Today is a very special day in the Goose household! Five years ago, Mr. Goose proposed, and I said yes…well, obviously. Anyway, I thought today would be a good day to tell you all about it!
First things first, we have to back it up a little. I’ve been a major fan of Harry Potter since it was published. Mr. Goose has known this since before Day One, so he got me a pretty awesome Christmas gift that included going to The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Studios in Florida. We had already planned a trip down there to visit his parents, so this was perfect.
Now, let’s talk about the day! I spent the morning getting ready and rambling on and on about what I wanted to do in Diagon Alley. Then-Boyfriend Goose helped me pick out an outfit that would be good for the weather—January in Florida is weird. While I sat on the floor doing my makeup, I talked about getting my wand and trying Butterbeer and riding some rollercoasters. Boyfriend Goose listened with deaf ears while figuring out where to hide the ring (or while thinking about how much one silly goose can talk about Harry Potter).
The car ride was about an hour, during which I practically vibrated in my seat with excitement. I hadn’t been to Diagon Alley and couldn’t believe that’s where we were headed. Looking back, Boyfriend Goose had a small giveaway to the proposal on the way there. I used to wear a ring on my right ring finger that also fit my left ring finger, and Boyfriend Goose asked the size and for me to try it on the other hand to see if it fit. If we’re being totally honest here, Silly Goose is oblivious to some things, clearly. We eventually got to the park and made our way to the metal detectors and entry queues. Mr. Goose has since told me that this was the most stressful part of the day, as he was sure I would catch him putting the ring box in the little side bowl thingie they have you put your watch and phone in.
Once inside the park, I wanted to make a beeline to Diagon Alley to finally step inside The Wizarding World of Harry Potter. The moment I entered was just as magical as I had always hoped. My chest was filled with butterflies from excitement and awe. Boyfriend Goose and I went into Olivander’s so that I could get my wand to use for the rest of the day. I was chosen to have the actual wand choosing experience, which was absolutely amazing. It was the moment I’d dreamt of since the moment I was introduced to the series. I had no idea my day would become even more magical just a half hour later!
As we left the wand shop, we regrouped with Boyfriend Goose’s parents and decided to get lunch. Boyfriend Goose asked that we do one more thing first, to which we all agreed. He grabbed my hand and led us all to the corner just outside of Gringott’s. He pulled out a deck of cards, had me choose a card, and then he put them all back in the box. He handed me the box to shake up and then asked me to look for my card (Queen of Diamonds). When I was almost to the last card, and with no sign of my card, Boyfriend Goose said the following:
You probably noticed your card is missing. That’s because you’re my queen and you deserve a diamond.
At this point, I looked up and saw Boyfriend Goose opening a ring box, inside which was both a ring and my card! At this point, he asked me to marry him, and Boyfriend Goose became Fiancé Goose. Now he gets to be Mr. Goose….what a lucky guy 😉
As always, STAY SILLY!
Come back next week to hear about the rest of our engagement day!! Sneak peek: cupcakes, line cuts, and silly pictures!!
Hello, geese! As promised, welcome to another Help Me, Silly Goose post!
Silly Goose,
I graduate [college] in May and I’m getting nervous. Do I go to grad school? Should I look for jobs? I’m not sure where to start or how to sort out my emotions. Will I find a job? I have so much anxiety about it and it’s a bittersweet feeling. What if college didn’t prepare me for the next step in my life? Help!
Sincerely,
Graduating and Confused
Dear Graduating and Confused,
Thank you for reaching out. First things first, congratulations! Graduating college is an awesome accomplishment! Now to the helping portion, the part you’ve all been waiting for.
The first thing you want to do is sit down and write a pros and cons list for both going to grad school right away and jumping right into professional life. Unless you’re in a field where an advanced degree is necessary for employment, my suggestion is to get into the professional environment for your field first, then look into grad school. Building some experience can also help narrow down what you would want to get your masters degree in more specifically.
Next, you want to trust yourself and your education. You’re graduating for a reason, or several. Trust that you have not only gathered enough information to be successful, but also that you are prepared for whatever comes your way. College often teaches tenacity, so take advantage of that. You can do whatever you put your mind to, no matter how cliche that might sound. The human mind is a powerful tool, so trust yours and use it to succeed.
Finally, don’t compare yourself to other people who have graduated already or will graduate with you. Every single person with a college diploma is going to have a different, unique path to follow. No two people will have the same exact results upon graduation. Some of you will move halfway around the world to get experience in your field or simply experience living in another country. Some of you will move back to your hometown, find a job there, and stay around your family. Some of you will do something completely different from this. AND THAT’S OKAY!
