dead on the sofa
Time time time
Sorry peeps just had no time for blogging and am off again in a minute on a second Christmas to my dad's as we haven't seen each other in many months. He'll be meeting P for the first time and then we're off to meet his sister and see friends in London on Monday. I'll do pics as we're going to the Boat Show which should be exciting!I haven't forgotten everyone and I'LL BE BACK!!!!
New posts over at The War Journal...
[FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="3"]Happy 2009, Bitches!!!Some new info posts and the first of my "Best of 2009" lists over at The War Journal are up and more on the way.
But, since I'm starting to get my rhythm back and I do love y'all...
The Universe Is Calling is returning...
Plus, since I'm not doing this over at the War Journal - I might hit y'all off with my best of TV 2009 list - EXCLUSIVE!!!!
Okay, I'm out - hitting up Pornhub then Twitter then bed....
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Thus Far
I'm being guardedly optimistic about my son's prognosis. He still has a few more tests to be run, doctors to see, and all that jazz - however, it appears he may have been cut a break this time around.He will still have a few problems to deal with - but it's nowhere near the initial grim possibilities that had me worrying myself silly.
Thank you all for your thoughts and words.
You rock!!!
Thoughts
I need y'all to do me a wee favor today.Say a little prayer and think good thoughts for my oldest boy cub. Today he sees a specialist - something could be way wrong.
I am scared.
Why Sleeping Late Is Good For You
[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="2"]While browsing the net the other day for blogging fodder, I found an article that gave three reasons why sleeping late may be beneficial1. Eight hours of sleep might not be enough
Research by Henry Ford Hospital Sleep Disorders Center found that people who slept eight hours and then claimed they were "well rested" actually performed better and were more alert if they slept another two hours. Until the invention of the light bulb, the average person slept 10 hours a night.
2. Night owls are more creative
Artists, writers, and coders typically fire on all cylinders by crashing near dawn and awakening at the crack of noon. In one study, "evening people" almost universally aced a standardized creativity test. Their early-bird brethren struggled for passing scores.
I know this is true for me, as I tend to do my best writing late at night.
3. Rising early is stressful
The stress hormone cortisol peaks in your blood around 7 am. So if you get up then, you may experience tension.
This is also rings true to me. When I was in school and when I've worked first shift jobs, I never could get used to rising early, no matter how early I'd gone to bed the night before. I'd always "drag anchor" until noon each day, feeling vaguely sick to my stomach until that time. [/SIZE][/FONT]
Return to the Blogging world
[B]Glad to be back...[/B]
For now I am at: http://campesinossosa.blogspot.com/
[B]All is well...
Farm life is great...
Happy New Year...[/B]
of heart rates, bikes and pudding
[COLOR="DarkOrange"]ZEN.[/COLOR]I finished my three days of silence with only a few hiccups. A few minutes after I started it, someone came knocking at the dooor looking for the person who lived here before me. I could have mimed it, or made nonsensical jestures, but then they might have thought I was hiding them in here and that i was a wacko hopped up on something. Though, when I talk they still might have gotten that impression, so who knows.
My next stint starting tomorrow is 1 week of the simple heartbeat theory. I am going to go a week avoiding stress and all activities and things that will cause my heart rate to spike. I need to get to the root of happiness and it starts at the inside. Once I find out (and the people around me) what keeps me happy and not a ticking time bomb, all is good.
Also, on the zen note, started (and stopped) reading eat, pray love by Elizabeth Gilbert. Review? Well they say, if you can't say anything nice......
[COLOR="Yellow"]VEGAN.[/COLOR]
Here's a recipe from the previously mentioned cookbook by Moby, Teany. If I was still in New York, I'd check his place out. I will still go. But for now, here's one of the recipes from the book/cafe.
Chocolate and Green Tea Pudding Recipe
1 cup chocolate soy milk
1 tablespoon loose green tea leaves
10 ounces (one bag) semisweet vegan chocolate chips
12 ounces silken tofu
1/4 cup soft tofu
2 tablespoons matcha tea (green tea powder, available at any good tea shop), optional
Pour the chocolate milk and tea leaves into a small pot and bring to a boil. Turn off heat and let the chocolate milk cool. Melt the chocolate chips in a double boiler (or you can do this in a small pot over low heat, stirring constantly).
