"Always in motion is the future."

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...

“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.

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.


^_^

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

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart - The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

Junior - Röyksopp

Noble Beast - Andrew Bird

Davy - Coconut Records

Embryonic - The Flaming Lips

In This Light and On This Evening - Editors

Battle For the Sun - Placebo

Heartbeat Radio - Sondre Lerche

Hospice - The Antlers

Abnormally Attracted to Sin - Tori Amos

Bomb in a Birdcage - A Fine Frenzy (as an aside, I do like this album, but it was one of my most-anticipated albums of 2009 and it was kind of a let down. While still good, it doesn't compare to her debut album One Cell in the Sea *sigh*)

I'm sure I've missed some awesome albums in this list and tomorrow will do a facepalm and be all "DUDE! How did you forget *insert awesome album here*! Lamesause, 'Kowski. Ultra lamesauce", but for now, I say meh! This is a good list, me thinks, and anything I may have forgotten will just have to wait for another list. So there. :P

Ok. That's about it for now. I'm off to blip some songs, drink some wine, and maybe watch some Glee, which, I should mention that with all of the new music this year, Glee has given me some of my most listened to songs this year. So, while not technically a band, Glee should get some love. And now I wanna delve into listing my favorite shows, but we'll save that for another day! So long, my lovelies! I hope that you all had a fun and safe New Year's Eve (which was a full moon! Awesome!!) and that you all have a great 2010!!

*muah*

^_^

Music Pick for the Day: "Creeping Out Sara" by NOFX (I do like Tegan & Sara, but this song is just funny)

Beverage Pick for the Day: pink milk FTW

Socks for the Day: pink and black striped knee-highs

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!

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?!

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")

Can you at all times wear socks, because I’m still scared of feet...

Um...*taps the mic* Is this thing on? Hello? Wow, hey there! So sorry to have been MIA for a while again; I just can't seem to get back into a blog-groove-zone-type-thing. I'd say that I'll try to be better about updating...but you've heard it before, so I'll just say sorry... so, um, sorry! Let's hug it out. *huggles to all* Ok, well I at least feel better now. Glad we got that out of the way.

Hmm...so what has been going on in Karen world this past month? Well, a lot probably happened, but I'm not sure where to start or which things are blog-worthy, so instead of recapping, I'll just ramble for a bit about what is going on in Karen-land at the moment.

So, last week, I got a letter in the mail from Jackson's school, with a hand written envelope. I opened the envelope to find a letter inside from an administrator with the school system...the Gifted and Talented Coordinator. They sent a letter, asking me to fill out the enclosed questionnaire and permission slip (allowing them to do testing on him not within his regular curriculum). I basically started crying immediately, as I was so beyond proud of him. Being a mom, I already think that my kid is the smartest, best kid in the world, but it means so much to know that even if he doesn't make the cut for the Gifted and Talented program, that his teacher recognized something special in him and went as far as to nominate him for this. I have his regular Parent/Teacher conference tomorrow night, so I will be trying to find out more information from his teacher (and tomorrow is also J-man's 2nd day of testing for the program, so I will be doing my best to get some info out of him (even if it's just what kind of questions the lady asked him...when he met with her Thursday, all I got out of him was that she asked a lot of yes or no questions)).

Ok. Proud parent gloating is over...on to the new TV gloating! ^_^ I got my tax returns back last week, and for the past FOREVER, I've been talking about getting a new TV, but something always came up, or I'd get all rational and decide to not spend my money on something as frivolous as a TV. Well, this year, I said "fuck it...I'm getting a TV and that's final!" There was a sale at Target, and I was determined to go on Friday to get the 42" Philips for $799. Well, I went there after work with Crystal and as we were gazing at the TVs, the nice worker boy came over and asks if we need any help. "Yes", said the Karen, "I'd like this (motioning towards the TV). To go, please." And then he said "Oh, sorry. That one is sold out. Sold the last one last night, actually."

*sigh*

"Ok...", says a not-yet-defeated Karen. "How about this one (motioning towards the 40" Sony for $879)?" "Yeah, sorry", says the now irritating worker-boy. "That one's sold out, too. Let me go in back and see what we *do* have in stock." While he's gone, Crystal and I perused the remaining TVs and I said "If they have this 47" in stock, I'm getting it...I am not going home today without a TV." And guess what? THEY DIDN'T HAVE IT! I was not willing to spend more than $1200, nor was I willing to get a TV smaller than 40", so I said thank you to the boy who kept telling me no (seriously, I even get rejection from boys at TARGET?? what is wrong with me??) and we headed to Best Buy to try our luck there.

