Day in Review - If I Ran Music Monday...

Bark, Bark, Bark...Bark, Bark, Bark...update on the dog situation...after a meeting with my landlord she said she would send the owner of the dog a note. This was before Thanksgiving.  From  11/24 to 11/27 the dog barked and barked. I lost control yesterday at 5:15 pm when the dog started howling....I immediately called my landlord and while on the phone with me, she walked over to my building in the complex...she definitely heard the howling. Her exact words - "I didn't know it was this bad."  REALLY?!?!?!?!??!  I HAVE ONLY COMPLAINED SEVERAL TIMES!!!!  Her next words - "I will take care of this TONIGHT!!!".

Today is 12/5...the dog barked from 7 to 7:30 am, then from 4:00 to 4:45 p,, then from 5:30 to 6:00-ish.

Once again I called her.  I think she is getting as annoyed with me as I am getting with this dog. She said she has spoken to him several times and she has to give him time to come up with a solution. I get that, but how long????

My Best Annoyed Face....That I Have A Picture Of...

After this exchange I felt the need to meditate and listen to some fantastic music. Warning...This will be a different type of post from me than regular readers are used to. (If you love music, you will probably enjoy it.  If not...see you next time)

For those of you who do not know or understand my love of music, perhaps this post will give you a bit of insight. I think my love of music goes back to the days of Mrs. Taddie and my first few piano lessons...I can still play "Hot Cross Buns" on the piano, in fact. Mrs. Taddie was my first piano teacher, but not my last. My parents found Tom, a crazy Irishman who had the brogue and the rhythm I probably needed to secure my love of music.

From the piano I went to the trombone (very briefly) to the trumpet that I played throughout junior high and high school.  I also picked up the guitar.  I honestly loved playing guitar and I taught myself how to play a few songs.  What I didn't like were the broken nails and calluses on my fingers.  Recently, however, I have felt the inspiration to get my guitar out of hiding. I know when I get that guitar into my hands I can say goodbye to my baby butt smooth finger tips and my long-ish nails, but perhaps it is worth it. I am at least going to bring my guitar out of storage and into my hands.The thoughts of my guitar made me think of music...and the reason for this post.

Back in high school, I always thought that the music my friends and I listened to were like a soundtrack of our lives. In fact, I can hear obscure songs and bands today and get an instant flashback to one moment in my life, even if it was an insignificant moment to everyone else. We went to school in the late 90s...it was grunge, indie and  quite honestly, just awesome. Kurt Cobain touched our lives, Dave Matthews was a god and my friends and I listened to bands that were essentially one hit wonders when we look back on them...we loved it.

As I got older, I came to realize that music, rather I liked it or not, would always be a part of my life. I found that some music actually touched my very soul.  (If you don't get what I mean, that's ok...If you do and you are single, give me a call...we may be the perfect match.  Still looking for my soul mate. I have a feeling that my perfect match loves music as much as I do...Though I did give up on love,  I will make an exception for a music lover.)

Now that I am in my early 30s and have found the most amazing invention on earth (YouTube), I have had access to music that I have never imagined.  I have discovered so many new bands and singers...I can't even name them all.  I just know that my ipod is almost constantly in danger of spontaneous combustion.

Almost as much as I love music, I love the news...as far back as I can remember, I have watched the news.  Though I don't have a great memory of this, I apparently named one of my parakeets after one of the local news anchors as a young child. I do remember setting my alarm clock in junior high so I would be able to wake up in order to watch the Today Show.

I know...you are probably wondering what music and the news have to do with each other...the answer is coming very soon...like now...

