BC: When and why did you start blogging?LG: I started blogging almost five years ago to the day, I had just found out that I was pregnant nine years after my first child. I used blogging as a platform to explore and express my feelings about balancing a career with having a baby at 40. After my daughter was born I stopped blogging. It wasn't until this January after a 4 year hiatus that I decided to blog again. I worked for several months with a web developer to design a site that reflected my eclectic tastes. My goal was to create a place that felt like my own personal playground where I could explore and pursue my creative endeavors from photography to cooking and thus the
ModChik was born.
BC: What has been your biggest surprise about blogging?
LG: Oh that's an easy one... I am constantly amazed at how small the world really is. If you ever doubted the six degree of separation theory try blogging and you will soon find out that you have mutual friends with complete strangers. The blogging community is a highly integrated group and there is no doubt in my mind that everyone involved is there for a reason.
BC: Where do you go for inspiration?
LG: I am the most random person I know so inspiration can hit me virtually anywhere from the grocery store to being stuck at the DMV (see featured post). I always carry a mini notepad and camera
in my purse so I don't forget the ideas that come from places I visit to people I meet.
BC: When you have out-of-town guests, what is your "must see" place in OC?LG: My out of town guests are not allowed to leave the OC without going to an ANGEL baseball game (GO HALOS!), picking up a pair of flip flops at
Rainbow Sandals Outlet and having a double-double hamburger at In-N-Out.
Lindsey's Featured Post
It's been a long week.
I feel like I have hit my first road block with my blog. I want every day to bring posts filled with inspiring stories exemplified with brightly colored photos that send you running for the subscribe button. But then life happens... and the stories aren't as uplifting and forget about photos, have you seen the floor of a DMV? ugh.
I feel like someone just crammed down a HUGE piece of humble pie down my throat.
So remember my last post where I signed off saying...
"Hopefully the next time I post I will not be sitting in this plastic chair, have new plates on my car, my taxes (er extensions) filed and a new appreciation for time well spent while waiting."
that was only the BEGINNING of my problems. That day I can I assure you I found neither new appreciation nor humor in what unfolded. Frankly I still am a little shell shocked at how things can go so terribly wrong so quickly.
Back up to the moment I clicked send on my phone via Poster maybe 5 minutes later my phone battery expired, that's it cut off from the outside world. Luckily the last call I made was to my daughter's preschool to let them know I would be tardy, but not too tardy.
Three minutes pass..."B083 window number 21" (OMG I know my number... PTSD) I get up to the counter and God Bless the gal working, she actually smiled at me. She handed me my plates and I was so happy. Happy they didn’t say madchik... although that kinda works too.
I grabbed those suckers and bolted for my car. Keys in hand I popped open my trunk threw everything in, grabbed a screw driver and proudly mounted my new plate. Out of the corner of my eye I can see a line of cars forming behind the one gal who is waiting smack in the middle of the aisle, for my space. These spaces are like GOLD people, friggen gold. I rush, I drop a screw, I get it back in, last one tightened, throw the screwdriver in the trunk, grab my purse and slam the trunk shut. Reaching for the door I realize its still locked...hmmmm I don't remember locking the car.
Of course you don't you IDIOT the only thing you unlocked was the TRUNK! I dig deep listening for the jingle of my keys.....silence. Oh no..... no no no no nooooooooo. Cheese & rice this can not be happening.
No keys.
No keys.
No phone.
DOA in the parking lot of the DMV.
Pick up was in 5 minutes at the Preschool how was I ever going to get her in time? and what about my 12 yr. old home sick with the flu by himself? Minus 10 points for mommy today.
Don't cry... do.... NOT..... cry. I checked the trunk just for good measure, yep still locked. Stood there waving every person eyeballing my space to keep moving on. Thank you to the guy who yelled at me for just standing there... that felt really warm and fuzzy!
I scooped up my silent purse and headed back to the DMV. No pay phones...son of a biscuit eater! So standing in front of the line of would be DMV victims I announced that I needed to borrow a cell phone because I not only LOCKED myself out of my car but that my cell phone had died. Well let me tell you, of those who actually understood me, 90% of them either looked AWAY or at the ground! What happened to paying it forward people! I grabbed eye contact with one couple from Florida (God Bless them) and he handed me his phone and started offering solutions.
Its times like these when you realize how dependent you are on technology. Do you think I remembered ONE phone number? Nope. Preschool? nope. Roadside Assistance? nope.
Long story short I learned a few things that day.
My car is too old to have the REMOTE UNLOCK feature.
My car is like Ft. Knox and even David, a self proclaimed car-jacker was unsuccessful even with his arsenal of break in tools.
Keeping your spare key in your wallet is a better option than the junk drawer at home.
DMV people are angry people. When I asked for suggestions for help with my situation I was give directions to the nearest McDonalds pay phone, gee thanks I think I'll ponder my predicament over a Happy Meal.
The most important one of all I learned is that I have people that I can count on.
My current facebook status says this:
"If it was not for the kindness and willingness to drop everything for a friend by Kimberly Magette Rimel I would not be sitting here tonight with my sanity left intact. Words can NOT describe my gratitude for her friendship today."
I never want to take this down because I want the world to know how important her friendship is to me. When all else failed that day - Kimberly came through. The ONE phone number I memorized paid off in spades that day. In the midst of carpool pick-up, dance lesson drop-off and a workout appt. she dropped everything and drove to my house to pick up my one spare key and drive it to the DMV. I was saved.
Three hours late I finally made pick up. No penalties and no tears they said she completely enjoyed her extended stay.
The 12 yr old finally got food only to refuse my choice of 'sick patient' cuisine, go figure.
I sat down to write about my day and just stared at the screen in disbelief of my day. "I hope those plates were worth it" my husband said, "if not at least you can blog about it" and there lies my dilemma. To use my power to write about the forces good or evil?
Maybe its about finding that silver lining in every cloud. Yea that's the road I want to take. Its' not about bitching about locking your keys in your car or the crappy way you were treated its about your perception, your take on the situation.
That day I chose to focus on one thing, I was lucky that I didn't lock my child in that car along with my keys and that I am as strong as the people I surround myself with. Take a look at who gets your time, your energy. Would they drop everything for you at a moment’s notice? or would they expect you to "save" them without reciprocating? Who do you surround yourself with? and how do you give back to them?
