I completely believe in the power of pre-disastering (pre-disasterment? whatever). Hope things improve starting right now!

Wow, I'm first. I always thougth it was so silly of the other people to do the I'm first happy dance, but now that I'm leading the dance I've changed my mind on the subject.

Losing weight...try baby steps. Lots of them. Around a track. In this last year I managed to lose 45 pounds by walking the track and cutting out junk food. The junk food part was the hardest part. I have gotten to the point where I look forward to walking. Endorphins are good stuff, Maynard.

Have a happy Un-aversary. You are so better off with out good ol' what's his name. If he were still in the picture would you have all the time it takes to knit and blog? Just like Bill Clinton, I feel your pain. I've been divorced for a little over a year and I am so much happier being my own person without an overlord telling me what I should do with my time.

We love Roy. And we love you, too.

Roy will always love you. Look at that little face--how cute is he? Thank heavens for the furry component of your divorce settlement. Good luck with having a good day tomorrow. You can do it! Go forth, and shop! Or ... drink! Whatever...

That is the cutest Roy pic ever.

Your poor Jeep, left on its own when it isn't feeling well. You should have saved a pair of those wings and flew to work. I'm glad to hear there is still hope.

Oh - you poor thing! I hate car trouble. At least you make it to the parking spot before it decided to act up instead of being stuck in a middle lane somewhere.

Tomorrow has to be great now - it can't be bad 3 years in a row! (Or maybe the Jeep doesn't realize it was a day early)

Be strong, girlfriend. The Internets have got your back.

um - maybe my comment got gobbled up? I'm not seeing it - just my name. so, here it is again, just in case!

Sorry about the Jeep! At least you weren't stuck in the middle of some lane somewhere when it decided to act up and you were able to park it. Maybe it will act better after having a few hours to think about it.

Tomorrow is bound to be better!!

Remember to take a bottle of water with you when you go back to the Jeep. It may be thirsty after it's long day alone with all those other cars.

Roy isn't the only one that love you, ya know.

At least you weren't stuck on the railroad tracks. (As silver linings go, that's probably reaching, but there was a local incident yesterday involving a train and a low-bed truck. Amazingly, no one was seriously hurt.)

Learning to love walking and carrots is definitely the way to go. Unfortunately I need to relearn. If you can do it, I can do it.

xoxoxo to Roy. He's a sweetie.

dude, there was a big train accident here yesterday too (and i was on it, but i'm ok) -- what was it about yesterday?

hmmm cheetos are a dairy -- calcium and everything. good for you.

We love you too!!!!

That sucks about your Jeep. Do you know a good mechanic? How long did you drive it before you were able to pull over? It could be a variety of things like your water pump, thermostat or cooling fan. Unless there was damage done from the overheat, then you should be able to have it fixed pretty reasonably. I once had a small overheat fiasco. I was putting along and my temp gauge shot way up and the car acted funny so I pulled over, popped the hood and got out. The funny part was that it was running and I somehow hit the automatic lock when I got out. So, here I am watching my engine overheat with antifreeze spilling out of the reservoir and I of course had locked myself out of the car so I can't shut the engine off. I was at a convenience store and ran in to ask if there was a pair of pliers I could borrow and the guy behind the counter 1.) had little or no command of the language and 2.) was slightly freaked out by this anxious redneck. While my engine is roasting outside, I try to calmly wait in line to buy a set of pliers, which I do, and promptly disconnect the battery; providing my engine with relief. I'm thiking my car is destroyed but the engine remarkably, wasn't hurt in the time it took me to shut it off. All I had to do was replace the cooling fan and it wasn't that expensive (of course this was in Missouri). I'm not saying that's your jeep's problem but just that I can relate. It would only have been better if I had been on a date at the time.

Firm believer in the pre-disastering thing here. Taking the orange line was the BEST and SMARTEST thing to do!

Also, am interested in the job description for your line of work (ie: being crazy). Sounds hella interesting. Where do I sign up?

Your talent for the written word is only outdone by your exuberance in sharing it. That makes us all happy. Out of misfortune comes talent honed and loaded for bear.

Vicki

Pre-disastered. Huh. That makes total sense.

This is the first time I've ever heard pre-disastered. It's an excellent concept.

Hang in there! You are bright and oh so funny and on top of that you're absolutely right - Starbucks should serve alcohol.

love my doses of Laurie's world. I think we have all been there (car problems and bad anniversaries) but, we all get through them with a little help. I am so glad to get a little bit of Roy today too. Hang in there, you know it always gets better. >^..^<

Of course...if Starbucks served alcohol, they'd have to expand all their stores to make room for the expanded lines.

