Deconstructing Song Lyrics - Magic Bus by The Who

Well on the advice of my dear friend Katy I am going to move my blog to Wordpress.  I actually had already set up an account when I set this one up but couldn't figure out how to get it to work because I was having issues.  After I created this blog I found an email that I was supposed to click and verify before it would allow me to use the Wordpress account.  D'oh!


So at any rate because I'm moving the blog I'm going to be off the blogging for a few days while I set up my new site and figure out all the awesome features.  But I leave you with my daughter's favorite "feature" - deconstructing song lyrics!


A few quick notes about my last deconstruction.  My friend Stacey confirmed the gentleman in the movie "The Lost Boys" performing the song was indeed the artist himself Tim Cappello.  And the song was actually not written by him but by The Call who also perform a song I am very fond of, "Let the Day Begin".


I will quit prattling on!


I present a deconstructed version of the following with lyrics courtesy of LyricsFreak:

Magic Bus

by

The Who

Every day I get in the queue (Too much, Magic Bus)
To get on the bus that takes me to you (Too much, Magic Bus)
I'm so nervous, I just sit and smile (Too much, Magic Bus)
You house is only another mile (Too much, Magic Bus)

Well this song seems to start with a lot of visuals.  He waits, he gets on, he's looking forward to seeing - you.  You who?  You YOU.

Thank you, driver, for getting me here (Too much, Magic Bus)
You'll be an inspector, have no fear (Too much, Magic Bus)
I don't want to cause no fuss (Too much, Magic Bus)
But can I buy your Magic Bus? (Too much, Magic Bus)

Now we have him thanking the driver and wanting to buy the bus?  Beginning to think this song is not about a bus at all but, knowing the era, may be some kind of drug reference...

Heck no you can't have it.

REJECTED

I don't care how much I pay (Too much, Magic Bus)
I want to drive my bus to my baby each day (Too much, Magic Bus)

Dawwww, he wants to see his baby (or drugs) every day.

I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it ... (You can't have it!)
Thruppence and sixpence every day
Just to drive to my baby
Thruppence and sixpence each day
'Cause I drive my baby every way

He can't have the bus so he's still spending the mad dough.  Thruppence and sixpence, yo.

Magic Bus, Magic Bus, Magic Bus ...

I said, now I've got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I said, now I've got my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)
I drive my baby every way (Too much, Magic Bus)
Each time I go a different way (Too much, Magic Bus)

Spice it up by going a different way?  You rebel!

I want it, I want it, I want it, I want it ...

Every day you'll see the dust (Too much, Magic Bus)
As I drive my baby in my Magic Bus (Too much, Magic Bus)

He never got the bus so I'm not sure how he got it.  It must be drugs.

Well this song if I looked it up would make a lot more sense but without looking anything up I can't tell if it is about a bus ride, a drug trip or a reference to something else.  But this is just my snap reactions to I'm left feeling confused and meh.  Although I enjoy the beat of the song and everything, of course.

The lyrics leave a lot to be desired for me.  2 out of 10.  Sorry Mr. Pete Townshend!

See you all in a few days on another site.  I will announce it on facebook like how I obnoxiously push this blog on you now.



I'm Thinking of Moving This Blog to Another Site

Yesterday I missed a day of writing this blog and although I didn't want that to happen anymore I have decided to accept I am only human and will miss a day from time to time and that's OK.


But I didn't want to miss another day!  I'm super tired tonight but wanted to write something and today had been thinking about how unhappy I am with Blogger and my inability to add pictures and the like to my blog so I'm thinking of moving it to another site that will better suit my needs.  And, by the way, I do know that Blogger supports pictures and things but it says my browser is incompatible with such things or some lame thing like that.


So - any suggestions on great blog sites?!?


P.S.  I have decided if I somehow become rich one day I'm going to be that person that gives NPR $100 a month just because I think they're nifty and love their programming.

At the Vet

Lately my poor little Rosie, our princess kitty, has not been feeling well.  It started with the three boys sneezing and such and their symptoms resolved in a few days so when Rosie got sick with some of the same symptoms as the boys I figured she would get better in a few days.  Well, I was wrong.


I don't know if it was because I could confirm all the boys had kennel cough in the various shelters we adopted them from and could not confirm the same for Rosie or if she is just a bit more stressed than the boys but whatever the reason she wasn't getting better so today I decided to take my sneezing, head shaking and lethargic princess to the vet.  Because she just wasn't acting the same.


