Fall Fell Early

Apparently autumn decided to arrive a few months early. Now I know most people would be upset with this new development, but me, not so much. Where as I'm not interested in the snow and the frost, I'm more than happy to throw on my sweatshirt and ... well ... not sweat.

I wasn't too into this summer. I enjoyed the warm weather. I enjoyed my central air a bit more though. It was my first year with central air and I took advantage of it at every moment possible. Because we were so busy there were no trips to the beach (not so happy about that) and most of our swimming was done indoors at the gym.

In essence, it kinda feels like summer didn't really happen. This year has absolutely flown by.

Sill, I can't explain how excited I am for the fall season. I adore the things that come with fall, apples, pumpkins, apple cider, sweaters, colored leaves, etc. I'm interested to see what takes place in the new city I lived in. As a child I can remember going to the same place every year, Robinette's, and standing next to the giant Apple and over grown pumpkins. I hope there is somewhere equally as cool here!

So how do you feel about the early arrival of falling leaves?

I feel like this Separation isn't Working Out

So I've traveled back to the writers seat again ... and I'm LOVING in! But I'm having a hard time with the whole blogging world. Well my blogging world that is.

A few months back I got my website up and running and decided to devote all my fun loving writer words to that blog and that blog only, but my writer words miss this blog. And unfortunately all my visitors go to this blog, which in turn means less comments and not nearly enough advice on that one. So I'm not sure what to do!

(Oh listen to me whining like a little girl ... well in all retrospect, I am a "little" girl...so it's totally ok!)

Part of me wonders if it is because that blog is on WordPress and this one is on Blogger. I myself must admit it is MUCH easier to follow a blog on Blogger. I just head over to my dashboard and scroll through all my favorite bloggers (which by the way I have way too many because you all freaking rock!) and click in and out of each blog. WordPress isn't that easy. With word press you have to click on the RSS feed to know when I update or watch through my fan page and/or this blog for posts that I've updated. That's really quite a bit of work.

So do you visit many WordPress sites? Do you own a WordPress site? How do you keep your followers updated? Does anyone else have this frustration? Any advice? Should I just double post and bring my writing posts back to my Poppins world as well? Have I asked enough questions yet? Would you like me to ask a few more? Are you sick of my questions? Do you know why the sky is blue? Did I tell you I can totally make a website in WordPress?

Thanks for Slapping me in the Face Monday! I love you too!

Seriously...it hasn't been THAT bad, but it kinda feels like it.

This has been my Monday so far.

The first issue started when I had to wake up. This is a horrible way to start the morning.

The second issue arose when I realized that by not going grocery shopping as I intended to, my children were left with no lunch. (Please feel free to send "Mother of the Year Awards" I totally deserve them!) But to Top it off...we had no cash for lunch money. Double FAIL!

Third problem...nasty disease infested mouse decided to lick all the peanut butter off our traps. Smart little ....

So moment of calm came when I realized I did have a bit of cash... YAY

SO Mommy Taxi got off on her way.

Then my son had a Dr. Appointment this morning and it's that time of year. FLU SHOTS! And since my other son was with us ... we doubled up! Now you may thing girls are dramatic, but you haven't met my son. He described the pain was like "being shot in the arm". Um yeah...he's 6..and he's never even seen a real gun. Not sure where he came up with this analogy!

So dropping him off to school was quite dramatic because his arm was no longer functioning due to the fact that he felt like it was going to fall off.

I'm waiting for my call home from the school.

And now I have 10 bazillion blogs to read, a farm to tend, a child to feed, groceries to be bought, a project for a client and a website to get up and running!

AHHHHHHHHHHH

So I'm off to get on with my Monday. Hope yours is going better!

Oh and did I mention that I ran my husbands phone through the washer this weekend. I Am AWESOME!!!

Take Me to the Theater!

Now that books, music, and TV shows are out of the way, I suppose the obvious thing to do is mention all my favorite movies. I can't go leaving them out, especially considering that I Love movies!

I'm not going to list the obvious Harry Potter and Twilight movies. I'm pretty sure you are all well aware of my slight obsessions fondness of these movies.

So lets start with my favorite.