I totally understand the pre-disastered theory though. Just think if you'd been driving to work this morning when the Jeep trouble hit?

Which reminds me...I really need to sign up for roadside assistance.

"Pre-disastered". I like that.

Anniversaries have amazing power, even when they are anniversaries of horrible events. At some point in the future, though, the day will have lost some of the significance... One October 26th in the next few years you will look up and think "Was I supposed to do something yesterday? Oh..." It took ten years for me, but I think it is individual.

You know, I was thinking about Starbucks serving alcohol a couple of days ago. I'd love to get a shot of Kahlua in my latte, for example, or a little Tuaca in my hot apple cider. Time to send them a request!

Yes, their lines would be WAY longer, but the drinks would be tastier - and they would finally be worth $5.00 a pop.

Hugs to Roy, and smooches too - XOXOXOXOXOX. ;)

Dontcha ever feel like, "God! damn it! Enough with the frickin' tests already? Did you lose the last 100 that I passed with flyin' colors?!"

I have been adjusting my retail therapy daily. Those anniversary times harsh me too.

Anniversaries that aren't just suck. I know the third anniversary of my "wedding that wasn't" is on the 26th. In my case this follows just nine days after the "birthday that entails crying at some point in the day."

Well, this year, for the birthday, I decided to be proactive. I called everyone who I hoped would remember my birthday. I did. I called each one of them and said "Hello, today is my birthday. Now, tell me happy birthday." And then I took myself to the theatre. It almost worked. I managed to get to 11 pm before the curse of the birthday struck again. But hey, I got till 11:15!!!!!!

My point is.....since we are both doing the anniversary of "what the hell was that anyway....what do you mean 'kissing me feels like an obligation?'"....let's be proactive and do it in style. I think I may just have to buy myself a cake since everyone knows that cake is totally void of calories, carbos, and fat on significant days or during pms.

Whatcha think???

I'm so sorry to say it, but I think the Jeep is not worthy of your continuing devotion. If you have to pay continuing maintenance costs, why not make it on something that will pay cuddle and biscuit dividends?

I'm with you on losing 5 lb. I've been meaning to lose weight for years now, and I realized recently that the costs to me of carrying extra weight (financial, emotional, and psychological) are a lot higher than I care to admit...

Stick a zero after that 5 and you get my lose-weight goal. Of course, I haven't managed to stick to it for a full 24 hours before I eat two klondike bars in one sitting. Go me with the self-control.

I'm sorry to hear about tomorrow's day of bad anniversaries. Perhaps it would help to look at them as "Crikey, THAT October 25 was so bad, this one has to be a million times awesomer"? (Yes, awesomer is a word. At least, it is NOW). Or, just make sure the wine at home is plentiful?

Big hugs from across the country. Oh, and OMG, Roy is adorable.

Ya know, don'tcha, that Mercury is doing that dreaded retrograde thing-y?

Messes with my consumer mojo every time.......

Can a person plan to pre-disaster something, or do you have to wait for it to happen naturally?

Roy's not the only one. I had a dream last night that you wrote a book and you came to my town and I got to talk to you and I restrained myself from appearing totally stalkerish and hugging you until you were uncomfortable. But now I've told you this and probably blown my only chance to stalk you unwarned. Darn.

Anne, thanks for the concern :) But trust me when I assure you it is cheaper for me to fix my Jeep once or twice a year rather than buy a new car. Car insurance in Los Angeles alone can cost well over $3000 a year on a new car!!! And debt repayment is my main goal right now, not a new car. So, while it's a pain in the patootie to have it break down, it's still cheaper than a car payment. I run the numbers... every year... LOL.

That Macy's plaza is not a good test of your mallitude. It totally sucks. I stay there (at the Sheraton formerly known as the Hyatt) when I visit our office in LA and every once in a while I think, "Hey, I know, instead of trying to scrounge up someone to have dinner with, I'll go SHOPPING!" Then I go to that awful mall and within 5 minutes I feel like a pathetic loser with no one to have dinner with, and I'm stuck in the worst mall with Bar None the Worst Fluorescent Lighting in the entire earth.

Go somewhere better to test your shopping mojo, is what I'm saying. Good luck with the Jeep.

I still love you, too.

You've got the BEST blog out there. I get a belly laugh out of you most of the time. THANK YOU THANK YOU. I love your humor when describing real situations. Bless you and thanks again for the chuckles.

A loss of shopping mojo is a very serious condition. I believe the best medicine involves a patio, popcorn, pizza, red wine & good friends. The Patio, wine & friends are self explanatory, the popcorn & pizza are because someone might totally forget to make like food & stuff ;)
Totally pre-disastered.

