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 |  Well let's just try this AGAIN! |
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** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I thought this was tough to start the first time....Don't worry I'll get it right SOME day.  Always there are nay-sayers. Just stick to your ideals. Hold fast to those dreams. Don't let go. |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I had today off. You wouldn't know that if you saw what I did or should I say did not do today. Oh, I had a list. Wanna see it? 1. Dishes 2. Bedroom 3. Puppies 4. Call some folks up who need calling 5. Patio Clean up What did I actually do on this list? NADA - NUTTIN Since I have had this flu or whatever it is called (I heard a rumor its nickname is Black Death) my energy has been minimal. I worked a killer eight yesterday and busted my tiny hinny to recover my department. Place looked like an entire block had a garage sale and dumped their left-overs in my department. Whipped that into shape but at a cost. Low physical energy = high mental output Anyea's Third Law of Reality So I thought things. Wanna know what things I thought about? 1. Above list that wasn't going to get done 2. Bloggers and their struggles 3. Creating new art work 4. The first root beer float of the summer 5. The ugliness of a common house fly staying within that list of five here  I did have other stray thoughts pop in and out during the day but right now, can't remember them all. If you sat down at the end of a long day and made a list of everything you could remember thinking about though, how many would you really remember? Minutiae, details, fly through so quickly we hardly attend to those kinds of thoughts at all. Inspirational, emotional, traumatic thoughts - those stick with us huh? Humor of course sticks with us except that I can never remember the joke just the punch line. Those thoughts that do stick with us, do you think we should record them? I mean maybe because we can remember them, they should get notice above and beyond other types of thoughts. My recordings each day would look like the journal of some half-crazed Wilde beast I'm afraid. Just trying to decide what to blog about caused those neurons to stir up and scatter about brilliantly lighting my brain. Probably looked like the Fourth of July up there. I took a very productive nap however. One of those where you sit down, meaning to do something productive, like read, and start thinking about stuff. This time I was trying to design a sand garden in Photoshop using just filters and paintbrushes. I fell asleep. It was this mini-not-really-a-nap. You know the ones. Where you fall asleep for like ten minutes and wake up? Yeah, but my coughing woke me up. I'm trying to cut the cold meds out and my body seems to disagree with that plan. It was a nap however short. Then I tried to watch television for a while. You all know the writers are on strike right? Well, it made for an interesting episode of a show I watch. I have been following that story about the writers, who is supporting it, the impact on the industry and its more fascinating than the political circus stuff going on. Writers are beginning to see the merit in being on-line. Advertising themselves on the Web, offering their services, joining together in a solid web site to show case their works. Well geez it's only the 21st century after all guys and gals, took you awhile huh? I wonder what you all do during your days. Clean? Go to work - probably most of you as it is Thursday. I work through the weekend so Thursday is it for my day off. Do you snuggle in a special corner with that special cup of seeped tea and dive into a book? Writing feverishly lest you lose that awesome idea you had? See, I do think about people other than myself and wonder about their lives. What if we could hire a cruise ship to pick each of us here in Blogsville up, sailing to Canada, France, wherever it was required to sail, and we all took a month long cruise together. Somewhere tropical to be sure, where the sun would wrap loving rays of light around us during the day and the stars burn down lighting our way at night. That thought kinda cracks me up though. I mean, if we were physically all together - would any of us write in our blogs? If we wrote in our blogs - would each of us read them, answer them - and what would we say! Okay, I'm weird but I accept that about myself. Talk about suspending reality though huh? To each of you out there, I wish your days and nights are filled with thoughts that do no harm, leave you feeling you have accomplished something and know that you all are worth your weight (at least) in chocolate covered jelly beans! |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** "You cannot depend on your eyes when your imagination is out of focus." ~~~Mark Twain "Some men see things as they are and say, 'Why?' I dream of things that never were and say, "Why not?'" ~~~George Bernard Shaw Do you look people in the eyes when talking to them? Do you see them, their hopes, their dreams, their fears? Do you focus on other aspects of their face, their body instead? I used to look each person in the eye, square on and hold my look. Much of the time the other person would look away, over my shoulder (which isn't far when you consider my height), off in the distance or even down at the ground. I would wonder if my looking them in the eyes made them uncomfortable. Do some humans, like dogs, dislike being "stared down"? Some breeds of dogs will go for your throat if you attempt to stare at them. It brings out their aggression I guess. Other's don't seem to care if you are staring at them at all. When I am upset, angry, disappointed or just plain pissed off with someone or the world in general, I refuse