so don't ask if you don't want to know
Archive for June, 2009
My Meandering Mind
Jun 29th
I’m getting excited about my trip to Minnesota. I got the laundry done and most of my stuff packed. I may have to use the bigger suitcase.
I talked to the people at the new apartment and apparently my credit sucks so I have to come up with a bit more security deposit. The date is still on, August 8th. And I’ve decided there’s no way this carpet will ever get clean so I’m sure these guys will take replacement costs out of whatever deposit I may have had coming here. Oh well. EVENTUALLY money will loosen up.
I finished a couple of books last week. My Horizontal Life by Chelsea Handler was first. My friend CJ suggest it. It’s just a slightly amusing play-by-play of this woman’s one night stands. But about halfway through it just got boring and stupid. I mean, one amusing story at a time is cool, but this just goes on and on. I finished it. The other book was Seth Harwood’s Jack Wakes Up. I met Seth a couple of times (and we twitter) and he was in town Thursday for his book signing so I figured I’d get his book. I went and we all hung out after. He’s another podiobooks.com author. I’ve completely given up on listening to podiobooks. I can barely keep up with the regular podcasts I like, much less get involved with an ongoing story.
I cleaned the nail polish off my toes last night and freaked at how long my nails had gotten. Don’t have a man around to bitch about getting poked.
I have a bit of a dilemma regarding ThatGirl. You know she skipped town with her twins and ended at a homeless shelter in Indiana. She’d ran after the wrong man online. I heard she dumped her year old twins with his Aunt and now has signed them over. The aunt is adopting one of the girls and her cousin is adopting the other, so at least they will still have a connection. My dilemma is, I feel I should contact this family and give them Kira’s basic information so if in the future those girls want to find their sister they have something to start with. I’m not sure if I should leave well enough alone… or stick my nose in. There’s no telling what the future holds and how often Casey will move and change addresses and phones so if there’s to be an information exchange it should be now. For the kids’ sake. Then again, at the rate ThatGirl pumps out babies and then abandons them, there might be a whole litter out there in a few years so why bother.
Speaking of not having a man around. I don’t know why. I get out. I socialize. People seem to like me. I have (married or too young) men friends but I can’t seem to find or interest an available guy for me. Geeze, I don’t want to get married I just want companionship or even an occasional date. I wish someone could just tell me what I’m doing wrong.
I’ve had three different bites on my Dragon*Con tickets, yet no follow through. How hard is it to paypal $70 and your address to my email? Today if not sooner. Really, stop saying you want my ticket if you aren’t prepared to do it right now.
I think my ex-husband got married last week.
Has-been celebs have been dropping like flies in the last few weeks. I think Americans give their celebrities way too much attention and it climaxes with their deaths. Hours and hours of TV retrospectives and gossip mongering. Okay, David Carradine died jacking off, that’s all we need to know and maybe a quick replay of his credits before winning the Most Bizarre Finale Award. We don’t need 1,867 headlines of piecemealed out “information” repeated so often that the actual facts (if you ever find them) get lost in the noise. But that was just a warm-up for the whole Michael Jackson drama. Seriously, doesn’t anyone remember the child molesting? When he bought and paid for his children and dangled one over a balcony other weird shit we’ll never know about? Until the kids get old enough to write their own stories, that is. Although the man was one of the most talented pop songwriter/dancers in our history, he was FUCKING CRAZY. Yeah, I cut him the eccentric artist slack for a long time, but the scales were too unbalanced at the end. Maybe now the rest of his family will find some other tit to suck on. Probably Janet’s, she sure likes to put it out there.
Okay, I’m done for now. I really need to get stuff organized. Later…
Mr. Deity
Jun 28th
If you’ve never seen an episode of Mr. Deity, YOU MUST GO THERE NOW and start from the beginning. Short but hilarious. I love this show. Actually, watch the latest episode, “Mr Deity and the Book Part Deux” and that will hook you.
Subscribe on iTunes. Sit through all the prior seasons. It just gets better and better. I recommended this show a couple of years ago in my LJ and have kept up ever since.
If you decide you don’t like it, please tell me why. I’m interested to know who of my readers doesn’t find this even slightly amusing enough to subscribe.
PodCampAZ 2009!
Jun 22nd
PodCamp AZ is coming to the University of Advancing Technology November 14th and 15th! PodCampAZ is a FREE networking media “unconference”, dedicated to blogging, video blogging, podcasting, social networking, and all other relevant media. At the heart of the unconference is the opportunity to have a conversation at large with those innovators which have created a successful blend of relevant media and put it to work for them. Speakers will address emerging trends and best practices on everything from print and radio to mobile, interactive web, and in real life information exchange. During PodCamp sessions, attendees are free to drop in, listen and learn about what is relevant to their needs, and if they choose to, move on to other sessions. You can also become an interactive part of the experience by sharing your knowledge as a speaker or stimulating ideas and asking questions as an active attendee. 
