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Rated: 18+ · Book · Contest Entry · #2087862
Life with Jody--former Soldier (medically retired), writer (in training), and lots more
This blog tied for 3rd Place in the June 2016 "The Bard's Hall Contest

This is a non-specific blog about me and my life, the things I do, the problems I cause, and the trouble I manage to escape. Topics that may be covered include but are in no way limited to food, animals (especially farm animals), war, the military, photography, North Carolina, medical problems and medical care, religion, writing, and examples of extreme laziness.
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June 28, 2016 at 10:39pm
June 28, 2016 at 10:39pm
#885906
Howdy!

Puppy Breath

Ahhh...puppy breath...so cute...unless your apartment smells like that, then it's just a bit disturbing, especially if it STILL smells like that after airing it out for several hours. Even more disturbing when your cousin agrees that it's not your imagination. Greaaat...I was kind of hoping this was a olfactory hallucination. I've had them before. When I get REALLY upset about Iraq, I'll smell the cologne of the head medic. (The 1st time it happened, I didn't actually know it wasn't real. Weird.)

The good thing about the cologne, it smells nicer than the puppy breath which gets old after a day or so. (And the cologne smell never lasts that long.) The good side of the puppy breath, I'm not being totally overwhelmed and losing 100% control of what's going on with me. Also, good that it's apparently real...or is that bad...kind of a tough call in this case.

Oh well, at least it's not smelling like the other end of the puppy. lol The weird thing about my apartment is all the animal smells when they repainted and replaced the carpet. It also smells like pets, though my cousin said it smelled a bit like wet dog. Well, what do you do? I mean besides often have all the windows and door open, burn scented candles, and spray everything down with Fabreeze...

Colors

I was recently renewing my interest in something I'd looked up before, favorite colors. FYI, the #1 favorite color in the WORLD is blue. Wow! On the good side, I'm normal in that respect. The #2 depends on several factors. Do you mean 2nd favorite color or the #2 most common favorite color? If you mean #2 most common favorite color, if you're a guy in America, it's green. (Which happens to be my 2nd favorite color.) If you're a girl, it's purple. Though, oddly, the 2nd favorite color for all of America is green. Also interesting, a lot of guys voted for green and some girls did too. But though a lot of girls voted for purple, no guys did. lol The 2nd favorite color across the world depends on the country you live in. Here, as I said, it's green. I've now forgotten, but Japan or China (or maybe both), it was red...no surprise there. lol

Further on colors, the least favorite colors were orange and brown. Hmmm...narrow miss for Halloween, there. Hahaha...or should I say, Bwahahaha... Also, the colors that "feel cheap" are orange and yellow. I'd like to say here, I owned a yellow Hummer H3 and it was NOT cheap...to buy OR to run...thus I OWNED, not OWN. lol Anyway, to sum up, if buying a friend a colored gift and you're not sure which color to choose, go with blue (assuming you don't already know their favorite color, which you should if you're bothering to buy them a colored gift, but that's a comment for another post lol). If blue is sold out (since it's the #1 choice), go with green if it's for a guy and purple if it's for a girl. Above all things, unless you know for SURE they'd like it, stay away from brown (disliked color), yellow (looks cheap), and most especially, orange (disliked AND looks cheap). You can thank me with an awardicon on this blog entry. Can you even do that for a single entry? I don't know, but I challenge you all to try! lol

Red Squiggles

Darn it! Those...wait, they're gone. You know those red squiggly lines you get under misspelled words? They will sometimes start showing up when I spell something wrong and then just not go away...everything I type after that will have a line under it for literally paragraphs. VERY annoying, not to mention, 100% impossible to tell when something is misspelled after that. *Pthb* If anyone has a solution, besides apparently complaining about them, lol, I'd love to hear it.

Photography Class

We have to turn in our best 3 pictures each week for a photography class I'm taking. He then chooses his favorites and shows the class. This was the 1st week he did it and one of mine was chosen. *Smile* Very proud, thank you. Of course, that means it's all down hill from here. *Laugh*

On a totally unrelated note, besides the fact that I just tried to do it again, but does anyone know why I can't seem to make the face emoticons work here? Well, they may work if I spell them out, but I tried to just partially type them and then click on the word to have it finish, but it just sends my cursor to the top and doesn't finish the word. Annoying...