Most people hate Monday.  Me? I love Monday...for one reason...Music Monday. Music Monday is a segment on CNN that features different music artists. I have to admit...it is a bit creepy...why is it creepy?  Only because some of my most favorite artists have been featured on Music Monday. Last week, for instance, I was kind of on a Tori Amos kick and listening to an internet radio station that featured several of her songs...an hour later, I see a message on Twitter that Tori Amos was being interviewed for Music Monday. Perhaps it is only coincidence, but to my mind...it's a little strange.  Creepy things like that happen to me though. As my mom would say, things like this could only happen to me, so I just roll with it. (She's right)

Since I live for Music Monday, I have been thinking about who I would choose if I had the power to pick Music Monday. When I thought about it and looked back on the artists who have been on previous Music Monday segments, many of the people I would choose have already been featured. (The Decemberists (favorite song at the moment - "We Both Go Down Together", Bon Iver - loving "Holocene", Cyndi Lauper - definitely "Time After Time", Indigo Girls - Hard to choose, but just got their new album...liking "Birthday Song" , Cage the Elephant - the hit "Aberdeen" and Journey...I will never stop believing) There are a few of my favorites that have not yet been featured and if I had three Music Monday wishes, these are the artists I would choose...

Adele...I am pretty positive that the Music Monday team seriously would kill to score an interview with Adele, but if you are a fan of hers, you know she has been having some throat issues and hasn't been on tour in the US at all.  If anyone on the "dream Music Monday list" has been able to touch my soul, it is Adele. In my opinion she is able to touch my soul like Alicia Keys does...and that is saying something. If Adele doesn't touch you in some way, you just have no taste in my opinion.  Here is my Adele song of the moment...




My second choice for Music Monday would be the one and only Florence Welch of Florence + The Machine. I totally admire her for one reason besides her amazing voice and music....she is 100% her own person.  I am absolutely loving her new release "Shake it Out".



If I get competitive about anything, it is discovering new music before anyone else.  With this artist, I think I did it well...I found Rachael Owens randomly on Twitter before anyone I know and she turned out to be an amazing singer (and actress) who I immediately fell in love with. Since I have known her through the internet, she has released several singles and an album (that I own and sing out loud to).  It has a permanent place on my iPod's main playlist, in fact.  My favorite Rachael Owens song....totally live is "Take a Chance on Me". :)  If you love this, support her! (http://rachaelowens.com/)

 

Let's Pause....(20 minutes have passed)

I have just spent some time thinking about bands and artists I like and I am a bit overwhelmed...there are a lot. It is definitely hard to choose just a few to feature. Above, we have an artist who has a place in music history if she wants it, one who is her own person and one who is new and exciting with amazing promise.  All of them have a place in my playlist and all would be tops on my list for Music Monday. 

I am "no joke" when it comes to music.  I love all kinds....I will even admit to loving Enya and classical music can totally touch my soul as well. I listened to a great rendition of "Bolero" last night in fact if that tells you anything. Other favorites are Robin Thicke, Enigma, Alicia Keys, Safety Suit, The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, Rebekah Del Rio, The Strokes, Buxter Hoot'n, The Golden Dogs....there are just way too many to list.  I will get way too distracted if I keep going with this.

Moving on... if you love music, you must check out "The Book of Cletis" . He has "Music Saturday" on his blog and had a very interesting clip of The Ross Sisters this past Saturday.

I'm sorry if this this not the normal Christa post you are used to, but I totally felt the need to let out my music love tonight since I am thinking about my guitar. Your regularly scheduled Christa post will be back soon.  If you are new to the post, give a little follow if you love it, leave comments if you hate it and let me know what you are listening to.

Coming Soon ---- "Airing of Grievances", "Letter to 2011", the launch of my new blog (very real and raw) and anything randomly that comes to my mind.

Day in Review - The Day After Halloween

Happy Halloween...it is NOT freakin' Christmas yet

It is November 1st...this is apparently the day that the holiday season officially begins.  Pardon me, I thought I still had some time.  I heard my first holiday song today..."Winter Wonderland"...on an indie internet radio station of all places. It is too early.  The day after Halloween should be spent fending off a candy handover and thinking about all of the Saints while you try to decide if you should eat a Snickers or Kit-Kat bar. (we all know you will eat both)  

Maybe I am a Scrooge, but I will not participate in holiday merrymaking on November 1st. I will also not mention any Lohan's or Kardashian's because I don't think they matter to our world. It saddens me that legitimate news channels are focused on these two.  I know...its ratings and money...I get it, I just wish it wasn't like that.  I appreciate entertainment news...I'll be honest, I like entertainment news. I get all of the entertainment news I need from TMZ, People.com and from Lisa France on CNN.com. All of them do an amazing job at entertainment news.  I just don't think that any Lohan or Kardashian should be one of the top news stories in the first 3 minutes of a newscast. I could get on my soapbox about this because I seriously have no idea what contribution any Lohan or Kardashian brings to to my life but I won't, because there are some funny things I have discovered over the past few days.