If you are an established or aspiring blogger, podcaster, video blogger, or social media advocate and want to meet hundreds of people with the same interests, head over to podcampaz.org to get more information about this exciting event. And above all else, register to attend PodCamp AZ!
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Okay, I blogged the quasi-official blurb. On a more personal level, y’all need to come. It’s fun and informative and FREE! I’m one of the planning committee members and I’m planning big things. If you want to speak, register and say so. If you want to sponsor, register and say so. If you think you might want to attend, REGISTER and pencil in the dates on your calendar, November 14-15. PodCampAZ is the final event in Geek Week (actually more than a week) so keep watching for details on other AZ events in that time frame.
If this all looks too good to miss and you’re not in the PHX area, we will soon have hotel deals and some of us are willing to put people up just so they can come.
Seriously, you NEED to come. Conferences, parties, tweet-ups, and more conferences.
How NOT to Act Old,
Jun 18th
according to this month’s More magazine. Yes, I have one and only one magazine subscription and it’s for women over 40. Cuz I’ve been over forty for quite some time now.
(And I’ll be paraphrasing for brevity)
1. Don’t wear a watch. I stopped wearing a watch last January because it clunks on my laptop. Where I once was a stickler for being on time, I find I rarely need to pay attention to exact time anymore. I even have to look up the date when I need to know it.
2. Don’t talk about history. Nobody cares about personal memories of my youth. I need to work on this one more.
3. Avoid Direct Confrontation. I cry bullshit on this one. They suggest passive-aggresive whiny ass negotiation. I say politely tell people when you feel they need to do something differently. Yeah, I realize I need to work on the politely part.
4. Don’t Voice Mail. Blow up someone’s phone if you want their attention, and text as a last resort. I prefer not to talk on the phone; I don’t bother to answer if I don’t recognize the number. I prefer text conversations but if you must call, leave an identifier voice message and I’ll probably call you back.
5. Don’t Cook a Roast because only OLD people make roast. Well, I cheat and buy Hormel‘s 4 minute roast beef au jus and throw in some instant potatoes. We like roast!
6. Wax yer crotch. Hey, it’s been a long time since anyone’s been down there so how is anyone to know? I reserve the right to keep my bush as it was meant to be. If you want prepubescent pube areas go for it. I have reason to know child molesters prefer it that way. Oops, just broke rule #2 again.
7-14. Don’t get to work early, don’t feed everyone, don’t watch the time clock, don’t brag about your achievements, don’t be tough, get out of your chair and move around, don’t plan too far ahead, don’t remember everything. Forget old-fashioned professionalism I guess.
15. No Lame Parenting Advice. Shyeah. Right. Have you met my (adult) kids?
16. Don’t be the fuddy-duddy. I gave that up in my divorce.
17. Don’t Block the Aisle. Seriously! And back at you young people, don’t walk down the center of the parking lot aisles or I’ll be tempted to run your skinny ass over.
18-19. Type with your thumbs and don’t yell into your phone.
20. Don’t Fear the Teenager. Just slap ‘em around.
21. Cancel the old people touristy/retirement stuff. Party on!
——–
Edited to add: If I hadn’t been writing this while SmallChild was “doing” my hair I would have remembered this part. My COMPLETELY bad.
This is a book excerpt in More magazine of a book with the same title How Not to Act Old by Pamela Redmond Satran. I did look for linkage on the More site before I started, but forgot to keep looking when I didn’t find anything.
______
Edited again: Upon further research this book is actually a compilation (I don’t thinks that’s the word I want but you get it) of a blog called How Not to Act Old to which I have now subscribed. I need all the help I can get.
How NOT to Act Old,
Jun 18th
according to this month’s More magazine. Yes, I have one and only one magazine subscription and it’s for women over 40. Cuz I’ve been over forty for quite some time now.
(And I’ll be paraphrasing for brevity)
1. Don’t wear a watch. I stopped wearing a watch last January because it clunks on my laptop. Where I once was a stickler for being on time, I find I rarely need to pay attention to exact time anymore. I even have to look up the date when I need to know it.
2. Don’t talk about history. Nobody cares about personal memories of my youth. I need to work on this one more.
3. Avoid Direct Confrontation. I cry bullshit on this one. They suggest passive-aggresive whiny ass negotiation. I say politely tell people when you feel they need to do something differently. Yeah, I realize I need to work on the politely part.
4. Don’t Voice Mail. Blow up someone’s phone if you want their attention, and text as a last resort. I prefer not to talk on the phone; I don’t bother to answer if I don’t recognize the number. I prefer text conversations but if you must call, leave an identifier voice message and I’ll probably call you back.
