Guts And Determination

Whew. I am so exhausted. Exhausted in a good way to be sure, it was a FAB-U-LOUS week- and pictures will follow as soon as I can organize the 5,000 of them - but it was a lot of stuff to do, a lot of fun to have, a lot of sexy to be and now I am just tired. So tired I totally forgot about the weekly meme until just this moment. Sorry Back Porch peeps.
::Onesome: "Guts"-- sometimes can determine the outcome: whoever digs in and plays through the injuries and circumstances. What is your favorite memory of someone or a team driving past adversity to win the big one?

• Again, the eerie phenomenon of The Back Porch knowing what I have been doing with my days...we JUST watched We Are Marshall the other night. Not as cheesy or as predictable as I would have thought. Not bad at all. And a great 'guts' story.

::Twosome: ...and-- what brought that question on? The local team won the College World Series last night, winning every elimination game possible to advance as the lowest seed ever to win a National Title. No question, just kudos to them. Okay, easy question: did you hear anything about the games where you are?

• Nope. But we were busy watching the two professional teams that reside about 10 feet from each other here in The Jungle, not make any effort at all for three entire games. It was kind of sad.

::Threesome: Determination-- helps in life: what have you accomplished through sheer determination that will remain with you as a bright spot in your life?

• This is a hard question. I feel that I have been richly blessed in my life, to the point where some would call me spoiled, not in money terms but in experience. Maybe the thing I had to put the most effort into was getting my degree. I was burnt out near the end of college. Five years is a long degree path and after having one professor tell me I needed to switch majors (after ending up in the hospital one Christmas break because of the stress) I was not as enamored of the major either. A smart person would probably have reconsidered her options and maybe done something else - I could kick myself right now for NOT doing that - but I didn't. I got stubborn and decided that if he wanted me to leave, I was darn well going to stay and finish the blasted thing. And I did. But I didn't love it like I had before and I haven't found the love again. There have been projects I liked, and people, but the profession as a whole, not so much. Surely you've heard me complain more than once about it. I have not tried as hard as I could have either, maybe because I harbor some resentment from that professor's words. Does that make me lazy? Probably. I feel that myself often. Frequently in fact. That's probably not the "bright spot" you were looking for either huh?

This is me, ready for a nap.

Now It Begins

Here we go - the greatest week ever is about to commence. Well, I hesitate to use superlatives like that because what if it isn't the greatest week ever? Still, it promises to be be pretty cool. Firstly, Tarzan is off from school so we're at home together all day. That has never happened before. Not all day every day. When we weren't going somewhere. This is freaky. Awesome but freaky. He goes back for summer school in two weeks so it won't get too out of hand over here. :-)
Rocketgirl flies in today with Sunshine!! Yay! Haven't seen them since December and that was a pretty crappy reason for people to be getting together. So we have a lot of fun to be doing.
Tomorrow one of my friends from college passes through on her way home from Texas. That will be interesting, with all the picking up and dropping off and trying to catch up going on there.
Thursday QC flies in - Teaq is not, more's the pity - and Friday PFiddle comes too, for the second ASKR! Woot. Much playing and catching up and hanging out will be accomplished. The beach here we come. And thankfully, the weather has come to it's senses. This past weekend was SO HOT. Don't know what's up in The Jungle but I hope it's not a preview of things to come. But it has cooled down significantly and that's a good thing. Should be just about right to play. Yay!

This is me, off to the airport.