to look at people in the eye. I do not grant them permission to look into me. For by looking them square on, they have that unique opportunity as well you know? I do not like people to see what I am feeling, thinking and trust me, one look would give it away. If I am happy and feeling energetic, I gladly look people in the eye. There is no problem then. They usually respond to my looking, play along with whatever game I have going and enjoy themselves. Usually. Sometimes. There are a few I have run into who seem to have their shields firmly in place, their stoic attitudes cemented around them and nothing moves them out of the place they feel comfortable in. I will still try though. Today I actually felt physically better (whew) and found some fun people to play with at work. One lady asked me if she could take her lingerie to another department. I looked her "square" in the eye and said: "No." She stopped cold. Her features started to melt in disappointment. It was something to see I tell you! My co-worker came up behind me and told the lady I was just playing and of course she could take her things over to the other department. I just grinned and said, "Gotcha!" She actually laughed, called me a very clean name (another whew) and went her merry way. Oh yes, I was on a semi-healing roll. Another lady came up with a return and no receipt. Could I help her? "Do you have your drivers license, a copy of your birth certificate and one hundred dollars collateral?" I asked innocently. This one caught on before I finished. "Well that depends. Do you have a quart of blood, one eyeball and your left femur in exchange?" Playtime was on. The entire sequence found us looking at each other "square in the eye". Neither of us feeling uncomfortable, looking away or down and both of us having a ton of laughs. The human eye, humans looking at each other eye-to-eye, such strangeness I believe. If you look closely at someone's eyes, who claim their eyes are "blue" you will see they aren't being completely honest with themselves. Or they neglected to tell you that while the overall color is blue, it is made up of seemingly hundreds of shades of blue, from the almost white blue to a black blue. Same thing with eyes that are "brown" or "green". Ever seen anyone with grey eyes? Now there is something to see! I had a friend who was uncomfortable with people who's eye color was black or verged on black. Sometimes it's like they are all pupil, no iris to the eyeball. People say eyes are the windows to our souls. I say its the gateway to their playground - their minds. What do you say? I hope everyone is warm, safe and satisfied with the way 2008 is occuring at this time! Here's lookin' at you kid! |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Ahhhh 'Ideas' how much fun are they? We all have them, these 'ideas' and mostly they get put in plastic bins and stored in our warehouses. Yes, we all have these HUGE mental warehouses filled with floor to ceiling shelves (in industrial steel) and workers running around trying to keep up with us. Now the warehouse of a writer, versus say an accountant, are two vastly different places. The Accountant's warehouse has floor to ceiling shelves but only uses those brown boxes with stamps on the outside indicating date, time, place and number of box. All their boxes are the same size, stacked neatly one upon the other. Writers' warehouses? I don't think so. Writers have multi-hued plastic boxes, clear boxes, paper boxes painted with outrageous designs upon them. They are in all sizes and the shelves look completely chaotic. Poor lil workers have to really scurry to get stuff down or put stuff up in a writers warehouse! Each box is filled with one idea, a memory, hopes and dreams. Some boxes move around on their own, impatient for the writer to "PICK ME - PICK ME". The foreman of the warehouse assigns one special worker to any of these types of boxes just to ensure they don't come crashing down and break - or worse yet - get loose! A rampaging Idea running around the warehouse can cause quite a stir. Gives other boxes ideas you see. There is a very special place in the warehouse to store "Secret Information" too. That's in a room wayyyy in the back. It has big tumbler locks on the door and only one worker has the combination to that room. He stands guard in front of it all the time. I was asked to maybe come up with an idea for someone recently (name withheld to protect the innocent) and they just didn't know what they created for my warehouse workers when the request was made! Now, I have a squadron running around looking for a special box, I just know is there! I think it's clear plastic with lil dragon stickers on it, but maybe I put ducky stickers and flower stickers on it. Hm, well I will let them root it out. They are the professionals you know! In the interim, I have come up with more 'Ideas' and have them on the work table that takes up the entire middle of this huge warehouse. The table is where the 'Idea' is worked on, molded, changed shape - often, and just played with to see what can be done. There are containers of pens, pencils, crayons and chalk on the table as well as tablets of lined paper, pads of art paper. Glitter and glue, stickers, both benign and scratch and sniff variety are in bins. The sky light overhead provides plenty of working light. I am pondering this aspect of the 'Idea' and the practicality of it. I check to be sure I have enough rainbow colors in place, that music playing is soft yet upbeat, the heat there is perfect and I am floating - between this 'Idea' and that 'Idea' right now. How goes your warehouses? Paying your workers enough? |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I am bringing in this New Year in a spectacular way. Today is the first time in two days