Technology is the COOLEST

Hello! Hope everyone survived Christmas just fine.

Last night we took the Christmas tree down, then burned the limbs in our firepit. It was a spectacular way to end the Christmas season. Now...onward to the New Year.

I am writing this post from my couch, looking at my pretty tv, and typing on a wireless keyboard that goes with the Wii. It is fabulous! It was a gift from my mom, and I love love love it. I type, or surf the internet during commercials. It's a beautiful thing.

Sorry for the sparse posting. Someone I love read my blog was and was upset by something I'd written, and I need a little time to examine my boundaries and what not. However, if you're someone I love that would be upset to know how I think...I know I'm blunt, and I sometimes share too much...if you're one of those people that is offended by that sort of behavior...just don't read it. And don't think the whole world is reading it. I hardly think anyone does, really. But I view this blog as a space to just be myself, to anyone who chooses to take time to look at it. So, I'm just going to have to keep being myself. I think that's why the people that do read, do. But perhaps I need a bit more of a filter...it's a lot to think about.

Happy New Year.
I'm a good person, and I hope no one is too mad at me for too long.

I think I'm back

One thing I've learned...I don't do so well in extended gloomy weather. It takes every ounce of motivation right out of me.

And I've been really avoiding my computer...not just this blog...my whole computer. And I don't really know why.

Some things have happened since I last posted. The biggest...that play is over. That play wasn't all sorts of fun, really. There were some really good times, and all of those involve my cast...and then there were some truly awful times, and those were nearly completely caused by adults associated with the theatre. My attitude is a little sour right now. But, now it is over, and buddy am I glad.

Also, we got rid of a bed at my house so that we can have room for an office for Jon. We've had a weird little arrangement, really. We each have had our own bedroom the whole time we've lived together. We sleep together, but we had our own rooms. And that was nice, but I kind of like us being cozy in the same room. And I FOR SURE like having an office.

We're on the prowl for an old largish metal desk. Any leads?

My mom, dad, and Nana came to see my play. That was great. And also, Allison, Matt, Liz, Libby, and my mother-in-law. And Jon, too many times for his liking.

Ooh---I've always wanted a tree with popcorn and cranberries, and I actually did it this year. People...just so you know, it takes kind of a long time for all of those popcorn pieces to get situated on the Christmas tree.

Hibernating

I am hibernating.

The Best Christmas Pageant Ever

Photo by Jon Eckard

Come see the play I've been directing all this time. Next Saturday, it will be at 2:30 at HCT in downtown Hickory. If you can't make it then, you could also see it the 9th, 10th, 11th, 16th 17th and 18th at 9 am, or the 17th and 18th at 11 am.

To reserve tickets, which may be a good idea for that Saturday show, just click here.

It's called The Best Christmas Pageant Ever, and while it may not be the best ever, it will still be good.

Although Saturday, we did have an ambulance disrupt rehearsal. Minor emergency...everything is fine now.

Easiest Day Ever

Today I am subbing in middle school. I'm the band teacher. I taught all the kids here when they were in elementary school, and they're thrilled to see me. And? Half the kids are on a field trip, leaving me with 2, count them, 2, classes. One at 8:10, and one at 11. So, during my first break I went shopping. I have to stick around in case someone shows up for the 1:50 class, but I get to leave again at 11:50 for 2 hours, then I stick my head in, hopefully see no one, then go home.

Rock on.

Look what else I did, with help from Jon!

Look what I did!

Now, isn't that pretty? But I also made broccoli casserole, sweet potato casserole, mashed potatoes, gravy, cranberry and pomegranate relish, bread, and amazing stuffing. It all went off without a hitch!

Thankful

At this point, I've asked about 450 kids what they're thankful for. I have a few things too, so I'll share. I will be just as in depth and silly as the kids. And, I thought I'd mention that my day yesterday was made brighter by the response from a kindergartner...what was she thankful for? Me! :)

1: My husband, Jon. Oh dear. I couldn't make it without him at this point. I won't go on and on, but I sure do love him, and I'm thankful every day.

2: My mom. She is awesome. I miss her if I go 2 days without talking to her. Fortunately, we get to talk a lot.

3: My dad. Because we went years with no relationship, and now we're close. It's very nice. It just took me growing up some, I think, and him growing up some. And then lots of effort on both our parts. And a wife that pushed for it and approved. I'm thankful for her too.

4: My family at large. I have a pretty swell large family, and I like them all. My sister, especially. Pictured is my mom's side of the family.

5: My In-Laws. This includes Evelyn, Don and Thad. I love love love them, and they absolutely treat me like their daughter. Actually, they treat me better, because we don't fight or anything.

6: Allison. BFF.

7: Matt. My other best friend. Matt and Allison are totally different, and both feel like permanent fixtures.

8: My small but great group of other friends. I don't like to have a lot of friends. Who has time for that? So, I end up being pretty selective. My friend circle is very different than last year this time. That is a good thing. My friend circle is MUCH BETTER than last year this time.

* I thought I should mention all people before things. So, now for other things. :)

9: Bertha. I mean, I know you guys know that. But I love that dog. I come home at the end of the day, and it is the best moment of her life every time. It makes me feel so special. Jon says that some days, she just sits in the chair by the window, staring and waiting for me ALL DAY.

10: My job situation. I don't know many 27 year-olds who are doing what they want, and making it. I love subbing. I love trivia. I really love working with Jon. I love directing plays (although honestly, not very much this week). It's all pretty sweet.

11: My condo. I always loved my condo, and Jon has really made lots of improvements. It makes me happy to know that it is mine. Well, ours. But, not someone else's...we're not throwing away money every month. And when we fix something up, it doesn't feel wasteful. It feels helpful and wise. (I'm not happy about the neighbors. On one hand, they bother Allison more, because she shares a wall with them, and must hear their horrible redneck fighting at all hours, sometimes like they were in her own room. On the other hand, the kids LOVE me and bother me all the time as a result. Perhaps one day Allison and I could tag team some blog entries about the adventures of living next door to these people.)

12: My place in the community. I know that sounds weird. But, I'm starting to know some good people, and people are starting to know me and that is all well and good.

13: My bathtub. It's a great old one and the back is just the right amount curved. I don't have a pic of the actual bathtub, but this is close.

14: My espresso maker. Because it makes espresso.

15: My car. It's cute.

16: The Internet, because what in the world did we do before it?

