Happy New Year. 8 days in, and while it hasn't been exceptional, I have high hopes for 2012. Feeling a bit morose this past week, which has in turn caused me to be completely unmotivated...and that just doesn't work for me. I did have a great time with friends to chime in the new year, and then got to spend some quality time with my family on the 1st and 2nd. I also got to see some "internet friends" last week, and just yesterday I got to spend time with other friends whom I don't get to see too often and that was a much welcomed break in my blehness (aside from the part of the day where I got a $40 parking ticket...stupid Madison). Well, laid out like this, my year actually seems to be going pretty well. More good than bad = good, right?
A couple of weeks ago, I was thinking about this old post I'd done years ago, about the kind of guy I'd want to end up with. On New Year's Eve I decided that, while this fictitious Mr. Wonderful would be great to find, I think I've lowered my bar a bit on who may qualify for this position. I no longer need the haiku-writing musician who loves Legos and tacos that I longed for when I was a wee 25 year old. Now, as I'm closing in on 30, I simply want a man with a beautiful beard and who will wear Flash underpants. Is that too much to ask for, Universe? Surely there must be such a man in Wisconsin for me.
So, aside from continuing the seemingly never-ending search for the perfect man, this year is also going to be a year of creative outlets for me. I'm writing again, which is wonderful. I'm also hoping to finally get a DSLR by my birthday this year, which I am just giddy about. And, I'm going to keep finding new things to do, like learning some basic electrical to make some hanging lamps (yeah...lamps. It'll be fun.), gardening, painting, woodworking (Jackson is really looking forward to this one!) and whatever else catches my eye. Jackson and I are also looking forward to spending a lot of quality time with nature this year, camping and visiting state parks and trails. Look out, Wisconsin...we're coming for your wilderness! AND, if there are any tickets left once I can afford to buy them, I will be taking my mom to see Neil Diamond this summer. And who doesn't love Neil Diamond?? Even if the world does end this year, it should still be a fantastic year for us.
Ok. I think that's about all I have for now. Been having a lazy day with Jackson, filled with a Star Wars marathon and Mexican food, and I just needed to do SOMETHING, so I figured a blog post would suffice. And you know what? It kinda has. Maybe more later, after my relaxing bubble bath (emphasis on "relaxing"...I need to get out of my head for a bit and just be).
Until next time...
Sunday, January 08, 2012
"Always in motion is the future."
Sunday, November 27, 2011
“Even nothing cannot last forever.”
What a week. Mostly good, some not so good, but overall, I'd give it a thumbs up. Turkey, short work week, and family? Kinda hard to complain too much about that.
My Thanksgiving dinner turned out phenomenally well, save the cranberry jello...don't make that ever. Ugh. But, the rest was just wonderful. My turkey smelled amazing the whole time it was cooking. It may have stayed in a smidge too long, since it just fell apart, but it was juicy and delicious. And my rolls...oh, the rolls! I found a recipe for Amish dinner rolls that called for mashed potatoes in the dough. They were the lightest, fluffiest rolls I've ever had, let alone made. Fantastic. I did get a bit sad, missing the holidays past that I'd spent with family, but since we were getting together over the weekend for some birthday celebrations, I didn't let it put a damper on the day.
Although I had to work on Friday, I still had a great weekend. After work Friday, I headed to Waupun to spend the night at my parents' with Jackson and I got to spend the day Saturday baking and crafting. I made my parents a pumpkin pie, since they didn't get one on Thanksgiving this year, and I made a 2 layer white birthday cake for Colten. Since my sister Suzie was making my mom's birthday cake for the party Sunday, my mom didn't get a cake on Saturday, so I instead dubbed the pumpkin pie I'd made the Birthday Pie. After dinner on Saturday, I couldn't find any candles in my parents' cupboards, so we improvised. We used a match as the candle, and it kind of worked. It's the thought that counts, right? Right.
I'd decided to make a lot of my Christmas gifts this year for family, and I got 1/2 way done with Lily's present on Saturday, as well. It's gonna be so cute!! I'd hoped to get more done, but I just ran out of time. On Sunday, Suzie and I spent a lot of time in the kitchen; she was getting snacks ready for the party and had to make my mom's cake, and I made 4 pizzas for lunch. Mmmm...such good food!