5. Don’t Cook a Roast because only OLD people make roast. Well, I cheat and buy Hormel‘s 4 minute roast beef au jus and throw in some instant potatoes. We like roast!
6. Wax yer crotch. Hey, it’s been a long time since anyone’s been down there so how is anyone to know? I reserve the right to keep my bush as it was meant to be. If you want prepubescent pube areas go for it. I have reason to know child molesters prefer it that way. Oops, just broke rule #2 again.
7-14. Don’t get to work early, don’t feed everyone, don’t watch the time clock, don’t brag about your achievements, don’t be tough, get out of your chair and move around, don’t plan too far ahead, don’t remember everything. Forget old-fashioned professionalism I guess.
15. No Lame Parenting Advice. Shyeah. Right. Have you met my (adult) kids?
16. Don’t be the fuddy-duddy. I gave that up in my divorce.
17. Don’t Block the Aisle. Seriously! And back at you young people, don’t walk down the center of the parking lot aisles or I’ll be tempted to run your skinny ass over.
18-19. Type with your thumbs and don’t yell into your phone.
20. Don’t Fear the Teenager. Just slap ‘em around.
21. Cancel the old people touristy/retirement stuff. Party on!
——–
Edited to add: If I hadn’t been writing this while SmallChild was “doing” my hair I would have remembered this part. My COMPLETELY bad.
This is a book excerpt in More magazine of a book with the same title How Not to Act Old by Pamela Redmond Satran. I did look for linkage on the More site before I started, but forgot to keep looking when I didn’t find anything.
______
Edited again: Upon further research this book is actually a compilation (I don’t thinks that’s the word I want but you get it) of a blog called How Not to Act Old to which I have now subscribed. I need all the help I can get.
| Originally published at Spellwight. |
Giant steps
Jun 17th
Ginnie gets a call this morning for Casey. Tempe detective wants to show him a photo lineup of suspects regarding Ed’s stabbing. No, none of the pictures was the guy but at least we know it’s still being worked on. Once Ed actually died the case got bumped up to murder. How many murders are there IN Tempe anyway?
So Casey asks the detective (as he’s taking my number because everyone else changes numbers so often) how he got Ginnie’s number to begin with. “It’s what I do.”
_____
Also, Ginnie called her father about something or other and he tells her, “Oh by the way, I’m getting married on Monday.”
Have a nice life dude. Someday you’ll figure out YOU have to make an effort to keep in contact with your children. It’s not their responsibility, it’s yours.
_____
I’ve got a busy couple of months coming up. The first 10 days in July I’ll be in Minnesota and the first ten days of August I’ll be packing and moving to Tempe. I finally settled on a complex on Mill between Southern and the 60. The complex and certain apartments have recently been renovated so it shouldn’t be too crappy. The model was decent. Plus water and electricity are included in the rent and it’s still less than the rent I’m paying here. They have three pools, an Internet Cafe and a brand new exercise room on the property. I’ll have extra money soon! I plan on being a regular at IKEA.
I’ll invite you all over once I get settled it.
Giant steps
Jun 17th
Ginnie gets a call this morning for Casey. Tempe detective wants to show him a photo lineup of suspects regarding Ed’s stabbing. No, none of the pictures was the guy but at least we know it’s still being worked on. Once Ed actually died the case got bumped up to murder. How many murders are there IN Tempe anyway?
So Casey asks the detective (as he’s taking my number because everyone else changes numbers so often) how he got Ginnie’s number to begin with. “It’s what I do.”
_____
Also, Ginnie called her father about something or other and he tells her, “Oh by the way, I’m getting married on Monday.”
Have a nice life dude. Someday you’ll figure out YOU have to make an effort to keep in contact with your children. It’s not their responsibility, it’s yours.
_____
I’ve got a busy couple of months coming up. The first 10 days in July I’ll be in Minnesota and the first ten days of August I’ll be packing and moving to Tempe. I finally settled on a complex on Mill between Southern and the 60. The complex and certain apartments have recently been renovated so it shouldn’t be too crappy. The model was decent. Plus water and electricity are included in the rent and it’s still less than the rent I’m paying here. They have three pools, an Internet Cafe and a brand new exercise room on the property. I’ll have extra money soon! I plan on being a regular at IKEA.
I’ll invite you all over once I get settled it.
| Originally published at Spellwight. |
What is a memory?
Jun 13th
Sometimes what I remember about being a small child and what family/people have told me over time all runs together.
We lived in a house in Flint, Michigan until I was six. I remember playing in our basement a lot when I was a kid. Dressing Barbie under the bar, some film strip machine under the pool table, and playing three records over and over and singing along. Steve Lawrence: Go Away Little Girl, Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Were Made for Walking and I can’t remember what the third one was.