17: Food. Because we could all be starving. Instead, we have delicious food available at every turn.

18: My Wii.

19: Everything from this list.

20: Barack Obama. Well, kind of him, but more what he represents.

Photo by Breslow on Flickr.

21: All the kids at Catawba Elementary who actually love me.

22: My blog. And you folks who read it. I've said it before, but you save me thousands in therapy.

23: Luck. I have good luck, generally, and good karma too, I suppose.

24: The United States. I'm not particularly patriotic, and there are lots of things wrong with our country, but dude, we could be living in Africa.

Photo by Stevetookit on Flickr.

25: Love. I'm so lucky. I'm pretty consistently surround by love and good thoughts. That's why I'm such a happy little girl.

Why you shouldn't take YASMIN

OK-bear with me. I'm going to talk about birth control, and even sex a little bit, which will be a first for this here blog. If that will offend you, then instead of reading, click here.

Call me crazy, but if you're taking birth control, you probably like having sex. You take the birth control so that you can have the sex without getting preggers, right? Something you may not know...one of the biggest reasons BC works with a lot of ladies is because it totally kills their sex drive. Can't get pregnant if you aren't doing the deed. 40% of women report a marked decrease in sex drive. 5-10% of women on BC COMPLETELY lose their libido. That percentage is much much higher in women taking Yasmin. And do you know why you don't know that? Doctors apparently don't find it pertinent.

First, why does BC decrease your libido? I'll quote a website: "It appears that the birth control pill affects sex drive because it acts directly on a woman's sexual hormones. In particular, the birth control pill inhibits the production of androgens, including testosterone, in a woman's ovaries. Androgens have a direct effect on the pleasure that you experience during sexual intercourse. Additionally, the birth control pill increases the amount of sex-hormone binding globulin (SHBG) in the body. SHBG is a protein that binds to testosterone, preventing a woman's body from using it effectively. High levels of SHBG have been directly linked to decreased libido and sexual desire."

Yasmin, which is touted as a way to clear up your face, make your periods lighter, and protect against pregnancy, has huge amounts of SHGB. It causes the biggest decrease in libido. It does such a great job of clearing your face, etc. because it binds up all of your testosterone.

Can you think of many things more detrimental to a marriage than when one person completely and utterly loses any interest in sex? It's not just the sex...the implications are very far reaching. The man starts thinking "What's wrong with me? Maybe I'm not attractive, or maybe she's cheating, or maybe..." Meanwhile, the wife, who has always been very interested in sex, feels like she's quite broken. Or maybe she thinks that something is wrong in her marriage because she isn't interested. And she certainly feels terribly guilty for not being the wife that her husband married. But, the whole time, it is simply a hormone imbalance caused by a pill when the doctors knew this would probably happen.

Interestingly, some researchers put a bunch of Gorillas on birth control, to see what would happen. They totally lost interest in sex, and then the male gorillas became increasingly violent and angry. 80% of women in the US will spend some time on the pill. So, it doesn't surprise me that our culture at large is getting increasingly violent and angry. Or that couples who don't have sex as much because of this whole thing fight all the time.

What makes me so angry is that I didn't know. Researchers knew, and my doctor knew, but I didn't know. I think it's awfully important, when giving a drug that is centered around sex , to at least mention the sexual side effects, if only in passing.

And what is worse...the effects last. I took Yasmin for 2 months before I realized that it was the pill that was turning my life upside down. I've been off of it for 3 months, and I'm still nowhere near normal. I've spent a great deal of time researching it online, and this is what I've come up with...

Nettle Root. It somehow counteracts the SHBG. Just taking testosterone doesn't do the trick. That will just make you break out with huge pimples and hair in the wrong places. The problem isn't that you don't have testosterone...just that it is bound up and unuseable. But nettle root causes your body to free the hormone, and you get back to normal. I just ordered some, and I'll let you know.

I've been dealing with this for 5 months, and I've known the problem for the last 3. I didn't blog about it, because it is, of course, something super personal that we've been dealing with.

But, I'm just pissed off now. And if I could save one person from this nonsense, then it is worth telling the world. So, I'm sorry if you're all "TMI", but I really had to get this off my chest.

We live in a world where Viagra is well known, well advertised, and well funded. That is a drug that exists simply to help men have them some sex. Meanwhile, we have drug for women that has the total opposite effect, and it isn't even mentioned. Arrrgg.

Adorable Kitty

I'm 99% sure that the cute kitty has a home now. So, whew!

Sad

I saw in the news that a fellow from Lenoir Rhyne died, and they were investigating. He was 19 years old. Apparently, he died while being initiated into Theta Chi. His name was Harrison.

So I immediately jumped to the conclusion that there was drunken hazing going on.

But, it really seems to be an accident. They were playing Capture the Flag, he fell and hit his head on the frozen ground, started talking crazy, and died in the hospital.

So how responsible is the fraternity? Well, they were playing at night, in the pitch black, with no flashlights and black clothes. Pretty irresponsible, but I suppose it could have been worse. I'm sure they've been doing it for years, and considered it good fun. But, college students are not known for their responsibility or maturity, are they?

When I was pledging Alpha Psi Omega, they sent all the pledges on a scavenger hunt. But, there was a good 4 inches of snow that had freshly fallen. To make a long story straight, we all piled into 2 cars, mine being one. Then, I proceeded to drive my car right into the other one, involving every single member of the pledge class in an accident. Ooops. But come on...why send a bunch of college kids into a blizzard? Could the scavenger hunt not have happened the next night?

For all of you who are confused at the thought of me in a sorority...I wasn't. Alpha Psi Omega was a different situation. It was an Honors Fraternity...not social. So, there were girls and guys. But, it was very hard to get in...you had to have 100 points, with points coming from plays you were involved in. And buddy did you have to do a lot to get up to that 100. And the whole pledge process was ridiculous. In that aspect, it wasn't like an Honors Fraternity. It was still very social...you just had to do lots and lots of theatre to get in, but you kind of had to be well liked as well. I loved it at first, and ended up detesting it, but not before I was the Vice President for a while.

Perhaps someday I'll blog about that whole part of my life. I learned some great lessons, some horrible lessons, and some really hard lessons. I left with a bad taste in my mouth, and I sort of retreated from it all for the last year of college.

