therobynbirdsnest

OPENING DAY!

Posted on April 4, 2016 by robynbird

The Nats are in Atlanta for opening day!

The line up looks like this:
CF Ben Revere
3B Anthony Rendon
RF Bryce Harper
1B Ryan Zimmerman
2B Daniel Murphy
LF Jayson Werth
C Wilson Ramos
SS Danny Espinosa
P Max Scherzer

Dusty Baker is leading this team so beautifully and we’ve just left Spring Training! I have great hopes for our team this year!
Opening Day is one of my all time favorite days of the year!
Thing C and I are camped out in front of the telly waiting for the first pitch!
N-A-T-S! Nats! Nats! Nats! WOO!

Categories: me | Tags: Anthony Rendon, baseball, Ben Revere, boys of summer, Bryce Harper, Daniel Murphy, Danny Espinosa, Jayson Werth, love, Max Sherzer, nats, opening day, Ryan Zimmerman, spring, Washington Nationals, Wilson Ramos | Leave a comment

falling in love with Richard Burton all over again

Posted on March 31, 2016 by robynbird

I’ve had the book since it was published but only just started reading The Richard Burton Diaries.

I have always loved him as an actor ever since I first heard my mother’s record of his Broadway production of Hamlet in 1964. His Petruchio amused me so. And when I saw Who’s Afraid of Virginia Wolf, I was literally speechless.
Now I’m beginning to fall in love with him as a writer.
He was a curious beast.
He wrote about what he saw and felt. He wrote about his desires. He was kind of gossipy and wasn’t shy about putting it to paper. He was proud of being Welsh. He had great disdain for acting. He was absolutely mad about Elizabeth Taylor.
He was a voracious reader and loved learning.
He drank way way way too much and knew it.

I love reading biographies. Especially when written by the individual. One of my favorites is Sylvia Plath’s journals. I also enjoyed the journals of Michael Palin, written during the Python years.
Kind of makes me want to journal in an entirely new way. Only I don’t write like that…if only.

Reading Richard Burton’s writings has opened my eyes to a time in history when certain people lived ridiculously privileged lives. I am loving learning about the inner thoughts of a man I’ve admired, honestly since I can remember.

I watched this wonderful documentary from BBC One Wales.
I hope you enjoy it.

Categories: me | Tags: actor, BBC, BBC One Wales, biographies, CBE, diaries, diary, documentary, Elizabeth Taylor, hamlet, journaling, journals, Michael Palin, Richard Burton, Richard Burton diaries, scholar, Sylvia Plath, Taming of the Shrew, Who's Afraid of Virginia Wolf, William Shakespeare, writer | 2 Comments

divided we fall #teamironman vs. #teamcap

Posted on March 21, 2016 by robynbird

Thing C and I are getting really excited about Captain America: Civil War.

Of course I’m “#teamironman” all the way. Cap might have a point about the “registry” but the scene in the first trailer when both Cap and Bucky are beating the hell out of Tony just makes me cringe.
I don’t want to hate Cap! He’s my second favorite Avenger!

Thing C, YBW and I had an interesting conversation about it while we were making breakfast Saturday morning. Thing C asked off the cuff if we were “#teamcap” or “#teamironman”. Well we know where I stand.
We are a house divided. (Well a couple divided anyway.)
YBW is all about “#teamcap”. He doesn’t believe anyone should keep tabs on the super heros.
He even likened the “registry” to the yellow badges of Nazi Germany.

I just shook my head: I can’t believe you’re playing the Jew card!

We discussed the way the Avengers are divided. How Nat and Clint are on different sides of the war is fascinating. We’re worried about Rhodey. We LOVE Don Cheadle.
Thing C, in true Libra form, never shared which team he’s on. Though I secretly think he’s on “#teamironman” with me…perhaps that’s just wishful thinking.
He’s especially interested in Chadwick Boseman as Black Panther. We LOOOOOOOOVED him in the James Brown movie, so it’ll be cool to see how he plays Black Panther. Perhaps Thing C is simply “#teamblackpanther” and nothing more.
We’re also curious about this new Spidey.