Love Actually

I'm not sure what it is about this movie, but I adore it. I insist upon watching it every Christmas season. It's a must.

Not too many others make the "Favorites" list ... and after that I like them all!

13 Going on 30
How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
PS I Love You
Enchanted
The Story of Us
Anastasia

So what are your favorite movies?

PS: Jessica Nelson asked a question yesterday about the similarities between being a singer and being a writer. Check out my answer over at my website!

La la la la la la la

I wrote about books, and I've written about TV ... So today I decided to write about music.

I adore music. The word adore doesn't even capture the feeling adequately. I am in love with music. (In teenage language that means "I heart music!") I dreamed of being a singer when I was little...and when I was big, but life got in the way of that dream. (and if we are talking about the brief dream of being a famous pianist, talent got in the way there!)

I've sang at graduations, weddings, funerals, karaoke bars (as the DJ nonetheless!), in choirs, in church ... needless to say, I love to sing.

Let's not sell the art of listening to music short though. I could spend all day listening to good music, though it is inevitable I will be singing along with it.

So I thought I'd list a few of my favorite artists to help you get a better (or possibly more confusing) look into who I am.

I love love love The Fray! Everything about them. They have been my favorite band for about three or so years. I just missed their concert recently and my husband had to listen to me grumble about it for about three days straight.

Favorite Song by them is Unsaid.



Other Bands that make me Happy are

Snow Patrol
Thirteen Senses
Jars of Clay

When trying to narrow down a singer ... the task is not as easy. I can name a list of singer that I love ...

KT Tunstall
Anna Nailik
Natasha Bedingfield
Matthew West
Gavin Rossdale

But if I HAD to name my favorite singer I'd probably have to go back to being 13 years old again and admit that I love love love Michael W. Smith. He totally inspired me to love music and in countless ways his songs and lyrics have gotten me through many a rough moment in life. And OMG have you heard his Christmas CDs! If you haven't ... I highly suggest it this holiday season. They are amazing. It is my life long goal to meet this man. I ALMOST got to once. He was signing his Worship II CD at a local book store, but of course I had to go and have a baby that day and be stuck in the hospital! Luckily my mom went and got me the autograph and CD....but it just wasn't the same.

So there you have it. This is Poppins defined by music.

Who is your favorite band/singer?

Getting Pretty FAIL

I have an obsession with the best make up store ever! Ulta is like a little piece of heaven on earth.

I was shopping for new foundation one afternoon after deciding maybe I needed a break from the whole powder world. I spotted some Skin Matching make up and thought it looked interesting enough. Why not try it!

Skin Matching foundation is a "Weightless foundation that goes on white and self-adjusts to match your exact skin tone. In 5 shades with a flawless finish."

I go to put it on the next day and start rubbing it in.....

When I was finished, I looked like this...


(...without the green hair and white eyebrows of course...oh and I didn't really have a manly face. That would be some REALLY interesting make up!)

Last I looked, without make up on....not so orange. Skin match FAIL!

The best part is...this is the ad!


Why yes...that was DEFINITELY Beyond Natural!

My Favorite Time of the Year

That's right kids...it's Season Premier Week!!!!

My reading has abruptly been brought to a halt with one of the best weeks of the year ... right next to Season Finale Week of course.

So here is my schedule for the week.

Monday - Last night I took part in the House and Castle season premiers. I've never been much of a House fan...but I needed to pass the time until Castle came on and I must say... it was good. BUT not AS good as Castle. Come on fellow writer friends, admit it, Castle has got to be one of THE BEST shows ever for us novelists. And come on...isn't this boy cuter than all cute!!!!


Moving along....

Tuesday - This is the day I get to read ... the ONLY day

Wednesday - Ok well this night had its premiers a couple nights ago, but you can bet I'll be glued to FOX for a little So You Think You Can Dance and GLEE ... so that I can spend some time looking at...and listening to....



(Are you seeing the pattern here???)

But THEN happiness REALLY happens ... because ...

THURSDAY!!! GREY'S ANATOMY BABY! Ok I know I know ... this one is obvious! Um Hello!


But ACTUALLY I'm really into the show. I've watched it since the first episode. I feel it is my duty to watch ALL the episodes.