Put the soy milk mixture , melted chocolate, silken tofu, and soft tofu into a food processor. Blend until totally smooth. Put into individual cups or bowls, and refrigerate for at least one hour.
Before serving, take a paper doily or any other design cutout and lay it over the pudding.
Generously powder the top of the doily or cutout with the matcha. Lift the doily or cutout, making sure not to disturb the design you just made. Serve immediately.
Makes 5 servings.
From Teany Book: Stories, Food, Romance, Cartoons and, of Course, Tea by Moby and Kelly Tisdale (Studio, 2005) - reprinted with permission
[COLOR="SeaGreen"]
ECO-IST.[/COLOR]
I am now ready to go a-biking. The Cannondale is in order and I will again seriously cut back on the car usage. Today for my mom's birthday we are going to Largo to see an Elvis Impersonator she loves, so instead of going in two cars and meeting them, its a car-pool kind of day.
But biking is going to be the main mode for January. I also now own some walking poles to be used during the many hikes that are planned in 09.
Time to live a different life.
Dream it. Plan it. Do it.
COMEDIAN?
Looking to get back to the stage with a few different approaches. There's a local place I think i can get stuff done at. Buit this time its not for me as much. Stay tuned.
Vacations, Staycations, and Holidays
[CENTER][B]"Occurrences of this word [staycation] are going up with gas prices.'Vacation' does not mean 'travel,' nor does travel always involve vacation. Let's send this word on a slow boat to nowhere."
--Dan Muldoon
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"Staycation" was on Lake Superior State University's recently announced list of banned words for 2009. The above comment is from a man who submitted this word for inclusion into the list.
In yesterday's blog post, I commented that the word "vacation" comes from the root word, "vacate", which means to leave one's current location, so, yeah, "vacation" does imply travel. "Vacation", loosely defined, is a time when you're vacating the places you usually inhabit.
The British -- and other Commonwealth nations, I believe -- use the word "holiday" in the same way Americans use the word "vacation". The word "holiday", however, literally means "holy day", and while people take time off for actual holidays such as Christmas and Easter, not all "holidays" are taken on holidays, i.e. "holy days". Perhaps this distinction is the reason why Americans started using the word "vacation" in place of "holiday". Americans might say they are "going on vacation during the holidays", but they'd never say they're "going on holiday during the summer".
Though the use of the word "vacation" has taken on broader meanings over the years, I grew up during a time when the phrase, "going on vacation" existed alongside "summer vacation". The first phrase had the emphasis on the word "going", which meant traveling somewhere far enough away where you'd not be sleeping at home during the time of vacation. "Summer vacation", on the other hand, just meant time off and away from school; it did not necessarily imply traveling away from home as well, though such trips were quite common, as many parents scheduled time off from work to coincide with their childrens' time off from school in order to take family vacations involving travel. But now with higher gas prices combined with shorter summer school breaks, employers offering fewer days of paid vacation, and stagnating wages, family vacations away from home are becoming less common.
Hence, the neologism, "staycation", where individuals, couples, and families visit things within a day's drive of their homes in order to save on gas and lodgings or simply veg out at home during their time off from work and school. I agree that the term has great potential for being annoying, but "staycation" is a more concise way of saying, "we'renotgoingtogoawayonourtimeofffromwork
andschoolbecausegascoststoomuchandbesidesI
onlyhavefourdaysofffromworkthisyear".
So, I'd not have included "staycation" on the 2009 list, though it does admittedly have great annoyance potential if overused.
Your thoughts?
Banned Words For 2009
Michigan's Lake Superior State University has released its annual "List of Words and Phrases Banished from the Queen's English for Mis-Use, Over-Use and General Uselessness."GREEN –
As in "environmentally friendly". This includes "Green" and all of its variations, such as 'going green,' 'building green,' 'greening,' 'green technology,' 'green solutions' and more, drew the most attention from those who sent in nominations this year.
"This spawned 'green solutions,' 'green technology,' and the horrible use of the word as a verb, as in, 'We really need to think about greening our office.'" Mike McDermott of Philadelphia said.
CARBON FOOTPRINT or CARBON OFFSETTING –
"It is now considered fashionable for everyone, tree hugger or lumberjack alike, to pay money to questionable companies to 'offset' their own 'carbon footprint.' What a scam! Get rid of it immediately!" Ginger Hunt, London, England said.
