Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Attempting a Hyperlink!

I'm not sure why I'm so interesting in reading articles about sleep. But I am. I am always amazed to read about how many people are sleep deprived and how dangerous and unhealthy that is. I don't know if I'm a night owl or an early bird. I think I'm something in between. But I know that I often feel tired. So I guess I like reading articles and tips about sleep because I want mine to be as effective as possible.

Someone wrote a great blog on it today:
(and this is my first attempt to hyperlink on blogger...here goes...hope it works!)

ririanproject

Did it work? If it did, click on that link and read all about sleep cycles and what to do to get yours on track!

Tuesday, June 26, 2007

My friend took this picture of me singing at Cafe Lago- which by the way, I do every Friday from 7-9pm. He told me to post it. So I'm posting it! But I cannot seem to get it to post.... Urgh

Celebrate

The birthday week is winding down. In fact, it just may be over.
But it ended on such a high note!

I met with my "Do Nothing Lunch Bunch" at Bennihana. I picked the place for this week, knowing it would be for my birthday celebration (one day late). It was SO fun. I love Bennihana. But I'm just not sure how to spell it.

I love the way your group gets their own table in a small room with just one other table! I love it that the man who cooks the food does fancy stuff with his utensils! It's a thrilling cooking show. They brought out pink ice cream (a.k.a. strawberry) for dessert. How did they KNOW? And then, they took a polaroid picture of us so I could remember this day forever! Or, for a long, long time. For a WHILE. (I'm getting older...)

I got sweet cards and funny cards. And my dad gave me some cashola!!! YAY. I love birthday celebrations.

Sunday, June 24, 2007

Climaxes

Even tho today is my official birthday, it was mainly celebrated yesterday. Most of the today I spent just with my dogs. Which actually, come to think of it, who would I rather spend a lazy day with than Zoe and Scout?? Absolutely no one, really.

But tonight my husband and I went to (what I thought would be) an anti-climatic birthday celebration at Mariano's. We go there a lot. It's about a block from the house.

Just as we walked in, we saw a guy laying on the floor right by the bar. The hostess seemed to not notice. We pointed to him as if to ask her, "What's up?" and then I said, "So is he just kidding around?" and she responded as if she was coming out of a coma. Very slowly. "I don't think so...." But my husband was on it. He ran over to him and said, "Sir".... (no response)...."Sir" (pushing on the guys chest and still no response) "SIR!!!" and at the same time noticed there was a pool of blood behind his head on the floor and so he said, "CALL 911"... I don't know the beginning of the end of this story. Just the climax of it. But I think he just slipped and fell and the fall knocked him out. Maybe? Anyway, an ambulance came and took him off...

We ate our meal. And then as we were getting into our car to leave my husband said, "Whoa. I just saw a guy slam the door of the car he was in and then hit it- he's pissed-" and just as my husband was finishing his sentence we heard a "S-C-R-E-E-C-H" or tires. As the guy of the fighting couple was climbing over a brick wall at the edge of the parking lot, the girl driver/fighter was screaming out of control obscenities and heading towards him. He couldn't get over the wall so he was pacing like a bull around the parking lot as she yelled and yelled. He then punched the car again and roared. Roared. She sped away, but was back seconds later. Screaming more stuff I'd love to repeat here, but feel that maybe I shouldn't. They were absolutely out of control and if one of them had a gun, we would've witnessed a murder I'm pretty sure. During this whole yelling, screeching, punching the car scene the girl nearly hit a Ferrari as well as a few pedestrians. It was very scary, very exciting. The kind of stuff I will admit that I sort of love. Again, I don't know the beginning or the end of this story either, but I'm pretty sure I saw and heard the climax. Or at least one of them!

I never would've guessed all the excitement we had in store for us as we walked out our door to go up to Mariano's for a casual dinner tonight. It was not the anti-climatic dinner I had expected at all.

Saturday, June 23, 2007

Safelight

I'm always the one at our house that gets the mail... So if there's "fun" mail, like a magazine or a postcard, I read it. Yay! Otherwise, if it looks like a bill, or a waste of time, I put it in the pile with the newspaper for my husband to look at.

Yesterday after he got home from work, he was going thru the mail and held up on envelope and asked, "What's this?"- I looked at it more carefully this time and saw that the return address was SAFELIGHT Dallas Stops on Red. It was addressed to HIM, so I said, "OOOOOH. You got busted for running a red light with one of those new cameras!" and then I ripped open the envelope to look over the evidence.