Ok so Friday and Saturday...well those days are not for tv or reading (although I'll probably be caught doing one or the other because I'm pretty lame like that, but lets pretend I'm not for a day)

So then we skip to ...

Sunday - a few little treats that night too. Desperate Housewives and Brothers and Sisters!
Where I can see a couple of these.....


So who what will you be watching this week?

Dual Awesomeness!

As if I thought I didn't have enough time in the day before...

I've decided to make a leap dabble a bit in web design. I have to say, I thought I wouldn't find it very entertaining and had a feeling I wouldn't really enjoy it. I was SO wrong!

With my first website almost completed I can confidently say that I am loving it. The design part was a bit more difficult than I had imagined, but at the same time I am much better at it than I thought I would be. And shhhhhhhhhh don't tell my husband, but I find the coding aspect down right interesting. All these formulas and problem solving ... it's like little "I Spy" games ... just with words instead of pictures!

I feel like I have a super heads up in the competition however because I can also write. Writing copy alone can be made into a super successful career ... add web design/development into it. I'll be like a goddess in this world! I'm dually awesome! (ok well I'm WAY more awesome than that ... but we're just talking about in this aspect, no need to go getting all concerned!)

So the challenge is ... how do I balance this new found hobby with my old found love of writing! Well for answers to that question ... you'll have to visit my website!

ALSO!!! Help me celebrate...today is one year since the day I started my book!!!!
(Ok,not so sure I should be celebrating that it's taken me over a year to finish this, but hey ... it's a mile stone!)

Because I LOVE to read!

I've recently found myself confused. I THOUGHT I was a writer, but as of late I am better known as a reader! That's all I do. Read, read, read, read, read!

This is how my day goes..

I wake up. (Ok that was a given...)

Drive the family taxi to drop off most of my family members to an area where they can not bother me while I'm reading (AKA School and Work)

I come home (You saw that one coming too didn't you!)

I Blog (Because it IS necessary!)

I read

I feed the last lingering family member lunch, fix myself lunch....(ok ok...then I play Bejeweled while I eat lunch...but that's not important. It's like a daily action necessary to function...kinda like going to the bathroom!)

I put the lingering family member (AKA the youngest child) down for "Quiet Time"/nap time so that I can....get this....READ

I read until he wakes up and/or starts begging to get out of bed so he can go play, which ever comes last....

So then I force myself to pick up the house until I have to get back in the momobile and pick up my reading distractions (AKA the older children)

At this point I make them do their chores and homework while I do one of the three following things....help clean (rare), play Bejeweled again (because remember, it's like going pee, it's necessary to function!) or well...I read

So then I pile everyone back into the Poppins Portal Device (AKA the Family Taxi and/or the Momobile) and pick up the last reading distraction....the husband

BUT I always leave early enough so that I can bring a book and read in the car while I'm waiting for him :)

Then I come home again (Again....kinda obvious)

I feed the slave drivers...cuz I guess that's my job....sigh

I attempt to pay attention to the family...I really do, but usually I'm thinking about the book I'm reading (Shhhhh don't tell them)

Then I put all my distractions to bed and the husband and I curl up in bed with our books and proceed to ignore each other with a good book until we fall asleep.

NOW if only I could put that much time and dedication into cleaning or writing I'd be quite accomplished...BUT right now, I'd rather read :)

(So um yes, if you need my address for the "Worst Mom/Wife of the Year" award you are planning on sending me....it can be found on google...just type in "Mary Smith" and um....good luck with that!)

For a list of the books I've read in the last two months (which is quite impressive I might add) visit my Web Site

Also, don't forget to visit If You Give a Girl a Pen today!!!

Trees ... A Post Created by a 4 Year Old

Out of sheer lack of creativity I caved and asked my four year old what I should blog about this morning. His answer....

Trees

I found this answer to be very insightful and interesting. A lot can be said about trees. They provide oxygen and shade, they are big and beautiful, sometimes they even smell good. Oh and lets not forget that they provide the PERFECT place to build little houses in. Tree houses rock!

My BFF from high school was nick named Tree. (And sadly...12 years later that is still what we call her)

Then we discussed what time of the year trees are our favorite. I threw out fall - when the trees are red and orange, spring - when the trees are bright green, and winter - when the trees are bare.

