When the luck runs out...

as it surely will, some patience and tact are required. Neither of those make my "Top Ten List" of personal charms. However, I think my mother would be proud of the fact that I have taken the high road in light of several disappointing and also frustrating recent events.

I read lots of blogs: food blogs, fashion blogs, craft blogs, random slices of everyday people's lives blogs, whatever. One thing I have noticed is that some bloggers like to be very revealing. While I enjoy some personal details, going too far is the first way to get me (and I'm sure others) to never read a blogger's posts again. I'm talking about "trashing your boss and mother-in-law while criticizing your sister's parenting skills, fat thighs, and fashion sense" too far. I wonder if these people don't find themselves soon out of a job, or at least in family therapy. Griping to the world about your anger, while it may make you feel temporarily unburdened, will also come back and bite you in the ass. It's reminiscent of that classic video that everyone and their mother emailed around a few years ago. I feel saddened by these posts, and often wonder if the bloggers have no sense of professionalism or really just have no other outlet for their feelings. I, on the other hand, have chosen to deal with my lack of luck as of late with healthier, while not very exciting, alternatives.

Thrift Therapy - I have always been a huge believer in retail therapy. Nothing could lift my spirits better than a trip to Nordstom and a new pair of strappy sandals. However, thanks to my recent loss of real income, my old mantra (Beat the blues! Buy more shoes!) has lost its ring. Now, it's off to Value World with my 50% off coupon. I never knew thrift stores had coupons, but now that I'm broke I'm catching on. Last week, for a grand total of 25 dollars, I bought three scarves, a cardigan, a skirt, a dress, a sweater set, and two slips with the tags still on. All name brands, all in fabulous condition, and all a big surprise to me. While I'm not entirely new to the world of thrifting, I had heard that Ann Arbor was not a great place for it. Too many hip college kids scoring all of the loot before we old people could get to it, that kind of thing. Happily, this was incorrect. I left the store with stuffed bags and a lifted spirit.

Boredom Baking - While baking is something I do often anyway, baking to avoid boredom is one of my favorite things. This is when I try new recipes, play with old ones, or make up my own. It is also the time when I usually create the things that become the stuff of legend, at least in my own mind. Ask anyone at Eric's work about the Irish Car Bomb Brownies and you'll see my point. Today was a pretty simple recipe day, as far as creativity goes, but I'm still pleased with the results. I adapted a Quaker Oats scone recipe to make Cranberry Orange Scones first. They are buttery, flaky, and melt in your mouth, which is really all I want from a scone. I ate two for breakfast, so I have a date with the Wii Fit later. It's also cold and cloudy today, making it a perfect soup day, thus inspiring the Mushroom Barley Soup I made for lunch. I've yet to decide what is on the menu for dinner, but I'm thinking Cuban sandwiches. This has kept me busy for most of the day, so I've had little time for thoughts of murder.

If neither of these strategies appeals to you, you can go out for a run, do some yoga, paint a room, do a pub crawl all afternoon (just make sure you call a cab!) or whatever it takes to keep you from getting so depressed you feel the need to ditch your smarts and vent online. Unless you want to lose your chances of maintaining gainful employment and a happy relationship, bitching in your blog won't get you anywhere. :)