Monday Meme

Manic Monday's Theme:BED

1. If you could have any single kind of appliance attached to your bed, what you it be?

ummm, i'd like to invent a new one if i'm gonna do this at all - a combo dorm frig/microwave. Presto! all food needs met. true sloth - hail ye

2.If you could have a single button beside your bed that did one thing, what would you want it to do?

i'd like to invent something for this too - an automatic muter for the tv. as soon as commercials come on - tv goes mute, thus eliminating the need for me to scramble for the clicker under my laptop and mountain of things i'm reading all at once.
so, the single button would turn this auto muter on. :)

3 .If you could have any view in the world visible from your bed, what would it be?

the view from Princeville Resort in Kauai.

4. If you had to name the most beautiful bed you have ever occupied, what would it be?

unless i'm forgetting something, it would be at the Hotel Monaco in San Francisco.
though, that wasn't so much the bed, as the room in its entirety.

A fun list

< the basement, pre- new chairrail and minus our cherry furniture - bookcases, futon and entertainment center that now occupy it. when it's Done and Perfect - will post finished version

4 Things I Need Every Morning
• to hug my dogs
• kiss goodbye from my sweetie
• breakfast
• laptop

4 Things that Turn Me Off
• christians
• republicans
• cranky old people - yes, i still hate my neighbor. bitch!
• unstable people

4 Things I Believe In
• my baby's love for me
• that i am living my life right now exactly as i'm meant to - wouldn't change a thing
• unconditional love for all animals, especially my 3 dogs and 3 cats
• the all-emcompassing and uniting and creative energy that is the Universe

4 Things I Am Afraid Of
• death, before i'm ready
• extreme heights - bungy jumping - no; skydiving - no; falling to the earth in a crashing plane - no thank you
• something happening to any of my loved ones
• chipping a tooth

4 Things I Do Everyday
• surf
• kiss my babies and my husband
• bath or shower (i do luv my 2 hour bubble baths)
• eat something sweet

4 Things I Want to Do Before I Die

hmmmmmm.... very interesting... will be pondering this long after i finish this list...
•
•
•
•

4 People I Want to See
• my friends Brini and Fi, Oprah, and..... think I'll hold onto that 4th choice for now.

4 Numbers that Rule My Life
2281966 - my bday; 1697 - day i met my honey online, and the day a year later he proposed; 9131997 - the day we met; 651999 - the day we married. :)

4 Favorite Colors
• pink
• green
• white
• reserving that choice for now too

no wait... red.. the color of my cave dwelling that is my bedroom. :)

3 Names You Won’t Answer to
• skipping this, b/c a lot of new people tend to call me a variation of my name, and it makes no nevermind to me nohow, and so far other names I'm called are very endearing to me. they are Di - by my girl; Franny - by my bosom buddy; gertrude/motor mouth - by my mom when i was little; sweetie/honey/baby/punkin/puppy - any and all things my sweetiehoneybabypunkinpuppy calls me. :)
• actually, there is one i don't care for - whenever my mom said 'dianalynn' - usually meant trouble was afoot.

3 Parts of Your Heritage

not that I know, because I have no Written proof of anything - thanks hillbilly family!
• Irish
• Welsh
• Cherokee

3 Things You are Wearing Right Now
• undies - der
• pajama bottoms - i'd live in them if i could... though, come to think of it, i've found a way to wear them most of the day lately :)
• pajama top - not matching, but always color coordinated with the bottoms :)

3 Favorite Songs
.... but not necessarily my top 3 ....
• september, by EWF
• Summer Wind, by Sinatra
• One Headlight, Jacob Dylan's band

3 of Your Hobbies
• any form of entertainment via media - surfing, tv/movies, magazines, books
• my furry babies
• organizing

adding a fourth - creative outlet, such as painting. we're currently redoing the basement, and i get lost for hours on end painting all of it to perfection. next up - touching up the whole rest of the house (considering i painted every surface of it when we moved in 3 years ago - def. some spots that need another going over)