Your Assistance Is Required

My Internet friends, I have a problem. See, I had a hair stylist, and she was amazing. She knew what I wanted even when I couldn't describe it. She didn't give me lots of goop to put in my hair, she kept it on the long side and simple maintenance - for fancy occasions I can deal but I don't want to have to wrestle a hair dryer and/or curling iron every day. She knew to style it around my freaky hairline and what would look good with my cantaloupe head.
But she moved. Up north. And while she was awesome, I could have fed a small nation on what she charged. Still, I was working and I only went 2-3 times a year, so I figured it all balanced out.
Now I'm not working, and my super hair dresser is gone and my head was in desperate need of...something. (I realize this before and after thing could be construed as a copy of Rocketgirl's post, but she knows I want to be her so what's the dif?) As you can see, I needed some help: I got online and started looking for beauty schools. Rumor says they are much cheaper and that's never bad and they are supervised by an instructor so they won't chop all your hair off or dye it green or something. They were MUCH cheaper, about a fifth (that's 1/5) of my previous stylist, but the down side is it took three times as long (3X!!) Students apparently lack self confidence and need to get each step approved by the instructor, blah, blah, blah. I was in the chair from 10:30 until 3:00. Got my hair washed twice and spent a lot of time sitting while she went to fetch her teacher.
So here is my dilemma. Is the extra time spent - and by extra, I mean pretty much all day - worth the money saved? Should I continue going to the school - and get a different stylist each time - or find a professional, pay more but be reliable and get out of there in a decent hour?
This picture does not do the color justice, it's really a lot lighter than it looks, and I didn't want anything drastic:

This is me, wondering, is the time worth it?

Stating The Obvious

::Onesome: Stating-- things clearly? In your job/vocation/school do you like to have everything spelled out in detail? ...or are you one of those people who does better with broad guidelines and a free rein?

• As is a standard with me, it depends. If there are specific requirements, then I want to know them. If someone has an idea in their head and wants me to work with it then tell me about it. If you need some brainstorming then I can run with it. I like the finished product to be awesome and I like the client / chairperson to be happy with what they get. That's all.

::Twosome: the-- food I miss the most is? (loaded question, but hey...)

• This will gross out SO MANY PEOPLE, but the food I miss most from when we lived in The Frozen North is ketchup chips. I know. But they are so much better than sound. Trust me on this. They're excellent.

::Threesome: Obvious-- to some, but not to others: what is something that seems obvious to you but others seem to miss? ...or how about something you just don't 'get'?

• Hehe, when people are being stupid and don't know that they are. How people can take the political candidates and not want something more for the next leader of our country. Why can't people see that they are exactly what they are preaching against? My biggest thing I don't get are people who are hypocritical. And I realize that hindsight is 20/20 and I am removed from the situation but I really try hard to not be hypocritical. What I don't get is why we can't all just get along.

This is me, with the answers today.

Five Things

I feel special today. Usually I steal memes that I find interesting from other bloggers. And then don't tag anyone else to continue the insanity. I suppose I should but I don't because, one, there aren't a lot of people I know, know, blogging yet and two, I don't feel comfortable tagging blogs I only lurk and three, I don't want to be annoying. I like to be included so it's not annoying to me, but I have read lots of bloggers who hate to be tagged and I don't want to be one of the taggers. But I feel special today because someone tagged me. For real. It's right there on the Internet, and we know if the Internet says it, it must be true and important. Thank you for validating me Rocketgirl!! (Even if you are being sarcastic about my posting schedule.) So. Five unimportant things about me.

1. I like things to be straight, symmetrical, squared up. I don't like to have the laptop not aligned with the edge of the desk, or pencils not lined up together with all the erasers even. One of the guys at the (ex)office would skew my tape dispenser to see how long it would take for me to right it once I got in in the mornings.
2. I have a bizarre hair line. A widow's peak in the almost middle of my forehead sweeps into a cowlick on my left side and there's another swirl in the back. The first time I had my hair done by a real hair dresser she had the other stylists come over to look at my head.
3. My right foot is a half size bigger than my left. My fourth toe on both feet is half the size of the third toes AND they bend at a funky angle.
4. I collect books like a fiend. Doesn't matter what of or in what language - we have a Hari Krishna handout on the shelf somewhere - I can't bear to throw a book away.
5. Blue is my favorite color. I have tried to make it be green or red or black but I can't. It's blue.

I tag...Lola, RHM, Q and Kathy.

This is me, feeling special.

Special Advisory Notice

Please be aware that the preceding eight posts have not, in fact, been post dated. They were created, composed and finished as noted. They were not, however, not published at that time. I like to give the post a few minutes, hours to 'gel' before posting it and it seems I forgot to go back to a few of them...erm, I shall try not to be so absent minded in the future.

