This is a chain/virus thingy and not the bad kind the good have fun learn more about people kind.
Here's how it works:
Comment to this post and I will give you five subjects or things I associate with you. Then post this to your blog and elaborate on the subjects given.
jon gave me
1 poetry
2 pool party
3 geocaching
4 new orleans
5 hot mama
so if you want to know what I think about these things here we go:
1. poetry: I wrote my first poem when I was twelve. I had never really thought about writing before then and definitely not poetry but I was just sitting there and out it came. I remember I thought about this line "the far out reaches of space" and I though about myself being stuck in space literally and then it became metaphorically and at that point I was looking around for a pen and piece of paper. I had to write it down. I did and it was a poem and I haven't stopped since. Mostly haven't stopped anyway. I wish I would force myself to write more now but I'm not and I am not worrying about it, I write when I have time/ feel it and I don't when I don't I have written one book that you can actually buy at the store and one that is still stuck on my old hard drive and Scott says he will get off for me one day. Hopefully that is soon because it is finished.
2. pool party: That was awesome, I had so much fun at that pool party. It was the first time I had really gotten out of the house and done something really fun for me with my friends since Chance was born. I have to admit when you (jon) walked through the door I thought "what's his name? what's his name?" I felt really bad about that to myself but it all worked out. I was also glad my sister came in because we don't hang out much as friends usually it's just family stuff.
3. geocaching: I have a couple friends in Orlando that have been doing it for ever and they tried to get me into it for the longest time but I didn't have a GPS and Scott wasn't really into it so those two things made it hard to do when I was living in Fort Myers. Then we moved to New Orleans and Scott got this job where he travels all the time so I bought a GSP thinking it was a small expense for the time it would fill while Scott was away. Then I got hooked. It is addictive. Once you find one you want to find another and another. Also it was great for learning a new city. I went places I had never been before and probably would have no reason to go. I read historical markers I never would have stopped the car to read had it not been for geocaching. I still cache, actually I went a couple days ago and I was going to go today but it is raining. I also have two that I have put out myself one by my Moms house in Fl and one her by my house in NOLA. It is a little harder to do it now because Chance runs so we can only do ones in or around parks if no one is here to help me keep an eye on him. One person to look for the cache and one to watch him. But he loves being outside so hopefully I can put him to work actually looking for the caches soon.
4.New Orleans: I have a real love/hate relationship with the city. I don't really think it is fair to the city to be honest.I think it takes the wrap for all the being alone I have done for the majority of the time we have lived here. I love the arts and the go with the flow everyone can do whatever they want atmosphere here in New Orleans. I don't like the under funded public works (holes in the streets etc.) and the crime, which is getting worse. In the whole time I lived in Fort Myers I actually knew personally one person who was maybe (some thought it was suicide) murdered I have lived in NOLA 3 years and I know 2 people and another I said hi to in the coffee shop a few times. There is something wrong with that. Add to that school is looming in our future and New Orleans has some of the worst schools in the country and our country isn't that hot for education globally anyway. I would be doing Chance a horrible injustice by sending him to any public school here and the private schools cost more money which we may or may not have in a couple years. I would really like to own a home here and live somewhere else. I would love the freedom to come and go here as I please, to add to the community and experience the festivals but without the burden of being stuck here all the time. I want Chance to know that people are weird and crazy and different and that it is OK and should be embraced which is exactly what they do here but I want him to be safe and well taken care of and I just know in my heart that this isn't the place for those things.
5. hot mama: I am not sure how to approach this one. Did I mention hot mama in a previous post that I do not remember or do you just think I am one and in that case thank you, thank you very much. Let me tell you this I gained weight when I was pregnant and then I lost a lot when I had Chance it was great I felt great and looked great. Then something happened, I evened out. I mean I gained a little weight back and am sort of squishy. Now something I have also learned in the last few months is that although the number on the scale might be a little higher than I like the way I look is all in my head. If I wake up and have a good day I am sexy when I look in the mirror and other people tell me so, Scott says I look good and other people ask me if I have lost weight. Then on other days when I am feeling crappy no one says anything and I feel ugly all day. So I know that the hot mama I aspire to be is in here I just have to think happy thoughts and she emerges.