It was not at all an easy day at the vet.  They were very busy and very chaotic.  And then something happened that made me very sad.  An elderly woman using a walker came out of one of the rooms with who I assume to be her daughter close behind with a carrier.  I looked in the carrier since it looked to be another kitty - and it was empty.  At first I wondered why they were leaving their animal behind today when it hit me.  They had to put a beloved friend to sleep.  It was then I noticed the overly watery eyes of the older woman and the comforting hand the younger woman had on the older woman's shoulder as she paid.  And I felt terrible for her.  We had to go through the same thing in the very same room they had come from just a few months ago with our beloved Loki.  I almost started bawling right there in the waiting room.


I had the overwhelming urge to get up and offer the elderly woman a hug but thought it would be strange and perhaps upsetting for a complete stranger to want to share your pain.  But I did share her pain.  And after she paid and left with the younger woman I kind of kicked myself for at least not making the offer.  The worst thing that could have come from it was that she would have said no.


But she had gone and I found myself again in the waiting room with a family that had a dog with a limp that Rosie was watching warily although there was a carrier between her and the offending party.  We finally were called back and I'm happy to report she had no fever and was not dehydrated and just has a mild cold which can be helped along the road to full recovery with a course of antibiotics.  The vet we go to here is great, by the way.  She waited patiently while I dished Rosie out from her hiding spot under the bench and while I did so she sat down on the floor so I could easily hand Rosie to her and she could interact with my kitty more at her level.  I thought that was swell.


While I was waiting for the antibiotics to be mixed and delivered I started to smell an atrocious odor.  I looked under the bench at Rosie to make sure she hadn't pooped under there as that was what it smelled like.  It was truly nasty and I started to feel sick to my stomach it was so very gross. 


Finally the antibiotics came and I was able to go out into the lobby to leave.  And that's when I found out the source of that smell.  There was a family with a little girl who looked to be about six and one of the techs was out talking to them and telling them that their dog has not stopped having diarrhea and vomiting since they brought him in yesterday and that he had just had diarrhea before the tech came to talk to them.  She advised he was not doing well and that the vet thought they should take him to an emergency clinic so he could get the treatment he needed as they didn't have the facilities to do so and that even with the treatment the dog was so sick that his chances of making it were not good.  The family understandably was in tears as was the tech.  I know no background of this family, their dog, the tech but I could tell everyone was devastated by the news and that made me sad, too.


I was really glad to leave but really sad for the people whose experiences hadn't been nearly as positive as mine.

Product Review: Belly Flops

So I've decided I will occasionally regale you with myself trying a new product and letting you know what I think. Today at the 99 cent only store I found a product called "Belly Flops" jelly beans from the makers of Jelly Belly. I love Jelly Belly jelly beans so this was definitely something I had to pick up. They market the product as "irregular jelly beans" and the verbiage on the back is such: "Have you heard of Belly Flops? They aren't available very often but when they are Jelly Belly fans love to snap up our famous Belly Flops. These special beans taste great but don't quite meet all of our demanding standards for size, color, shape and flavor."



First of all I call b.s. on their famous claim. I had never heard of them before discovering them at the 99 cent store but let's try these things..
.

The first thing I noticed opening the bag is there are some funny looking ones. After trying some that looked like some of my favorite flavors, though, I can speak with confidence that they taste just like the jelly beans I love but were a ton cheaper. Granted it is only 4.7 ounces but still totally worth it.



Grade: 10/10. Quite pleased with this awesome find!


P.S.  Tried to include a picture but for some reason this Google Blogger won't let me do a lot aside from type.  Super annoying.




And by the way, the juicy pear flavor Belly Flops are just as nasty as the original.  Yuck.

Incredibly Lame Haiku! Election Time

What can I say?  I'm very tired tonight so you get an incredibly lame haiku which I know you've been looking SO forward to reading!


ELECTION TIME


It is that time again
Campaign signs litter the land
Anxious for the end


<3

Recipe Time! Kale Chips

I remember the first time I got a bunch of kale in my Bountiful Basket.  I remember examining it and thinking to myself, "What on earth am I going to do with this?  What does it taste like?  I'll bet it tastes weird."   And unfortunately because I wasn't adventurous enough to want to try it (and neither was Joe) it rotted in my fridge and went to waste.


I sincerely regret that.  I do!  Because I got two! bunches of kale a few baskets after that one and vowed I would not let it go to waste and was glad I didn't.  I used some of it in salad and I really like it raw.  Joe and Emily, however, were not big fans.  In fact I think it's safe to say Em was not a fan at all.  So I looked into other ways to use it that my family may like better because I couldn't possibly eat that much kale myself.