As I was rummaging around in one of Suzie's cupboards for a mixing bowl, I noticed that they had a dehydrator just sitting there. I asked Suzie if she or Mike ever used it and she said "maybe once or twice for jerky", but it otherwise sat unused. I told her I was in the market for one, but wanted to test one out before I splurged, so she's letting me use it for a bit to see if it's something we'd want to invest in. I already told Jackson that we're going to make some fruit leather this week, so I hope it turns out! Going to try it with some homemade applesauce I have canned, and flavor it with some of my canned grape juice. In my head, it sounds like it will work out well, so we'll see!
One of the sad parts of this weekend was that my sister Cherie and her family weren't able to make it, and it just wasn't the same. My niece Laurel is away at college, and Cherie's family drove down to Missouri to spend the holiday with her. They even brought the fixings to make a Thanksgiving meal at the hotel, and that just makes me happy. Who asks to make a turkey at a hotel kitchen? My sister does. And since most of us haven't seen Laurel since she left for college in August, we decided to do a video chat with her today before she had to go to work. My mom bawled, as she always does, which made me and Suzie cry, as well. But, it was really great to be able to talk to her and see her today. My family is just great. :)
Right now, Jackson and I are finally home and resting on the couch (and watching Mythbusters) after our long weekend. I'd hoped that we'd have gotten home sooner so we could do some more decorating, but now we have something to look forward to for Tuesday night. Monday nights, Jackson has cub scouts and that's something his dad does with him, so he stays over there every Monday. Since I have every Monday night free, I started volunteering every other Monday. This week is a volunteer week, so I won't have time to do any decorating on my own tomorrow night, either. Probably best; Jackson would be a bit upset if I'd do too much without him.
Other than that, I've had a lot on my mind this week, but that seems to be the norm lately. I've also run into some writers block, so I've been reading more to keep my mind from wandering too much. Neil Gaiman helps with that, but I've also been having some really weird dreams...and I normally have weird dreams. American Gods inspired dreams, though, are REALLY weird. I should really keep a notebook by my bed again so I can write some of my dreams down when I first wake up. Tonight, I totally will. Well, if I remember.
Ok. Notebook by the bed already. Decided I'd just do it so I can't say "oh, man. Why didn't I do that???" again. Also realized that Jackson's sheets are still in the washing machine and NOT the dryer...which also means that all of our laundry from this weekend is still in a heap in the basement and is not in the washer. So, I should probably do that. I think I'm also going to write a bit tonight, too, since I feel chatty and kind of serene...maybe I can work on another short story since I've officially given up on NaNoWriMo for the 2nd year in a row. Karen Fail. Oh well...at least I tried. And I'll try again next year, too. One of these years, it will work out, though. I know it. I'm an optimist like that.
Tuesday, November 22, 2011
That's What She Said...
Life is full of...well, things. Some things are necessity and unavoidable, like bills and food and work. Some things are frivolous, like watching the latest episode of Parks and Rec or the new Harry Potter movie. And some things are just...nice to have, like good friends, a long hug, or an overactive imagination. Tonight I have the overactive imagination, and I must say, it's not super nice to have at the moment. It's 3am, and I just cannot sleep. Too many thoughts looming in my mind and I just can't seem to make peace with them. For most of them, I've found some resolve, which has quieted part of my brain for now, but I have a couple of things that I just...can't make sound.
I'm gonna try to tuck them into the back of my head for now and dust off this here blog. I briefly started a new one to post my Photo-A-Day project to, but I kind of gave up on that a couple of months ago. Not the photo a day part, mind you, but the blog part of it. But, it wasn't the same as this one. I've missed having somewhere to pour my thoughts, and I haven't found a happy medium for it since I left. I tried Twitter, Facebook, and Google+, but those are harder to just dump my mind gibs on, since there are too many "real" people connected there. Some days, it's nice to shout into the abyss of the internet and hear the silence resounding back at you. I even tried to just keep a regular journal, but I found myself self-editing even that; like, trying to protect Future Karen from reading the what's really going on in Past Karen's world. I figured if I wasn't going to keep a real journal to let out my daily thoughts or woes, I should try that blog again.
