tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7581125896717558602012-01-30T21:14:02.669-06:00These are the anonymous adventures of M.A. Smith and her husband, Ace. Join them as they live their lives and report back most of the details.M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.comBlogger8331100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-14567211900276045352012-01-30T19:57:00.002-06:002012-01-30T20:02:23.671-06:00

After spending almost 8 hours answering the phone at work, I am generally happy to come home and be quiet. Being an introvert, I've used up all my energy being on for the people I'm talking to. I get home and I want to collapse and not move or talk much more than necessary.Ace is trying to adjust to that some, I think. He's used to me talking his ear off occasionally, and right now I'm more

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-57110880714731450852012-01-27T12:20:00.003-06:002012-01-27T12:36:58.338-06:00

After complaining about my job for 2 days, I figure I should post something positive about it. After all, it's not all frustrating people and stress.I had one person calling about her refund who apologized for any frustration her husband was causing us about checking on their refund. She called me Sweat Pea. She made me smile. It was one of the nicer calls I've had.I also had one of the guys at

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-20520815769748497352012-01-26T19:49:00.002-06:002012-01-26T20:00:37.680-06:00

After my slight frustrations yesterday, the IRS decided to drop some exciting news on us today. They had problems with some new filtering software. This is causing delays in refunds.There were many frustrated and disappointed people. Nicely, most of the people I talked to were being reasonable about it. They weren't happy, but they seemed to understand that it was the fault of the IRS.I'm happy

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-22430101709985879992012-01-25T17:32:00.003-06:002012-01-25T17:42:35.547-06:00

I love Ace. He's a wonderful husband. I don't think I'll be taking his latest advice though.After I got home, after a day that felt long, I wanted some chocolate. To help drop the stress off some. Ace suggested I take some chocolate with me to work. If I did, I'm pretty sure it'd be gone with my lunch. And it's not like my day is that stressful, it's just been busy.People are starting to call in

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-34417567587437651102012-01-21T13:19:00.002-06:002012-01-21T13:27:18.802-06:00

Yesterday, I just felt terrible emotionally when I got home from work. I was taking a few things far more personally than I probably should have. It was just a bad day for me. And it wasn't helped by an unexpected shopping trip right after work.Today, I ended up home from work early. I wasn't feeling great physically (hopefully it's just something minor and is mostly my body rebelling at being

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-79027323149530349552012-01-18T20:10:00.003-06:002012-01-18T20:17:04.242-06:00

After my second day of work, I'm feeling less stressed about the whole thing. And oddly enough, it was after spending the day doing something that normally makes me freeze mentally.Right now, we're calling clients to invite them to come back and have us do their taxes. I HATE making phone calls. I can answer the phone with no problems, but you want me to dial and talk? Um, no.Except, when I'm

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-59466518867530480472012-01-16T18:06:00.002-06:002012-01-16T18:13:48.018-06:00

After my first day of work, a day of training, I have concluded that I am woeful out of shape (my back is so unhappy with me right now) and my brain is a bit frazzled because of all the information shoved into it. I'm so happy that tomorrow I have off to let my subconscious absorb all this info.And Ace, once again, throws me for a loop with a change in what I expected on days he works in the

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-26484325525551261182012-01-14T12:17:00.003-06:002012-01-14T12:20:59.315-06:00

Starting Monday, I'll be working. I won't have a full 40 hours a week, but I'm not actually that concerned about it.I'm still thrown that I never got interviewed for this job. Who gets a job that way? (Me, I guess.) The last time I had temporary employment (which this is), I had to be interviewed. On the plus side, I get paid a regular, hourly amount.So, yeah. I'm a working woman again.Yay?

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-12959518345930118292012-01-10T10:51:00.002-06:002012-01-10T11:09:16.214-06:00

Despite the fact that we've only had 9 full days so far this year, this has been the best year so far.Ace finally has people at his office over him that care about helping him to succeed in insurance sales. They are impressed by the time he's put into learning things on his own and they want to see him do well. It's been a change from the last boss he had (at the same office) who didn't seem to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-78253201843441685392012-01-06T11:24:00.002-06:002012-01-06T11:31:27.916-06:00

Okay, since Wednesday, there have been a few changes around here.Ace is continuing to work this job, but he's switching what team he's working on. Hopefully that will fix a majority of the issues that we were having with the lack of training going on. We're at least giving the whole thing a bit longer before we make any more decisions.I am going on Tuesday to fill out paperwork for a job.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-10024434761341772732012-01-04T15:28:00.002-06:002012-01-04T15:43:33.831-06:00

Ace and I are getting a bit frustrated with his job. When he was interviewed, there were certain promises made. During training, there were promises made.Over 6 weeks later, none of those promises have been kept. Instead there are excuses as to why they can't be kept or caveats added to get those promises kept. Ace has been left to flounder until he either improves or quits.Ace and I aren't

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-2509062200744127762012-01-01T12:23:00.002-06:002012-01-01T12:26:14.275-06:00

Ace and I are both expecting good things coming from this new year. We're excited about 2012.And I have about four other things I should be doing right now, so I'll post about our excitement about 2012 later. I just wanted to say:HAPPY NEW YEAR!

