When I grow up...

• I will never need to ask my mother for money.
• I will pay all my own bills.
• I will not be in debt.
• I will never bounce a check.
• I will pay all my taxes.
• I will not marry (again) without a prenuptial agreement (if ever).
• Exercise and meditation are habits.
• I will not suck.
• I will have a dog.

 I saw this here and thought it would be fun to do. The directions say to "Bold the things you've done, italicize the things you want to do." My font doesn't bold, so the things I've accomplished are in red.

1. Started my own blog

2. Slept under the stars

3. Played in a band - I used to play piano for my church's youth choir, but we had no other musicians.

4. Visited Hawaii - I can't honestly that's a goal for me, although I do love to travel.

5. Watched a meteor shower - Nope.

6. Given more than I can afford to charity- It's happened twice. Once was an oversight on my part.

7. Been to Disneyland/world - My cousin took my kids two years ago. Now that Hogwarts is there, I want to go.

8. Climbed a mountain - I've climbed synthetic walls, which I choose to count as a mountain, since I don't particularly want to climb a real one.

9. Held a praying mantis - Why? Why would anyone want to do this?

10. Sung a solo - I've sung on stage many times as part of a choral group, but never a solo. What does that mean?

11. Bungee jumped- NEVER!

12. Visited Paris - I would love to!

13. Watched lightning at sea - Hmm, this must be interesting to watch. I'll have to look into it.

14. Taught myself an art from scratch - Calligraphy, origami, web design (way back in the late 1990's)

15. Adopted a child - My parents tried once. His name was Adam and he was featured on a local news program. Another family got through first. I thought I would when I became an adult, but now that my youngest is 14, I don't think this will happen.

16. Had food poisoning - Related to #46

17. Walked to the top of the Statue of Liberty - The time I went to NYC, the statue was closed for major restoration.

18. Grown my own vegetables - They turned out to be horrible looking, stumpy baby carrots. I don't think I even ate one.

19. Seen the Mona Lisa in France - There is so much other art that I find more interesting than that one at the Louvre, but I suppose it's required viewing if you're there.

20. Slept on an overnight train - I would love to train travel cross-country.

21. Had a pillow fight - Many, many times.

22. Hitchhiked - Was a great way to get around in a small college town. Too bad the world is too scary now.

23. Taken a sick day when you’re not ill- I've done this way too many times.

24. Built a snow fort - I grew up in Cleveland. 'Nuff said.

25. Held a lamb - I guess this would be a moment.

26. Gone skinny dipping - I'm in!

27. Run a Marathon - I'm in training. In my mind.

28. Ridden in a gondola in Venice - Does Vegas count?

29. Seen a total eclipse - I saw one once; would like to do it again.

30. Watched a sunrise or sunset - See above.

31. Hit a home run - In the park home run. But that was only because the fielders sucked more than me.

32. Been on a cruise

33. Seen Niagara Falls in person - Several times. Apparently most of it is gone now?

34. Visited the birthplace of my ancestors - Blacksburg, VA. We've gone back as far as my grandfather's grandfather.

35. Seen an Amish community - No big whup, but I'm in Ohio, so I've been there dozens of times.

36. Taught myself a new language - This is on my list. I want to learn an authentic African language.

37. Had enough money to be truly satisfied - Hahahahahahahahahahaha!

38. Seen the Leaning Tower of Pisa in person

39. Gone rock climbing - see mountain response

40. Seen Michelangelo’s David

41. Sung karaoke

42. Seen Old Faithful geyser erupt

43. Bought a stranger a meal at a restaurant

44. Visited Africa

45. Walked on a beach by moonlight

46. Been transported in an ambulance - Related to #16

47. Had my portrait painted - A street artist drew my profile in charcoal when my locs were pretty long. I still have it.