Let's just say that it is never good for you to work with, hang out with, have classes with, be in plays with, be in fraternities with, and party with the exact same group of people. NO GOOD can come of that. Drama people are almost all self-centered, and they like to stir up trouble. So, it isn't generally a good idea to totally surround yourself with that group of people.

Totally off topic at this point.

Dude died horribly in a fraternity accident. That's terrible.

Click here for the whole story.

Who wants a cat?

In the comments of the last post, Liz mentioned a cat. This is the cat, and I agree that it is awfully cute.

Boy not up for grabs, but the cat is.

Email me if you're interested!

1. My eye color: Blue, with a little dot of brown in one.
2. Favorite car: I would love a beautiful mint Carmann Ghia.
3. Right-handed or left-handed: Right
4. Shoes you wore today: Islander Crocs with fuzzy pink socks.
5. My fears: No one knowing who I am.
6. Goal you would like to achieve this year: Land myself a good job with an established DJ, get Jon's business going a little stronger.
7. Thoughts first waking up: How do I turn so that I can cuddle best with the dog and the man?
8. My bedtime: Depends on my schedule that day and the next.
9. Pepsi or Coke: Coke
10. Single or Group Dates: Single dates with my baby.
11. Chocolate or Vanilla: Chocolate
12. Do you smoke: What a habit to have.
13. Do you sing: Yes
14. Have you been in love: Yes. Of course. I'm a married girl.
15. Do you want to get married: I am.
16. Do you get along with your parents: Yes, both are very cool, and I even like my step parents.
17. Do you play a musical instrument: I dabble.
18. In the past month have you smoked: Yes. Sorry mom. But I did switch to organic cigarettes, and I smoke a lot less of them.
19: Favorite candy bar: I don't eat candy bars.
20: In the past month have you gone on a date: Yes.
21. All-time favorite sports team: I don't do sports.
22. Ideal girlfriend/boyfriend: Jon Eckard
23. My best friend(s): Allison and Matt.
24. Do you believe in love at first sight: No, that’s just lust.
25. Favorite clothing brand: ? Target?
26. Dream vacation: Saba
27. My favorite singer: Sublime, or Amy Winehouse
28. My favorite movie: The Princess Bride
29. Have you ever fired a gun: A thousand times, but no real bullets. I spent some summers working at Tweetsie Railroad and Horn in the West. I shot lots of guns, but they all had blanks. They were real guns, though. Does that count?
30: Do you like answering these questions: I'm bored.
31. Do you like yourself: Yes ma'am.
32. I am addicted to… Coke, my Wii, stupid cigarettes.
33. Favorite drink: Coke
34. Do you have a crush on anyone: Just my hubby.
35. Are you ticklish: Yes. Don't tickle me. I HATE it.
36: Favorite ice cream flavor: Cherry Garcia
37. Define yourself in 3 words… Creative, Outgoing, Scattered
38. Do you believe in God: Yes.
39: Favorite day of the week: Saturday
40. Heads or tails: Heads
41. Favorite author: Salinger, Palihnuik, Stephen King.
42. What magazines do you read: Time.
43. Sweet or sour: Sweet
44. Favorite chewing gum brand: Trident
45. My hair color: Blonde, and curly.
46. Height: 5′ 5″
47. My heritage: English, Irish, Cherokee
48. My weakness: Impatience, and I get mean when I’m hungry. Not always the best at follow through.
49. My perfect pizza: Pep. and Mushroom on a thin crust, Papa Johns Pizza.
50: My most overused phrase on IM: I don't really IM.
51. My best physical feature: I'd say eyes, Jon would say my rear.
52. Do you get motion sickness: If I sit in the backseat and get hot in a car, or try to read in a car, yes.
53. McDonalds or Burger King: McDonalds
54. Lipton Ice Tea or Nestea: Coke.
55.Cappuccino or Coffee: Espresso
56. Do you swear: Never on this here blog.
57. Do you want to go to college: Never again.
58. Do you think you’re attractive: Yes. More so now than ever before.
59. Do you like thunderstorms: Yes, but I don't like my dog's reaction.
60. In the past month have you drunk alcohol: No. I have IBS, and it is no good for that situation.
61. In the past month have you been on drugs: OTCs. No more BC, because did you know that in 40% of women, it causes a near total lack of sex drive? And did you know that no one ever mentions that?
62. Favorite cartoon as a child: Bugs Bunny
63. Favorite sport: None.
64. In the past month have you been on stage: Every night at rehearsal. Also, it isn't a stage, but I do have a captive audience and a microphone every week.
65. Ever been beaten up: Nope
66. How you want to die: Peacefully, in my sleep
67. Number of piercings: Two in each ear, but I never wear earrings.
68. Favorite color: Red.
69:Favorite food dish: Sushi? I don't know. I love love love all sorts of food.
70. My parents are… Divorced and happily remarried.
71. Do you have children: Not yet.
72. Do you have pets: A dog and a cat.
My favorite music genre: Classic rock .
74. My favorite season: Fall
75. Silver or Gold: Silver
76. Who was the last person that called you: Matt.
77: Are you a good driver: I think I'm a fine driver. Jon, however, has something to say about my driving at least 2 or 3 times in every trip. But I can't be too bad, because he has me drive everywhere.
78. Would you rather be rich or famous: Famous
79. When I’m sad or down, I prefer to… cuddle with Jon or Bertha.
80. What is your phone’s current ringtone: I never reset the factory settings. It's a annoying little song.
81. The longest you’ve gone without sleeping: 1 day
82. What would you do with a million dollars: Start a restaurant/theatre.
83. What makes you laugh: Most things.
84. Your favorite book: No idea. I really like On the Road.
85. Most embarrassing moment: My boob popped out at my first wedding, and at a point when everyone was staring at me. Also, once I pooped myself at school. Not while I was in school...no no. Last year. See above where I mention IBS.
86: Favorite item that you currently own: Laptop.
87: Have you ever moved: Oh, bunches.
Kisses or hugs: Why choose?
89. Are you a very emotional person: Oh yeah. If I make it 3 days without crying, I'm so very proud of myself.
90: Do you think anyone else will repost this? Probably not. It's long. I didn't realize how long until I got started. Whew. Glad I'm done.

So...freaking...excited!

I've always loved Alice in Wonderland, and I can think of no one better equipped to direct it than Tim Burton. And can you think of a better Mad Hatter? I didn't think so. Pic from here.