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-62045706015679729062011-12-29T10:40:00.003-06:002011-12-29T10:53:56.797-06:00

I'm still alive over here. I enjoyed my Christmas with my dad, step-mom, and siblings. And since then I've been fighting off a cold or a sinus infection or something similar. I've been trying to stay warm and not moving much. I probably should have been napping more.Now if only it didn't feel like I was breathing in something painful and the sneezing so often would stop, I could enjoy my new year

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-67491682286346737882011-12-25T23:30:00.003-06:002011-12-25T23:43:17.477-06:00

It hit me, as I sit here trying to mentally unwind from the day, that I should probably post again. I'm doing better. I'm not focusing on the current financial stuff that had me so upset a few days ago. I don't like not having Christmas gifts for people, and between that and the hormones I was not in a good place mentally. I was obviously having a bad day.Today, while long and full of people for

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46970637672713350812011-12-21T21:18:00.002-06:002011-12-21T21:30:30.637-06:00

The past few years have been hard and frustrating for me. And not just me, but Ace too. We've had way more setbacks in these past few years than seemed possible. But we kept going on, trying to do the right things and trying to find the right paths.Unfortunately, at least for me, when all that happened, I started pushing most of my emotions about everything that was going on to the side. They

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-15768810097834505542011-12-19T22:30:00.002-06:002011-12-19T22:49:34.643-06:00

Today, my sister turned 21. She's fully a legal adult. If she wants, she can legally drink, smoke, vote, join the military, get married, drive, and own property (okay, most of that she could do by age 18, but still).I remember when she was born (okay, not literally, because I was in school and I don't remember much of anything about that school day other than wanting to be at the hospital). I

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-85516011821725478962011-12-15T00:46:00.003-06:002011-12-15T01:03:16.881-06:00

I've been a little distracted lately. I've been doing a lot of reading on adoption. And two of the three days I took off from doing that, I spent not moving much because my back was hurting (the third day, Ace and I were running errands all afternoon, which is when I read).I'm happy to be learning a lot of what I need to know, but I'm slightly frustrated that the more I research the more I find I

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-86433164639073177262011-12-09T10:57:00.003-06:002011-12-09T11:23:14.365-06:00

I love doing NaBloPoMo. It's a great challenge, and even when I know I've posted everyday, part of me freaks out and checks obsessively to make sure I haven't missed a day. It's something that seems like an important part of my life in November. Then December rolls around and I go back to posting randomly. I start letting days slip by without posting, because nothing exciting seems to happen, or

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-22557042247105599042011-12-07T13:09:00.002-06:002011-12-07T13:41:45.200-06:00

One of the worst parts about living with my in-laws is that it's easy to get distracted by things. I'm trying to read about adoption right now, doing research for my book and getting reminded of the process. I keep getting distracted by the cold of the room and the sound of the TV through the shut door.Yesterday, I couldn't force myself to focus for more than 30 minutes on any one thing. Today I

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-88027381511205802592011-12-02T02:59:00.002-06:002011-12-02T03:07:50.938-06:00

My dad commented on a FaceBook post of mine and it's got me thinking. I quoted part of the song Lean on Me (If there is a load you have to bear that you can't carry, I'm right up the road I'll share your load if you just call me.). He said, "just because that is how you roll. You seem to believe keep your friends close, and your best friends even closer."He's right, of course. If you are my

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-10927663027812860692011-11-30T11:00:00.002-06:002011-11-30T11:27:26.999-06:00

I accomplished my goal of 30 posts in 30 days. This is the first November I've ever done this where the whole month ended up being fairly boring. This is the first November that I've struggled some to figure out what to post for about half the month.Ace and I have made some decisions lately that have changed how busy our lives are. We're also adjusting to Ace's new job. He doesn't have set hours

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-48374811911173291642011-11-29T02:38:00.002-06:002011-11-29T02:46:11.750-06:00

or I QuitDear Raid Team,We've had fun these past few months. I enjoyed our time together. Part of me wishes I didn't have to say this, but here goes.I quit. I like you. It is totally not your fault. It's just that right now life is more hectic than it's been in a long while. Ace is working, and working long hours. My shoulder and back are hurting more than they have before. We're trying to find a

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-18700452016713131792011-11-28T02:10:00.003-06:002011-11-28T02:22:37.274-06:00

or Busy WeekAce and I have a busy week this week. We have plans every evening except Wednesday. Also, Ace is planning on working as much as he can the next few months to try to get us to a good place financially.Tonight, we have a few errands to run. Hopefully it won't take too long to be back home. Tuesday night, we have a Christmas party to go to. Taz and her kids may join us for that, but we

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-51956745356789370192011-11-27T01:50:00.003-06:002011-11-27T02:03:43.121-06:00

Ace, Taz (my new friend, called the name she gave me permission to use), and I watched Avatar Friday night. Her kids were spending the night with their grandparents and we hung out and watched a movie. I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie.I had heard that it was about being green, and I guess that message was in the movie some, but it wasn't the message that hit me. Instead, I was

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-17037896622794124112011-11-26T02:49:00.002-06:002011-11-26T02:59:06.996-06:00

Last night, I went to look at Christmas lights with Ace, my new friend (gonna talk to her about the name thing), and her two kids. It was a lot of fun, even if it did feel like the Bataan Death March of looking at Christmas lights.We were walking around at a pretty good pace, mostly because that's the pace set by the youngest member of our party. If I had been setting the pace, we'd have been