And here I am. It's been...well, about 2 years, it seems, since I last updated. Jackson just turned 9, and I'm closing in on 30...thirty. Geez, seems a bit surreal. I'm not particularly afraid of turning 30, since I've felt middle aged since I was about 20, but I am feeling some inner turmoil with it. I think it's mostly because I'm almost 30 and I still feel like I haven't accomplished all that I'd wanted to. Still single, still at the same job, still not living for me. I am getting a lot better with the last one, though. I've tried putting myself out there for people and some have worked out, and some haven't. And, with the ones that haven't, I've survived to tell the tale, so lesson learned and experience experienced. And while I'm still at the same job, I have started volunteering within the community, which has helped make me feel better about being a cubicle drone day after day; I least get to help people now on my own time, and it feels wonderful. I've also started doing some things that I've been wanting to do for years but have put off, like sewing and canning and learning photography. Also started cooking a lot and learning some science behind baking so I can start experimenting more in the kitchen. I'd also started learning about wines, so I'm feeling very pretentious at times and I kind of love it. I wish to one day be at the level of Paul Giamatti in Sideways. Man, that was a great movie. GREAT. MOVIE. I also have started writing more, but still holding myself back a lot. I keep trying to take myself too seriously, and I really do not do well with serious. I should write a children's book; I bet I'd rock a children's book. A book of haiku for kids. Actually, that sounds like a lot of fun. Adding to my bucket list for this winter.
It's also Thanksgiving this week. For the first time in years, I'm not having a get together with any family on Thanksgiving and instead Jackson and I are having a small dinner here with just the two of us. I say small, in that there will only be the two of us, but I am making enough food to feed a small army. Small again; see? Small dinner. 15 pounds of delicious turkey will be roasting away on Thursday, while I start decorating my house for the holidays. *sigh* I can't wait. I love the holidays. I love the feeling they bring. Happiness. Lots and lots of happiness. In past years, I'd get a bit sad around the holidays, being around my happy family and all of their happy families, all the while trying to adjust to being alone (pretty sure I'd vented a few times on here in the past), but I think this year I'm finally at the point where I'm happy being just me. I'd hoped to not be just me by now, but I've been single for 5 years and it doesn't seem to be changing anytime soon, so I'm just accepting it now. You hear that, Future Karen? You're accepting it. So stop whining and chin up! Life goes on, whether you're ready for it or not, so you might as well be ready for anything. That reminds me...I'm all out of duct tape.
Ok. Brief break to make a list of things I need at the store and I realized it's almost 3:30 now. My alarm is going off in 3 hours so I can pick J up before school, so I'd best be at least attempting to rest, even if sleep is out of reach.
It's nice to be back, though. Feeling better already.
^_^
Saturday, January 02, 2010
It’s such a gas when you bring up the past.
Greetings, my lovelies. 2009 has ended and I'm kind of happy to see it go. Overall, I guess it was a good year; it started out strong and I had some really, really great times, but since August I've had more downs than ups in life and I'm just ready for the new year to be full of some awesome and lots of happy times! I have some plans for this year, but instead of making any real resolutions, I'm just going to focus on being happy and doing whatever it takes to stay happy. And, for those of you that see me regularly, since I'm jumping on the happy train, if you see me all blerged and blah, you have my permission to yell at me. Well, maybe not yell. You can just remind me that I said this year was about happy Karen and blergy Karen != happy. And then maybe give me a hug to make me happy. ^_^
On that note, Happy New Year!! It's finally 2010; the start of a new decade, and hopefully a year full of great things for me, including some more fantastic music! However, since 2009 is no more, I think we should take a look back at some of the great new music we got in the past year, as judged by yours truly.
