365 Days of Knowledge #40

Today I learned why the movie "Slumdog Millionaire" won four Golden Globes and is nominated for 10 Oscars. The answer is simple, this movie is simply AMAZING! It's in my top 10 favorite movies of all time. Probably one of the most beautiful love stories I've seen on the big screen. Please, next time you go to the theater, check it out. You will NOT be disappointed.

Forget reading your horoscope, here's your fortune for the day.

365 Days of Knowledge #32 and 33

Yesterday I learned that whenever I do I have children I'm pretty sure I'm going to love them more than I ever thought possible and I know this love is going to hit me like a mac truck and scare the shit out of me. While I've been carrying this notion with me since RZ and I became doting "parents" to our two lovely felines, it really didn't hit me until this weekend.

A friend of mine asked if I would transport her seven year old daughter to a nearby city that I was just happening to be traveling to to visit some friends. On the drive down my little stowaway (we'll call her Pea) entertained me with a game of ABC, gossip from her second grade class, and High School Musical facts. We sang, we laughed, we even discussed the atrocity that is McDonald's.

After dropping Pea off I proceeded to hang out with my favorites. I had a great time, celebrating birthdays, reminiscing, and just doing what we do best, make each other laugh.

The next morning I was tired, lazy, a bit hung over, and not wanting to drive to pick up Pea. I did of course, and immediately felt guilty for having sour feelings about having to pick her up. Pea was a breath of fresh air and instantaneously brightened my mood. She told me all about her day with her aunt and she asked me about my evening (I melted). Although she didn't sleep, I could tell Pea was tired on our drive back, she lazily stared out the window, occasionally commenting on the scenery and fellow commuters. I found myself keeping my eyes less on the road and more on my rear view mirror, just waiting to see what she would do or say next, literally hanging on her every word, and she's not even my child.

I'm not sure if this is my biological clock trying to tell me something or if children just fascinate me but I'm pretty sure my kids are not going to lack love.

Today I learned a less inspirational notion and if you don't want to puke a little in your mouth you might want to stop reading.

While President Obama speaks to our nation and calls the recession of our economy a "continuing disaster", Miley Cyrus decides to trade in her Porsche for her "dream car", a black Mercedes with pink stitching. Yeah!

365 Days of Knowledge #21

Today I learned that people are inherently kind, you may disagree but just trust me on this one.

365 Days of Knowledge #19 and 20

Here in Wisconsin lawns are often decorated with fake, plastic, miniturized deer or these big, ugly colored bulbs. Personally, I want to see more plastic flamingos, especially after learning that there are more plastic flamingos in the United States than real-live, authentic ones. Who'd a thunk it?


While we're on the subject of the lack of "real" animals, try this on for size.

The United Nations has declared 2009 the "Year of the Gorilla". Greatly due to loss of habitat caused by deforestation and bush meat hunting, the gorilla is just a few years from becoming extinct if conditions don't change. Help by others of the devastating situation of these magnificent and important primates.

Please go to the International Gorilla Conservation Program for more information.

365 Days of Knowledge #18

James Earl Ray was the man who assassinated Martin Luther King Junior on April 4th, 1968. I learned that while Ray was serving his 99 year sentence at Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Tennessee, he and six other convicts escaped, only to be recaptured three days later. One more year was added to his 99 year sentence. Ray died in prison in 1998 due to liver failure.

On Monday, January 19th let's make sure to take time to remember and honor Martin Luther King Jr., without his unwavering conviction to equality and human rights I don't think we'd be celebrating the historical and proud moment our nation will experience when we inaugurate our first African-American president. Thank you Dr. King!

365 Days of Knowledge #10, 11, 12,13 and 14.....yeah, I suck

Well, not keeping up on this very well but I am keeping up on the ever important....learning!

First things first, the Blues Traveler song, "Hook". I found out that the meaning of this timeless and main-stream tune is that the lyrics of a song can be completely hollow but if it has a good tune and a catchy "hook" people will love it. Point (and cash) well made Mr. John Popper. I'm sure many of you knew this but it was news to me.

Due to a conversation I had after learning about the Blues Traveler song, I learned another classic tune's "enlightened" significance. The central theme of the Eagles tune, "Hotel California" is the American decline into materialism. Next time you listen to it, listen instead for it.

I'm feeling like a Trivial Pursuit writer.....I should be banking on this blog, Lord knows I'll be needing the extra cash soon (foreshadowing alert!).

Enough about music. The last trivial bit of information I learned was that the only American president never to marry was James Buchanan. Is engagement to Ann Coleman was broken off and afterward he vowed never to marry. Speaking of marriage.....

