I Love WinMX!

I know that a lot of bands don’t like having their music "given away" but I think they totally underestimate the power of word of mouth (or maybe they only discourage it because they know they suck!)

I usually use WinMX to download songs that I have, and I'm just too lazy to look for the CD for a single track (I have hundreds if not thousands of CDs and while I have them in books, it’s still easier to just download them,) but I find that the best thing about it is when you get into a conversation with someone who shares your music interests. They can remind you of songs you’ve forgotten, or songs that you like but never knew who did them, or ones that you may have never heard otherwise. It doesn’t happen often but when it does, it’s heaven! This happened to me the other day and I feel the need to share it.

I love -LOVE- 80s music. I had a particular urge for Radioactive by The Firm, so I hooked up to this person who obviously has similar taste and he/she turned me on to a few songs that I knew, but didn’t know I knew. This is what I got:

Beloved - Sweet Harmony
Beloved - The Sun Rising
Donnie Iris - Ah! Leah!

Beloved! I don’t think I’ve ever heard of the band, but I knew those songs as soon as I heard them! Now I’m on a mission to find their CDs in stores to see what else they have that I’ll like! I just wish the major bands would get a clue and stop hounding these sites because they think they will lose sales. In my mind, it’s just the opposite, if I hear a couple of songs by them and I like them, I will buy the CD.

On the Job Front

I am so excited! My new client may very well turn out to be a full time job! What I thought would be a few hours a week has quickly turned into 38 hours a week, and while I was a little nervous about giving one client so much time, it turns out, I'm only spending two days a week there, leaving the rest of my time open for others! And, I'm picking up even more leads just by working around others in my field... How great is that!?!

Book Suggestion

In honor of Memorial Day (and yes, I'm a little late) I would like to suggest my latest read, Being Dead Is No Excuse: The Official Southern Ladies Guide to Hosting The Perfect Funeral by Gayden Metcalfe and Charlotte Hays. This is a great book! The main premise being that just because you’re dead, doesn’t mean you want to lose your style.

"Folks in the Delta have a strong sense of community, and being dead is no impediment to belonging to it. Down South, they don’t forget you when you’ve up and died - in fact, they visit you more often. But there are quintessential rules and rituals for kicking the bucket tastefully, and having a flawless funeral is one of them."

It’s an easy read and very entertaining, plus! it has some really good recipes in it. :o)

Curious Johnny

Once upon a time, there was a boy named Johnny. One day, little Johnny was walking to school when he heard some girls giggling behind a bush. He went a little closer to hear what they were laughing about, but all he could make out of the conversation was "purple posies".

Now, Johnny was a curious boy, so when he got to his classroom, he went to the teacher and asked her what a purple posie was. The teacher immediately flew into a rage saying, "Oh my goodness! I can't believe you said that! You go to the principles office right NOW!" So little Johnny went to the principles office.

When the principle called Johnny in, he asked, "What's the problem Johnny? You've never been in trouble before, What did you do?"

Little Johnny sheepishly replied, "I don't know, all I did was ask what a purple posie was and..."

Before Johnny could even finish, the principle started screaming, "Oh my! I can't believe you are using that sort of language in my school! Get out and don't ever come back!"

Little Johnny was really starting to worry now, he just couldn't understand what was so bad about a purple posie. He went home however, and when he got there, his mother was shocked.

"Johnny, what are you doing home so early?" she asked.

Well, by now little Johnny was almost afraid to say, but he told his mother, "I was walking to school when I heard some girls talking about purple posies, and when I asked the teacher what they were..."

At the mention of purple posies, Johnny's mother's jaw hit the floor and he knew he was in serious trouble. With an evil look in her eye and an eerily calm, low voice, she said, "Go to your room young man. You stay there and think about what you've done till your father gets home."

So little Johnny did as he was told and went to his room. A few hours later, he heard a knock at his door, then his father came in looking extremely grim. "I hear you've gotten yourself into some trouble today Johnny, care to explain?"

Little Johnny was in tears by this point and through his tears he tried to say, "I don't know what happen, all I did was ask what a purple posie was and...." Johnny stopped then, seeing his fathers face turn red and the veins in his neck start popping out. He had never before seen his father look so scary and this just made him cry harder.

His father simply said, "Get out, I never want to see your face again." So, still in tears, little Johnny left.

Several weeks later, little Johnny was sitting on a park bench stuffing old newspapers in his shirt to help keep himself warm, when an old bum sits down next to him and ask, "My, you seem awfully young to be homeless, how did this happen?"

Little Johnny tried to explain, "I'm not really sure what happened. It all started when I heard some girls talking about purple posies one day. When I asked what they were, I got in trouble at school, then my father kicked me out of the house and through all that, I still don't know what a purple posie is. Could you please tell me what a purple posie is, sir?"