48. Gone deep sea fishing - I've gone deep lake fishing. That's good enough for me.

49. Seen the Sistine Chapel in person - Whoever wrote this list, sure loves the renaissance!

50. Been to the top of the Eiffel Tower in Paris 

51. Gone scuba diving or snorkeling

52. Kissed in the rain - Overrrated.

53. Played in the mud - Me, Tangie and Kelli made mud pies, mud castles, and mud houses all the time!

54. Gone to a drive-in theater - My parents used to dress me in my PJ's and a blanket. I loved falling asleep in the back seat of our '68 Chevy Impala! Vinyl was never so comfy as it was back then!

55. Been in a movie

56. Visited the Great Wall of China

57. Started a business

58. Taken a martial arts class

59. Visited Russia

60. Served at a soup kitchen

61. Sold Girl Scout Cookies

62. Gone whale watching

63. Got flowers for no reason - Trust me, there's always a reason.

64. Donated blood, platelets or plasma

65. Gone sky diving

66. Visited a Nazi Concentration Camp - Almost. I was in Vienna for a week, but we ran out of time.

67. Bounced a check - A...as in one? Then the answer is a no. (big eyes)

68. Flown in a helicopter

69. Saved a favorite childhood toy - I still have my baseball card collection!

70. Visited the Lincoln Memorial

71. Eaten caviar

72. Pieced a quilt

73. Stood in Times Square - It's pretty dirty!

74. Toured the Everglades

75. Been fired from a job 

76. Seen the Changing of the Guards in London

77. Broken a bone

78. Been on a speeding motorcycle

79. Seen the Grand Canyon in person

80. Published a book

81. Visited the Vatican

82. Bought a brand new car - And I never will again. Dumbest.move.ever.

83. Walked in Jerusalem

84. Had my picture in the newspaper - LOL! The Call & Post, local entertainment section. Who's who partying in Cleveland!

85. Read the entire Bible - I've read parts of practically every chapter. I'm done.

86. Visited the White House

87. Killed and prepared an animal for eating - Both my grandmothers raised and plucked chickens. As much chicken as I eat, I feel like I should experience this.

88. Had chickenpox

89. Saved someone’s life - Not that I know of.

90. Sat on a jury - Was called in, but not selected.

91. Met someone famous - Jesse Jackson, Dr. J, Veronica Hamel, Dr. Alvin Poissaint, Clarke Kellogg, Naomi Tutu. But the best one ever was Betty Williams. She was the first white person I ever heard speak passionately about how MLK inspired her to take action. She is so courageous. I was so moved by her experience. And she can curse like a sailor!

92. Joined a book club - I confess.

93. Lost a loved one 

94. Had a baby - Two. And they're on sale now.

95. Seen the Alamo in person

96. Swam in the Great Salt Lake - I've waded in Lake Erie. That's good enough.

97. Been involved in a law suit - Divorce is a law suit.

98. Owned a cell phone - And I wish I didn't. I hate cell phones. I hate all phones.

99. Been stung by a bee

100. Ridden an elephant - When I was a kid at the circus. I used to have the photo, but now it's lost.

Why I love Penelope Trunk.

"Because if I am living an honest life, and my eyes are open, and I’m trying my hardest to be good and kind, then anything I’m doing is fine to tell people." Penelope Trunk


This woman tweeted about having a miscarriage...during a board meeting.

She shamelessly blogged about being frustrated with trying to get an abortion in Wisconsin.

Trunk researched and wrote about the correlation between higher-paid women and oral sex.

Penelope Trunk publicly wrote about her divorce.

This last statement is how I found her blog. I was going through a divorce and what I found out later was severe depression. I couldn't think at work. Some days I would come in and sit in my chair and do absolutely nothing. Not one thing. Not surfing the internet, painting my nails, or reading a book (which I've done before at work). I. did. nothing. I didn't even think. I couldn't concentrate enough to form a coherent thought. I knew this couldn't last. So being the school nerd I am, I looked up divorce and work online. Surely someone has experienced this same struggle. How does one navigate one's life while it's being examined, redefined, assessed and mutilated at the same time?