My favorite is a toss up between fall and spring. I love driving down the road and seeing the lush color coming from all the leaves. When I was young we used to go on "Color Tours" as our Sunday outing. (ya know ... before gas cost a bazillion dollars a gallon) Still, after a LONG winter with absolutely no color to my tress I find myself longing for that bright green foliage. So much so that I was more than happy to travel to NC a few years ago just to see green!

But my awesome four year old said, "I like it in the winter when the trees are covered in snow."

I hadn't even thrown out that gorgeous option!

So now that autumn is falling upon us, what is YOUR favorite time of year when it comes to trees?

(Hey...at least he didn't ask me to post about butter!)

Poppins as compiled by facts and numbers...

I've decided there are some facts, statistics, and numerical things you must know about me. I'm not sure how or why I have decided this, but the decision was made this morning when I dropped my phone...

Fact Number One - I have dropped my phone and estimated 329 times in the last 6 months, which is about 123% more times than the average cell phone owner. This is the reason why I do NOT own an iPhone.






Fact Number Two - If I consume one container of Raspberry Sorbet (it must be the Meijer Brand...) at any given time, I will then proceed to consume at least 17 more containers in the following month because one container simply can not fulfill the craving. Because of this, the sales for Meijer containers of Raspberry Sorbet go up at least 15% with each month that I crave this desert.


Fact Number Three - If I put off the laundry for more than 5 days I will then have approximately 50% more laundry than anticipated and exactly 99% less motivation to fold it. For this reason it took me 2 hours to fold laundry for a family of 5 yesterday.


Fact Number Four - The number of gnomes owned in my house - 3 to be exact, unless you count the picture my father gave me for my birthday, then there are 4 - is not proportionate to the number of gnomes I NEED to own. It's about 412% less.



Fact Number Five - If I invite friends to a Pity Party there will be an abundance of chocolate and not nearly enough Margaritas or Wine. The portion of Wine and Margaritas to chocolate is off by at least 50%. I will remember to bring more booze to the next Pity Party, while at the same time I will keep in mind that the chocolate will be properly taken care of.



Fact Number Six - Now that School has started I am now in the car driving 25% of my day at the very least. This is exactly 24% more than I would prefer to be in the car which in my ideal world would only be 15 minutes. Regardless of whether or not the mathematical equation works for this scenario is not important.



Fact Number Seven - I've written approximately 1 and 1/8 novels. The average number of novels written by a writer who scores an agent is 5. So if I spend 12 hours a day every day of the year writing I may possibly have an agent in the next 5 years, however this does not equate to the direct number of brain cells that will in fact be destroyed in the remaining 12 hours of the day where I have gone crazy. Due to this fact I probably will not publish a book until I am at least 47 years old.

Fact Number Eight - As shown by this craptastic blog post, it is obvious that I have spent too much time (at least 2 hours a day which is only 75% of the preferred amount) reading "An Abundance of Katherines" and am now thinking about everything in theories and equations. It is possible that maybe I will go back to being normal once I have finished the book, but the probability is unlikely!



There...I feel much better now that you know these things about me. Sometimes it's just good to get things off your chest! (We won't even go into the numbers and statistics about my chest and/or lack there of......)

I'm hosting a Party!!!

Come Join my Pity Party!

Your Presense is required should you wish to join me :)

Where: Chateau Poppins

When: Today...possibly tomorrow

Why: Because everyone is entitled to one every once in awhile

Please bring a dish to pass and possibly a really stiff drink and/or dark chocolate.

I'm having a day...BUT I refuse to share the details and get up on a soap box. So instead I'll just invite you to join in. No need to share a reason...just RSVP with the dish you will be bringing and have a good time. Remember to drive home safely! OH~ And feel free to bring a friend.

(Oh there is one rule though...no feeling bad for me... I've got that part covered! LOL)

AhhhhTo Be 4!

I was observing my youngest son this morning and I suddenly became jealous watching how lovely his life is and I came up with a list of reasons that I wish I was him....

