Lucky Dorito

Dear Gillette,

Have you ever just get a thought in your head and it won’t quite go away?

I was standing in Walmart the other day, looking for razor blade refills to purchase when it occurred to me… why is it that razor blades cost so darn much? $19.77 for eight stinkin razor blades? That’s almost $2.48 per blade! Come on…. I’m just going to shave my legs and my pits with it and THROW IT AWAY.

Seriously. What is UP with that??

I can rent two movies at the Redbox and have change left over for the cost of ONE blade!

I really don’t get it. It’s not like I can get more than a few uses out of it (believe me, I have tried! The blades become quite dull and just seem to yank the hairs out of my legs instead of actually cutting them… which is not fun, by the way.) because, whether there are 3 or 4 or 5 blades for closer shaving…. it’s for HAIR removal – it grows back every day, regardless. Maybe if you spent a little less money in the R&D Dept. trying to find more ways to attach gooey aloe or lotion strips to the razor heads, maybe you could reduce the cost of the actual blade – which just happens to be the really IMPORTANT part of the razor.

Hairy and Annoyed,

My husband, (the incomparable Mr. Lucky Dorito) and I share February as our birthday months. Today, that sweet man of mine celebrates his 42nd birthday.

I consider myself to be quite blessed in my marriage – the Lord sent the perfect match for me in my direction at a time when I was, luckily, old enough and wise enough to realize it. Oh don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t as blissful as it is now – we went through a rough patch or two since we said our “I do’s” but we managed to weather each storm with a greater love and mutual respect than before.

In celebration and honor of his birthday, I thought I would continue with an updated list from last year of some things about him that I love and admire (or merely tolerate) with you.

1. He is a wonderful father, very patient and understanding. I tell him often that he is a better father than I am a mother. (He rolls his eyes at me when I say this.)

2. He puts on cologne in the morning because he knows it makes me swoon – not  because he particularly likes wearing it.

3. He irons all the clothes that need to be ironed. (Gotta love the sight of a man standing at the ironing board. Yeah baby!)

4. He often cleans the kitchen after I cook dinner. (Another beautiful site – a man doing dishes!)

5. He is careful and cautious in most things – which nicely balances out my “leap before looking” tendencies.

6. He is kind-hearted and sincere, an admirable characteristic that I adore.

7. He can make me laugh like no one else can.

8. He genuinely cares about his patients, friends, and family.

9. He is strong-willed and not afraid to stand up to anyone that tries to walk all over him.

10. He folds laundry meticulously but kinda sucks at separating it. (He’s always mixing my clothes up with the girls and vice-versa.)

11. He is quick to tell the girls how proud he is over things they do. They bask in his attention and love.

12. He can pull me close in a hug that has me melting in his arms.

13. He can pack a car (or van) so carefully, eying the size of each item and tucking it into the perfect spot, that you’d be amazed with the amount of stuff we can travel with!

14. He is what I call a *multiple-pile person*. Meaning he has stacks and stacks of stuff saved to *go through* later. (And *later* never seems to come!)

15. He is usually very thoughtful and considerate, sometimes… surprisingly so.

16. He is way too much of a gentleman to ever rib me about passing gas in my sleep. (Not that I do that. Ahem.)

17. He holds my hand at the movies, while riding in the car, when walking together. Basically, all the time. It’s fabulous.

18. He is always trying to teach the girls about attention-to-detail. (So not my thing.)

19. He doesn’t like to text but is willing to learn. For me.

20. He tells me he loves me every day.

21. He leaves sock-fuzzies in the floor all the time. Sheesh.

22. He has this adorable patch of grey hair on his head that I love. Very sexy.

23. He has probably not read one entire book since we’ve been married. Or ever, maybe.

24. He swears by GNC vitamins like they hung the moon.

25. He sleeps kinda diagonal in our king-size bed so that his feet are close enough for me to be able to touch.

26. He never EVER drinks coffee.

27. He thinks the greatest Christmas gift he ever got was the Ice Tea Maker because it is practical and he uses it ALL THE TIME.