I've gotten out of bed and not staggered to the couch only to fall asleep. I believe the legal drug limit for cold medications has been reached, exceeded and gone into the danger zone. What I have should have a special name. I am fond of Hackblowcoughretchrepeatia. This has led me to neglect reading blogs, writing in my blog and in general doing not much of anything at all. There goes two more sick days from work. I created the above graphic after finally drinking three cups of Chest Ease Tea, a mixture of natural ingredients that are too scary to list. I read them once when I wasn't ill and swore I would erase them from my memory banks forever. The tea seems to be playing nicely with the cold medications however and while I am not feeling exactly healthy, I am not feeling like laying on the I-10 and letting traffic have a go at me. So everyone, it's a New Year! Everyone excited about that? All those hurry up Resolutions made and maybe broken yet? I keep resolving to make Publisher's Clearing House my best friend or the State Lottery but that isn't working out very well. They quit taking my calls. I have my dreams. Dreams of money troubles gone, classes attended, books written and all within the elusive arms of financial security. Just call me Material Girl. Due to outstanding financial difficulties this past year I may actually have to move to - TOR CLOSE YOUR EYES - Texas. My friend that I've mentioned, in the army wants me to house sit for him for the next year or so, rent free, utilities free and a big ole boy truck to drive whenever I can fill that tank. I don't know though. It's all up in the air right now. It would be strange to move to Texas. I so love Arizona, but it seems Arizona can do without me right now. Yeah, self-pity here but I earned it people. I have a fever, head stuffed up, chest congestion and body aches and I have fought to get my college education going and lost. For now that is. I do not believe in defeat for myself. Hell, I don't believe others should believe in defeat, but that's a story for another day. Getting back to the above graphic, I wanted to point out that this one has a grungy softer look to it than what I normally go for. It's kinda how I feel. Grungy, softer and faded. Oh and silent, I am silent. Why? My voice is completely gone. This bug is beating me up everywhere but as for the silence - I can still write. Ta Da. Down but definitely not out folks. Now I need to go read a ton of missed blog entries and be entertained by you all. Or I could go take yet another 'nap' that lasts about four hours. Decisions, decisions. Nah - blogs first then a nap. Hope you all are taking care of yourselves, but I'll find that out in just a little while won't I? |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Ever want to just retribute on someone? I mean somebody does something to you, and you want to just "do something" back kind of thing. I do sometimes. For instance, some fool customer or perhaps if I go with the conspiracy theory, a whole lot of customers, stormed into IKEA carrying deadly *crowd gasps* - yes deadly germs. I want to know who gave germs all this power anyway. Moving forward in time a bit, I was sitting, okay, laying in my waterbed feeling like the inside of that Vegetable Bin no one wants to open and see what's inside cuz no one has opened it in oh say a year or so. Not liking to waste time I began to fantasize about retribution. Now, everyone has heard the old saying "What goes around, comes around." and the ever popular "The Wheel Keeps Turning". Something like that I think. People talk about karmic debt and that Karmic Wheel. So I am wondering if perhaps that Wheel doesn't need some help to get the job done quicker! "Your name?" "Uh, Anyea. Nice office you have. Love what you did with those neutral beiges. You must feel like you work in the stomach of a yak huh?" "Do you know why you are here today?" "What is it with you bureaucrats? Asking the most inane questions. If I knew why I was here, I would have just jumped in and spoken up now wouldn't I?" "There is an allegation that you illegally caused the WOK to move when it was not scheduled to." "The what? OH you mean the Wheel of Karma? Big sucka that huh?" "Our point is that by moving the WOK you could suffer punishments that haven't even been invented yet." "Well at this point my dear beige fellow, its your word against mine isn't it? Proof dear boy - where's your proof?" "The human that the WOK ran over is in trouble now. You happen to recognize the name Jane Smith?" "Oh, yeah I mean that's like such a common frickin' name isn't it dude? No, I don't know her and as a matter of fact, I don't know your name either." "Ordinary humans are not, under law, to interfere with the WOK. By doing this, you have thrown off the scheduled events for the WOK for the better part of a week." Serious problems with authority figures I have. If I had nudged or shouldered or all out pushed that WOK you know the stupid thing would have rolled back over me don't you? Yeah, me too. I am blaming the fever for my delusional imaginings. HOWEVER, if I find Jane Smith, giver of this viral crapola I now house I am giving her BACK her germs times forty thousand. What a great start to 2008. >sigh< *cough* The rest of you stay healthy please. Figure out who gave germs all this power too would you? Thanks. |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Well 2007 is on its way out a here! Wave bye-bye 2007. Here comes a brand new spankin' baby - 2008. Let's bring it on. The Scottish gentleman, Rabbie Burns, or Robert as many of you know him by, assisted with the addition of verses to a song or ballad written many years ago. Most of us know the four words to the song so let me get them in here for you all to sing out at the stroke of midnight. Due to the complication of those wily Scots I'll even add the translation to each verse for you! The translation will be easy to see. I'll put it in PINK.  