Day Two: PB Trees are my Savior

First post up and done. Feels really good to get started. Now, I have no delusions that I will be able to keep up this daily blogging – I’m hoping my life’s events will prevent me from doing so, but for now, at the beginning of my journey and while I have time, I will blog to my heart’s content and get into the swing of positivity.

DAY TWO: 8:45 am. Why oh why do I live here? I lived 4 glorious years in Southern California and decided to come back to the Midwest…still not sure why…I’m sure it has something to do with life, love, family, friends…something special in store for me back home…all that shit people tell themselves when trying to rationalize an otherwise idiotic decision. At least that’s what I tell myself mid-winter, mid-snow, mid-freeze here in Chicago and to be fair, it’s not entirely untrue. I mean, I like snow…in theory and when it’s freshly fallen…but with snow comes cold and after snow comes even colder cold. 1 degree with the windchill to be exact – that’s what I walked to the train this morning in – this morning when I was running late as usual and had to wait for my delayed train with wet hair. Then as the holy grail arrives (aka the Metra Train), the doors stop and open right in front of me…I go to step on and some dickie little kid cuts me off and runs in front of me without even an excuse me. Whatever happened to respect your elders (yes, I’ll play that card when it suits me)….jerk! He better not take the last individual seat because I do not want to sit next to that smelly homeless looking man that gets on in four more stops (still wondering where he gets the money for the train.) Optimistic spin: I am not that smelly homeless looking man, the dickie little kid is not mine nor is he related to me, I got a seat all by myself and even though Chicago may get cold at least I don’t have to deal with self-absorbed stick figures or douchie self-important types day in and day out like they do in L.A. (oh I know they exist in Chicago too, they are just easier to avoid) PLUS I know how Bing Crosby feels when he sings about dreaming of a white Christmas. Somehow glittering fake snowflakes hanging from a palm tree just never did it for me no matter how pretty they were on Wilshire Blvd. For the rest of my day well…work was work…didn’t eat lunch until 3:30 I was so busy. Optimistic spin: At least I have a job AND I have this to eat with my lunch…best candy ever.

So hopefully I’m off to see a movie…on a date (well, the closest thing to a date lately) even if it is a bit overpriced at $18 for 2 tickets, $10+ for popcorn and pop. Optimistic spin: 2 hours of uninterrupted Robert Downey Jr. spent with someone I like who will actually pay for me (which I FULLY appreciate…I never said I was someone who takes things for granted, just pessimistic!)

Day One: No Towels!

So here I sit, pondering the start of this “journey to optimism” with the reality that I don’t know the first thing about what I’m doing. Who does though? Maybe the Hoff…he’s got life down to an art, but me…not so much. But the truth of the matter is, if I don’t start, I’m never going to know. So for now, I can go eat a cheeseburger and get drunk or take whatever thought I have (most likely negative) and flip it 180 degrees…voila! My formula for optimism!

DAY ONE:  I wake up at 5 am knowing full well I do not plan to go to work. With 3 work days left in 2009 and me having a sick day I will lose if not taken advantage of, I email in at 5:00 am. Optimistic spin: Yes I woke up on my own at 5 am and am tired, BUT I will not go to work today says Little Peggy Ann McKay, I have the measles and the mumps…well not really, but work doesn’t have to know that. HOOKY!!! Back to sleep….shit! Finally roll out of bed at 10:30, look at the 15 ignored emails from work and realize how the world has been going along without me and I wasted the morning and my day off…Optimistic spin: didn’t have anything to do anyway, so now I am rested and ready for lunch even though I will be unshowered for the noontime festivities and also not able to fall asleep tonight. (Okay, not quite optimistic, but a good try). Lunch goes from a quaint meeting of me and my two friends to a large gathering of 10 people and 2 babies…I was not mentally prepared for this…good thing I spritzed a little Miss Dior Cherie on before rushing out of the house! Optimistic spin: at least I know 10 people that don’t mind sitting at a table with me for 3 hours. Yes, lunch took 3 hours and it wasn’t painful. Fun actually. Maybe this positive life plan isn’t going to be so hard. Then again, maybe it is because I would take you through the rest of my day, but it consists of teeny boppers at the mall, long lines, parking far, and really, I’m not quite at a level where I can make that positive….except that I am not one of those teeny boppers with no boobs and I can buy myself clothes without having to ask mommy or earn money pushing sweaters at the local retail store. That’s a plus. So, I’m going to go out tonight in that shirt I bought to a bar in the neighboring town – a town that honestly, one could mistake for the Jersey Shore – I almost didn’t go, but then I thought, how can I pass up an opportunity to people watch with a good friend – an opportunity to see fist pumps, beautiful store bought tans and experience more “ah-ohs” than you’d hear during the whole series of Who’s the Boss.  One problem....I have no clean towels.  Optimistic spin:  Maybe it'll help me fit in at the bar?!  (Wait, do I want to fit in?)

So I’ll leave you with something a wise man (aka Lucas Scott, One Tree Hill) once said…“There are moments in our lives when we find ourselves at a crossroad, afraid, confused, without a roadmap. The choices we make in those moments can define the rest of our days. Of course when faced with the unknown, most of us prefer to turn around and go back.” I’m faced with this unknown world where being positive and hopeful are the rule, but as easy as it would be to turn back and live in the dark alleys of glasses half empty and days half over, I won’t….I’ll trudge forward into rainbows, puppy dogs and lollipops…pots of gold at the end. Hopefully, there won’t be any angry little Leprechauns there though. Optimistic spin: I’d love to kick an angry little Leprechauns ass!