Mike of Chicago says that when he hears the phrase 'carbon footprint,' "I envision microscopic impressions on the surface of the earth where an atom of carbon forgot to wear its shoes."
Christy Loop of Woodbridge, Va., says that 'leaving a carbon footprint' has become the new 'politically incorrect.' "How can we not, in one way or another, affect our natural environment?"
MAVERICK –
"The constant repetition of this word for months before the US election diluted whatever meaning it previously had. Even the comic offshoot 'mavericky' was terribly overused.
"You know it's time to banish this word when even the Maverick family, who descended from the rancher who inspired the term, says it's being mis-used." Scott Urbanowski, Kentwood, Mich.
When I heard this term all through the election, my first thought was of the junky car model made by Ford during the 70s.
FIRST DUDE –
"Skateboard English is not an appropriate way to refer to the spouse of a high-ranking public official." Paul Ruschmann, Canton, Mich. said.
Yeah, First Redneck would have been more appropriate in this instance.
BAILOUT –
"Use of emergency funds to remove toxic assets from banks' balance sheets is not a bailout. When your cousin calls you from jail in the middle of the night, he wants a bailout." Ben Green, State College, PA said.
I tend to visualize someone in a leaky rowboat with a bucket trying to get rid of the water, myself when I hear this one
WALL STREET/MAIN STREET --
"The recent and continuing financial failings are not limited to 'Wall Street,' nor should one paint business, consumers, and small investors as ' Main Street .' Topeka (where I work), and Lawrence (where I live), Kansas, have no named ' Main Street .' How tiresome." Kent McAnally, Topeka, KS. said.
"I am so tired of hearing about everything affecting ' Main Street .' I know that with the 'Wall Street' collapse, the comparison is convenient, but really, let's find another way to talk about everyman or the middle class, or even, heaven forbid, 'Joe the Plumber.'" Stacey, Knoxville, Tenn.
It didn't take long for this one to become trite.
Internet and texting blues
MONKEY –
"Especially on the Internet, many people seem to think they can make any boring name sound more attractive just by adding the word 'monkey' to it. Do a search to find the latest. It is no longer funny." Rogier Landman, Somerville, Mass.
I've not run across this one until reading this list.
<3 –
Supposed to resemble a heart, or stand for the word 'love.' Used when sending those important text messages to loved ones. "Just say the word instead of making me turn my head sideways and wondering what 'less than three' means." Andrea Estrada, Chicago.
I hate this one with a passion. I've seen it on people's blogs and it always perplexed me. I'd like "WHAT is less than three?" The heart thing never occurred to me.
Overuse in news and entertainment
ICON or ICONIC –
Overused, especially among entertainers and in entertainment news." "Everyone and everything cannot be 'iconic.' Can't we switch to 'legendary' or 'famous for'? In our entertainment-driven culture, it seems everyone in show business is 'iconic' for some reason or another. "John Flood, Bray, Wicklow, Ireland said.
"It's becoming the new 'awesome' - overused to the point where everything from a fast-food restaurant chain to celebrities is 'iconic.'" Jodi Gill, New Berlin, WI said.
GAME CHANGER –
"It's game OVER for this cliché, which gets overused in the news media, political arenas and in business." Cynthia, Mt. Pleasant, MI said.
Yeah, we need a channel changer for game changer.
STAYCATION –
"Occurrences of this word are going up with gas prices.'Vacation' does not mean 'travel,' nor does travel always involve vacation. Let's send this word on a slow boat to nowhere." Dan Muldoon, Omaha, NE said.
Well, to be technical, the word "vacation" comes from the root word, "vacate", which means to leave one's current location, so, yeah, "vacation" does imply travel. And I've never come across the word "staycation" except in language rant articles.
DESPERATE SEARCH –
"Every time the news can't find something intelligent to report, they start on a 'desperate search' for someone, somewhere." Rick A. Hyatt, Saratoga, WY said.
NOT SO MUCH –
"I wish that the phrase was used not so much," says Tom Benson of Milwaukee, who notes that it is used widely in news media, especially in sports, i.e. 'The Gophers have a shot at the playoffs; the Chipmunks, not so much.'
"A favorite of snarky critics and bloggers." Jeff Baenen of Minneapolis said.
WINNER OF FIVE NOMINATIONS –
"It hasn't won an Academy Award yet. It has only been NOMINATED!" John Bohenek, Abilene, Tex.