Tomorrow is my fiance's birthday, so I'll try to send some good vibes your way. Have fun at the mall. 10/5 was my former anniversary, it would have been 15 years. Trust me, he'd be dead by now for sure. I gave up after 9 years.

Happy thoughts!

Good luck with the car and the winter boots. My car battery died yesterday. I thought finding a dollar bill on the floor on my way to work was a good omen! Ha ha ha. Buy yourself something special tomorrow, and make it a yearly thing! Because YOU deserve it. (Just budget it in your cute little spreadsheet that I now use!)

Hi Honey- (Hugs to you!)
Booo on the jeep! Car trouble in LA is beyond suck. But we're all thinking "cheap to fix" thoughts in your direction, so hopefully our combined karma (hah! "Carma"?)will help lesson the distress. And hey-shall we divirt all further car distress to whats-his-ass and the tramp instead?
As for the poundage- hells YES- there's nothing better for increasing ones will to shop than a smaller butt to shop for! Yes, and all the lovely health advantages too (but mostly the shopping). Since I'm the Laziest (and cheapest) girl In The World I like my slackass method: the low-carb menu for two at menumailer.com and protein shakes for breakfast. It
s working so far (three pounds!).
Of course, I'd love one of those fancy food delivery services with a hot delivery boy bringing me my food--but hey, I'm poor so I gotta live with such dissappointments. (sigh)

Agh. I hatehatehate days like that. I know something's really wrong when I don't even feel like knitting or shopping..... Poor Jeep. Poor Laurie! Roy is still just about the sweetest cat ever, though...

Buy yarn that will make it all better! Roy is so cute.

Why DON'T they sell alcohol at Starbucks? That's an awesome idea. :) Plus - didn't Ronald Regan pronounce the Cheeto a vegtable? (Okay - it was ketchup but Cheetos and ketchup have to be pretty close to each other on the non-food scale of food - right? And if the President says it's a veggie, well then it must be true because Presidents don't ever ever tell lies.) ;)

Just love the "make lemonade" attitude! Do something fun tomorrow and make it an anniversary to remember-it will balance out the crappy ones.

Roy will love you always and forever! that cutie...give him some xoxo for me please!
and in terms of the anniversary, you are such a strong woman--and just remember one word tomorrow--KARMA! Karma, baby, karma...
hang in there. we love youuuuuuu!!! :o)

Just now thought of it:
Starbucks + Hipflask = spiked Starbucks w/out the $10 cost hike (if they charge $5 for mere coffee, you KNOW they'd do it!)

The sun'll come out tomorrow.
Bet your bottom dollar that tomorrow there'll be sun....and shoe sales.

I'm sorry about the Jeep trouble, sweetie. Car problems are awful. Our piece of sh*t van broke down when we were on vacation in August. IT NEEDED A NEW ENGINE! Since a car payment is not on our list of possibilities we had it done. It only had 48,000. Here's hoping that my 1999 Ford Windstar makes it to 2030. That's when the engine will be paid off.

If you can, check the post office for the package I sent. Maybe it'll cheer you up today.

Big hugs and lots of love, Liz

Ah Laurie - you miss the most important thing about the 25th of October:

Its Minnie Pearl's Birthday!!!!!

Lets all go buy hats with tags on them!!!!!

I heart Roy. and he's not the only one who loves you. all your fans out here in blogistan still love you. and dude, at least you *have* a DSW. Can you believe we don't even have one in Seattle? A world without DSW! Can you imagine? But they have no problem showing their commercials up here, just to torment us.

sounds like you need to change what october 25 means?? how about a massive party (with lots of yummy wine) to celebrate that you are the wonderful confident, funny, inspiring person that you truly are. (who is NOT married to a dickhead) . Im sure your friends (yes you do have them who love you) and your cute kitties will be more than happy to help out :)

My 84-yr old mom just offered to give me her 1988 Oldsmobile Delta 88 with only 27,000 miles on it because she doesn't drive anymore. I declined, but I could probably get it for you Laurie. You could definitely fit the Dyson plus all the kitties in for road trips.

Hi Roy!

Careful about that 5# weight loss. Didn't you watch Oprah's "suddenly skinny" episode today? ;-)

Maybe you've fulfilled your quota of crappy Oct. 25ths?

I'm having a little contest on my blog... if you can guess what David Sedaris gave me on my anniversary you'll win some fibery prize!

Good Luck on your un anniversary!

