Sleepy phone convo...

It's not that the content of the conversation was not interesting, it wasn't that I wasn't interested in the subject matter and I LOVE the person who I am talking to on the phone when this occurs...
Sometimes I have a hard time falling asleep or staying asleep and when that happens, I call Puppy Guts. Sometimes he sings me a lullaby. Sometimes he'll just talk to me and say the sweetest things. Sometimes he'll do both. What is it about those phone calls to him that helpme to fall asleep? It's because I find such comfort in hearing his voice. Most times I end up asleep or at least most of the way asleep while I'm still on the phone with him. It's just another something that my Puppy Guts does for me that I find so endearing....

Training with a spaz...

I may not mean to, but when training, sometimes I get a little overzealous and stuff happens. Whatever the bit we train, I tend to run in two modes. "On" and "SPAZ!". During my "on", I manage to get things kinda done the way they're supposed to go... It doesn't look pretty, but I guess it works. Then SPAZ hits. Oy vey! The shredder is a concept I've been working with. And I train with the bravest mofo on the face of the planet... Puppy Guts. He sports more scratches and gouges and scars and bruises and lumps from various rakings, knees, elbows, gouges, stomps... It's not that I want to hurt my Puppy Guts, but he tries to make sure that I am trained for a real life situation. Yes, I've started wearing gloves to ensure that I don't hurt him as badly, but my brave Lucky "gets into the ring" in many a "scenario" type training session and he let's me go to town. It's been great in training in first aid too when all is said and done... <Sigh...> Nothing beats training the concepts and technique and perfecting the "techniques". Especially when I have such an understanding "training buddy" who understands the -ness of my spazosity.

Dickheads!

Driving on the highway some time back, traffic started slowing down because of a pretty bad car wreck. I mean, the car was a little Honda Accord looking thing and it was mashed to half its size... Highway accidents are dangerous for everybody. The people in the accidents themselves, the people driving on the roads coming to the accident, the emergency crews that are responding the the accidents... You are talking about a high speed roadway and the potential for something to go terribly wrong.
Now, when you see an emergency vehicle trying to get to the scene of an accident and you see the flashing lights and hear the siren AND the horn BLARING, fuckin' MOVE OUT OF THE WAY! You're stuck in traffic because of the accident. Just because you were able to scoot up another 10 yards, is it REALLY going to make a difference in your commute? In the mean time, there are severely injured people possibly bleeding to death and for every second you are shaving off from the time the emergency crew could have been there, it makes all the difference. Life or death kind of difference...

I got lucky. The fire truck wanted to be in the middle lane so I paused to let him go and I followed behind it as the fire truck driver tried to make all of the traffic move out of our way. NICE! Well, that's what I thought until I discovered that EVERYBODY wanted to be in my position. I had a motorcycle moron cut in front of me (I almost hit him and NOT on purpose!) and I also had a car cut in front of me who almost knocked over the idiot on the bike... Whatever... The point is really about GET THE FUCK OUT OF THE WAY OF THE EMERGENCY VEHICLE TRYING TO GET TO WHERE IT NEEDS TO BE! There are no excuses people. You can't say you didn't SEE the big bright red truck coming towards you with the flashing lights and the high beams flickering. You can't say that you didn't hear the freaking horn blaring and the siren going from a mile away. Move the hell out of the way. I'm just sayin' is all...

Gloating...