Things I Love

I present to you, a love letter to the little things that make my life better:

1: Coffee. Nothing starts the day better than a good cup of joe from my handy espresso maker. Jon makes the best espresso, and I make the best coffee. I enjoy it in a beautiful mug with honey from my mother-in-law's bees. I add some heavy cream, stir it up with my beautiful bone spoon, and I'm set for 30 minutes of bliss. A word on the bone spoon-Jon has always had some, and they are from Africa. He had 3 spoons and 3 forks. I used the spoons every morning, till he started saying "You'll ruin them if you use them everyday." And I was all, "But I love them and I want to use them every day." So, he got me a even more beautiful spoon and fork of my own for my birthday. Love it.

2: Fruit. I love all kinds, although I'm not the biggest fan of the banana. Among my favorites: pomegranates, clementines, and muscadine grapes. Gotta eat some fruit every day. My mother-in-law also makes canned pears that are very very good. The picture is of the little pomegranate jewels. I feel like a princess eating it.


3: Coca-Cola. I know it may as well be poison, but I love that stuff. I love the way it sinfully tickles my nose and throat. Pic from here.



4: My grill. I'll just get all of the food stuff out of the way. I love my grill. I love everything I cook on it. I love how easy it is to use. I love that sucker.

5: Clean cabinets. I know it isn't really a thing that I can love, but clean cabinets make my life better. It's nice to be able to see what you have. In the last week I've cleaned out my cabinets, dressers and my closet. The result is that I now actually know what things I own and can get my hands on them easier. Plus, Jon's a happier fellow when the cabinets and closets are nice.


6: The ShamWow. I know the commercials are silly, but there is no end to the usefulness of this product. I recommend it. It's worth the $19.95. It would be worth $39.95. And they only get better when you wash them. Saturday I was cutting up a pomegranate in a grey sweater. As I cut it, I put a huge spray of dark red juice across my front. Instead of getting upset, I just put a ShamWow against it. I didn't press...just placed it there. It sucked every drop of juice off of my shirt, and left no trace. That is a good product, people.

7: Aveda Be Curly Cream. All you curly girls out there...I've found a product that actually works like it says it will. I condition my hair, and comb it with the conditioner in. Then, I rinse, and use a ShamWow to blot my curls. Then, I use the curl cream, and bam, boom, good hair day.

8: I like makeup that doesn't look like makeup. I hate smearing cream on my face. So, I use L'Oreal Bare Naturals. Everything is powder...the foundation, blush, eyeliner, eyeshadow, everything. It takes me less than 2 minutes to put on full makeup if I want. It takes me less than a minute to look decent. Love it!


9: Croc shoes. They aren't just for nurses anymore. I think I can wear Crocs every day for the rest of my life. They even make dress shoes now. My favorites are here, here, and here. Notice the different styles. All are like walking on air. Below are the shoes I wore, quite literally, every day of the summer.

10: Animation Domination. I don't know when any show comes on TV. If I'm bored, I may flip through the channels, but I don't know when stuff comes on. Except for Sunday night. I love Sunday night on Fox. I'm not too big on the Simpsons. I wasn't allowed to watch it growing up, and I missed the golden years. But I love King of the Hill, and I LOVE Family Guy. Every Sunday, I try to sit on my couch from 8:30-9:30. Also, I love afternoon sitcoms on TBS.
11: The internet. I'd be remiss if I didn't mention it. I love Blogger, Twitter, Flickr, Picasaweb Albums, iGoogle, Google Calendar, Hulu, Google News, Gmail, SmugMug, and Facebook. But I talk about those enough.

12: My Wii and Wii Fit. I've lost 7 pounds now. It steadied for a while, then I gained a pound, but I'm back on track. My core muscles are awesome. When I put pants on, I can feel my leg muscles through the fat without even trying. And, it hasn't been a bother. It's been fun. Yesterday I didn't work out until right before bed. All day long, my body wished for Yoga. It wanted to stretch, and it didn't work as well because I didn't stretch it. I can tell I'm doing good things for my body and future health, and I'm having fun doing it. The picture below is a screenshot of a Yoga position. As you're doing it, you have to keep the red dot, which is your center of balance, in the yellow circle. It is challenging.

13: Incense. Nothing covers dog fart better. I love walking in my front door, and being greeted by wonderful incense my husband has been burning. Pic from here.

14: A good bath. Every night...gotta have one. I can't help it. I soak, read a book, use a good loofah and some natural soap...it is consistently one of my favorite parts of the day. Pic from here.

15: My laptop, which is a great machine. It simplifies my life.

Ah, Austrailian Commercials.

Crass, but funny, no?

I like working with my husband.

This is the wedding we shot together on November 1st.

Jake, again.

Jake

Meet Jake, my mom's new dog, with my sister Laura.
He is a big hunk of playful muscley love. With a little bit of butter on top.

No internet

I still have no internet. That means that if you've emailed me and I haven't responded, I probably won't until my internet is back up.

But hi everyone! I'll be back soon. Things are going swell.

Update, since I'm not the best blogger.

I haven't been a very good blogger lately. There are some reasons for that, and yes, the Wii is one of them. Also, our internet is down. Allison's internet is down as well, because it's the same internet. I'm not a happy girl. Also, I haven't much felt like it. I've been in the mood to spend every available minute touching my husband, and it's hard to type and touch at the same time. So, there you are. I'll try to be better.

First, let's chat about our new PRESIDENT!!! Oh buddy am I excited. And I know so many people are nervous and scared, but I feel hopeful about our country for the first time in years. Bottom line-things were broken. So, when something is broken, do you go to the fixer who was trained by the guy who broke it? I don't think that's logical. I think you'd go to someone else, even if you weren't totally sure that they could fix it right. Because you know the other guy can't...you know? I'm hopeful he'll fix it, and even if he can't fix it, maybe he'll get this whole country off of the track it was running on. It's been a bunch of old white dudes running our country for so long. Of course they don't care about fixing the energy problem, or the pollution problem, or the global warming problem. They'll be dead before the problems get too big. Me, though, I'll still be kicking. So I'd like to have a President that will kind of take care of those things.

In the last 10 days, I served 4 days of jury duty, filled out a census, talked to the census people on the phone for about 30 minutes, and voted. I feel like a very good citizen.