Let's talk about one of my least favorite people...actually we will eventually talk about two of my least favorite people, but first lets focus on Harold Camping...you know this hottie....he is the guy who has predicted the end of the world three times (and been unsuccessful I may add)  He announced today that he is retiring. He also apologized for being wrong about predicting  the end of the world.


DUH!!!!


So on to my other favorite person, who I have not spoken about very often recently as she is just...well...not important?  It isn't like she was really important before, but she was more noticeable in the world I guess.  If you haven't guessed, I am speaking of Sarah Palin and I stumbled upon this photo randomly and just had to share...

It is not in my nature to ignore this...

If you cannot read what this picture says, this is honest to goodness Sarah Palin toilet paper. Not only is it Sarah Palin toilet paper, it is Sarah Palin toilet paper that isn't even worth $1.99...it is now on sale for 99 cents a roll. If this doesn't make me happy, not a lot will.

Speaking of happiness, I have been a bit "blah" recently.  I need to find some happiness I think.  I guess it's just that time of year.  I needed an attitude adjustment so I did do something that was not only unexpected but quite private.  I let it all go and that is all I will say on the subject. I feel better and I am anticipating good things.

One of the things I figured out when I was trying to find some happiness this week was that today, November 1st, 2011 is my 9 month anniversary of being tobacco free. There has not been a cigarette in my mouth since February 1st.  That is a happy thing, right?

Another happy thing I want to share is that I am estimating, by the end of this week, this blog...yes...my little blog, will hit 10,000 views.  TEN FREAKIN THOUSAND.  That is a huge deal for me.  I remember when it hit 1,000 and now it is up to 10,000.  I wonder if I should send that information to the guy from the last post who said no one ever reads this...MUHAHAHAHAHAHA

If anyone is wondering, I have given up on love, so I haven't been on any dates. I did watch a television show about a woman who is in love with and wanted to marry the Berlin Wall, so I am looking into that lifestyle.  I think the Terminal Tower is single and last I heard, Severance Hall just went through a bad break up so I may swing by both places and see if there is any interest.

Week in Review - Exciting Stuff, My CNN Behind the Scenes Moment and Smelly Neighbors

I was way excited this week when I was mentioned in a "Behind the Scenes" video on CNN for a great Tweet I sent to the amazingly awesome Brooke Baldwin. Now I have definitely mentioned Brooke in this blog before and I am sure I will again, but just want to thank her for talking about my excellent taste in music (She's right! :) We like a lot of the same music. I would definitely pay money to just get a glance at her MP3 player. If I was ever really motivated to take a music tour of the US following awesome bands, I would absolutely ask her to come with me.).  If you want to check it out, the video is here: Christa mentioned in WeekWinddown   It is about 2:30 on the video if you don't want to watch the whole thing. I am assuming I will really be on her show in the flesh one day when my novel gets published and everyone loves it.  (Positive thinking peeps....it works...read on....) I try to have her show on every day - 3-5pm EDT.  Check it out on CNN. 

Another excellent thing that has happened is I have signed on, FULL FREAKIN' TIME as a writer for a communications firm.  I have been very busy writing articles and the work is fun.  It keeps my attention, it is different every day and most of all, it is steady work.  On top of this, I have been hired for a month long project for an Australian company writing articles for them, so you will have to excuse me if you notice misspellings like "energise" instead of "energize". (This is also why I am home writing a blog post on Saturday night...I had to work!) It is nice for everything to fall into place like this.  I am very thankful for it all. Though I have had pretty steady work writing e-Books and articles for other websites, it wasn't always as steady as I would have liked, so this is amazing.