3 Places You Want to Visit
• Ireland - check - going there this summer :)
• Greece
• Australia

3 Ways You are Unstereotypically Male/Female
• well, i think i'm pretty girly girl, but the only thing that comes to mind is i can cuss a storm when properly motivated (i.e. huge anger such as anytime i see my bitch neighbor)

The Birds Have Arrived!

what the hell - that's as good a reason as any to post.
Shit.
if i were a GOOD blogger, like megan is - I woulda taken some PICTURES of those dang ole birds who were swarming my backyard birdfeeder today!
crap.
note to self - ... well, you know what it is.

anyway.
sure haven't felt like posting lately have i?
and no, i'm Not going to use capital letters anymore unless i damn well feel like it. so deal.
i don't do it in IMs or email, so i ain't a'doin' it here neither.

Lotsa stuff has happened in the, oh, THREE months since last we visited.
what's most important??
oh let's just randomly tawk....

- we got a new kitty. her picture is above. her name is Reva. she came with the name rhonda, but i didn't like that.
long story short - i got an itch to get a new kitty. i Wanted a white and/or orange Kitten. so i started checking out petfinder.com.. or org. whatever it is.
then i checked my local news site - they do a shelter pet every tuesday.
i saw her picture.
she'd been in there for over a year. her kittens were long ago adopted, and she was still there.
i mean, that Face!
she wasn't white, or orange, or a kitten.. but, i knew she was destined to be mine.
so, applied for the adoption, got her later that week, and it's been, um, 5 or 6 weeks now and she's doing really well.
kept her closed off in her own room for the first week - she was really spazzy at first. had short visits with her. got her used to the feeling that she wouldn't have to go to petco every saturday anymore. then had longer visits. then started leaving the door open - gate up (WHY OH WHY do dogs like cat poop????). bella and chia started hopping to fence to visit. went mostly ok.
then, i took her in the bathroom with me one saturday when i took a long 2 hour bath. it was only then she realized i think that there was more to her new home than that one room. so slowly she started coming out and exploring little by little. then i stopped putting food in her room so she'd have to go downstairs where we feed the other two and get it there.
did i say long story short???
anyway. now her litter box has been moved to the basement, with the other two. (a 4th is in the bathroom up here, but only my crazy cat uses that one - it's a "Clever Cat" style - with a hole in the top of the lid, instead of the side like usual. keeps the poop eating beagle out, but so far also keeps out 2 of my 3 kitties.
so... she came in the bathroom today while i was drying my hair and circled my legs.. as cats do.
she tolerates me picking her up from her cozy bed and holding her in here in a big hug in my room while we watch tv - dogs and cats all around snoozing.
i wuv her.

- we are going to the UK in July to see LUCIANO PAVOROTTI!!!
my honey is So fucking awesome!
long story short -
(?)
i mentioned in dec. that i got a cd at starbucks that has a luciano song on it that i loved. mentioned that it would be cool to hear him in person one day - his voice Moves me.
(it also moves our two moms, but that's not actually my influence - i just luv what i luv ;))
um.. so... xmas prezzie day - he approaches with a "3 part gift".
ok.........
#1 - luciano cd - cool!
#2 - a book on etiquette and customs in Great Britain - ummmm..... HUH?????
#3 - a printout from ticketmaster of our tickets to see the Great One at Warwick Fucking Castle this summer!!! i mean, REALLY!!!
who woulda ever thought??????
blew me away.
so, now we need to book our flights soon and get busy doing homework on how best to use our time there. i think we're actually gonna do 4 days in UK and 6 days in Ireland.
our beloved dog Max was a Kerry Beagle, from, natch, County Kerry on the Green Isle, and so we have fantasies of researching his breed while there and finding ourselves a new little puppy max. don't know how realistic that is, but since i think i have irish roots (have i ever metioned my hillbilly family NEVER apparently kept track of the history of our heritage??), i wanna see the homeland and such.
so, that's fun. :)