Well, we got to Best Buy, and I got the "yeah, we're sold out of that reasonably priced awesome TV that you're eyeing up...are you sure you're not willing to go lower than 40"?" for the 3 TVs that I asked about...and then I see a 40" Samsung 750 series TV of sex on display for $1200.Well, whaddya know, $1200 was my limit. And the TV was so shiny and pretty. I was torn on spending that much, but I brought someone with me for a reason. As the boy was waiting for my answer about the TV, I asked Crystal "Should I get it?" Her reply of "Um, yeah" was all I needed to push me to the edge of monetary reason and I said "I'll take it!"

And so I took it. And I love it. Much love for it. Like, lots of love. Heart teh TV. And, to go with my sexy TV, I bought a new Xbox from Mike for $100 and am borrowing a Blu-ray player from my friend Trent until I can get one of my own. He had gotten one for free when he bought his new TV last month, and has no use for it since he has a PS3. So yay, Trent! ^_^ I also borrowed The Dark Knight on Blu-ray and watched it the first night I had the TV and I needed alone time. So pretty!!! And then last night I watched The Two Towers (not on Blu-ray; just on regular DVD) and I have a newfound love for Aragorn. Heart 40" widescreen Aragorn. /rawr

Um, yeah. So parent and electronic gloating aside, I don't think that I have much going on with me right now. I've been a blip-a-holic this past month and can't really remember what life was like before blip.fm. So many great people, and great music. Heart the blippers and their blips!

OH! Speaking of music, I am going to see JoCo for the FOURTH time on the 26th! Can't wait!! Since it's on a Thursday, I'm having my niece Laurel come and stay the night so that Jackson can get to bed on time. He has school on Friday, but I don't have to go to work! I took the day off, so after I drop him off at school, I'll be taking Lolo home, and then spending the day being lazy and watching movies on my sexy TV. ^_^

As for life in general, I've been pretty well this past month. I've had some bad days where I've envisioned myself being single forever, but luckily, I'm able to push those thoughts to the back of my mind most days and focus on more important things, like my fantastically wonderful Jackson, and my never ending playlist of greatness that my iPod provides. And really, with a charged iPod and my beautiful son, I don't need much else to get me through the day.

Ok. Getting a bit mushy now...time to wrap this up! Sorry for the ultra lameness; I'll try to be better. But, if you miss me, hit me up on g-talk or Twitter! I'm basically always online; just not blogging.

^_^

Music Pick for the Day: "The Quiz" by Hello Saferide
Beverage Pick for the Day: Mountain Dew
Socks for the Day: black, white and green argyle

Please stand by...

Bars & Tones from André F. Chocron on Vimeo.

(I'll be back soonish with an update... been terribly unmotivated and meh this past week, but fear not, my good people: I shall return!)

^_^

Dear Santa: Please send boy, or keys to Australia. XOXO, Karen

Well well well...so we meet again, Mr. Blog. I've been MIA for a few weeks, but it's totally not my fault. Well, unless you count being a total slacker as being my fault, in which case, yeah; my fault. I've sat at my computer every night since my last blog update, and have I even tried to post an entry?? Ok, so maybe I did start to update like 4 times in the past couple of weeks, but be thankful I didn't go through with it... some things about male gymnasts and pudding should never leave my mind. Seriously.

Anywho, it's Christmas Eve! Merry Christmas, everyone! I hope that everyone has a good holiday and that any travel that must be done is safe and fun for you all! As for myself, today started my 5 day weekend and it was pretty fantastic! The J-man and I lazed around all day, for the most part. We played in the snow, which was pretty fun! Although, he did lose part of his Dr. Horrible costume in the process. He was being Dr. Horrible as he played in the snow and wore his goggles outside...and decided to bury them...and now he can't remember where he buried them. Hopefully we get the warmer weather/rain that we're supposed to get this weekend and they surface. Otherwise, he will be a goggleless Dr. Horrible until spring. Actually, I can fix this: he'll just be Billy instead. The alter-egos never get any attention! Whoever says "man, I wanna be Clark Kent!" The only alter-ego that actually has people adoring him is probably Tony Stark. /swoon

...thinking of Robert Downey Jr. now and lost my train of thought... Oh, yes. Christmas Eve! After we had our fill of snowy-goodness, we came inside and started watching Christmas movies: Rudolph, Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, and The Year Without a Santa Claus. We also played Go Fish, ate some Italian take out, and then finished the night with some Mario Kart Wii action. Oh, and we did watch Dr. Horrible again this morning. Crystal got the DVD, so we are borrowing it while she's in Illinois for the holidays. I have to say, this is a must buy for anyone who enjoyed Dr. Horrible. The commentary...is...AWESOME. They did a musical commentary. It was...it's just magicalness. So great!!
So, overall: Best. Christmas Eve. Ever.

