Good-Bye, Old Friends

Today I say good-bye to a few friends that have meant a lot to me over the years. I have been very close to them and during almost all moments of my life have been inseparable.

Good-bye to the blue with yellow and pink stars, hot pink, days of the week-style, "Laughing Out Loud," boy-fit style, and my personal favorite, wide red and white stripes. You know who you are and what you've meant to me over the years.

If you are confused by this post, that's probably for the best. It's meant to be cryptic. If you understand this post, you, too, have made the change. I couldn't be more excited.

Oh, Now I'm Just Angry

Apparently my last post was part of a trend in my blogging circle. Some friends of mine and I have been on a similar angry wave length within just a few short days of each other. If you're feeling angry and you need to laugh at someone else who is frustrated, please go here, or here.

I have just one more rant to add to my list of things I hate... just one more, I promise. Then I'll TRY my hardest to be un-grumpy. Though I make no promises.

Imagine that you don't feel so well. You're not dying or anything, but you certainly don't feel well. And maybe you haven't for a long time because your stupid so-called "doctor" let your little problem go unattended for so long that it escalated into a full-blown issue. (I'm using a lot of hyphens lately, aren't I? I apologize ahead of time if they start to get out of hand.)

So then you go see a new doctor who actually deserves his degree and his job, and who happens to have a personality, which doesn't hurt when you're working with people. Oh, and he's not creepy and doesn't have the molester vibe that the former doctor had. This new, smart doctor finds the issue and gives you lots of prescriptions to take to nip the issue in the bud (or is it butt?).

Anyhow, let's say you then take your prescriptions to be filled and when you pick them up the pharmacy tech says something to you along the lines of, "Did your doctor say anything to you about the price of the blah, blah, blah medicine?"

"No, why? How much is it?"

"Well, it looks like your insurance knocked $600 off the price, so you only have to pay about $370."

At this point you can't say what you're thinking or what you really want to say. You just politely say, "I won't be picking that prescription up today, I think I'll take my chances at dying. Thank you."

Would you be mad??!?!? I think you would. Because as I imagine this very thing happening to me, I get very angry! But I have a very vivid imagination.

On a completely unrelated note, I just wanted to say that I think our health care system is in tip-top shape. I'm couldn't be more pleased with the services offered to me and the fairness in pricing. [Insert sarcastic tone and eye roll.]

Things I'm Learning to Hate

Having my picture taken all by myself (group photos are okay)

Photogenic people

Being the center of attention in a big group (wedding showers, etc.)

Eating KFC

Discovering spiders when my mom isn't there to kill it for me

Planning a wedding (yep, I still hate it)

Bad customer service (seriously, what is with people these days)

Feeling like you had a diva moment and not knowing how to apologize for it

Not being able to fall asleep at a decent hour and then being tired all the next day

Diet Coke (which happens to be a necessity for remaining awake at a desk job)

Under-qualified doctors who let problems go unattended to

Seeing labels like "Megan and I" under pictures— It's "Me and Megan"

Opening up Pandora to hear a long song list of artists I've never, ever heard of

Arriving on time to a 6:15 am doctor appointment and not being seen by the doctor for almost an hour

And I think that's about it for my complain-amony . My next post will be entitled "Things I'm Learning to LOVE," just for you!

Oh. Boy.

You know those nights when you can't sleep... and you find yourself looking at an entire photo album of a friend of a very distant friend's on facebook... and you find yourself making judgement calls about the complete strangers in the album... Like, "Oh, she looks nice," "I'll bet those two are a couple," OR "I can't believe someone wore that outfit" (hey, I never claimed to be perfect)? Well, tonight, as I was doing just that, I came across a photo album of ridiculously beautiful girls in photos taken in various locations around Europe. And then I saw THIS caption under one of the photos:

"Chateau D'iff (spelled incorrectly)- the location of one of my favorite movies."

And then I had this imaginary conversation with this dolled-up girl that was full of frustration as I yelled in my head, "WHAT ABOUT THE BOOK? You know, the classic. The one with pages and words that you read... with your brain. Oh, you had no idea there was a wonderful, timeless, compelling book written before the movie? Because there was.... and it was written LONG before. Let me introduce you to what we simple folk like to call a 'library.' "

And then I decided I'm ornery and I should go to bed.

But seriously. You should read the book- if you haven't already.

And now you understand why...

A few people have asked me why I'm not wearing my mother's wedding dress.

Behold the answer....

Survey Says....

Well, that's what I'm hoping to find out!

I need YOUR help!