^_^
Now, it's really hard for me to rank music, as a lot of my musical choices on any given day are mood-dependent. So, with that said, I do have several albums that were released in 2009 that I listened to a lot more than others, so for the sake of this blog entry, we will call these my "favorites of 2009", and they are (in no particular order):
Hombre Lobo - Eels I love me some Eels. I think it's safe to say that E is one of my favorite musicians, and even if he didn't have a magnificent beard, I'd still make that claim. His albums are always wonderful, and Hombre Lobo is no exception. ALSO! E is coming out with YET ANOTHER new album on January 19th, so be sure to check out End Times on the 19th! 2 new albums from Eels in less than 6 months?! In the words of Jayne Cobb: "...I'll be in my bunk."
Top tracks: "My Timing is Off", "Ordinary Man", and "That Look You Give That Guy"
It's Not Me, It's You - Lily Allen I have to admit that I really tried to not like Lily Allen. I refused to listen to her after her first album Alright, Still came out, because I just didn't think I'd like her at all. And then I listened...and I liked. Off of her first album, there were a few songs that stuck out for me that I favored over others, but It's Not Me, It's You is a better album, overall, in my eyes. She takes from several musical styles for her songs, including a country-western number for Not Fair, and a wonderful acoustic version of The Fear. She also touches on great topics, such as politics and sex, and even religion. Sadly, she did announce toward the end of 2009 that she was quitting music, but if she's going to quit, this is a great ending album for her.
Top tracks: "The Fear", "Fuck You", "Who'd Have Known", and "Not Fair".
Hazards of Love - The Decemberists Oh, Colin Meloy. You never cease to amaze me, and you really did it this time. Hazards of Love was not only one of my favorite albums of the year, but when I saw them tour this year, their concert became my new all-time favorite concert. They have such wonderful stage presence (this was 2nd time seeing them live) and their songs are just a-mazing. AND, as if it weren't enough to have a new album from The Decemberists, they also got Shara Worden from My Brightest Diamond to lend her vocals to the album, and she even toured with them. Double amazing. Another reason that this album makes my list is because it's not just an album, but a rock opera. The story has young lovers, an evil queen, and even a villainous rake. If you have yet to listen to this album, I suggest setting aside an hour and listen to it from start to finish! However, if you don't have a WHOLE HOUR to dedicate, I suggest:
Top tracks: "The Rake's Song", "The Abduction of Margaret", and "The Wanting Comes in Waves/Repaid" (which, if I had to pick a fave song for the year, this would be the list)
Lungs - Florence and the Machine When I first heard their single, "Kiss With a Fist", I feverishly scoped out the internet to see if there was more music from this band for me to listen to. Sadly, at the time, there wasn't. But, in April they came out with an EP which held me over until they released their full album and good lord, was it worth the wait. Florence has such a beautiful voice and her lyrics are just fantastic; I really hope to hear more from them in the future. If I could pick 2 artists to do a duet together, it'd be Florence Welch and Shara Worden. I think they'd sound AMAZING together. Flo, Shara; get on that.
Top tracks: "Falling", "Cosmic Love", "Kiss With a Fist" and "Hurricane Drunk"
Aim and Ignite - fun. I'd never heard of this band until a couple of months after they released this album, and on first listen, I was a bit iffy on if I'd like them. But, on my 2nd listen, I was hooked. They have such a unique sound that you don't hear from bands today, and their music really is...well, fun. At times, they give off an almost Queen-esque vibe and it just works well for them. And for me. This album has made it to my singing-and-dancing-as-I-clean-the-kitchen playlist (along with Glee!) and I don't see it leaving my top playlists anytime soon. Also, Nate Ruess, formerly of The Format, is the front man for this band, so if you miss The Format, give fun. some love!
Top tracks: "Light a Roman Candle With Me", "At Least I'm Not As Sad (As I Used to Be)", and "Be Calm"
Further Complications - Jarvis Cocker Jarvis. How I love you. And I hope you never stop making music. I think allmusic sums up this album rather well, by saying "the songs here pulsate with perversion, a middle-aged man making damn sure he's going to get with a tight 23-year-old body yet again" and said it's "impossible not to happily wallow in the flood of filth unleashed by Further Complications". Jarvis, you may be a creepy dude, but I love your creepy. #love
Top tracks: "I Never Said I Was Deep", "Homewrecker" and "Fuckingsong"
Dark Was the Night - lots of awesome people This album is a compilation album released to benefit the Red Hot Organization, which is a charity set up to raise money and awareness for HIV and AIDS. So, not only is purchasing this album contributing to a great cause, but it's also contributing to your ears loving you. Because it's awesome. Spoon, The Decemberists, Cat Power, Andrew Bird, and My Brightest Diamond all have songs that appear on this album, and that's just to name a few! This 30-track, double disc album is a must to sample some of the great bands we have around today. Go check it out. Go. Now!