There were 3 pictures. 2 of which were the first ones I saw, that were both just pictures of cars driving thru an intersection. I didn't see anything that looked like his car. So my first reaction was, "Hm. Weird. How could they make this mistake?" But the third picture was the upclose shot of the rear view of the car and it's license plate number. It was a yellow Beetle- MY CAR. WHAT?!?!?! And then I looked again at the other two pictures and saw MY CAR turning on a RED LIGHT. So I said, "YOU must have been driving my car"- which my husband just laughed at. He laughed because he SO rarely drives my car he must have thought it was an insane assumption. (He thinks he looks gay when he drives my car- yellow convertible Beetle with a big pink flower in it- How is that gay, I ask???)

I even checked a calendar to see what day of the week the pictures were taken. A Sunday! More proof that he must have been driving! Sometimes when we're out on the weekend, I ask him to drive if we're in my car. Usually it's a "no", but sometimes he'll do it. I guess it depends on how masculine or feminine he's feeling on that particular day. But as we looked closer at the pictures, it was clear to see, since the top was down, (oh, I mean the cars top, not mine) it was, in fact, me driving.

And then it all came back to me. YES. I do remember running that light. A big DART bus was in front of me and I remember not being able to see the light but just thinking, "I'll just be like an extension of the bus and run thru the light with DART."
I am notoriously a granny driver. I drive slow and I follow the rules. Almost always! So it just seems unbelievable I got caught! It made so much more sense to think that this was someone else driving my car. But pictures don't lie. And this was wasn't worth a thousand words, but it will cost me $75.

Thursday, June 21, 2007

Get on the Bus, Gus

I love youtube. For reasons like this: You can always find cool video performances by whomever you love- big or small, it seems! I ran across the video of Feist singing my lastest favorite song I previously mentioned in a blog, "I Feel It All". She sang it on Jimmy Kimmel ON A BUS. And I don't know why that is so cool, but it just is! Visit www.youtube.com and search FEIST, and you'll find the video... (Once again, I'm sorry I can't hyperlink it for you here.)

I have come to love Jimmy Kimmel as well. First and foremost, Sarah Silverman is his girlfriend. Secondly, he was a little mean to Nicole Richie when she was on. And at the end of each show (or at least the ones I watch 'til the bitter end) he says, "Sorry Matt Damon, we ran out of time". And lastly, Jimmy had a musical guest perform while riding around town ON A BUS- FEIST ON A BUS. How I wish I had been a passenger that night!

Wednesday, June 20, 2007

Summer Solstice


Today is Summer Solstice- The longest day of the year, as well as the first official day of summer. My brother-in-law, Chris, took this beautiful picture. He lives in Seattle and this was what the sky looked when he looked out his window. He was smart enough to snap a picture to capture such a night sky. Doesn't that look magical? He said it reminded him of Vincent van Gogh's Starry Night painting. So I guess it IS magic.

Here's to a beautiful summer: Lots of chirping birds and green grass, hot weather, Dad's pool, refuge from the heat in a movie theater, early morning runs, late night dog-walks, watermelon, vacations, lightening bugs, long days, lots of sunshine, fireworks! and skies that, at times, can look like a van Gogh painting...

Tuesday, June 19, 2007

Ross the Intern

When I discover something new and great, I like to tell others, SO-

My latest blog discovery is http://blog.nbc.com/ross_blog/ (Sorry I don't know how to do it as a hyperlink here, or I would to make it easy for you to visit...Please just take the time to copy it and go there as soon as you finish THIS blog) It is written by "Ross the Intern" from the Tonight Show. Hopefully, you've seen him on there before and are familiar with who he is. In case you're not, in a nutshell, the Tonight Show sends Ross out to lots of Hollywood events where he VERY enthusiastically meets and interviews lots of celebrities. He was also just on Celebrity Fit Club and since he wrote and spoke about it on his blog, I tuned in last night for the finale. I was really good. (And just a side note- Screech from Saved by the Bell was on it too and he is a complete A-HOLE.)

Anyway, Ross is really funny- Gay, really nice, funny and lives a very exciting life, which apparently, NBC has paid him to talk and write about. His blogs are daily, and short which I enjoy. So many blogs these days are so long and that gets boring- Ross's is blog is NOT boring.

He's going to co-host The View July 17th and I, for one, think it would be a brilliant move on their part to really spice things up around there and have him be a permanent host, now that Rosie is gone. I haven't watched the show since she left, and have no plans to, but if Ross were on there, I would!

But for now, I've got his blog. And I love it.

Monday, June 18, 2007

Birthday Week


Today isn't my birthday, however it is the beginning of my Birthday Week.

My husband makes fun of me that I start announcing my upcoming birthday well before it has arrived. Actually, I really haven't done this so much in the last several years, but since he still tells it that way, I might as well live up to it.

Now that I'm getting a little older, I'm not so big on announcing the actual AGE I'm turning- But I think each year I'm here, really IS a reason to celebrate. I am grateful for the years I've accumulated so far.