I'm still fuzzy on the details for my Christmas Day, but I know that Jackson will be going to his dad's for most of the day. I will spend part of the day at home, being lazy and listening to music, and then head to my parents' for dinner. I'm not doing my formal Christmas festivities with my family until the 27th, so this weekend I will be ZOMG busy; I'm going to take every opportunity to be loungey and lazy until Saturday, though!

It's kind of sad, though, how much my attitude towards Christmas has changed over the years. I'd always been such a huge goober about Christmas and had such enthusiasm and awe for the holiday. However, in recent years, I've noticed my adoration for the holiday waning and that depresses me. The only thing keeping Christmas exciting for me now is Jackson, but even that excitement only goes so far. He spends Christmas Day with his father, so that day will be just another day this year; no different for me than any other Thursday. *sigh* C'est la vie.
It probably doesn't help that this is my 3rd Christmas in a row being single. I won't say that I hate being single, since I've come to terms with it and am content in my spinsterhood, but it does make me sad thinking how nice it would be to have someone to share Christmas snuggles and mistletoe kisses with. Plus, this weekend I will be around my family and all of their happy suburbia happiness and will put on my happy face... and then I will eat too much pie as I sit in envy of their happy coupleness... blerg!
Ok. Happy thoughts...happy thoughts. Ewan McGregor in a kilt...naked Robbie Williams... 2008 male Olympic diving team (like, all of the teams...so much rawr) in pools of jello...
Ok. All better now!

Hmmm...trying to think if anything exciting or notable has happened lately, but I'm pretty sure not. Alas, the life of the Karen is still unexciting and boringish. I am working on a list of goals for 2009, though, which I'm hoping will help make it not so boring (from my perspective, anyhow). I'm not going to call them resolutions, since if I coin them as such, I will most likely have the Defiant Karen come out and she's too rebellious and care-free to abide by resolutions. She scoffs at them.
/scoff
However, my list of goals for 2008 went over pretty well, so we'll see if I can up my game and come up with some great things for me to accomplish in 2009. At the top of my list: take more chances. And, I've kind of already sort of started that one...ish. Still a work in progress, but it's in progress!! That's all that matters!

Ok. I think I've rambled enough for now. Time to go be Santa and finish wrapping gifts! Again, Merry Christmas and I will try to update before the new year!
No promises, though...

^_^


Music Pick for the Day: "Whistle for the Choir" by The Fratellis
Beverage Pick for the Day: lemonade!
Socks for the Day: red and green Christmas socks that say "naughty or nice" all over (both. Equally. FYI.)

You can't survive on ice cream...

Happy "Take it in the Ear" Day! Why yes, that is a rather obscure and weird holiday, and no, I have no idea where it's from, but it is rather intriguing, isn't it? I've been thinking about it for about 10 minutes now, trying to figure out the intent of this day and have come to a few conclusions:
1. It's a rough way of saying "dude, just listen", so instead of talking, try being the one who sits back and listens? Sometimes, people need to be told to just listen, so really, this is a great day to have. Too many people hear what they want to hear, or don't really listen at all, so it's nice to have a day to remind us to actually listen to what people say at face value; not everyone talks in code.
2. A less offensive way of saying "take it in the rear". So, a day to be humble and take your lumps? Don't be outspoken and learn to shut up? Same kind of vein as #1, but with a different intent.
3. Sexual experimentation day? Who knows, some people have weird ear fetishes...I'm just saying.
Aside from the impending ear raping which may or may not occur today, my Monday is turning out to be a pretty good day, considering how I was feeling yesterday and this morning. I got a free lunch, and I'm no longer feeling like poo, which are two very important things that can turn most days into good days!

I woke up yesterday morning, though, sick as a...something really sick, and wanting to do nothing but drink my weight in NyQuil and sleep the day away. But, I had my geeking out to do with my geeks and was supposed to be at Crystal and Adam's for D&D at 9am. However, since I wasn't feeling sick Saturday night, I was all "I'm not setting my alarm, cuz there's no way I'm sleeping past 7:30". Little did I know that my body was all "Yes, go to sleep, and as you slumber, I am totally going to give you a headache and fill your nose with goo and make your head feel like it will implode at any moment! *maniacal laugh*". So, needless to say, my inner alarm was all gunked up by the yuckies and made me sleep until 9:30...and trust me, that is a very rare occurence, indeed, and just shows how sick I was that I actually slept for over 5 hours.
So, I climb out of bed, message Crystal that I was rolling out of bed and that I'd be there in a few. I threw on some clothes and headed over there at about 10am. We didn't start the game until almost 11, and by 1, I was ready for some quality nappage. We called game before 2 and I headed home, intending to finish baking the cookies for my WoW boys, but with my sickies and general state of blerg, I wasn't up for anything more involved than sitting on my couch, watching Robert Downey Jr. being sexy. So, that's what I did; I watched Iron Man, then chilled with my J-man once he got home at about 4...and then watched Iron Man again after dinner.