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-88211086801137226542011-11-25T12:07:00.001-06:002011-11-25T12:19:40.612-06:00

or Another Spam E-mail This Month?Yes, another spam e-mail. Deal with it.>From: American Embassy >Sent: Sat, Nov 12, 2011 4:56 am>Subject: ,,,,, FROM ,,U.S.A EMBASSY ,,,,Ooh, it's from the US Embassy. But why does the e-mail address not end in .gov?>,,,,, FROM ,,U.S.A EMBASSY ,,,,>Embassy of United States of America in Abuja>7, Mambilla Street>Off Aso Drive Maitama District, AbujaI have no clue

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-71229624857855297832011-11-24T11:03:00.002-06:002011-11-24T11:11:50.181-06:00

or Things I'm Thankful ForAs it's Thanksgiving, it seems appropriate to make a list of things I'm thankful for this year.1. Ace has a job.2. Ace has motivation to get us back on our own.3. We've had somewhere to live for the last year and a half. It may not be where we've dreamed of living, but we've had a roof over our head.4. I have a nice warm blanket to keep me warm when the house is cooler

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-40402242568890326672011-11-23T05:18:00.002-06:002011-11-23T05:26:53.808-06:00

Ace and I are planning on spending some time together, just the two of us, later on. I'm looking forward to it. We've had less time with each other lately because of his job (that doesn't bother me) and because of spending time with our friend (I'll give her a name soon, but not today).It's nice for us to have a little bit of time to focus on each other. I think I've been needing a little of that

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-29816511654307356292011-11-22T00:30:00.002-06:002011-11-22T00:42:13.442-06:00

All my worry was for no reason. I kind of knew it would be from the start. I like this friend of Ace's. She's now my friend. Hopefully we'll be able to see her again soon and we can all get better acquainted.My brain is just one that goes about 3 times further than it has to when thinking about stuff like this. I start off with reasonable questions (Will we find something to talk about?) and end

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-18304653035415943272011-11-21T04:43:00.002-06:002011-11-21T05:00:58.583-06:00

Since Thanksgiving is this Thursday, I guess I should be focused on things I'm thankful for. Instead, today I'm focused on an old friend of Ace's from high school (old as in he knew her a long time ago, not old as in she's 80).They are friends on FaceBook. She posted something recently about an event her daughter had and she invited people to come. Ace told her he couldn't make it due to previous

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-74451212308020472992011-11-20T01:52:00.003-06:002011-11-20T01:54:21.514-06:00

We are two thirds of the way through the month. In celebration, I bring you this picture.Thank you for your attention.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-2469920787299239552011-11-19T04:38:00.002-06:002011-11-19T04:45:16.317-06:00

Thanksgiving this year looks to be very different from the last several years. My dad and step-mom have other plans, so I won't be having smoked turkey then. I'm not really sure what the plans will be, but it won't be the same.My sister was apparently wanting to come for Thanksgiving too. It would have been nice to see her. But there's always Christmas.On the plus side, for the first time in more

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-48907497169922223952011-11-18T11:15:00.002-06:002011-11-18T11:31:26.972-06:00

or Making ListsYesterday seems to have been a day for me to make lists. I made a list for my post. I made a grocery list (granted, it was stuff Ace and I forgot at the store the day before or found out we are almost out of after we got back from the store, but still). But those aren't the important lists that were made yesterday.Ace and I made a list of what we need to get or have the money for

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-88338143465228730972011-11-17T02:06:00.002-06:002011-11-17T02:17:47.643-06:00

or Things I've Learned as a Healer in World of Warcraft that Apply to Real LifeToday's post is going to be a list. Because we haven't had one of those in a while and I'm in the mood for a list.1. Sometimes you can do everything right and it still goes wrong.2. You have to take care of yourself too, or things will go wrong much more quickly than you think they will.3. People appreciate someone who

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-33224590536993903612011-11-16T02:55:00.002-06:002011-11-16T03:15:18.805-06:00

What makes a Christian? Can I be called a Christian if I don't live a perfect life? These questions have popped up in my life recently (mostly from quizzes I was taking).My problem with the idea of not being able to call myself a Christian if I slip in my walk with God is that no one would be able to call themselves a Christian if we hold them to that standard. We all mess up. Even on our best

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-47658007735467789622011-11-15T01:13:00.003-06:002011-11-15T01:18:48.761-06:00

Ace and I went out earlier to buy him a new office chair (not for his job, but for our room). His old one had broken (quite badly) and it had to be tossed. The new one is pretty much the same as the old one was, but we only really need it to last about 6 months so that's not a big deal (and the old one lasted over a year before it started having problems).On the plus side, the chair was on sale

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-34984075710878220662011-11-14T01:22:00.003-06:002011-11-15T01:19:11.845-06:00

After a good night's sleep (and a few other things), I am feeling much better. My stress levels are back down to their normal levels (too high, but manageable).All that just in time to feel exhausted by this weeks plans looming on the horizon. Ace starts training for his new job today (oh yeah, Ace has a job). He's hoping to spend most of his evenings this week doing the online portion of the

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-55592701574416748872011-11-13T02:22:00.003-06:002011-11-13T02:47:04.458-06:00