Should old acquaintances be forgot, And never brought to mind? Should auld acquaintance be forgot, And auld lang syne? (Should old acquaintances be forgotten) (and never remembered) (Should old acquaintance be forgotten) (For old long ago) Chorus: For auld lang syne, my dear For auld Lang syne, We'll take a cup o kindness yet, For auld lang syne! (For old long ago, my dear) ( For old long ago) (We will take a cup of kindness yet) (For old long ago) And there's a hand my trusty fiere, And gie's a hand o thine And we'll take a right guid-willie waught, For auld lang sine (And there is a hand my trusty friend) (And give me a hand of yours) (And we will take of a good drink/toast) (For old long ago) We twa hae run about the braes And pou'd the gowans fine, But we've wander'd monie a weary fit Sin auld Lang Syne (we two have run about the hills) (and pulled the daisies fine) (but we've wandered many a weary foot) (since old long ago) We twa hae paidl'd in the burn Frae morning sun till dine But seas between us braid hae roar'd Sin auld lang syne (we two have paddled in the stream) (from morning sun (noon) until dinner-time) ( but seas between us broad have roared) (since old long ago) CHORUS - all together now! For auld lang syne, my dear For auld Lang syne, We'll take a cup o kindness yet, For auld lang syne! Now you have the song to sing at that stroke of midnight. I only hope you get to sing it with someone you love and enjoy being with. (if it's only yourself - well you better know and love that person huh?) My best wishes and hopes go out to you all this upcoming year. Stay safe, stay warm and above all - keep your dreams alive. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Today I aim to start building a bridge. I am making it out of planks carved from Hope and Loving Thoughts. I am building it for our friend David McClain  who is having some trials in his life. Here are my foundation planks. "Sometimes in our lives we all have pain We all have sorrow But if we are wise We know that there's always tomorrow Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on. Please swallow your pride If I have things you need to borrow For no one can fill those of your needs That you don't let show Lean on me, when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long 'Til I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on If there is a load you have to bear That you can't carry I'm right up the road I'll share your load If you just call me So just call on me brother, when you need a hand We all need somebody to lean on I just might have a problem that you'd understand We all need somebody to lean on Lean on me when you're not strong And I'll be your friend I'll help you carry on For it won't be long Till I'm gonna need Somebody to lean on Lean on me... " Lyrics Bill Withers Please add your planks to mine and help a good friend cross this raging river he is faced with. Thank you. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Everyone knows I cannot tolerate *rodents*, yet I adore Dragons. Is a Dragon no more than a rodent with an attitude? Okay, a large rodent with an even bigger attitude. OKAY ALREADY - a HUGE rodent (not like the one in Princess Bride either) with a Gi-NORMOUS attitude. Dragons need to be understood. Oh, there are web site devoted, nah obsessing over Dragons. There are books galore written about the exploits of the critters. People say they like them, although I've never heard of anyone wanting to BE a dragon, but I do believe Dragons are simply overlooked by most. Is it their breath? You know I have to talk to people at work with halitosis and they are not shunned, ignored or very scary. Dragons have that unique dietary constriction going on. If Bugzy can go R.A.W. then why can't a Dragon go S.H.E.E.P. - or even K.N.I.G.H.T.? A munched upon Virgin is not a breath mint either you know? Perhaps it is that "I know something you don't" attitude that a Dragon has. I have had Professors who had the same attitude and come to find out it was just a mask for terrible insecurity and poor table manners. The fact that a Dragon speaks more languages than have ever been invented, spoken, written or heard might have something to do with their unpopularity as well. I think I'll start a Pro-Dragon Campaign. I already have my Teddy-Dragon and he is so sweet. His gaseous eruptions hardly wake me anymore. Thank goodness I have a water bed with an asbestos cover huh? Why am I writing about this subject at all? I had a day from the lower reaches of Hades at work. After nine days one would think everyone would cut me a little slack wouldn't you? No. Nope, I got No-Anyea-Slack today. I could have used a buddy Dragon to come rain fire down on certain folks today let me tell you. Crispy Critters would litter the store. "Take that you nasty person you! Mean to me and Victor is going to burp on ya!" It was so cold in the store a Dragon would have come in handy. They are supposed to radiate heat right? Cut down on those electrical bills, save the planet and all. See? I can probably come up with a zillion and one good reasons for everyone to adopt a Dragon, but it's COLD in my room, my water bed is WARM so I think I'll just go hide there and dream of Dragons. What say you? |