On to new topics...I've settled into a Wii routine, one that I hope will keep me slim and trim. I do yoga every day, maybe 10-15 minutes of it. Then, I do the super hula hoop game for 10 minutes. It's not much of a game, but it will kick your rear end for sure. You stand on the board, then swing your hips like you're hula hooping. Sometimes you have to lean to get a hoop that people toss at you. But, it's constant motion for 10 minutes, and my sides are getting tight. Then, I do the advanced step. The whole thing takes about 30 minutes, and it is fun. I'm a big fan, don't know if I've mentioned it. I still do other games and such, but that's my workout.

I went to see my mom over the weekend. She got a new dog, Jake, who is truly sweet and fabulous. You can't help but to kiss him all over his very sweet face, and he actually seems to enjoy it. It's hard to get a good picture of him, though, because as soon as he sees the camera, he runs to you and jumps to try to get it. Most of my pictures are actually just blurs. I also got my mom, sister, and step dad hooked on the Wii, and they'll be getting one too. My mom busted up a lot of my high scores, which DID NOT amuse me. (Yes, mom, I'm talking to you, lady!)

I also got to hang out with my sister's boyfriend, and he is as precious as the dog, but in a different way, of course. We also went to the most fabulous bakery, where I got lots of bread, lots of cookies, and some hummus. And then sushi, which needs no real comment. If you're ever in Greensboro, I'd recommend Wasabi. Mom-what's the name of the bakery? I wanted to link to it, and I can't remember.

I had to rush home Saturday for an Art Museum function, which turned out to be super super cool. These folks bought an empty warehouse, then totally revamped it. They live there and they also have a huge art gallery. It was beautiful, and I don't know how you could ever be unhappy surrounded by that much beauty. While there, we hung out with our friends Dylan and Chris. This was great, because I'm a butterfly at parties, and I always feel bad for Jon. But, Dylan is a butterfly too, and Chris and Jon kept each other company. Then, on to Drips, where Matt and our new friend Grant joined us, then back to my house for a little Wii action.

My dog-she's rotten. I knew that. But sometimes I do forget how rotten. We had left our new bakery goods on the table, still wrapped in their cellophane. Bertha decided that she wanted a lemon ginger cookie, so she set to work. She actually got the twist tie off, then ate exactly half of all 3 cookies. She didn't tear the paper. No, not her. She took off the twist ties. With no thumbs. I don't know how. Of course, she had to be in trouble, but I was almost proud of her fancy paw work.

Sunday we went to Sylva to take pictures of Terri, who is pregnant. Know all those times that I complain that Jon is out of town for a week? It's always on some photography trip with her. I like her a lot, and we had a great time. She has her studio, and her own loft, in downtown Sylva. It's lovely. But, my favorite part is the roof...you climb right out her living room window, and there is a big roof to play on. While they were taking pictures, I climbed out with a yoga mat and did yoga on the roof. It was sublime. The sun was at the perfect angle, and it was 70 degrees. Amazing. It was a very centering period of time, and I can't stop thinking about it. I want to get back up there. One of the best things about the Wii is that it taught me yoga, which I can now do anywhere. We were going to also go to Goats on a Roof, which I was ridiculously excited about, but we ran out of time. So, we went home, and---can you guess? We played Wii with Matt. We're so predictable.

On Thursday night at the Carolina, my friend Dylan's movie will be playing. I'm stoked. More info here.

I normally pride myself...

...on being able to keep a lot of balls in the air. It's a very rare occurrence that I forget something I'm supposed to do. I've been super organized lately, and haven't forgotten a thing.

And then yesterday, I totally spaced on the fact that I was supposed to have dinner with my best friend. Totally spaced, then felt horrible. Now, Allison says it is no big deal, and we can do it next week. But I feel bad. And the worst part is not that I was rude...I can get over that. It's that I totally forgot, 100%. There was no point in the day when I was all "Hey- I have dinner with Allison tonight." Nope. Nothing. It totally left my brain, even though it was there the day before. And that scares me. I'm think I'm losing my edge.

I'll be forgetting where I live next. Fortunately, I keep a few people around who will be able to help me if/when that happens.

My Mom

Today, I get to go home and see my mom! My step-dad is out of town, so it'll just be me and my mom! This is a very good thing, because I need some Mommy time. I've got lots to talk about. And, I'm bringing the Wii, so my mom can experience the goodness. And people, is it ever good!

1976

Today I heard that they finally called NC. NC has turned blue, folks! We voted Democrat for the first time since 1976.

The world seems extra hopeful. I know some people are very scared about our new President, but I think there are more people who are hopeful.

Hopeful is good.

I Love Fall

Something happens to me around this time of year. I get really happy. Because how can you be anything but thrilled when it's 70 degrees all the time, and the trees have exploded into orange and red?

And how can you be unhappy when you have Wii that has helped you lose 4 pounds and build up totally new muscles?

And how about when you're married to a guy that just fits you perfectly?

And when your main man wins the election?

When things are just looking up up up on all fronts?

For real, I've never been happier.

Jon and I shot a wedding last weekend, and it was so cool. We worked together so very well, and got beautiful pictures. And, I met a man who could be very helpful in the karaoke/dj business.

I need one more vote out of you guys. Which of the following do you think I'm best suited for, long term? I would love it if you would rank these three:

1: Working with my husband, being a photographer's assistant, props girl, model, and business helper.

2: Some sort of awesome position at the Art Museum. (I think this is achievable, but it would take a while. I will also be living a block from the Art Museum at that point.)

3: Full time trivia host/karaoke host/DJ/party maker.

What do you think? I can't decide. They all sound fun.

Why the Wii is Awesome.

Need I say more? Also, the party last night ended up being very much fun. Just had to wait for everyone to get drunk. Weird. :)

Bleh

Hosting karaoke for a Halloween party sounds fun, doesn't it? Only no one is singing yet, so I'm sitting here, almost in the dark, playing Halloween song after Halloween song. I don't know anyone here except for the staff. I'm bored, people.

Luckily, I found this list. I'll be using it all night.

Sorry

Liz called me yesterday. She said, "You must really like your Wii, cause you haven't blogged since Sunday, and I'm bored at work. Get on it." So, I'm getting on it.

I do love my Wii, and it has lots more cool features than I realized. I especially like being about to browse the internet on my TV. Big fan.

But more importantly, I had Jury Duty all week. Even people who served on Tuesday's jury were expected back Wednesday...it's been a horribly long week of sitting and waiting. And waiting. And waiting. Then, going home, coming back, and waiting, waiting, waiting.