I’ve been told that after my father came home and found out She’d used her tranquilizers on me She started locking me in the basement instead. I remember the kitchen sink windowsill in the corner being stocked with pill bottles.
Even smaller I remember my bedroom door was cut in half and I was on the inside. I remember one day emptying my toy box and pushing it over to the door so I could stand on it and climb over. I remember the triumphant feeling of accomplishment, but I don’t remember anything after. Did I actually get out? I have a vivid memory of the color and smell of that toy box. Was I always shut in my room or was that a single memory?
My father tells me that he put up the chain-link fence in our backyard to keep me in, but I’d already learned to climb over it before he finished the job. Did I just love to climb or did I feel I needed to escape from something?
I do remember sometimes playing with a neighbor girl. I remember the old black lady up the street that used to give kids popsicles and pennies to pull weeds in her flower garden. I remember watching out the front window as my older sister went door-to-door in the snow to deliver Girl Scout cookies, but I have no other specific memory of my sister until I was much older. She’s five years older than me so I’m not surprised we didn’t spend time together.
Wait, I do have one more memory of her. One night we were sleeping together (it must have been some holiday and maybe we had guests – I don’t think we shared a bed regularly) and she’d snuck a piece of hard candy to bed. I remember the crinkle of the wrapper and her smirk that she had one and I didn’t. Then she spitefully clicked the candy around on her teeth so I could hear it. Annnnd then she choked on it. Seriously choked. I remember a split second of thinking she deserved it before I chickened out and yelled for my Dad. I don’t remember what happened after that, but she’s still around to hate me so she lived through it.
I remember freaking out late one night fter catching a glimpse of my dad as he walked naked to the bathroom.
I remember the layout of that house, I even remember the address: 1222 W. Coldwater Rd. I have a vague memory of kindergarten and walking to and from school.
The rest is stuff people have told me and of old black and white home movies of holidays.
How much do you remember of life before you started school?
What is a memory?
Jun 13th
Sometimes what I remember about being a small child and what family/people have told me over time all runs together.
We lived in a house in Flint, Michigan until I was six. I remember playing in our basement a lot when I was a kid. Dressing Barbie under the bar, some film strip machine under the pool table, and playing three records over and over and singing along. Steve Lawrence: Go Away Little Girl, Nancy Sinatra: These Boots Were Made for Walking and I can’t remember what the third one was.
I’ve been told that after my father came home and found out She’d used her tranquilizers on me She started locking me in the basement instead. I remember the kitchen sink windowsill in the corner being stocked with pill bottles.
Even smaller I remember my bedroom door was cut in half and I was on the inside. I remember one day emptying my toy box and pushing it over to the door so I could stand on it and climb over. I remember the triumphant feeling of accomplishment, but I don’t remember anything after. Did I actually get out? I have a vivid memory of the color and smell of that toy box. Was I always shut in my room or was that a single memory?
My father tells me that he put up the chain-link fence in our backyard to keep me in, but I’d already learned to climb over it before he finished the job. Did I just love to climb or did I feel I needed to escape from something?
I do remember sometimes playing with a neighbor girl. I remember the old black lady up the street that used to give kids popsicles and pennies to pull weeds in her flower garden. I remember watching out the front window as my older sister went door-to-door in the snow to deliver Girl Scout cookies, but I have no other specific memory of my sister until I was much older. She’s five years older than me so I’m not surprised we didn’t spend time together.
Wait, I do have one more memory of her. One night we were sleeping together (it must have been some holiday and maybe we had guests – I don’t think we shared a bed regularly) and she’d snuck a piece of hard candy to bed. I remember the crinkle of the wrapper and her smirk that she had one and I didn’t. Then she spitefully clicked the candy around on her teeth so I could hear it. Annnnd then she choked on it. Seriously choked. I remember a split second of thinking she deserved it before I chickened out and yelled for my Dad. I don’t remember what happened after that, but she’s still around to hate me so she lived through it.
I remember freaking out late one night fter catching a glimpse of my dad as he walked naked to the bathroom.
I remember the layout of that house, I even remember the address: 1222 W. Coldwater Rd. I have a vague memory of kindergarten and walking to and from school.
The rest is stuff people have told me and of old black and white home movies of holidays.
How much do you remember of life before you started school?
| Originally published at Spellwight. |
Putting SmallChild to work
Jun 10th
I’ve recently rediscovered something I learned when my kids were little. Small children are extremely enthusiastic about smearing lotion all over your bare parts. Over the last few days Kira has lotioned my legs and feet multiple times and this morning I convinced her my back needed it too. I’m all soft today.
Kid’s finally starting to earn her keep.