I found on Pinterest a recipe for kale chips and had heard people talking about them so decided to give it a try.  And guess what?  BIG HIT.  I didn't like them as much cooked but Joe and Em definitely were into it.


So here's the recipe (if you don't already have your own which you likely do) as found on Love to be in the Kitchen:


KALE CHIPS




Kale
Olive Oil
Salt (I use seasoned salt)
Pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat your oven to 415 degrees
2. Get out a cookie sheet and line it with foil.
3. While preheating, gently wash the kale and dry completely with a paper towel.
4. Once dry, gently tear off palm size pieces of the leaves and spread out onto cookie sheet.
5. Spread the olive oil out on the kale and then using your hands, mix the kale and massage it a bit to get the olive oil spread out (your kids will love this part!)
6. Sprinkle with salt and a bit of pepper
7. Bake for 10 minutes, stir, and then bake another couple minutes.
8. The kale will shrink and get crunchy – that is what we want! Once the chips are done you can either eat them just like that (which is how I love them!) or sprinkle a bit of parmesan cheese on top.

I just bake 10 minutes as it seems mine burn otherwise.

Enjoy!

Deconstructing Song Lyrics - I Still Believe by Tim Cappello

My daughter is possibly my biggest blog fan.  And when she told me this weekend that she thought my best blog so far was Deconstructing Song Lyrics and that she wanted me to do it again how could I resist?  I mean, the plan was to do this every week anyhow but when you are asked specifically to do it again.  Yay!


So without further ado I present the deconstructed version the below with lyrics courtesy of LyricsMania:

I Still Believe

by

Tim Cappello

I been in a cave
For forty days
Only a spark
To light my way

I wanna give out
I wanna give in
This is our crime
This is our sin

But I still believe
I still believe
Through the pain
And through the grief

Through the lies
Through the storms
Through the cries
And through the wars

Oh, I still believe

Flat on my back
Out at sea
Hopin' these waves
Don't cover me

I'm turned and tossed
Upon the waves
When the darkness comes
I feel the grave

But I still believe
I still believe
Through the cold
And through the heat

Through the rain
And through the tears
Through the crowds
And through the cheers

Oh, I still believe

I'll march this road
I'll climb this hill
Upon my knees
If I have to

I'll take my place
Upon this stage
I'll wait till the end of time
For you like everybody else

I'm out on my own
Walkin' the streets
Look at the faces
That I meet

I feel like I
Like I wanna go home
What do I feel?
What do I know?

But I still believe
Yes, I still believe
Through the shame
And through the grief

Through the heartache
Through the tears
Through the waiting
Through the years

For people like us
In places like this
We need all the hope
That we can get

Oh, I still believe

Well.  This is a song with a theme that weaves throughout so it is hard to deconstruct line by line.  It is obviously about hope and that we need to have faith in ourselves.  I feel this is a lame cop out but this song is pretty cohesive and doesn't jump about in that.  He tells little stories of adversities and having the belief you can overcome them.

My final opinion is this is a simple but decently written song and I can appreciate how Mr. Cappello lyrically stuck to his theme of belief and hope.  Plus it has some groovy sax and is featured in the movie "The Lost Boys" being played by a very buff dude (who I can neither confirm nor deny is Mr. Cappello) on the boardwalk.

I give it: 7 out of 10.  Which seems to be my go to score.

And I still believe my deconstruction of this one was a cop out but what can a girl do?  And did you see what I did here?  Eh?  Eh?

And the answer is yes I do find myself terribly amusing.



My Fitness Pal

Inspired at work today during a walk by my friend Stephanie, I decided I would download an app onto my phone called My Fitness Pal.


It's an interesting app where you can keep a food diary that helps keep you within a calorie goal each day (for if you want to lose, gain or maintain weight) and takes into account any exercise you do.  I've entered what I've had so far for the day and was extremely unsurprised to see that, while I am still below my calorie goal, I am already over my daily allotment of sugar (as it tracks such things as this, also).  I was interested to see that my one 8 oz cup of Yoplait Blueberry yogurt had more sugar in it than 5 mini Heath bars!!  5 MINI HEATH BARS which is seriously like a full candy bar equivalent.


I love sugar and know it will be my downfall with this thing.  I hate sugar-free anything.  Of course, I could refrain from eating 5 mini Heath bars but I also sorely lack in self control at times.


I'll try and give updates from time to time on what I continue to think of the app but at this point I think it is pretty nifty.  Oh - and if you are using it feel free to join my friend circle so we can inspire one another!  I am sarah_k0426.

