Don't you love/hate it when your own wisdom comes back to bite you in the bum?

(Good for you!)

Ah, the moment of epiphany!

Change is hard sometimes, but it's happened often enough that I've finally realized that most times I wouldn't want things to change back. Closed door, opened window, all that.

And congratulations to your father on his retirement! From what my dad says, and from seeing the things he was finally free to do, it's going to be wonderful.

Oh, Honey
Yeah. And thank you for the nod to us sistahs (both old and young) who love you. I'm in yer 'hood, y'know .....and I want to adopt you. And I know that thing about CHANGE and how it can rattle yuns....

BIG HUG from an old dame who KNOWS this shit.

Laurie, I don't often comment because I think I always sound stupid. But please know that through your challenges, you help us all. I read every word you write and have turned many friends on to CAP. I laugh out loud wondering where you come up with phrases like "for the love of fat Elvis" and "pickle in a gym sock." Enjoy your family's visit and thanks for so many good reads.

And you help us, too, so much more than you can ever know. I'm so glad you're getting to see your dad and mom soon. I'm sure it will be a great time and a good thing for you!

How goes the super-cleaning?

Laurie, although I've been reading your blog for over a year, I've never written. I look forward to every entry - I think you could just transcribe every thing you've written (without alteration) and a book would be born! You never fail to entertain, enlighten and inspire! I appreciate your honesty as we all struggle with answering "What's it all about?"! Keep up the good work. I'll buy your book when it comes out.

My dad just retired this past June as well. When I called him one day over the summer, I asked him what he was doing with himself. He told me today was "tie day". He went through his closet, picked 1 tie out to wear to church and 1 tie to be buried in. The rest he threw out with glee. Sounds like your dad probably would enjoy "tie day" too. :)

Advice is always way easier to give than to take. Especially your own advice.

Laurie,I only found you a few days ago, all because of the kitty pi. Just wanted to say that I have been thinking of you all day.While it is true that nothing lasts forever and that change is inevitable., I do believe that true courage is knowing that whatever comes your way, you will be OK. And from what I have read so far, you have shown that courage many times over. You are stronger than you know.

You help me, too, Laurie. It's the little things that impact everyone around us that help. If I'm ever in your neck of the woods (or if you ever come to Austin), I'll buy you a beer (or a glass, nay, a bottle, of wine). Just on general principle.

Thanks

oh, the wise things we say to others, but never tell ourselves.

*hugs and tacos* from San Antonio TEXAS!

I'm not going to say that you necessarily help me, because we often suffer from the same neuroses, but you do help me feel a little less alone in the world. Oh yeah, and a little more sane. Frankly, I think you need to drop the "crazy" in you name. You are completely sane.

Laurie;
Expect your dad to have a rough time of things the first few months of retirement. My father thought of it more as a "vacation", and planted himself in front of the TV, refusing to do much of anything. We finally held a "family intervention" and reminded him of Arthur Feidler's quote: "He who rests, rots." We urged him to do something, anything, to stay active, both physically and mentally. So he joined the city health club, and within a few days, he had a new group of retired friends. Now he goes to the gym at least 3 or 4 times a week, and his entire outlook (and mom's sanity) is much improved. Last month, he even bought a computer!

Dad on the Internet. Now *that* is scary!

Hey, we get by with a little help from our friends (even if they are cyber friends!). You and your posse helped me through the bathroom/well/house falling apart thing this spring.

Thank you, Laurie. I look forward to every post. You always manage to make me laugh even at times when I have no business laughing. I think you are a smart, funny, sensitive, creative, kind-hearted whack job with cats, kinda like your readers, I suppose - cats optional.

hehe, I just wrote a comment to another friend saying "go and do something you like, right now!!" and then thought "hey, that'd be a pretty good thing for me to do right now too!"

and with that, I'm off!

(by the way, I am totally dropping by the next time I am in LA - which may be this year en route to going to live in the UK - and I shall be bringing some of our finest NZ wine, and ok maybe some of our excellent wool as well!)

Congrats to your father on his retirement. My father found it quite stressful when he retired because he spent so many years working. I hope your father has a lot of interests or hobbies. If not, watch out for him becoming overly-involved in YOUR life! But then again, that's what change is all about!

Congratulations to your dad, CAP. I hope he has a long and peaceful retirement.

My dad retired at the age of 74, but he still does consultancy work.

Sending you a great big hug.

TEAM LAURIE

T-shirts on sale now..... ;)

Laurie,

Your blog is amazing! You really should consider putting it in book-form - and heh, it would also make a very cool movie! Rene Zellwegger would be a perfect Laurie. She has an innocent honesty that comes through in your posts.

Laura

Tee Hee, I love those lightbulb moments.

okay, i am wondering why you dont move closer to your parents and family, since they are your love support, and enjoyment... now that your dad is retired he would even have time to spend with you doing....just stuff. these are key years that you could share with them...jobs will happen anywhere....so will friends, esp with the chatty fun personality you have...you could share some family meals again, yet have your own space. you seem to me to be the kind of person who would really benefit from keeping your family close in your life on a steady basis, and not just seeing them ....sometimes.
now in no way do i mean that this would replace your love-life...that's another thing you can find anywhere as well... who knows, you may move to a town close to your folks, or in the same town, take the cats in to the vets for a checkup, and POW! you'll fall for a nice sweetheart of a vet doctor... get my drift? at least in the meantime, you can enjoy the love and companionship of your family while living your life. phone calls just aren't the same thing as dropping by for a piece of cake-n-coffee....ya know?