ANYWAY, back to photography class...I don't feel like I'm learning as much as I'd like. He's putting the info out, but I don't seem to be getting it. I'll claim the minor traumatic brain injury (mTBI) from Iraq again. But seriously, it's frustrating. I literally took HUNDREDS of pictures in the last week, nearly 1000 since the class started a couple of weeks ago (far more than most of my classmates), I've read a lot of the manual, I've gotten some individual help, and I've even taken an additional beginner's class at the camera shop I bought my camera at. It was only a couple of hours, but still, I feel like I should have a better handle on things than I do. I can take nice pictures because I have a nice camera. But once I take it off Auto, all bets are off. I hate that. I think I'm going to try and take the class again and I'll take the shorter class a couple more times, but I may have to end up paying for individual lessons, unfortunately. Stupid brain. On the good side, I DO have a pretty nice camera, even if I don't know how to use it. lol

Alright. Enough annoying computer issues and whining about other things for one day. TTFN!
June 27, 2016 at 8:20pm
June 27, 2016 at 8:20pm
#885808
Howdy!

Today was exciting for my blog. We were welcomed to the world of blogging by "Invalid Item How nice! *Smile*

Thank You Badge

I just discovered the Thank You badge is new and THAT'S why no one has one. I just thought you guys were all a bunch of ingrates. HAHAHAHA!!! With that in mind (whichever "that" you prefer), I'd like to send out a call for send Thank You badges! Use them! Send them! Love them! They are the perfect way to thank someone for just about anything on here! *Bigsmile* Isn't being grateful wonderful? Who are you grateful for today?

Here's a lovely quote about gratitude:

Gratitude is the fairest blossom which springs from the soul.
by Henry Ward Beecher

I couldn't pick just one, so...

Gratitude is the most exquisite form of courtesy.
by Jacques Maritain

Send someone you're grateful for a Thank You badge, or at least a thank you e-mail or IM. Who has touched you recently? And let this extend beyond WdC. Who should you call, visit, or drop a note to in your personal world? I wish I'd told my parents thank you more before they died. Not just thank you for passing the salt (I did that), but a sincere thank you for being the best parents I could ask for!

G.o.T.

Well, "Game of Thrones is starting soon. I'm scared because I don't feel like I have a good handle on the rules and plans. It's hard for me to keep everything in my head at the same time. *Frown* I don't want to mess up and let my team down. (This is why I HATE team sports. I hate being responsible for other folks losing. Weirdly, I'm never responsible for them winning. lol) Oh well, I got myself into this. I will just ask lots of questions. 'It's better to open your mouth and have people know you're a fool than to keep quiet and have them call you one'...that's how the saying goes, right? lol

Emoticons

So, I was exploring the emoticons and found some really cute ones! (At least they're cute to me...)

*Duck* *Penguin* *BackpackB* *Flipflops7* *Sheriff* *Teddy* *Books1* *Martian* *CupcakeV* *ButterflyV* *Cheshire* *Fairy3* (Attempted to enlarged to enhance cuteness factor...but couldn't figure it out for some reason. Also, no matter how many spaces you put between them, they still bunch together for some reason. Maybe they're cold...)

Okay, these probably aren't new or interesting to you, but I'm new here, so give me a break. Pretend, will you? *Wink*

Visiting Family

Well, my cousins called and all want to come visit. I didn't know a polite way of saying I'd rather them not for a while as I'm still kind of worn out from my friend. Anything out of the ordinary is stressful to me since Iraq. Basically, it was like Groundhog's Day there, until something changed. And change was always bad. Someone died. Otherwise, everything was the same. I began to hate change--not uncommon for folks with PTSD.

Anyway, 1 cousin is coming tomorrow, and she's coming back with 2 others on Friday (they all live about an hour away) then from July 9-11, 3 others are driving down from Ohio. Geez, people! I am NOT that special! lol It's been several years since I've seen the ones in Ohio and literally decades since the ones closer to where I've moved. I guess that's why everyone wants to visit. I've been living in Hawaii, Alaska, and Iraq for the last 6 years. Oh well, I'm sure the 'new Jody smell' will wear off soon enough. *Laugh* (And yes, I know I'm supposed to be writing out all those cousin numbers, but whatever. *Music1* It's my blog and I'll do what I want to, do what I want to, do what I want to... *Music2*

Alrighty folks (yes, I know that's not a real word), I REALLY need to get to checking my actual e-mail since I've been avoiding it for the last week or so in favor of WdC e-mail. I also have to send my photography homework in tonight. It's supposed to be tomorrow, but I'll be busy all day. I haven't seen my cousin in decades and she's staying over 6 hrs. No idea what we'll talk about. Nah, who am I kidding, I once talked for over 8 hrs without a single response from my sick boyfriend because he said he just wanted to hear my voice. Now THAT'S TALENT! She's a talker too, so I'm sure we'll be fine. *Bigsmile* I also have to study up and finish making notes on my G.o.T. rules. I have to do some reviews since I realized too late the reason I hadn't joined "Simply Positive Review Forum sooner is that they REQUIRE 6 reviews a week. Sure, I do that even when I say I'm going to take a break from reviewing, but still. I'd rather it be all my choice. Oh well. Like I said, I do it anyway. *Smile* I also have to write my story for "CLASH! before G.o.T. starts as I apparently won't have time after that. Umm...there was one more thing...dang it! Oh well. Either I'll figure it out or I won't and then I'll figure it out when I get into trouble with someone. *Laugh*

TTFN
June 26, 2016 at 10:29pm
June 26, 2016 at 10:29pm
#885730

Howdy!