- um... god. i know there's tons more to talk about. but it's after midnight and the ole sleepin pills are kicking in.

but, i will say this - i miss my fi - hope you're back online soon sweetie.
my husband's brother had a baby, and apparently i'm not supposed to give a shit, so i'm not gonna. dont miss him and apparently it's mutual, so fuck'em.
feel so grateful for my 3 other bestest friends who remembered my bday last week.
oh that.
yeah. i turned 40.
yippeefuckingyeah.
i'll stream of consciousness about that later.
still dealing.
so, hey, if you're here, drop me a howdy will ya?

p.s. - mark - get the FUCK outta my dreams man!
God!

So, yeah......

I'm so unfocused right now.
Part of why I haven't been blogging. Don't know where to start, what to talk about...
much like my messy messy messy messy cluttered house. It's so messy and cluttered I can't think or see straight. I need to Seriously declutter and get my shit straight... but, Ohhhh the effort. And like, Every room needs stuff done to it!
Not to mention actually Cleaning shit!!!
Oy.

So, watched Hotel Rwanda last night. Took us forever to finally put it in the dang ole dvd player. Once in, I wanted to take it out. So hard to watch. Glad we did though.... decent happy ending in a gruesome tale.
Today I'm gonna watch my James Spader movie I've had forever and a Stewie Griffin special, and then in the mail they go so we can get new fun from Netflix!

It just feels like sometimes there's So much to do.. so much I'm behind on, so much that I FORGET I have to do, but know it's Something, lurking, waiting.... it just makes me positively inactive. Total inertia.
Which is odd.... in my jobs as a nanny or household manager or housesitter or whatever - I'm SO good at organizing and tidying up other people's shit. Excellent at it. And I feel a great sense of accomplishment when I do.
Like last week - I cleaned up Laura's dresser.
This entailed taking everything off, rearranging, even all her little jewelry boxes.. took ALL her jewelry out and put it on the bed, catagorized it, condensed it... and it made me feel SO good!
But when it comes to MY shit - WTF is wrong with me?????

I now have a lot of "free time", but where the fuck does it go???? How is it now that I have just ONE dog walking job to alllll day - granted, with travel, it takes about 2 hours, but, most days, I can just Barely manage to accomplish that! Like, seriously - nothing else gets done!

Part of the problem may be what's going on right now. My sleep schedule is erratic.
Went to bed on the late side - 1:00ish... woke at 6:00ish... now it's almost 8:00ish... I feel like once I finish here, and maybe surf a couple more blogs, I'll go back to sleep.. probably til noon or so, if I'm lucky... but then, that's more than half the daylight hours today... and I May, in two shifts, get a full night's sleep out of it. But then I'll lay here, watch tv, try to read, make us "breakfast"... maybe take a bath.... then it'll be dark! And my inclination to crawl back in bed and snuggle up for the night will kick in, and I'll have gotten NOTHING DONE!
We'll see how it goes, but I"m not predicting a good successful productive day.
Dammit.
Something else is going on here... maybe if I 'blog'/journal long enouogh, it will reveal itself to me.
I feel it lurking under the surface....
alas.... i Am feeling sleepy now.. so, gonna go noodle on it for a bit and see what I come up with.
Maybe my dreams will reveal all.
Or, if I"m lucky, James Spader will visit me and we'll make fantastic naughty love and I'll wake up in a great mood and ready to roll! ;)

Michael Hutchence :(

Watched the "Rock Star" show all summer... rooted for JD from the very beginning with his rendition of 'California Dreamin' (previously stated on this blog)....
in anticipation of their new album and the concert we're gonna go see in February, we've rented an INXS dvd from Netflix - Live Baby Live.
Actually, I wanted to see this after programming them into my Tivo and seeing a block of performances from them over the years with Michael.
WOW - what a performer he was.
I always did like him - thought he was totally hot, especially with longer hair... but I took for granted what an awesome and powerful singer he was, and a MAGNETIC performer. He owns the stage, the crowd, the music.... he's one with it.
Decided I wanted to see more of him, as I just have vague memories of the videos on MTV.