On the upside, I made some friends, because I'm like that. Brian and Tasha are 2 people I had met, but didn't know very well. We've spent the whole week amusing each other, and I'll actually miss those guys.

I've been a little tired all week...I just can't get up the energy to do much more than I have to.

And last night, Allison puked out the window while I was driving. Just like old times. :)

I have lots of things I want to talk about, like the election, my wii, my play, some of Jon's work that has been all over the internet...lots of stuff, really. But it will all have to wait. I have some sitting around to do.

Over the weekend.

One of the things that I'm doing and loving is working on the marketing committee for the Hickory Museum of Art. On Saturday, there was this great festival, with all sorts of things to do. I emceed the outside portions, and hosted some karaoke. It was a wonderful time. Here are some pictures...some are of the party, and some are just because I'm working on my photography.

And tonight is Matt's birthday. We're celebrating by pimento cheese burgers, cookies and home made icecream. And lots of Wii.

People!

I got a Wii, and a Wii fit. And while perhaps a little fiscally irresponsible, I think it will change our lives. All night, we've been anxiously waiting our turn to exercise! It is fun, and it tracks your fitness for you. You can make a Mii, which is an avatar for you, so when you play the games, you look like you.

The fit has all these wonderful yoga treats, balance games, and even strength training.

If you're my friend, come to my house and play!

Flickr

I went and got myself a Flickr account...not because I was unhappy with Picasa, but because I'm nearing my limit, and Flickr is cheaper to upgrade. So, I'm playing around with features. I think I like this slideshow better than the ones I've been using.

5 things, and a love letter to my blog.

From my friend, Amy D.

5 things I was doing 10 years ago:

1. Starting to figure out who I am.
2. Trying really hard to get a Teaching Fellows Scholarship, without once considering that with my grades I could have gotten many scholarships, scholarships that didn't come with an 8 year commitment.
3. Taking Mr. Rob's drama class, and deciding that I should be a drama teacher. This is not necessarily because he was a good drama teacher. He was a very cool person, though, and gave us enough space to figure ourselves out. Classes were not always drama related, and it was easy to do whatever you wanted, but it helped me over all. But, I was thinking back then that I could be a drama teacher and actually teach.
4. Dating Cameron Pozyck, and thinking it would last forever. It lasted till about half way through freshman year.
5. Working at Varsity Barbecue and Creamery. Mmmm. Barbecue and fresh ice cream. I put on a little weight.

5 things on my to do list today:

1. Finish my rehearsal schedule. As I'm writing this, I'm done with that. It took 8 hours. I was dealing with 26 people's schedules, and a big long play. But, it's a work of art, I tell you.
2. Type up ideas for the marketing committee meeting at Hickory Museum of Art. I like the marketing committee.
3. Clean my bedroom so my husband doesn't strangle me. It's been a mess for a while, and it is completely 100% my fault.
4. Grocery Shopping.
5. Maybe finally go to Eddie's trivia game. I've finished everything on the list except for this, and I need to throw myself out the door now if I'm gonna make it.

5 snacks I love:

1. Celery with ranch.
2. Muscadine Grapes
3. Mozzarella Cheese Sticks
4. Brownies
5. Triscuits with my homemade pimento cheese.

5 things I would do if I were a millionaire:

1. Move to Saba, OR these other 4.
2. Start a Restaurant/Theatre.
3. Go to China with my mom.
4. Throw a really awesome party for everyone in the world that I like. And people, I mean awesome.
5. Monstrously equip Jon and myself with all of the photography and computer toys we could ever want.

5 places I’ve lived:

1. Hickory, NC Ages 23-Current
2. Boone, NC Ages 18-22
3. Salisbury, NC Ages 14-17
4. Concord, NC Ages 12-13
5. Sanford, NC Ages 0-12

5 jobs I’ve had:

1. My current complicated situation...Freelance karaoke host, trivia host, photographer's assistant, agent, props person and model, substitute teacher, and theatrical director.

2. Drama Teacher. I can't sum that up in a sentence, so I'll move on.

3. Annie Oakley at Tweetsie Railroad, where I got to dress up and shoot the boys I worked with all day long.

4. Waitress, Waitress, Bartender, Waitress. Yuck, yuck, cool for a bit, then yuck, and yuck.

5. Techie at Farthing Auditorium. I did that for 5 years, all throughout college. I worked lights or fly rail for traveling shows, and did a lot of focusing/hanging/ and general maintenance for those shows and the theatre. It was an awesome job. I worked with really knowledgeable people, who were thrilled to help me learn along the way. I also had a complete insider's view into no less than 100 different theatrical companies. I could really see how things worked. Throughout that time, I was majoring in theatre, and acted in, stage managed, directed, and whatever else, nearly every show. I kept that pace up for 3 years, and took it a little easier the last 2 years. But, I was learning a lot, is my point, and that job was perfect for a theatre major. I left college knowing that there wasn't a job in theatre that I didn't know how to do...and that is just exactly what I wanted. I've squandered that, really, by teaching elementary school for 4 years, but that's another blog entry entirely.


And a note on my blog: My blog has changed my life. It has given me a place to write down goals and aspirations for the world to see. Then, I kind of have to follow through. It's a place to share all of the stupid things I want to share with people. It's a stage. It's a cool format...you get words, slideshows, pictures, videos, customization out the wazhooh...All available instantly. Such gratification.

I don't know who reads my blog, really. Some of you comment, and some don't. But, whoever you are, thanks for reading. You save me thousands in therapy.

Bathroom!

My very first blog entry, a year ago, was all about how awesome my husband is and how beautiful the bathroom he remodeled was.

Well, a year later, my husband is even more awesome. We've connected and bonded to the point that we are as necessary to each other as breath.

And, I have another new bathroom to share with you!!

Obama O' Lantern

It's supposed to be Obama. Can you tell?

Happy Birthday!!!

Happy birthday to my blog! I've been a dedicated blogger for a whole year. I've got no great prizes going out or anything, but I will have a post later in the day about this birthday.

Some Context

I posted a very funny picture of McCain, but I had no explanation for it. Here is some.

I'm really starting to like taking pictures.

