Think Different

I became an Apple fan the moment I began using their technology in college. They worked the way I think. And their "Think Different" ad campaign really hooked me, so when it was time to buy my first computer, I went iMac, and never looked back.

I do think differently. (And yes, that is grammatically the way the phrase should read.) That's what makes me ... well ... me.

Which got me thinking about our upcoming election, and all of the junkmail I am receiving, all the ads that are playing on television and the radio, all the crap that's spewing about.

The fundamental difference between the two parties, it seems is that Democrats welcome people who don't think, or behave, or live like they do, and Republicans ... don't.

How sad is that?

Every issue, from abortion to immigration to spending to separation of church and state to gay marriage, appears to boil down to the right believing only they are right, and the left thinking there's room on the field for everyone.

Thankfully, the Republicans' world is not the world we live in, and it's emphatically not the country our founding fathers envisioned. And I'm not saying the Dems have everything correct, because they don't. There are flaws on both sides. But the ads and campaign rhetoric is making me crazy with the finger pointing and the ignorance.

It doesn't matter to me how you vote, but I hope you do vote. And I sincerely hope that you do so with your own mind, thinking for yourself. Thinking differently, if that's what works for you.

The fine print: I don't generally post political information or opinions. I find that sometimes it causes flaming language (from people who are clearly not gay.) Don't be that person. Don't attack me for having opinions. That's why this blog is called "Maggie's World".

It's Tuesday, so Maggie must have 10

1. You can seriously burn yourself when frothing milk for your morning coffee. Just sayin'.
2. Daylight saving time can hurry up and end. I'm ready to fall back, and I'm also ready for it not to be butt-crack dark when I wake up in the morning. Sheesh!
3. Running. I'm running. Last night I had the best run of my career to date. (Sarcasm implied.) But I still won't be even close to the Kenyans, who are coming in to run the Hot Chocolate race on November 6. They can run. I saw them on the Subway commercial.
4. After the race, I'll still be running, but probably indoors. And I've challenged myself to try the rock wall. I've always been afraid to do it; no one wants to look up and see that, right? But by the end of the year, I'm going. Who's with me?
5. Nothing makes me wash my dishes faster than curry. It tastes delicious, but when you can still smell it 15 minutes after your food is gone, it's motivating.
6. There are 21 get-ups until Thanksgiving.
7. The creator of Rocky & Bullwinkle (and Dudley DoRight) is dead. That's truly the end of an era. And no, don't pull a damn thing out of your hat.
8. I am still eating to the chicken tortilla soup from last week. I think next time I'll try to cut back on the recipe, so I'm not eating it for a week and a half. Although that does remind me of the time Mom & Dad went on vacation and left us food ... which was pretty much just one huge pot of chili. Yeah, Mom had a sense of humor.
9. There are moments when I still get really pissed at Christopher. I know I'm happier now than I was with him, and I know he couldn't begin to be the person I deserve to be with ... but sometimes it still gives me pain. How is it that he gets to walk off, free and clear, while I'm still dealing, all these years later? It doesn't seem fair. But then, no one ever said life was, now, did they?
10. And then I'm reminded that I may not be where I intended. I may not have the life I planned. But I have a great deal. I have a wonderful family that makes me laugh (and occasionally reminds me that it doesn't matter; a mouse has pooped on it.) Amazing friends who have my back, all the time. I have a kitchen full of nutritious food, a car the runs (and makes me smile) and a home that may seem a little bit like a dorm sometimes, but is really and truly my home. It didn't work out the way I planned, but this life thing? Yeah, it's pretty stellar.