Or M.A. Smith has been having a crappy week, so here's another spam e-mail>Hello Friend,Don't call me friend yet, I don't know if I like you.>I'm Ralph Brimly Esq. a lawyer here in the Kingdom of Thailand. I know this may>look surprising to you because we have never met but I found your contact>particulars from an address journal and have summed up the courage to contact>you. I apologies for

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-48901343885407032182011-11-12T00:32:00.003-06:002011-11-17T03:38:52.759-06:00

There are some things that once you see you can't unsee. I really don't want to talk about what I wish I could unsee, but I thought I'd put that thought out there.Sometimes, people need to be more careful about who can see over their shoulder before they look at stuff.Yeah, I'm gonna go try to erase a memory now.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-72574484814324152612011-11-11T00:44:00.002-06:002011-11-11T00:48:02.081-06:00

After my post yesterday, I'm numb. I'm not hurting like I thought I might be, which is good. Instead I am numb.And so very exhausted.No matter how much sleep I get lately (which has been about 8 or 9 hours at a stretch), I'm still tired. I doubt my body is really this tired. Life has just been amazingly stressful and tiring the past few months.Maybe tomorrow I'll have something better to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-26121374298456964662011-11-10T04:36:00.002-06:002011-11-10T05:07:48.997-06:00

Normally, when I get on here I know what I'm going to write about. Normally, I haven't made a commitment to write every day for 30 days.That said, I want to talk about my mother. I don't normally. The subject of my mother is too sensitive and private. Or more so, the subject of my mother normally seems to cause me to over-think things and dwell and end up depressed.Seeing as I've already been

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-14829910059557147452011-11-09T03:23:00.002-06:002011-11-09T03:27:40.865-06:00

Dear world,I'm feeling overwhelmed by the amount of people I'm dealing with lately. Even when there aren't that many people, it's overwhelming.I think I need to take a day off from dealing with people other than Ace.See you on Thursday.M.A. SmithP.S.: I think I'll spend some time reading library books. At least I know the people in them aren't real. Terry Pratchett, take me away!P.P.S.: Maybe

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-39218337400647055372011-11-08T05:08:00.003-06:002011-11-08T05:15:02.388-06:00

Dear Terry Pratchett,I love your Discworld novels. They make me laugh and I find it hard to put them down until I've finished them. I am looking forward to reading the whole series.You inspire me as a writer. I want to write my books in such a way as to draw readers in. I hope my books are as interesting.Thank you for writing.Love,M.A. Smith

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46407856466779182952011-11-07T03:08:00.002-06:002011-11-07T03:17:04.052-06:00

Sometimes, no matter how good a mood I am in, some part of me wants to cry. To feel the sadness of someone else. To give into depression some, for a little bit.It's tempting. So tempting to stop fighting and just sink down into feeling upset and just lay around. To not fight it off anymore.It's tiring, fighting off depression. Fighting to hold onto hope that tomorrow will be better, that this

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-22939881608927354212011-11-06T01:18:00.002-05:002011-11-06T01:30:07.950-06:00

or Ahh! Things Have Gone CrazyUm, yeah. It's been slightly hard to stay calm over here lately. The past two nights, we've had earthquakes in Oklahoma. Noticeable ones.Friday night, while my father-in-law was at work and my mother-in-law was in bed, Ace and I were relaxing. We were talking about possibly getting romantic, and I was changing some clothes, when suddenly the walls started shaking. At

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-44800376668154664572011-11-05T04:34:00.002-05:002011-11-05T04:50:42.980-05:00

or What Makes a Family Anyway?The main book I wanted to pick up from the library Wednesday was a book called One Big Happy Family. It's a book with essays by various writers about different types of families you can find in these times. It's been interesting, and it's had me thinking.What makes a family? Is it blood? Is it experiences? Is it living under one roof? Or is it love?The common theme

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-19071049177285595182011-11-04T00:28:00.001-05:002011-11-04T01:08:17.354-05:00

I Am a "Bad Woman"Catherine of Her Bad Mother wrote The Bad Mother Manifesto in June of 2009. It is well worth a read and should be read to understand the rest of my post. Really, my post will wait for you.Catherine neatly covers the problems moms face based on this illusive, faceless perfect mom. I have a different person haunting me. It's the perfect woman. I'm not sure if she's just in my head

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-38672966351471062622011-11-03T06:33:00.002-05:002011-11-03T16:08:34.437-05:00

Lately, although I haven't been talking about it here, I've been a bundle of nerves and insecurity. There's been a couple of reasons and at least one of them has been fully removed.The other reason I've been nervous and insecure isn't going to go away nearly as quickly. D and I have been talking about things that have triggered some of the stuff that my mother broke about me. And I guess it's

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-255764280470339972011-11-02T05:15:00.003-05:002011-11-02T06:08:50.781-05:00

Or The Return of Bad Spam>From: OFFICE OF THE UNITED STATES PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA No clue if this is a legitimate e-mail address.>To: redacted e-mail addressNot the e-mail address connected to this blog, so it stays private.>Sent: Sat, Sep 24, 2011 12:06 am>Subject: Flag this message FLAG URGENT REPORT FROM U.S GOVERNMENT:VIEW >LINK:http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00011272.htmlI

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-44003419739490255712011-11-01T01:47:00.002-05:002011-11-01T01:58:51.497-05:00