| I had a visitor today after everyone got taken to the airport and dropped off. I went to get my schedule for upcoming weeks, drove home and this visitor dropped by. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Such a small visitor. Three letters long yet holding so much power in those three letters. Think of all the uses this word gets, or should get at the very least. "You have to try this!" "Did you try your best?" "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." "I can only try to advise you." Small word - big meaning. To try is to put forth an effort of some sort, whether succeeding in that effort or not an attempt is made. Since I am math inclined [duck all who aren't] I am always looking for uses for math. Today I delved into the math of Astronomy ASTROLOGY .  You know - the thingie with sun signs, houses, and planetary alignments - to coincide with your day of birth. It does have much to do with the degrees of planetary placement, and I have never enjoyed that aspect of math, but what the hey. Figured I'd give it a go. I tried something new. I attempted a brand new task. I failed due to a small factor I sort of overlooked - time zones - but I tried. I have the basic information saved, a chart created in an initial format and I will try it again. Who knew that those planets not only take up such exact positions in degrees but depending on where you are physically and what flipping time it is according to that time zone will depend on the outcome of the chart. Hence, I have one very screwy chart in my first attempt. Opps. I think I have the time thing figured out. Figures New York would get to have two different time zones wouldn't it? >sigh< I am still struggling with all the symbols used to represent different aspects. I know they originated from those tricksy Greeks but you would think everyone would use the same symbol to represent one thing wouldn't you? Oh no, we got some artistic endeavors out there that can really mess you up. The original system was designed by a man in the 17th century, Placidus de Tito, an Italian monk and mathematician It was made popular in the English speaking world by Raphael Ephemeris who created the time based system. Then you got cusps and houses and meridians, ascendants and descendants and don't forget the house system doesn't work for latitudes more than 66 degrees north or south of the equator. I am geographically handicapped and had to go see if the Bronx falls in that forbidden zone. Whew. It didn't. All in all I had a "try-ing" day. It took my mind off the future for a bit and when I read my initial results I figured I must have a split personality! I was clever, yet conniving; kind but cruel hearted; hard working yet looking for the easy way out. It started to dawn on me I had some kind of error going when I saw that although I had a high libido - I was destined to go into some religious order and contemplate the meaning of Life. I will let you know what happens after I re-do, or try try again, with the new time zone in place. Hopefully I am more normal than the first evaluation. Actually it was rather funny. So let yourselves go. Try something new today - or tomorrow. What is the worse that can happen? They don't draft people into monasteries do they? Where no one can speak - they don't right?   |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** I had a dream once. I dreamt of a perfect holiday season with no stress, no anger, no trauma. This dream has yet to come true. I can wait. The Holiday Season is almost gone, my visitors getting ready to leave tomorrow and I will return to work on Thursday. All this time off and I have been running around like a circus clown in the center ring. Fun? Some. Stress? Plenty. Anger? Oh yeah I've seen that lately. Trauma? Send friends off to an unfriendly country where they may never return from and yeah you get stress. I hate holidays like this. Simply hate them. There is a fire going downstairs and as I started it, I should go down to enjoy it. My stomach is in knots and I have a headache. I'm dreaming of peace on Earth and Goodwill to mankind - stupid dream. Another one that just won't ever come true. Damnit. Enjoy yourselves out there. Save some cheerfulness for tomorrow, and the day after that. Play nice today and remember - DREAMS CAN COME TRUE. It just takes the majority of humans to get it there. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** This entire entry is in humble appreciation and deep thankfulness to one of the hardest working Blogville people. Can I hear a resounding ovation for this lady? Thank you. She deserves accolades and awards. Once again Scarlett  has published an outstanding newsletter. Yes, she had contributors and their works are awesome, but without her drive, determination and efforts there would be no "Invalid Item"  for any of us to enjoy.During this season it is great to be thankful for something - anything - and she made me very thankful. I am thankful for the opportunity to get to know her writings, her editings, her works. I am thankful I can read all the other folks contributions they send her for this newsletter. I am thankful to be a part of Blogsville and am hoping both she and her newsletter live long and reign for many centuries to come. HEY - It's my Blog entry - I can wish for anything I want! Look at what cc_string asked for! Okay then, I rest my case. Thank you Scarlett and I wish I could hand you an actual gold ribbon to place proudly on your mantel, next to the Oscar and your CLIO award. It may be virtual but it is sincere.Thank you again. |