I felt like poo all day/night, so I watched another movie after Jackson went to bed, and it made me a bit blergified: PS, I Love You. Damn you, Gerard Butler and your sexy manliness! I wants one of you! It's never a good idea for me to watch romantic comedies if I'm in a less than good mood, since I'm quite likely to fall into a "I'm so lonely and will die a crazy spinster cat lady" type of mood... which is where I was for about 3 hours last night. However, after the movie was over, I headed to my 'puter to do some blipping and that helped cheer me up a bit, although I still felt like my head was going to melt. Then at about 11, I headed to bed and decided to start rewatching Friends, and that always cheers me up!

To keep with the weird backward narration for my weekend, Saturday, I totally went shopping in Milwaukee with the Amie and Angel and had a blast! I heart Angel and wish that we got to see her more often. My goal for the day was to buy a cute dress and some boots, but since I'd just bought 2 new dresses Friday night, I was on the look out for boots. But, the boots I loved were out of my budget for this time of year, so after the holidays, I'm totally going to buy me some totally sexy knee high boots! Very /rawr, indeed. However, eventhough I didn't meet my objective for shopping, I did get some cute arm warmers and some cute knit tights to go with my dresses! I'm going to be so adorably cute in my dress, I may squeee and have the ^_^ face when I wear it! Mission- Fancy Karen: In progress!!

So, after I got home, I decided to be fancy and wear my dress and tights...with my bright blue "It's not my fault I was born awesome" fuzzy slippers and my WoW hoodie, and decorated my tree and living room! Crystal and Amie then came over that night to bake cookies for our WoW boys and to watch a movie. And, eventhough I was in my cute dress and baking, I was already getting a bit blergy (which, in retrospect, was probably due to my upcoming illness...blerg to that I say!) All in all, though, Saturday was a great day!

Friday was a great day, too! After work, I went out for a martini with Crystal, Amie and Myrt and then we headed to Target, where I bought my two cute dresses on CLEARANCE! I had also bought a new coat there earlier in the week (tan corduroy trench for $25! Love clearance sales!), so I am totally /cheer about my new cheap-ass clothes!

So, I'm pretty content with everything in my life at the moment and happy with all things in Karenland. Plus, it doesn't hurt that today there are boys wandering in and out of the department. And really, how can you have a bad day when you look up from your desk to see the bottom halves of men sticking out of the ceiling, while the Shins play in the background? It's like the setting for a Utopia...or at least a very weird, awkward porno.
Dammit... now I'm trying to figure out a good plot for an electrician/painter-man porn and I'm afraid my productivity for the afternoon is going to be quite poor.
Oh well...totally worth it.

^_^



Music pick for the Day: "Cheap and Cheerful" by the Kills (my new favorite!)
Beverage pick for the Day: water
Socks for the Day: blue and white whale socks!

Hearing the whir of the servos inside...

So, I had a pretty great weekend, filled with family and fun. I also got a snazzy new phone which I will marry as soon as they allow people to marry inanimate objects...or as soon as the robot overlords take over and it's no longer taboo to love something made of metal and circuits.
*cue Future Soon by JoCo*
I also got my 1st real Christmas tree in 3 years! I'd used a fake tree while I was in my apartment, since real trees were not allowed, and I'm thrilled to be able to have a real one again. Check out my brightkite for pics of the pretties! I've been too busy to decorate it, but hopefully tonight Jackson and I will have some time to at least get lights on.

My Monday was pretty good, too. There were some good moments, so I shall let you in on the good stuff:

- Mike was late getting to work, because he stopped to rescue a poor little kitten from the cold and snow on his way in. He brought it to the vet where his girlfriend works, and found out that the kitten had been shot in the shoulder and is now having its leg amputated today. So much horribliness should never happen to something so little. But, on the happy side, Mike and Marina now have a new kitty! Mike has also dubbed himself the Kitten Whisperer, and I think I may need to make him a plaque with that etched on it. "Mike the Kitten Whisperer"...although, I foresee that being dirrtied up at some point.

- If you ever hear of an album by the band Fountains of Poop, buy a copy immediately, since it means that Mike and I have started a band and are trying to make our living as musicians. Also, if you should ever hear of the band Velvet Hammer, buy two copies, because it will mean that being mediocre at Rock Band drumming has become a socially accepted form of artisitc expression and I started a solo tour IRL.