Yeah, There's no "winning" involved if someone is but one of a group of nominees for an award. The winner is the winner, not the nominees.
IT'S THAT TIME OF YEAR AGAIN –
Nominated by Kathleen Brosemer of Sault Ste. Marie, Ont., for "general overuse and meaninglessness. When is it not 'that time of year again?' From Valentine's sales to year-end charity letters, invitations to summer picnics and Christmas parties, it's 'that time' of year again. Just get to the point of the solicitation, invitation, and newsletter and cut out six useless and annoying words."
I have two nominations to this year's list:
BUBBLE
Used to indicate a limited worldview or perception. As in, "She must be living in a bubble", to mean "She's living in her own little world."
I recently heard a talk radio host opine that since the election that Barack Obama has been "trapped in a media bubble".
Urgh. Someone needs to pop this particular use of bubble.
PROFFER
This one is on my list of "weasel words; that is, a pretentious word in which a simpler, more direct synonym exists.
I see "proffer" in novels quite often, though I've never in my entire life heard someone used it in conversation. I'm not even sure how to pronounce it. My mind reads "pro offer", as opposed to "amateur offer", but I'm suspecting it's merely said like its more common synonym "offer" with the "pr" sound in front of it.
So, why not simply say "offer" instead? It's a perfectly good word, along with the verb "hand", another synonym that "proffer" often is used for.
---
To see their lists from previous years:
http://www.lssu.edu/banished/archive/2002.php
HAPPY NEW YEAR
So guys - another whole year has passed by - unbelievable - is it my imagination or is time passing more quickly as I get older?For me it's been an amazing 2008 - the highlights have been my first grandchild Lucia safely born, time spent with wonderful friends and family on and off line, a new relationship with a lovely new man, released my album, went to lots of wondeful live music festivals and gigs, continued to play and write music, and inevitably had to sadly say good bye to one or two people along the way.
2009 looks like being exciting with a three month trip to Africa to kick it off at the end of January and then hopefully moving to be with P full time in the countryside and lots more music to record - so watch this space and keep in touch.
[SIZE="7"][COLOR="Red"]HAPPY NEW YEAR 2009![/COLOR][/SIZE]
What have been your highlights this year and hopes for 2009?
A Happy New Year To All!
This last year had its mix of good and bad, great and horrible events. May the next year have more of the positive, less negative events. May wishes for a happy new year to all bring blessings.Every word is meant sincerely, but sorry if this turned out looking like prose on a Hallmark card.
Christmas Pics etc
I've had a lovely Christmas time with my new grandchild, my family and P! We spent Christmas in Bristol then I took the train up to meet P's son for the first time and then on to his brother's. We've now met most of each other's important relatives though there are still a few to go!Here's P making a delicious batch of 36 Mince Pies
[IMG]http://www.efx2blogs.com/uploads/c/Chandramoon/2602.jpg[/IMG]
And here's a picture of me with baby Lucia!
[IMG]http://www.efx2blogs.com/uploads/c/Chandramoon/2603.jpg[/IMG]
I'm now in Cropredy at the van and yesterday we went to a funeral of a friend of P's which was sad as he was only a young man of 42 though the celebration of his life was very touching.
Tonight we're going to a gig at the Mill in Banbury and tomorrow a New Year's party locally. On Friday or Saturday we're off back to the boat in Belgium to deliver a load of batteries and hope to spend some more time in Brugge. Next week we're going to visit my dad.
It looks like January will be gone in a blink then we're off at the end of the month to the Gambia, probably till nearly May to organise the Kartong Festival. I'll have to start planning soon as I'll have to rent out my house and a zillion other things to make it possible. Time flies but it's exciting times!
of silence, tea and wood{y}
[COLOR="DarkOrange"]ZEN.[/COLOR]Today I am going on a three day speaking fast. No words. Just odd expressions from the overly talkative cashier when I have to ask for a book today at the bookstore (this should be interesting). Well, it will be fun and therapeutic. I need and have needed to do this. A lot of you are thinking, "Isn't New Years Eve tomorrow? How can you go that day without speaking?"
Well, thats just it. It's a perfect day to be doing it when you think about it. In this day and age of tech and the 'now, now now! mentality, we lose sight of the simple things. We don't see the forest for the trees. That being said, It's high time I took a hike in the woods.
