The process of elimination

The newest ... well for me its trial and error ... way to keep the joy and eliminate the trouble is to conquer one ugliness possibility, then move on to the next. I find I'll be in a funk and not quite know why. I'll mull it over and over and come up with a laundry list of things that could possibly be the issue. But then again, who really knows when in a funk what the cause could be. For me, if I know the cause, I'll eradicate the offender and do my best to move forward in a positive direction. (Believe it or not, that's been my little mantra for quite some time. Like most pieces of good advice and similar to the lawn mower, there is a positive outcome if I use it.) If I don't have a clue about the funk, well, that's more difficult. So, my new approach will be, one thing at a time. The process of elimination. As with most things, its takes practice and practice is really not the fun place to be. Ok, attitude adjustment. Life is practice...well, not really, life is life. Best to live it happy than not. Words of advice I may need post somewhere conspicuous for myself.

Tag...you're it. (Hello, am I here?)

It seems I was inadvertently tagged … I think… TEN random things you might not know about me.

1. I read science-fantasy (and enjoy it)
2. I once accidentally surveilled Everwood
3. I may not be an initiator, but ask me just about anything and I’ll chat you up good
4. I’m not shy
5. I’m a terrible singer
6. I’m a Christian
7. My favorite season is Spring
8. I like learning
9. Sometimes I’m not laughing on the inside either
10. I watch Buffy

NINE places I’ve visited

1. Tahiti
2. Cayman Islands
3. Curacao
4. Yellowstone
5. Maui
6. Cabo San Lucas
7. New York
8. Las Vegas
9. Sonoma

EIGHT ways to win my heart

1. Pay attention to my cat
2. Be sincere
3. Mushy, heartfelt greeting cards
4. Anything done by my nieces
5. Surprise me with cake
6. Purr
7. Hold my hand
8. Be real

SEVEN things I want to do before I die

1. Retire
2. Be completely happy
3. Know
4. Relax
5. Finish my degree
6. Make a million dollars
7. Make my parents proud

SIX things I’m afraid of

1. Losing my parents
2. Losing my family
3. Mr. One being hurt or dieing
4. Being crippled
5. Being forgotten
6. Loneliness

FIVE things I don't like

1. Hypocrites
2. Slow web sites
3. Traffic
4. Self-induced ignorance
5. Jagermeister

FOUR ways to turn me off

1. Lie.
2. Smell bad
3. Patronize
4. Sexual harassment

THREE Things I do everyday

1. Love my man
2. Wish I was thinner
3. Blog Stalk

TWO things that make me happy

1. A good nap
2. Nick

ONE thing on my mind right now

1. Lake Powell

Note to self: How sad is that, I feel like a lonely child in a grassy field (the wind whines ominously in the trees for effect) playing tag all by myself. Its like a group of rowdy, smiling, running friends were playing, I walked up, they tagged me “You’re it” then ran away… laughing…more ominous whiny wind…maybe the theme from Lonesome Dove or some tumbleweed strewn, cowboy studded western movie should play now. I don’t even know what that is, but it feels right somehow.

I guess now you're tagged... if you're there that is.

Random Acts

Random Act No. 1: What do you do when a random and usually pretty annoying snippet of a song gets lodged in your head, replaying itself over and over ad nauseam? That's been my morning and the snippet keeps changing itself, morphing as it were from song to song. My snippets are usually from ancient TV commercials that no one but me remembers, mostly because they are ancient and my brain doesn't necessarily remember the things I'd like it to (like the name of the places where I vacationed in 1996), but remembers an array of other really important things like a cheddar cheese commercial from when I was like 12.

Random (albeit related) Act No. 2: So, true to my nature, I looked up snippet because I thought that might just be a word that only I use in conversation. I've not really had the opportunity to use it in writing. Seems its a real word with real meaning and I had spelled it incorrectly. Thanks to dictionary(dot)com, you can not only click for meaning if need be, but won't be subjected to miss-spelled words, well at least not the word snippet ☺.

Random Act No. 3: I am so excited Colleen will be back from Fiji very soon, if not already. Yes, strange. Sure, we're friends, but we only knew each other a few months and she moved away, she's a lot younger than me and has 'real' friends, I could go on. You know when, at least for me, it seems you make a connection with someone and then life happens. Well, life rarely really happens to me, its usually happening to someone else. I get it, I'm just wired that way ~ stable. That's what I have to tell myself anyway. I started on this journey to baby-step my way to New York and on my first step, got stuck. Admittedly, I stuck myself, but stuck I am nonetheless. Now, stuck for good reasons, stable employment, stable boyfriend, stable housing, stable kitty... are you getting the pattern here? Its all goodness, but I sometimes feel mired.

Random Act No. 4: Welcome home Colleen. I can't wait to hear all about your trip. I wished you all goodness.

Mr. One

More kitty pics.

He's 17+.