I thought I'd try something different--adding headings for interest. lol

DOH!

My biggest *FacePalm* to date! At least here on WdC... I meant to send a Thank You badge to someone who had done an exceptionally thorough and thoughtful review for me. Instead I sent them a Secret Admirer badge. DOH! And it wasn't even someone I sort of know here. It was a total stranger. I REALLY hope he doesn't have a jealous wife!!! lol

30 in 30

So, being prone to doing ridiculous things without any thought as to why or how (part of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), yesterday I decided to try to get to 30 Community Recognitions before my 30th day on WdC. It seemed easy enough. After all, I was already at 21 without even trying and I still had 3 days left. *Bigsmile* But then, after several hours online today, I realized it might not happen. (Cue impending doom music...)

I had to think fast. And since I can't do that, I decided to cough up a WHOLE lot of GPs to buy...er...get thanked by a bunch of groups through MBs. *Wink* Then I discovered, not only did some folks not respond immediately. (The nerve of folks who work, or even worse, SLEEP while I'm trying to bleed them dry for MBs! lol) Anyway, it turns out a lot of folks don't even send them out within a week. Hmmm...who knew? Well, probably everyone on WdC but me.

Well, to solve this impending disaster, I posted on my newsfeed and MBs started pouring in! Well, maybe not POURING, but still, a steady trickle. And, I'm proud to say that all but one were earned-ish one way or another. (All ways were done with my clothes on, just to be clear.) Well, I'm also proud to say that ⭐️Jellyfish⭐️ was kind enough to donate one just out of the goodness of her heart! (At least I don't think she runs anything I donated to.) What a sweetheart! I sent her one back. *Bigsmile* FYI, I made my 30 CR in my 1st 30 days here on WdC goal.

Thank You Badges--We Need to Give Out More!

I'd also like to give a special thanks to 🌕 HuntersMoon for giving me my first (and still only) Thank You badge. I thought that was a great badge and when I started trying to hand out badges, I decided to look to see what folks didn't have, naturally. Well, it turns out a LOT of folks didn't have the Thank You badge! I mean a LOT of folks! WHAT A SHAME! We all (or very mostly) do things that deserve a thanks. I've now given out 17.5 of them. I say .5 because one was accidentally a Secret Admirer badge. And I just erased the rest of that whole story because I realized I'd already told you. I swear this forgetfulness can cause some entertainment malfunctions if I'm not careful! Anyway, so I MEANT to send out 18.

For anyone who is interested, I have 28 days here...wait, 29 because there are 31 days in May. Huh. Anyway, 29 days here and I have given out 19 badges, written 30 things for my portfolio, done 111 reviews (not counting product reviews...not sure how many but maybe 5-6 tops), and have 34 Community Recognitions. Not bad for a newbie! *Bigsmile* I just realized I've not given out ANY awardicons and I've certainly read some stuff that deserved them. I should focus more on that in the future. Shame on me! And I've received several, myself!

My PTSD

For anyone who hasn't put the pieces together yet, I'm getting medically retired from the Army with, among other things, PTSD. I'd like to share a song with you that pretty accurately describes what was going on when I first came back from war and for a couple of years after. It's getting better now thanks to a lot of treatment and medication. FYI, I was in Iraq, not Vietnam, but the principle is the same. Thanks for taking the time to listen to this song.

"Still in Saigon" by Charlie Daniels Band https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_qV4IVBWjnI

The song ends before "Taps" starts playing, but I really liked that link with the Vietnam photos. Thankfully, no one has had reason to call me a killer like in the song, but I did get booed in NYC, of all places, when I'd just gotten back. One of the most accurate lines of the song, at least for me, is "Damned if I know who I am. There was only one place I was sure."

It's been 5 years and I still prefer to sleep with a knife by me. Though I no longer need it hidden under my pillow and need to practice opening it secretly several times before going to sleep. I now will wear civilian clothes and go off the military instillation (thankfully, since I'm getting the boot). I also no longer answer the door with my knife opened and hidden behind the door. There's been a lot of improvements. But I still have a long way to go... Thanks for being here with me for part of the journey.

TTFN!

June 25, 2016 at 9:05pm
June 25, 2016 at 9:05pm
#885648
Howdy once again!