Damn you, Jeannie! Now "the sun'll come out" is stuck in my head!! ARGHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

:)

oh..tomorrow will be better, i hope! wow..lost all will to shop..that stinks! but it'll come back!

You are fabulous Aunt Purl! Just fabulous.
Hope tomorrow is the best 25th ever.

Ah yes....that old wedding anniversary. I totally understand how you're feeling. I'm here to tell you that one year, that day will go by and it won't stir ANY feelings. Mine was Oct. 15, the past several years it has been just another day in October. Have a drink at lunch and when you get home, another drink and hug your kitties!! Remember, you bring smiles and laughs so many people....you are loved.

Someday you will be with someone new, and you can make a NEW memory on that crappy anniversary day - wink, wink, nudge, nudge!

Amazing how one tends to come up with all sorts of dates after that that need to be "erased" with more pleasant experiences to remember. Ahem.

I hear you on the car problems - some idiot broke my driver's side side-view mirror. Dealership wanted $156 for the part, $150 to fix. For a 10-year-old car! My fiance went online, found the part for $28 - $49 with shipping and tax - went out to the car with a screwdriver and had the NEW mirror on in five minutes flat. See? There ARE a few good ones still out there. I still need to find a good mechanic for the things like brakes, etc.

I am so proud of you for not crying. Car problems always make me cry, too.

I've got about 20 pounds to lose...I have a modified Zone diet I can go on that seriously does help me lose weight, and I walk about 12 miles a week, but I'm a Midwestern gal at heart and we do love our carbs. Sigh...

Buy something fun for Halloween to cheer yourself up tomorrow. Maybe one of those cool pumpkin carving kits that they sell at Target? Pumpkin Masters, I think they're called. They look really elaborate, but I swear they are idiot-proof. And anyone who can knit like you do will do a good job.

I find on days like that.. chocolate helps. A lot. And on days when the car decides it can't go One.More.Rotation... I find that beer is a pleasent thing. Wine would work as well. And if all else fails.. kitty hugs are the next best thing.

Wow, I am behind on local news. I’ve heard that the Orange Line has been accident prone since it opened, but I know very little about happenings in the Valley as you can tell.

Good luck on losing the 5 pounds. If it suits you, my suggestion after losing the 5 pounds is to try 5 more. That’s how I got started losing a whole bunch of them. I need to get my mojo back. I gained 6 pounds just by visiting Wisconsin, now that I’m moving back I’m going to have to get on some sort of medication that makes me nauseous in the presence of beer and cheese.

BTW, Macy’s plaza is a totally underwhelming shopping environment, it’s not just you.

*toyota*

used. cheap. hip? no.

I used to work at a bookstore attached to a Starbucks, and on days with early openings, one of the managers had a "side deal" with the baristas to make him a "special" coffee... this went on for years - all you need to do is get in good with the barista. It helps if it's not super busy right at that moment too.

You are the best! Pre-disastered? Cheetos as vegetables? Hilarious. I am soooo sorry your day was crap, but you sure made mine much better. I'll be sending you good vibes tomorrow (I am 2 hours ahead on the time thing, so they should arrive before your day starts) so that the Curse Of October 25 is broken and a new tradition begins. Hugs to you and Roy.

Ok, I'm cheating, 2nd comment and all. But, did it ever occur to you that the Jeep is jealous and just wants to be pimped? Maybe some wings, or flame decals on the side or a big knitted car-bra? I'm just saying, that's all....

Thank you for pre-disastering my birthday tomorrow, Laurie! I hope it goes better for you. Me, I'll be turning 38.

I thought about you this past weekend, as I was in LA/Santa Monica for my best girlfriend's surgery. It's so beautiful out there! Mountains AND ocean?? And yarn stores ev-ra-whur. Sigh.

Laurie,

My prayer for you echos the the thoughts of a couple of others. That one day you will recognize October 25th for what it is: a day on which nothing worth commemorating happened. We honor national tragedies, but I don't think we need to behave the same for our personal tragedies.

10/25 is my son's birthday. He's in the county lockdown mental facility this year. He'll be 22 tomorrow. I hope your day goes well. Mine too. And his. I'm thinking about sneaking a kitten in with me to make eveyone laugh and coo.

Thanks for sharing your life with us. It makes me laugh, sometimes.

Well, if you really wanted to have your car stolen so you could get a new one you could do as an old classmate of mine did and drive to Tijuana and walk away with the keys in the car. Damn, it got stolen, never to be found again!
But it sounds like you love your Jeep, so maybe it's just pouting.

My husband claims not washing the car to be one of the best anti-theft devices out there, so if you're looking to get your car swiped, you may want to consider making it look all shiny and new.