I found nothing that fit my needs. Oh, there's lots of stuff on divorce, the legal stuff, the custody stuff, the splitting up the stuff stuff. And there's way more information about depression. But that isn't what I wanted. I wanted work and divorce. I don't have a trust fund...I can't take a leave of absence. Eventually I found this. Hi Ms. Trunk...that's a weird name to choose.

The fact that I found something made a difference. I think I might have filed a piece of paper, or renamed a folder that day. Because she shared her experience, not with a few people, but for all, she provided me with something I needed. She didn't tell me what to do, how to do it, or how much to pay, all she did was say...me too. I know that too. And that's what I needed to move on. In a nutshell, what she writes is about knowing yourself; whether it's at work, at home, or on the farm. At that time in my life, I didn't know myself. I didn't have a clue whose body I was in. So that was where I began.

I'm not judging her tweets, posts or other comments. My opinion of her life doesn't matter. I'm not judging her. I'm glad she talks about her life at work and at home. I don't think she's wrong for doing it. Following her experience gives me food for thought about mine. It makes me think about what I might write about my own life at work. What issues do I dare reveal? If it's happening, why deny it? I agree with PT that keeping secrets is not a good thing.

I don't know that anything earth shattering would have happened had I not found her blog that day. I'm sure I would have pulled myself together, as I have and continue to do. But man oh man, I'm glad she did. I imagine someone else somewhere is appreciative for that tweet as well.

I'm doing my best to live an honest life, keep my eyes open, take responsibility for my actions, and be good and kind. I'm with you PT.

100 Movies...Update

I haven't made much of an effort to see these movies. Alot of them are really old; not in a vintage way, but more in an outdated/outmoded way.

P.S.
I don't think I can do Sound of Music. Just don't see it happening.


0-9
12 Angry Men (1957)
2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
400 Blows (1959)
8 1/2 (1963)

A
The African Queen (1952)
Alien (1979)
All About Eve (1950)
Annie Hall (1977)
Apocalypse Now (1979)

B
The Battle of Algiers (1967)
The Bicycle Thief (1948)
Blade Runner (1982)
Blazing Saddles (1974)
Blow Up (1966)
Blue Velvet (1986)
Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
Breathless (1960)
The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
Bringing Up Baby (1938)
Butch Cassidy and the
Sundance Kid (1969)

C
Casablanca (1942)
Chinatown (1974)
Citizen Kane (1941)
Crouching Tiger, Hidden
Dragon (2000)

D
Die Hard (1988)
Do the Right Thing (1989)
Double Indemnity (1944)
Dr. Strangelove (1964)
Duck Soup (1933)

E
E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial (1982)
Enter the Dragon (1973)
The Exorcist (1973)

F
Fast Times At Ridgemont High (1982)
The French Connection (1971)

G
The Godfather (1972)
The Godfather, Part II (1974)
Goldfinger (1964)
The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1968)
Goodfellas (1990)
The Graduate (1967)
Grand Illusion (1938)
Groundhog Day (1993)

H
A Hard Day’s Night (1964)

I
In the Mood For Love (2001)
It Happened One Night (1934)
It’s a Wonderful Life (1946)

J
Jaws (1975)

K
King Kong (1933)

L
The Lady Eve (1941)
Lawrence of Arabia (1962)
The Lord of the Rings (2001)

M
M (1931)
M*A*S*H (1970)
The Maltese Falcon (1941)
The Matrix (1999)
Modern Times (1936)
Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)

N
National Lampoon’s Animal House (1978)
Network (1976)
Nosferatu (1922)

O
On the Waterfront (1954)
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)

P
Paths of Glory (1958)
Princess Mononoke (1999)
Psycho (1960)
Pulp Fiction (1994)

R
Raging Bull (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)
Raise the Red Lantern (1992)
Rashomon (1951)
Rear Window (1954)
Rebel Without a Cause (1955)
Rocky (1976)
Roman Holiday (1953)