Today I'm Struggling

Motivation to write just isn't here for me.


I did what I believe all writers do in these cases which is procrastinate.  I took a shower.  I looked around on the internet.  I tortured the kitten with pictures.  I harassed my daughter who is now home from Grandma's and Grandpa's and still I continue to struggle with motivation and what I want to write about.


So I've decided to make the blog today an admission of not only my lack of motivation I have but also of an addiction.  I admit it.  I am addicted to facebook quizzes.


As many of you have seen from my facebook I am almost constantly posting quiz results.  What you don't know is that I take pretty much every one I see and am too embarrassed to post all of the results because then you will realize the full extent of my quiz addiction.


As a result, I know what Disney couple matches my personality! (Christoff and Anna), What vampire I am! (Edward Cullen - and yes that retching sound you just heard was me) and a myriad assortment of other things which are as useless to know as I find them intriguing.


I sometimes wonder why I love them so very much and why I am so addicted to clicking on and taking each and every one.  But I have no answers.


Perhaps someone has enlightenment?  Or perhaps someone else would like to share their own addiction to the darn things?  This is a safe environment people - no judgment!

Cucumbers are the Enemy

We eat dinner early on the weekends.  Like, really early.  It's more a combination lunch/dinner than dinner (which I've always wondered - should it be called linner?  or dunch?).  At any rate, we've already eaten as of the time of this post and I now feel like junk!


I made a delicious meatloaf (1 lb ground turkey, cut up onion, crushed up rice Chex, pepper, season salt and ketchup) and to go along with it steamed broccoli, salad and, with all the cucumbers I had from my Bountiful Basket last week I decided to make cucumber and onion salad (cut up the cucumbers and a vadalia onion and marinated them in a dressing of white vinegar, sugar and pepper).


We ate while watching American Horror Story (which, only three episodes in to the first season, is pretty messed up - I likely will write something here about it at some point) and everything tasted delicious.


Now I feel terrible, though.  And I'm sure it's the cucumbers.  See you can pickle the heck out of them and I can eat a ton but fresh?  Always have made me feel terrible.  I tell people I don't like the taste simply because it's easier than this diva mentality but honestly I don't mind the taste it's just every time I eat them fresh I feel like I'm going to lose everything I ate and that feeling can last a very long time.


So yuck to this.  I'm supposed to go out tonight to a friend's and hope I feel better in time.


Stupid cucumbers.  I will not make the mistake of eating you again.

Gluten Free Temptations and Frustrations

So you may have gleaned or even seen somewhere that Joe and I are trying a gluten free diet.  I don't think either of us has celiac disease (in fact I know we don't) but have had stomach issues in the past and are just trying it out to see if it helps.


And, aside from the occasional cravings for cookies and brownies (the full gluten versions readily purchased at the store), we've been doing OK.  I've been feeling a bit better and Joe is also which is a great thing!


There have been some major bumps in the road, though, I'm not gonna' lie.  And this afternoon I was tempted.  Sorely tempted.


I got out of work early which was nice and decided I would get to the grocery store early and get my shopping out of the way.  My normal shopping day is Friday but I usually go about 5:00 so this was something a little different.  I thought it would be a lot less busy than at 5:00 PM but boy was I wrong!  3:00 PM seems to bring out the moms with their packs of screaming children (which they've obviously had enough of from the way they interact with them) and all of the elderly people who like to meander through the aisles.  GAH!  And not helping matters were the hordes of stockers getting their carts of goods in my way.  While I appreciate they want to make sure my store is nicely stocked I would appreciate if they do their magical work when I am not there shopping. 


So what does the above paragraph have to do at all with the rest of this post?  I'm getting to that.  Right now in fact.  One part of shopping at that time is they are handing out samples to tempt you to buy new things.  And today I was offered a cookie and Prego (which, by the way, is Italian for "You're welcome") alfredo sauce dipped in bread.  Boo.  And those things weren't too bad.  I almost got into it with the Prego lady with the temptation to explain that the reason I was declining her offer was that my husband and I are trying gluten free and the bread would be a no-no and the sauce may even be, too, and I was going to regale her with what it was like trying to go gluten free but that fleeting thought in my mind was thankfully quashed by the sensible part of me that doesn't want to be known as the lady that went gluten free and also completely insane as a result.


Now I'm getting to the worst part.  I was proud of myself for declining those offers and not pushing my gluten craziness on one of the sample ladies and I triumphantly checked out and paid for my groceries.  I was wishing the cashier and the bagger a most pleasant day when the worst thing in my gluten free world happened.  The bagger wished me a pleasant day and pointed to a cart behind the checkouts filled with about 50 pumpkin pies and 5 cream cakes.  And advised me those were not going to be able to be sold after today and they are free and I was welcome to take some.