- Jackson and I were discussing names for our eventual puppy and he said that he wants to name it Moose II, after our friends Crystal and Adam's dog Moose. I said "no, buddy. It's going to be Monkey". He said that Monkey wasn't a good name, and that Moose II was better. I then suggested Bananaface as an alternative, and he again said that Moose II was better. I then said "How about Bananaface Monkey Moose II?", to which he again said no, this time sounding a bit exasperated with me. So I said "Bananaface Monkey Moose, Jr?" And, his response was "I don't think that would be very appropriate, Mom." So, apparently December 1st, 2008 is the day in which being a 26 year old makes you exponentially more silly than a 6 year old. Kind of a like a Freaky Monday instance. Isn't the kid supposed to be goofier than his mommy?? Such is my life, I suppose.

I think there were more good things, but I'm having a hard time remembering. I've been awake since 2 am, since I went to sleep at 10 pm last night, after a pretty crappy evening. My body got its alloted 4 hours of sleep and wouldn't let me have any more. My mind was also unable to be stopped, so I'm pretty sure that my mind was in cahoots with my body, therefore making it impossible for more sleepy for teh Karen this morning.

But, if my brain de-mushifies as the day progresses and I remember more goodness, I'll update again.

For now, I'm off. Happy Tuesday and I'll check back soon.

Music Pick for the Day: "You Don't Know Me" by Ben Folds and Regina Spektor
Beverage Pick for the Day: tea
Socks for the Day: blue and red Superman socks

Cake or blerg... Um, cake, please!

Well, that weekend did not go at all like I planned! And, not in a good way, either.

Friday was great; I got done with work, and headed to Fusion with the Amie and Myrt for a drink. I had a She Devil martini and it was delicious! We then headed to Country Kitchen for foodage and I attempted to eat my weight in pancakes and failed miserably. Crsytal joined us for foodage and we had a great time! After I was stuffed, we went back to Crystal and Adam's and played Little Big Planet until about 10:30 and that was a blast! I totally need to get a PS3 so that I can play this game all of the time. Seriously, most fun I've had in a long time with a console video game; its funness rivals that of Mario Kart in my book, and I love me some Mario Kart action. So, after that, I headed home, played some WoW, then went to bed.

Saturday, I woke up in a great mood and was ready for a day of gaming goodness. I left my house at 1pm, to head to Crystal's...and my car wouldn't start. Like, really super wouldn't start. So, I didn't freak out yet; I went and asked Tanya if she had jumper cables, which she did not, so I then called Amie to come over with hers to see if we could get my car to make a noise beyond clicking. Myrt and Amie arrive with jumper cables...and still my car just clicks. This is the part of the story where Karen starts to really freak out. I called my sister Suzie to see if I could come and get her Grand Am to use, since I wasn't sure what was wrong with my car and didn't want to be carless Monday morning, so Amie drove me to Beaver Dam so I could pick up the car. I hung out at Suzie's for a bit that afternoon, and that helped to calm my nerves, and then I headed to Waupun to visit the parents since I was in the area. I got home at about 5pm and spent the rest of the night moping, playing WoW and watching movies. So, not at all the Saturday I had anticipated. /sad

Sunday morning, I was still feeling down about it all, but forced myself to be optimistic. Myrt had thought that eventhough the jump didn't help, it could still be a dead battery; just a really super dead one. So, Amie and Myrt once again came over, this time with battery chargers, to try my luck with that before I called someone to tow it and look at it on Monday. I started my car charging at about 3pm and hung out with Jackson/played WoW the rest of the day. I kept myself in pretty good spirits for the day, trying to remain optimistic about my poor, dead car. At about 6pm, I went to check the charger and it still read dead. However, they did tell me that it can take a long time to charge, so I left it plugged in and went back to hanging with the J-man. We watched Alvin and the Chipmunks and snuggled. Then he took a bath, we read a story and he headed to bed at 9. After I tucked him in, I went to check the meter again, not expecting it to say anything other than it had before...but what's this? The gauge moved??? Could it be working??????