Grounded

Two of my best friends were here this weekend (TG & VB) from the sunny state of California. We hung out, watched movies, ate great food, drank mediocre wine, accidentally surveilled some Everwood, talked our way through men problems (Oy!) and laughed a lot. I had the best time! Thanks you two. These are two women who make me feel so comfortable and happy and relaxed and grounded. I don't know if anyone can relate, but, often I am doing one thing and my brain is somewhere else. I feel like I'm missing out because my brain has moved on to the next thing or is stuck back on the last thing. You know? But this weekend, I was mentally with my friends the entire time. Nice. Pics to follow, I think we took one.

The Bunny, The Bunny

When I first saw this, I laughed until I nearly fell on the floor. You know that wheezing, eye watering, side splitting everyone around you is laughing and they don't know why because you can't talk kind of laugh. Well, that was it. I can't even tell you why it struck me as one of the funniest things I'd ever seen, but it did. I wish more things struck me that way. I take the world and life way too seriously.

Good Friday

Happy Easter

Spring is doing its thing

Blog Stalker

Ok, so I'm a self-proclaimed Blog Stalker. I don't really feel that bad about it, well, because I'm not alone. Just stalk around and you'll find reference to it just about everywhere. I have my standby's and then through the standby's it just radiates out like a pebble dropped into a pool of water, and the pool of water is basically the world wide web. The possibilites are endless. Now, I've ended up in some pretty strange places by complete click accident. Here's my current favs you should check out.

• Vegan Lunchbox: Carnivores, ~ Don't dismiss this one! So much good looking food. This woman has so much time on her hands and I'm glad she's using it to give me ideas about my daily lunch dilemma.
• Cupcakes: Great ideas for just about any cupcake emergency. School, kids parties, adult parties, work, just for me... you get the idea.
• Friend of Friend: MC is the best friend of a friend... I stalk her blog because she's insightful, its fun to read, I get another view into my friend from a third party (third from me that is) and she's a super talented photographer. The photographs are just wonderful.

Go, try it. Just start clicking and you'll be amazed what you find. If you come across something good, I'd love to hear about it. Enjoy!

Parental Units

My Mom and Dad are here visiting. Sort of excited about it. I don't see them as much as I'd like, but am working on remedying that this year. As I age (ever so gracefully) I realize more and more what they mean to me and how wonderful they really are. I don't think most of us, me included, have a clue about what good parents mean to us and how fortunate we are to have them (those of us that do that is). Not being a parent myself I can't imagine how difficult it would be to raise socially responsible children. Kudos to those who succeed. I wouldn't trade my parents for anyone. They raised me to respect and love and be God fearing. I know I've got my issues, but in the grand scheme of things, I'm feeling pretty fortunate. Ok, so that's my diatribe for the moment.

I think they worry about me because I live so far from them. I hope I've done enough do make them proud. Well, not too proud, you know the old saying, "pride goeth before a fall". I don't need any more falls, had my fill thanks. We'll hang out at my place and do some shopping (Costco is a must since they don't have one in their city), we'll have dinner with Nick and then it will pretty much be over. They'll go home after Dad's Dr. appointment on Wednesday. That's the long and the short of it.

On the plus side

Staying positive and being a "glass half full" kind of person takes so much energy, at least it does for me. Even though I know I'm super blessed with family and friends and stable employment, Why isn't it easy? Was my personality set for this at birth or did environmental conditions have a say in this? I guess both. I wish for an easy remedy.

...clicks heals together for effect...

I need to remember to look around my little world and see it for what it is, because I am very fortunate. Strive towards: Happy, healthy, kind, generous, loving, empathetic, fun, positive. xo Lu

We're not in (location) anymore Pooky

Much like Frodo Baggins, I started this journey with not much idea where it would ultimately take me and I’m a different person now than when I started. Different in a personal growth kind of way. Ok, so I haven’t saved all of Middle Earth from the ultimate evil, but that’s been done, hasn’t it. Blogging has melded, if you want, my naturally inquisitive nature and interest in technology. They go together like chocolate and peanut butter ~ although strangely enough, the last time I had a peanut butter cup I was less than excited about it and subconsciously decided it would be my last. But, I digress. I didn’t realize how interested I could be about things of all sorts and how many people are out just doing it, seemingly effortlessly. Poetry, knitting, farming, photography, travel, comedy, pets, books, art, helping others, personal lives, daily musings, friends, human lives and all they entail. Its out there and its pulsing, calling… “come live, come live” … no matter our circumstance, no matter our plight, its there. All it takes is stopping long enough, or at least glancing from side to side, from our daily grind to see its there and its waiting to be lived. Choose it, live it. The adventure begins when we push play.

Go on, push it...

Fiji wishes

Good luck Colleen.

Thoughts

Friends - Great

Weekend - Good

Home - Really Good

Kitty Cat - Excellent / Furry

Best Friend - Wonderful

Boyfriend - SuperFabulous

Family - Inspiring

Me - Fortunate / Blessed