We've been working on getting a second digital body that will work with all of Jon's lenses. It would be a back up for him, and a wonderful new camera for me. But, my concern was that it would be too much camera, and I would just mess up pictures trying to figure it out. So, I've been taking this new camera for a test drive. I love it. It is much more fun to take a picture of something when you have more control over how the picture will look. I'm sure I can get good enough at this to be helpful to Jon.

I'm reposting a slideshow of my Patio. The first 23 or so are new...the other ones are older. Or, see it here, much larger.



Constructive criticism?

I don't know the context of this photo...

...but it is hilarious.

Thanks Dlisted.

Lies and Race

This is Obama's response to the email that really got me ticked off. Ticked off enough to want to drive right out to his campaign headquarters and get a sticker for my car.

The email was full of quotes that were ridiculously twisted or misrepresented. Obama doesn't even respond to all of the quotes that were in the email, but I found several other websites that did. Not a single one was scary in the proper context. It really gets my goose to have an inbox full of this crap. And I understand why people forward it...it really presents Obama as a person they should be scared of. And they kind of want to believe it, so they do and they don't bother to check the facts.

And I may as well briefly talk about race. Someone in my family sent an email out that said, basically, that the only reason not to vote for Obama is because you are racist. That is stupid. You may just be Republican. But there are lots of people who will not vote for Obama because he is black. Fortunately, most of those people are not the type to vote, or Republicans, so no one was counting on their vote anyway.

I taught this lesson in school that was neat. I presented 4 issues, and split the class into 4 groups. Each group researched the positions of both candidates and then presented them to the class. As they did, I had each student write which candidate he agreed with. At the end, I had them write who they would vote for.

One of the students paper looked like this:

National Security/War: Obama
Education: Obama
Economy: Obama
Illegal Immigration: Obama
I vote for McCain.

So, of course, I talked to him later and asked him why he would vote for McCain when he agreed with Obama's positions. His simple response: "Because he is black."

It broke my heart. As long as parents raise their children to see a difference in black and white, this racism problem will never go away.

But it shouldn't be a factor in who you vote for. You have to vote the issues. I didn't vote for Hillary Clinton because she is a woman, and I can't let race dictate my vote in November.

But you Obama fans...be careful throwing around that whole racism issue. Some people are racist, sure. But some are just Republicans.

I'm angry.

I have said for a while that the biggest reason I'll vote Obama is because McCain has run a dishonest campaign. This country is in a hell of a mess. We have been lied to, on a regular basis, and more than is normal for the last 8 years. We were somehow convinced as a nation that invading Iraq was convinced to fighting those responsible for 9/11. Deception, even if it isn't an outright lie, is a lie.

I hear ads constantly, approved by John McCain himself, that outright lie about Barack Obama. From the beginning these lies were easily detected to be lies to anyone who dug a little. The fact that he felt like he could just feed those lies to a hungry nation, and we would just eat it up...believe it because he said it...it makes me really mad. He's not even President, and he demonstrates such a disregard for truth.

Today the McCain campaign called me for say, the 8th time. I do not want to pay a cell phone bill to hear a man who scares me tell me a lie about a man I respect. I don't want to hear a man who may be my President lying right into my ear.

North Carolina is a major battleground state right now. Based on some polls I've seen, It's looking good for Barack in the nation, but it is close here. If your vote is ever going to count, it's this year that it will. So please, take some time to do some unbiased research...it is hard, but possible.

The link I'm about to give you isn't unbiased. It's on Obama's own website, but is a response from his camp for nearly every ridiculous or believable forwarded email you may have received.

http://fightthesmears.com/

If you will notice, there are LOTS of lies that they have responded to, very reasonably and honestly.

I think a dishonest person, and a person who obviously doesn't even see the importance of truth, is not someone I want in control of my nation.

I am not saying Obama is perfect. I'm saying he will at the very least activate some change, and that will be good.

But again, whoever you're voting for, vote, especially you North Carolinians.

Fish

I think I may be getting the hang of this photography thing.

The Beach

I took a lot of pictures this weekend. I'll get around to posting more, but I have a huge pile of things that have to be done first. But for now, my favorite: A stingray.

Life in General

Ooh boy my calendar is filling up. It's a nice feeling, but I have to admit that sometimes I get a little nervous looking at it.

I had auditions last night for my play, The Greatest Christmas Pagaent Ever. I have auditions again tonight and next Monday and Tuesday at 5:30, at Hickory Community Theatre. I need more people! I need boys and grownups especially!! You should come on out. ;)

Jon and I are going to the beach with my Dad Friday, and that's exciting as well.

Know what I hate? When I mention that I quit teaching, and people are all "What are you doing with yourself these days?" They always phrase it in a suspicious way that makes me feel like they think I'm up to nothing. But I'm a busy girl. So, I'll answer the question here:

I'm substitute teaching a lot.
I'm directing a play.
I'm on the marketing committee for the Art Museum.
I teach classes at the Art Museum.
I'm trying my hardest to market and promote Jon.
I'm handling a lot of the dealing-with-people end of Jon's business, and I go with him to shoots, and I smile pretty for him a lot.
I've got these trivia games, and they are doing swell.
I'm a member of Footcandle, and we meet once a month.
I'm hosting karaoke parties here and there.
I'm also doing all of the normal, day to day life stuff.

But my usual answer...
"Not too much...just trying to stay busy."

A Week in Black and White Photos

I forgot Bertha

I labeled the dog in my pics too.

Google has done it again!

3 major cool developments that I learned about today (and I have to admit that I spent a good part of the day playing with this stuff):

1-There is a new version of Picasa. It's still in Beta, but it covers 2 of the 3 things. I can now touch up pictures...you could do a lot before, but that big pimple was going to stay right where it was. Now, it goes away! Same for wrinkles in old scanned pictures.

2-You can write words on your pictures now. Doesn't seem like a big deal, but I've really been needing a program that would do that. I've been very upset that I couldn't add words on several occasions...when making banners or flyers or what-not. So that's awesome.

3-You can label your faces in Picasa now. So then you can say you want to look at all the pictures of your husband, for instance. And it is such a smart labeler. My albums have tons of faces, mostly because of school pictures and trivia...but after a while, it would pull up nine faces of Jon and basically ask "Hey-are these all Jon?" You have to try it!

And for your viewing pleasure:
Me
Jon
Allison
Matt
My Mom
My Nana

Tina Fey is swell.

To give you proper background for the hilariousness that will ensue:




And now, Tina Fey:

Trippy

I have taught at least 20 kids today that I taught when they were in 6th grade. Now they're taller than me. Weird.