It's no that I lead the kind of life that people would be jealous over. It's a life that's right for me. Well, I would change a couple of things, but I won't get into that now. I have it pretty okay. (Except for the aforementioned couple of things...)
I've been going through this in my head. (Not my mind... I think I lost that last Tuesday... I'm sure it'll turn up... I know it's around here somewhere...) Yeah, I've got a bit of a crappy situation going here. I live in hell... I mean my parents' house... And instead of being able to say "Goodnight" to my Puppy Guts at night, I have to say "Goodbye". But I look at what I have been blessed with and these days, the crappy stuff doesn't seem as bad, especially because I know that certain of my situations are only temporary. But unlike some people I know who would rather wallow in self pity and self induced misery, I much rather prefer to look at the bright side. Do I succeed all the time, every day? No. But the point is, my self pity and crap doesn't last for too long. I've accomplished things that most could not dream of. I have done things that most may not even begin to comprehend. I have seen, experienced, lived and done things that most can't claim to have. Does that make me better than the next person? Well, no... Not necessarily, but at least I can say that I have done it in my own special way. At least I can say I did it, which is more than I can say for some.
At the end of the day, when my lights go out and the curtain falls, I don't want to go out with the regrets of not having experienced or lived or seen or done. I certainly don't want to check out with the regrets of being a selfish, miserable bitch and I definitely don't want to face my maker having to reason out and make excuses for being one.
I have great things in store for me. I have amazing things that I have to look forward to. Great kids, my Lucky, great friends, great "family"... Just a couple more goals to reach. Nope... Things just don't seem that bad to me right now.

??? ...Never mind. I don't want to know....

I guess some things are better left unsaid... I guess I am NOT the sole share holder in hide and seek "bad place to hide finder of all time". Must be genetic... I've had to pull my kids out of some pretty weird places...
I don't know what the idea was for my child to stick his head in the hole of the plastic container thing or how he thought that he wouldn't get found just by hiding his head, but.... Maybe I didn't need to know. Maybe I should have just left it alone, not asked any questions and just pulled the thing off his head and never spoke about it again. I could have forgotten about it (perhaps) and denied that the incident happened and all would have been well in my world.... But, no. Curiosity had to get the best of me. <Sigh...> Nope... It never happened... Never mind...

GO AWAAAAAAAAAAAY!

Me no wanna nuffin' todayz... Pfft! Whatevs!! Poof! Be gone... I playz 2moro...

I have a book...

As I sit here in the process of reading through my own book, I have to admit... Wow... That was... WOW!
The process was long, tedious and mind numbing, but the end result? Okay, fine. I'll admit it. I cried. Relief, happiness, exhaustion (both physically and mentally) and getting through all of the unknowns. The feeling of accomplishment at having seen something huge for me personally through to the end. Seeing the finished product of a labor of love that started so many years ago finally coming to fruition.
I get that I still have the biggest unknown. "Are people going to read it? Are people going to like it?" But I gave this a lot of thought. This "project" was never about other people. This project was never about what "other people" thought. At the end of the day, this "project" was for my children.  My children whom over the years relayed various stories of "stuff happening" that I wrote it down... And they wanted to see their names in print. They thought it would be cool to be able to read a book that they were the main characters in.  And I wanted to be able to say to them, "There ya go, babies! Mommy made this for you!"
It wasn't for anyone else. When that gets put into perspective, it's awesome because they love it and THAT is all I ever need. The only thing is, now they're bugging me for the next one.... D'oh!

...And I will taunt you again...

It's funny to watch my kids go at it. At first they're playing nice and they're the best of friends. I'm really not too sure WHEN it happens, but at some point, it begins. The verbal digs that turn into to verbal smackdowns, and all of a sudden, they're insulting each other's intelligence and back and forth with the "your mama" put downs. (I see the humor in that, yes...)
Sure, after a while I have to go in and bark at them and they stop... For a few minutes until it becomes clear that I have to separate them. Whatever. It happens. And for the sake of maintaining order and peace, separating them for a little while does everyone a whole bunch of good.
Some time later, they will converge and start playing with each other again. Thick as thieves and having a grand ol' time. You would think that they ALWAYS got along that well. (I can tell you from PERSONAL experience, THEY DON'T!) Laughing and playing like they would never again be able to play and have that much fun again... It's awesome! That is until.... I don't know why, but they always go back to taunting and teasing each other and the whole process starts all over again. It's almost as if they enjoy doing it because it's constantly happening. <Sigh!> I guess that's part of the joys of having siblings close in age....