Speaking of being thankful, I want to say how thankful I am as well for my friends.  I have been lucky enough the past few weeks to have seen a few college friends in addition to re-connecting with the friend I spoke of in my last post.  One may have given me mono and another may have given me a new perspective on life, but that's what friends are for, right? 

Let's talk about my neighbor for a minute...this particular neighbor is the one who slams the door 17,000 times per day and who has the mysterious smell coming from his apartment that may or may not be a meth lab.  It should be mentioned that I do not live in a neighborhood where meth labs are prevalent.  I live in the "Gold Coast" area of Lakewood, if anyone is familiar.  I feel very safe here, love the diversity and have never  seen or heard of a major crime of any kind even remotely near me. Honestly, I have no idea what this smell is...it is like no smell I have ever had the displeasure of smelling in my life. I don't know what meth labs typically smell like, so it could technically be anything, but I would bet $5 something illegal is going on in there. Today, I was sitting on my couch with my laptop at 7:30am writing about how to get your baby to sleep when I noticed this horrible smell was lightly seeping in. (Yes...I know I only have a dog and a few plants. I  have little to no experience with babies...though in my defense I was able to grow two little mini tomatoes and Chloe is almost 6 years old...that has to count for something)

I don't know if he likes to make meth at 7:30 am on a Saturday or what, but I opened the door to take Chloe outside for a little walk and I gagged because the smell was so noxious and offensive. I don't know that it has ever been so bad as it was this morning.  Honestly, I have no idea what the smell is, all I know is it is nasty beyond belief.  To make things even more mysterious, there is something alive in that apartment...I hear it's cries...at first I thought it was a cat, but after hearing it a few times...that sound is like no other cat I have heard before.  Seriously, I almost wonder if it is a monkey of some kind.  It almost sounds like a baby (human, not cat), but not a baby, if that makes any sense whatsoever.

Are You My Neighbor????

As an animal/monkey/sometimes human lover, I now feel it is my duty to help whatever creature may be in there to safety, so I am going to try to talk to my landlord about it.  Now that the smell is actually coming into my apartment, I am going to take offense. There is, however, another reason for my vendetta against this neighbor.....

I stopped at Subway today for a $5 foot long. I love Subway because they are reasonably healthy and where else can you get lunch and dinner for $5? Anyway, I pulled into the driveway of my building to get into my garage and I see my neighbor's car in front of me. (We park near each other in the garage, so I know his little Toyota). Oh wait....I need to preface this story first...I drive an SUV....he drives an older Corolla.  There is a definite size difference between our cars...this will be important in a moment) Now to get into the garage, there is a key you must use. Since he was already at the key stand, I simply pulled up behind him to enter the garage. To close the garage, soon after you enter, there is a pull-string you use to close the garage. I see him reach out to pull the string....except ALERT, ALERT, ALERT...my car is right behind his, directly under the garage door! At this point, it definitely goes all "slo mo" and I hear BANG on my roof as the garage door comes down on my car.  I beep the horn and start yelling "MOVE UP! MOVE UP!" BANG on my car. Honk again, BANG on my car. I see his car door opening, BANG on my car.  He leans out and looks behind him, BANG on my car.  I start screaming at him to move forward, BANG on my car. Finally the imbecile moves forward and gets out of his car.  I also move forward and immediately get out of my car, climb up in the door frame and look at the top where it was SMASHED by the garage door.  There were no dents, just paint and rubber marks from the bottom of the door. I finally turn to him and this is the conversation we had:

Him - "Wow.  Um...I didn't see you there" (Remember, I have an SUV, he has a small Toyota!!!!)
Me - "How could you not see me?  I was yelling and beeping my horn at you!"
Him - "I am really sorry....um, is your car OK?"
Me- "Well it looks OK, but I will probably want to have it checked by a professional" (Meaning have my dad look at it, who is NOT a car professional)
Him - "I'm sorry, it's not like you don't know where I live if something is wrong, (Maniacal laughter from him) I will take care of it. I had a medical procedure yesterday and I am a little out of it"
Me - (In a higher octave) "Then you shouldn't be driving!!!!"
Him - "I know.  I just went to CVS.  I am really sorry.  I will take care of it if there is damage." (Mind you, CVS is directly across the street.  I walk there all the time)
Me - "Yes.  I will let you know."