Things I could do if I was 4 Again

1. Nap in the middle of the day...seriously, 4 year olds do NOT understand how lovely this privilege is!

2. Find enjoyment in board books with like 10 pages...oh....wait....I still do....

3. Have someone buy ALL my clothes and food for me! (Granted SOME of the clothes are hammy downs....)

4. Spin around in circles for about 15 to 30 minutes straight and be completely entertained the entire time.

5. Use a rocking chair as the ultimate playground. Who needs a park when you have a big wooden chair that rocks back and forth like a teeter totter!

6.When happy with something I could totally just start screaming and crying and it wouldn't be even a bit out of the ordinary.

7. Have my own chauffeur for every place I needed to go.

8. An abundance of fruit snacks.....YUM

9. No need to work...the most work expected of me would be to learn how to spell my name

10. My world would be a musical. I could sing EVERYTHING!!! It would be like living on Broadway!!!!

For my writer Friends ... Help me ... I'm lost!!!
www.marybethsmith.com

Poppins is not Available at the Moment...

This is the alien that lives in Poppins computer desk. I have taken over her mind and tricked her into believing that not only is she now a Web Designer but also that she was once part of the circus ... as a monkey on a trapeze.

Poppins is in a deep sleep and can not come to the computer right now. I am currently toying with her mind and making sure she is undeniably and incurably 100% crazy. (Although some tests have concluded that I may be too late in making that happen)

I will give her back after I am done with my work and if you are lucky she MIGHT be able to write a coherent and possibly influential ... or at the very least entertaining ... blog post once again. Until then she will just sit and stare blankly at the computer screen trying to place the sound of the strange digital noises I have hypnotized her with.

Mini Blogcation

That's right kids, I'm taking a mini blog vacation. This week has been a tad overwhelming and I need to figure out my routine...SO I might post a video or an old post tomorrow and today all you get is this....

A baby in a sink!
(My baby of course....YEARS AND YEARS ago!!!)

Did someone hit the fast forward button?

Holy magoly! (yes...that is now a new word) But time seems to have sped up now that the school year has begun. I haven't been able to read all my blogs or play much Bejeweled...it's like I have to be a real adult now!

I wanted to say thanks for all the Anniversary wishes. It was a lovely day. Here is the card he sent me....


I swooned! By far the sweetest thing my husband has ever done.....minus the time he made me a rose out of paper...that was pretty awesome too.... now others may think I'm weird and this is not at all romantic, but if you understand someecards you understand that this is a card that came from the bottom of his heart!

So I feel pretty crappy today and have an urge to take a LONG nap, but apparently my four year old doesn't agree that this is the best way to spend our day. He has yet to learn how to appreciate the little things in life. I'm working on this with him...

And while I'm writing very random things (While saying them in the voice of John Green in my head because I just watched his vlog) I feel it is necessary to tell you that I am hearing very random/strange digital noises where I am sitting and it is starting to freak me out a little. We are talking about the kind of noises you would here if you were pressing the buttons of a 1980's calculator watch. Or you know...the kind in the movie "Batteries not Included" (There were strange digital noises that those little machines made....weren't there? Have I mentioned I don't feel well today?)

And other than that...I have nothing to say...so I'm going to take the rest of this day to ATTEMPT to convince my son that napping is FUN while at the same time trying to figure out if I have little digital aliens living in or near my desk! Enjoy your day!!!

By the way...check out my post on "If you Give a Girl a Pen" from yesterday!!!

A Story of Love at ...um ...Third... Sight

Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, there lived two fabulous people - Poppins and Smithwick. Poppins and Smithwick met each other twice but never noticed.

The first time occurred on a high school field trip where their schools went together to the Chicago Art Museum, yet they never said hi or anything. They were in the very same place, but completely oblivious to the others existence.

The second encounter happened about a year later when he was driving around with his best friend and Poppins was sitting with her best friend in a church parking lot waiting for choir practice to start. His BF lived a block away from the church and they were driving through the parking lot to get back to his house. They noticed us and promptly stopped because Smithwick and Poppins's BF had met before and had a crush on him. Poppins and Smithwick did not even pay attention to each other as Poppins was dating someone else and Smithwick was busy paying attention to the other girl.

Fast forward two more years....