I, myself, had a “not normal” college career and experience after graduation. I got down on myself more than once and had considered becoming a waste management worker because the pay is so high and my sense of smell is so awful. I could have done just that, and it would have made me a person who had an education and a high paying job. They don’t have to match (education and job), even if many will. I’m proud of my education and lean on what I learned a lot.
Overall, make sure you write down the pros and cons for your options (grad school and getting a job right after graduation, in your case), trust yourself and your education, and don’t compare yourself to others. I wish you all the best in making this decision and hope you feel more at peace with making a decision. Above all, congratulations on such an amazing accomplishment!! I’m sure you’ve worked very hard and deserve every bit of the recognition you’ll receive.
Honks and Hugs,
Silly Goose
Do you have advice for Graduating and Confused? Leave some words of wisdom in the comments!
Do you have a situation that Silly Goose can help with? Hop on over to the Contact page and send me a message! I’d love to help!
As always,
STAY SILLY
P.S. I hope you all enjoy the photo of my very studious cat in his glasses (aka my cat being forced into a Snapchat filter)
Happy Sunday! As promised, I have a silly story to tell you all about.
When I had glasses–like, two weeks ago–showering was a genuinely confusing, yet peaceful, task. I couldn’t see the writing on any of the bottles, which meant shampoo and conditioner needed to have different colored bottles or caps. I couldn’t see a thing when shaving anything but my armpits. Shaving my legs was a whole production, taking absolutely forever every single time. I couldn’t see the different types of soaps and face wash products. I’ve literally been using the same face wash in the shower for at least a decade. Look, it works for me and has an easy-to-distinguish color and shape.
I wasn’t allowed to shower during the first week after the Lasik procedure because of getting water in the eyes being such a big risk. Don’t worry; I still took plenty of baths. I finally got to use some of my bath bomb collection. I also got to start really reading a book I’ve been reading for a month. It was wonderful! I did miss my showers though. I like to sing in the shower, and that’s not as fun in the bath…I can hear myself way too much. After my week of baths was over–let’s be real, I’ve still been taking baths just because–I finally started taking showers.
Let me tell you something. Listen really close here. Taking a shower while virtually blind is an entirely different experience than taking a shower while being able to see everything the entire time. I’ll admit one thing; some of the peace is gone. Part of that peace was not really being in the world, since I truly couldn’t see anything clearly. There are so many visual distractions from my thoughts.
BUT that’s not the point of this post.
The point of this post is that being able to see things in the shower has resulted in some humorous experiences over the last week. While washing my hair yesterday, I noticed something funny. The pump heads on my shampoo and conditioner bottles looked kind of like a goose head!! I also noticed the rubber duckies that were in the shower–rubber ducky song, Sesame Street, long story.
Anyway, I giggled to myself. I thought of my flock immediately. I knew I just had to share this silly, yet strange, realization with you all. Oh, and remember that face wash I mentioned earlier? That has a pump head that looks a little like a goose head too! I’ll admit, I kind of felt like I was being watched at that point. Thankfully, I was quite close to getting out at that point. After it was funny, it was a little creepy.
Look, I’m a right-brained person. I see shapes in clouds and faces in the knots of wood. If you don’t see the goose heads, I’m sorry, but you’re totally missing out. I still love you and hope you still find humor in the situation.
I’ll add some more pictures tomorrow, seeing as I totally forgot to take them today. 🤦🏼♀️
Happy Saturday!! I hope you all are having a fabulous weekend. I promised to tell you about my experience with Lasik, and I am finally doing just that!
Let’s get started!
The morning of the procedure, I was overwhelmed by excitement. I had been wearing glasses for two decades. You read that right…20 years. I was beyond ready to be done with corrective lenses for good. So many questions ran through my mind that morning.
What will things look like? Are colors any different without glasses? Is this going to hurt? What if I go blind? What if I can’t sleep when I come home?What if the surgeon decides I’m not a candidate after all?
After what seemed like an eternity, Mr. Goose woke up and got ready to take me to LasikPlus in King of Prussia, Pennsylvania. We got to the office early, so I went inside and started the paperwork portion of the procedure. Due to the pandemic, Mr. Goose was not allowed to come inside. I signed some forms, discussed aftercare instructions, and set a follow-up appointment for the following day. I was also given a bag of aftercare supplies, mostly eye drops.
This is the last picture of me wearing glasses. I took it as a joke and ended up realizing this was the last selfie I would take while needing the assistance of glasses to see. The feeling was sobering, for sure. Anyway, enjoy the sunglasses/glasses picture!