I got into my car at that point and drove to my parking spot.

A few hours later, I got this note under my door:

"Dear Resident: The rollers on the garage door entrance have snapped off.  The garage door company has been alerted, and will stop by to see what parts they need....."

The letter goes on about the door being fixed on Monday and to call the Management office if you have any questions.

I crumbled it up, threw it away and went back to writing about baby sleep schedules.

Have an awesome weekend.

PS - By the way, my dad is celebrating his birthday tomorrow (8/21) so wish Jim/Todd a Happy Birthday.  I have been  looking for a funny card for him (a little tradition between us).  I finally found one today that made me not only laugh out loud, I almost peed my pants.

Weekend in Review - Don't Feed the Trolls , It Goes Right to the Hips!

Happy Monday, my friends! (and my enemies since you are probably reading this. I want you to have a very happy Monday as well.)  

I will say this one time and one time only - This blog and the comments on the blog are open for all.  You can love the blog or hate the blog...it doesn't matter to me. If you love it, read it, share it, talk about it to your friends... if you hate it, don't! I appreciate all the feedback.  I would, however, appreciate if people don't say my dog is ugly.  She was made special by God and cannot help that she has large ears....

Chloe = Not Ugly

I want to have fun...so I am going to share the answers to some of the questions you have asked over the weekend.  I got a ton of questions!  It was really fun to read them. Without further ado...

Q: Are you ever on drugs when you write these? 

A: I am never on drugs when I write blog posts, though I can see why you would think I was. I have been known to drink some wine while writing though.  

Q: I think it's funny that you call your parents Sarah and Todd. Do you think Sarah Palin is the Antichrist? 

A: My parents think it is funny too.  They jokingly now refer to themselves as Sarah and Todd at times. I don't think Sarah Palin is the Antichrist...I think she is an idiot. 

Q. Hey Bristol...How is Sarah and Todd today!!!!!!!

A: You are funny....

Q. Are the things you write about true or are these fiction? 

A: It's all true. I could never make this up!  I have an imagination but it's not this good! 

Q: You are hot...would you accept e-mails from chicks? If not, I will be a guy...

A: If I can't find a guy soon, I may consider it...but only if this is someone on my list....

Q: If you didn't have Chloe, what kind of dog would you have?

A: If I didn't have Chloe, I would have a cat....or a fennic fox...I would probably pick a pug, cause I love Zoe...and pigs. 

Q: Why are you so conceited?

A: Because I am a hot piece of arse, I am a television star, I am freaking hilarious, I have a beautiful dog, I make amazing food, take gorgeous photos, have awesome hair, have the most bright blue eyes that people get lost in, write poems that make people cry, have an impeccable taste in music, quit smoking all by myself, and take 2 "I am better than you" pills each morning.

Q. Why do you watch CNN? Why do you hate FOX News? (This is probably a boring answer until the end)

A: Let's start with FOX News...seriously, I realize that FOX News has a big following...for someone who has a more conservative outlook on news, politics, etc, I believe in their right to watch it. For my real answer...it sucks, plain and simple. This is my opinion -   It is totally biased, their anchors/hosts make me want to throw things at my television, they LIE, they have Sarah Palin on way too much, I don't like Greta Van Susteren's plastic surgery results  and get a little scared when she is on screen, (like I need my childhood blankie scared) and just the mention of the network gives me heartburn and nausea...

Now CNN - In all honesty...I only started watching CNN because I thought Anderson Cooper was hot...that was years ago. I also have an old man crush on Wolf Blitzer and think Jack Cafferty is hilarious. (I am watching it right now...He seriously just said Sarah Palin can't see India from her house!!! Pure old man comedy)   If I went with what I fully believe, I would probably watch MSNBC all the time...however, they are very left leaning...and though I go for that, and definitely watch it, I try to be responsible and get a less leftist view of the world and feel CNN is a little more in the middle than extreme left or extreme right. If I get real honest...I actually only watch CNN in the mornings (when Golden Girls isn't on)/afternoon...unless there is someone great on Piers Morgan Tonight I want to see...