About a month after High School graduation Poppins was out and about at "Blues on the Mall" - a weekly event held in the down town area of her home time where all her friends would meet to listen to free music and peruse for boys. Smithwick had attempted to convince his younger brother to go to Blues on the Mall because they were bored, but when his brother declined he decided to go regardless. When he saw the BF of Poppins he said hi immediately, happy to see someone he knew down there.

At this time Poppins was finally single and Smithwick caught her eye immediately and Smithwick couldn't seem to stop flirting with Poppins all night. The two joked and laughed all night, oblivious to the fact that they had already met twice. By the end of the evening phone numbers were exchanged and in an awkward moment of saying goodbye Poppins went to hug her new friend Smithwick while he had another idea ... thus creating the worst first kiss in history.

Horrible as that first kiss may have been it did not stop the two from falling immediately in love with each other and incredibly unable to spend an entire day apart and/or from talking to one another. It was a genuine story of Love at First Third Sight.

Life often got in the way, trying to tear them apart, but the two have done nothing more than prove that there is no situation they can not over come. (And believe me, they have ALL been thrown their way!) And now here...10 years, 3 months and 3 children later Poppins and Smithwick celebrate their 8th Wedding Anniversary!

But but but....It's still the weekend!!!

I completely forgot today was a blogging day!

The Horror!

I'm still stuck on weekend mode. You know weekend mode right....the no cleaning, barely cooking, still in bed at 9am and up till midnight (and NOT because I'm reading a really good book) kinda mode.

I have to admit I love holiday weekends that go the extra day. It's all nice and relaxing. So I'm gonna continue relaxing...it's ok...please don't cry! I'll have plenty of awesomeness to share with you during the rest of the week!

And tomorrow is a SUPER special day with a SUPER cheesy story for you. Are you ready?

MISS ME!!!

A Letter of Request

Dear Time,

I know we haven't always gotten along well. I have often taken advantage of the hours you have provide me with. Not sleeping when I should, some days sleeping too much. I apologize for this and ask of you a huge favor.

Could you PLEASE expand. I'm just asking for a few more hours each day... that's not much. I just can't seem to get everything done in the minimal 24 hours you have provided. I know I wrote a post (found here) earlier about how wonderful you are and how I shouldn't worry about how quickly you pass, but that seems easier said than done lately!

I'm not trying to be greedy here, but I just can't seem to find enough moments in a day to fit in blogging, reading, playing with my kids (this is in no particular order of importance...I swear) playing bejeweled blitz, eating, working, etc. And with all these activities it leaves very few hours left for sleeping and it's causing me to be a bit tired lately.

I'm not sure if you need to take my request to council or something, or maybe take a few days to think about this, but I'd really appreciate the effort. I hate to be blunt but I am seriously disappointed with the gift you have given me, there just isn't enough. I hope you don't find my ungrateful or inconsiderate. I do love every moment you provide me with. I just need more.

Sincerely,
Your Friend and/or Potential Enemy
Poppins.

Usually it's all about me ...

... But today I want to make it all about you! (Well most of you anyways!)

I've noticed quite a bit of new people in my comments and as I have been busy reading Percy Jackson getting ready for the school year I haven't had much time to pop over to all of your blogs yet. SOooo I was hoping you'd all like to introduce yourself here in my comments!!!

So Hi ... Welcome ... Let's get to know each other a little better! Tell me all about yourself, your blog, how much you love me, your dreams, your aspirations...

Example

Hi! I'm Poppins. I love gnomes and long walks on the beach coupled with an ice cold Margarita and a fresh new pair of pajama pants. I've written one absolutely fabulous novel and currently I am working on a new even more fantastic one. This is my blog and you should totally read it EVERY day!

Feel free to self promote!!! I'm all about it.

So come ... grab a name tag and introduce yourself already!!! I want to know EVERYTHING about you (in the most non-stalkerish way of course...)

(PS ... if I know you already ... introduce yourself to my other readers. Tell them how awesome YOUR blog is - because let's face it, your blogs are ALL super awesome!)

I've been sucked in ... again ...

So I've been sucked in again. If you've been reading my blog for awhile you may have noticed that I kinda like the Harry Potter and Twilight series.