On Tuesday, January 13th, I learned that I no longer have a boyfriend, in fact, I now have a fiance. Yes, yes, yes, I got engaged! My boyfriend of nine years proposed to me while ice skating on a snowy and romantic evening. I was so surprised I actually began skating away when he got down on one knee. It was simply beautiful and one of the happiest moments of my life. I'm sure most of my future "knowledge" posts will center around wedding details and frustrations. I'll try to keep a variety.

Lastly, and a bit depressingly, I learned that the wedding business is a BILLION dollar industry. This left me sad because the indisputable core of a wedding is *love*, and that my friends, don't cost a thing.

*New goal alert. I know it's going to be difficult, as I am easily lured, but I am going to try my darndest to theme my wedding around pure and simple love, because I'm the luckiest girl in the world for having found it myself.

365 Days of Knowledge #9

Today I learned that radio city music hall cost eight million dollars to build $$$$$$$$$$$ and that was in the 30's, you can imagine what the cost would be now.

More important than the home base of the Rockettes, I learned that I'm a pretty damn good poet/rapper. Check out the "rappet" I wrote for my friend at From the Desk of Miss Lippy, she won my cool contest and I rewarded her with the following:

*names have been changed to protect identities

No Title

Her hair is long, soft, and fly
Her favorite dessert is pecan pie.

There's nothing this lady can't preserve in a jar
She used to drive a pretty, pink, stripper car.

I'll tell you what, and it's for sho'
Give her a gun and she'll shoot you a doe.

She loves the environment and BLEEP too,
Her baptismal name happens to be CENSORED Sue.

CENSORED'S my friend, it ain't no lie,
Now get in the kitchen bitch and make me some pie.

My English major boyfriend later corrected me (throat clearing), I realize now that sho' does not rhyme with doe. Thanks again Richie....

Snickity Snackity

I just remembered this funny story. I wasn't even involved in this hilarious exchange but I was told it and I have the right to retell it because it involves two of my closest friends.

During college two of my roommates, Choppa and Miss Lippy, had a class together, as we often did. This class (I believe history but am probably wrong) was in a very large lecture hall and came at the end of a very long day for Choppa. Choppa, was always really hungry by this time and would routinely get a bag of Cheez-It's from the vending machine to munch during her final class. Choppa (Cheez-It's in hand) and Miss Lippy would meet before class, sit together and commence learning. One day, Choppa was extra hungry and decided to get two bags of Cheez-It's. Other than this anomaly, events transpired per usual.

Choppa finished off her first bag of Cheez-It's and without skipping a beat, opened the second and resumed munching. Although this was not relayed to me, I'm sure Miss Lippy had some thoughts running through her head surrounding the double serving of Cheez-It's being inhaled by her dear and petite friend. Choppa did indeed finish the second bag of Cheez-It's and in my mind's version of this story, she straightens out the corners of the bag and pours the crumbs into her mouth*.

After finishing off two bags of Cheez-It's, wiping crumbs off her face, her chest and I'm sure her books, Choppa slowly leans back in her seat, throws an arm around Miss Lippy's chair, turns to her and says, "Woof, shouldn't have had that second bag of Cheez-It's".

What makes this funny is the fact that this hunger response and subsequent satiated reaction is coming from one of the cutest and tiniest people I know.

Guess what? In writing this I made up a word. The plural for Cheez-It is NOT Cheez It's like I have been using, it's Cheez-It crackers. Scrumtrulescent!


*please note this detail has not been verified

Soulshine

Father's day is bittersweet for me. My dad passed away seven years ago and a day doesn't go by when I don't think of him and miss him. I've never known anyone with a bigger heart and soul than my dad, I just hope I can be half the gracious person he was.

I (with the help of Gov't Mule) dedicate this song to the memory of my dad and to all the fathers out there who teach their children to put others first. Always remember to SHINE!

Soulshine

When you cant find the light
That guides you through a cloudy day
When the stars ain't shinin' bright
And you fill like you've lost your way
When the candle lights of home
Burn so very far away
Well you got to let your soul shine
Just like my daddy used to say

He used to say soul shine
Its better than sunshine
Its better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Hey now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day

I grew up thinkin' that I had it made
Gonna make it on my own
But life can take the strongest man
And make him feel so alone
Now and then I feel a cold wind
Blowin' through my achin' bones
I think back to what my daddy said
He said, Boy, in the darkness before the dawn

Let your soul shine
Its better than sunshine
Its better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Yeah now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day

Sometimes a man can feel this emptiness
Like a woman has robbed him of his very soul
A woman too, God knows, she can feel like this
And when your world seems cold
You got to let your spirit take control

Let your soul shine
Its better than sunshine
Its better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Lord now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day

Oh, its better than sunshine
Its better than moonshine
Damn sure better than rain
Yeah now people don't mind
We all get this way sometimes
Got to let your soul shine
Shine till the break of day

Not to be mistaken for an obituary

My friend Jennie and I have known each other since grade school. Jennie attended the parochial school in our town and I was a public school kinda gal. We were acquaintances when we were younger and became fast friends when we attended high school together. After high school we moved on and away from each other, physically and emotionally. Needless to say our friendship naturally dwindled.