This year, I'm once again doing National Blog Posting Month. For the next 30 days, I will be posting daily. This year, I don't think I'll have a theme for the month. Thankfulness is a good thing and I'm glad I focused on that last year. Next year I may decide to go back to focusing on something for the month or I may decide not to do NaBloPoMo.I do have some things I want to talk about, things

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-51646987614150404362011-10-26T15:30:00.002-05:002011-10-26T15:36:18.999-05:00

Ace has been getting a lot more phone calls lately with potential jobs. This is good.However, I don't know how long it will be until he has a job. So we are playing the waiting game. It's frustrating and neither of us is fond of it.Ace is, of course, still applying for jobs. Hopefully we'll hear back from somebody soon with an interview that turns into a job offer.Until then, we are mostly

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-81160164455668201042011-10-23T14:01:00.002-05:002011-10-23T14:06:49.504-05:00

There is something wrong with my in-laws' thermostat or a/c. It's been on cool and set around 72 degrees, but it hasn't seemed to actually cool off in the house.I mention this only because it has been freakishly hot in this house for late October.I'm hoping the weather starts cooling back down and we can stop needing the fans to cool off. (Blankets/jackets to stay warm are a totally different

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46398935492552789222011-10-20T22:53:00.002-05:002011-10-20T23:06:04.562-05:00

Today, I turned 31. I'm not quite sure how I feel about it. The day has been fairly good over all. I had lots of people wish me Happy Birthday, which made me feel warm and fuzzy.My in-laws didn't do nearly as good a job at creating warm fuzzy feelings today. They didn't realize it was my birthday until late (which didn't really bother me much, but it did sting). They made an offer to take me to a

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-19099984364143146732011-10-16T14:41:00.004-05:002011-10-16T14:57:12.777-05:00

One of my cousins, one that I haven't seen in a long time, is having some issues with her father. There's a big story there that I really don't want to think about or go into. He did some crazy, bad thing and is in jail now. He, apparently, wants to hear from her more often. She has kids she's raising, is pregnant, and is on bed rest. She is in no position to write him daily (which is what he

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-89993829427567014042011-10-12T14:17:00.002-05:002011-10-12T14:28:01.752-05:00

My father-in-law decided to change what day he does laundry. We got no notice of this before hand. That seems like the kind of thing you should tell someone.------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------When my mother-in-law is no where around, my father-in-law suddenly seems to be much happier and easier to get along with. When

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-67231929134629335242011-10-06T14:41:00.002-05:002011-10-06T14:57:29.962-05:00

After nearly 4 and 1/2 years posting here anonymously, I figure it's time I write about why this blog is anonymous.4 and 1/2 years ago, I had a different blog. One that was know by my family. One that was probably read by at least some of my family. It was similar in lots of ways to this blog. I talked about random stuff that was on my mind and things that were happening.But, I found myself

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-52161841839447380502011-10-01T11:06:00.003-05:002011-10-01T11:11:18.571-05:00

This past week, Ace and I have been sleeping at night. Since we had been sleeping during the day, this is kind of a big deal for us.Because I've been up during the day, I've been finding many productive uses of my time. Things like doing laundry. And it's not just that I've been productive, I've been actively wanting to get things accomplished.Today, Ace and I went to the library. It's been a

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-85373320692827089142011-09-26T14:48:00.004-05:002011-09-26T14:59:12.965-05:00

This past weekend, Ace and I went to visit my dad and step-mom. It was wonderful and relaxing and just what I needed. We ate wonderful food. We watched movies on their hi-def TV. We adjusted our sleep schedule to being up during the day and asleep at night.The best meal we had, of all the wonderful meals we had, was when we went to have soul food at this hole-in-the-wall diner. The place was tiny

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46040877348202118402011-09-22T10:03:00.003-05:002011-09-22T10:11:56.355-05:00

So, after whining about social networking and acting like a crotchety "Get off my porch" old lady, I went and signed up for a Google+.However (there's always a however, isn't there), I signed up for Google+ as M.A. Smith. It's my social networking site for this blog, not for my family. If you want to join my circles, find me there. I will be happy to have more people in my sad little blogging

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-27296080086378961062011-09-20T11:38:00.002-05:002011-09-20T11:46:52.993-05:00

I daydream about taking a beach vacation. I imagine the warmth from the sun, the shade from the umbrella over me, the look of white sand on the beach and the water in shades of green and blue stretching out as far as my eye can see.I imagine someone providing me with cold drinks to keep me from getting overheated. I imagine a book sitting on my chair for me to read when I get tired of watching

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-32979178652532097552011-09-15T10:59:00.002-05:002011-09-15T11:15:51.520-05:00

Lately I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed. It's been a quiet, contemplative thing for the most part. But it's not left me wanting to write here.Ace and I have been talking a lot lately. More than we normally do on our topic. I'm starting to figure out that I've got to brush up on things I haven't yet. I'll have to ask people questions and learn some new things. It'll be better for me in the long

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-10793456809859147482011-09-11T20:22:00.002-05:002011-09-11T20:31:34.687-05:00

It's been 10 years since two planes crashed into the World Trade Center.As much as I'd love to say that day really impacted my life, it didn't. At least not that much.I didn't fully understand what I heard on my radio as I got up and got ready for class. It wasn't until I was in class that I even knew what had happened. I had a doctor's appointment for a sinus infection. Gas stations in OKC

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-42612914194219088792011-09-10T20:15:00.004-05:002011-09-10T20:21:08.287-05:00