It just makes me so sad to watch though.
Had a similar sensation this afternoon - "Superfreak" by Rick James came on the radio, and I was like, Cool - and turned it up... realizing moments later - ohhhh, Rick's dead. :(
Still enjoy the song of course, but it takes away from it....

I'm sad to think he (Michael) had so many demons that he took a lot of drugs and got lost in himself, and ended up taking a life that should have gone on many many more years.
Watching him sing "Need you tonight" at the moment.... magnetic, mesmerizing, sexy as hell, funny, feminine yet totally all man....
Life is so unfair. Someone like him goes too soon, and there's still all these FUCKERS out there walking around, enjoying freedom and life and possibilities.

No clue about his daughter - Heavenly Hirani Tigerlily - but I hope she ends up ok. Both her parents gone.... at least she has all this video to watch and see a part of who her dad was.
I have a few small videos of my dad... helps me remember who he was, what he was like....

Looking forward to seeing the gorgeous JD. Absolutely think they chose the right one... if anyone can come close to inhabiting the space like Michael did, it's him. He just has to be himself and let the music flow over him and be one with it.
Plus.. I saw the group on the View the other day. What struck me is the other guys in the band look Happy, and enjoying themselves. Getting to know them a bit thru the tv show, they all seem really nice and I wish them great success with this new chapter.

Being Thankful

So, it's what they call Turkey Day in these here parts.
And this morning we've gotten our first snow of the year. Still coming down I reckon. Don't know cause I'm still all tucked in bed with 3 sleeping dogs surrounding me and a tryingtosleepmore spouse, curtains closed.
We got all the trimmings to make ourselves a nice feast today. Going to try my hand at making a pumpkin pie even. Though, thanks to last minute shopping, they were out of pumpkin pie spice, so that should be interesting.
Thought I'd start a new tradition for myself and list all the things I can think of that I'm thankful for today. Since I don't want to 'celebrate' what my English ancestors did to the Native Americans 4 score and many more years ago, will suffice to count my blessings as the holiday season progresses and I look forward to a new exciting year of life.