WANT!

I saw it and me want.... It's not often that I have an overwhelming feeling of wanting something so badly that I almost want to cry, but there you go. Whole strips of gourmet, smoke cured, thick cut bacon (still warm), smothered in a light maple caramel goo goo and covered in a semi dark chocolate, topped with a scoop of fresh vanilla ice cream, sprinkled with REAL bacon bits and caramel goo goo sauce. <Droooooool!> I think I'm going to need a moment....

Writing...

I have to give a lot of credit to people who write professionally (and well) and come up with shit to write about all the time and get paid for it. Dang... I have a hard enough time stringing together words to make complete sentences most of the time (well, ones that make sense, that are grammatically correct and are punctuated properly... ) There are times when I fail doing that. (You should have SEEN the "edited" manuscript... Eerg! The "technical" corrections on it was, like, OMG! SRSLY?)
It's not easy being able to come up with words and making them come together in a sentence to make sense adequately in order to convey your thoughts and have it be interpreted in a manner that all parties understand what the fuck is going on. Maybe it is a matter of interpretation. Semantical nightmare! Inflection changes the tone of what's being said, but that can't be conveyed accurately on paper.
I've been through a process where I tried desperately to convey thoughts and feelings and narrate a story using a very limited vocabulary, having a tenuous grasp of the English language, laughable grammar and punctuation "skillz" and a diminutive attention span that seemed to disappear all together when I was sitting at the desk. Challenging? Shyeeeya! And that was just ONE writing project. I can't even begin to imagine the people who do it every day all the time as a friggin' career... Yeah... I just hurt my brain thinking about it... Never mind.

Mmmmm... Bacon!

There is a certain feeling that is evoked when the scent of bacon permeates throughout a household as it gets cooked up. It's such a happy feeling that you feel from way down in your toes and all the way to the top of your head. You can even feel it in your fingernails and the ends of your hair. Bacon is just such a happy thing. It is the most amazing substance on the planet. It can make anything better. I think it may even cure cancer. Well, probably not, but would you honestly be surprised if you turned on the news one day and there was a whole news report about how scientists discovered that bacon cured cancer? I think not. My broody teenager will even wake up with a smile on his face when he smells bacon cooking. Just sayin'... I'm a big fan of bacon....

Vegetarians...

Now, I'll admit, I had gone vegetarian a couple of times in my life for a year at a time. For whatever reason, I decided that I was off meat. Did the soy meat replacement stuff and although I ate fish, everything else that came from animals was out. That included bacon...
As quickly as the change came about, was about as quickly as it left and each time I woke up craving a double bacon burger with cheese. At first bite, I wondered "What the fuck was I thinking??!??"
People are supposed to eat meat. It's what we were designed for. Animals were meant to be eaten by people. That's why they're made out of yummy, yummy meat.

The teen...

I'm not sure when it happened really. There was a time when I was the coolest person on the face of the planet (most of the time) when my teen was a small boy... At some point, whether a switch got flipped or whatever, I became the undisputed heavy weight champions of dorkosity. Everything I say and do is greeted with the eye roll and the exasperated sigh... It's just so awesome... <Sigh...> Time flies....

How Senshido Changed My Life....