It's back to the time of year that my in-laws turn off the a/c at night. We're back to the time of year when Ace and I need to turn it back on or else we have a room in roughly the 90s because of poor air circulation.It doesn't help that last night my father-in-law had to sleep in the living room because of a problem with their bed (one that will hopefully be fixed soon). It meant leaving the

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-64796557719523631192011-09-04T20:16:00.002-05:002011-09-04T20:23:07.233-05:00

I haven't been posting the past few days for a couple a days. The reasons for this have been two fold. 1. There hasn't been anything happening worth posting about. Seriously, I've spent the past 5 days playing World of Warcraft most of the time and sleeping when I haven't been playing for the most part. 2. I've been busy doing stuff with WoW. Stuff that I could post about, but this isn't a WoW

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-85183267648378727292011-08-31T18:26:00.002-05:002011-08-31T18:54:00.372-05:00

Last night, I played WoW again (as is somewhat usual). I healed a raid (this was new). It kicked up some self-doubt, despite seeing that I was doing decently at it. I hate it when I start doubting myself. It's always over something stupid, that I know better than to freak out mentally over. And it usually involves me doing something fairly dumb because I'm so freaked out, adding to my self-doubt

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-4959062271593434772011-08-27T21:12:00.002-05:002011-08-27T21:16:13.852-05:00

I've been quiet again lately. It's been less about not having anything to say and more about not wanting to whine and complain. I don't like it when I start complaining about stuff. I'm doing good, overall. My emotions are much calmer. There's less of a roller coaster feeling to my life right now. I'm just feeling quiet. Maybe a little quiet sometimes is a good thing.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-76511383789438924812011-08-24T05:19:00.003-05:002011-08-24T05:42:15.188-05:00

The past 7 weeks, I've been wondering if maybe I was pregnant. 4 negative pregnancy tests said that I probably wasn't, but there were other signs that said I might be. Monday, I started my period. At least, as far as I know it was just my period. Almost 7 weeks late. I spent some time Monday mourning the loss of the potential. Yesterday, I tried to focus on other things. I have some peace

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-27531357660605955342011-08-23T07:00:00.001-05:002011-08-23T07:02:28.773-05:00

We've had 2 days this month where the highs were in the 80s. In August. In Oklahoma. (Okay, so there was rain involved on both days, but still!) Hopefully that's a good sign that summer is starting to fade out and fall will soon be here.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-22959981421924532472011-08-20T08:53:00.002-05:002011-08-20T09:04:15.377-05:00

Lately I've been noticing a tendency towards feeling grumpy about anything that I find mildly annoying. It's annoying to find stuff annoying. I know that a big part of all of the annoyance is hormones. I also know that it's just that I'm not used to being so tired or having to pee so often. It's random minor aches and pains that just irritate me and make everything else seem so much more

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-36418662113387409472011-08-16T21:35:00.003-05:002011-08-16T22:00:18.663-05:00

Before I get into the post proper, allow me to proclaim that I am a Christian and that half of what I'm typing is probably being typed to me as well as anybody else. I'll admit that I am not perfect, in fact I'm probably pretty far from perfect. But, I feel like this is something that needs to be said. Christians of the world, we have a problem. And until we get it straightened out, Jesus won't

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-45606295501860020162011-08-15T09:14:00.003-05:002011-08-15T09:36:17.138-05:00

Ace and I did some reading not too long ago about the differences between introverts and extroverts. We found ourselves nodding along with how introverts want extroverts to treat them, seeing lots of ourselves in the articles we were reading. One of my big problems is that in addition to being introverted, I am also shy sometimes. And my shyness has manifested at some really odd times. As we

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-7270714129237787022011-08-12T03:19:00.004-05:002011-08-12T03:25:50.626-05:00

Tulsa has been having rain. It's been wonderful, as we've finally had a few days where the weather stayed below 100 degrees. I'm not fully sure how much longer the rain will stay, but I am thankful for it while it is here. I'm ready for the weather to start changing for the fall. I'd rather not be stuck here during the day because of the heat. I miss getting out of the house while the sun is

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-78113814881809158442011-08-07T17:51:00.003-05:002011-08-07T17:56:37.625-05:00

Today, we are going to be looking at M.A. Smith in her natural habitat. It appears to be a regular house. She goes about her day, reading on the internet, eating occasionally, and trying to convince her husband that they should go somewhere to get her out of the house.Oh, it's a special look at the half-asleep house-wife. She's walking to the bathroom with her eyes half closed. Someone calls out

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-45903506337628391892011-08-06T16:59:00.002-05:002011-08-06T17:07:52.701-05:00

Ace and I went to Target this morning and bought two fans for our room. We also bought a clock that measures the temperature of the room it's in (we are wondering how warm the room gets).The clock is saying that it's 86 in here. That explains why I've been so hot.With the fan that I have blowing on me, I'm actually feeling somewhat chilly. I've got goose bumps.I've forgotten how nice it is to be

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-7404588684570506122011-08-02T18:18:00.002-05:002011-08-02T18:25:22.250-05:00

It's ridiculously hot this summer. 26 of the days in July were over 100 degrees. This is not a pleasant time to live without a practically brand new a/c.Because of the heat, I'm currently staying home for the most part when the sun is up. I have been going with Ace to prayer night this summer, but that is preempted by not feeling so hot.The heat is starting to affect my sleep too. I'm getting too