How very wise of you!

I always find it funny when I give someone advice about a particular subject in life then it's like a light bulb moment and I realize that I need to be listening more to myself.

I've been reading for awhile, but never commented:

Your remark on good change being stressful is so incredibly true. Getting married is a good event, but it's actually one of the top ten most stressful events in a person's life!

You are so lucky to have a Dad. Some male influence that cares. My dad cared nothing about me. My mom is a nut-case and is not supportive. Just negative. So, look at the blessing of your wonderful parents. You are a blessed girl.
I love your blog, and your cats. Keep it up. You will be a famous author someday if you figure out how to sell the wonderful gift you have.

I should thank you. I'd discovered your funny, insightful blog when I bought & subsequently googled "Noro Transitions." And then I saw your cats... and I found myself googling "Sobakawa"...

Anyhow, I was going through a very rough patch living with my fiance in the UK & only spoke to my Mom about it. None of my friends knew. I didn't want to hear, "You shoulda known better," or "He sounds awful. Leave him," or "If it's not working now, then it certainly won't work after you get married."

Y'all know, being sad can feel so lonely.

Well, your blog & its commentators helped me feel less alone. Y'all knew when things don't go as you'd hoped.

I looked forward to your blog every day. It was a spot of happiness in a crappy time.

Thanks to you, CAP, and to the rest of y'all out there. Best wishes for 2007.

BTW, I was really touched that you gave Roy a blessed life with you & the other 3 cats, after his hard life of abuse. I almost cry thinking about how he suffered. It's really cute how the other cats cozy themselves around him in every photo, like he's a wise, old man.

Like Kim, I don't post often either - usually I'm too late and someone's already made the point (just like this time!). But I wanted you to know that your musings have helped me come to some realizations that, though they were in front of my face, they just weren't sinking into my brain. THANK YOU. And you are incredibly funny, and I always look forward to seeing a new post!

Congrats to your dad! I hope he enjoys his retirement. My dad retired at the usual age, also having worked harder than anyone I know. He still did some work for acquaintances (he was a car mechanic), until the cars became too computerized. He also picked up some new hobbies - whittling, scroll-sawing, and of course continued his life-long puttering around the garden, and he did calisthenic and took daily walks to stay limber. He's 91, now, and he's still getting around, though not as much nor as easily as he used to; but I think keeping busy after retirement helped to keep him as active as he is today.

they have an action figure just for you! i will warn you now, this site is addicting.

http://www.mcphee.com/items/11377.html

That's wonderful about your dad! I hope this is a relaxing time for him and that he finds things to do that he enjoys. A little footnote to that long-ass novel I wrote in your comments yesterday, heh - My mother was 62 when she died back in 2000 but the family is very thankful that she was able to take an early retirement at 55. She enjoyed 7 years before her death doing what she loved, gardening, crafts and visiting family.

Thank you for your honest and insightful posts! You help us and I'm glad collectively we can help you. I know everyone keeps saying this but I'll be in line, too, whenever you write your book!

And to add to the two Texan posters from earlier - hugs and much love from the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex! :)

I think it's obvious that people everywhere enjoy knowing there are other people out there in this world that occasionally feel the same way as we do (particularly in our less than sane moments). Makes us feel more "normal" (in the general sense). At least that's how I feel.

I always try to tell myself that everything happens for a reason, but I also know that when I personally am in the throes of a particularly crappy time it's REALLY hard to take my own advice.

But eureka moments are a really good thing.

Oh and serious props to going to the Saturday S&B, and I'm sure everyone thought you were simply fabulous! :)

I've only been reading here for a few days, and have never commented. Usually I don't comment. Anywhere. I'm one of those people who reads and never says a word (but I'm no stalker, I swear!).

But today, I'm just going to comment to say: You make me laugh out loud and remind me to never doubt that the single life I'm unexpectedly living at 30-something with three cats is worth it. And is (more than occasionally) amusing as hell, if you only have the right perspective. So, thank you.

Keep up the excellent blogging! :)

You're more than welcome! I've been reading for a few months now but never comment because I figure there's a troop of people saying what I'm gonna say anyway. I just show up and enjoy the cat pictures and (as a Chicagoan) chortle at the descriptions of L.A. versus the frost. But I always love your posts and I cheer when things are going well for you! I hope you will continue to take your own advice.

Congrats to dad on his retirement,
I hope you are all going to enjoy Dad's free time.

You help us just as much as we help you!

I'm a self proclaimed change-hater too. I get totally pissed when the drug store or grocery store changes their layout. Why does it have to change? Some change is good, but sometimes I think the evil ones are just messing with us, cuz they can.

Take your own advice. You said it, out loud, so you know it to be true. The next step is to follow your own wisdom.

maybe HE should take up kntting.

:)!!!