I can remember being a kid, and my mom was in her 30s/40s , and I would think how cool it would be to be her age. I thought it would mean I'd really feel sure of myself, and not care so much about what other people thought. THAT'S what I thought growing older was all about.

But here I am, in my 30s, and it's really not what I had expected. A lot of things don't feel much different than they did when I was 8! At times, in certain situations, I'm still very unsure of myself. I still probably worry too much about what other people think of me. But some of the great things about not feeling I've matured equally to my years: I'm still very excited by this life, I know I still have tons of things to look forward to, and millions of things to learn.

And so begins my birthday week. The actual DAY if June 24. Just like most things in life, I like the build-up almost as much as the actual event. Just like a vacation. I LOVE the several weeks before a big trip. Talking about it, dreaming about it, planning it out, counting the days until- I love that kind of anticipation. So even if it's just for my birthday, I'm gonna do it! Bring on all the bells and whistles...

Thursday, June 14, 2007

Blood


I successfully avoided the task most dreaded on my imaginary "to do" list today- Giving blood. And by giving blood, I don't mean kindly giving it up for donation- I mean giving the amount requested for my upcoming doctor's appointment. I am not good with the whole idea of veins and needles. It still completely grosses me out.

About the only reason I stick (no pun intended!) with my current doctor is because he lets me only go in every 5 months compared to every 3 months which most doctors of diabetic patients recommend. And actually, having just re-read that last sentence I want to clarify and say it isn't ABOUT the only reason I stick with him...It's THE only reason. I otherwise don't like him. And probably, he isn't so wild about me either which now that I think about it, might be why he only has me go in for my visit once every 5 months. So I guess I'm cool with us not liking each other.

But back to NOT being cool about giving blood. Every time I go into have it "drawn" (that sounds innocent, but it is not) I let the nurse know up front I have some bad tendencies towards fainting. I want them to know to handle me with care. Most of them are nice and let me lay down. They try to make me think I'm not even having my blood drawn by asking all sorts of random question about my life during the "procedure". But I don't want to talk. I just want to try to breath... And the talking interferes with that. I don't want anything slowing them down either. Just get in, get the blood, and get OUT.

So I kept having different excuses for myself on why I couldn't go just yet today. And now, it's 5:30pm- WAY too late to give blood. But now all this really means is that tomorrow I HAVE to go in and DO IT- I will work myself up into a tizzy. But, I will not die. Then I'll breathe in and say, "Hey, that wasn't so bad" and I won't have to go again for 5 beautiful months.

Monday, June 11, 2007

Not Cool


I don't know if it's official or not, but as far as I'm concerned because my Beetle's temperature gauge (why is this word spelled this way?) told me, we hit the 100 mark today. June 11th. I have lived in Dallas my whole life and our summer temperatures are something I have never embraced and never will.

I ran into a friend in the parking lot of Hobby Lobby today. She pulled up to me in her air-conditioned car. I hadn't seen her in over a year and there was so much to say and hear but all I could think as I stood on the concrete beside her car was, "I am melting." Really. I was becoming a puddle on the ground. And after I got in my car and cooled down it occured that I said a lot of stupid things during that conversation. And I blame the heat. Nothing works quite right in these temperatures. Especially my brain.

There is one thing I strangely love about the summer heat. And that is how sweaty me and my clothes are when I get back from my morning run. The last week or two, there has not been one stitch of dry clothing or hair on me when I return home. My clothes even make a slapping sound as I throw them on the ground right before I jump in the shower. And I love that. But besides that, the extreme heat is not cool.

Saturday, June 9, 2007

Blocked

So far in my mosaics class, I've completed 3 projects. I think I've improved and learned something new with each one. And I love the whole process completely-

But today, I was starting on my next project, which is going to be a frame for a sketch my friend, Willie, drew of me. He drew the sketch when I was performing a song I wrote called "Not Enough Time"- which is about Mom. He even wrote, "Not Enough Time" at the bottom of the picture. For the first time so far in mosaics, I didn't just dive right into my project. In fact I sat there without an idea of what I wanted to do during class for well over an hour.

I think this block came from having a fear that my frame won't be cool enough for Willie's sketch, or sweet enough for my mom's memory. I (of course) want this to be my best project yet. Not just my best, but actually, THE best project EVER. And that kind of expectation created a big fat BLOCK.

So my teacher gave me some ideas and told me of some sites to check out. I went home and as I looked around on the internet, I also started thinking. This pressure I had created had taken the fun out of things for me earlier today. Mom would not be cool with that at all! Mom would tell me to just START and to have fun- And then for sure, it will become a beautiful thing I know she would be proud of.