28. He is willing to go to the beach with me, year after year, even though he doesn’t love it like I do.

29. He has a really great eye for photography.

30. And he likes to take pictures of EVERYthing, to record for posterity sake. Which he seldom gets a chance to do anymore since I’m constantly beating him to it!

31. He can sleep til 10am on the weekends without a problem. (Even later if I’d let him!)

32. He makes the BEST breakfast when we are home on Saturday mornings (or brunch, it would be… since it’s usually 11 before he cooks).

33. He’s not afraid of a little mold.

34. He can single-handedly rid our home of unwanted creatures.

35. He has fabulous hands… and he’s not afraid to use them. (He gives the BEST massages!)

36. He quite possibly could win a gold medal for *Most time spent on the toilet* if there was such an event.

37. He has perfected the art of angling the bathroom door just right so that the mirror reflects the image from the bedroom tv. (Sorry honey, your secret is out!)

38. He is the most serious individual. (Inside joke…. he really isn’t)

39. He is confident but not arrogant.

40. He loves sports and all things manly – but he is not afraid to watch a chick-flick with me and even shed a tear or two.

41. He believes in me…. and is my biggest cheerleader and supporter.

42. He is a hard worker, putting in countless hours on nights and weekends (after working full time) to complete the doctoral program in Physical Therapy. He is officially DONE and will walk the line at graduation in May. I am proud of him! Yeahhhhhh, Dr. Lucky!!

I love you honey! Happy Birthday!

……you open a package from them and THIS is on top:

Now, there is a reason for it.

One that does NOT necessarily mean that SOMEONE was trying to TELL ME SOMETHING.

(Although…. it made me go “hmmmmm” for a moment.)

The reason has to do with one particular brand of beans that are NOT available in the grocery stores here.

But they are plentiful in Texas.

And now….

I get to try them out.

That sweet Shannon…. she thinks of EVERYthing!

This year was by far one of the best birthdays…. definitely one of the SWEETEST.

My precious friend Shannon sent my this fun package:

At first glance,  I wasn’t quite sure what I was looking at…. the treasure was well hidden:

But when I peeled back the *hay*, underneath were some serious YUMMMIES:

Can you say DIVINE?

Mmmmm, mmmmm, good.

Then…..

Midmorning at work, I get a phone call from the local radio station.

Apparently Mr. Lucky had put my name on the birthday list on the radio. Each day they randomly draw a name from the list of local birthdays and the lucky winner gets an ICE CREAM CAKE from Dairy Queen.

Guess what?

I WON!!

YUMMMMM!!

Then…..

One of my coworkers ran out at lunchtime and got me a cake because she didn’t want me to go without one (which has happened EVERY other year for the past 12 years I’ve worked there – even when others have gotten cakes on their birthdays…. Don’t ask -I can’t explain it. But sweet A knew how much this had bothered me on previous years so she took it upon herself to get me one.)

Sadly, I did not get a picture of it.

(Can you BELIEVE that??)

And then….

When I got home from work Tuesday, my darling daughters had BAKED me a cake.

YUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

Now, I must walk on the treadmill until July.

The past few years, I’ve taken a moment each birthday to evaluate *where* I am in life and to sort of see *where* I’m going. Maybe to see if I’m still on the path or if I’ve wandered astray without even knowing it. So, in honor of remembering life lessons, I’ve written a list of things I’ve learned so far… some I’m still trying to learn. Year 40 of my life was very educational and introspective for me. Each year since just seems to get even more so. I started this list at 41 and I keep adding to it each passing year.

1. I can say NO, and lightening will NOT strike at my feet.

2. Loving with your whole heart is what it’s all about. Really.

3. I have a lot to offer someone, regardless of what that insecure little monster sitting inside my head tries to tell me.