I'm grateful for:
- my sweetie. 8+ years together, 6 1/2 married, haven't for a moment doubted that I picked the right one. He was so worth waiting for. My darling Kate despairs, at the age of 15, of all the jerky idiot boys she has to put up with in high school right now. I tell her - be selective, picky,and patient. I was 33 when I got married and I don't regret a single day of my single life before. It happens when it's meant to - IF you really *listen* to the Universe.
- my babies. Lucy, Trixie, Lady, Chia and Bella. And my beloved Fartman, Max. Ohhhhh I still miss him so. Thought of him the other day when it thundered for a minute - instinctually wondered if he heard it and that I should get home to him pronto. Til I remembered he wasn't there anymore. :(
- all the other furbabies I know and love. Thumbelina, Thaddeus, Casey, Shelby, all my zogs that I walked last year - I miss them.... Luke, Kelsey, Jake, Sammi, Samantha, Jack, Tucker, Chamois, Madison, the Greyhounds and their Staffordshire brother. Mom's zogs, Choo Choo and Charlotte. Gemini - RIP. Elyse's Shelby and Katie. And every other furbaby I've ever met, and those I haven't. And all the others who have let me love them, may they rest in peace - Heidi, Pepi, Heidi, Babi, Gretchen, Sunny, Ruby, Sam, Lady, Jesse, Sophie, Oliver, Kippy, Angel, Abby, Gus...............................................................................................................................................................
- My darling Kate
- and of course Chris Geoff and Laura. The family I never had.... I'll know and love this one forever.
- my momma. And the fact that she TRULY has done a 180 with herself. Talked to her last night, and she listed allll the foods she's making today, all the nifty kitchen gadgets she's wanting now that she's cooking again. We have more *good* talks than not nowadays. She actually seems sorta Happy! I never thought I'd see the day. The hope I'd had for her I'd actually lost, just before she found it herself. Seeing that - I know that ANYTHING in life is possible, if you set your mind to it.
- my beautiful yellow house. My *home*. I love it. I loved it the first day we saw it, and we truly have made it a Home. We'll probably always have a project list, of little things to tinker with and fine tune, but, if we're gonna live in Rhode Island, this is the place for me.
I love the bathtub, the fireplace, the all enclosed fence we put up, the garden we put in this year, all the walls I've painted, all the fab projects sweetie has done including our fab kitchen, and our new fab neighbors - oh, and their Bandit!! I forgot that sweet lil Jack Russell! *smoosh*
- my good good friends. Elyse, Katia, Sabrina.... Michele and Darla....Sunny...Scott...Don....
- Kate's little girlfriends - I love those girls. Bianca, Belle, Ashley, Rachel.... and all the others.
- ebay. :)
- my college degrees.
- getting to Go to college - twice. Completely different experiences - wouldn't trade a day. Well, maybe a few, but....
- the beautiful house I lived in in Nashville for 6 years. What a life.
- all my travels. Driving from Indiana to California and back twice. 3 of those legs completely by myself. Life changing.
- getting married in Kauai on the beach. Only regret no one was present for *me*.
- our planned 10th anniv. trip back to Kauai. Am hoping a few people come along for the ride this time.
- Oprah.
- Madonna... Julia Roberts.... and all other entertainers I admire and actually respect.
- Tivo. :)
- Netflix.
- my magazines and books. Yes, my cup currently runneth over, but, I Love that I love to read.
- chick blogs. Love reading them. Love those gals and how they tell their truth.
- my families - though I currently don't talk to any of them. The Harpers - what a shame.
The Vances - shame on you. Dolores and Steven - well, I miss my brother. Mom's family - your loss.
- my dad. Even though he was a lying cheating hypocritical bastard, he was my daddy. He loved me the best he could I suppose, and I'll always miss him. Esp. with so many things left unsaid and unresolved.
- Living in San Francisco for 2 years.
- learning to appreciate living in Rhode Island, even though it's taken me 6 years to do so.
- beaches.
- flowers.
- music.
- people who forgive me. Who love me sometimes in spite of myself.
- learning to let go of people who aren't positive influences.
- standing up for myself, regardless of the consequence.
- my Vue. :)
- the fact that, right now, more or less, I have a perfectly working, functioning body.
- that Katia came to visit me recently. What a wonderful experience.
- my ability to take a couple trips next year - to visit Sabrina in Alabama, to have mom come visit me here for a while, maybe to visit Sunny in Boulder....
- the child spirit who hovers above me, waiting for me to decide it's time for her to be born.
- the fact that George Bush has less than 3 years left in office. God help us.
- Air America radio (even though Providence recently DROPPED it!!), and all other outlets like it.
- The Bold and the Beautiful. :) The one remaining soap I still watch, and now have sweetie watching with me.
- all my other fave tv shows. I Love tv, ok???? It doesn't mean Anything other than that!
I look forward to watching them and miss them when they go.
- my two second level parents - my mother in law and my step dad. They're good people and I appreciate that they love me.
- air conditioning.
- Starbucks and Whole Foods.
- seeing the mailman come up my street.

well, that's a good start. I may come back to this and add to later on.
Things aren't perfect, I mess up, but, I'm grateful for what I've got, the person I've chosen to be, and those who have helped and supported me in the past, and who love me now.
Oh, two more:
- having hope that Bush won't completely fuck Everything up before he's outta there, and I can be Proud of the U.S. again,
and
- all my blog friends. Small group that it is - the ones whom I visit and the ones who visit me - EVEN THOUGH NONE OF THEM LEAVE ME COMMENTS!!!!!!
(i check my site meter people.. I Know where you are! Can't ya just give me a small holler every now and then?? Please????)
;)

Cheers, people.
Find things, little and big, in your own life to be grateful for. Not just today - but every day you draw breath and see the open sky above you.