| So it won't be an uplifting entry. It won't be filled with silly jokes or stories. No. Why should I write uplifting and happy stuff right now? I am tired. My blood on a cellular level is tired. My brain is firing on no cylinders and gravity is winning today. ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Something different from my artwork today. Nothing fancy or exotic, just *SPLAT* and jazz it up a tad. It looks like I feel in a way. All darkness and a touch of blue. Someone keeps rating my "artwork" in my Art Folder and not acknowledging their ratings. Very confusing. I must confess I do the "art" to keep my creativity flowing. Have not written since NaNo though. Damn - I am tired. Big Football game on today - well there was. Had to (note the had to please) go view it at a bar as I didn't have the NFL Channel. I think I'm burnt out on bars right now. They are noisy, messy, edgy and just plain annoying. At one point I had four drinks lined up that other people had bought me. I was drinking coffee with caramel creamer. "Hey that's rude! You have to drink those! Someone bought them for you!" I heard. No, I didn't HAVE to drink them, I didn't want them, so I left them on the table. I thanked those that bought them for me. Part of the mood is due to being cold. I know, put on more clothes right? Hm. At this moment I have on the following: 1. Underwear 2. Short sleeved t-shirt 3. Long sleeved t-shirt 4. Heavy sweater 5. Sweat Pants Is that enough do you think? We did buy wood to have a fire on the Day but I am tempted to start a fire now. It would make me fall asleep and that I cannot do - not yet. The 26th is coming soon isn't it? I can last three more days. I have to. I will. What a strange blog entry from me isn't it? Well, sleep deprivation helps I can tell you that. Take care and everyone out there GET REST - someone has to! |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** The checklist for before:  Apartment cleaned up before folks arrived. Party goods laid out. Games readied. Beverages chilled, or heated as was appropriate. Don't sleep until this is over.The checklist at mid-party week:  Unconscious folks awakened. Re-clean areas of apartment that were semi-trashed. Throw out all partially consumed food/drink/paper products {don't ask} Spray each bathroom with STRONG disinfectant.{you don't want to know} Put away all sharp objects. Attempt to find the pieces / cards / boxes for all games played. Send money for Police Charity Winter Ball. Don't sleep yet.So how is it going? About normal for this gang. We did 'invent' a new game last night which if I remember correctly was material for the Tonight Show if the Tonight Show was GC rated. It was called "What Drink?" The rules were not simple as I cannot now remember them all. To the best of my recollection, one person would lay out a scene that they have witnessed or experienced and someone else would name the drink/cocktail that would fit perfectly. "A horrendous car accident" = "The Big Bang" "New Job Interviews" = "Urine Sample" It got a bit out of hand as we had a bartender there and 2 waitresses who seemed to have memorized the entire contents of The Playboy Drink Dictionary. Today went to see I Am Legend with Will Smith. It was intense but I kept finding things wrong with it. If you go see it we should compare notes. Partly I thought "They did this in Blah Blah Blah movie". Anyway I am picky about movies. Tonight we are going out - so I better go get ready - again. Tomorrow - don't know yet. At some point I should sleep but I figure after the 26th I can sleep. >sigh< Hope you all are well and surviving the Holiday Season. |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** First of all, I will 'fess up. I have been *gasp* drinking. A lot of people drink and want to chatter and be in public to show exactly how stoopid they can act. I witnessed this myself tonight. Some times I too like to publicly declare that I am a drunken ass. Tonight I wanted to finish some art that I had been working with off and on all day long. I like the concept of weaving strips of a picture. It fascinated me. My first attempt was with a "vanilla" type model. Then I chose to use a black and white photo of a homeless person, but those didn't satisfy what I was going for. The girl's photo hit me and I re-did the effect again. Yes, that was it. At supper/cocktail hour tonight some witless fool asked me about my "family". People are fascinated by my story. Since I've told it countless times, even I am bored by it so I declined to tell it once again and turned the question back on the curious party. While they spewed forth with their litany of family going-ons I cast my mind out into that void of thought and wondered who would I be today, if I had had a "normal" childhood. I decided I wouldn't be as totally interesting as I am currently. Hey if I don't toot my own horn who will? Then I wondered about all the children out there in the cold world who will be doing without this Season. I wonder if they are stressed about buying presents and figured most who are homeless aren't wondering about much except staying dry and fed and safe. Isn't it a strange society when folks are completely devastated by not getting that last "IN" toy on the shelves when not even 100 feet outside the store a child goes hungry? I worry about animals, who start out as domestic pets, being dumped in the wilderness to fend for themselves, while entire families live in abject hopeless poverty. This happens in the United States of America. We, as a society, like to believe it only occurs in exotic places we will never visit, like Mexico City. Do we hide in the comfort of that Jesus person who told us, "The poor will always be with you."? Do you think he was saying not to worry too much about starvation, cold and homeless folks at any time of the year? Nice message then huh? Look into the eyes of a child some day who has no future. Whether it is stolen by poverty, despair, abuse, cancer or just society's prejudice, the look in their eyes will tell you a story that everyone should hear and listen to. Damn I get weird when I drink. Okay enough. Folks are calling me down now (screaming for me is more like it) and I shall endeavor to be the entertaining card I'm known for. >sigh< Art places me in an oasis of thinking sometimes that I do not like to venture out of. Later all. Be kind to one another, and most of all be kind to yourselves. |
