Happy Friday: Here I Go Again

There's nothing like the bone-chilling cold of a 19 degree morning to make you realize you're probably getting sick. After a week of avoiding an ill HUBS as much as possible and the copious use of Lysol, I have a sore throat, an ear ache and my head and neck are sore. Plus my stomach feels weird.

I'm going to crawl into bed, sleep for a long time and pray this is the worst it gets. But, first, I found some things online that might interest you.

1) Now that Beyonce has once again proven to the world that she can sing her ass off, let's look back at some of her wilder outfits and dance moves.

2) Sam the cat has eyebrows. And you will love him for it.

3) I had an odd relationship with the just-finished 30 Rock. Whenever I tuned in on purpose, it never failed to not make me laugh. But, if I happened upon the show while flipping channels or settled on it when nothing else was on? Hilarious! This list of silly life lessons from the show has me thinking of checking it out on Netflix, though.

4) You need to watch Paperman, the Oscar nominated Disney animated short. It will quite possibly be the brightest seven minutes of your day.

5) And, for additional funny...

CollegeHumor's Favorite Funny Videos

That all for me. I hope you had a good week and have an even better weekend!

Citygirl Bites: Taqueria Durango

Oh. My. Lord. Do you see that? It's a sandwich. That's right, a sandwich the size of a smallish plate. This, friends, is your intro to Taqueria Durango.

On a cold and snowy night near the end of December, HUBS and I ventured out to one of St. Louis Magazine's best cheap restaurants in the area. We'd never been before, but we'll definitely be back. Everything was amazingly good and plentiful. Let's talk details.

It took a while for our waitress to get to use once we sat down, but she brought us lovely homemade chips and three different house salsas, so all was forgiven pretty quickly. We ordered the above appetizer because it was something different. These are the $9 Papa Nachos. They are, hold your breath people, nachos made of crinkle cut fries instead of chips. HOLY GOD. Chicken, fries, cheese dip, lettuce, tomatoes and sour cream. It was...AHMAAAAAZINNNGGGG. I was fully planning to nibble a little and then leave it alone so I'd have room for my entree. I couldn't. Neither could HUBS. We ate all of it and I was tempted to lick a plate in public. Yes I was.

We'll start with this, the Torta Ahogada, which is what I ate. The above photo is a closeup of the giant sandwich in the first pic. It's pork tips and grilled onions on a bun that's covered with a spicy sauce. I know, sauce on top of a bun sounds like a bad idea. Trust me, it. Is. NOT. This was sooooo gooooood. The meat and onions were crispy. The bun was a bit sweet and tender. And, there was just the right amount of sauce on top to make it different but in no way soggy. Awesome! You should also know that there was enough food here for three meals. I literally ate off of this $7 sandwich for three days.

HUBS got their Burrito Majado. Meat, rice, beans and lettuce wrapped in a massive tortilla smothered in red sauce and cheese. I don't remember what type of meat HUBS got, but I remember that it was GOOD.

You know how you find the perfect meal and you're eating your face off and then you start to get full, but the food is so good that getting full makes you sad because you know it means you have to stop eating. That's what eating at Taqueria Durango is like. If you like Mexican food and you ever hit St. Louis, don't hesitate, just go.

What was the last really good thing you ate?

Music Monday: The Try

Ever feel like life is just a series of failed effort? That's how I'm feeling now. On Thursday I went to see an ear, nose & throat doc because I was doing everything my general doc told me to do but wasn't seeing my sinus infection get any better. I found out two important things on that visit.

1) Everything my GP told me to do was making me worse.
2) I don't actually even have a sinus infection!

So, yea for mis-diagnosis and taking meds that make you sicker! Now I'm putting double antibiotic up my nostrils, irrigating my nose (freaky) and taking a cheapo version of Mucinex. You know what? I'm actually getting better. After just four days. When I've been dealing with this nose crap for six months. Visits to specialists may cost $40 bucks a pop, but next time some weird shit goes down with my body that's where I'm headin'.

