You ever get those days (or weeks, years...maybe even lifetimes) where you just feel like the world is spinning far too fast and erratically that you can't get your footing long enough to feel you've actually accomplished something? Well, I somehow find myself feeling like that yet again.  With gas prices going up I had to drop two of my classes this semester.  Family medical issues (not mine) have also forced things into a different direction.  So here I am yet again trying to figure out exactly what has to be done when it seems like everybody else around me has gotten to a happy point in their lives where they seem to be enjoying themselves.  Don't get me wrong, I like being an adult (sometimes) but sometimes being an adult really sucks.  When I was a kid, making mud pies or dressing up and pretending to be a Disney Princess or  a unicorn or whatever else I could imagine up at the time was the only thing I ever worried about.  Wouldn't that be nice to have a place to go where everything stands still long enough for you to catch your breath and use your imagination again? That's one of the reasons I love the book, The Little Prince, so much.  It appeals to children but there's a message there for us adults that I think could do a lot of people some good to look into.  We forget what it's like to just pretend and imagine something fantastical and magical like we did as kids.  Can't we try to see the world the way a child sees it and believe that it is perfectly logical? Why not?  Why isn't there more ways for adults to play and have fun (without the use of mind altering substances)?  After all doesn't  "All work and no play make Jack a dull boy"?  Why can't I have a magical castle with mythical creatures to protect it?  Why can't I have a sword that transforms me into a cool evil fighting princess like She-ra did?  How many times I imagined myself in a totally made up world when I was a kid can't even be counted.  I loved that.  I believed it.  I wish I still did.  In the meantime, I'm gonna try not to grow up TOO much.

Go out and play!
-Tiff

And so today marks the last year of my 20s.  I don't feel any older than yesterday and yet I feel that biological clock ticking and panic setting in that I'm not going to be that young girl I was when I first began my 20s.  Of course, I'm not that girl anymore even now but it makes it that much more permanent and final lol. I wish I was somewhere other than the middle of B.F.E. so I could have a proper celebration.  Right now it's just me, the crickets, maybe a banjo and my husband and his parents. Which isn't a bad thing, I just feel like there aren't even any options to do anything awesome for your birthday around here. 

*hugs*
Tiff

Officer Alex J. Murphy (aka Murphy)

So I introduced my other snuggle butt so here's my kitty, Murphy.  Yes, his name is technically what the caption says as he's named after my favorite cyborg cop, Robocop.  Of course we call him Murphy.  He's a little shit that likes to sleep on my pillow and sometimes on my head.  Once in awhile he wants to lie with one paw on my cheek like he's hugging my head.  He's cute and purrs louder than any cat I've ever had.  And yet, he's the biggest attention whore! I mean, he will be all up on your nuts when you're trying to get work done.  But I guess it's just my "Ace Ventura" gene once again showing itself.  He'll follow me around all over the house.  He even wants to be in my lap when I'm trying to have a private moment on the damn toilet! lol.  He demands it.  So, there's Murphy my sometimes lovable and always needy kitteh!

I think he was watching Pineapple Express here. lol.

I make this banana hat look good and you know it!

So here's a picture I took this week of Napoleon in the hat that came with his banana costume (from two Halloween's ago).  He doesn't really like stuff on his head but my husband decided to put the hat on him just to see if he'd wear it.  This is one of the pictures I managed to get of him looking all smug.  Seriously, I cannot love this little man enough haha.  He's so funny.  Personally, it made me think of a smurf when I saw the hat on him haha.  I don't know what I'd do without my stinky little Frenchie. 

It's hard work being a Frenchie.

Just thought I'd share the fun :)

Hugs,
Tiff

Hi all, I was made aware that for some reason the option to leave comments wasn't working.  I removed a gadget at the bottom so hopefully that's fixed.  I wont know until somebody tries it so if you try to send me a comment on one of my posts and it doesn't work, shoot me an email at thespiraldown@gmail.com and I will look into it further.  I'm not all that great at that kind of thing but I'll find somebody who might know what's wrong with it if what I did doesn't fix it. So thanks :)

*hugs*

Yes, it's the day when everybody goes out and spends far more money than they need to on the people they either: love, care about, are friends with or maybe just want to get laid by.   My favorite are the ones that have only been dating for like 2 weeks and it's like a huge deal to them.  "OH MY GOD IT'S VALENTINE'S DAY AND I GET TO SPEND IT WITH MY SWEETIE! (I hope he gets me that necklace or ring I've been wanting for 10 years but didn't have anybody to buy it for me")..... I swear guys are suckers.  Why do you let yourselves get roped into all kinds of craziness over girls you barely know?  And girls, what the hell is wrong with you? You don't NEED to be with somebody on Valentine's Day just because it's Valentine's Day.  Hell, find some friends and go hang out with them.  I hear everybody get all sad and depressed that they don't have anybody on Valentine's Day....what about the other 364 days of the year that you don't have anybody? Why is it on this one day you get all sad and depressed and eat a half gallon...or maybe an entire gallon of ice cream? (don't worry, I do that sort of thing and I'm married!).  *sigh*  I hope everybody has a great time today because I know there's a big social expectation to go do something hopelessly and disgustingly romantic on February 14th every year.  Personally, I'm probably going to just sit at home, eat cheesecake, play around on www.getglue.com and maybe watch some 30 Rock on Netflix streaming.  That's my kind of Valentine's Day.......Lord, I'm getting old!!

But in all seriousness, have a safe, fun, romantic (if that's your thing) Valentine's Day and I hope you get to spend some quality time with the ones you love, whether they be friends, family, boyfriends/girlfriends, or spouses.  Just take the time to appreciate them.  No need to spend insane amounts of money because Hallmark tells you to.

Hugs,
Tiff.

So anybody actually celebrating Valentine's Day? I wonder sometimes if there's something wrong with me because I can't get into the spirit of Valentine's Day according to how we're supposed to celebrate it in the United States.  I don't see how candy is supposed to be more exciting to me on that day of the year when I happen to love candy just as much every other day.  I can go buy it without having silly little sayings on it that are supposed to be all happy and romantic.  I mean, don't get me wrong, I love my husband and I love getting gifts, but I don't understand why a day that was originally a feast day for a Saint got turned into the consumer driven machine that it is today.  I don't want my husband to buy me a gift because he feels obligated.  If he sees something he thinks I'd like and happens to get it then that's nice.  Especially if it's out of the blue and not on a day that stores everywhere tell you that they have the perfect gift for your lady.  I'd rather spend the money on something we both enjoy anyway that we'd do whether it was a holiday or not.  So, I guess I can give one piece of advice to people.  If you care about somebody there are lots of ways you can show it without having to go out and buy a silly card, roses, chocolates, a stuffed animal etc.  Don't feel pressured to have to go crazy on gifts.  Personally, my husband and I generally just discuss things we might want or we just say, forget getting a gift and we'll spend the money on something cool.  Well, anyway I'm ranting.  I guess I just think it's a little bit silly and it makes me sort of uncomfortable when romance is forced on you because it's what's expected from you on that day of the year.  But that's just me.

What do you think?  Do you think Valentine's Day and other holidays like that have gotten out of control with consumerism etc. that they've completely lost touch with what it was meant for in the first place? I know I certainly feel that way about several holidays.  Valentine's Day is definitely one of them.