| I am still up cleaning and it is 1:15 AM for the love of donkey apples! My hands are about ready to dry up and fall off. Why do I do this? Well, friends are on their way here to spend holidays with me. Oh ya. No, seriously - ya. I love cleaning, then having a party and cleaning everything up the next day with a hangover. It's fun! Isn't it? ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Good ole Unknown gets credit for that toast! Yes there will be drinking, there will be game playing, there will be Hooter's for wings and Martini Ranch for music and dancing. Somewhere in there I suppose 'that' day will happen. I probably will be hanging around that white shiny (well they shine now!) bowl wishing I were anyone else. I have some good friends. Like Jack and Jill - okay well let me pick someone else. Jack and Jill are having 'issues' right now. They have both called me, on separate occasions to ask what to get the other. They had ideas of their own, mind you, but I talked Jack out of getting Jill an Alpaca. Not a coat - the animal. He thought she needed a pet. Yeah. Jill on the other hand wanted to buy Jack some kind of boat. Phoenix hasn't much water, or large bodies of water anyway and I pointed this out to her. I haven't any idea what they will end up with. I am staying out of that one. Here is another toast that I'm sure will come in handy during this next week: May you have the hindsight to know where you've been the foresight to know where you're going and the insight to know when you're going too far. That one is an Irish toast which fits in with my bloodlines. Russians don't have toasts they just shoot each other or something. Think I'll pass on drinking vodka huh? As for family, I don't have one of those. It's fine really. I do have friends and from what I've read in other's blogs - family during this season sounds like a scary thing to have! I'll pass. I am still researching Internet useage with eyes closed though. I won't be able to stand the glare from the monitor and if I have to turn all the lights off, and the monitor off, how will I see where I am going on the Web? Hm. More research and reading. I'll figure it out. If I don't manage to write in here, you all will know the reasons why. Just don't laugh - too loudly that is. Okay? You will recognize me by the shades I'll probably be wearing! Okay back to cleaning. >sigh< |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** You know the old battle about women versus men and cleaning? You don't? Let me tell you the origins of that story. Once upon a time, in a land not so far away, lived a huge Mess. This Mess's name was Melvin. Yes, Melvin the Mess. Now, Melvin had taken over the downtown of [ insert a city name, any one will do ] and turned it upside down and inside out. The City Planning Committee [ made up of BOTH men and women ] met to decide how they were going to tame Melvin. Oh, there was plenty of debating and arguing and just general 'got nuttin' going on until one very tiny, over looked, frustrated, PMS'ing female stood up and said: "SHUDDUP!" Everyone shuddup. She went on to explain [ okay she bossed em all around at this point and why not? ] how Melvin would be conquered. It involved soft items which the males of the Committee were not fond of. Soft items being things like paper towels, feather dusters, warm soapy water; and the tiny woman hissed at the men's complaints and finally explained [ yes yes she screamed at them ] that HARD products would be used as well. Things like aerosol cans, ladders, jack hammers and maybe even a drill or two. Both sides were happy and feeling fulfilled UNTIL the tiny hissing woman explained that it would be the COMMITTEE doing the clean up. OH, there was whining to pass around to five states at that point. The tiny woman just cracked that proverbial whip and told them to GET TO IT! Melvin stood out side in the town square going: MUHahahahahahahaha.... It took all that day and the next to get Melvin out of their town and put it to rights again. The moral of the story? There isn't one. I have to go clean our apartment cuz we are going to be having company tomorrow. I am using "soft" products with some "hard" products thrown in. I believe in sharing however. Who wants to help?  That's what I thought....>sigh< |
| ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Yes, I am here. I actually have off for a while, and I truly need the time away from the labors of my jobs. My body is tired and my spirit is sore - or is it the other way around? In honor of all those who also suffer this time of year I am going to attempt to find a gem hidden in the midst of all the chaos and emotional trauma we all seem to experience this time of year. 'To succeed you need to find something to hold on to, something to motivate you, something to inspire you' ~~Tony Dorsett Here is what I have come up with this time. Hopefully some will enjoy it. A is for 'absonotly' which is what we all say, when Seasons hit us in an unusual way. N is for navel-fluff collecting. You do this I know! If you sell it on eBay you might collect some dough! Y is for yumskykorsakov for the chocolate we eat. No chocolate means we are all incomplete! E is for emaze that feeling we get, when close friends send mail through the old Internet. A is for awesomity which all of you are - no matter the distance, no matter how far - you all have been there for each other over time. I really do suck at making this rhyme! Now there. All done for today. Nothing else much accomplished. Too sore to do housework which needs doing. >sigh< waves bye-bye |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** There it is - my weather! I CANNOT FEEL MY FEET THEY ARE SO COLD! Wait now you guys, before you all tell me all about that "S" you are getting and the