The old bum said that he couldn't tell Johnny what a purple posie was, but did tell him how he could find out. He said, "See that building across the street over there? Well, you go in that building and in the lobby you'll find an elevator, take the elevator up to the fifth floor and when you get off go to your right, go through the third door on your left and in the back of that room, you'll find a curtain. Behind the curtain is a flight of stairs, climb the stairs till you come to a green door, then go though the door and follow that hallway all the way to the end, there'll be three more doors, take the middle one and in that room, you'll find out what a purple posie is."

Little Johnny was so excited to find out what a purple posie was that he jumped up and ran towards the building, but as he went to cross the street, he was run over by a bus and died.

Moral to this story: Look both ways before crossing the street.

-Unknown (but I'd sure like to find out who came up with this one)

How Rude

I usually tend to ignore rude behavior because it seems that by acknowledging it, you’re also encouraging it. However, today I had to put my foot down.

Some family members invited themselves over for dinner (as they often do) and talked my mother into cooking it for them. I don’t have a problem with that because they usually take turns cooking, so it all evens out. My problem was that this time, as mom was taking the food out of the oven, everyone disappeared! One took off for a meeting she knew ahead of time that she would have to attend, and two others decided to go shopping! So, after at least an hour of cooking, my mom and I sat down to a feast, alone. Then! one of her friends called on the phone. I heard mom say very clearly that we were just sitting down for dinner, but the person she was talking to must have been oblivious because the conversation continued for another 20 minutes!

Afterwards, it occurred to me that we have somehow allowed this type of rudeness to become the norm, and that I’ve probably played a part in it by keeping quiet. Well no more, I tell you! If you want to be rude to my face, be prepared to hear about it!

In turn, are there any behaviors you feel are rude, but may be afraid to state because they’ve become a normal way of life?

What About Those Angels?

Even though I know that angels and God pretty much go hand in hand, I still have a problem believing in angels as most people understand them, (some glowing cherub looking thingy, floating around and looking over your shoulder all the time). It's not so much that I don't believe in them, as I don't think I want to believe in them. For some reason they remind me of ghost, and I don't want to believe in ghost. Granted, ghost (and angels) are fun to contemplate and talk about, but if I were to actually see a ghost or an angel, I think it would scare the shit outta me!

I would rather like to believe that "angels" are that part of our psyche that works whenever we perceive danger, need comforting, or whatever. It's something within us that helps us to deal with situations that we normally wouldn't be able to. I know you've heard people say stuff like "My guardian angel was with me on that one!" Well, what if it wasn't an angel, but your own strength and intuition that got you through? Or, maybe it was God looking out for you, Himself? Why is it we feel the need to give away such strengths and blessings to unformed entities?

I, personally, have never seen an angel, so maybe that's why I choose to believe the way I do. Maybe it’s merely my way of rationalizing a potential threat to sanity?

As Comfortable As an Old Pair of Shoes

Not the most flattering way to describe a dear friend, but hey, if the shoe fits...

OK, OK. I'll stop.

I good friend of mine finally made it to town and we were able to spend most of the day together yesterday. It was great! We talk on the phone and trade emails, but it was nice to just kick back and talk face to face. We reminisced about the good ol' days, shared dreams of the future, and talked about our relationships (well, his anyway.)

We also talked about the things that touch and form our lives, and this is where I realized just how much I appreciate the friendships that I have been able to cultivated in this world. I've come to realize that every person I call a friend has certain qualities in common. They are all open-minded, optimistic, and unopposed to change. They're also smart, strong, challenging and above all, kind individuals. I find that having relationships with people of these qualities creates an atmosphere where we can feel free to be ourselves and grow without fear of judgment or criticism. We're able to explore or develop new ideas in a healthy environment, which is very important to our personal well being.

Whether I've drawn these people to me, or they've drawn me to them, I'll never know. All I know is that I've been blessed and I will always cherish my friends.

'Oly Smokes!!!

I think I've found my life's calling! I can be a "Life Coach"! Just imagine, I could actually be getting paid for all the crappy advice I disspense...

Yep, I've been watching Penn n Teller again.

Star What?

*cough cough*

:p

WooHoo!

Two jobs down, one more lead to follow...

Lessons Learned:

1. If you're going to be a ditz, don't be stupid.
I started carrying a debit card a few years ago because it's an easier way for me to keep track of and keep ahold of my money. I'm notorious for losing things and as inconvenient as it is, I'd rather lose a 50 cent piece of plastic than $20 bill. All in all, it's worked out pretty good for me, until now. It's the weekend and I didn't get my lazy butt out of bed in time to hit the bank yesterday. God I hate borrowing money when I know mine is right there behind that little piece of glass...

2. Don't run your mouth about things you don't really understand.
OK, I haven't exactly learned this one yet, but I'm working on it!

3. A midnight drive is just as intoxicating as a bottle of beer.
I need to keep this one in mind. I used to know it when I was younger, but I guess it got lost in all the hype of clubbing...

4. If you want to blog about all those cool things you thought about on your midnight drive, take a fucking tape recorder! 'Cause you know your going to forget at least half of it before you get home.