Top tracks: "Sleepless", "Feeling Good", "Lua" and "Love vs. Porn"
Fantasies - Metric Somehow, I managed to not know about Metric until 2009, but this Canadian band has been around for a while. Apparently, I've led a sheltered life. Anyway, Emily Haines fronts this band and since I just discovered them this past year, I wasn't sure that they had a new album since they were all new to me! Anywho, while all of their albums are great, this one has some of my favorites from them, and since I am a newb to them, I hope to hear more new music from them in the future, or even another solo album from Emily Haines.
Top tracks: "Blindness", "Help I'm Alive", "Satellite Mind" and "Twilight Galaxy"
The Mountain - Heartless Bastards Another band that I didn't know before 2009, and they probably have one of the best band names ever. Their earlier albums are definitely more garage rock than The Mountain, but their lead singer Ericka Wennerstrom has such a unique voice, and her vocals coupled with their folky-vibe on this album really worked well.
Top tracks: "The Mountain", "So Quiet", and "Be So Happy"
Gallery - Dion Roy One of my favorite sites is blip.fm, and one of the reasons I love it so much is because of the awesome music and people that I get introduced to. One such great person, and great musician is a dude from out east named Dion Roy. Not only is he a great person, he also released his debut album this past year and it's pretty fantastic. He's also releasing an EP this month, which I've already heard and again, fantastic. If you want to help out a starving artist (ok, so not starving. I know for a fact that he eats tacos and some questionable homemade snow cones...), please check out his album Gallery, and if you're in the NY area, check out his site for upcoming shows!
Top tracks: "So It Goes", "Won't Go On", and "Wants It"
So, while these are my "favorites of 2009", there are quite a few other albums that were released this year that I like a lot and will love once I have a chance to listen to them more. ^_^ So, for a the quick list of "will be added to the favorites of 2009 sometime in 2010", also in no particular order:
Coaster - NOFX
Ray Guns Are Not Just the Future - The Bird and the Bee
Monday, November 23, 2009
Sometimes I wish for falling, wish for the release...
Five whole months, and no updates. I think I've officially failed as a blogger, but I suppose there is always a chance that I will one day get back on the horse and update regularly...obviously, that day has just not come yet.
Life has been surprisingly good since I last updated. I've stayed quite busy with work (and it's finally starting to calm down. YAY!), but have found myself drinking more as a side effect. I should say here that previously, I drank about 3 times a year, so it really doesn't take much for my drinking to increase. I have had some great talks with friends while slightly-a-lot inebriated, so yay to whiskey and coke! I've also decided that I will not be finding my Mr. Wonderful™ while singing show tunes in my basement, so I've also been forcing myself to go out more to maybe meet some new people; preferably the kind with a penis and good sense of humor.
As an aside, while I do appreciate people attempting to set me up with people, I would really like it if they would be local people. Or, you know, people who are actually single. Saying "I have the perfect guy for you! But...he's not single yet." is not really what I'm looking for. *sigh*
Aside from drinking and socializing, I have found myself feeling rather...morose more than a few times in the past few months, and wish I could pinpoint the cause. The most likely culprit is that, while I've been happier lately than I've been in a loooong time, I still feel as though I'm missing out on things. Things like snuggles and cuddles, and things like accomplishing any sort of personal goal or want. I'd love to get a career doing something I'd love and helping people, or to find someone I actually want to be with, but I think I've all but given up on going after my own desires, at least until Jackson is older.
Since I've become a mom, I've pretty much put Jackson before my own life, as I think a mother should. But I think I'm going overboard and actually using him as an excuse to not go after things, rather than him actually being a cause for me to not do something. I'm sure I'll find a happy median at some point for that, but right now, the fear of actually going after something I want scares me too much! Lame? I know it.