After taking this picture, I waited for another 20 minutes or so, reading a book on my phone, before I was called to the pre-op room. I took my glasses off for the very last time and placed them in the bag of aftercare supplies. Excitement and adrenaline pumped through me so hard, it was almost electric. After the surgical coverings were in place, the woman who led me back left the room. I couldn’t resist taking the picture below.
This picture was taken about 5 minutes before the surgeon walked into the room to get me. The excitement and nerves were high by this point. Just for my flock, I had to document how silly the dress code for surgery was, especially since I couldn’t see myself and wanted to laugh at the fashion after the surgery.
When Dr. Procope took walked in, I couldn’t believe it was finally happening! I was practically vibrating with excitement as he took me to the room where my vision would finally be restored. There were two surgical assistants, both waving happily at me as we walked in the room. The doctor instructed me to place my personal belongings on a counter and then led me to the first of two tables. When I was laying on the table, he put the eyelid holder thingy in, which didn’t feel nearly as intrusive as I had expected. The numbing drops were put in both eyes and then the corneal flaps were made. This is the part where some people feel discomfort. There is a decent amount of pressure, but I did not find it painful, just a little unpleasant.
Dr. Procope continued to calmly walk me through the steps of the procedure as I was instructed to sit up and move to the second table. Things were particularly blurry while moving tables. When I was in place on the second table, the eyelid holder thingy was put into place. I was instructed to look at a green light, which I did, while red ovals moved around in my visual field. I found this part to be so cool, very futuristic feeling.
Finally, I was done and could go back home, with doctor’s orders to take a four to five hour nap. This was not nearly as difficult as I had expected. There is a little bit of burning during the first few hours after surgery, and I didn’t have to experience almost any of this because I slept for eight hours.
During my nap, and while sleeping in general for the full first week after the operation, I had to wear these eye shields. Mr. Goose came up with the perfect way to eliminate the anxiety of one of them coming off by providing me with a sleeping mask. Side note: the sleeping mask says “DIVA” on it. Diva Goose it is then. Anyway, this picture was taken a few minutes after the nap was over.
When I woke up to put in eye drops before going back to bed, I couldn’t believe my eyes. I mean, seriously, I thought I was dreaming. With Mr. Goose sleeping on the couch, having fallen asleep waiting for me to wake up, I started giggling uncontrollably. This startled Mr. Goose. It was hilarious. Anyway, I giggled and giggled as I looked around the kitchen and the living room in complete awe. I could see!
After my follow-up appointment, I was given a t-shirt, of which there were four styles. I originally was all about getting the “Guess what I’m not wearing?” one, but this one just stole my heart. I love cats.
The first week went just as expected. I had super dry eyes and put drops in a little more frequently than probably necessary. I still find myself using more eye drops than I probably need. I waited 20 years for this miracle, and I’m not screwing it up! I might not be the best at following directions all the time, but this is an exception.
The first day after the procedure, my eyes definitely looked a little weird, but they were working perfectly! Silly Goose can finally see! This is the first picture WITHOUT any corrective lenses. WOOHOO!
I found my lab goggles from my college science class just before the procedure, so I wore those around the house for a while to keep in the moisture. I think it also weirded me out seeing everything so much brighter and sharper than ever before. I can see the limbs all the way at the top of the bare trees! It’s truly a miracle!
Best Friend Goose found this image dorky, which is kind of a compliment for us. I have to agree with her. They look super dorky, but at least I’m protecting my eyes! The weirdest part about wearing them is how HD everything looks when I take them off.
Before Lasik, I thought the best part would be opening my eyes in the morning and being able to see right away. While that is definitely awesome, the best part is being able to see things I didn’t know other people could see, such as the top limbs on trees. I had no idea how many small limbs stayed on the trees after the leaves had fallen. Colors look brighter, laying on my side is possible without the annoyance of my glasses going askew, and I couldn’t be happier with the results.
Today, for the first time in my life, I was able to spontaneously decide to put on makeup without dreading the inconveniences that my horrible vision used to cause. I could stand up straight instead of leaning over the counter to be close enough to the mirror to see my face. Yes, my vision really was that bad. I couldn’t see six inches from my face before Lasik.
Overall, I couldn’t be happier with my decision to get Lasik. When I used to hear people say things like that, I swore they had to be getting paid or something. I’m not getting paid a dime, and I still couldn’t be happier with my decision. I tested 20/20 during my follow-up exam, which almost made me cry from joy. I can wear sunglasses without having to put in contacts or find sunglasses that fit well over my prescription glasses. That was on thing I hated the most about needed corrective lenses; the inability to wear whatever sunglasses I wanted without having to also wear contacts.