Calling all music lovers. I am developing a playlist of songs to play while guests arrive at and leave the wedding dinner, and a list of songs to play for dancing after dinner.

Here's the criteria: songs must have been written and recorded prior to 1970, and preferably around 1960. I need timeless, not over-played, non-cliché love songs (I know, I set the bar impossibly high sometimes). I would love your suggestions, particularly in the dancing genre (slow and fast).

A little photo to get you in the romanticy-song mood:

Kissy, kissy

I have $1500, therefore, I am a photographer.

Just because you have a nice camera, doesn't mean you are a photographer.

[Disclaimer- this does not apply to people I know and associate with. Everyone I know is talented and wonderful. This is, of course, geared to the general public.]

I feel like I should just leave my post at that, but I still have lots of venting to do. This post has been months, possibly years, in the making.

Everyone is a photographer these days, have you noticed? This seems to be the case particularly in the state I live. There are a lot of stay at home moms (or wives) who start up little photography businesses. This has become a HUGE trend. Some are good. A few are great. Many are terrible. Buyers beware! Don't be fooled by the fact that a "photographer" has a fancy blog, or that they seem to have taken many, many pictures. You would be surprised how many terrible photographers stay busy with work. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. I encourage you to go with photographers who have actual websites. However, there are exceptions. For example, this friend of mine has a photo blog and takes wonderful pictures! Notice how clear the images are of peoples' faces and how she captures fun details of the events she photographs. LOOK AT THE PICTURES.

I have another friend who is a stay at home mom/photographer who uses a blog. LOOK AT THE PICTURES. You can see how sharp they are, how she focuses on the people in the pictures and not on the settings around them. The people should be the focal point.

These are pictures of your kids, your family, your life, your memories. You want them to be timeless. Ask yourself, would I like to look at these pictures in 50 years? 5 years? I am so done with the "cool locations," odd poses, saturated or desaturated editing. Pictures should look like the people in them.

Think of National Geographic photos. There are no people by train tracks in their photos, no funky coordinating outfits, no depressed-looking faces on people trying to look like models. Think of the timeless photos from TIME Magazine. The colors are natural, the locations are natural. Take pictures to record events. Hire people to take your pictures who will capture your moments the way that they happened. Because artsy-fartsy photos might seem like a good idea now, but on your 10th anniversary, you're going to wish you could go back in time and slap your photographer upside the head. Pictures capture memories of natural events in our lives. Please hire wisely.

Thank you.

[Steps off soap box]

A Page From the Doctor's Book

Sometimes I can be really hard on myself for mistakes I make, flaws that I have, or problems that I'm dealing with. For some strange reason, this is a trait that women deal with to a greater degree than men. But today, TODAY I celebrate my imperfections!

Thank heavens for my crooked teeth, my thighs, my inability to make quick decisions, and my lack of concentration at work.

How boring would it be if my face were perfectly symmetrical, my body was flawless, my mind was always immediately made-up, and I worked non-stop for 8 hours a day without breaking my concentration?!? Everyone would expect me to look flawless all of the time— I would rely on fleeting looks and not on my brain. I wouldn't be able to take input from loved ones on important decisions. And I would be even more high-strung at work than I usually am! I would have nothing to work on, no room to improve, no building of my character to be had. How tragic! How sad for all the nearly perfect people in the world.

Today I make a big step in building my self worth. Today I celebrate my flaws (which are many... too many to list, in fact.) Today I don't care what anyone else thinks about me. Today I am happy and content. Today I am just me, and that's good enough.

"Today you are you!

That is truer than true!

There is no one alive...

...who is you-er than you!

Shout loud, “I am lucky

to be what I am!

Thank goodness I’m not

just a clam or a ham

Or a dusty old jar of

sour gooseberry jam!

I am what I am! That’s a

great thing to be!

If I say so myself,

HAPPY EVERYDAY TO ME!”

-Dr. Seuss

Stay Tuned...

Dear Interweb,

I am sorry that I have neglected you as of late. And I'm sorry to leave you hanging without the rest of the details of my story I've been telling. Work and other things have consumed my every moment... including moments usually spent on blogging. A travesty, I know. But never fear, I will soon write the end of my story. Although, I must admit that finishing with, "... and the rest is history" did cross my mind.

Also, I heard the all too familiar sound of Canadian geese flying south for the winter this morning. Which can only mean one thing, that they were flying south for the winter. I hate winter. Especially in my state, blah. Here's to hoping for a swift and mild winter!

Talk to you soon,

Megan