Well, after some consideration, I'm changing my mind on this whole "buying badges" thing. Granted, I've changed it already and then forgotten (minor traumatic brain injury and all), but I'm again changing it and maybe this time it will stick. *Smile* I previously had a moral objection to the idea that I could pay money and magically receive a badge. Keep in mind, I was doing it anyway, but still, there was a moral objection to my own behavior...not the first time this has happened and not the last, I'm sure. lol

ANYWAY, several people have brought to my attention that I'm not "buying" a badge but that the group is "rewarding" me for my "donation." I can see this. It makes sense and makes me feel a lot better about my behavior. Hahaha I just hope I can continue to hold on to that.

Unexpected Topic: When to use "onto" vs. "on to." I just had to look it up for the last sentence in my previous paragraph, so I thought I'd enlighten anyone who didn't already know. *Smile*


The following is from http://data.grammarbook.com/blog/definitions/on-to-vs-onto/.

On to vs. Onto
Rule 1: In general, use onto as one word to mean “on top of,” “to a position on,” “upon.”

Examples:
He climbed onto the roof.
Let’s step onto the dance floor.

Rule 2: Use onto when you mean “fully aware of,” “informed about.”

Examples:
I’m onto your scheme.
We canceled Julia’s surprise party when we realized she was onto our plan.

Rule 3: Use on to, two words, when on is part of the verb.

Examples:
We canceled Julia’s surprise party when we realized she caught on to our plan. (caught on is a phrasal verb)
I’m going to log on to the computer. (log on is a phrasal verb)

I'm pretty sure "hold on" is a phrasal verb, thus I believe I used it correctly. Well, mostly, I don't think it fits rules 1 and 2, so it must be 3. But I've been wrong about grammar once or twice before, so...lol But I'm sure the rules are right, even if my usage of them isn't always. *Bigsmile*


Back on track...where was I going with this today...

"Drive-by Ratings" is what I call when folks just give a low rating and leave no feedback. Oddly, I've never had a drive-by rating that was high. Also, all of mine but one were done by a certain individual who, conveniently, had all their own stuff set to private. I think they just like raining on people's parades. *Pthb* Thankfully, someone (and I can't remember who *Frown* ) taught me about the Advanced button so I could set everything to "Rating Requires Review." Whew! Now that meany can't bother me anymore. I encourage everyone to do the same!

Well, my friend, Karen, is gone. She's a wonderful person and it was sweet of her to drive almost 3 hours (one way) to come visit me and to make sure I was doing okay. She also dropped off some supplies like blankets since I didn't think to bring any being that I moved here in May and I assumed it would be warm. But it's the mountains, so not so much...at least not at night. lol Anyway, I met Karen when she was taking care of my mom one of the times my mom was hospitalized before she died. Karen was the best nurse there! She was new to the area and we became friends. That was nearly 20 years ago. She's one of the nicest people I know. *Bigsmile*

***Update***
There was some confusion about where the Advanced button is to prevent drive-by raters and this is too important to let go, in my opinion. You can't do it for your whole portfolio at once. You have to set it for each individual piece of writing.

When you are in edit mode, look below the part where you set the rating, genre, etc. and just below the block you use to write the key search words. You'll see in big letters "+ EDIT POINTS" and then "+ADVANCED" just above the copyright block of writing. Click the Advanced button and the third one down probably says, "Unrestricted Rating and Reviewing." You want to set this to "Rating Requires Review" or something else to prevent those drive-by raters. GOOD LUCK and let me know if you still need help finding this!
June 24, 2016 at 9:33pm
June 24, 2016 at 9:33pm
#885564
Howdy!

Word for the day: Shoals.

My friend, Karen, and I were driving and we saw a sign for "Long Shoals" which brought up the question (for her, I already knew...or that I did), "What does 'shoals' mean?" I won't bore you with my 'close, but no cigar' answer, but at least according to Google, this is a shoal. Noun: (Also a verb, but I assume Long Shoals, Mussle Shoals, and Saluda Shoals all intend for 'shoals' to be a noun.) 1. An area of shallow water, especially as a navigational hazard. A submerged sandbank visible at low water. Synonyms: sandbank, bank, mudbank, bar, sandbar, shelf, cay, key "At low tide we go out on the shoal to look for fiddler crabs" 2. A hidden danger or difficulty. "He alone could safely guide them through Hollywood's treacherous shoals"

I like #2. Note for future writing. *Bigsmile*

Today Karen and I went to a farm to see some endangered farm animals and to let me practice taking pictures of them. I have to take pictures daily for my photography class and since my medium-term goal is to be able to take pictures of the endangered livestock that don't have pictures and send them to https://www.LivestockConservancy.org to post, it seemed like a natural thing to do--call up perfect strangers and ask if I could photograph their chickens. lol Weirdly, they said yes. They also teased me about having the courage to call them, but hey, I got what I wanted. Plus, they're the weirdos who let some stranger come photograph their animals.