5 things
Pentagon to Allow Photos of Returning War Dead
This is something that has really bothered me over the last eight years. Why can't we see the dead? Ever wonder why we as Americans seem so far removed from the cultures of other countries around the world? Well, I am here to tell you one of the big reasons...we don't know death. There are a lot of people that would be upset by that statement "my Mom died last year," they might say or "My best friend died from Cancer," and I feel your pain, I really do. My Dad died when I was eleven years old on the couch right next to me, I got your pain right here. But unlike other cultures who celebrate their elders and bring the dying and even their dead into their homes embracing that passage of life as we know it, we simply chose not to acknowledge it at all. Is there anyone out there who really does not know that death happens? Even children too young to have had any real life experience with it should be aware that it happens, pets die, plants die, parents die and soldiers die. It happens, it is a fact of life and one that we would be better off to embrace than pretend it isn't going to happen to everyone you know at some point including yourself.
So what is the big deal with seeing photos of flag draped coffins? One thing, now you know. Now you know how many men and women fighting for this country don't come back to hug their families and tuck their children into bed at night. We have all heard the number on the news, the number of soldiers that have been killed overseas but no one wants be a number. Why? Because you can't identify with a number, numbers don't have faces, they don't have stories. You tell me what effects you more some anchor on the nightly news saying "there were 15 soldiers killed today in Fallujah" or video of a line of fifteen coffins being unloaded from a military plane? That's what I thought.
Photo from TheMemoryHole.org
Gonna Give It Away Wednesday
I notice that lots of the blogs that have giveaways have fancy or silly names for their giveaway posts so this is mine. I don't know yet if I will be giving away something every week that will sort of depend on my supply of items to give away but more on that later. For now lets talk about the giveaway.
What am I giving away you ask? Well, now that the Mardi Gras season is over and all of the parades have rolled on down the road I have a lot of throws (that's what we call the items people throw to the crowd from the floats) that desperately need a home. Some are collectible and some are just for fun but if you have ever wanted to have your very own authentic Mardi Gras throws and just haven't made it down to the Big Easy to catch some for yourself, then this is the giveaway for you.
Specifically this giveaway includes a cup from the Krewe of Iris, a string of beads with medallion from the Krewe of Carrollton(still in the packaging), a cute stuffed caterpillar, a bumper sticker from the Krewe du Vieux and lots of beads, more than are seen in this horrible (sorry it's so bad) picture.
Some of you may be wondering what you will do with these things if you were lucky enough to be chosen the winner. Your imagination is the only limit, you could collect them, wear them, decorate with them, kids LOVE them and I have even heard of people turning the beads into craft projects with their kids.
How do I enter? Good question. There are 3 ways to enter:
2. Twitter about this giveaway, then leave another comment here telling me you did so and where I can find the tweet ie. a url or your twitter id so I can find you. This will get you one more entry.
3. If you have a blog of your own, spread the word about this giveaway on your blog then leave one more comment here telling me about it and giving me a link to your blog. This one is worth 2 entries.
What are the Rules to this Giveaway?
1. An email address is required so leave it with your comment (or else how will you know you won)
2. A winner will be chosen using random.org
3. The winner will be contacted via email and will have 3 days to reply before a new winner is chosen.
4. Open to US and Canada address'
5. Ends on Tuesday 3/3/09 @ 10PM CST. Good Luck!!!
This Giveaway Has Ended.
What's on my nightstand
Here is my list of things to read or that I just finished this month:
- Leven Thumps and the Eyes of the Want
I am about half way through this hope to finish it ASAP
- You Suck: A Love Story
I just finished this one audio on my Ipod. Loved it! great sequel to Bloodsucking Fiends
- Poemcrazy: Freeing Your Life with Words
I am in the middle of this one, it has been on my bookshelf for a few years now. I picked it up to try to jump start my writing but it is now buried under a Parents, Good Housekeeping and Playboy on the back of the toilet so we will see about this one.
