flip-flop *toe* pop-top

To my dog loving co-workers (and you other guys that I am just trying to gross out...), Here's your Monday morning laugh (or "ewww!")

Last night as I was pushing baby boy in his stroller through the park while also walking our dog, the dog and I were showing baby boy how to play "splash the puddle" - which she and I have been playing since she was a puppy. The objective is for the human to stomp in a puddle and for the dog to snap at and catch the splashing water... Well, it appears that as she is now an older puppy girl (she's 8yrs +), perhaps her aim is slightly off - and during one round of "splash" instead of snapping and catching the splashing water, she "accidentally" made contact with my flip-flop wearing foot... Needless to say (but I will, just for the shock value...) one of my toes is now completely minus a toe nail!!!

And as I hobbled home bleeding, pushing stroller and dragging dog (who knew something bad had happened but wasn't sure exactly what...), baby boy pointed down at the ground with a giggle and even through the throbbing haze of shock I was starting to feel, he made me proud when he demonstrated the newest combination of words in his growing vocabulary - "more puddle!" To which I had to painfully and apologetically reply, "Uh... sorry baby boy, mommy thinks that game is over!"

1962 - planning = 43

tick tick tick - well its here. my 43rd year... am i where i expected to be? honestly dont know if i ever thought to plan it out in advance. I guess my unspoken and even subconscious motto has always been - "let life take you where it will... "

what's that old saying, "its the journey - not the destination thats important..." or something like that. i try to feel proud/justified that i subscribe to that... BUT often i feel like i've been lazy and shouldnt have just let life "happen"... and that i should have been planning better.

related note: Probably one of the few things i have seriously thought long and hard about and "formally planned" was getting pregnant with Baby Boy... i am VERY happy with how that turned out... yes, a miscarriage first - and i often wonder was that because I was approaching 40 and that I HAD waited too long? AND THIS WAS THE RESULT OF BAD PLANNING? as there had been a plan involved - I had planned for many years NOT to be pregnant until I/we were "ready..." Or was it just not the right time for Baby Girl? makes me sad to think about that... BUT then I think of Baby Boy's smiling face and giggle/scream when he sees an airplane or red van... and tell myself, "it all worked out so far..."

and now - PLANS - what do i do when they dont need me here at MSHell anymore... they have all their new or thankfully rehired formerly laid-off TV elves over at the new NYC site. And I dont know if I could/would do the commute to NYC happily long term if they did have/make a spot for me... So my PLAN right now is to ride this out and take and try to enjoy some of my severance... my closets need cleaning, baby boy's clothes and toys need outgrown and unused weeding, my garage needs junk thrown out... So i hope i can take a month or two before i have to really think about where my next official paycheck will be coming from again - but when i stop and look at it - i guess i am planning - because I have been telling any and every user who listens that its time for a career change... and that, "my dignity and my behind are getting too large to allow me to continue to crawl around under desks..." So I am planning - at least to stop doing that - to stop fighting with the dustbunnies and cobwebs and start wearing skirts again and business attire - so theres at least a scrap of a plan - Human Resources or Technology Training - they sound like potential career paths i would enjoy.... so OK - I guess I do plan when I HAVE to...

And now I must plan to hit 44 (wow!) next year wearing a skirt to work that is not a size 14!