So, they had a couple of different kinds of endangered poultry. The chicken I went out to see was the cochin. https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/cochin Cochin chickens are on the Recovering list, meaning they are still being monitored, but have gone beyond the minimal numbers required to be in official need of real conservation. They also had some Araucana which are being studied to see if they also need to be on the list or if they still have sufficient numbers.

They also had a pair of adult turkeys and 5 babies, called poults. The royal palm turkey, the kind they had, is on the Threatened list, meaning fewer than 1,000 breeding birds in the United States, with seven or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 5,000. https://livestockconservancy.org/index.php/heritage/internal/royalpalm

For those that are interested, the Livestock Conservancy conservation priority divisions are Critical, Threatened, Watch, Recovering, and Study. Keep in mind, poultry have different parameters from rabbits and still different from regular barnyard animals like horses, donkeys, cows, sheep, goats, and pigs. To be considered in critical need of conservation for poultry, there are fewer than 500 breeding birds in the United States, with five or fewer primary breeding flocks (50 birds or more), and estimated global population less than 1,000. There are 11 breeds of chickens, 2 breeds of ducks, 4 breeds of geese, and 1 breed of turkey that falls into this category. To be defined in the Watch category, poultry would be fewer than 5,000 breeding birds in the United States, with ten or fewer primary breeding flocks, and estimated global population less than 10,000. Also included are breeds with genetic or numerical concerns or limited geographic distribution.

If anyone is interested in the requirements to make the Critical list for rabbits, it's fewer than 50 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 500. Thankfully, there's only one rabbit on the Critical list. (There are others on the Threatened, Watch, Recovering, and Study lists.) Yes, I know, it's very ironic that anything that can "breed like rabbits" can actually be at risk for becoming extinct, but it's true.

For the other livestock to be considered Critical, there are fewer than 200 annual registrations in the United States and estimated global population less than 2,000. There are 9 cattle, 2 donkeys, 2 goats, 11 horses, 3 pigs, and 5 sheep breeds that are considered Critical. Sadly, there are animals on all the other lists too. There are nearly 200 breeds of livestock that are at risk for extinction. As you see, I'm a little passionate about this...and I don't even have a farm. *Bigsmile*

I'm not saying we need millions of each of these breeds, but the breeds we use today in "factory farms" aren't the breeds we used 100 years ago. I'm not here to say we shouldn't create new breeds to benefit us. I'm simply saying that if it's not what we used 100 years ago, it's naive to think it's what we'll be eating in 100 years from now. We need to save all the "heritage" breeds so that when these current breeds no longer suit our purposes, we will still have genetics to draw from to create what we need next. Now, how animals are TREATED on factory farms is a whole other issue we won't get into here. Let me just say that I eat meat, but I don't want it to suffer before hand.

ANYWAY, I've gotten WAY off track! Basically, I got to take pictures of some endangered poultry today and I met a really nice farming couple. FYI, poultry are not particularly inclined to hold still, even if you ask nicely. A LOT of my shots are blurry...AKA "action shots." lol I really need to work on that whole "shutter speed" thing to fix that. Well, that's why we practiced today. All in all, it was a good day...no, make that a really good day. We stopped for boiled peanuts on the way home! *Bigsmile*

TTFN! (Ta-ta For Now!)
June 23, 2016 at 10:12pm
June 23, 2016 at 10:12pm
#885509
Dear Friend,

How are you? I am fine.

Hahaha...kidding. Well, I AM fine, but anyway, this isn't a letter...exactly. lol

Today my visiting friend, Karen, and I went to the Western North Carolina Nature Center. http://www.wncnaturecenter.com/. It was nice and peaceful, save an occasional howl or scream from something wild, but most parents usually kept their kids in check. HAHAHAHA I crack me up!

ANYWAY, it's kind of like a zoo, but with North Carolina animals. There were otters (didn't know they lived in NC, but apparently), mountain lions, coyotes, grey wolves, red wolves, and even possums. (There were others, but you get the point.) In fact, the possum had previously been a pet and thus was tame so we got to pet it. Pretty cool. Just so you know, they aren't that soft. Not super rough, but not like a cat--more like a dog, sort of. Also, who know, possums clean themselves and are actually very clean animals, minus the crap they'll eat. lol

We also learned that red wolves were almost extinct at one point. It's estimated there are less than 100 left in the wild and many of these were released from captive bred wolves in an attempt to reintroduce the red wolf to the wild. The red wolf is smaller than a grey wolf, but larger than a coyote. Interestingly...and inconveniently, they've started cross-breeding with coyotes...not what we'd like to keep them from becoming extinct.

One of my favorite parts was the petting zoo. Not because I got to pet the animals, though that was cool. But because over half of them were on the Livestock Conservancy's list for being at risk for extinction. (Fyi, as you might guess, the "Livestock Conservancy" is trying to conserve livestock, so we're talking endangered breeds of goats, sheep, etc.) For examples of breeds of livestock at risk for extinction, check out https://www.LivestockConservancy.org.

