Day in Review - Updates and What the Future Holds

Ella Grace is here.  Congratulations to my cousin Jason and his wife Katie. I wanted Ella to be the first thing I wrote about tonight since it is her birthday. She is a beautiful baby and I can't wait to meet her in person.

The last time I wrote I was dealing with a barking dog and talking music.  I am currently listening to the Adele version of "Lovesong" and thinking about how I could die and be happy if I was listening to this on my deathbed. I hate to wish death on anyone or anything actually.  However, when you have listened to a dog bark for hours on end in the same three syllables, I will admit, I wanted to KILL the owner for putting the dog through that.  As much as I want to get rid of the dog and as wonderful as it would be to get a bit of silence as I work, I know, deep down, it is not the dog's fault. The fault lies with the bastard who owns that dog.

I love dogs, I do...for real...I mean, I let a dog sleep in my bed with me every night...that should be proof enough that I love dogs. I feel bad for this dog...but it is making me go insane...slowly...painfully....utterly....insane. I lose all concentration (bark, bark, bark) and I can't concentrate on my (bark, bark, bark) work. I feel bad because I write for (bark, bark, bark) a living and sometimes really need to focus on what (bark, bark, bark) I am doing. I would hate to (bark, bark, bark) turn in a bad article or assignment because (bark, bark, bark) of this damn dog (bark, bark, bark).

Luckily the dog is moving...this weekend, in fact.  . Finally I will be free, but I am unsure that I will regain my sanity. You see, each time this dog barked I lost a bit of my sanity...I almost feel like Britney Spears when she went through her head shaving phase. I don't think I will do something really crazy and shave my head or become a conservative, but I cannot be certain that I won't do something else a little crazy...

I have been so busy with work lately but I have been able to work on my Festivus post as well as get a few snippets done for a possible novel.  I seriously have about 15 novels going right now. (Slight exaggeration...more like three)  My New Year's resolution is going to be to focus on ONE of them and stick to it. Is it bad luck to announce your resolution before the actual New Year? (Let me know if it is and I will erase this section) See...I have the funny one that is a reflection of my dating life...then I have to total fictional one that is based on real people that I know (Yes, if you are reading this, one of the characters could be you) then I have the one with the historical perspective that I love so much but only nerds will read it. (On a side note, I don't actually think I am nerdy enough to write it). My dream is to write novels...like Jodi Piccoult. I hope 2012 leads me deeper into that world. (PS...my letter to 2011 will be coming in about 2 weeks! It will be pretty awesome!)


OK...I cannot stop listening to Adele....don't judge me, I have a slight obsession at the moment.  I go through stages with music where I listen to artists over and over again. The good thing about me and music is that once I like it, I like it forever. Adele, Rachael Owens, The Decemberists, Florence Welch...all that I mentioned in the last blog post...I will likely be a fan forever...even when it is not "cool" to do so. I can still sing every word to "Please Don't Go Girl", "Spice Up Your Life" and "That's Why They Call It The Blues" and "Hot Cross Buns". I feel like these people are my friends. (This may be the dog bark insanity speaking) I am actually concerned at this very moment because Rachael Owens hasn't posted to Twitter recently. I notice these things...

Read this...an excerpt from a story I wrote...it could go places...or it could suck.  It is an interview of one character about another...

"The rope was cutting tight on her wrists. I could see her breathing deep, the girl with the blue eyes.  She was focusing on something unknown like she was bearing a child. Her hair was like no color I could imagine, but her eyes...they were very blue. I didn’t know why she was here in the prison, but from the looks of her, she was almost ready to collapse.  She was standing, but obviously weary.  She had blood on her face.  Her hair looked like string. She was European or American based on her features. It was like she was determined to show no pain. Her teeth were clenched and her eyes were shut like a vice. At intervals she would open them and look ahead.  She only kept them open long enough for tears to begin forming. At that point she would close them.  When I saw that, I knew she was strong.  I wondered why she was in prison since she had a very innocent look to her face.  She looked like a cherub in the books I had seen in my father’s library of western religion. I saw one tear fall from her eyes and I knew it was a tear for her beloved.  It was so touching that I wanted to hold her, but I knew I couldn’t.  I knew I had to take the rope and lead her to prison.”

