pancakes vs. mistletoe

Listening To: Mykonos by Fleet Foxes
Quotable: "The reason we struggle with our insecurity is because we compare our behind-the-scenes with everyone else's highlight reel." - Steven Furtick

I just sent in my December article for Susie Magazine, which will (probably) be called "The Story Doesn't End Here".

You know what's weird? Thinking about the New Year while actually living in the middle of the year. Weirder still is the fact that 2013 seems so far away, but it really isn't. In the immortal words of the great poet Meatloaf: "Objects in the rearview mirror may appear closer than they are." (I hope you get that song stuck in your head all day long ; )

While I wrote the December article, I was thinking about all the hopes and dreams and plans I'm always holding close to me when the year starts ... and how, when December rolls around, some of those hopes ... dreams ... and plans are inevitably unmet. How do you press on when disappointment squishes you flat? Even as I think of all the good, I can't help but think about the sad parts, the still-waiting parts. I won't rehash the whole article here but I wanted to share my very favorite part with you. 

Because I'm 99% certain that this part will be edited out. 

Behold the (most likely) deleted scene from December's His Time: 

Maybe, finally, this is the year you got kissed under the mistletoe. (Mistletoe is totally a parasite. I don’t really get the allure, but whatever.) (But seriously: I think it’d be more awesome to be kissed under an IHOP sign. And then you could go inside and split some chocolate chip pancakes. That’s romantic.) 

And there you have it. Advice for the masses! (... and also the reason I never write about relationships. ; ) 

Speaking of advice!


I have an idea for a summer blog feature. Sometimes I get questions in the email abyss that I think might be interesting blog topics. I would never, ever make a post of the personal emails you send ... those are very and heartfelt and private. But sometimes I also get questions that are a little more conversational. 

Random Example: I've had a few emails asking how I feel about tattoos and piercings. And I thought that could be a fun topic to tackle on here. So I'm going to try something here on the blog this summer called ... Q&A Tuesday. 

Bearing in mind that I'm a expert at absolutely nothing (besides Twizzler consumption), here's how it works:  

- If you have a fun question for Q&A Tuesday email it to me (nat.lloyd at yahoo). Be sure you put "Q&A Tuesday" or "Question" or something creative like that in the subject line. I won't use your name on the post; I'll just use your question. 

- You can toss out a question down in the comments too, if you prefer. 

- Do note: The questions can be fun-for-kicks. They don't have to be serious. 

- Very Important: There are questions I'll probably choose not to answer on here for whatever reason. (In general, I like to veer toward the positive on this blog.) I'll keep the tone pretty light, think of this more of a conversation starter than me dispensing any kind of advice. Like I said, I really can't advise on much. Besides the direction I think Downton Abbey should go in Season 3. 

... I'm not even sure how well this will go over so well. But I thought we might be able to have some fun with it! 

Remember: I won't the more personal, private emails here on the blog. I just think this could be a fun little summer series for the more conversational stuff. And if I don't have a good answer for your question, which is likely ... I'll make like the guys on Pawn Stars and bring in my team of experts. By which I mean: I'll ask The Rogue Accountant. And while his advice may not be poetic or even G-rated, it will definitely be funny. 

Next week for our inaugural Q&A Tuesday, we'll discuss le permanent inkage. Email me if you can think of a fun question (or a few fun questions). I can't wait to hear them!

How's your summer going so far? Are you at the beach? Because if you are I am very, very jealous.