It's no big deal ... it's not like I am obsessed with them or anything. Reading a book series 4 or 5 times is perfectly natural. People do it all the time.

And who wouldn't want to carry around an action figure of their favorite book character?


However -yet again - I have found a new series that I have been unable to put down. The characters are fantastic and the story is wonderful. Now I realize that this story is meant for a slightly younger audience (middle grade) I am absolutely in love with it.

Let me introduce to you Percy Jackson and the Olympians.


The story is about a young boy who discovers he is half god half mortal. He battles all sorts of mythical creatures (Greek Mythology types) and has to prove himself as a hero.

So I'm going to have to cut this post short so I can go finish reading.

My Brush with Justice

My morning was all planned out yesterday. I would take the husband to work, drop the kids off at a friends and head over to the Court House. *Gasp!* Poppins heading to the Court House? What's this!

I know what you are thinking, "It must be for Jury Duty. Poppins is way TOO perfect to be there for anything else."

At which I blush and say, "It was not Jury Duty. I did in fact do something wrong."

Wait wait please don't go! I'm still awesome I promise .. AND ... I can prove it!

Small Back story ...

Ok, so I got a ticket. The cop caught me on a bad day and unfortunately I bawled my eyes out. Actually I was crying before he pulled me over. (Long story...not important) I think he saw me and must have figured I was crying cuz he saw me and decided to get behind me and sure enough...my tags were expired. What an arrogant man, thinking I was crying because of him. Sigh....

So he gives me a ticket and begs me not to cry anymore and says to just bring it in with my new registration and he'll waive the whole thing.

Ok Here and Now story ...

I dropped of my husband and children and headed to the court house after a brief visit with Google Maps. Being a new citizen in this town makes getting around slightly difficult. But I think I know where I'm going from the street maps.

I get to the circle in the road that was on the map and look around for a parking ramp...where there was none to be found. So I have cash ... but no change! UGH

I scrounge through my purse and come up with about 5 nickles and a dime. Not nearly enough. Being me ... an incredibly embarrassingly blunt person ... I decide to ask the man walking past my car for a quarter. *Awesome Moment No. 1*

He obliges. Lovely man with quarter. My hero of the day. So I ask him exactly where I am going and he points me across the street on the corner a block away.

Did I mention that even though I left a half hour early I'm 4 minutes late for the appointment. *Awesome Moment No. 2*

So I start running ... not noticing that I am running in front of a car that comes to a complete stop. *Awesome Moment No. 3* and get to the building only to realize it's the wrong building and I need to be across the street.

I book it across the street and arrive in a lobby huffing and puffing. The security guard has me give him my purse and set down my keys to go through the medal detector and at the same time has to look through my purse. I cringe as he shuffles around Mini Edward and Mini Bella. *Awesome Moment No. 4* hoping he doesn't mention the two action figures at the top, and taking up most of my purse.

I ask him where I am going and he points to the elevator. I enter the elevators hit the button for floor 5 and up and away I go.

I get to floor five and there are doors and people seated outside the doors and I have no clue where I'm going. So I enter the first door and she rolls her eyes and points me down the hall to the first door on the right.

The cop is sitting in a chair waiting for me ... because I am now 7 minutes late ... and says, "Another 3 minutes and we were going to write you off." *Awesome Moment No. 5* (Can't he see I'm panting over here!!!)

They ask me to wait in the hall and I go stand against the wall and flip through my ticket and the post card with the court date and ... and ... AND *Awesome Moment No.6* I left my registration in the car!!!!

Tears begin to well up.

No no no ... do NOT cry in front of this cop again...don't do it!!!

He walks out and I say, "I forgot my registration in the car."

He looks at me like I HAVE to be joking.

I plead, "Can I please go get it!"

He asks where I'm parked and I tell him and beg by telling him I'll run. He tells me to wait a moment. Tears ... brimming on my eyelids ... fighting them with all my might.

He hands me a yellow slip of paper and tells me I'm all set. *SUPER Awesome Moment No. 7*

SEE!!!

I told you I am THAT awesome!

All I had to do was act like the biggest idiot ever and I completely got out of my ticket!

And then he says to me, "See, I told you it wasn't worth the tears."