(If you skipped the FOX News vs CNN rant above, join us here...If I sent you a special "Are you Mentioned Message", you are mentioned down here!)

 I want to leave you today with some words of coded wisdom from me to you...ok...from me to my favorite "Hater". If you are not the "Hater" you may stop reading if you wish...you may also just want to figure out where my brain is going with this, if you are someone who likes mysteries and code...

I will always fight for the voice of an angel that touches my soul, England is where my heart lies. 

Effects that go far beyond notes on a page and transport a mind across time and space. 

I will always cheer for the one who unexpectedly entered my dream, in auburn and blue. Fear stands in the way and the unknown looms. I push away and still the universe makes it happen. I wait for the sign from the south. Discretion is mandatory.

I will always soar when adversity appears. I have never walked the same path as others. Though others think they know whats right, I feel the direction I need to travel. Coins fall from cups.

I will always stand against the cold and empty wind. I will report what I see and know, bringing cheer to some, terror to others, all with the same words. We all have a place, mine is set, is yours?

Day in Review - Panties on the Sidewalk and 3D Porn.

Thursday....almost the weekend.  I never really have a real weekend though since I currently am working 7 days a week. There is a different feel to those days, however. Like I switch the CD from Adele to The Decemberists....(Both absolutely AMAZING music!!!!!)


Please, if you like this blog, share it with your friends...leave me comments. Become a follower! What do you want to hear about? What do you want to know? Lets chat! (Unless you are going to send me penis pictures...in which case I don't want to chat)

So....

I found some panties on the sidewalk today.  There I was...walking down West 9th in Cleveland and I see something pink in the middle of the sidewalk. I move in to investigate....

Yes. They were panties. On the sidewalk. At noon.  Pink with a blue elastic band and a little bow.  I have a similar pair myself....

Pink Panties - a drink...unfortunately not the pink panties I found today...

At this point I wondered if I should move them or if it was OK to leave these panties in the middle of the sidewalk. Surely I was not the first person to see them, right? I thought about picking them up...(only because I am one of those trash picker-uppers who like to see the city look clean!)

Seriously, what was I thinking!  Who knows what kind of nasty gonorrhea I could get from discarded, nasty, dirty underwear. I could have gotten the Herps!

So I left them...if anyone is missing a pair of pink panties with a blue elastic band and a little bow, they are right near West 9th and Lakeside.  My aunt said they may be hers, but I think she was joking...at least I hope she was....

Moving on....

I just need to get this out of my system right now because I am still chuckling over it and I know I won't stop until I write this down. Was watching CNN today, as I usually do in the afternoon (I say watching, but it was really on in the background on the TV behind me) and I hear "3D Porn"...of course, I have to look and see what the deal is.  Long story short (this isn't the funny part yet) it's pretty much exactly what it sounds like...available in Europe, certain times only, blah, blah, blah.  The hilarious part about this was while anchor Brooke Baldwin is hiding her face behind a piece of paper blushing, CNN Business Correspondent Alison Kosik says with a smile, "It's 3D so it makes you feel like you are in on the action". This was, perhaps the funniest few seconds of news I have seen in a long time.  It has been seriously 20 minutes and I am still laughing about it.  I know, I know....Tunisia, Stock Market, Westboro Baptist (Yes, God is still watching you, idiots), all this seriousness in the news...but that moment of utter hilarity totally made my day. Thank you Alison Kosik.  I need that.

I know...none of you probably see the humor in that story...you may have to be partially insane as I am.  I LOVE the news!  I generally DO NOT like news anchors...

I went off on some people today about news anchors though...I will talk about that a bit later...though not in this post. I will have to get all fired up again.  There are a few I like and trust...Katie Couric, Anderson Cooper, Wolf Blitzer, Keith Olbermann, Rachel Maddow (I like them, you can like whoever you want, but I better not see the names "Gl*nn B*ck", "Sh*p*rd Sm*th" or "B*ll O'R**lly" in my comments section or in any "nastygrams" to me. If you want to put that trash online, do it on your own blog.)