This is me, chagrined.

Picture This (#9) - ATL's Graduation

Do you realize that I have a graduation exercise to go to every year for the next four years at least? Oy. But still it was good one on Friday night. ATL has been a crazy woman for the past four years. But I think her approach has been a logical one. A bit unorthodox perhaps, but it has worked had the desired effect.

The preparations:

If you thought the set-up for R3's graduation was getting fancy, get a load of this:

I think it's a requirement that someone lose their balloons before the ceremony starts:

The procession was quite intricate:These are (some of) the faculty:Band A:

Band B (neither one plays Pomp & Circumstance by the way):

Band C (they didn't either):

Our security guard was quite intense:

There she is:

Welcome, welcome: Not the most inspiring speaker I have ever heard:

This guy was definitely high:

I had thought this was going to be a long recitation:

But the faculty were quite efficient about reading off the 1500 names:

The moon on the night ATL graduated:

All gradumatated:

With the mom and dad: Tarzan and Jane too:

Congratulations ATL!!:

This is me, almost ready for an honorary degree.

Work Hard and Play Hard

::Onesome: Work?-- Work! Summer jobs: how about the worst one you've ever had! ...or maybe the most interesting one? You decide...

• I worked in a cheese factory one summer. The graveyard shift in a cheese factory. My job? Was to inspect the packages of block cheese as they came off the wrapping machine to make sure the seal was complete, correct and that there was only cheese inside. You would be surprised I think, to learn of the things that can end up in a package of cheese.

::Twosome: "Hard" and-- "Tight"? Words take on new meanings all the time. ...used to be both those words were compliments; now it appears "sick" is a good thing (according to the lexicon of the local fourteen year-old). What have you heard lately that took you a minute to figure out. I mean, like "bad" is still "good", right? Tight, man!

• I never got that "phat" was a good thing to be. Even if it was spelled with a ph. I love "groovy" though. We do live in The Jungle though and the people around here can't seem to say anything without cursing and swearing every other word. Literally. I try not to listen so I don't pick up any slang.

::Threesome: Play Hard?-- What is your idea of "Summer Fun"? ...and no, walking on the beach doesn't count for this one!

• Summer fun...like cleaning out the yard? And getting the house cleaned? Or do they mean margaritas and daiquiris?

This is me, with some summer plans.

It's A Wash

"I've got some good news and some bad news," I told the doctor yesterday when I went back for the follow up on my thumb that got the Cortisone six weeks ago.
The good news being my thumb is perfect-o. He said after the last visit that I should start to see a change in two weeks but it was about a week later that I could bend my thumb again normally. No pain, no clicking; it's awesome to have the use of my thumb again. Maybe I'm a quick study.
And I'm maybe also accident prone because the bad news is the middle finger on my other hand needed a shot. The achy, stiffness is not going away. He couldn't feel a nodule of infection in the finger like there had been in my thumb but his opinion is that we caught it earlier and this was preemptive Cortisone. I think he just likes sticking people because he needs the practice. I could see his eyes light up when it came time to get out the gigantic needle that draws the Cortisone up. And maybe it's because I had been lulled into a false sense of security after the last episode and was all relaxed but this shot hurt. HURT bad, people. Not in the flesh freezing off my bones bad fortunately, but nasty. He said he gave me a local anesthetic but I think it was expired or something because my finger did not get numb and it ached all day long from the poking and jabbing of the needle. Does anyone else's doctor make them use iodine to clean the injection area? It's kinda weird to go out in society with my hand all brown-y yellow after coating my hand in iodine. No one says anything but I know they're all looking at me and my bandage wondering.

This is me, hopefully done with gigantic needles.

Celtic Woman

I'm a little late to the party...I know. I usually am. But that doesn't mean the group is any less spectacular. I am of course talking about the singing sensations sweeping the nation right now: Celtic Woman.

I have mentioned before that I love all things Irish, but I do hate to jump on a bandwagon - I am not a joiner for the sake of joining. There are a few exceptions. This being one of them.