This evening we went on a haunted trolley tour of the city. It was really interesting to hear all the stories of haunted places and they things that ghost hunters have found. One place was an old insane asylum (mental hospital, but insane asylum sounds scarier) that burned down when Willie Mae, a former patient, set a 3rd fire that year. Apparently, when patients started doing better, they could actually be discharged and start working there instead. It seems Willie Mae wasn't doing as well as everyone thought. Nine women died in that fire, including the wife of F. Scott Fitzgerald, Zelda. Our tour guide said when EVPs (Electronic Voice Phenomenon) were recorded there, all they got were screams. The coroner's report said some of the women had been strapped down at the time of the fire and some had screamed so hard they "broke their vocal cords." Sad.

Here's a link that briefly discusses the fire and also shows a picture of a yellow house. The house (currently used for administrative purposes) is for sale. It started at $1.3 million but is now listed for under $700k because it's also haunted. People's desks will have everything shoved off of them and the files will be thrown out of the file drawers in one of the rooms. https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/asheville/hig.htm Beautiful building. Anyone looking for a steal? *Wink*

Tomorrow we'd decided to ride in a hot air balloon. Why? As someone scared of heights, I HAVE NO IDEA! Did I mention I'm doing this blog because of peer pressure? Well it's worse in real life. lol Anyway, THANKFULLY, it's too windy tomorrow and I've been saved! Whew! Oh, but the lady who texted to cancel said to let her know when we'd like to reschedule. DOH! (Cue funeral dirge...)

TTFN...or should I say, it was nice knowing you... *Wink*
June 22, 2016 at 6:12pm
June 22, 2016 at 6:12pm
#885413
TOTALLY forgot yesterday, as a part of my "Invalid Item to earn a Virgo merit badge, I'm supposed to write about Virgo personality traits and behaviors in my blog. Conveniently for me, my best friend in the world (and since I was 2) is a Virgo, so lets compare, shall we?

First off, I found that which traits you find for a Virgo depends on which site you look at. So, I found a site with a long list, giving (in my opinion) the best chance for a complete/accurate list. Sort of like the more bullets you shoot, the more likely you are to hit the target. *Smile*

I got my list from this site: http://www.compatible-astrology.com/virgo-traits.html

We'll use black and maroon (okay, they're red) checks to mark. Black is for my BFF (note the B's for memory). Maroon (red) is for Me (not the M's). I'm feeling fauxly scientific, how about you?

The date range is August 23 - September 22 and her birthday is September 12, so she's not "on the cusp" which could allegedly alter the results. Fyi, I'm an Aquarius, but semi-on the cusp with Pisces as my birthday is February 17.

POSITIVE TRAITS
Intelligent *Check* *CheckR*
Analytical *Check*
Precise
Introvert *Check*
Intense
Sensible *Check*
Serious
Practical *Check* *CheckR*
Realistic *Check*
Loyal *Check* *CheckR*
Responsible *Check*
Down to earth *Check* *CheckR*
Cautious *Check* *CheckR*
Patient *Check* *CheckR*
Self disciplined *Check*
Dependable *Check*
Flexible *Check* *CheckR*
Adaptable *CheckR*
Balanced
Curious *Check* *CheckR*

NEGATIVE TRAITS
Over analyzing things *CheckR*
Critical
Stubborn
Uncreative / unimaginative
Materialistic
Skeptical *Check* *CheckR*
Fussy
Inflexible (How is it that she's supposed to be both flexible and inflexible?)
Narrow minded
Interfering
Can seem cold (aloof or unemotional)
Can seem indecisive (due to heavy analysis) *CheckR*
Self indulging *CheckR*
Tendency to procrastinate (because they always set the bar so high for themselves) *CheckR*
Flighty *CheckR* (Not sure how you can be flightly AND dependable, but whatever.)
Restless *CheckR*
Pessimistic (tend to dwell on errors and imperfections) *CheckR* (My own errors and imperfections.)
Nosy *CheckR*

If I counted right...
Positive Trait Totals: *Check* (my BFF) 15/20 *CheckR* (me) 9/20
Negative Trait Totals: *Check* 1/18 *CheckR* 9/18

Hmmm...not sure I like how those negatives added up...in my defense, I'm a very different person since deployment and not necessarily all in good ways. For example, I used to be much more dependable and less flighty before Iraq.