Anyway. I feel anxious about this movie and where it will leave my beloved Avengers.
But one way Thing C and I ease that worry is by finding the most ridiculous Captain America: Civil War memes and share them with each other. I laugh more than I should…but I can’t help it. They’re so stupid!But so GREAT!

Thing C posted this one to my fb page this evening.

Bahahahaha!
Thing C began watching Friends on Netflix during winter break and we talked about the episodes and what he thought about them, etc. So this one is especially funny for us.

I saw one in which Tony says he liked Frozen better than Tangled and Cap just gives him the stink eye. In that particular case, I’m “#teamcap” all the way! I hated Frozen!

To show you the absolute stupidity of these memes I present this one.

Y’all read that in Bugs and Daffy’s voices didn’t you?

They’re absolutely the most ridiculous damn things but we laugh like idiots. I’m just going to leave this here in case you want to laugh like an idiot too.
Meme Watch: These ‘Captain America: Civil War’ Memes Explain Why They Fight

I am a Tony Stark girl like nobody’s business, but I also love Steve Rogers. This movie will be interesting and complicated. Just like my very dorky feelings regarding it.

It opens the weekend between YBW’s and my birthday and we’ll be there, popcorn and Coca Cola in hand to watch it!

Categories: me | Tags: #teamcap, #teamironman, Avengers, Black Panther, Black Widow, Captain America, Captain America: Civil War, Captain America: Civil War memes, Chadwick Boseman, Don Cheadle, dork, friends, froze, Hawkeye, Iron Man, James Rhodes, Jewish gold star, Jude, Marvel, movies, Nazi Germany, Netflix, Steve Rogers, Tangled, Tony Stark, War Machine, YBW, yellow badge | Leave a comment

I’m the Mistress of All Evil and I. Will. Cut. You.

Posted on March 20, 2016 by robynbird

My favorite Disney villain is Maleficent.

She’s not trying to take over the seas, or unleash the Titans to aid in the taking over of Mt Olympus. She doesn’t long to be the most powerful ruler in Agrabah. She doesn’t give a damn who’s the “fairest”, she isn’t keen to make a coat out of puppies.
She’s not on a power trip.
She has her nose out of joint because she wasn’t invited to a party.

Wait, what!?!
That’s right, she didn’t get invited to a baby’s Christening and this angers her so that she curses the baby with death.
Curses the baby.
She goes right to the heart. She bypasses the king and queen, and curses their baby. How much worse is that than if she’d cursed them directly?

I especially love that she’s so calm about the whole thing.
Like butter wouldn’t melt in her mouth.
“I really felt quite distressed at not receiving an invitation.” and then “Oh dear, what an awkward situation.”

No, I wasn’t invited. Yes, I certainly should have been. Do you think snubbing me was the safest/smartest choice you could make?
Oh, no. I’m not offended. But, BTW, I’m going to curse your little baby just because it makes me feel all tingly inside.
Don’t eff with the Mistress of All Evil, because I will cut a bitch.

It’s so wrong.
But I love it.
She doesn’t put up with anybody’s foolishness.

Does she take it too far?
Sure.
But she owns it.

Surely we all have days when we feel like Maleficent? Nothing is quite right, and you feel as though you’re relying on complete and total imbeciles. You’re surrounding by idiots. Clowns to the left of me, jokers to the right…
I know I do.
I own it when I lose my patience.
Especially when it looks like this.

Categories: me | Tags: Disney villain, fools, I will cut a bitch, I will cut you, maleficent, party invitation, sleeping beauty, Sleeping Beauty 1959, the mistress of all evil, villain, Walt Disney, what an awkward situation | Leave a comment

my number is 10

Posted on March 17, 2016 by robynbird

Going over my medical history today at the doctor’s office.

Nurse: Have you had more than five sexual partners?
Me: Yes.
Nurse: How many?
(Uh…”more than five” isn’t good enough?)
Me: Ten.

This question struck me as odd. I was at the gynecologist, so not that odd…but why ask it that way? Why not ask ‘how many’ straight off?
Less than five is OK, but more than isn’t?
Is there a “right” number?