Another major bonus of having perfect vision is the ability to play with filters on Snapchat. Yes, I know I’m wearing the dorky goggles. Did you all really think all the pictures would be serious? Come on now. I am SILLY Goose. Please laugh at my weird self.
I’ve noticed that my perfect vision allows for more silly observations in places where my thoughts (and terrible singing) used to be the only thing to entertain me. Hint: Silly Goose was cleaning her feathers and found an audience in the shower! Come back tomorrow for the full story on that situation. There will be pictures of the culprits!
As always, STAY SILLY
P.S. If you decide to get Lasik and choose to go through LasikPlus, take a second to write down Silly Goose’s real name (Lindsey Lempke) as your referral method.
Do you have any questions about Lasik that you think I can answer? Drop a comment below, and I’ll answer every question within 24 hours.
Hello, flock! Welcome to another HELP ME SILLY GOOSE post!
Question:
Dear Silly Goose,
I have a hard time starting necessary tasks and tend to procrastinate to the point of panic. I get stuck in a distraction and can’t seem to force myself into doing what I need to do.
How do I get unstuck and start my responsibilities instead of causing myself to panic?
Sincerely,
Stuck
Hello Stuck, and welcome to the flock!
It sounds like your main issue here is transitioning from one task to another. Coincidentally, yours truly has suffered the same self-induced procrastination panic. While obtaining my degree in Psychology, I had a class (or two) that discussed making transitions easier for clients (assuming one with a Psychology degree will be working with clients/patients).
The first step to any task is starting. Let’s use an example. In order to take an effective shower, there are certain steps that must be taken. First, you need to turn on the water. The second you feel the little voice in your head squeaking about panicking, go turn the water on. Oftentimes, you will gain a little momentum and start the other steps naturally. If you don’t, take it one step at a time until you have finished the shower. Take off your clothes, have a towel ready, get in the shower, and the list goes on in a varying order from there.
Many times, transitioning from one task that’s enjoyable to another task that’s not enjoyable creates panic because of all the steps you can think of that go into the necessary task. That makes the task feel even BIGGER than it felt in the first place. So daunting!
Taking the upcoming task one step at a time is a way to make a slow, but still productive, transition from one task to another.
While I was still in college, I had to force myself to do homework. I was insanely motivated to get a high GPA, so one would think this wouldn’t be a problem. I seemed like a model student in class too. I always knew the answer and had tidy notes that people could take pictures of if they missed a day. What people couldn’t see was the fight to transition from facebooking and watching true crime shows to doing the work that was necessary to meet my expectations of myself. I slowly learned to take things one step at a time and transition from one task to another more slowly, which resulted in less procrastinating from one semester to another.
Happy Friday!! I think it’s about time we have some funny pictures hanging out around the pond.
According to Facebook, the all-knowing (date-saving) picture identifier, these pictures were taken about seven and a half years ago. I was in Goosversity, and Sister Goose was finishing high school. I was home for my spring break, and we were having Easter dinner that day.
My feathers were all fancy, so I decided to do a selfie photoshoot outside. My sister decided to photobomb this fun activity, majority of the time without my knowledge. This was right before front facing cameras had any level of quality, so I was snapping these pictures while holding the phone and just hoping it looked good.
Below is a sample of the results. Enjoy!
I have this one first because it was the best picture I had of myself for a solid few years. This was most likely the first picture I took after finding out she was behind me. You can tell my the pure joy of being found out. This was probably right before the other one, but enjoy it anyway. This was the obvious next step in our shenanigans. We figured a nice picture was necessary after all of that work. Isn’t it just beautiful? 😂
There’s one picture that has caused side stitches in every person who has looked at it…..
That’s the only reason this picture is last…..
Be prepared…..
Hazard ⚠️ May Cause Painful Amounts of Laughter…..
……..really, you may even cry from laughing so hard!
Here it is, geese! The funniest picture my sister and I have probably ever taken together.
Hello, everyone! Today is a rare double post day because I got a gift that I just need to share with you all!!
Office supply addicts, this one is for you.
My incredible Grandma Goose sent me a guillotine paper cutter!! I’ve wanted one of these things for decades (since I was just a gosling in Kindergoosen)! Grandma Goose shares my love (obsession) for office supplies and has helped grant many office supply related wishes for me over the years! She sent school supplies before I started college and anytime I needed any. I don’t think I’ve had to buy a pencil since high school 🤭😳😅
For those of you who love office supplies as well, here’s a picture of the newest goose in my flock! Enjoy!
To my Grandma Goose, I love you bunches!! Thank you so much! I’ll always be your babygirl! 🥰
As always, STAY SILLY!
Do you have an obsession with office supplies? Let me know in the comments what your favorite office tool is right now!
My Silly Goose 