Still to come...my airing of grievances, my letter to 2011 and the answer to the questions..."What is this new blog she keeps talking about?"

Day in Review - Ok...Month in Review...

Is anyone out there?  I am here...silently sneaking in for a blog post. I finally have a bit of time where I am not working or watching "Glee"....though I may watch an episode tonight before bed.

I have been really fighting a cold too, which has made me really loopy. More so than most days anyway. I also feel some kind of weirdness in the air...almost like things aren't exactly as they seem. My Lifetime Horoscope suggests it may be because Neptune has entered Pisces and is bringing about change. It could also just be a haziness brought upon by Nyquil and Tylenol Cold & Sinus. When I am sick like this, though admittedly feeling much better than I have been, all I want to do is go to bed...which is weird since I am a self diagnosed insomniac.

Oh, by the way, if you are looking for one of my trademark funny posts, you probably won't get it today.  My mind is just kind of out of it. Neptune, Nyquil or maybe the writing  jobs I have had lately have just made my mind a little foggy. All I can think of is energy savings, Earth Day and weight loss, all little books or article I have written this week.

I went on a date last Monday. I had been talking to this guy for a few weeks. (If you are friends with me on Facebook, you know what happened.) Long story short, in typical Christa fashion, the date started with me at one bar and him on the other side of town at a bar with the same name. As it is hard to have a date at two different bars, I went to the other bar to meet him. I looked really good, was feeling confident and excited to meet this guy, since we had really clicked over the phone. Unfortunately this is not what happened in face to face interactions. The first real conversation we had after our greetings was about who he thinks women rely on men too much and men shouldn't be expected to pay for everything when they go out. This went on to a conversation about how he broke up with his ex-girlfriend because she has student loans.  He was very concerned about money and credit scores and the like. The date ended with me paying for my own drinks and him saying he will call later in the week and had a good time...no call...

I have two more guys on deck, so we'll see what happens.

As a side note, as I am writing this, I am laying on my couch watching "Snapped". There is a woman on there and since I am not really paying total attention to it, I just happened to glance over at the TV and without hearing anything about her or hearing her talk, I thought to myself...."I bet she's from Kentucky"....just based on how she looked...sure enough...Louisville.  I think it's because she looks like my freshman year roommate.  Bridgette...

I made a personal vow not to go to Kentucky due to Rand Paul being elected, but I may change my mind.

Back to post - I have been really into music these past two weeks too. I can't really pin point where it started but it's like I can't get enough. I never thought I would find someone who I felt sang as well or as soulfully as Alicia Keys, but Adele has got to come close. Seriously...watch her video for "Rolling in the Deep". It won't let me link to it but I dare you to watch it and not be affected by it...at the very least tapping your foot. The sword dancer in that video is brilliant and I can't stop watching it. It makes me want to learn to dance...

Speaking of dancing, I did lose a toenail last week as well. For some reason I jumped back on the Brittney train and have been listening to a lot of Brittney Spears. I have been a fan for years, but definitely go through stages. I will be the first to admit her music is highly produced and tuned, but girl can dance...well she used to be able to. I am getting off topic though...I was dancing...to "Toxic"...coordinating my own moves.  I thought it would be good exercise...unfortunately I got too close to the couch and bye-bye baby toe nail. Well, the toe nail didn't fall off then, it took a few days. Alas, it's gone.

Mom, do you think they are implants?  HER TEETH, PEOPLE!  We know her boobs are fake!

I have been scouring for new-to-me artists to listen to. Most I don't like...one of them fell into my lap randomly the other day and I loved her! Rachael Owens is her name.
She has a few videos up on her YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/RachaelOwens
I am looking forward to more. Check her out.

Is anyone else as pissed as I am that  Bristol Frickin Palin made a quarter million dollars last year preaching abstinence after she got knocked up in high school? Um...if you have a baby, obviously you were not abstinent!  Ugh...I said Palin, now I need a shot or something...maybe a double Nyquil dose....