Mostly it got me thinking about my sexual life.
I’m a healthy, forty four year old woman and my number is ten.
Apparently ten is the perfect “Goldilocks” number, according to this article in The Telegraph. Is there an ‘ideal number’ of sexual partners to have?
So I guess, in the grand scheme of things, ten is not a “too small” number, neither is it a “too large” number.

In my scheme of things, it’s the perfect number.
I can name each person I’ve had sex with and only cringe at the memory of two of them. (Mistakes and bad choices happen…turns out a couple of times I didn’t make decisions with my brain.)

I can say I lost my virginity in my own bed one morning before school, to a boy I cared very much for.
I can say I took the virginity of the first boy I honestly loved.
I can say one of the ten is a girl with whom I spent eight spectacular months.
I can say one of the ten is the father of my children.
I can say one of the ten is, without a doubt, the unsurpassed giver of oral sex.
I can say one of the ten savagely broke my heart for sport.
I can say the last of the ten is my precious (and sexy as hell) husband.

You hear stories of, and see in television and movies, people comparing their lists of past lovers and it’s almost always a mess. Feelings are hurt. One partner’s list is longer than the other’s. There might be some objectionable things on the list.
I’m not shy about sharing my number. YBW has a bigger number than me. I don’t know the exact number, but I know it’s more. I’ve heard the stories of him going through girls in college.
I don’t care about any of that.

I don’t think a list should be made to share and compare if you’re in a relationship, unless of course, there’s a medical necessity. I kind of feel like the sharing of pasts (including sexual partners) comes about organically as you get to know each other.

Other questions the nurse asked seem more pertinent to my medical health.
How many pregnancies have you had? (Three.) How many live births? (Two.) How many living children? (Two.)
Any history of cancer in your immediate family? (Yes, my mother.)
Any history of alcohol or drug abuse in your immediate family? (Yes, my dad and brother.)
Any history of heart attack or stroke in your immediate family? (Yes to both, maternal grandfather.)
Do you have asthma? (Yep. I was diagnosed last year.)
Do you have high blood pressure? (Uh, no. You just took it two minutes ago and it was 118 over 84 and I remarked how that’s high for me.)

I don’t know. I guess going over my medical history, and especially my sexual history got me thinking.
The number of people with whom I’ve had sex is mine and I own it.
I’m just a girl who lived and loved and had sex and I’m comfortable with that.

Categories: me | Tags: goldilocks number of sexual partners, healthy, medical history, sexual partners, The Telegraph | 2 Comments

ask LuLaRoe questions and get LuLaRoe answers

Posted on March 15, 2016 by robynbird

My investigation is heating up!
I met with the lovely LuLaRoe consultant this morning for more info about becoming a consultant. She shared such great information with me, answered all my questions, and assured me of her help every step of the way.
The more I learn and understand, the more excited I become.

I still need to go over everything with YBW before I move forward. But the answers I got today have convinced me this is the thing for me!

Came home and got comfy in my (free/earned) “butter soft” leggings while I do laundry and wait for the “bug guy” to show up. (for scheduled maintenance)

Categories: me | Tags: butter soft leggings, excited, excitement, fun, investigation, lularoe, lularoe leggings, questions and answers, supplemental income | Leave a comment

an April wedding

Posted on March 13, 2016 by robynbird

Thing 1 and fiance N are getting married in April!
Not a ‘white dress, let’s have a big party’ wedding. An ‘at the courthouse with only our family’ wedding.

N is in a (well, several) program(s) for veterans. They’re paying to send him back to school (for an IT degree). They also pay him what I guess equates to a “salary” while he’s in school so he doesn’t have to work full time and got to school full time. (I’m not up on all the specifics.)
Anyway.
Fiance N and Thing 1 can receive more benefits if they’re married than if he’s single. So they spent a fairly decent amount of time talking about what they wanted to do and decided they’re going to get married at the courthouse now and they’ll have their wedding and reception on their first or second anniversary.

