreams of my life
not a thought but a reality,
Out of the works of my every day not a reproach but a song...
Yes, a Love song.

Seven years ago today....

State of Mind

Loving: my new laptop!

Hating: the heat and humidity

Craving: time with my sisters

Wanting: to purge the house of everything that is unnecessary

Reading: Kelly Cutrone, If you have to cry go outside

Watching: Pretty Little Liars

Listening to: my newly stocked iPod

Looking forward to: our anniversary tomorrow!

Worried about: the work/life balance

It's not a mid-life crisis until someone gets a tattoo

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Well, hello there. I'm back.

Miss me?

I'd like to say I'm back and better than ever, after my longer-than-expected technological hiatus. But that wouldn't be quite true. Is there a such thing as a third-of-life crisis? Because I'm pretty sure I'm having one.

You know how when men have a mid-life crisis, they dye their hair, or get a random tattoo, or run out and buy a convertible?

Yeah, that's totally happening to me.

Suddenly, everywhere I look, there are sassy, sporty, suh-weet convertibles - and I want one.

• I see myself zipping downtown to work each day in black Nissan 370Z.
  

• I dream of Saturday afternoon shopping trips with a girlfriend in my red Mini Cooper.

• I envision sexy summer date nights with Nate in my slate gray Infiniti G37.

Who cares that it's only top-down weather like three months out of the year? Never mind that I'd be terrified to be on a snowy interstate in a Mini Cooper what basically amounts to a tin Campbell's soup can. Room for a baby seat, groceries, suitcases? Who needs 'em?

Five years ago when I could have had any car I wanted, I chose the biggest mid-sized family car I could find. It never even crossed my 24-year-old mind to get a sporty two-door, let alone a convertible. But now that I'm a grown-up, responsible, almost thirty-year-old, trying to procreate woman?

I WANT A CONVERTIBLE AND I WANT ONE BAD.

Practicality be damned.

In my prayers today....

What: Moment of Silence for Cohen

When: Thursday July 1st from midnight to 11:59 pm.

How: Bloggers participating will post the Cohen banner (below) or simply post Cohen’s name in large letters on their blog.

Why: July 1st Megan and Brent will be holding Cohen’s memorial service. The moment of silence is an opportunity for Megan’s blog community to stand behind her and support her on this difficult day. Linking up will give Megan a chance to see the support at a glance.

Participating bloggers can Link Up on today at Send Love To Cohen.