So, still not sure I believe this stuff works. Perhaps I just see only the good in my BFF. (Finding 15 positives and only 1 negative could support that hypothesis. lol) Perhaps we'll have the opportunity to do this with another zodiac sign. I'm trying to earn all 12 badges. *Smile* In any event, I'm glad I picked a long list. One list I looked at had almost no traits of hers. Much like in reality, I know how to make bullets hit targets. lol (In the Army, I pretty much always shoot expert on the first try. Fyi, and I'm a girl! *Wink* )

"Buying badges"--That's what I call it when you can donate a certain amount of gift points and you receive a badge automatically. In theory, I think this is wrong. In fact, the first time I saw this, I swore I would never do that. However, over time (3 weeks lol), I've found that in reality I'm not as against "buying badges" as I am in theory. Weird how that works when you get badge-greedy. Hahaha So, I just asked if I could get 7 badges for a donation of 400k GPs. BAD JODY! If I had a rolled up newspaper right now... In my defense, I'm legitimately working on a badge right now--note the top of this post. *Bigsmile*

********
I wrote most of this post yesterday because I had a busy day today culminating in a friend coming this evening to visit for several days. I thought I'd get a jump on the post. *Smile* Well, I'm glad I did because today was a bad day. Not that things happened like I got a ticket for jay walking (I know folks who've had that happen) and the dryer shrunk my favorite sweater, but my minor traumatic brain injury and my post traumatic stress disorder were a real problem.

I ended up having a panic attack in my VA arts and crafts group because I couldn't understand how to sew together my journal we were making from scratch. It was a simple task, but sometimes simple isn't simple for me anymore. I was already upset when the lady helping told me to calm down. Oh. Gee. There's an idea I didn't think of. Then because I couldn't calm down when she told me to, I got more wound up and things got even worse.

In her defense, she didn't say it mean or mean anything bad by it. But something I was told a long time ago, when someone is upset, don't tel them to calm down. It only makes things worse. Turns out they're right.

Now I'm exhausted and just want to sleep (things dragged out and I ended up getting upset several more times after that because once I slip, it's nothing to slide down farther). But my friend is coming, so I have to be okay. We'll see how this goes... On the good side, she's a real sweetheart. I'm glad she's my friend!
June 21, 2016 at 9:09pm
June 21, 2016 at 9:09pm
#885320
Howdy! Me again. *Smile*

I wonder if after 10 days of writing, this blog will become a habit... (Yes, I know I'm supposed to write out the word 10, but I don't want to. Everybody sing *Music1* "It's my blog and I'll do what I want to, do what I want to..."*Music2* lol) Though honestly, I don't know why I entered. Well, I do--boredom and peer pressure. lol But still. There are quite a few entrants now, greatly reducing my chances... So, I just checked out the competition...okay, one look each and to be honest, I didn't even read them all, but in some cases I feel better and in others, I'm more worried. lol If the competition reads mine, I'm sure some will feel one way and some will feel the other as well. Hahaha

Well, my genius strikes again! First, we can now alphabetize our Favorites links for convenience if that helps anyone. (Helps me and at least one other person. lol) Now, me, Sally , and some other folks are batting around my idea of a "Contests Ending Soon" page or calendar or something. I think that would be handy for those bored moments when I want to write something NOW but don't have a specific plan. *Smile*

DOH! LOOK AT THE TIME! (7:22 pm) Off to my cult meeting...

Okay, I'm back. Yes, I said cult and I think it's about time I withdraw. Let me back up briefly. Many years ago a friend told me about a cult she'd been in while living in the Carolinas. She told me how she'd accidentally ruined a man's life and afterward decided to get out.

Fast forward to about a month ago and I met this guy in my apartment complex and he invited me to his place for a Bible study he does with his wife. Not having anything better to do and hoping to make friends while learning more about God, I agreed to attend. While there, I noticed everything seemed to be stamped with the name of what I thought my friend called her cult. They even had a big poster in the living room.

Afterward, I called and asked her and she said it was indeed the same group. She said that they meant well and were generally good people, but not to attend more than 1 thing a week with them and definitely not to attend church services.

Well, today may be my last visit with the cult. I missed last week's Bible study, but since the week before they've instituted speaking in tongues (and interpreting their own speech--most denominations I know say to have another person interpret) and taking up a collection. A collection?!? Really?!? I've been to a LOT of Bible studies in my time and have never experienced that unless we got a meal...and usually not even then. Meh, the Bible study always made me uncomfortable anyway...nothing I can put my finger on, but whatever. Now, how to bow out gracefully...

Alrighty, that's enough for now. I hate to wear out any readers before next time. *Wink* TTFN (Ta-ta for now)
June 20, 2016 at 7:32pm
June 20, 2016 at 7:32pm
#885251
Today was a big day--at least it was for me. Then again, "big day" has very different means depending on if you're looking at my pre-Iraq life or my post-Iraq life.