And finally,

5. It's impossible to find a stray ice cube on a blue mottled floor.
So quit trying for goodness sakes! Quit crawling around on the floor, you look like an idiot.

Thought of the Day:
Determination: De-no, Term-time, Ination-itis.

Quote of the Day:
When life gives you lemons, make lemonade, and then throw it in the face of the person who gave you the lemons until they give you the oranges you originally asked for...
-NewsRadio

If I Could Be An Animal For the Day:
I would be an owl. Then when my mother tells me she has eyes in the back of her head, I would just turn my head around and tell her that I don't need extra eyes.

Favorite Artist:
Museum of bad art. Not really a particular artist, but this site has some goofy and fun stuff.

Shameless Plug

Hey all, I don't know if you've caught this or not, or even if you're interested or not, but I have a website on Geocities. Much like the blog, it contains a bunch of articles (and other fun stuff) that my friends and I have written over the past several years. So, if it sounds like something you might like...

This and That...

Well! Now that I actually have a moment to breathe, I figure it’s time to catch up on the ol’ blog.

The camping trip:
Was great! OK, maybe not so great at first... The first day, it was too windy to do much but kayak, but still, the worst day of kayaking is better that the best day at work! It was still too cold at night, even though I had a camp heater, but it was better than the last time!

I started to get a little bored on the second day, so I decided to do what women do best when bored, I Decorated!


Of course, I had to lose the hoola girl at night, with the way the light from the fire hit it, it was throwing some scary ass shadows around the tent!


My pride and joy! A beer bottle windchime, lol. (Note: Only the Smirnoff bottle was mine.)


And ah... My Livingroom!


That was a lot of fun, but it gave me too much time to think about my life (which, oddly enough, was what I went camping for, but also what I was fighting desperately to avoid.) I did find out a few things about myself, but I’ll leave that for another post.

The third day was the BEST! The sun was out and it wasn’t too windy, perfect weather for kayaking and mountain biking. Which I did, all day long! It was so funny, there are different trails for different level of riders, and with this being my first trek of the summer I chose the easiest.

Now, I’m not familiar with the trails, so I asked the guy if they were marked well. He said they were and that I would be fine as long as I didn’t get on a red or orange trail (the two most difficult). So I take off, and I’m riding around and enjoying the exertion when suddenly, I find myself at the top of a huge ass hill. I’m looking at this path that goes almost straight down, and there’s a two inch wide wooden bridge, then the path goes almost straight up on the other side. I knew I was in over my head! I made it through that by using my brakes constantly on the way down, and walking the bike up the other side, only to find another hill on the other side! I thought I was going to die! And worse, I knew that I was no longer on the easy trail, which meant I was lost. If you’ve ever been on mountain bike trails, I’m sure you understand my fear.

So, I keep following the path up and down, around tight corners through brush and creeks. It was hell, but I had no choice. Finally I came to a 4-way and sure enough, I was on a red trail, and worse, I only had red trails to choose from. I took a right and thank goodness, it was only a few yards before I hit the main trail again. Talk about thanking your lucky stars! The rest of the way was so easy it was like riding on the road and by the time I got out, I was ready to go right back in! I tell ya, you just don’t know what you’re made of until you’re in over your head and you make it through anyway.

I was almost in tears as I tore down camp because I wanted to stay, but, I couldn’t.

The job interview:
Was great! I didn’t get the job (yet, because he had already promised it to someone else,) but if the person doesn’t take the job, he says I have it.

The garage sale:
Sucked. But then, I don’t think I’ve ever had a successful garage sale, and I didn’t really give it my full attention either. I didn’t wake up till noon on the first day, and I left at noon on the second day, because Jill came over and twisted my arm until I went shopping with her. :o)

The painting:
I started painting a chain link fence for my Aunt. At first, I tried doing it by hand (with a roller and a paint brush) because that’s what she suggested. Let me tell ya, if anyone ever tries to volunteer you into this job, run! Run like Hell! Unless you’re doing it for yourself because you want to save a few bucks, this is a totally psychotic way of painting a fence! It didn’t take me long to realize that without a spray gun, this job would never get finished. So I went at it today with a borrowed spray gun and covered twice the area in only a fraction of the time. Unfortunately, I ran out of paint before finishing. Yet another lesson learned, lol.

And that about wraps up my week. There’s a few things I’ve left out to save space, but that’s it in a nutshell.

Happy Cinco De Mayo!

Man, this is the one day a year that I really miss living in Vegas! They hardly even recognize around here...

Hey Guys, I'm Baaaack!

Sorry I haven't posted in the last couple of days, I've been insanely busy trying to get ready for a garage sale tomorrow. I got back late Tue night from my camping trip and couldn't find the energy to do anything but fall in bed, lol. It was GREAT! I sooo did not want to come home. But I had to because I had a job interview yesterday, which went well.

I'll post more about camping later, after things calm down a bit. For right now, I have to sleep, I have to be up at like 7am (ick!)

I'm off to try another camping trip.... Wish me luck!