Speaking of drinking, I've been drinking some wine tonight, listening to music and reading some poetry (more pensive than emo, I swear), and decided to share some of my favorite poems with you, my gentle readers (hehe. Too many people are re-watching Buffy, so I've had quotes swimming around my head all week. "Oh, hello there, gentle viewers!" *ahem* sorry. Tangent. Moving on...)
The Stone, by Wilfred Wilson Gibson. I first read this poem back in high school, and I cried the first time through. So heartbreaking.
The Terms in Which I Think of Reality, by Allen Ginsberg. I've been a long-time Ginsberg fan, and really could list quite a few favorites from him alone, but this is one of his under-appreciated poems, and one that I think most can relate to, at one time or another.
Song to Celia, by Benjamin Jonson. This song gets to me each time, because I associate it with my ex. Very moving.
I Loved You, by Alexander Pushkin. The link has multiple translations, but I know and love the 1st one listed. How I long to feel a love this strongly, or better yet, to have someone else feel this way towards me. And he can be Russian. Preferably Russian, actually... ^_^
I'm Nobody! Who are you?, by Emily Dickinson. I've loved this poem since I first read it as a teenager. It's ok to just be a nobody.
Variation on the Word Sleep, by Margaret Atwood. Another love poem, but not an overly lovey-dovey one. This poem just makes my heart sink and soar at the same time; such blissfulness when you think of the emotion and desire behind it, yet such melancholy when you realize it's unrequited love.
I Carry Your Heart with Me, by ee cummings. If I should ever get married, I'd want this to be my vows.
Annabel Lee, by Edgar Allan Poe. Poe is another favorite, not just for his poems, but also for his short stories. This poem is beautiful, and sad. Are you noticing a trend with most of these? I love me some tragedy. Which leads me to...
Sigh No More, by William Shakespeare. I love Shakespeare, and while I do love his tragedies, I do also enjoy the comedies. Much Ado About Nothing is one of my favorites, and this sonnet from that play is one of my favorites. I figured I'd leave the beloved sappy sonnets out of the list, since they're all well-known and pretty cliche.
Drunk as Drunk, by Pablo Neruda. Holy buckets do I love it. One of those poems that can make the bits get all tingly. ^_^
Ok. I think that's enough for now. Sorry for the lack of silly Karen this time; I promise to be less blergy next time! Toodles for now, my gentle readers (hehehe. Oh, Andrew...).
^_^
Music Pick for the Day: "Falling", by Florence and the Machine
Beverage Pick for the Day: White Zinfandel
Socks for the Day: Felix the Cat!
Monday, June 22, 2009
You might laugh, you might frown...
Heyo, you blog-readers, you! I have been gone for far too long, and the only excuses I can give you are that I've either been in a coma for 3 months, or I've just been ultra lazy and un-bloggy. Or, you know, my dog ate it...whatever "it" may be (hey, it works for homework sometimes, so why can't it be a valid excuse for an extended blog absence?).
If you guessed "I've just been ultra lazy and un-bloggy", you'd be correct!...ish. It's more that I've been slowly letting life things snowball while I ignore them, therefore being both distracted and unmotivated. And then today, most of those life things got sick of being ignored. So, I had a classic Karen freak-out today and my stress level was up here *stands on her tippy toes and stretches her hand waaaay up to give the full effect of "up here"* But then! After I talked to my sisters and my mom (heart family), and then after my brain esplodey all over my Disgby (heart Crystal), I was finally starting to relax and got all sleepy-like. So, I put on Spongebob (was missing J-man and Nickelodeon makes me feel mom-y), and took a wee bit of a snooze on the couch. After my mini napfest, I checked my Facebook and people sent me e-hugs, which are almost as good as real hugs, and it made me smile a bit. But then...oh, but then, I went to blip.fm. And what was the first song that I heard? No, not anything from The Outfield. Ready for this? Ready!?!?
Teen Witch, "Top That"!
Yeah. That was the final blow to crushing my blergs. Who knew that all I'd need was some cheesy 80's teen movie rap to make me realize that life isn't so bad? I'm a strange creature, but I'm nothing if not easily amused.