How often am I going to get all serious on posts two days in a row... Yeah, don't let it go to your heads and no, I am not ill, thank you for asking.
Yes, I've posted and I've posted and I've posted about Senshido or the "shredder" concept. I've explained its usability, its effectiveness and it's ease of "apply-ability" (I know it's not a word, but if you think about what I'm trying to say, you'll understand...) The simplicity of being able to deliver mild discomfort to utter devastation depending on the situation and your intent.
Okay... So how did it change my life? Well, besides the fact that I walked away having learned a valuable self defense concept that I can use, apply, manipulate, and get to work despite my lack of coordination, strength, size and "ability", I've come to realize that it's not just about this "concept". It's about the "added benefits", the "bonus points", everything else that comes along with what Senshido IS. Not at its base  or outer level, but beyond that. It's core.... It is about the "community of people" associated with it. Think about it. Any "form" or "concept" starts with a foundation and "the people" help it to "become"...
I have come across the most amazing group of people I have ever "met" in my life. Not just a little bit...
I've described the "people of Senshido" as "without ego", fun, helpful, and just being downright good people. The "friends" I've come across either directly through Senshido or once removed (friends of friends) are amazing. From (literally) all across the states and all over the world, my online friendships have been some of the most genuine I've ever come across. I know, I know... Online friendship? Genuine? Mia... That's CRAZY! The thing of it is, the friendships I've formed with some of these people is something that I am truly grateful for and they are really, truly  nothing short of awesome...
It's not to say that I don't have some of THE most awesome "non-virtual friends", because I do. I've been blessed to know a lot of different people, some of whom I'm "rediscovering" now. They know, have seen and experienced first hand the scope and range of my "-ness" and yet they stick around anyway...  (I love you guys!)
Just like those friends, the Senshido people have never expected anything from me and accepted who I was from the get go. They also "know" or have been told (or warned, depending on how you look at it really...) that my "online persona" is so much cooler than "real life" me. And yet there was never judgment, never any harshness and I certainly never felt a "better than you" -ness in their "conversations" with me.
They've been cool enough to check in just to see how I'm doing, picked me up when I was down, offered me some of the greatest advice, answered questions with informative answers helping me to achieve goals in my own "personal growth" as well as in aspects of my life that had nothing to do with self defense or self improvement and they came to my aid when I needed help. Sight unseen, no strings, no expectations. They've shared with me, cried with me, laughed with me, joked with me, driven many a thread into the ground with me, carried me through worries and sorrows and celebrated great joys with me. Everything that makes a true and solid friendship is there in spades. They are people, who I will feel cheated in life if I don't get to meet them in person.  People I feel I know well enough to know that their sentiments are genuine and true. This is my props to them. My tribute to them, as it were (as pathetic as the attempt is... My apologies...)
An incident occurred. I will not and cannot explain further here. I reached out for help. Within moments, I got responses from all over. Like a world wide web of family members converging and answering a call to arms, I got help in spades. I was in tears. ...Still am... It's an amazing feeling of camaraderie, a feeling of belonging, a feeling of a close knit bond that only comes from friendships that rival familial love. (A great, big, giant, super duper special thanks regarding this "incident" to Rich, Chris, Georges, Craig, Adam, Paul, GEE and Roadrunner. You still have no idea what it all means to all of us and someday we hope we will be able to repay the favor many times over...)
They refer to each other as "brother" or "sister". Not in that creepy cult kind of way, but in a way that makes all feel welcome, like family, regardless of race, creed, color, religious affiliation, beliefs, etc. Everyone brings their own "flavor", their own flair, their own ideas, their own sense of self. (I've been told that every seminar is like a big family reunion with family members you hadn't yet met. Now, how cool is that?)
There is a certain mentality that the people of Senshido have. Call it "heart". Call it a "philosophy". It may be because of the creator of the concept, Rich Dimitri surrounds himself with a certain "type" of people who just "get it". Or, it may just be that we're all a bunch of kooky individuals who "found" each other, birds of a feather being what they are... Whatever the case, a more caring, understanding, helpful, kind and lovable bunch you will be hard pressed to find. From informative discussions to downright hilarious antics and sending a thread southbound on the express train, there's never a dull moment. It's all good and it's all fun. And when it comes time to circle the wagons, they come out selflessly, no questions asked (well, some questions, but all pertinent to the situation to best handle it), with all the support and kindness that some families don't even have. Something as simple as "Can we talk?" or "Can I ask you for some advice?" to "The shit has hit the fan and I could REALLY use some help!" and I've gotten more than I could have thought or even hoped for from the far reaches and every corner of the globe. Not too many can claim to have that from your average "virtual friendship".
These are people who are passionate about everything that they do and show passion and compassion in whatever they do. And it shows. They carrying around enormous hearts of gold willing to "do some shit", to help someone in need. And that is proven in spades all the time, every day. I get to be associated with that community and it feels great. I am humbled every day by many of these people in what they do in their every day lives, in who they are and what they do. And dang it, they'll tell me that they aren't doing anything special, it's just what they do. It's just who they are.
I stumbled with words to try and properly convey the grateful sentiments that I needed to and wanted to get across, to convey the absolute and total feeling of "THANK YOU SO MUCH" responding to all the "everything" that I got. Rich put it so simply and said to me, "Anytime Mia... anything, anytime... you got family world wide. ;`)"     I get it now....
It boils down to this... I know that I am nothing special. Sure I do what I can, when I can and put my heart and soul into it. I go out and do. I'm coming to find that maybe I'm not such a bad person especially because I've got help to guide me along on my "path". But it's the people whom I've chosen to surround myself with that MAKE me special because they're teaching me to be better. Between this post and the last, I can only hope that I've covered some "Thank you"s  that were long overdue... Thanks y'all...