Jennie and I would see each other sporadically throughout the years after high school, at weddings and such. We would chat and converse about our lives and how things have been progressing. Yet, as these polite interactions tend to go, I never felt fulfilled.

Approximately six months ago Jennie and I entered a new plane in our relationship, we became........FACEBOOK FRIENDS! Oh the horror! "Facebook friends" deserve a blog in and of itself so I'll tackle that some other time (actually, I'll probably just leave it up to someone else). Facebook allowed Jennie and I to reconnect without actually doing it, which leaves me even more unfulfilled. What facebook did help me realize was how much I really miss Jennie and our friendship.

On Sunday, the 8th of June, Jennie had a birthday. I want to wish Jennie a happy birthday by dedicating this blog entry to her.

One thing that I love is reconnecting with old friends and sharing memories that we've had. What's even better is when a friend remembers moments you may have forgotten. So Jennie, to celebrate you and our friendship, here are some things I love and remember about you. Some you may remember, others you may not.

1. We both liked the song, "I need to know" by Marc Anthony.
2. The time we were toilet papering RD's house and Mr. Stick stepped on my back (hard).
3. Tina La Wina from Pasadena
4. Talking smack about Laura when she began dating Kevin (that wasn't nice of us. Laura, I apologize).
5. Ditching out on last hour because we had study hall and no one kept tabs on us.
6. Not understanding a damn thing in Algebra II.
7. Dancing until the break of dawn at post-prom parties.
8. Our conversation about the possibility of our parents dieing. Side note: this conversation came to my mind and comforted me in some weird, twisted way when my dad died....I've always wanted to thank you for that.
9. Ringing in the new year by eating pickled herring at April's house.
10. I remember you're a lefty and your penmanship was sloppy (like mine).
11. Spanish class. Remember when we had to go in the closet and recite those paragraphs....how weird.
12. Writing our own "unique" questions for English Club.
13. Art Club......we held office! What did we do?
14. Sign Language Club......what did we do?
15. The night at my house when the party moved to Simeon's and Amanda got into a bit of trouble.
16. Hanging out at Cafe Espresso.
17. I envied your job at Fleet Farm because I worked at McDonald's.
18. I have always liked the fact that your name ends in "ie" and not "y"....you've never seemed like a Jenny to me.
19. You're "older man crush".....LK (or is it LC?)
20. Food classes with Ms. Knipp
21. You've always wanted to run your own bed and breakfast. I still want to work for you.

These are just a few of the great memories I have, but what I remember the most about you was that you valued simplicity. You enjoyed spending time with your family and friends, cooking and gardening, things that bring people closer to themselves and others. You were discouraged by complexity and aimed to keep things simple. Even in high school you and I would reminisce about the past, when things didn't seem as complicated and difficult. (I just realized I'm writing in the past tense....I hope it doesn't seem like an obituary ;)

I guess what I'm saying is that you always helped put things in perspective for me, and when I was spending time with you I felt a sense of peace.

I'm rambling.....Jennie, I hope your birthday was great and more than that I hope you're doing well. Let's get together soon, that's not a request....it's a demand.

Here are some pictures.....I couldn't help myself!

Junior Prom: "ouwza" I look pale and strained

studying in Mr Pinney's study hall; lefty action in progress

I Love My Family!

I was able to get five days off work and take a much needed "mini-vacation." I was able to spend time with my mom on her birthday and go out to dinner with her and my sister. We ate at a lovely restaurant in Green Bay called Cafe Espresso. The food was delicious and the company was even better. Happy 55th Mom!


Before dinner we stopped to visit my Grandpa Orville and spend some time with him. He doesn't recognize us and isn't able to converse but we love him and we know he loves us. He was having a really good day and looked debonair in his yellow polo!

In this bottom photo my sister and I are pretending we don't have any teeth.....just like Grandpa!
It was so nice to spend time with my family! More "mini-vacation" posts to come!