And, in the exciting news category, demolition has begun on the bathroom. It should be beautiful in no time flat. Can't wait to show you all!

My family

These are some pictures from the book I mentioned in an earlier post. My Nana gave it to me as a graduation gift, and I love the photos.

Wow

Any fears I had about not working enough are gone away. Looks like my problem will be saying no...
I've worked every day except yesterday for quite some time, and yesterday I was summoned to work...I just had an important meeting.

Today, high school, which is awesome.
My paycheck will be much more significant than originally thought.

I just joined the Marketing Committee for the Hickory Museum of Art, and I'm totally excited. I've been a busy bee since our meeting yesterday, and it feels oh so good.

And, just in time for the birthday of my blog, Jon is remodeling our other bathroom. Hopefully, the 1 year anniversary post can match the first post...a testament to how cool the bathroom and my husband are.

How to become a Google Master!

Google is very user friendly. Without a single tip, you’re likely to find what you need. This guide should help you become a super Google searcher.

First, I’ll cover the basics. If you want to know about the skeletal system, you can type in “skeletal system” or “bones” or “human skeleton”. Use your common sense. If you include more than one word, it automatically returns websites with all of the words in it. There is no need to use “and”. As a bonus, if you misspell a word, Google will ask you, “Did you mean______?” Click that, and you’re on the way. This is one reason I am in love with Google. Capitalization doesn’t matter at all. You can type “Skeleton”, “skeleton”, or “sKeLeToN”, and your results will be the same.

Google also automatically excludes common words, such as “where”, “how”, and some single digits and single letters. This is because they slow down the search and they don’t help. If it is important that one of these words be included in your search (it almost never is), put the phrase in quotation marks.

Now...some tricks are coming your way. You may know some of these, but I bet you haven't seen them all! Some of these come from Google's advice pages, and some are tricks I picked up over the years.


1: Exact Phrases:
Put quotation marks around your words if you need an exact phrase. For example “The land of the free” will return results for that phrase instead of the individual words.

2: Excluded Words:
Put a minus sign before words you do not want included. Let’s say you want to know about the musical instrument, the bass. You enter “bass” and get a great deal of results about fishing. You would type into the box “bass –fishing”, and you will get music results.

3: Similar Words:
You will use ~ to help you find similar words. If you type in “~computer” you will get not only results containing the word “computer”, but also “desktop”, “laptop”, “Mac”, “PC”, etc.

4: Multiple Words:
You want a website that includes the terms “Hickory” or “Catawba”. Use the word “or” in between the two words, and you will get results using either word.

5: Numerical Ranges:
Say you want to know about the history of North Carolina, but only for the years 1900-1950. You would enter “North Carolina 1900..1950”. Note the 2 periods between the years. You can also enter "DVD player $50..$100" to become a thrifty thrifty Googler.

6: Find Meanings:
Don’t want to get out the dictionary? Just type “define:” before your search term. This will also work for defining texting language (lol, bff, etc) or jargons.

7: Site Specific:
You want to know about the skeletal systems, but you only want your results to be from .edu websites. No problem. Type “Skeletal System site:edu”. You want to search for something on a specific website? “Skeletal System site: http://www.wikipedia.org”.

8: Linked Pages:
If you’re looking for pages that link to a certain website, you can use this: “link:www.catawba.k12.nc.us”.

9: Math Answers:
There is no need to get out your calculator. If you type “20^2”, it will give you the answer “400”. If you type “(30 * 70)/5” it will give you the answer “420”.

10: Conversions:
You can type “mph in speed of light” and get “670 616 629 mph” or you could type “$ in pounds” and get “0.543094553”.

11: World Wide Time:
You want to know what time it is in Hong Kong? Just type “what time is it” and the city, and it will tell you the time.

12: Find superior products:
Say that you like your ipod, but you think there is a better one out there. You can type “better than ipod”, and you will get results that point you in the right direction.

13: ID people, places, objects and foreign language words:
Let’s say you don’t know what a jicama is. You can go to the Google image search, or simply type “image jicama”.

14: Find music:
This is an obscure trick, and one you’ll never memorize. It’s an advanced series of search terms which you may copy and paste, replacing the band “Nirvana” for whatever band you would like. You type, or paste the following: “-inurl:(htmhtmlphp) intitle:"index of" +"last modified" +"parent directory" +description +size +(wmamp3) "Nirvana"”. You no longer need Napster!

15: Make Google recognize faces:
You need to see a picture of a girl named Rose? Even with an image search, you will get mostly pictures of the flower. We’re going to add a special search term at the end to help us out: “rose &imgtype=face”. This should return only faces in your result.

16: Find specific document types:
For instance, you need a PowerPoint presentation about the history of North Carolina. You would type (please note that you need quotation marks) “ “North Carolina History” filetype:ppt”. Your results will all be PowerPoint presentations. Also, try PDF, DOC, and any other file type.

17: This or That:
Google automatically finds pages that have all of your search words. Sometimes you would like an either/or situation. You are going to use the word “OR” (please capitalize). For example: “skeletal system OR skeleton”.

18: Area Code lookup:
All you need to do to find the location of an area code is type in the three numbers. Google will tell you where it it from. Example: “828”

19: Check your weather:
To check your weather, enter the word “weather” followed by your zip code. Example: “weather 28601”

20: Find recipes:
Just type in a few of the ingredients you have in your fridge. Google will find recipes that you can make.

21: Be really specific:
If you need to have the search term “skeleton” listed in the title, use “intitle: skeleton”. This will give you only webpages with skeleton in the title. If you need more than one word in the title, try “allintitle: skeleton human”. This will give you only pages with both words in the title.

22: Get a timeline:
Sometimes a timeline is wonderful to have. If you would like a time line with your search, add “view:timeline” after your search. For example: “theatre view:timeline”.

23: Want to seach for something local? The best way I've found is to go to Google Maps, then type in your city. Once you've done that, you can enter your search term and you'll be in business.

24: If I forgot to mention anything, you can try Google's advanced search. That should help you tremendously.

And I would be remiss if I didn't mention this free service: You can call 1-800-Goog-411 to get any business listing for free. It works just like information, only you don't have to pay for it. Yay Google! Am I the only one who'd like to give them a big hug?

Do you know any other great tips? Leave them in comments, please.