As of 11:42. No speaking for three days. How will it go?
[COLOR="Yellow"]VEGAN.[/COLOR]
Got a new 'cookbook' to add to my collection. This one is Teany by Moby and Kelly Somethingorother. Its a great little book (For 3 dollars @ Big Lots). It talks about his Lower East Side cafe, Teany, done through humor and not so much humor. It has a lot of natural tea remedies, vegan recipes (I finally found a vegan version of Pink Vodka sauce), the *fake* history of Teany, Moby & Kelly, among other nice tidbits thrown into a journal style stream of consciousness format. Fun read, pick it up.
[COLOR="SeaGreen"]
ECO-IST.[/COLOR]
Woody Harrelson was one of my main if not THE main inspirations for change. He is someone who walks the talk. I recently picked up the eco-mentary dvd and companion book, 'How to Go Further' at Borders and it opened my eyes. I am positive it will have the same effect on you as it did on me.
Check out these links to buy his book/eco-mentary dvd & learn more!
- woody harrelson and laura louie's voice yourself!: the official site
- the world according to woody harrelson
- woody loves nothing more than a bit of yoga
- woody harrelson's long strange trip
- woody harrelson's sustainable life
- woody harrelson talks marijuana
- woody harrelson's wonderful life
COMEDIAN?
--- I was just thinking of how the hell I am going to talk for 3 days. WTF was I thinking (ok there I am off to a good start, 'thinking', not 'saying'.
Good start.
Anyways, in thinking I thought (there i go again. this is easy), what if i have to sneeze? Does the sound of a sneeze count? OF course not. Buuuuuut, what about if I go 'Oh my god' after it, if its a big sneeze? Or what if I see a car accident and naturally go, "OMG WTF!!!!". Will I then be a failure? Someone who couldn't keep his simple word. Destined to forever be a person who doesn't do what they set out to do?
Of course it does.
But If I scream at the top of my lung in the woods (because I dropped a log on my tootsies) and no ones around to hear it?..........
--- Random thought- If a book is 3 dollars, does that make it a crappy book? I am seriously wondering it. Its very rare to see certain books ever go discounted, some go wayyyy down. I feel bad for the author. Unless its one of those romanciers.
Anyways, heres a list of books that you might see at the clearance isle at your local neighborhood hardware store.
-The History Of Squash: The Sport AND The Plant. Volume 1
-Philosophy & Tony Hawk
-Bush & Me: A Love Story
-Reverse Racism In Harlem In 1943: A Spiritual Study Of 14 Woman's & 6 Men's Ideals and Values In An Analyzation Driven World & The People That Inhabit It.
- Death By Ferris Wheel: A Novel
Get em now, before they aren't all gone.
--- Finally Woody Harrelson's birthday is July 23rd. Go wish him a happy happy at his website.
Thats all kids. Silence starts at 12 noon.
Now!
new format
New format rolling out today. I decided to take the 4 header words from the blog title, and blog based on each of those topics in each entry. Hope it works for me...and you. Its a worK in progress. I think my final format idea will be to talk ZEN.VEGAN.ECO-ISM. then in the comedian section, recap things with a funny bend. Maybe?[COLOR="DarkOrange"]ZEN.[/COLOR]
Today I did my first 'reframe'. It's the art of taking something that happened to you thats perceived as a negative, annoying, frustrating or whatever and 'reframing it' to see another side of it. I am always on the lookout for things like this. Me? Anger issues? Nooooooo. Yesssssssss.
Anyways, I saw this article on the not yet phenomenon of 'the reframing effect' and I bookmarked It quicker than you can say...
"Why would you bookmark this site when the article is only like 50 words?"
Though you wouldn't say that because why would you care if I bookmarked it. Its weird to care about that. Besides most people bookmark porn.
Here's How Tim Brownson describes it.
"If something unexpected happens, it’s easy to let it knock your fledgling self-confidence. Perhaps you spill your drink on someone, you arrive late for the big meeting because of traffic problems, or someone who you wanted to speak to gives you a cold brush-off. Try to “reframe” the situation; put it in the best possible light: often, events are only negative because of the meaning we attach to them".
Give it a try, it can't help but help.
I like the meditation thing. It calmed me down even though it was early in the morning and I was already calm.
Mission Meditate: Success.