Laurie, I know the most fabulous mechanic in the valley. A rarity. An honest one who doesn't try to cheat women.

I just took my car in, the front head light was out, brake light wouldn't go off. He fixed the headlight, changed my oil and drained and added new brake fluid...grand total...$30...labor included. I have 2 cars, he's done a varity of work for me and always been so wonderful. He once wouldn't charge me ANYTHING when one of my fuses when out, he fixed it and wouldn't accept a dime, said it didn;t take him very long.

He's in Burbank, email me if you want his name. He's awesome.

Overheating....radiator AGAIN??? How many radiators have you put into this thing? SEVEN?
Time to re-think the Jeep.....

Gurrl, it's time for something nice to remember the 25th by. I have November issues as well. Just want to tell you to never lose that little ghetto twang, it's cracking me up! You are my top blog every day, the other two are www.cuteoverload.com and www.stuffonmycat.com . Be cool and tons of love.

Thinking about your today! Hope something wonderful happens! Jane

First time writing for me. I love your blog so much!

I've been a Lemon Car owner for my entire life. Never had a car that wasn't a lemon until we bought the Honda. I will admit that I am old, but I am way, way, WAY experienced in car trouble. In fact, one new car I bought had to be PUSHED out or the showroom window because it wouldn't start! Anyway, I've had convertibles, sports cars, Beetles (new and old), mommy vans, and SUVs. My advice is go for sensible and reliable. It may not give the hip, young look you love, but let me tell you, sitting by the side of the road waiting for AAA is not hip either. When you have as much stress in your life as you do, removing a huge stress like car trouble makes everything easier.

Best wishes for your grandmother.

HUGS to you on this auspicious day. Have a hot fudge covered sundae on me!!! :)

Yow, Purl - sorry about the Jeep! I used to have a flesh colored (!) '76 Pinto that was extremely fond of breaking its clutch cable... Yeah, I remember it all too well, and you have my sympathy! Argh.

I agree with the growing chorus of blogfriends who think you should start new positive traditions today. Perhaps a bottle of Veuve on the patio with friends and felines?

You don't have to go to the mall to get your retain therapy! There's a whole lotta good stuff (like yarn) to check out on etsy.com

My anniversary from my first marriage was the day after my ex husband's birthday. So, there was a double whammie. It does get easier, though, with time.
'Course, now, the "anniversary" of my ex-husband's (and father of my children) death is on the same day as my grandma's birthday. Nice, huh. It's, like, right there in my face -- it's impossible to try to avoid.
Good luck with the five pounds....I wanna lose that plus 20 or 30.

Inside this fat woman is a slim woman screaming to be let out.

But I can usually shut the bitch up with chocolate..

I hope your day is going alright and the predisastering worked.

Been away from the blog for a while, my dad died and I sorted of melted down. Today was the first day I read the blog since august and the first time I have smiled. (I do not have enough thanks to send you for making me smile today)

Appropo of nothing, I have a 12oo square foot house and my cat insists on sleeping on my head. The cat is a hat. I know you are your readers are cat people I just thought maybe you had some suggestions. Is is possible to break her of this habit, will I ever wake up without a headache again?

I am still hopelessly in love with Roy. If I pay postage, will you send him to me?

And, um, happy 24th.

what happened? how did you get to work? cliffhangers!

And you need winter boots in LA for what exactly?

Whatever. They're shoes. I get that. Especially when the Lose 5 Pounds And Your Life Will Suddenly Be Perfect fairy has visited.

Wow! I didn't know the Orange line had an accident. Talk about where you get your news...

One day, I'm sure we'll meet each other on the train and sip coffee at Pasadena's Sisters of Bubik. Hope you're enjoying the valley!

I have total empathy...but how do you respond when your home water heater breaks...or hasn't that happened to you yet?

P.S.: Love the cat photos :-)

Beverly in Podunk (they call it Powell here), Tennessee

u know, it has occurred to me, after reading about howie mandel in the parade section of sunday's paper still sitting on the kitchen table (ala rude male, reading thru breakfast)...and yes, its a guy thing for sure!...anywy,it occured to me just now reading your post, that you have enough talk energy, and quick witicism, to be a stand up comic! have u thought about that? or is that way too out of the question... i know u like your job, ect... but ... it would only take some nights out of your time, you are in a fab location to try it out, and if popular (with more than the nursing home crowd), u could make lotsa money...but more importantly, share your great personality and perky fun, sarcastic, self deprecating sense of humor with the masses...and they really would love it! besides saba wants some fame and bling!