From left to right they are; Lisa, Chloe, Orla, Meav and Mairead. There is not a doubt that any of them are talented. They all sing except Mairead who plays the violin/fiddle like a fiend. Does anyone else make judgements about a person having never met them? (Stephanie J. Block may not be the paragon of personage I make her out to be but one can forgive a lot for a talent like that.) I do. Facial expressions, posture, hands, smile. They all compile in my brain to give me a likely false impression of a person. A famous person at least.

Lisa I love. She is pretty of course - they all are. She's also a mother, from Ireland and she stands still when she sings. Her arms don't move, they're relaxed when she sings. In fact she seems very natural on stage. And she doesn't close her eyes. On such shallow things do I base my opinion. (Her website is green!)

Chloe is really young. She's 15 or 16 which seems really young. I have very little opinion one way or another regarding her. Is that sad? She closes her eyes some of the time but her arms are good.

Orla strikes me as the diva of the group. No idea why. She certainly seems nice enough in her interviews. Maybe it's because she also plays the harp and is very straight when she sings. Almost stiff. She also has a pointy nose that could be stuck up.

Meav reminds me of a blogger that I read - in looks only, and that only slightly - but because I don't agree with the blogging woman, I have a gut rejection of Meav. That seems unfair I know but what can I do? She also moves her arms a lot and closes her eyes when she sings.

Mairead is the fiddle player and she is amazing. She also flips her hair A LOT while playing and I figure it must be a learned thing so she moves more while performing but I can't say I care for it. The first time I saw her play I thought she ought to tie it back, but then I realized she does it on purpose. I know not why.

So that's my preference. Based purely on appearances. And likely not accurate. But whatevs. Not like I will meet them ever you know?

This is me, lovin' the heritage. (Not that they're related to me but you know)

Maybe I Should Have Done P.R. Work

Yet another reason why I love Albertson's. Truly. Even if they are "crazy about food," they aren't crazy about where they put the food or crazy about if they carry the food. It was a simple mission. I needed some ingredients for cookies Tarzan wanted for an activity. Ginger, eggs, molasses. That's not too weird is it? I mean, really, what grocery store does not carry molasses? What store thinks they have molasses but can't find it? The one I went to. And it's not some corner store either, this is a big name brand store. No molasses. I went up and down every single aisle. Every. Single. One. I looked next to the jam and the honey and the maple syrup. Nothing. So I asked an employee. Aisle 9 she says. That's the one with syrup. Nope. Aisle 4? The one with jam. Nope. Nada. Rather than mess with that weird store anymore I left everything there and went to Albertson's. Did they have molasses? Of course they did. Thank you Albertson's! Me love you long time.

This is me, disgusted with some people's stores.

So, Ya'll Like Music - Eh?

::Onesome: So-- what if everyone else does it?!? I'm different and I'm going to do it my way! Heh, what is that for you? ...the peanut butter and banana sandwich? ...tie-dyed seat covers for the car? ...or maybe an unusual sport?

• What's unusual about me? Are you serious? Did you read the 'About Me' square in the upper right hand corner of the page? I like things really straight and lined up on my desk. Or table. Or floor. Or whatever. Right angles are my friend

::Twosome: Ya'll-- gonna' be catchin' any big ol' trout this year? ...any fishing people out there on the porch? Hey, even watching on TV counts for something...

• Nope, nope and nope. Not the fishing type of girl. Of course, I've only been once and the dude "showing" me how to do cast was a professional by any stretch of the imagination.

::Threesome: "like Music--, like friends": we all have different varieties we listen to from time to time. How about an update on your musical tastes? Go for it!

• I'm big into the 60's right now. I finally found "Bad, Bad, Leroy Brown's" artist, a one Jim Croce, and a lot of his songs I knew, without knowing he was the artist. Funny how life is like that. Also, I love the musicals. Stage musicals. New, old, freaky, traditional. It's all good.

This is me, groovin'.

Who Was In The Bus?