Searching for Phoenix Ward...

Over the last year, (as I've made quite public all over various venues on the internet) I worked on and completed a book project (well, the 1st of 3 books anyway...). Within the dedication are my children (obviously), Lucky (of course) and a Ms. Myra Tucker of Tallapoosa, GA.  (Huh?)
Back story time:
Last summer, as I sold most of my stuff and some of my mom's stuff that I dredged from the bowels of hell... AKA her BASEMENT. (It's a house of horrors. I don't want to talk about it... <Shudder!>) I needed to make some extra money FAST to pay out overdue bills and clean the slate of debts so that I can start to take on new ones and still be able to make ends meet.
I had a woman buy up stuff flabammity blam! Practically AS I was listing them. Holy COW! So, I contacted her through the messaging doojie on the Ebay and thanked her for her patronage. Didn't expect anything back really, it was just a "Thanks!". I had seen it done from time to time... She "wrote" back to tell me she found much amusement in my item descriptions and they made her laugh... From there we started an amazing "pen pal" friendship. She told me of her life, her joys, her woes and shared with me the most amazing stories from her own life. Some were wretchedly heart breaking, others showed how resilient, spiritually rich, kind and warmhearted this woman remained despite extreme hardships and sorrows. I vented and ranted about stuff in my own life and she offered great advice, solid support and kind words of encouragement. She helped restore a little bit of faith in people. (Well, not ALL people, let's face it. There are some wretched people in the world...) Enough to realize, not all people are awful. She also asked me to get up off my rear end, have a little faith in myself and finish the "writing project" which I had told her about. She (along with Lucky, my kids and my real friends) helped me to restore a lot of aspects of ME that I didn't realize were missing, making me realize that I needed to "Go", "Do", and "Believe" and rebuild what I once was when I didn't realize how "broken" I had become. Going out and doing, leaving behind in the shadows to disappear, the timid version of me or what I had become. Would there be the possibility that I would fail miserably? Of course! But nothing ventured, nothing gained and living with the regrets of NOT having gone out there to "do" is far worse than going out and "doing" and failing. A valuable lesson she "taught me". So, at least now, I'm doing. I went ahead full steam with this book thing.
Myra was quite ill during the whole of our friendship. All throughout, her friendship never wavered, never faltered and never failed me. All the while she offered up warm regards and gentle support. An angel sent to me during a very dark hour in my life. And when I found my way again, just as quickly as she came into my life and helped me back up onto my feet... She was gone...
She never asked anything of me except friendship and never expected a single thing from me. A single promise that I did make to her was that I would send along a signed copy of the book to her grand daughter Phoenix Ward. I swear on all things holy, I WILL make good on that promise.
For everything that she helped restore in me, for the friendship and faith that she showed in someone who, quite honestly, was nothing more than a complete stranger, for the kindness and warmth that she showed to me, for being so open and honest, for everything that she gave of herself to me, whether it was just a kind word or a swift verbal kick in the rear end to get me back on track, for being a "shoulder to cry on", an ear to listen, a wise mentor in life to offer me some great advice, for helping me to make me realize I do have a worth, for helping me to remember who and what I am and getting back there, for helping me to build back the resilient spirit that pushes me forward every day to be a better person, for helping to remind me that life is only going to be what I make of it, for knowing EXACTLY what to say when I needed it, for helping to restore me... Yeah, I owe this woman a lot.
For everything that she was over such a short period of time, Phoenix Ward ought to be told how much her grandmother meant to what once was a broken individual who was given a hand up and placed back on a path. 