S
Saving Private Ryan (1998)
Schindler’s List (1993)
The Searchers (1956)
Seven Samurai (1954)
The Shawshank Redemption (1994)
The Silence of the Lambs (1991)
Singin’ in the Rain (1952)
Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs (1937)
Some Like It Hot (1959)
The Sound of Music (1965)
Star Wars (1977)
Sunset Blvd. (1950)

T
Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991)
The Third Man (1949)
This is Spinal Tap (1984)
Titanic (1997)
To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
Toy Story (1995)

U
The Usual Suspects (1995)

V
Vertigo (1958)

W
When Harry Met Sally… (1989)
Wild Strawberries (1957)
Wings of Desire (1988)
The Wizard of Oz (1939)
Women On the Verge of Nervous Breakdown (1988)
The World of Apu (1959)

True or False?

This is from MilesPerHour:

You post five things about yourself. Four are true. One is untrue. All are so outlandish, implausible or ridiculous that no one would be inclined to believe that any of them are true. And despite the pleas from your readers, you never divulge which ones are true and which one is false.

1. I shoplifted my way through college.
2. I started driving at 12 years old.
3. I used to hitchhike.
4. As a youngster, I spat on people I didn't like.
5. I was once arrested.

Umm, ok. So, I don't know how you "tag" someone through a blog, so...yeah, um, that's it!

Update on the Breakfast Song

I must have watched this video at least 10 times when it first crossed my path. Every now and then, I check it out because I just love their commitment and enthusiasm to what has to be the weirdest mash-up gospel song ever.

You Tuber, edearnest, posted this update back in February 2009:

"This song aired on The Mornin' Show, a local program carried by NBC affiliate WTVA in Tupelo, Mississippi. BREAKING NEWS: BREAKFAST SINGERS IDENTIFIED! This from Tom Joyners website www.blackamericaweb.com. The lady singer was interviewed on his March 13th show. In the clip, Minister Cleo Clariet and his fiancé Katherine Lane are shown singing on "The Kay Bain Show" in Tupelo, Mississippi in May or June of 2004. Clariet passed away from congenital heart disease on Dec. 13, 2004. Lane said he would have been thrilled to know his song is now entertaining so many people."

Thanks for Breakfast Cleo..RIP.

A Mash-up: House Music & Marion Barry

Eighth note clap beats...

Beat box goes unn chh, unn chh, unn chh....

oh u put me out boy, u know u put me out boy, why u put me out, cuz I wouldn't s*ck your d*ck!

(repeat refrain 50 times for EP version)

Remember The Time

Rebecca Walker wrote an essay that best describes how I feel about Michael and his unfortunate passing. "Michael’s music was a running soundtrack for my life," Walker says. I couldn't agree more. And how amazing is it, that so many others could easily make the same statement? A New Jersey housewife, a vegan seamstress in Southern California, a Finnish factory worker...Michael's influence has been worldwide, spanning ages, cultures, religions.

As a teen, I had MJ posters, magazines, t-shirts, buttons, stickers and drawings of Michael all over one half of my room. The other half was dedicated to Prince. As much as I love Prince, Michael was to me a true friend, a big brother, who no matter how he was treated, showed me a way to love. He sang of love in its many forms. But most often, he sang of universal love. The type of love that prompts me to smile when I see elderly black men because they remind me of my father and grandfather. Love that brightens my day when I see young children trying to figure out how they fit in this great big world.

In that very sad interview which led to accusations of child molestation, Michael said something profound. I don't think many people caught it; I didn't until someone explained it.

"The most loving thing you can do for someone is to share your bed with them."

If you consider that in the context of universal love, and not a sexual or a perverted sense, then Michael is absolutely right. My kids are not babies. But once in a while, one or both of them will creep in my room and snuggle with me. There aren't many other ways to show love that are as powerful as that. I don't believe MJ harmed those kids. I do believe his actions may have been inappropriate. However, ultimate blame for any harm or inappropriateness belongs to the parents of those children.