In my mind, I freaked.  I had a vision of me abandoning my cart full of the things I needed and running out of the store with that huge cart of pie and cake.  Because I LOVE pumpkin pie.  And really had the urge to gorge on it.  Outwardly, I remained calm and thanked him for the offer to which he replied that I would regret it because they were delicious.  My vision turned to one of me punching the smiling young punk of a bagger for reading my innermost thoughts of temptation.


Instead, I smiled bigger (probably insanely) and said I probably would regret it and wheeled my sorry gluten free filled cart out of the store.


*whispers*  And I have regretted it since which is why I'm writing this.  I want some pumpkin pie!!

Recipe Time!

So tonight I'm feeling a bit lazy but want to save Incredibly Lame Haiku for when I'm really lazy so what I will give you instead is one of my very favorite recipes!  So easy and so tasty but also kind of lame, too.  :D


Cheese Crisp


Ingredients:


Tortilla (flour works best but I've been doing white corn since we're trying gluten free)
Cheese
Onions and whatever else you may want to throw on top


Heat oven to 350.
Sprinkle cheese and your desired toppings on the tortilla
Bake for 10 minutes.


Delicious!


By the way, if you also use the corn tortillas the concoction cannot rightfully be called a cheese crisp.  It is more of a cheese not so crisp.  Just warning you!

Deconstructing Song Lyrics

I've decided to try something new here that I'm going to call deconstructing song lyrics.  Basically, I'm going to grab the lyrics for whatever random song my Spotify is playing and I'm going to try and interpret them to see if it is really a cool song with meaningful lyrics or if really it is a steaming pile of crap lyrically.  Mind you, at this point these will all be songs on playlists that I created so I will like them all but they may be "lyrically challenged".  I'll comment in bold after each verse while trying this out unless I decide something else may work better. 


So let's find out!


Here's your very first deconstructed song with lyrics courtesy LyricsFreak:

Controversy

by

Prince

I just can't believe all the things people say Controversy
Am I black or white? Am I straight or gay? Controversy
Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? Controversy
Controversy Controversy
I can't understand human curiosity, Controversy
Was it good for you? Was I what you wanted me to be? Controversy
Do you get high? Does your daddy cry? Controversy
Controversy Controversy

I'm not entirely sure what Prince is going for here in this first verse other than perhaps a few things could be considered controversial.  And does Prince think he's God?  Hmm...

Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me?
Some people want to die so they can be free
(I said) Life is just a game, we're all just the same, do you want to play?
Controversy Controversy Controversy
Controversy Controversy Controversy

OK so besides another possible reference to Prince thinking he is God this verse makes a tad bit more sense although I'm not entirely sure still what this has to do with controversy.  Wait - is this verse about suicide?  I suppose that could be controversial.

Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name
Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven
Give us this day our daily bread and forgive us our trespasses
As we forgive those who trespass against us
Lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil
For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever
Controversy Controversy Controversy Controversy
Love Him, Love Him baby
Controversy Controversy Controversy
Controversy Controversy Controversy

Now Prince is praying.  Just praying.  Is this about public prayer being contested?  Or the fact that Prince wants us to love "Him" which I assume from the capitalization means God?  Knowing what I know of other Prince songs I sincerely hope so.  Because Prince is a dirty boy.

Listen
People call me rude, I wish we were all nude
I wish there was no black and white, I wish there were no rules
(repeat 3 times)
Controversy Controversy

See?  Dirty.  He wishes we were all nude.

Now I'm starting to glean that this song may be about why can't we all be the same and why does the color of our skin, the person we love or the being we worship matter.  That's cool.

Do I believe in God? Do I believe in me? Let me tell ya...
Some people want to die so they can be free
(I said) Life is just a game, we're all just the same...don't ya want to play?
Controversy Controversy Controversy Controversy


Aaaannnddd now Prince alludes to the fact again that he is God.  Or maybe he's just questioning who and what he believes in.


My final opinion is that this song is lyrically OK.  I can dig some of the things he sings about if I interpreted them correctly.  And it least it made a bit of sense.


I give the song's lyrics 7 out of 10.


What do you think after reading the lyrics?  Am I crazy?  Any thoughts to add?

Like A Lannister Who Pay Their Debts, I Keep My Promises

As promised, today I am finally going to write about inspiration. Both in inspiring people and also in being inspired myself.