- Fool: A Novel
This is the next audio lined up in my Ipod. I am really excited to get it started, I love Christopher Moore
Now I have to ask...what are you reading? If you keep your own blog then I invite you to visit the 5minutesforbooks blog by clicking on the picture at the top of this post then write a post of your own if you don't have your own blog then please leave me a comment telling me what you are reading now.
Happy Mardi Gras
I want to wish everyone a happy Mardi Gras. Even though none of the rest of the country even celebrates Mardi Gras (they should) it is a great holiday. It is a day when you are allowed even supposed to party before the 40 days of Lent. Here in New Orleans it is a great day everyone is out of school and off work (almost everywhere closes for Mardi Gras) everyone has a smile on their face and as you pass people on the street wishes of "happy Mardi Gras" are heard all around. It is a great day of release. If everyone enjoyed or allowed themselves to enjoy the release that Mardi Gras brings the world would be a happier place.
The little guy and I walked through the French Quarter today watching the people and enjoying the camaraderie of the day. I really am excited to be able to expose him to such rich traditions. I know some of you are thinking "what the Hell is she talking about? I thought Mardi Gras was about boobies!" To you I say...um...no.
Want to know more about this great city and the weird things they, I mean we do here?
Read a book,this is a good one:
Giveaway over at Wise Young Mommy Blog
So there is a giveaway going on over at the Wise Young Mommy blog that you should check out. I copied this information from her blog post but you have to go over to her blog to enter.
This is a really cool product from Zoom Album, and I was lucky enough to be sent my very own sample to try out and review for you guys. These little photo books are not only adorable and handy to carry around to hold your favorite pics, but the company also offers a great opportunity for moms (or anyone for that matter) to make some money introducing others to Zoom Album as a Photo Coach.
Here is what the web site has to say about their product:
"ZoomAlbums are small, portable photo albums with a professional look that customers can make at home. In just a few minutes, any user can create a handmade gift or keepsake using the familiar technologies found in most households today: a PC, digital camera, camera phone or scanner, and a color Inkjet printer.
Now, my printer died and we haven't replaced it yet, so Zoom Album agreed to make me my book for me so I could see what the finished product looks like. All I had to do was upload 12 cute pictures of my kids to Picasa and the folks over at Zoom Album sent me my own little keepsake book. I loved it, and my kids especially loved it because they had a little kid-sized book filled with pictures of them. Yes, my kids love looking at themselves, I don't know where they get it from.
Each kit includes enough materials for three Zoom Albums. You can choose from a photo cover or a solid color cover for your 3"X 3" hardbound books. The glossy self adhesive photo sheets included allow you to print all 12 photos out on one sheet and the kit comes with really easy directions to show you how to assemble your books. All you need are your digital pictures and the kit and you can create your own little pocket sized masterpieces.
I love this idea, and I am a VERY un-crafty person, so you know it's good if I want to try it. I am so bad about printing my photos, but with this innovative idea, I will definitely do it. It's a great idea for gifts for the grandparents, aunts and uncles, or even as stocking stuffers! I am always looking for inexpensive, unique gifts so this product is perfect. Plus, I have the opportunity to make some money while doing it!
Zoom Album's Photo Coach program is a neat way to use your interest in the product to generate a little extra income from the comfort of your own home. Here is how it works:
Simply show your finished ZoomAlbum photobook to someone - a family member, friend, colleague, or even the lady behind you at the grocery store. Explain what’s in a ZoomAlbum Kit and how to make a photobook. Then show them how to order online using your Coach ID. They will get a 15% discount, and when their order is processed, you will receive 30% in sales commission within 30 days. It’s really that easy!
Just go to the Zoom Album web site, and click on "Become a Photo Book Coach" to purchase your Coach Kit and get started. It's fun and easy, so why not?"