I've spoken to a few people who don't get it. They don't understand why so many others are affected by Michael's passing. Perhaps someone else wrote their life's soundtrack. If you don't know, you just don't know. But I'm glad I do.



The Untouchable Michael Jackson

Shared via AddThis

breakfast song

TEARS...CONVULSIONS...omg..AM I REALLY SEEING THIS?!

WHO DOES THIS?

Hammer Pants Dance (HD)

I've watched this video about 5 times in a row. Look at the diversity in this flash mob!! I love the old bald guy in the jacket, tie and sweatband! Every single person is dancing their hearts out! How can you not smile at that! I wanna be in a flash mob dance! That will be the ONLY way you'll ever catch me in a line dance!

Sarah Palin is easy.

I've been racking my brain to figure why the RNC would select Sarah Palin as McCain's running mate. Because it's obvious this woman is not a scholar. She's not a real politician. She's not eloquent, articulate, insightful, thoughtful, intriguing. She's none of those things. In fact, she's the exact opposite of Obama and his entire campaign. And that's just why they picked her. She's easy.

You don't have to think when she talks. You can relax, rest assured she's not going to use words you don't know, she's not going to make you feel guilty because you don't do anything besides what you absolutely have to. She's like an involuntary bodily function. Sarah doesn't make you go the extra mile. Hell, you don't even have to budge with her. She's not going anywhere.

I was reading Michelle Obama's blog...her latest entry. That's what inspired me to write this. After a few sentences, I said to myself, though not out loud, but I'll use quotes anyway, "I'll have to read this later. I'm not ready to focus on this now." When I came back to it, I realized what I'd done. I deferred to couch potato thinking, instead of allowing myself to be lifted to a higher level of thinking. Why? Because I wanted to be lazy. And lazy is not sexy. Lazy is why our country is in the situation we're in. It's much easier to do nothing than it is to concern ourselves about how our inactivity prevents all of us from being successful.

This morning I walked my dog. Always on a leash. I see a young woman get out of her car and let her dog out. He's not on a leash. She's unloading her car...I assume she wants to carry everything she has up to her apartment in one trip. Fine, I would probably do the same. But why not have the dog on a leash? At this point, I had a decision to make. I could change direction and avoid an unavoidable confrontation, or continue in the same direction, risking confrontation with the two dogs. I choose the latter(gawd, I miss East Cleveland sometimes). Her dog decided it needed to smell my dog, and my dog didn't like that idea. She grabs her dog by the collar and leads it away, fussing. I'm almost sure she had to have said she was sorry she didn't have it on a leash, since her dog so rudely approached my dog and interrupted our nice walk. I'm sure that's what she said.

So, what does this have to do with Ms. Palin? Everything. Our freedom, our right to say and believe what we choose, does have a price. We are responsible for one another. Regardless and in spite of race, religion or any other difference. Palin's platform doesn't reflect that value. She opens her mouth and lets the words fall out without regard for interpretation. She's not being responsible. Let's say Mr. Obama was in fact "palling around with terrorists." Has she offered any evidence of this? What does palling around mean? Why use the term "palling around?" Ayers and Obama worked on a committee together...how does that become palling around?

And unfortunately, there are too many of us lazy thinkers who let her get away with this ridiculous rant. It's not that I think she needs to be leashed. She needs to be muzzled and boarded away until she achieves balance.

In case ya didn't know, crazy is the new sane!

Presidential Celebrity Names

OBAMA AND BIDEN 2009

Obiden
Jobama
Bariden
Jorack
Obaden
Barjoe
Bamaden
Jobida
Bibama
Bamajoden
Bamajoe
Rackobiden
Rackojoe
Ojobamaden
Bidenrack
Ojoden
Bijobama
Joraden
Rabiden
Bidabamajoben

T-Shirt Tuesday!

I want this shirt!