I know, it's been a few days - try weeks or even months - since the season finale for the FOURTEENTH, yeah, it's been on for fourteen years, crazy! fourtheenth season of E.R. but I finally, finally watched it today. (This is the danger of a DVR by the way, greatly delayed reactions to events on the television.) As is usual, and frankly, expected there will be some questions at the end of a season finale. What would a finale be if they didn't leave the audience hanging until the fall? And what would the Internet world be if people couldn't complain about the aformentioned season finale and WHO THE FREAK WAS IN THE BUS THAT EXPLODED? Does one or more actor want off the show? Sam used to annoy me but she's gotten better. Come to think of it, Pratt annoyed me too. Still does most of the time but he did learn how to be a better doctor. Chances are neither of them was in the back. Just because TV likes to play with my mind that way. My guess is that Abby will not be dead and will help with the rescue. Maybe she'll be hurt because something will cause them to not leave County - what would E.R. be without Abby and Luca? And they finally worked all the problems out. They can't leave.
Now watch that the complete opposite happens just because I wrote about it.

This is me, wanting to know.

Picture This (#8) - R3's Graduation

It seems like not that long ago I was hunched over my knees trying not to come in contact with the many individuals who had not thought a shower necessary for the event, high on the sun-drenched metal bleachers while clutching my purse, cards, flowers and candy, enduring the congratulatory speeches and so-called singing, while trying to clap, avoid the air horns and confetti from the previously mentioned unshowered persons, while an all together too familiar breeze ruffled my skirt, if you know what I mean.

Yes, D2's high school graduation was an entire year ago and there I was again on Saturday past, for R3's walk across the "stage." I am, and was, happy for my siblings of course. In four years I will again be happy for the last one of my siblings to graduate from high school. That's a weird thought. I was a senior in high school when he was born and he will graduate high school in four short years. Libble dit wacked yeah?

But it was a good day despite the friendly breeze.

Getting fancy with the decor:

Our father says he looks like an engineer, no particular regard for the ceremony, just going along with it for the parental units while thinking long and involved equations in his head:

Some dude's HAIR kept getting in the way of my shots:

We welcome you to the windy ceremony:

I think that was supposed to be a song:

Someone lost their balloon:

Blah, blah, blah, we're so proud:

I'm so funny:

I can't see:

I can sign:

I can't keep my cap on:

I can't sing:

Finally the reason we all come to these things:

Reading his name:

Preparing the shake the hand:

Walking:

Couldn't get the hat off fast enough:

But I'll put it back on for my oldest sister because I love her:

With the mother and the father:

And the sister who can't keep her mouth shut in a picture. Though I have to say I looked pretty good in this picture:

Just the boys:

With some dude I don't know but has been to as many of these things as we have:

This is me, congratulations R3!!

Weird Dream #24

I dreamt I was at an artistic college - not sure what I was doing there because I was not attending - mostly for dancers and singers but some musicians, painters and cartoonists as well. What was awesome was that Stephanie J. Block was there. (I've never had a famous person in my dreams before.) She was a student - though not a teenager - and apparently some of the other girls were giving her a hard time because she was contemplating leaving and going home. I was in the "dorms," which were really houses, scattered all over a fairly rural campus, surreptitiously listening to the hazing and catching ends of conversations where they mocked her for eating, for not practicing as much as they, for not being blond.(?) Then she ran away and I was the only one who went after her, though there were a number of guys and girls who didn't want me to find her so they were chasing me as I looked for Stephanie. There was a narrow escape from an empty house I was searching, and then a car chase - apparently I am a dang good driver! - and lots of people who had no interest in what was going on, just going to class and playing and practicing, until I found her back at her place - alone fortunately - and we talked; talked about how talented she is, how she owes it to herself, to the world, to carry on despite the antagonism of others. It's just jealousy that makes them annoy her. My parents arrived later and encouraged her to eat and not worry what others say. Then a family arrived with two small blond kids who were going to attend the school...
The phone woke me up so I don't know how it ended - I guess she muscled it out because she's on Broadway now! :-) The interesting part was I remember liking her a lot in my dream - I admire her a lot in real life of course - but she was a real person and I thought we could have been friends.
I don't think I've ever had a dream like that before.

This is me, dreaming about an idol.