Ten on Tuesday, October 19

1. I'm a little Debbie Downer today. Had a wonderful dinner last night with amazing friends, but I fear I overdid it a bit on the guacamole. I love guacamole. I hope it doesn't show up on the scale.
2. For the first time in many years, this weekend I will be attending Homecoming at my alma mater, Eastern Illinois University in Charleston, IL. I'll be staying with my ish-brother, Chunk, and his girlfriend, Erin. I've been promised chili, a campus tour, and time with old friends. Should be a fantastic weekend. Wish more of my old J-school peeps were gonna be there, but I think a little time in the place where I found myself is just what I need right now.
3. I thought I had turned a corner with the whole running thing, because last Friday I actually had a wonderful run/walk workout. Then, Sunday's came, and I wanted to die. Every run is different, but I have to keep trying. I've come to terms with the fact that I probably won't be running the full 5k on November 6, and I'm okay with that. I'd just like to not feel like I'm dying while trying.
4. Soup is good food. This fall and winter, I'll be making a lot of it. Generally low in calories, impossibly easy to prepare, and delicious ... right up my alley! On Sunday, I made a crockpot full of chicken tortilla soup. I'll be having it for lunch all week, and that's just fine by me. YUM!
5. If Target doesn't have it, you probably don't need it. Seriously.
6. Last Saturday, my friend and former roommate, Emily, took the train out to the Heights to have lunch with me and do a little catching up. It was so good to see her! Hard to believe she's been here for over a year now. I love that she's truly become a city girl. I'm proud of who she is. It makes me happy that I was able to be a part of her fresh start in Chicago.
7. Also last Saturday, I went with my friend Dawn to see "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" in Libertyville. Two of the cast members - "The Scotts", as I call them - were our fellow performers in the Summer Showcase back in August, and it was such fun to be part of the audience and enjoy their talents. It was such a fun day to be around friends ... definitely a reminder of how lucky I am.
8. I haven't been to Wisconsin since my birthday weekend. I need to finalize plans to get up there in November; I miss my people! I'm looking forward to being up there in the fall, even though the leaves will probably be off the trees by then. I'm thinking bonfire. Doesn't that sound perfect?
9. If you sprinkle a little pumpkin pie spice in the brew basket with your coffee, then steam and whip some skim milk to go in your mug with the coffee, you'll have a delicious, spicy concoction that tastes like fall, and is so much better than the bologna latte Starbucks tries to convince me is delicious. Speaking of which, I am going to have to find a way to fit the caloric intake of a peppermint mocha into my weekly allotment. It's almost that time of year!
10. I'm really tired of the political ads and phone calls and mailers and stuff. But what I'm more tired of is Christine O'Donnell in Delaware. She has cornered the market on stupid crazy, and if the people of that fair state vote her in, I just don't know what to say. It's one thing to dabble in witchcraft. I really don't care; she's right, we all did stupid stuff in college. It's quite another to have no grasp on the first amendment, nor any understanding of what it says. Church and state, lady - they are separate. It's okay with me if you don't think that's the way it should be, but the fact that you didn't know ... that's unfathomable.

Ten on Tuesday, October 12

1. I made sweet potato soup/peanut soup last week. It's amazingly delicious. I added a bit too much chipotle, but all fiery flavor aside, I like it. And as co-worker Lisa continually tells me, spicy food revs the metabolism.
2. This running thing is really messing with me, in a good way. I am sleeping like a baby (minus the crying and peeing the bed part) and feeling pretty strong.
3. That in no way should be interpreted to mean that running is getting easier. There is a reason why I've never been a runner. Two reasons, actually. 1) It's hard. 2) I'm not very good at it. But I keep trying, keep practicing, keep moving forward. I do worry about my knee, but I am as careful as I can be. Besides, the more weight that comes off - and it comes off faster when I'm running - the happier my knee will be.
4. Sometimes, it's easy to feel sad and wish that I had someone else's life. Or more of my own life. This weekend, I experienced a computer glitch and just about had a meltdown. It irritates me to no end that I can't just go out and buy a new computer, because the budget can't handle it. It sucks that, at my age, there are so many things that I still have to save for. And then, I think about all the people I love, and I feel like George Bailey - the richest man in town. Except I'm not a man. But then you knew that already. I hope.
5. I am not dressing up for Halloween this year. I'm just not inspired to create a costume. I guess after last year's snake fiasco, taking a year off won't be a bad thing.
6. After my run/walk last weekend, I've had to accept the fact that there is a significant chance I won't be running the Hot Chocolate 5K on November 6. I will be completing it, I just may have trouble running the entire thing. See #3 above for clarification; I am not good at running. (I'm at about a 16.66 minute mile for running/walking. Yeah, I'm a pro.) It's a little depressing, and then I remember that the original goal was to run a 5K in the spring. This is fall. I'm already ahead of myself!
7. Balance. Right now, I'm feeling like my life is in balance more than it ever has been. I find it no coincidence that this is also the longest I have gone in my entire adult life without a significant other. I am the sort of person who gives too much of herself to a relationship, and loses too much of herself in the process. So here I am, enjoying this amazing balance between friends and family, work, health and solitude. Should there ever be another significant other (hey, miracles happen!) I'm sure I will handle it differently. Because this balance thing feels pretty damn good.
8. Along with balance, I'm loving the variety I have in my life right now. When it comes to working out, I have running, dancing, weight lifting, cycling and ellipticalling - well, what else do you call using the elliptical trainer? At mealtime, I have an awesome variety because my friend Lisa and I are sharing lunchtime preparation - I never know what I'll be having. And I'm also spending time with a lot of different people. It's nice to have such a range to choose from.
9. I really wish they'd learn how to regulate the temperature in my office.
10. Can you believe it's the middle of October? This year has flown by, and doesn't show any signs of slowing down. It seems like only yesterday we turned the calendar ... where did the time go?