Crappy people....

Why is it that there are people who make excuses for their crappy behavior? Like it's supposed to excuse the fact that they're rotten human beings... What is the deal with that? Is it to make themselves feel better or is it something else. They're not fooling anyone but themselves and it's pretty pathetic for them to think people are buyin' any of their crap.
Just sayin'....

Role Models....

When we think "role modes" the standard answers are usually people like Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Michael Jordan, Princess Diana... I mean, I'm sure that for every one person, there would be a list of many "inspirational people" and every one would be different depending on who you asked... Right? A lot of names are going to pop up, I'm sure. Grand scale, worldwide, in general.
Now think locally. Within your local community.... This is something that I gave some thought to simply because I've put myself out there in a way that made me a wee bit more visible to other people then just people who recognize me as someone they've run into or met or know me on a more personal level through daily interactions. Why? I don't know. I just think about a lot of things.
So, I asked myself a question and had a rather intellectually stimulating (as intellectual as I can be, mind you...)with myself. Would I consider myself to be a role model.... I thought about this. I am crude, abrasive, opinionated, have a potty mouth and at times I am combative, argumentative, insulting, stubborn and downright insufferable. Does that make me a bad person?
Now, let's break down the aspects of what it is that makes a role model a role model... A role model is one who inspires others to be better people. Ones who show by example what it is to be a better person. Who gives of themselves to be exemplary. A person looked to by others as an example to be imitated. A person whose example is or can be emulated by others, especially by younger people. An individual who is looked up to and revered by someone else. A role model is someone who others aspire to be like, either in the present or in the future.
With that being said, with all the things that I am (mentioned above, among others I'm sure... I suppose it's going to depend on who you ask...) Am I a role model? Maybe not so much in the conventional way. Yeah... Maybe I shouldn't cuss so much and be so argumentative. But as far as someone to be emulated? Well, I get things done when they need to get done, I actively take part in the raising of my children, I make sure that my responsibilities are all met, I've accomplished goals, I go out of my way to help out friends and sometimes "not so friends", I try to be a good person, I give time, money or efforts to those who I believe to be in greater need than myself, I've done things that some couldn't even begin to imagine. I've seen things, experienced things, lived things, been part of things that most couldn't claim even a part of. I volunteer when I'm asked, I volunteer when I'm not asked. I don't go out of my way to willfully try to hurt people, I apologize when I am wrong, and I make sure and am making sure that my life is not filled with regrets. I will never be a "bystander" when I see someone or something in need. I go out and do.
 I don't ever want my kids or anyone's kids for that matter to come to me and say, "When I grow up, I want to be just like you!" They'll all get the same answer every time. "Don't grow up to be like me. Grow up to be the best YOU that you can be!" I may not be the standard by which all role models should be measured. Certainly not.  But you can bet for damn sure, I won't be showing the ways of being cowardly, selfish, cruel, irresponsible, regretful and downright awful. Nope. Lead by example to be moral, strong, proud, and unafraid to go out there and do.

Book Reviews!

The first three reviews... (Okay, I'm one, but I had to respond to one of them... Click the pic and click "most recent" to get the full flavor...)