Unless they are one of my "faves", I usually don't take them extremely seriously. I think before long there will be a few more added to the list.  I like Brooke Baldwin...not yet in love with her, but she's definitely working on me...she seems smart from what I can tell.  I know the minor tricks of the trade from A) watching so much news B) taking several classes in news production and C) because I am fairly smart (Believe it!) I think she is generally smart. Smart is important to me when it comes to news. Smart is how you get on my list of "faves".....

(Edit...since publication, Brooke Baldwin has informed me that she loves The Decemberists, I can move "not yet in love" up to "LOVE!!!!!")

WHICH IS WHY I GOT SO PISSED OFF TODAY AND NEARLY LOST MY HEAD!!!!!!!!!   (Remember this post and these comments...because I am going to come back to them at some point in the near future.)

In closing, I have two confessions...this is, after all called "Confessions of a Girl", right?  My first one is....I am back on the M&M's....I passed them today and couldn't help myself. I will try harder next time....I did do a little 30 minute work out, so I don't feel totally 100% guilty. 

My 2nd confession is semi related and was likely the cause of buying the M&M's. As I was going into my first stop of the day today...I saw a cigarette...a brand new, just out of the pack cigarette....sitting on the little outside ash tray. I wanted it.  I wanted to pick it up.  I wanted to take it with me. I had a rough, stressful morning...I started to reach for it....

Then I thought....CHRISTA!  What the HELL are you doing taking a random CIGARETTE from a NASTY ashtray that you don't even know where it's been????

I walked away...the addict  in me was suppressed.  Soon after I saw the pink panties and this post will go full circle.

Come to think of it though, I could have gotten the Herps from that cigarette too! Weird!

Day in Review - Sprucing Up, Learning Chinese and Workout Anxiety

Ni hao. For those of you who do not know, that is Hello in Chinese. I heard on CNN yesterday that all of us should learn Chinese because China will become more integrated into American life in the next 10 years. I am teaching myself how to spell the words in the English Alphabet since my computer won't type Chinese characters. So far I know how to say "Hello", Ni Hao and "I would like an order of sweet and sour chicken, please" - Wo xiang yi tang cu ji zhixu, qing.  I figure that's all I will need to know for today...

Did you notice I have spruced the blog up a bit?  I seriously considered moving it to a new platform, but honestly, I couldn't be bothered with learning a whole new system, so to satisfy my urge for change, I just moved some things around and changed the background.  Nice?  Do you like?  It spoke to me through my screen, so this is the one I chose.

Saw on Huff Post today that Todd Palin is involved in some prostitute/affair scandal...Love it!!!!  I do hope my "best friend" Sarah is all right...All I have to say is karma is a bitch sometimes.

So I am supposed to work out tomorrow....and I am having some anxiety about it.  Not the type of anxiety where I need to pop a few Xanex or anything, but I have always had a fear of working out. It isn't because it's tough...I can handle that. It isn't because I will be sore...that's what Tylenol is for.  The real reason is...well...I am not extremely coordinated. See, I have an issue where I will just randomly trip and fall on my ass sometimes.  No snow, no ice, just walking...I am plain clumsy. There have been many instances where I just fall.  I have broken my wrist twice...once tripping over my dog, once tripping over my iron. I fell in the middle of Central Park once...I have fallen down stairs, I have tripped over air....I spill things on myself all the time, which is why I don't often wear white.  I don't know if this is something I am just naturally excellent at, or if I can blame my parents for crappy genes in the coordination department, but it all comes down to this...I have Workout Anxiety.