4. I don’t have to be doing something productive every moment. Life goes on.

5. I’m never going to be good at balancing my checkbook to the penny or even care enough about it to make the effort.

6. I cannot now nor will I ever be able to carry a tune worth a darn but I still love to sing. Who cares? Just don’t ride in a closed car with me…

7. I am not a doormat any more.

8. You can learn to care about and even love someone you’ve never met before through the power of their words alone.

9. I’ll never be as thin as I once was… but I can learn to be comfortable in this skin I’m in anyway.

10. I don’t care what anyone else says, I’ll always have to work something out on my own – in my own time, anyway.

11. It won’t kill me to try something new every now and then.

12. Quit letting my past hold power over me.

13. In a few years, will all the little things I lose sleep over really matter?? Get over it.

14. Just because something is ‘right’ or ‘works for you’ doesn’t mean I have to do it.

15. It is OK to be different than everyone else.

16. I can be moved to the core by the sheer power of the written word. Maybe even more so than a spoken one.

17. I can be easily persuaded… still.

18. I’m not “immune” to everything – some of it gets in when I’m not expecting it to.

19. I will always make a few mistakes – it’s human.

20. The value of friendship should always be recognized and celebrated.

21. I’ll always be proud and supportive of my children, despite their choices in life.

22. I’m far from perfect, but I’m really not that bad.

23. I have been given many blessings in this life; healthy children, enough money to live on, a roof over my head and food in my belly every day. What could be more important than that?

24. It’s ok to just enjoy life… and not have to work so hard at it all the time.

25. I can and should remember to take the high road – it makes me feel better about myself.

26. I’m still learning to accept a compliment gracefully.

27. I may never completely “grow up” if listening to LOUD music means I’m still a kid.

28. It’s ok to look to my sisters for approval and validation.

29. I may always have some part of me that “thinks like a child” but hopefully “acts” like a grown-up.

30. I was born to live where I could see the ocean, this I know to be true – but somehow I have to make peace with the fact that it MAY NEVER HAPPEN!!

31. I have to learn to cultivate that powerful feeling of peacefulness and fulfillment that I have when sitting in the sand, staring at the ocean – when I’m not there. (This one I’m seriously still working on….and struggling…)

32. I need to learn how to not wear my heart on my sleeve all the time.

33. Look for the silver lining.

34. Whatever doesn’t kill me really will make me stronger.

35. My children will be grown and gone in a blink – treasure every day.

36. On the worst days, chant to myself, “I can do it, I can do it, I can do it.” Because I can do it.

37. Don’t take myself so seriously. It’s ok (and healthy) to laugh at myself!

38. Whoever said a woman hits their sexual peak in the late 30’s to early 40’s were dead on correct.

39. Carbs are not the root of all evil, taken in moderation.

40. Music will forever have the ability to transport me through memories to a different time and place.

41. I quite possibly might always be a hopeless romantic.

42. Life is short … remember to make the most out of it.

43. When you say it – mean it.

44. The Lord can bring things heavy in my heart when He wants me to deal with it. Knowing this does not make it easier.

That’s it… end of list. All I’ve learned in my life…. in a nutshell. So far anyway.
But I hope I’ll continue to learn – that’s what it’s all about, right?

I have never been a huge fan of snow. I’m just not a cold weather person.

But there is something incredibly beautiful and serene about it.

Now….. that being said…..

bring on the sunshine!!

Five Things I Want to Do this WEEKEND:

1. Sew some projects I’m trying to finish.

2. Take lots of pics of my girls playing in the snow.

3. Play Rummikub with Shannon.

4. Conquer that mountain of laundry.

5. Hopefully *cross my fingers* get an iPhone!!

What are you wanting to do this weekend?

I just finished this hefty nearly 1100 page novel by the King of Storytellers – in my opinion, anyway – Stephen King.

For someone like me, that is a full-time mom and wife, a full-time employee, a novice photo junkie, and a blogging, knitting and rummikub addict – finding the time to read such a large novel (after months of not reading ANY books) should only tell you how much I loved it.

Stephen King has always been one of my favorite novelists, with his well-rounded and in-depth characters and a wide array of mystery-and-horror to keep my attention. I’ve been reading his works since I was in high school. We’ve grown up together, so to speak. His ability as a novelist has only improved and refined with time, probably just as my tastes in stories has grown as well. And that’s just it – he weaves perfectly detailed and intricate web-like stories.