When Thing 1 called to tell me all this I suspect she was waiting for some “Mommmy backlash”. on the contrary, I think they’re making very smart choices for their future. It makes sense to utilize the benefits to the best of their ability. It makes sense to wait to have a more formal wedding and reception.
I fully support this choice. It took me a long time to be able to say that, because there was a long time that I simply wasn’t “feeling” N for my girl. I had big worries.
But after spending time with them before our wedding and at Christmas time, I got to see how they function as a couple. I got to hear their ideas for their future. I got to hear their dreams of the life they wanted to share.
It wasn’t that I finally got to know him better, but I got to know them better. I think they’re on the same page about what they want. What their hopes and dreams for a life together are.

I still have my concerns about her age. The fact he’s the first person she’s ever had sex with. Their age difference.
But I see past most of that and realize they’re doing what’s best for them right now. And I absolutely support that!

YBW and I are getting on a plane.
Her dad and Thing 2 are driving down.
N’s mom is driving down.
So their family with be with them when they get married.

Even though there’s not white dress (yet), I made sure Thing 1 does have a something new to wear.

We talked about how it didn’t have to be white if she didn’t want it to be and this is what she chose. It’s so very Thing 1! It’s a gorgeous silver and she’s mad about it.
I’ll be sending a bouquet of purple iris (her all-time favorite flower) for her to carry from this amazing site, The Bouqs Co.. Sundance hooked me up with it (after she had the idea Thing 1 needed flowers) that’s a great Auntie and Godmother right there, ya’ll!

My child, who has never really been at home in her own skin, is finally content.
The Mommy inside me is doing the happiest happy dance!

Categories: love, on being a mom, wedding | Tags: benefits, courthouse, love, making good choices, marriage, mother of the bride, mothers and daughters, smart choices, smart choices for the future, Thing 1, VA, veteran, wedding | Leave a comment

patience or self-indulgence?

Posted on March 8, 2016 by robynbird

I was feeling mighty sorry for myself this morning. Filled with sadness and there were so many tears.
Nothing I did eased me.
This thought plagued me: I’m so tired of feeling sad and sorry for myself.

I’m tired of winter. I’m tired of feeling like hell all the time. Will I ever heal?
I’m failing at finding a job. I’m not keeping up with the house. I’m just a pathetic puddle of whininess and I can’t seem to snap myself out of it!

The weather is finally turning. It’s in the 70s today. I brought all the back porch furniture up from the basement and set it up. Filled the fountain and am now sitting out here listening to the water sounds and The Pierces.

Thing 2 and I were texting this morning during my sadness. She was kind and reassuring. (I guess today it was her turn to be the Mommy.)
I thanked her and she replied: Of course, Momma ❤ you’re always there for me and I’m here for you. I love you ❤ you’re awesome, don’t lose sight of that because things are crappy.

A bit later I really lost patience with myself and sent this: Shame on me all weepy and whiny when I think about (the young man) being sick and what (that family) is going through I want to slap myself.

She came back with this: Hey now, don’t do that to yourself. Everyone has stuff going on. Yes, their shit is really big and really stinky right now but that doesn’t mean that your shit isn’t any easier or less important. It’s the biggest thing in your world right now so you can’t compare it.

Me: Why are you so wise? How? You truly amaze me.

Thing 2: I may not know a lot about everything but I do know a little bit about a lot of things. And that is something I have always told everyone and will always stick in my head, because that is the truest thing. So feel bad for them and love them, but do not feel guilty because you are “better off” but still feeling bad for yourself.

Me: Thank you! My God, you are amazing!

Thing 2: I try? I don’t see what the big deal is, it just makes sense to me.

Me: It makes total sense. It’s a wisdom that most people your age don’t possess. I have always known you are special. But sometimes you do something that goes beyond.

Thing 2: I am flattered. Thank you.

How does she have that wisdom?
How does she know that it’s OK for me to be miserable even though people I love have worse things to be miserable about?

I wasn’t even excited about the washer and dryer coming. I cannot stress how important it is to note that.
I took pics when they were delivered.
I wrote a blog post about it.
Even though these new machines are a great and wonderful gift, and even though I’ve used them with gusto this afternoon, I have little joy. The underlying sadness is digging in it’s heels.