The theme came to me last Wednesday when I was feeling completely terrible and not at all up to writing a whole blog about it. I really wasn’t feeling up to much of anything aside from being a lazy slug laying on the couch watching TV and feeling sorry for myself because I was (insert whiney voice here) SICK. Which being sick really doesn’t seem inspiring and, really, it’s not. It’s not at all what made me want to write about inspiration.



What did it do you ask? While this lazy blob was oozing on the couch there was a noise from the phone notifying me of a new email. A friend on Facebook had tagged me. My blogs inspired her to start writing her blog again after a lengthy absence. And I’m not going to lie that felt pretty darn good and I was pretty darn proud of myself. So this slug propped up and while in the process of attempting to throw my shoulder out of joint patting myself on the back so hard I got another notification on my phone. This time it was a message on Facebook from another friend saying that all my incessant posts about my Bountiful Baskets (ask me about them - I won’t shut up) inspired her to order one for the first time. Which felt even BETTER and I was even MORE proud of myself.



I had inspired two people in the span of a few hours to do something different. And I will say again it’s a good feeling. I like inspiring people. I like challenging them to challenge themselves as I firmly believe the more we believe in/inspire others the more it will inspire us to achieve whatever we desire.



So now that brings me to personal inspiration. What inspires me? Well, my family for one. My friends who I care for more than I ever would admit and that, barring something awful, I will be loyal to until the end. My job that seems to ask more of me all of the time and I am inspired to and strive to meet the challenge. Music that evokes certain times and feelings for me that I want back or simply enjoy reliving once again.
 

A specific inspiration has been at work. A woman there has challenged my team to lose weight. It’s the holidays which most of us realize is an awful time to try and keep weight off much less lose it. But her challenge is rather unique and easy to track and, at least in my mind, extremely inspiring. What we do is set a goal. How much do we want to lose? For me, it’s 10 pounds. We started last week with a weigh in and each week we weigh ourselves again. For each pound we lose, we put a non-perishable food item on our desk. So everyone in the whole area can see the progress we’ve made and we can laud one another‘s accomplishments. Final weigh in is mid-December and every single can of food you’ve “earned” by taking off pounds is put in a pile. If you’ve met your goal, good for you. Yay! If you haven’t met your goal, however, you owe food. Double your original goal. Yipes. But the good thing is then all the food “earned” or “owed” will be taken to a local food bank to help needy families eat. We’re one week into the challenge and although my desk is woefully bereft of any cans yet (I have negative one cans - sad pandas) I know we’re doing this for two good causes - needy families and our own health. 



Now a little bit more about inspiration and then I will let you all free to go about your lives. I started this blog, of course, to try and spark an interest in myself again to work on writing a novel. And I am pleased to report all of this inspiring and inspiration has me thinking again about one of the book concepts I had previously thrown about and I find myself fleshing out characters and ideas and even devising little scenes in my mind. I’m not ready to start committing anything to “paper”, mind you but baby steps…

Gratitude

I know, I know. I was supposed to write something by today about inspiration. But you know what? I’m not going to because I found there was a more important theme to my day that I’d prefer to discuss and that’s gratitude. I hope you can all put up with two straight days of feel good posts and don’t drop me like a hot potato!



So I woke up today kind of blah. Still not feeling 100% from my sinus infection and had to get up earlier than I wanted because I had to take Emily to a doctor’s appointment. Then we didn’t get out of the door as quickly as I wanted and the car was covered (again) in bird poop and I realized I’d need gas at some point before I made the drive in to work tomorrow which made me remember my three day weekend was coming to a close so BLAH.



But somewhere along the way today my attitude started to change. Maybe it was the fact that I could get gas at the gas station when we stopped for Em and I to use the restroom. Maybe it was the fact that despite getting a late start to the appointment and driving in rush hour traffic we still managed to not be late to the appointment and I found it with no issues even though I had never been to this doctor or location. Maybe it was the nice visit I had with my parents after when I took Em there to spend the rest of her fall break with them. It may have been all of these and other things but really I can’t quite put my finger on what changed my attitude I just know it did change.



And I became grateful. For a day off from work so I can take care of my daughter. For a car to take her to her appointment and for being able to afford the gas to get her there. For my insurance that will take care of the bill. For my daughter who is awesome and funny and makes a friend in pretty much everyone. For my parents who went through so much to get me where I am today and also for being neat people to not only have a conversation with but who humor my daughter with her almost one track video game mind. For my health. For my safety in getting back home. For my husband who, after I got home, offered to watch TV with me while we ate dinner. For the healthy food that we have to eat. For the fact I really no longer crave things like fast food. For the house I live in which, while not as close into town as I would like, is really quite nice and in a safe area. For my cats who love me unconditionally and often make me laugh. For a job that I don’t dread going to tomorrow and where I have friends that I enjoy spending time with. For people who put up with this obsession I have to write something and actually read it.