So, I pranced back inside and told Tanya the news. I wasn't getting my hopes up, but my optimism seemed to be paying off! I decided to let it go until I was ready for bed, and then try to start it. I keep myself preoccupied with the season finale of True Blood and the Colbert Christmas special (both of which were fantastic, btw. I need to get the soundtrack to the Colbert Christmas! Too funny, it was!!), and I got my death knight to about 1/2 way through level 62. I was starting to think that sleep would be good at about midnight, so I went back out again to check the meter. It hadn't moved since the last time I'd come out, but I figured I might as well try it, just to see. I unplug the charger, shut the hood, and get in the car. I take out my key, put it in the ignition...turn the key...and....IT STARTED!!!! I was so happy. Beyond happy. Ecstatic! I ran into the house to freak out to Tanya that my car was alive again! I then told her that I was going to sit outside for a bit, just to listen to it run. It was almost as magical as a baby's laugh. Best. Sound. EVER!

Needless to say, I had a hard time falling asleep last night. I was so full of WOOOOOHOOOOOness that I just couldn't fall asleep. I didn't fall asleep until after 2, and almost got myself out of bed at 6:15, but decided to press snooze a bit this morning instead. Had I known that it snowed last night after I went to sleep, I would have gotten up right away. While I was unprepared for the snow, I welcome the prettiness!

So, while my weekend was pretty crappy and although I have been in an overly meh and blerg mood lately, today I am pretty content and happy with everything in my life. I still feel a bit...off, as though something is missing, but I'm working on a few new changes that I hope will help me be me again. First of which is kind of a frivilous thing (fancy new cell phone with web access..../rawr), but it's going to make me all ^_^, so it may just be enough to kick my butt out of Glumville. I'll update once I have my shinies this weekend!

Ok. That's all for now. I'm getting better at this updating thing again, so hopefully I keep up with it this time!

Toodles!

^_^


Music Pick for the Day: "My Moon My Man" by Feist (my new favorite vocalist..I have to look into getting more music by her)
Beverage for the Day: water
Socks for the Day: black with tourquoise polka dots

Promises, promises

Mmmmm...promises. And, by promises, I mean the Dove chocolate ones. I had a stash of them in my drawer at work, so I eated them all. And they were goooooood. Aside from their numminess, I like the Promises because they also have little notes inside, which makes them kind of like chocolate fortune cookies. So, my chocolate fortunes are:

"A special moment deserves a special chocolate"- I got this one twice, so I'll use this as the reason behind my having 6 promises this afternoon...don't judge me! /delicious

"Buy flowers for yourself"- I may do this, but not in a 'oh, look! Someone totally sent me flowers; I wonder who they're from' kind of way, but rather in a 'my kitchen needs some cheering up. I shall do that with pretty flowers!' kind of way. But, we'll see if I'm ambitious enough to go and buy some. This one will be a maybe.

"Think without limits"- This one I do quite often already, which always gets me in trouble with myself. My mind, or rather my imagination, knows no limits, so I can day dream like you wouldn't believe. However, many day dreams are often not within the grasps of reality, so I tend to set myself up for disappointment when my fantasty life is vastly more appealing than my reality. /le sigh

"Try something new this weekend"- This one I fully intend on fulfilling, not just once, but twice (two promise fortunes for this one, as well!). I have plans for tonight and Saturday, so I'll have to fit something new into my schedule somehow. Perhaps I will try new foods or a new drink tonight, or maybe just do something out of the ordinary. We shall see what adventures the weekend may hold! But, chances are, I'll order french toast instead of waffles and that will count as my "try something new". How boring am I? If I do end up trying something wholey new, I will be sure to try to update again with details, but I wouldn't get my hopes up if I were you...

"Think lovingly, speak lovingly, act lovingly"- Again, I'm pretty good at doing this on a regular basis. I'm a pretty lovey-dovey person and let people know how I feel, even if it's not the best idea. I'm kind of a goober that way and just have to speak my mind sometimes, but on the plus side, I don't hide emotions and typically am very up front about things with people. So, speak and think lovingly, check! Act lovingly is also one that I do often, and generally in the form of hugs. I'm kind of a hug-bot. Hug-slut. Hug-a-holic. Hugs FTW. And, after a few drinks tonight, I may once again display my thinking/speaking/acting lovingly, so Amie and Crystal, watch out! :P

Wish me luck on having a great weekend and I'll update again soonish, I hope!
*huggles*

^_^


Music Pick for the Day: "Green-Eyed Lady" by Sugarloaf (I was on a "eye" song kick this morning, and this one is one of my favs. There are no good songs about my name, so I appreciate a song about green eyed people)
Beverage Pick for the Day: Water
Socks for the Day: pink, green and brown argyle knee highs (best. socks. EVER!)

Bluebells and sleighbells and something with mittens...