Like...really easily amused.
It's almost sad, really...
Anywho, life is more or less back to a simmer now and hopefully I can avoid having it boil over again, at least for a few months. I'm going to be busy for the next few months, and I only have one other stress-invoking thing to take care of, so until that's over, I may still be on edge...I just need to muster the courage to just do it and get it over with, and soon.
One other thing I've been blerging about lately is that I've been single for 2 years now. Two years. Two of them. And, it's sad, but the things I miss most are the snuggles and hugs. I'm a huggy person, so I get my hug fix from friends and family, but it's just not the same. But, I've whined about boys enough on here, so I won't delve into a sappy "woe is me" post. Besides, while I was stressing today, it was the first time in a while that I'd been thankful I was single; one less thing to juggle. So, yeah, spinsterhood! ^_^
Oh, I almost forgot. Pre-napfest tonight, I was watching How I Met Your Mother (The Naked Man episode...man, I love that show) and eating ice cream, and it at least made me forget the stress for 30 minutes! So, because I know you all care to know what makes me happy, here is a short list of My Favorite Things:
1.) Music! Now, most music can make me happy, but I can put on Gogol Bordello, Pulp, Stars, the Fratellis (lalalas!!!), any Greg Dulli, or Eels, and I can't help but get warm fuzzies. If all else fails, my "musicals" playlist will make me smile 9 out of 10 times (but somedays I like to wallow, and refuse the musicals medicine).
2.) Pocky. I don't quite understand the power that it has on me, but if I'm having a bad day, and someone gives me pocky, I just can't help but feel loved and happy. It's like chocolate-coated happiness from Japan and the crunchy noise that it makes when you bite it is what love sounds like. True.
3.) Haka! I'm pretty sure I've brought up the All Blacks and their Haka before, but in case I haven't, I present exhibit A:
...I'll be in my bunk. Also, would it be weird to ask my future husband to do the Haka as I walk down the aisle? It would? Dammit. ;_;
/rawr
4.) Kilts. EXHIBIT B!:
'Nuff said.
5.) Monkeys. The animal, as well as the word, are happy-makers. They're just that great. Monkeys.
6.) My J-man. I'm seeing him less now that school is out, but being a mommy is without a doubt my favorite thing in life. Oh, and [proud parent boasting] Jackson will be starting the Gifted and Talented program at school starting this fall! [/proud parent boasting] I'm SO beyond proud of that kid! Yay, Jackson!!! ^_^
Ok. That's enough for now. There are many, many, many other things that make the Karen all smiles, but I'm getting boredish and think I may go watch Weeds from tonight and then get some sleep!! So long, people of the interwebz! *muah*
^_^
Music Pick for the Day: "LDN" by Lily Allen
Beverage Pick for the Day: weird WoW Mountain Dew... very weird, indeed.
Socks for the Day: Brown, green, orange and gray striped ankle socks. Man, even my socks have the blergs today...tomorrow, knee high pink and purple stripes...how can I not have a good day in pink striped socks?!
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Set phasers to random, and let the babbling begin
ZOMG! Hi. Um, so, like, I've been gone for a while 'n stuff, and, like, I don't even know what to really say...'n stuff. Or something. Ish. Anywho, I said last night that I should stop neglecting this here blog, so tonight, I am updating...but I'm not *only* updating my blog. Oh, no. In addition to updating my blog for the first time in over a month, I've also logged into WoW for the first time in as much time, and I think I nearly gave Ms. Catrena a heart attack: zhe moonkin lives! But it doesn't stop there...blogging, wowing, aaaaaaand...blipping! The trifecta of fun! Although, since I'm not just doing those three things, it's not really a trifecta...because I'm also back up for J-man in Super Mario Galaxies, chatting with random dudes (not really...just Raz ^_^), and doing laundry, all while chewing bubble gum and rubbing my belly. WHEW! Now, if this isn't a night of supreme awesome and random, I just don't even know what is. I really have no goal for this update, other than just talking 'bout off random things from my mind-mush. So let the babbling of brain-gib randomness commence!