I have a lot to be grateful for and I’m going to try in the coming days and months and years to remind myself of these things so I can continue to be content with the hand life has dealt me.



<3

Happy 15th Birthday to Ms. Emily Kramer!

So I'm disappointed in myself.  My intention when I started this blog was to write something - anything! - every single day.  And here I am, not even a week in, and I've missed a day.  Not today, of course, but yesterday.


Yesterday was busy.  We had Emily's 15th birthday party (although her actual birthday is today) which consisted of seeing The Maze Runner and then going to the casino to the buffet for a lunch with Grandma and Grandpa and our friends, The Hammers.  I do believe a good time was had by all!  Then when we got home Em and I used some of our Bountiful Baskets goodies to make pico and I cut up our cantaloupes and pineapple for easy eating.  But then I was tired and surprisingly so was Emily so we actually went to bed at 9:30!  Which is why nothing was written.  By the time I got to it I was simply too tired.


Well today is Emily's birthday and I made her a cake at her request.  It is not gluten free and it has been difficult to resist but it is for Em and she is not doing gluten free and so I hope she enjoys every single bite of that cake!  Oh wait - when it was out cooling one of our kitties got up on the counter and had some birthday cake so he/she celebrated too!  And infuriated me in the process as I hate when they get on our counters.  A good scrubbing followed the discovery prior to me preparing any further food on it.


I'm still tired but happy for my daughter and so proud of the young woman she's become.  She's so sweet and kind despite the things she's had to go through in her life and I am so proud to call her my spawn.  <3

This is the Way My Brain Works

I shared the odd way my brain works with my friend Stephanie at work today and she thought I should share it with all of you!


I was in the hallway and saw our boss's boss and it's his birthday so I wished him happy birthday and was thinking to myself that he's a Libra like my daughter is a Libra.  A likeable Libra! And I'm a Taurus which do OK with Libras and my friends who I eat lunch with, Steve and Stephanie, are also Tauruses and we a bunch of bulls all at one lunch table.


I decided we should call our table "The Pasture".


And this is how my brain works.  Like, all the time.

The Game I was Playing Tonight

So I love games.  And so you may hear a lot about games here just because in whatever form you find a game I'll probably enjoy playing it.










Tonight it was Fallout: New Vegas.  It appeals to me on several levels but the biggest appeal is that it takes place in a post apocalyptic setting which I just find pretty darn swell.  But I kept getting killed by these:


DEATHCLAWS SUCK




and decided I needed to quit because I also have a headache.  Stoopid sinus infection.  Which is probably why this blog seems so lame today.  I can't seem to get it to work the way I want anyhow.










Time to watch TV and make the grocery list.

An Exciting Illness Update!

So I know since I posted yesterday about my possible ear infection that you all would be curious for an update.


I went to the doctor today and I do not have an ear infection.  Instead, I have a sinus infection!  Apparently in both of my nasal area sinuses although one is much worse than the other.  The left side was so infected and swollen it was causing my eardrum to bulge out thus causing the symptoms (pain and pressure, dizziness, nausea and yucky discharge) that made me think I actually had an ear infection.  Good.  Times.


So now I have antibiotics and nasal spray (which I detest but will use in order to feel better) and a follow up appointment since the doctor said the infection is so bad they're not sure if one course of antibiotics is going to cut it.  Plus, the virus that is going around that I had is turning into such bad bacterial infections that a lot of people are requiring two courses of antibiotics.  More.  Good.  Times.


Seems like I always have something at almost exactly this time of year that requires antibiotics.  Last year it was my cat bite.  The year before it was a urinary tract infection.  Annual.  Good.  Times.


Hope you are all managing to stay healthy and I am excited for the official start of hockey season.  Go Hawks!

I Almost was Bad and Didn't Post Anything Today!

I think I have an ear inflection and feel blech but a bit of Tylenol has it at a dull roar and a bit of inspiration (which I definitely will be writing something about in the next few days) has got me writing what I know you all want - another incredibly lame haiku!


THREE DAY WEEKEND


It is almost here.
My being dances with joy.
Girl can almost drive.


Get on my case if I don't write about inspiration by Monday.

Incredibly Lame Haiku - It Should be a Thing!