It’s time for this to stop, it’s gone on too long. I’m beginning to wonder if I can snap out of it. How long before patience becomes self-indulgence?
Perhaps I need one of two things. The first being a swift spiritual kick to the head. The second is to breathe new air. (That’s one of my favorite phrases my friend and mentor says.)
I don’t know. I’m breathing breezy porch air right now…think that’ll help?

Categories: me | Tags: breathe, crybaby, deep breath, depression, drama, love, miserable, patience, porch, porch life, sadness, Thing 2, whiny, wisdom | 4 Comments

appliance day

Posted on March 8, 2016 by robynbird

Appliance Day!
It’s not a holiday for the general public, just for me!
It’s like Christmas and my Birthday and something else SUPER GREAT all rolled into one.

First the old washer was removed:

Bye, Felicia!

The new washer in the garage waiting to be brought inside:

Hello, Lover!

Both machines all set up!:

Eeeeeeeeee!

Just in case I need to know something about these particular models:

I read nothing I didn’t already know…
But they’re all laminated and have little suction cups to attach them to the machines. How cute is that?

A load running in each machine:

Tuesday is my scheduled laundry day and these new machines are kicking ass!

Categories: around the house, love, me | Tags: appliance day, appliance whore, appliances, bye felicia, dryer, kenmore, laundry, laundry machines, sears, washer, washing machine | Leave a comment

hooked on LuLaRoe

Posted on March 6, 2016 by robynbird

I’ve become obsessed with LuLaRoe clothing.
Sundance lives in their leggings. They are the softest damn things I’ve ever felt! They’re oftentimes referred to as “butter soft”. (They ain’t lyin’.)
I’m not about the leggings. But I found out they make dresses. That’s it, y’all, I’m hooked!

At first I was all about the “Amelia”

This dress is so very me. The perfect length, those pleats and pockets and little sleeves. The material is soft and stretchy. I have three of these now.

Until I tried on the “Julia”

It’s a tee shirt dress that is flattering as hell! I expected it to be shapeless, or worse, cling in all the wrong places. But it’s “butter soft” like the leggings, the perfect length with the perfect length sleeves (almost to the elbow). I have three of these and one more on the way.

I have one “Cassie” skirt. The softest damn navy and gray striped little pencil skirt you ever did see. I have one pair of blue leggings to wear under one of my “Julia” dresses, if you fold it up a little, it becomes a tunic and the leggings are cute under it. I don’t foresee more leggings in my life…but who knows?

Here’s what the Julia dress looks like in real life.
Heather gray with a navy cardigan (cardigans are my #1 go-to article of clothing), a cream, navy, gray, mustard and burgandy scarf and (gorgeous) brown boots.

(It’s an instagram photo so I had to lose my head to show the cute boots.)

When I got home, I took off my boots and scarf to get more comfy.

My knee sock game is completely on point.

If you don’t know LuLaRoe, you must check it out.
Leggings and dresses and tunics and raglan tees and skirts, even “kimonos” (little sweater-y type things to wear over everything else), in women’s and girls sizes. Even “Mommy and Me” items that match or coordinate. This stuff sells like hot cakes! Everything is reasonably priced, comparable to local women’s clothing stores, and sometimes better made.
They’re all designed here in the U.S. with a limited number (1000) items per fabric pattern. That could mean any item could be any pattern. Some of them are not remotely my style, but others are absolutely fabulous!
I’ve learned in the last three weeks that people are simply mad about these clothes! You can’t refresh photos and type “sold” in the comments fast enough on the facebook “pop up sales”.
I love these clothes so much, I’m seriously considering becoming a LuLaRoe consultant. YBW and I are ironing out the logistics. He was reluctant at first, but the more we talk about it, the more open minded he becomes. I’m not a “sales” kind of girl, but I’ve already got a client base built up and ready to shop with me. The opportunity to “do what I love” excites me. I absolutely love clothes! And I absolutely love these LuLaRoe clothes!
If I’m a consultant, I’ll have first dibs on Amelia and Julia dresses to add to my collection.