I adore his work. Truly. And “Under the Dome” was classic King story-telling.

I know he’s not everyone’s *cup-o-tea* but I tell ya, he ROCKS in my book! Anyone want to borrow it?

Originally published in February 2009, I wanted to update and re-post this mainly for my mother-in-law, but anyone else that is new here also. I often get emails (luckydoritoATgmailDOTcom) from those that are either too shy or too new to blogging to comment here and they feel more secure sending their words via email. Which is fine – I love interaction with you any way I can get it, but I do so enjoy seeing a comment now and then. Come on, don’t be shy. I don’t bite. Well, not usually. hehe

*****

I love blogging because I’ve always loved to write things out. Even if no one ever read the words I wrote, I would still do it just because I LIKE it.

Now, that being said, you have to realize that comments left by readers are the best! They brighten my day immeasurably to know that someone took the time to say a few words in response to what I wrote. I don’t write strictly because of the comments… but I sure love love love to see them!

I remember back when I was a blogging newbie and I didn’t even know how to comment or if I should. I lurked around for months and months, often times feeling like everyone else already seemed to know each other and I felt like an *intruder* of sorts to jump in with my own two cents worth of words so I rarely did at first.

But then, one day someone wrote something that moved me so… I just had to say something. (I would like to be able to tell you WHO wrote the first blog that inspired me to comment but sadly, I’ve forgotten now.) So I left a comment and it wasn’t an hour or so later, that person emailed me and thanked me profusely for commenting because it was a very heartfelt and personal type post that I had responded to and the blogger truly valued my comment.

Wow…. what about that?? I was truly tickled that the blogger responded to ME personally. Now, after 3 years of blogging, I totally understand this all so much better, but at the time, it was all new to me. I didn’t know if there was a *commenting etiquette* that needed to be followed that I was unaware of at the time.

As it turns out, it’s very simple to comment on blogs. Anyone can comment on any post that you inspires you to do so. I still often read many more than I actually find time to comment on but I try to let the blogger know I was there, I read it and I laughed or cried or rolled my eyes.

On my blog, if you scroll to the bottom of each entry, just above the little flower divider, there is a line that looks like this:

If you click on the *dorito bits* part (circled in the image) it will open a new comment box, which looks like this:

Inside the box, you may write whatever your comment is going to be. The only portion required is to fill out your name and email address (you can use your full name, just your first name, or a nickname). The name appears beside your comment once it is displayed but the email address is only visible to the blogger. If you are concerned about privacy, fear not – I would never release anyone’s personal information although I can’t speak for others, I feel confident that most bloggers wouldn’t either. (Although I will probably email you to thank you for your comment the first time you leave one or return the visit to your blog, if you have one.) If you have a blog that you would like to link to, (so I can visit YOU) fill out the line that asks for *website* information but that is not required.

When you’ve completed your comment in the box, hit the *Submit Comment* button below the box:

Easy peasy!

Now, this works basically the same on all blogs, whether they are WordPress, or TypePad, or Blogger or one of the gazillion other blogging platforms out there. (Windows Live Spaces requires you to sign in with your Windows ID but it’s still about the same process) Sometimes you’ll run into a blog that has one extra little step – a word verification box, such as this one:

This is just an extra little tool that bloggers have available to use to protect us from gobs and gobs of random spam comments. I use Askimet, which is a WordPress plug-in tool that automatically blocks comments that it feels might be spam. (I go through it often to make sure no REAL comments get caught by it though.) It’s located on my left-hand sidebar titled *Spam Blocked*. You’ll notice the current count is up to 24,000. That is TWENTY-FOUR THOUSAND spam comments just since March of 2008, when I began at this blog. That’s a LOT of junk blocked!

So there you have it… Commenting 101. Feel free to comment on my blog if you’d like. Consider it an open invitation! (Mamma` – that means YOU!)

Or does it?

This is what I found at the office while cleaning this weekend: 

(don’t freak out – it is only ketchup, not blood!)

Tell me – what would possess someone to do that?? Seriously?

Good gracious.