/snuggles her blanket
It's attempting to snow outside, and this is the most I've seen it snow yet this year. Nothing is sticking to the ground yet, but just the flurries whizzing around outside are enough to get me into my wintery goodness spirit. A lot of people dislike snow, or rather, a lot of people dislike driving in snow. However, I love so much about snow that I'm willing to forgive the poor driving conditions it brings. And now, my favorite things about snow:

1.) It's fun! Building snowmen, making snow angels, sledding... what's not to love??
2.) It's winter! And what happens in winter? Christmas. And what's great about Christmas? EVERYTHING! Decorations, lights, trees, eggnog, cookies, music, 24 hours of A Christmas Story...I could go on, but I won't.
3.) It's pretty! Imagine a Thomas Kinkade snowytime picture and that's basically my perfect setting. Snowy, peaceful, and beautiful. It just makes me happy on the inside to think about it. Add that with some hot cocoa, blankets, and a good movie, and you have every Friday night during the winter months for me. Well, except that I don't actually live on a peaceful street...I just imagine that's what it looks like outside.
4.) It's cold! Well, I'm always cold, but that doesn't mean that I don't like the cold. On the contrary, I love the cold, since it allows me to wear fun mittens and scarves and hats and coats. Yay, winter clothes!

Ok. Off to daydream some more about wonderful winter.

^_^

I shall conquer this, I shall.

If I could sum up my past month or two in one word, that word would be "blerg". I have had more blerg in the past few months than I'd had in a long time. What caused this blerg? Where did it come from? And how can I get rid of it!?! For starters, I don't think that any one thing has caused the blerg, but rather a few smaller blergific things, such as moving situation changing and just being in a perpetual state of "...what now?" I feel as though I'm anticipating or dreading something, but can't seem to pin point what that something is. I'm anxious without anywhere to direct said anxiousness.

I've also had some very upsetting situations arise in the past month, such as an old friend unexpectedly dying last month. 26 years old, mother of 2, who I hadn't seen or spoken to in nearly 5 years. Growing up, she was an honorary member of my family, and was treated and loved like a sister to me and my siblings, and as a daughter to my parents. To get the news that she had died was jarring, to say the least, and it took me a few days to really have the news sink in. It just seemed so surreal; it still seems surreal. Her wake was by far the hardest thing I've had to deal with in a long time, and just seeing her family was too much to bear. Not only had I not seen them all in many years, but I also could not be glad to see them, due to circumstances. It was the worst reunion, in the worst situation.

Ok. I need to be on happier topics, to try to mellow myself out again.

Happy topics...happy topics...hmmm... OH! So, speaking of anticipating things, last week was the release of the newest WoW expansion, Wrath of the Lich King. I have to say, I'm enjoying it more than The Burning Crusade, and I've barely even touched on the quests in Northrend. I will say that Death Knight is super badass and the story line for it is is pretty amazing. I was almost brought to tears by some of the story, which I guess isn't that much of a feat considering how often I cry, but still: amazing. I'm debating making my DK my main for a bit, and then work on leveling Alukin once Cat is 80 and has time to focus on leveling Squik with me. Decisions, decisions.

Last night, I was feeling pretty meh and restless, so I decided to do some more unpacking and arranging to occupy my mind. Since Jackson fell asleep on the couch again, I focused my energies on my bedroom and unpacked some of my books. While doing this, I wanted to watch a DVD, so I picked out Pride and Prejudice... /swoon. And no, not the one that came out a few years ago with Keira Knightly. I'm talking about the 5 hour BBC mini series, with Colin Firth as the dreamboat Mr. Darcy. Mmmmm, Mr. Darcy. If I could find a real life Mr. Darcy, my life would be complete. And, speaking of Mr. Darcy, I watched Bridget Jones' Diary last weekend...and I've realized that I am more like the character Bridget Jones than I would care to admit. Her crazy, her verbal diarrhea, her horrendous love life. But, she did get her Mr. Darcy in the end. His whole speech to Bridget just makes me smile, every time I hear it:
"I don't think you're an idiot at all. I mean, there are elements of the ridiculous about you. Your mother's pretty interesting. And you really are an appallingly bad public speaker. And, um, you tend to let whatever's in your head come out of your mouth without much consideration of the consequences... But the thing is, um, what I'm trying to say, very inarticulately, is that, um, in fact, perhaps despite appearances, I like you, very much. Just as you are."
/rawr
/swoon
Mr. Darcy...Mark Darcy... mmmmmmm

Although, I am 1 up on Ms. Jones. As of today, it has been 1 year since I last smoked. 1 year since I smoked my last cheat cigarette, even. One whole entire year, smoke free. I am pretty darn proud of myself for that! I need to get back into the mindset that got me to quit smoking, and perhaps life can start to make sense again. Get out of my head and back in the now and just go with the flow. I need to flow. I've hit some flow-blocks in the past few months, so it's time to get happy again. To do this, I may /shun the world for a bit, to get back into the right mindset, but even if I do /shun everyone, I promise to come back out, less crazy-crazy and more fun-crazy! That's worth some Karenless time, right? I think so!