Random thought #1: Well, not so much random, as I know where it stems from, but am I the only person who prefers to eat boxed mac & cheese reheated, as leftovers? This doesn't apply to just any and all mac & cheese; I'm talking about the cheese-powder Kraft kind. I think it's because it has a taste that's a bit...off, much like leftovers do, and it's a quality that normal food shouldn't have. Thus, I prefer the funky taste of cheap mac & cheese when it's a day old and allowed to be a bit funky. (Did this make sense to you? Because it makes sense to me...)
Random thought #2: I kind of wish that I'd learned to play an instrument when I was younger. Well, I was a trumpet player for about 3 weeks in 5th grade, but that's about as far as it went. I wasn't bad at it, and caught on pretty quickly to the basics, but I guess I was never really encouraged to play and just lost interest. Trumpeting aside, I think that I would have liked to play the piano, or the violin, as they both seem soothing to me. And I think that's why I've been thinking about it lately, since I've been in need of things to soothe the Karen. Now I only have TV and movies to soothe my troubled head, and goodness knows I watch way too much as it is (ps. still loving my awesome TV of loveness). Oh, well. Perhaps one day I'll decide to take some piano or guitar lessons or find someone to teach me. I can offer baked goods in exchange for lessons. Tempting offer, no?
Random thought #3: Can anyone really be addicted to the internet? And if so, would it be a bad thing? I guess the use of the internet could sway the answer, but as a whole, I think that the internet is a good thing. You can learn new things, meet new people, get in touch with old (read: from the past; not necessarily elderly) people, and find things to keep you entertained indefinitely. Although, on the flip side, you could learn fake new things, and meet creepy, fake new people or fake old (again, read: from the past...quit picking on the elderly already!) people, and you could be entertained indefinitely by really bad internet porn (like a car wreck, it is: you shouldn't really watch, yet you just can't look away). However, bad things aside, I think the good out weighs the bad. And as long as you are social-like and venture outdoors occasionally for work and such, it's a-ok to be figuratively attached to your Blackberry at the hip (and I only say figuratively, as I have not yet gotten a clip to literally attach my Blackberry to my hip)...ok, so this was more a question of being addicted to my Blackberry, but I figured more people could relate to the internet, as a whole, and not just the mobile version.
(and that segues into my next...)
Random thought #4: blip.fm is either the best or worst thing that I've happened upon on these here interwebz. It is fantastic, because it allows me to play sweet music for a bunch of random internet folk, and at the same time allows me to find new music from the same random internet folk. And some of those random folks are pretty awesome, musically and personally (as personally as I can tell from random tweets and IMs). BUT, blip.fm is also a huge time sink and you can lose hours on it, just listening to music and @ing people...ok, so that's more of a whiny reason to say it's the worst, but dammit, I needed something negative to say! Overall, I think blip is probably my favorite place on the intertubes right now, and I hope that I don't tire of it too soon. Also, this would be my #1 addiction, if only there were a mobile version available for my BB. Come on, blip! Get on my phone!
Ok. I think I've hit my quota for talking about nothing for now. I'll try to update soonish, but knowing me, "soonish" will be sometime before May...if you're lucky.
And, finally, I'll leave you with a conversation that I had with my son yesterday, as we took a walk at dusk.
J-man: What was that? ...was that a bat?
me: Maybe. Don't worry, they won't hurt you, buddy.
J-man: Some bats can hurt you.
me: Most bats won't hurt you.
J-man: Are vampire bats real?
me: Yes. But, they are just bats and don't turn into vampires or anything.
J-man: Because vampires aren't real.
me: Right. Because vampires aren't real...not like those zombies.
J-man: *gulp*
^_^
Music Pick for the Day: "Elvis Ain't Dead" by Scouting For Girls (this song makes me swoon with its overly cheesy line "I think I need a love-lobotomy". Yeah, that makes me just all melty. /swoon)
Beverage pick for the Day: grape juice (hey, it was free and I was thirsty...and dammit, it was tasty!)
Socks for the Day: lime green and white ankle socks, with bananas and the words "cheeky monkey" all over them (and, per Jackson, they are "silly")