Anyhoo, I went with a group from the VA to visit the studio of artist Jonas Gerard http://www.jonasgerard.com/. Decades ago he painted things that your average person would actually consider "art"...landscapes, portraits, etc. Now he paints modern art. You know, the splatter, looks like a 5-year-old did it kind of modern art. My favorite thing about his studio was that we could actually touch the art, mostly acrylics. However, when he talked about how he made his art, he said he didn't know what it would look like before he got started. He just turned on some music (really loudly) and "let the paint brush talk." Funny, though, that he said there's no "wrong" brush stroke. To me, art is art because it was done in a certain way, even if that way is planned splatters of certain colors. He also said some of the paintings he had hanging in the gallery were "ugly." Yet, they weren't priced as such. A one foot squared painting was over $500 and several larger ones were over $10,000. Most of his paintings were over $1000. The smallest ones, just three or four inches square, were still over $300. To me, the only thing that makes it all okay is that I saw in albums that he has a talent for painting more realistically so maybe that talent translates somehow. However, if you have no plan, there's no wrong brush stroke, and some of them are ugly, what makes them art instead of play or junk? I will say some were very beautiful, though. Others, not so much.

On the other hand, it was very kind of him to allow a group of wounded warriors to come visit his studio and watch him work. He did a question/answer session afterward and even had a canvas and let us each paint on it some, then let us take it back to hang at the VA. Fyi, I think it's pretty ugly. You know the old saying, "Too many cooks spoil the soup"? Well the same goes for paintings. lol

So, the whole event was interesting, but also pretty stressful for me. After Iraq, I get overstimulated pretty easily. Most of my clothes aren't even bright colors anymore. lol In his studio, between the bright colors, blaring Hispanic music, and his forceful demeanor, it was a bit much. I spent almost half the time there pacing in the back. But I made it through. It's good for me...even if there were a few tears. Exposure therapy! *Smile*

I've also had a pretty productive day on WDC. I did a Welsh poem "Welsh, several reviews of British-esque writings, and wrote a quiz on the United Kingdom "A Very British Quiz. Basically, I completed my "A Very British Challenge!" YAY ME! I would say this calls for a celebration, but as a pre-diabetic, there's really nothing in the apartment to celebrate with. I ate it all--probably how I got to be pre-diabetic to begin with. lol

And I won't keep you in suspense any longer. For those none of you are waiting with bated breath, no spider sightings of the runaway from yesterday. I prefer to know they are in their web, but much like "no news is good news," no spider is good spider. TTFN! (Ta-ta for now!)
June 19, 2016 at 10:48pm
June 19, 2016 at 10:48pm
#885128
Okay, blog 1! So, Ԝ€ß☆ԜiʈCH sent out a call for bloggers to join "The Bard's Hall Contest and I'm a sucker for peer pressure, so here I am. *Smile*

First, a little about me, though probably the only folks who will be reading this will be The Bard's Hall Contest judges (and maybe a competitor). Alas, if words were only meaningful if they were read by others, half of what's written wouldn't stand. Thankfully, words are a comfort, a security blanket, a friend, and so I write, along with millions of others tonight, putting words to paper, or computer screens, as the case may be, only for our own enjoyment. But if we can't enjoy our own words, what good are they?

Enough philosophy? So, I'm a Soldier medically retiring because of injuries (mostly mental) from Iraq. I love God and my country and I'm pretty fond of chocolate too. Alas, I was recently told I'm pre-diabetic, which came as no surprise to my friends since I'm so sweet. lol

I moved to North Carolina (that's in America, on the off-chance a foreigner ever reads this) with plans to start a farm, but that got thrown out the window thanks to someone else (perhaps meat for a future blog), and I spent my first few weeks here depressed about losing my career, losing my love (the Army), and losing my sense of pride and purpose.

However, I'd had 5-6 people in the few weeks prior suggest I get back into writing since I used to enjoy it. I finally decided, one too many people had suggested it. Perhaps it was a sign. I began my search for a simple repository for my writing. Perhaps if I'd googled "writing repository," I would have found something different, but I couldn't find a place to simply store my writing. All I kept finding were these stupid writing communities. Who cares? I just wanted to mope and write and ignore the world. Alas, twas not to be.

I found writing.com and suddenly my world changed! I had purpose, entertainment, motivation, and whatever other good words you care to fill in. By no means am I saying that all my problems have been solved, but simply that thanks to WDC, they aren't the only thing in my life and through the lens of my computer screen, they're a little more in focus.

Okay, that last sentence doesn't make sense, but it's sort of poetic and for me, poetry often doesn't make sense, so I'm just going to pretend that sentence was a beautiful poem that makes sense to other people. lol

Well, I'm a talker, so I'd better wrap this up. Besides, I have a crisis on my hands! I'm taking a photography class (not the crisis) and was going to practice taking pictures of the spider in its web in the bathroom and the camera-shy arachnid has up and vanished! WARNING! WARNING WILL ROBINSON! (You young folks won't get the Lost In Space reference, but believe me, this spider is every bit as terrifying as those fake monsters on the old 1970's show!) I must go and prepare for battle...or retreat...whichever...

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