Remember go to her blog to enter
Thinking about all the other stuff
So when you become a Mom it kind of takes over your life at least for that one (or maybe more, I feel for you guys) day that you are in the hospital actually giving birth to the little bundle of joy. After that you are yourself again. Believe it or not you, the person you were before giving birth walks right back into the room sits down on the edge of the bed and says "hi." Then proceeds to start thinking for you again, little things like I have to pee and I wonder what I can see if I look out that window. Contrary to popular belief not every single thought that goes through your brain turns to your child the minute he or she pops out. At least that is not what happened to me and I am willing to bet that is not what happens to the majority of Moms out there.
Don't get me wrong I think about my little one all the time but I think about lots and lots and lots of other things too. I think society leads women to believe that once you have a baby you won't think about anything but the baby and that if you do something must be wrong with you. As if the only thing wrong with those people who (god forbid) beat/rape or murder their children is the fact that they were not thinking about their child 24 hours per day 7 days per week. Trust me there was a lot of other shit going on in the background there and whether or not they had their children on the brain 24/7 was not the deciding factor.
So, here I sit wondering if there is something wrong with me that I still think about myself (oh yeah and I like it) but you know what? I don't think there is, there is nothing wrong with me for wanting to be myself and not lose my life to the ever expanding black hole of Momdom. I still think censorship is wrong and I still don't like it when other people let their kids run around like heathens. I still like sex and sugar and rock-n-roll. And that is OK in fact I am going to go so far as to say that is a good thing because I want my son to grow up seeing real people with passions and problems. I don't want him to grow up to be the same I want him to be different. Will he get picked on? Maybe. Will it be harder for him? Sometimes. Will he be a better person because of it? Definitely!
crappy day
So, I am having a crappy day today. I found out the although my husbnad was supposed to be home for Mardi Gras for the 3rd year in a row his job has completely ignored the fact that he asked to stay home for the holiday and are once again sending him off to work in another city which means me and the little one will be alone for Mardi Gras again this year. Let me tell you it is really shitty when you wonder around a completely adult holiday with an infant, baby or toddler. I am really not looking forward to it again this year. I just want to hide but I live only a few blocks from the French Quarter so hiding isn't really an option. I love Mardi Gras I really do as a matter of fact I find it quite refreshing that New Orleans has it's very own holiday that no other place in the United States shares. I just wish my husband was here to share it with me. I have spent too long being all cynical about him not being here all the time and with each passing day that hard shell is becoming more difficult to keep from cracking.
I must work on enjoying each day, that is one thing I will do, enjoy each day. Ok it is one thing that I will try to do.
what I am thinking
So this is what I am thinking. I need to turn my life into some money. That will be hard work for sure but if I can pull down $100 per week I could stay home longer and take some of the burden off of Scott. So here is the idea. It is one that I am passionate about which is very important when starting a business. A blogything connecting people who believe that once you become a Mom it doesn't mean that everything else goes away. You are still things other than being a Mom. Sure your life has a baby in it but that does not take away who you ae and you do not have to primarily identify yourself through your child. I do not know how to make it profitable and I would need to make it look good but I think I should try.
Maybe Playboy is Right.
So I have been thinking recently, why does it seem wrong to "friend" people on Myspace that I do not know in real life but it does not feel wrong to "follow" people ion twitter that I do not know at all. What is the difference?
Then I read Peep Culture an article in the February issue of Playboy by Hal Niedzviecki. Basically, we are separating ourselves from one another and by doing so we get the feeling that it is ok to get virtually closer to one another. Even though you really want to know what is going on inside that weird house down the street you would never walk up to the window and look inside but you would "follow" the people who live in that house on Twitter. And though that would would get a glimpse through the curtains into that person's life. Hal is exploring the question, why does that seem ok? And what does that mean for society.
After I moved to New Orleans I used Myspace to stay in touch with my friends back home. It was great because I could check in on them whenever I wanted without bugging them with a phone call just to say I was homesick again, but I never added a person to my friends list that I did not know personally because I thought I did not want to look into their lives and I did not want a stranger looking into mine but now that I am on Twitter it feels different. I think the reason for this is two fold, one is that it happens so fast it is more interactive I'm updating and they are updating and we are virtually communicating even though I don't know some of these people we can have a more instant conversation rather than just picking through the life of someone I don't know they are "talking" to me and two the things they are saying to me are short they are fast snippets of what is happening in their lives right now not whole life stories such as can be found on a blog. When I read a blog I feel like I am invading someones life more than when reading tweets because they are so short.