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-19262417251783485532011-07-31T21:45:00.002-05:002011-07-31T21:53:16.108-05:00

A while back, in May, there was work done on the garage. Since then, things haven't fully been put to right in the garage. This is seriously bugging my father-in-law, because he wants my mother-in-law's car in the garage.My mother-in-law, who doesn't like to toss anything she thinks she might use, is SLOWLY putting things where she wants them. My father-in-law keeps wanting Ace to just put things

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-45447716027233649712011-07-29T16:42:00.004-05:002011-07-29T16:50:08.245-05:00

Still waiting. Haven't taken another pregnancy test yet, but I probably will soon.The heat is insane and not helping me feel like doing anything. My in-laws need a new a/c unit, because the one they have obviously wasn't meant to deal with this many over 100 degrees days in a row (that sentence seems awkward, grammatically).I'm still easily distracted by things and wondering why I decided to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-74174596398822103972011-07-24T15:36:00.003-05:002011-07-24T15:48:26.048-05:00

My period is over 2 weeks late.I've taken two different pregnancy tests. They've both come up not pregnant.I've got some symptoms that indicate pregnancy, but they could be something else too (I guess).All this waiting and wondering is making me grouchier to live with. I'm keeping most of my grouchy complaining to myself, but it's annoying me.I'm ready for some cooler weather.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-90850053430760756792011-07-20T19:52:00.003-05:002011-07-20T20:01:53.167-05:00

Ace recently asked me the silliest question ever: "Would you be upset if I got up and offered you chocolate?" Why would I be upset about getting chocolate? He did admit that it was a silly question.----------------------------------------------------------------In other news, my period still hasn't shown up. I did take a pregnancy test that came up negative, but I'm not sure how accurate it might

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-70818845769552679792011-07-20T19:04:00.002-05:002011-07-20T19:28:33.086-05:00

I have come to the conclusion lately that my inner crotchety old person comes out when it comes to social networking. It's not that I'm a hermit, it's just that I prefer more hermit like living in general.This spills over from internet into real life too. I have friends, good ones, but few that I feel I can tell just anything to. Mostly because most of my friends don't have the time to devote to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-91687367102514750252011-07-14T17:47:00.003-05:002011-07-14T17:51:55.896-05:00

I'm back in that vague waiting state. My period is late, but I'm resisting testing to see if my period is just late or if I'm pregnant.This delay has been coupled with feeling more tired than usual, although that could be blamed on the heat.I'm late, but I'm waiting.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-73770590710549430722011-07-08T01:49:00.002-05:002011-07-08T01:57:31.436-05:00

I haven't forgotten about this place, I've just been distracted with other stuff lately. Ace and I have been playing lots of World of Warcraft. And I've been distracted with other computer games too.I've finally done something to learn how to knit (after saying something a LONG time ago about learning to knit). I bought a starting kit at Wal-mart on Tuesday. I'm not sure how well I'll learn to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-14479763791267508122011-07-01T05:49:00.002-05:002011-07-01T06:02:26.424-05:00

For my book, I've had to look up info on stalking. The whole thing sounds horrific from a victim's standpoint. It's good on one hand, because it'll be able to make my main character more believable in her fear.However, it's taught me things I wish I didn't know. Things about how often women report stalking behavior. Things that a huge part of me will never be able to forget. It'll add things to

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-3079218390178015252011-06-28T21:04:00.002-05:002011-06-28T21:24:48.593-05:00

I took some time off to start feeling better emotionally again. I know why my emotions were raw and why I was fighting off depression, but it wasn't anything worthy of a post. It was just stuff with my in-laws still bothering me.Instead of focusing on that, I'm going to focus on my book. Lately, I haven't been writing on it, but I have been fleshing out my characters more and adding parts to my

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-66674031028033305942011-06-22T19:02:00.002-05:002011-06-22T19:21:08.847-05:00

Yesterday, I tried to describe to Ace. We were on our way to prayer night and I was trying to explain why I wasn't working on my novel, after finally finding my way past some major writer's block.It's slightly difficult to describe feelings. Especially ones that are painful. I told him that I didn't understand people who cut themselves to stop feeling emotional pain for a while. My emotional pain

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-19335451817585076222011-06-20T22:25:00.003-05:002011-06-20T22:34:26.449-05:00

Saturday night, as I was trying to get some sleep, I finally figured out some key things for my novel (the one I'm supposed to be writing, but hadn't been able to in a long time). I finally felt like I broke through some block that was keeping me from writing.I wish I could say that thoughts coming to me as I'm trying to sleep was new, but it's not. My brain could be half asleep and I could be

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-42999368987906895682011-06-19T15:45:00.003-05:002011-06-19T15:56:11.912-05:00

The other night, I was trying to think of something to write about my dad. I was supposed to be going to sleep, but it seemed important to figure out some way to celebrate my dad on Father's Day, since I wasn't going to get to see him on the day this year.Then, I remembered how he entertained me while we went grocery shopping when I was younger. He'd tease me in several ways. He'd pretend he was

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-34355336920995018752011-06-16T21:11:00.003-05:002011-06-16T21:44:25.278-05:00