It's not that I ever claimed that the book was great. I never even claimed the book was good. In fact, I think the exact words I used were, "It sucks..." I'm no writer. Sarcasm I can do. Potty mouthed rants and soap box political views, loudmouthed opinions on everything... Those I can do too. Not well, but I can handle them. It doesn't take talent to be an opinionated, loud and potty mouthed bitch. Being the writer of a book? Something different. Being the writer of a children's book? I had to tone myself WAY down... NOT an easy task...

This project was a labor of love. Something I can hand down to the kids and say, "I made this for you!" The looks of pride on their faces through every step from start to finish, and seeing the looks on their faces when they saw the finished "product" was the best review I could have gotten and the best review I'm ever going to get, bar none. The rest are merely supplemental. And it's hard to take any "review" seriously when it looks rather dodgy at best with a profile that was just slapped together THAT DAY with a few cut and paste "book reviews". Just MY opinion... Just sayin'....

June 1, 2011

GiaTheBookWorm:

Yawn Worthy

A boring, lengthy and poorly put together book. Kinda disappointing... The plagiarism is so obvious, C. S. Lewis & J.K Rowling would most likely raise an eyebrow.
EDITED: in response to Mia Tanaka's response to my review: I do have a copy of your book Mia, unfortunately unable to upload a photo of it obviously. It was not meant to be an attack, it is merely my opinion on your book after having read it. I'm not sure why you are so defensive and why would you rate your own book at 5 stars? It is fact that I found this book to be a right rip-off between Harry Potter & Narnia, thus sharing my review. I did not know it was not OK to offer my review. I have reviewed many books being a bookworm that I am, with equally positive or negative views. Perhaps you should take in the criticism and improve on your next one, that would be energy better used rather than being personal.

Mia Tanaka:

Anti-fans already?

Considering the book hasn't shipped yet and NOBODY has a copy yet, I'm surprised you were able to review a book you haven't read.
EDITED: I was informed by the publisher that shipping didn't occur until today: 6/2/2011
I'm am all for people having an opinion. Please, by all means, HAVE AN OPINION. I'm still not sure about the Potter reference. And Narnia? Other than the "magical world" aspect... Eh... Mine is ORIGINAL material, written to amuse my children who came up with much of the story and they wanted to see their names in print. What can I say, I'm a sucker for my children. All kidding aside, you seem like an avid reader, which is awesome. I welcome legitimate constructive criticism. But, this is probably not the proper forum for it, please feel free to contact me at otherplace "at" yahoo Thanks!

June 2, 2011

Anonymous

Can't wait!

I can't wait to read this one. Ms. Tanaka's wit in her blog is addictive. I'm eager to see what she does with this YA fantasy.

Thanks "anonymous". I can guarantee the book is NOTHING like the blog... Apparently, it's not appropriate material. 

No paparazzi!

The more I look at pictures of myself, the more I realize I should try to avoid the camera as much as humanly possible. The vacant stare and the toothy stupid, crooked smile and the "special" quality that gets captured in a picture of me is pretty bad...
I've come to the conclusion though that there are moments that I do want captured forever in a still picture and sometimes I'll just have to suck it up and it's all good. Sure I'll do my best to make sure that I don't look like I "have issues" or that I'm suffering from an atomic wedgie from hell, but there are no guarantees.
My pop once told me that I have a tendency to ruin all the pictures with my face... That was until I pointed out that I am the spitting image of him AND I also inherited his "really good picture face" as I pointed out the similarities in the "family portraits" that we had. <Sigh!>
Cheeeeeeeeeeeeeese!

Lullaby...

It's absolutely adorable that sometimes when I can't sleep and I call Lucky and ask him to sing me a lullaby and he does. Is he the next Michael Buble? Well... No. It's not the question of whether or not he can or can't sing. It's the comfort I feel just from hearing his voice. The intent and the love that I feel and the fact that he will sing to me simply because I asked him to. No hesitation, no excuses, no reservation. He just does. To know that he loves and trusts me unconditionally like that is pretty awesome.