Is it invading if people put the information out there for the taking? No, but it is still the way I feel. With each generation we feel less and less that way as a people it becomes more and more acceptable to "friend" and "follow" anyone without ever laying eyes on them, I think this is because we actually "know" fewer people these days. The Internet is slowly but surely cutting out the middle man in life. Now the computer is becoming the middle man we never actually see the people we talk to online so I talk to my computer and my computer talks to you it is as simple as that and one day when I am older I will think of you and realize I never actually knew you.
The bottom line
The CEO of JP Morgan Chase thinks it is "unfair" for Obama to put a pay cap on CEO's of banks who received bailout money. Well, guess what it isn't unfair, it is perfectly fair. If your institution is doing fine and does not need taxpayer money to bail out the water from the economic flood that they helped create then you get the right to pay yourself whatever you want. But the minute you walk into Congress and ask for the people's money to help your company then it becomes perfectly fair for us (the American people) to set limits. The American people elected Obama as our spokesman, it is his job protect our assets. The money that I can in taxes is meant to support the government not pay your million dollar salary.
If you think it is "unfair" then give the billions of dollars back to the government then you can pay yourself whatever you want. You went to the government begging for money, you can give it back, let you company go under and see how much you are getting paid then. Beggars can't be choosers Mr. CEO so if you really need that money shut up and take your $500,000 salary. I haven't made that much money in my entire life, just think about how lucky you are for a change and stop your bitching.
My Turn Day
Everyone should help people everyday. I really believe this even though I don't do it every day. Some days I empty the change cup in my car out into the hand of a man or woman standing by the side of the road with a cardboard sign. After I do this I feel happy not happy for myself but just happy it really puts a smile on my face. We should do things like this everyday. If we all did little things for people every day then the world would be a much better place. People get caught up in thinking that they can't help unless they make big donations to well know organizations but that simply is not true. It is the little things that give a little speck of light into someone's day that make the most difference on a personal level. Help the people around you, the ones to pass on your way to work. If you help those close by you will be more likely to really see the difference you are making.
If you need a little extra push to get out and help check out this website http://myturnday.com. Sometimes all you need is a little push
Zasu Pitts
First, let me say with a name like that she already gets a gold star in my book. Zasu Pitts birth name was Eliza Susan Pitts, you can see where she came up with her stage name I am sure. If you don't see it yet, just wait for it and it will come to you. She goes all the way back to silent films and was one of the people to see the transition from silent to talkies. It seems as though she made it through the switch as well with a film career before and after films started to speak. She found work in vaudeville as well as lending her talents to radio. Working along side the likes of Bing Crosby , Al Jolson and Rudy Vallee as well as many others.
Zasu also acted on Broadway and starred in "Ramshackle Inn" in 1944 which was especially written for her by George Batson. There are many quotes about her but my favorite one is by the Director Alfred E. Green who said her face "has been on more cutting-room floors than any other actress". Turns out she was a famous scene-stealer who had a habit of overshadowing the star. Leading to her scenes being cut to keep peace on the set. She became ill late in life but she continued to work. I wonder when reading biographies of older film stars if they worked on because they wanted to or because they had to, now a days people just assume movie stars have money no matter what. Of course we also assume that anyone who has any kind of part in a movie is a star. That is just not true, but that is another story.
Zasu was married twice with one child who was her best friend's son. Zasu and her husband Tom Gallery adopted the boy when his mother, Barbara La Marr died. She was quoted as saying "I was what they called a feature player, never a star. They say I was in 500 films, everything but the newsreels." She passed away on 7 June 1963in Hollywood, California and although I find it strange that things like this are available on the Internet she was interred at Holy Cross Cemetery, Culver City, California, USA, in the 'Grotto' section, Lot 195, Grave 1 in case you are looking for her.