temperatures you are experiencing, please remember something. I love it when it is 100 degrees out. We just went through three months of over 100 degree weather. When you subtract what we now have, from 100, what do you get in differential? See? It's all relative. I loathe, hate, despise and detest being cold. IT HURTS. I am quite sure David McClain agrees with me on that point. Think of poor ccstring out on that BOAT in frigid temperatures! Think of poor Sweets in arctic Canada! B-R-R-R.On a warmer note however, I found some interesting sites for writers while driving around the WWW the other day. One was a link from the NaNo people, still sending helpful stuff to the entrants. One link led me to 'The Phrontistery', a site dedicated to an online dictionary of obscure and rare words. How cool is that? For instance take the following word: agonarch n 1656 -1656 judge of a contest or activity Our competition will require six agonarchs to ensure fairness. Now there's a word you don't see everyday huh? There are tons of forgotten, unused words on that site and I tell you I could use some to invent an entire new language. English - the forgotten language. Bundle up today - I sure intend to - and STAY WARM. I will be running around work and being thankful if I work up a sweat. Warmth....LOVE IT...Cold ....HATE IT! Take care of each other and yourselves now! http://phrontistery.info/ The link for any who want to check out obscure English words! |
| I CAUGHT ONE! I did it - I did it - I caught one. No one thought it could be done but I did it! Ha ha ha ha ha. I am so good. Thank you - thank you very much. Huh? OH. What did I catch? I keep seeing all these bloggeration entries about Bugs that Hum you see. Being a curious type, I decided to go out and find one of these Bugs. I called the University Bug Department [ who knew they had a Bug Department? ] and asked a scholarly type what to look for or how to find one of these bugs. The lady told me; "You must listen very carefully. If you hear a small sound in the key of C, you will be getting close." So then I asked her how does one go about CATCHING this bug? "You will need to have three items. One, a handful of tinsel to throw over them. Two, a cup of eggnog. They love eggnog. Three, you will need to hum the tune The Twelve Days of Christmas." Well I could do one and three but didn't have any egg nog. I improvised! Yup I took a raw egg, mushed it really good in a coffee cup, threw in some instant vanilla coffee powder stuff, put a lid on the cup and jogged around my kitchen. Voila' - well it was close right?Then I began my quest. Foolish me, I started outside. Dumb dumb dumb. These bugs love to be warm and comfortable it seems. Stoopid lady could have told me THAT part. I ended up pacing around my living room, my puppies loved it. They figured I was looking for their toys or something. Between humming that song and telling my puppies to quiet down, the plan just wasn't working. I had to barricade the puppies upstairs in my bedroom. No smart bug would live in THAT room. While I was pacing around my living room once more, I heard it. Faintly at first, and it was coming from the area by our fireplace! [ I know, I know, why a fireplace in Arizona? Go figure! ] So I kept humming and sloshing the cup of bleck nog closer to the floor and THERE IT WAS! I immediately threw the tinsel on it! Small flaw in my plan. Didn't have anything to capture the dumb thing in. Looking around I spied my roomies exotic high heels she left laying around again. heehee YUP - I used one of her shoes.  THERE IS A HUMBUG! LOOK - isn't he too cute? I think I'm going to name him Carl. Nice name right? Carl the Humbug. AWWWWWW ** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** have yourselves a wonderful day filled with at least ONE HumBug - and no you can't have mine! |
** Images For Use By Upgraded+ Only ** Now lookee here! Even baked goods need some holidaiy cheer. What do you want from me? I am like running around here like that proverbial headless horseman trying to get ready for work, attempting to cheer up my good buds and STILL write a blog entry. The hours they have me working are toastally stoopid. I am working until 11:00 PM tonight. Now, with that out of the way I just want to spread some good cheer and holiday JOLLINESS. EVERYONE all together now - raise those glasses high and sing with me: I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus You're tryin' to hire me for your mall display, To sit up in that chair all night and day, You think that I look just like the man, Well just cuz i do, doesn't mean I am. I tell ya, I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus not your santa claus, i'm not your santa claus (ho, ho, hoho, ho, ho, hoho) I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus When you first saw me walk down your mall, You saw the beard, the belly yes i have it all I really think that you should listen Cuz i have to tell you, I just got out of prison... Tell ya... I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus I....I.....I.....I....I'm not your santa claus not your santa claus, i'm not your santa claus (ho, ho, hoho, ho, ho, hoho) by flamenka van tassels HA! Fooled ya didn't I? Well gotta run - you all play nice and NO MORE CHEATIN' - sheesh some people will do ANYTHING to win won't they? waves at the wonderous peop's visiting |
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When we were first married we had an inner city apartment. It didn't matter how much you cleaned and tried to run them off. They just visited next door and came back when the fumes wore off. After nine months of doing battle with earth's oldest creatures we moved. Now that you've mentioned their love for warm and dark computer cases I have a whole new source for nightmares. 