Ace and I were talking recently and I talked about how I don't feel quite the same person as I was when we got married.Shortly after Ace and I got married, I went through a faze of trying to fix myself emotionally. I read a lot of self-help books and tried to undo some of the damage my mother had done. After a while (roughly a year), I realized two things: 1. I couldn't fix the broken parts of my

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-2026716255848132932011-06-13T02:35:00.002-05:002011-06-13T02:50:32.057-05:00

One of my cousins just announced her pregnancy earlier. I, not being that close to her, didn't know until I read her post. I'm not quite sure how I feel.This is a cousin who routinely makes me think about how ready I am to have kids because she is still finding it hard to adjust to having children (2 already, 1 on the way). I'm not sure why she and I are on such different wavelengths with regards

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-14186958617047919152011-06-08T14:05:00.003-05:002011-06-08T14:28:48.036-05:00

Despite the feeling that the second half of May was stormy and frustrating, I never did get caught up in the undertow and dragged down into depression. For that, I am truly thankful. I did feel, towards the end of the day on the 31st, that I had nothing left to give to anyone because people kept making demands of me, but I wasn't depressed. I was just tired.It's been just over a week since then.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46513077677716582782011-06-05T15:02:00.002-05:002011-06-05T15:22:39.412-05:00

Ace and I have spent time this past week rehashing the "discussion" he had with my in-laws. Today, I think we found some of the main reasons we are so frustrated with this whole situation. But that's not what I want to talk about (again).I'm wondering why Ace and I keep talking about this kind of stuff. Is it that we are trying to find logic? Are we trying to figure out how this isn't all our

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-14235990193844222012011-06-01T23:42:00.002-05:002011-06-01T23:55:30.183-05:00

I survived May 2011. This is probably a bigger deal in my head than in real life, since the month of May isn't really out to get me. But this year, it felt like it was trying since May was so stressful.Yesterday, we cleaned out our car and sold it to be scrapped. The guy who we sold it to had promised us one amount and then when we got there (with the title) he would only give us a different,

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-36956706589533913692011-05-29T21:36:00.005-05:002011-05-30T00:03:35.712-05:00

My in-laws and Ace are having a "discussion". Sitting here, listening in, it's starting to make me mad. Because my in-laws aren't listening to Ace about the fact that they need to try to look at some things from our perspective too.They are pissed that I, personally, am not doing things they see to help out, so I must not do anything around here. They assume that I'm wanting things done for me (

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-51132921280589291472011-05-26T10:53:00.004-05:002011-05-26T11:21:17.213-05:00

Last night, I was needing some love and support (and a nice long discussion) with Ace. I couldn't quite figure out how to say the words, but I felt a desire to get his attention by throwing a book at his head (not a very productive way to get attention, and not good for the book either). While I resisted this urge, I did end up getting some time with Ace.We're noticing a pattern. Living with my

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-56168824184912262412011-05-24T00:33:00.002-05:002011-05-24T00:50:18.653-05:00

Earlier, Ace and I got some bad news about our car. The engine would have to be replaced for it to work again. Replacing the engine will probably cost more than the car is worth.I cried, and felt foolish while I did. There have been too many pieces of bad news and stressful situations lately. My emotions have run the gamut of excitement to frustrated to angry in the past week and a half.I don't

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-46618743755146793522011-05-22T13:34:00.002-05:002011-05-22T14:00:53.066-05:00

Now that my brain isn't quite as fried*, I can tell the story of how yesterday went.*I make no promises that my brain isn't still fried, just that I'm doing better mentally than I was yesterday when I got home.Ace and I set out toward OKC yesterday about 9 a.m. We had breakfast, that we were eating on the way, and a full tank of glass. About 10 miles from our exit from the turnpike, our water

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-22453517123594441252011-05-21T19:01:00.002-05:002011-05-21T19:04:18.705-05:00

I'm alive. I'm as healthy as I was when I left to go to my brother's graduation.Tomorrow, I'll have a nice post about how the day went (there was drama, but it was from something completely unexpected).Too tired now. Must focus on something silly for a while.

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-30011753198318247392011-05-17T19:20:00.003-05:002011-05-17T19:34:34.897-05:00

I feel like I've been whining and complaining a lot lately. Here on my blog, in real life, in my head. I don't like this. I'm thinking it's time to be focusing on things I'm thankful for.Today, I am thankful for:1. Claritin; it's been helping me breathe when whatever is affecting my lungs is messing with me.2. Ace; he's been especially great while I've been emotional lately. He's been putting up

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-63262025787187637262011-05-15T16:49:00.002-05:002011-05-15T18:35:27.176-05:00

At lunch, Ace accidentally turned and bumped into me. He didn't hurt me and apologized right away since it was an accident. Then his father started "teasing" that it didn't matter if I fell because no one would care.I got upset, because I would care if I feel, and so would Ace. The "teasing" continued with my father-in-law saying that Ace obviously wouldn't care since he bumped into me. I

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-758112589671755860.post-51728119166832870942011-05-13T11:47:00.001-05:002011-05-13T12:03:27.118-05:00

A week from tomorrow, my little brother graduates from high school. I'm excited for him and I'm excited to see him walk across a stage to get a diploma holder (the actual diploma will be available in about a week, more than likely).At the same time, I'm riding an emotional roller coaster because it'll be the first time I've seen my mom since shortly after we stopped talking. Knowing that I have a

M.A. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01385710020671653268noreply@blogger.com0