[COLOR="Yellow"]VEGAN.[/COLOR]
So, people ask me, are you really doing it? Going green?
Yes, tho its going slowly.
I haven't switched over all aspects yet.
I am learning and easing in.
I am still eating fish, though I am phasing it out ever so slowly as you will notice below.
Heres my early dieting plan.
Day 1: All natural, vegan and organic. Which included a colorful melange of fruits, vegetables and whole grains.
Day 2: I had fish as well as the recommended daily intake of protein and greens. (Note: I enjoy fish and might still eat the occasional sardine).
Day 3: I hunted and killed 3 deer and a squirrel. Then ate them both.
Day 4: I entered and finished fourth (!) in a hungarian/polish sausage/sauerkraut/chilibean eating contest in Springfield. Went home, had an apple.
Days 5 & 6: I ate nothing but chicken and all variations of. Chicken pot pie, chicken tenders, mcchicken sandwiches, chicken with pork sauce & just plain chicken. Felt extra healthy on this day. It's days like these that are gonna make it suck giving up chicken.
Day 7: Smoothie Sundays! These will be fun. I had 4 total. Along with HGH, and a bag of jelly beans (I ran out of fruits and stuff).
Don't judge!!
This organic living is fun!
baby steps....
*editors note* Ok so this should be more for the 'comedian?' section because of all the laughs therein. But Since the blog is new, I shoved it there. Besides, its from March. I don't eat meat or jelly beans.
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ECO-IST.[/COLOR]
COMEDIAN?
In the ZEN section up top, I talked about the 'reframe' exercise I came across on the web..I just didn't detail it too much.
Well, I am not going to do that here, either. But I will elaborate.
Well, I found the perfect scenario for this exercise. Something that upset me, that I was damn well going to spin doctor into something that fit how I saw things. Because I am the only important one in this thing right?
Anyways. I sized it up. Thought it through. Then applied it liberally.
Now I have a nasty f*&king rash on my bottom!
Does that always happen when you 'reframe' and realize thas the person in traffic cutting you off was only doing it because I drive a Toyota and he's an asshole?
Ok maybe, that rash was from something else. And maybe he cut me off because thats how he drives and I wasn't paying close enough attention to his intentions.
Either way. Unlike my old Electric football game with the guys that run all over the place even though I told them to run straight and have Lynn Swann do a fly pattern across the middle, this thing works.
I was speaking earlier on feeling relaxed doing my 1st meditation. IT also felt weird. I had this strange sensation going on up in the house. Hard to explain.
Though It did make me think of other things I've experienced that are soooo relaxing but that also feel weird to me.
+ Geting Novacaine (During a dentists visit, or not)
+ Masturbating (During a dentist visit, or not)
+ Baking a cake while wearing a cowboy hat with a parrot on my shoulder.
There is something to be said for all this zen buddhist meditation yoga, mind body stuff.
And that thing is...Neat-O.
I'm liking it.
--On the comedy world front, it seems the new season of Curb Your Enthusiasm will be based loosely around Larry's real life starring role in a Woody Allen film, entitled, Whatever Works.
Can there be a better person to play Woody besides Woody?
On a side note (back and to the left) someone asked me once if because of my neurosis, my life ever felt like a Woody Allen movie. I said, 'Yea. But I just wish i had a better supporting cast'.
Tommy
Game of the Year and What's Next?
[FONT="Times New Roman"][SIZE="3"]Over at the War Journal two new posts.Click the link, lunkhead...lol.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND MAY EVERYONE HAVE A BLESSED 2009!!!!
I'll holla later...
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Ho-Hum Christmas
[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="2"]Christmas was kind of ho-hum and uneventful. A few days before Christmas, my car car chose to break down and I was out of work for two days -- unpaid, of course -- so I was penniless for Christmas.My son and I planned to go see the new movie Valkyrie on Xmas night. But neither of us felt like going -- I'd read a review that panned it -- so we decided to pass on it.
We ate at Denny's and though the food was good, the service was abysmal. We had to wait nearly an hour after ordering our food to get it and I was about ready to eat my shoes by the time the waitress brought it.
That was about it for Christmas. I didn't hear from any family members.
Ho-hum. Yawn.
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I Remember Eartha Kitt
[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="2"]Eartha Kitt, best known for her role as Catwoman on the original TV version of Batman in the mid-60s and her 1953 rendition of Santa Baby, died today of colon cancer at the age of 81.