Sports Injuries

See me here? I am holding a golf club.
Note the smile? This is before I've actually used it. I'm just happy cause it's Pink!
My sweetie wants me to play with him next year... he has a regular crew most weekends now - work buddies - but he says he'd Still like me to play with him! Go figure! I thought he'd WANT the boy-playtime-awayfromtheballandchain! ;)

So, anyhoo, he bought me this nifty girl set from Target and we went to the driving range Sunday to break these in and see if I can actually HIT the ball.

Well, turns out I can... I did somewhat ok. There were at least a few balls that actually went out, up and straight. I have NO idea how that happened, but it was a nice occasional mistake. ;)
I finally got fatigued after hitting about, oh, 438 balls, and let sweetie hit the rest of mine.
The next day, had a bit of tenderness in my upper abs and forearm. To be expected. Nothing to prevent me from doing Taebo - felt great.
Tuesday, noticed a 'catch' in my back on the right side. Hmm.
Wednesday - well, a little stiff in the back still, but, Taebo calls!
At the 26 minute mark (a new record), took a water and catching my breath break... then decided it was a potty break... I was already coming down from the workout high enough to think, eh, do I Really want to finish the workout? Well, I planned to, until I found myself Very Nearly unable to get up off the toilet! As in, Can't Stand! As in, I'm all hunched over with that spot in my back Torturing me with pain like I've never felt, having me panting for breath, and making like a contortionist to figure out How exactly to get upright again without just falling over and writhing in pain like the lady on tv who fell and couldn't get up!
OMG.
Clearly, the workout was over for the day. Hopped in the shower - minute by minute it just got worse and worse. Couldn't even properly bend over to wash my calves with the scrubbie! Had to LIFT my knee while holding onto the wall to even come close. And flipping my hair over to rinse it like I usually do? Hah!
This is getting serious now. Minutes ago, I was punching and kicking like a warrior. Now I can barely move. Hmmm.
Still had to go walk Casey... was interesting trying to hold him on the leash and bend over to pick up the poo. Didn't fall though.
Finished my walk with him....gave lots of love to him and Mittens. I love him so much. What a muffin. I'm thinking I may quit doing it though. His dad, Richard, is a bit of an ass. Always accusing me of doing things, like losing the leash, letting the cat out, not locking the door, or, in the case of Tuesday night when he called me at home - accusing of Locking the door, so the plumber couldn't get in that afternoon. Wow - the NERVE of me! Making sure the door was secure on a million dollar house on the water, filled with expensive crap AND his two pets. Yeah, I'm a real idiot Richard! Thanks A) for letting me KNOW thru my mindreading capabilities that you wanted the door left open and B) calling me in a huff and ruining my evening.
With winter coming, and it taking me about 2 hours to do this every day, for 20 bucks - nice as it is to have that tiny bit of extra cash (when he remembers to pay me), I think I'm going to have to bid adieu soon.
Anyhoo... as the day progressed, I got worse and worse. 5 advil and a migraine pill later - not much better. We had to go to the store to get Tday dinner fixins last night - could barely get out of the car.
Fast forward... took a Valium from the stash mom gave me long ago, cranked up the heating pad to high - slept somewhat decently. I think I may be able to move like the almost 40 yr old I am, instead of the 80+ yr old I was yesterday.
Will I be up for Taebo tomorrow morning? The jury is out.
I will not be deterred though! I have my semi-monthly weigh in and measuring to do on Monday!
I suppose it's good to find out NOW that I'm in way worse shape than I thought, so I can Taebo my ass off all winter and have a modicum of a chance of being able to actually play a round of golf next summer.