Ten on Wednesday

1. My friend Kathleen turns 40 today. I have known her since 1989, when we did Godspell together at Aurora University. I like that I have known her more than half of her life. Anyway, the birthday party was last Sunday in Aurora, and so - of course - I went. It was wonderful. Delicious nachos (only a few), monstrous margaritas (I ordered one and drank only about a quarter of it; any more and I would've been sleeping in the booth!) and wonderful company. But the best surprise was seeing Little Jane - my friend Tracy, who played Little Jane in Three Postcards back in 1991. It was a night to catch up, share a little sorrow (we're both half-orphans, and her loss is still fresh) and surround ourselves with love. It was Kathleen's party, but I feel like I got the present.
2. I ran on Sunday. I'm running again tonight. I'm determined; as long as my knee holds out, the thumping in my chest and the gasping for air will get better. Right?
3. My house is a mess. So tonight there are three things on the to-do list: Make soup, run and clean. Doesn't that sound like fun?
4. I don't know if it's the weather or what, but lately I've been waking up with headaches. Coffee seems to help a little, but what I really want is another couple hours of sleep. Maybe this weekend?
5. Probably not. I'm spending this weekend scrapbooking with Diane. I paid my admission to the Sweet Scrappin' Escape weekend with the money Dad gave me for my birthday, and Diane (as incredible sweet as can be) sprung for the hotel room. So it's just us and our scrappy goodness. I guess I'd better pull my supplies together and decide which album to work on, huh?
6. Back to Kathleen's party ... sorry, there were a few nice things that were said to me that I just have to get on record. First of all, when Sherry walked in, she told me I was melting away! YAY! Sometimes it's nice to be around people you don't see all that often; they notice when you change. Then her husband, Jack, was re-introducing me to their son, Jackson, whom I haven't seen since he was a child. (He is now in college.) Anyway, he says, "You remember Margaret. She's precious, and everybody loves her." So there you go - don't forget it.
7. My calendar is rapidly filling up; it's like October is already gone! This weekend, I have the scrapbook "retreat"; next weekend, I have a lunch date with Emily; the weekend after that is Homecoming at EIU, and I'm going. (Ish-Bro Chunk and his girlfriend Erin have graciously invited me to stay with them; blast!) Then the weekend after that is Halloween, which means Ken and Melissa's party (where I'll spend the evening playing with Simon), Hafla-Ween with Teri and other assorted bellydancers, and hanging out on Halloween with Rebekah and her kids. That's it; that's October. And then we get in to November, which kicks off with the Hot Chocolate Run on November 6, followed by my sister Kathie's birthday bash that same evening. Where does the time go when I'm not looking, hmmm? (For the record, I am so not complaining. While I enjoy having a bit of free time, I also love the feeling of being with my many and varied, wonderful friends.)
8. Sometimes, when I get home from the gym, I take a bath and put on cashmere pants. Thanks, Rebekah.
9. Soon, Starbucks will begin serving peppermint mochas again, and I'm going to have to find a way to work them into my calorie budget. I love them. They taste like Christmas to me.
10. Did you know that my birthday is the official start of the holiday season? This was decided during a conversation with Brienne at the office, when I was explaining that September is my birthday month. "Why not just take it all the way to Thanksgiving?" she said. I like the way she thinks.