I can't WAIT to go back to my class on Tuesday and GET GOING on my frame!

Friday, June 8, 2007

Lucky


This is going to make me sound nerdy, but that's ok because I AM. One of my highlights of my weeks is going to the library. I love looking on the new fiction and non-fiction shelves and just seeing what pops out at me. There's no big pressure to make sure I make the right choice, I'm just borrowing after all, not buying. So I usually grab about 5 books- Usually I only end up reading about 3 of them.

My new fun thing I've done the last several times I've been to the library is to read a magazine. Oddly, I THINK you can actually check these out because there is a bar code but that seems over the top lame so I haven't done it. YET. Most magazines don't take that long to read anyway, so lately, I've flipped through one before I leave.

I also love seeing the books again that I've already read and liked. I always want to turn to the person nearest me and tell them, "Read this one!"

Today when I was reading an interview with Meg Ryan in Redbook magazine, I started looking around at all the other people just hanging out in the library. I caught one guy, also reading a magazine, picking his nose. I mean REALLY going for it. Yuck. But otherwise, it was lots of people of all different ages dressed really casually looking at books, magazines, or sitting in front of a computer. And I wondered how were we all so lucky to be able to be at the library on a Friday mid-day?

Thursday, June 7, 2007

Asheville or Some Place Like It

A few years ago, my sister and I were together in Asheville, N.C. We were walking around the small downtown area and we saw a few homeless people.

"Wow! Those people really have it figured out. If I were homeless, this is where I'd want to live too!", I said.

And my sister said something to the effect of, "Well, you probably shouldn't wait until your homeless then. Maybe you should move here." And she's right. If Asheville appeals to me thinking of myself as homeless, imagine how great it'd be if I could even have a home! My little statement really spoke volumes.

Asheville, or a place like it, is where I long to be.
Someplace small. In the mountains. Pretty.
I'd also like to find a place with 4 full seasons. Divided up evenly throughout the year.
Some day I want to move. Some day I want to live somewhere other than Dallas, Texas.
I've lived in Dallas my whole life and I'm ready to try something new.
I hope my some day comes soon... (but really, I am so grateful that I am not homeless.)

Tuesday, June 5, 2007

My Summer Song

This blog just happens to go along with this week's Burning Question, which I will post after I post this, so please check that spot and add your comment of your favorite summer song. (Go to my homepage and click on Burning Question)

Last week at CDSource, I found a copy of the Feist cd which I had been wanting to listen to because I kept seeing ads about it, or reviews- I'm not even sure. But I knew of it (her, Feist that is) and had a feeling I'd dig it. (again, by IT, I mean her...but with a name like that, it sounds like a band and so I keep writing IT.)

So I do like the cd. It's my kind of thing. But track 2, which is called, "I Feel It All" is just all the shit as far as I'm concerned! I have played it over and over and over all week. It's the first week of June, and I'd call that summer for sure. The top has been off of my convertible now that the rain has cleared off and this song has been played LOUD for all around me to enjoy.

Sometimes I initially love a song for its music, and sometimes for the lyrics. What drew me to this first was the music. It sort of reminds me of the song "Tenderness" by General Public. But so far, the words don't all make sense to me, or I haven't thought about them so much yet- Altho I do tend to "feel it all" pretty deeply, so that line alone connects me! Already in just 4 days time I have played that song so much that I can pretty much figure it is going to be the song that helps me to remember the summer of 2007- I

Friday, June 1, 2007

My Dogs Are Not Their Age

This morning I took my dog, Scout, up to her vet to have her bandage and stitches removed after having a little surgery last week. Altho I'm sure this procedure was relatively painless, as usual, I heard her screaming like a banshee. But this time, I listened from the waiting room rather than in the "doing" room. I just couldn't bare to see her in that state, and I really think her dramatics are mainly for me and my reactions anyway.

When Scout and I were out in the waiting room, a woman waiting with her dog asked me if Scout had gotten into a fight. (I guess she looks like a fighter with a bandage wrapped around her entire torso?) I told her that no, Scout just had a benign tumor removed. Then the woman asked me hold old Scout is and I told her- Eleven. And then she made that hissing sound that happens when you have your teeth together and you suck in air as if to say, "Oh...bummer".

I have found this happening several times lately when people ask the innocent question, "How old are your dogs". They offer unsolicited reponses like, "Whoa, gettin' up there..." or "Awwww...." with a sad tone.

I was thinking, maybe I should just start lying about Zoe and Scout's age. They certainly don't look or act eleven. And I don't want to hear these morbid reactions when I say their age and I'm pretty sure Zoe and Scout aren't down with it either! People in Hollywood lie about their age all the time and for far less important reasons...