I met Eartha Kitt as a kid in the spring of 1967 when my family stayed that the same Howard Johnson Motor Lodge in South Jersey. My celebrity-struck mother, spotted her leaving her room as we were leaving our room and wasted no time running over to meet her.
As I remember, she was quite gracious to my mother and they chatted for a few moments. She had her daughter with her, who was somewhat younger than me.
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Happy Christmas
Just a quick line to wish everyone a very Happy Christmas if you celebrate it!I have 8 here for Christmas plus the new grand daughter which is just such a pleasure!
I'll try and get some nice photos to put up in the next few days but in the meantime have a really good holiday.
See you soon
Majel Barrett Roddenberry, R.I.P.
[FONT="Verdana"][SIZE="2"]On December 18, the "First Lady of Star Trek", Majel Barrett Roddenberry, died at her home after a short battle with leukemia. She was 76. She was the widow of Star Trek originator, Gene Roddenberry.
She was best known for her roles in the various Star Trek incarnations: Nurse (later Doctor) Christine Chapel in the original series, as Betazoid Lwaxana Troi in Star Trek: The Next Generation and Deep Space Nine, and she provided the computer voice in every Star Trek series and movie. She will be heard for the last time in the latest upciming Star Trek movie.
She was originally intended to play the Enterprise's First Officer, which she did in the original series' pilot episode. However NBC network executives, reflecting the sexism of the times, insisted that viewers wouldn't accept a woman in such a position, so she was reluctantly demoted to the more peripheral role of ship's nurse.
A fan favorite at Star Trek conventions over the years, she will be missed.
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A Christmas Story
At the risk of sounding like the Deej version of Ebeneezer Scrooge, I'm going to admit I have become rather sick of what Christmas has become. I've picked up a few gifts, but I made a decision to make things simpler for my loved ones. My older cubs understand and have jumped on board with the whole notion of kicking things down a notch and not going overboard on expensive gifts.I worried about how the younger cubs would deal with this. After all, they are just kids - only twelve and fourteen. I remember my own self-centeredness and selfishness at that age. As much as I hate to admit it, I was a total snob back in those days. Dear Lord, I am sounding OLD *insert shudder* I just said "those days".
Back to my story......
As I've told you, these tutor kids have wormed their way into my heart in ways that have utterly stunned me. I've always been a total softie for my kids, but with this program I am involved with a group of struggling kids. Many of them are from difficult family and/or economic situations. It's hard to deal with sometimes.
Yesterday was a particular rough one. We were hanging out talking about the holidays and I found my heart breaking. One of the boys, he is 14, is moving back to his mom's place. She is single, very poor, and will have a difficult time with things. I fought back tears when he told me there would be no presents and there was no tree to put them under anyway. The kids who work as my tutors tried to make him feel better. It was a good lesson for them - none of them have ever been in a situation like this kid - ever.
On the drive home from school I told the cubs how sad I was for this boy; they were blown away to have someone they know in a situation like this. I realize Christmas is about love, family, friends, and all that but somewhere along the line presents and trinkets have become far more important. To this student - there would be no Christmas.
We turned around and headed to town. My cubs and I shopped and then we shopped some more. By the time we were done we had an artificial tree, lights, ornaments, hanger things, and gifts. I know we can't help everyone out there, but we could make sure this one kid and his mom had Christmas. In doing so, we made our own Christmas that much more special.
As my own kids raced around getting things for someone else’s Christmas I began to feel like the original Grinch. The crankiness about Christmas began to ebb as the real spirit behind the holiday began to take shape before me. I felt proud of my own children as they so willingly shared what we have with someone who has far less. Not once did they balk at the idea of spending money on someone else even though they have heard me reminding them time and time again that we are watching spending because of the economy.
Today I pulled the kid into my room and got teary eyed as he opened wrapped packages of bulbs and lights. His puzzled look turned to a grin when I gave him the box containing the tree to put his treasures on. He beamed when I gave him other presents to put under it. I made him wrap the things we bought for his mom – those are gifts he can give her.
This year, for me, Christmas is now shining a wee bit brighter. Who knew it would take so very little to help me feel like celebrating again.
Happy Holidays everyone! I hope the lights shine brighter for all of you as well.
Peace
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