Oh! I forgot to mention (or did i? gee, my brain is getting mushy between all this work stuff and school stuff!) that we're going to NYC earlier than we typically go. Usually we go around the 18th, 19th or 20th of Decemeber, but those dates were HELLACIOUSLY priced for the flights! Had we booked our mini-vacation at that time, we'd have paid probably in the neighborhood of $700-$800 just for the flight. So, booking our travel the weekend before (we leave on the 13th), our roundtri tickets for BOTH of us came closer to just over $400. That's not too shabby, I might add.

On a completely unreleated note.... Ben's new word: Brothen.

brothen [past tense]: to have taken a breath or mulitple breaths.

Ahhhhh, gotta love him, eh? *grin*

I figured out my hum-drum mood lately. Um, DUH! Aunt Flo is coming for a short spell soon and she usually becomes an emotional toll on me. *snickers* So, sorry 'bout that folks.

Ok... so... this is a little off the beaten path and I am just trying to feel out my readers on this.

I realize that all of us are different shapes, sizes, varying degrees of light/heavy but in the end, if you like who you are that's what counts, right? And, it's challenging to look at another person and say to yourself, "Oh, s/he looks like a size ____". In fact, as an example of this concept, when Ben was pushing 189 (at 5'9") most people thought he was closer to weighing 170-175. And this is because we're all built differently; different body types/structures/mass/etc. So, as a lot of you know I have toned my body a bit--- not crazy, I guess just a little tigher? Is that the word I want to use here?--- and as a result, some of my pants have become loose on me. Ok. No big deal. Well, because these clothes are still in very good condition, I wanted to find someone that knew to give them to. There's a girl (who will remain nameless to protect the guilty innocent) that is about my height and from what I could tell, about my build. She's a tiny bit taller so I thought that perhaps my clothes might fit her a little better (not as loose as on me). I text messaged her on Friday and asked her what size she wore. She gives me a low number that is 2 sizes smaller than the clothes I want to give to her. I text back to her: "Oh. Ok. Hmm... well, I'm trying to find someone to give some of my clothes to." (Kind of like just thinking aloud if you know what mean.)

Instantly she replies, "Sorry but I'm not short and fat."

I was offended by this. I wasn't trying to imply that she was. I just didn't know what size she WAS and wondered if these clothes could fit her. [Another example, my friend SM has gotten some of my shirts and you'd never think that they'd fit her because she's a little more broad-shouldered and is quite a bit more busty than I am.]

I text back: "Hey, these are not "FAT" clothes. I just wondered if you wanted some of my stuff."

She replies, "Well, I'm not saying that you're fat but I was ASTONISHED that you'd offer me {that size}. I've been a size ___ since high school."

Immediately, I snarkily think to myself, "Oh, you mean 4 years ago??" I reply, "I apologize. I didn't mean this the way that you took it."

Keep in mind that the size I was offering is not ENORMOUS. To me, an enormous size for HER would be if I offered her something like a double or triple X. Now, dear readers, I'm not saying that if you happen to wear this size that you're fat, I'm making the point that for HER the size that I offered (only 2 sizes larger---they're even numbered sizes) is not ENORMOUS.

I really hope I don't offend anyone here; I just want to make the point regarding the conversation between me and this girl.

Soooo, my questiong that I'm posing to My Loyal Readers is this: If someone who didn't know you very well and looked to be similar in body size THOUGHT that you MIGHT fit into clothing 2 sizes larger, would YOU be that offended?? Keep in mind that I don't know her that well and from appearance only, I thought maybe she might be able to wear the clothes.

This is the high school like drama that I deal with at times. Sheesh!

I have to keep in mind, though that this girl *IS* 12 years my junior and therefore isn't as mature as I am.

And on that note.....

Until next time...peace, love & HEALTH!!!