May flowers!

Since I'm feeling pretty random, here are some random reflections and assorted responses to life in general right now.

• I cannot get enough of West Wing clips on YouTube. It's really a perfect place to go for your "fix" of a favorite. I love West Wing, known to some as "liberal porn" for its music, drama, humor and of course liberal joyfulness. No matter the political situation in real life, I'm always pleased with the Alternative President Bartlett Universe.
• Speaking of politics... I'm just hoping, upon hopes, that politics improve in terms of action and interesting-ness. I'm not a wonky gal. A little less conversation, democrats! Let's have a go-team-go attitude. Or let's all agree to take a week off. Either way is fine.
• One of the kids - a newly potty-trained 3-year-old - at my work dressed himself the other day. He was wearing his pants backwards and three pairs of underwear! As much as my job is preposterous, I'm really lucky to get the chance to laugh every day at genuinely silly things.
• Tomorrow I'm attending an alumni event! Some friends and I are seeing a taping of Wait, Wait Don't Tell Me - an NPR show. Since I don't drive and therefore rarely listen to the radio I'm excited to learn all about this funny-sounding show. Yay for that!
  
• My sincere apologies for being random and late with this post. I'll be on the ball post-haste. Enjoy spring!
  

Mandasaurus Mom - the coolest!

My mom who is smart, silly, the best sale shopper ever, loving, supportive, funny and daring.

My mom's shopping prowess is rivaled only by professionals. She finds obscure treasures at garage sales, digs through clearance bins when she's in the mood and embraces the Senior Discount Days at Bergner's.

"I get an extra 20 percent off, but sometimes I have to show ID," she said.

She and my dad invited a Rockford Riverhawks baseball player to live with them for spring training!

"He's really nice and he's cute," my mom said. Bravo!

My mom is a modern thinker. She and my dad completely embraced my best friend and my boyfriend as members of our family. She's a planner who can totally do things on a whim. She likes cheap pedicures and beautiful jewelery. She's a wonderful cook but dismisses the idea of rigid recipes.

"Just cook it until it looks good," is a typical direction. Or "make cookies whatever size you want."

I'm proud to be very much my mother's daughter. I'm thrifty, clever, a decent cook (but not anywhere near as good as my mom), happy to enjoy cheap wine, a fan of tailgating, creative, occasionally crafty, and nurturing. Thanks M.O.M.!

Cheers and a big Mandasaurus roar for wonderful moms!

Stimulating the economy, and hopefully my running routine...

Just this week I felt pleasantly startled by the U.S. government's $600 deposit in my checking account. Thanks!

I swiftly sent an automatic, online payment to a credit card and (slightly less swiftly) strolled over to Fleet Feet for real, genuine running shoes.

Just today I was "fitted" for running shoes. A very nice woman measured my feet's width and height sitting, standing and bending. Then I put on some "demo shoes" and followed her outside. The very nice running store woman asked me to run down the street, lunge, bend and run down the street again. Embarrassing!

But apparently helpful. I am a neutral runner. I don't run on the insides of my feet or the outsides of my feet. I do a heel-to-toe motion as I step. I need lots of padding in my shoe and support for my heel and ankle.

I tried on four pairs of shoes. Thankfully these expensive running shoes are all so preposterous looking I won't wear them outside of my runs because I'd be humiliated. One pink and gray pair was so cute I immediately dismissed them. And I found the ones.

My new shoes are wonderful! My toes can wiggle like crazy, which is good, they say. My ankle and heel stay right where they should be. They're shiny silver and a bit silly-looking. But they're my real, honest-to-God running shoes.

If you see a silver blur tomorrow dashing by you - it might be me! Zoom! Or maybe just your tax rebate... spend wisely!