TIRED

So very tired

Body like pudding in bowl

Quit the jiggling

My Dreams are So Incredibly Odd

Last night I had a very weird dream.  This is not an unusual occurrence, mind you, and I sometimes wonder why some of us have such bizarro vivid dreams while others (like my husband) can hardly ever remember anything they dream.  But mine I almost always remember in great detail.  At least in great detail for the few hours after I awaken before they start to fade.


In the dream, I was running with two of my childhood friends down a steep hill which just happened to be their backyard.  My recollection of this particular house of theirs was that it did not have a backyard like this at all but dreams are funny things.  At the end of the steep hill was a sculpture park that actually was behind this particular house.


The sculpture park in reality I remember being a very odd thing.  It was sculptures in the midst of overgrown fields that also just happened to be cow pasture.  So amongst the long dead grasses you would have to watch your step to avoid tragically stepping in cow manure.  The place was called Connemara and was a wonderland for three girls who had fantastic dreams and overactive minds.  There were sculptures intermingled with the aforementioned long grasses and woodlands.  I vaguely recall an area I particularly liked which was more like a secluded copse with a tree I could climb and hide in and pretend it was my fort.  We had some very good times there and I wondered if Connemara truly existed as I named it or if it was something completely different and Connemara was another wild fragment of my rememberances.  But, lo and behold, http://www.connemaraconservancy.org/itm/2010/itm_pre.php.  I think it must have changed a lot because I recall it being free.  Or maybe we were rebels and snuck in.  Although I seriously doubt the latter happened as I also recall us being rule followers.


Back to my dream, it was a beautiful sunny day with a slight breeze that was gently blowing the long grasses in a hypnotic dance.  The air smelled of the end of summer transitioning into fall (and probably also cow manure because of the setting but it wasn't in my dream).  We played for several hours with the carefree abandon we had as children.  Oddly, however, we were our adult selves doing this.  We still were in the mindset of our childhood selves as we did not talk nor do I recall having a husband or child or any of us talking about our families.  No, it was our adult selves having fun as if we were children again.


The sun began to set and we realized we were hungry.  We went back towards my friend's house and suddenly the neighborhood changed to the one I had lived in shortly before Joe and I made the decision to move from Michigan.  For some reason that is only determinable in the odd realm of dreams, one of my friends had disappeared and the other one and I decided to go into a house near my old one which the owners had been moving and was up for sale.


We entered the large two story house and began to look around.  I'll never know for sure why we thought we'd find food there of all places especially when my own house, the one my adult self owned anyway, was nearby.  But we were determined.  And we found not only food in the form of honeycrisp apples but also the neighbors that were supposed to have moved out several months before.  Oddly, thinking of these people in my dreams, they were not the neighbors I remembered but instead complete strangers.  The husband was pleasant enough and offered us the apples which we took gladly but the wife was cold and distant.  Mean.  But she let her husband offer us and let us take the apples so she must've been perhaps a little kind deep down inside.


My friend and I talked about the neighbors and I related to her their troubles with selling their house as we walked towards the door we had come in I presume to head back to my house but I will never know as we stepped through the door eating our apples I woke up.


It was an odd dream and, like so many of my dreams, I'm sure I will wonder for a while what it was really about before it fades from memory.  But I may never know.


Any speculation?  Feel free to sound off below.

So I've Decided to Start a Blog

Why you may ask?  There have been a few moments in the time that I've been considering it that I've asked myself that question.  And the answer is for me.  I want to write a book.  It's on my bucket list.  And lately I've had zero motivation to write a single thing.


You see I used to love writing.  I took part in several simms (which for those of you not in the know are pretty much collaborative writing projects) and even loved crafting emails to send out at work.  Now though?  I kind of hate it.  I had a bad experience on one of the simms I was taking part in which led to me quitting all of them.  I then tried with the assistance of a dear friend that I met on one of those simms to get the encouragement to finally write that novel and cross it off my bucket list.  I had a lot of ideas I liked and had quite a few starts but then my love of even that fizzled and all I wanted to do is anything but write.


So I'm forcing myself to write this blog to hopefully get that inspiration that will lead me to finally completing that dream.  I'm realistic.  I don't even care if I am published I just want that sense of accomplishment that comes from starting something you've wanted a good part of your life and finally realizing it.


So my goal is to regale you daily with whatever I feel like writing about that day whether it be music, TV, books, video games, my daughter, my husband, my family's attempts at going gluten free, recipes I liked or even my frustrations with writing itself.  Anything will go on here and I hope you enjoy (although likely I will have my mother and possibly my husband reading this).


I'm hoping I enjoy this process too...