Ok. I'm off now. Time to go and be all zen and not so blergy. Blerg = teh suck.

Laters!

^_^



Music Pick for the Day: "Handsome Man", by Robbie WIlliams
Beverage Pick for the Day: coffeeeeeeeeeee
Socks for the Day: Maroon, tan and black argyle knee highs

The Change We Need

7 Days

I've already voted. Have you? In the state of Wisconsin, we are one of 31 states that allow early voting. So, you can't use the excuse that you're busy on November 4th. If you know you can't make it then, call your city or county clerk's office to find out how you can vote early. Not registered yet? You can do that at the same time as you vote. Just be sure to bring a proof of residence (current utility bill or even a pay stub with your current address).

So please, be sure to vote. Because, really, your vote and voice do count.
Your vote matters.
You matter.

See more funny videos and funny pictures at CollegeHumor.

Have you registered to vote yet??

Find out when your deadline to register here, and hopefully you still have time!

Or, click here and enter your address to find out where and when you can register!
Go now!
And if you've registered already, you're my favorite!

^_^

ps. I love Stephen Colbert

*insert witty comment here*

So, I've been an absent blogger for a while. At first, I was all "I'll totally update tomorrow"...and then tomorrow would come, and I'd be all "I'll totally update this weekend...and then the weekend would come, and I'd be all "I'll totally update on Monday". Well, that went on for a couple of weeks before I realized that I hadn't updated in a while. Because it had been so long since my last update, I thought that my next update would have to be sooo awesome to make up for my lack of blogging. So I thought on it for like 2 weeks, and I still have nothing soooo awesome to blog about.

Life has been pretty meh. I've been doing pretty good lately; life hasn't given me too much to complain about, which I'm thankful for. Jackson started kindergarten this month, and it was emotional, but I'm so happy and excited for him to be in school that it helped me get over the whole "my baby is growing up too fast!". And, naturally, with him growing up so fast, life is going too fast, and when I stop to think about it all, I get down and sad-like. So I try really hard to not think about it! I'm a smidge blergy about it all tonight, and in need of some distractions, so I figured I'd update and see if that helped at all!

Hmmm...what else can I ramble about? Oh, well, this coming Tuesday will be a fantastic day. Two movies are coming to DVD and I'm a bit tingly thinking about it: Forgetting Sarah Marshall (mmm, Jason Segel...naked) and Iron Man (mmmmmm...Robert Downey, Jr...wishing he were naked). I must say, this is going to be a Super Tuesday!

And speaking of politics, did anyone else catch the 1st Presidential debate on Friday night? During most of it, I just wanted to reach into my TV and flick McCain in his tiny head or smack him about with my shoe. Pre-debate, I wasn't a supporter, but there was still a bit of respect there for him as a person (I'm a lover, not a hater, and really try to see good in all people)...however, he was making me angry just with his words. Like, almost seething. I hate politicians and wish that it would be possible for, just once, to have them address concerns and issues without trying to belittle their opponent. It seemed that the majority of the time that he was speaking, he took the time to take a jab at Obama instead of trying to address the question at hand. He would prefer to be negative and invoke fear in the voters, to try to get them to *not* vote for Obama instead of trying to make people *want* to vote for himself. It's infuriating! Oh, and his little smirk and giggle he was doing every time Obama spoke. GRAR! He wouldn't even look Barack in the eye during the debate and kept intentionally not addressing him in his responses. Two things that were said too often and made me twitch each time he said them: "What Senator Obama doesn't understand is..." and "...fundamental...". Good lord, robot man. Get some new dialogue. And I won't even talk about his attempt to suspend his campaign. Or on his VP pick.

Obama, on the other hand, was like sex in a suit and I would listen to him talk for hours at a time. He's soothing and pretty and fancy and I love him. Sure, I still have issues with some of his stances on things, but right now, he is the best hope we have. And, if for some reason McCain wins this thing in November, do any foreigners have room to take in a single mom and her 5 year old? I can cook and clean and LOVE to bake! Just let me know. :P

Ok. I'm in a better place now after getting all political and venty. *deep breath* Good times.

I will try to update more and hopefully will have something more entertaining to ramble about, so hopefully I'll talk to you all again soonish!

^_^


Music pick for the Day: "Near to You" by A Fine Frenzy
Beverage pick for the Day: agua
Socks for the Day: green, purple and black striped Halloween socks, with pumpins on the ankles (my 2nd pair of Halloween socks so far this fall!)