This all started when my friend Laurel invited me to check out her new gym with her. I immediately agreed because, at the time, I thought it sounded like a good idea!  I was pumped for about 20 minutes...until I had a vision....it was a vision of me....falling....off an elliptical....in front of one of those big windows where about 20 other people could see me.  Yes...this really happened to me.  I know the person it happened with is probably peeing her pants right now...I know she reads this.  Not only was I mortified beyond belief, but I got hurt! I had a bruise the size of my hand on my leg, a scrape on my arm and hit my head in the process.  Go ahead...you can laugh.  I can laugh about it now, and you better believe the friend I was with was doubled over in laughter the entire time this was going on. (This was not the same friend who was with me in Central Park when I fell in front of about 1000 people, but she laughed too, for the record)

Since I have had this suppressed memory return, I have had anxiety about going. I know I have to do it and I know I need to face my fears. When I get anxiety about one thing, it just naturally leads to something else...I now have anxiety not only about falling, but what I am supposed to wear? Should bring my shoes with me or wear them? (it is snowy out, my sneakers aren't the best snow shoes), Will I remember to put on deodorant? What I should do with my hair? Should I take a shower before and after or just after?  What if I have to pee? What if there is a really hot guy there and I am a sweaty, red faced mess? What if I can't figure out how to work the machines? Ok...I need to stop, because I will need a Xanex if I keep going.

Maybe I should mediate before going....I will keep you posted....

I have never told anyone about this anxiety or the event that led to it.  Of course my friend who was with me knows...and the 20 people who saw know...I'm sure I probably told my dog too, because I tell her random things like that...but now you all know and hopefully you will remember this, if you ever see me at a gym...or even walking down the street, for that matter....take cover...and step away....you may go down with me.

Oh!  I almost forgot!  Seriously...the REAL Russell Simmons friended me on MySpace....RaNdOm!!!!!

Day in Review - Speachless and Sickened....

Before I begin today's blog post, I have a few announcements to make.

1. I have finally figured out how to allow people to comment directly to the blog (Please use it!  I would love to see feedback)  You should be able to click the comment button directly below the post. You can remain nameless if you like. 

2. If you have a chance, I am still pimping this website - http://libetisocial.com/. Check it out, join the discussion.

3. Do you use Twitter?  Follow me there!  christamarie123 

Now on to our regularly scheduled blog post....


Though I am an avid CNN watcher, I have to admit I have been tuning in more the past few days. Though my mornings are generally spent with the Golden Girls and Saved By The Bell, my afternoons belong to Ali Velshi, Brooke Baldwin and Wolf Blitzer. Don't get the wrong idea...the TV is on in the background while I work, and I usually only listen to it, as opposed to watching it. If something airs I want to see, I will flip around in my chair and check it out.  Today, I did a huge turn around...as I heard Brooke Baldwin utter the words "Westboro Baptist Church".


Though I am sure most of you know who they are, this is the group that protests funerals of service members, other churches, funerals of those who have died from AIDS, funerals of gay people, football games, concerts, etc, etc.  They are, in my opinion, a group that stands for and promotes hate, negativity, hostility, poison and all that inspires odious acts. They recently showed up to protest the funeral of Elizabeth Edwards and now have plans to protest the funeral of 9-year old Christina Green, killed in the massacre in Tuscon, which is scheduled for tomorrow.The church said in a statement "God sent the shooter! "Praise God for ALL his works, and BE YE THANKFUL!."

I support Freedom of Speech...I believe it is an important part of our United States laws. HOWEVER, protesting the funeral ANYONE, including a 9-year old girl is sickening to me. The evil it must take to stand at any funeral and hold up signs that say "God Hates Fags" and "God Hates America" is beyond me, and luckily beyond 99% of the population. It is totally inappropriate, wrong and indecent. I could care less if they want to walk up and down the street promoting their grotesque and nonsensical messages, that is their right...but not at a funeral. Not for an innocent 9-year olds memorial service. Not for anyone.

Though I am usually not a fan of the state of Arizona nor Governor Jan Brewer, the actions the state made today concerning passing a law that bars protests within 300 feet of a funeral and within an hour from its beginning or end is commendable. Sending this message is the right thing to do.

I also want to commend the "angel action" that will be taking place tomorrow, shielding the mourners from the Church with large angel wings. Both Democrat and Republican lawmakers in Arizona also plan on asking the community to line the procession route to shield the mourning family and friends. Sending this message is the right thing to do.

I said this once and will say it again...to the members of the Westboro Baptist Church - God is watching you...and he is mad.