So, I suppose I will start off this week's post briefly discussing, as my friend A.J. so eloquently put today, the celebration of my mortality.
I turned 24 this past Saturday. Now, 24 isn't one of those birthdays that marks anything. But seriously, let's face it. Nothing good is really marked after 21. I mean, at 25 I'll be able to rent a car without having to pay outrageous fees. Then I'll be thirty, which is the age that - for some odd reason - some women believe their dating/social life is over. (I am currently under the impression that that has already happened to me, so no reason to have to put that burden on 30) Then there's being over the hill at 40 and, of course, the black balloons and graves-on-the-cake that are attached to being 50.
So, as you can see, society pretty much gives you the impression that after 21, birthdays are just kinda down hill. Which plays into A.J.'s statement that birthday are really just parties that get you to be happy about the fact that you are one step closer to death (a natural one, anyway).
But I still love celebrating it, despite it all. I guess it just means I'm a bit of an attention lover. I love how all my awesome friends and relatives wish me a happy birthday (and when people retweet a birthday shout out to you when you ask him nicely ;) LoL).
This birthday I decided that I wanted to relax a bit and just have a quiet birthday. Heading up to Bloomington to spent the weekend with my best friend, Jennifer was just what I needed. Yeah, there wasn't a crazy party or tons of cute boys or lots of drinks being bought for me, but it was still great. We made dinner, went shopping (where I bought the cutest peep toe wedges) and saw "Alice in Wonderland (there was the best quote ever by Johnny Depp, but damnit if I can remember).
It might seem boring to others, but I loved it. And I think it's good every other year or so to just spend the day marking your birth with those close to you and just reminding yourself how great it is that another year of your life was filled with those great people. ♥
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So I took a mini vacation for my b-day this year, which really didn't start until Friday afternoon because I, like a dumbass, still went into the office on my day off. Mental note; when you take the day off, take the damn day off .
Anyway, I was slightly nervous about coming back to work, wondering about the stack of things that would be waiting for me. Plus, Tuesday is pagination day - ick - and I was pretty convinced I would not get to take a lunch and spend my evening at the office.
Fortunately, I was at a good place when I left Thursday Friday. I got to take a small 30-minute lunch, and was out of the office by 6, which meant there was enough daylight for me to enjoy the waning afternoon.
There was only one thing about returning from my vacation that wasn't exactly rosy. I mean, it's kind of a little thing, but through out the day, I found it to be increasingly annoying.
My editor apparently spent his free time Friday and Monday moving things around in my office space. And I'm not talking about moving some papers and file folders where I had some things. He. Moved. EVERYTHING. There were items placed in bins that I never placed such items in. He tossed my small lid where I kept page dummies after I finished them, tossed my stylebook in an odd place and just generally moved a bunch of crap that I had in certain places for certain reasons.
I mean, looking at it from a distant point, I suppose I should be grateful because he did clean off my desk. But on the other hand, I kinda felt lost today because I couldn't find anything. It was kind of annoying. I wasn't angry in anyway, but I just...ugh, it was annoying.
I know he had to put together information in my absence and all, but I just wish he didn' t have to move everything to do it... :/
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So....I love it, love it when I am right. I shall explain....
A little more than a year ago, probably more around April, when discussion of Cristiano Ronaldo moving from Manchester United to Real Madrid was really starting to heat up, I found myself saying a lot of things about the speculation to anyone who would listen. One thing that I don't remember if I blogged about, but do remember saying adamantly was the fact that the inconsistency of Real Madrid and the media circus of the team would be two things that wouldn't sit right with Ronaldo when he finally moved.
Real Madrid go through managers like Cristiano goes through cleats. It's not that the club can't keep them, it's that they continually get rid of them if Real Madrid doesn't succeed. Think of them as the University of Kentucky of La Liga. Coach doesn't get UK to the Final Four or in the NCAA final, and he's gone next season, right? Same concept applies to Real Madrid. The club hasn't been to a quarter final in the Champion's League in six years. Six years. That's ridiculous for a club like Real. And this is not me being a stubborn united fan and being just mean to Real, it's the truth.
Players like Ronaldo, who has basically always played under one manager while at a club, need consistency. They need a manager that they know are knowledgeable and who will be around for more than one season. I knew Cristiano wouldn't like that about Real - if there would be anything that he would complain about, it would be that.
Also, I will be the first to admit that Cristiano is a bit of a media whore. But that's off the pitch. When it comes down to it, he is pretty firm that the media is all right from a distance. Not intruding in his life and especially not intruding on his football.
At Real Madrid, the media pretty much live at the training field. No one but staff and in-house media personnel are allowed at Carrington Training Grounds in Manchester. At Real, fans as well as the media are welcomed to the training grounds with open arms. Up to 2,000 people could show up just for a training. That's pretty ridiculous.
Weighing these things, I knew back in April that if he did go to Madrid, it wouldn't be long before those thoughts would start to weigh on his mind, especially if the team did not do well in the CL.
Apparently, I was right.
Courtesy of the Express.co.uk:
"Ronaldo has confided to friends that he misses life at Old Trafford and in particular Ferguson’s guiding hand."
"Sir Alex Ferguson (that's the United Manager) - who admitted being disappointed for Ronaldo after Real Madrid went crashing out of the Champions League in midweek - said: 'Cristiano knows the value of Manchester United. That’s the thing. What the players have got here is protection. They come to training every day and there is nobody here to disturb them.'"
You're damn straight nobody will disturb them. Probably because if they try to shove a camera in anyone's face, Sir Alex would sock 'em in the nose.
But I digress.
The point is, I know this isn't Ferguson saying Ronaldo will be back next season (won't happen) and this isn't Cristiano saying that he is pining to play for Manchester United again (even though a tiny part is probably jealous that they are still in the CL). I think it's pretty much just saying that Sir Alex still has a great friendship with Cristiano and realizes that Ronaldo is adjusting to Real Madrid and that if Cristiano ever wants to come back to Man. Utd. (which could very well happen), he is more than welcome.
Which is bloody freakin' fantastic.
Won't happen in the near future - not at all - but is still could happen.
....
And I was still right about the ridiculousness of Real Madrid, a-thank you. :D
Article source:
http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/162929/Alex-Ferguson-hints-at-return-for-Ronaldo-