A lot of you really responded to my last post about dealing with change. I'm glad of that. Even as I am still mired in the seeming impossibleness of it all. Also, I've been taking care of a flu-ridden HUBS for the past few days (he's sleep-all-day-and-don't-eat sick, that's BIG for him), and in my effort to not get sick myself I've been (barely) sleeping on the couch and living in my own hazy, daydream kinda world.

But, now! The good thing about skipping Music Monday last week is that I've accumulated a lot of good music. I feel like sharing, people. Because it's easy.









Break me off some of that effort, friends. I think it's the stuff dreams are made of.

Change Is Hard. Get Over It.

I broke out like gang busters the first two and a half weeks of this year. I made lists and plans and scheduled my days and got an article published on another website.

Then, last Wednesday hit. And I had a little panic attack over all the alerts that kept ringing on my phone telling me I needed to do this, that or the other thing. I managed to work on an essay I want to get published a bit on Friday, but that's been it.

I am in full avoidance mode.

Obviously, this isn't on purpose. I want to still be moving full-steam ahead. Instead, I spent over an hour on Twitter this afternoon. Since I was sick on Monday and had to really fight off a panic attack yesterday, I'm going to give myself a bit of a break on this.

I'll admit it, I almost had a full-on freak out about not getting more done. Luckily, before it took over I realized something:

ALL CHANGES THAT MATTER WILL BE HARD. I WILL FALTER FROM TIME TO TIME. GETTING BACK ON TRACK BY TRYING AGAIN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT THING.

We get so wrapped up (especially around the beginning of the year) in changing, doing, growing and moving that we tend to forget that the biggest part of change is forgiveness of self when we get discouraged and trying to keep going when we don't feel like it.

Why is this so hard to remember? A lot of us make plans for doing things differently, have a setback and then say fuck it and go back to business as usual. At least, I know I do.

I'm working on GETTING UP AGAIN WITHOUT PUTTING MYSELF DOWN FOR FALLING IN THE FIRST PLACE. So should you.

We're only human.

Change is hard.

We'll make mistakes.

Give yourself a break.

Keep trying.

What do you try to keep in mind when you have a setback?

5 Foods I'm Clearly Addicted To

I like to eat. It's that simple. As much as I know I need to watch what I eat (and I try to), I just really, really love me some F.O.O.D.

Whenever I'm trying not to eat like a pig, these are the foods that can seriously trip me up.

5 Foods I'm Clearly Addicted To

1) Potatoes. My initial instinct is to blame my mom for this one. Apparently, while PT was preggers with me, there was a period of time where she could only eat potatoes without getting sick. Of course, I realize that means it was my fault she could only ingest potatoes and not her fault that I'm addicted to potatoes. Really, any form of tater is good for me. Fries, baked, gratin, mashed...Fried. I had a lightening bolt moment a couple of weeks ago. HUBS makes this thing he calls Crazy Potatoes; he nukes about 6 or 7 of them, mashes them up and adds a shit load of butter and sour cream. As you can imagine, they are really good. One night I was eating these taters off the communal plate and it hit me that I'd probably had 4 whole potatoes. No one needs that many in one sitting as a side dish to dinner! What was I doing?! So, I've stopped eating the Crazy Potatoes. Luckily, it's not as hard as I thought it was going to be.

2) Bread. My God. This is really all I need. Some veggies and a crapper load of bread and I've got myself a meal. I'm open to any variety except rye and black. And, because of that, I had to reign myself in several years ago. I try to stick to 4 pieces of bread a day or less. That includes bagels, cornbread, rolls, crackers, pitas, and flatbreads. Keeping my bread desires tamped down is a lot harder than my need for potatoes, but we all have our crosses to bear.

3) Cheese. I used to stick with American, mozzarella and cheddar. Then I discovered Colby, Monterey jack and pepper jack. Now I also eat provolone, gouda, fontina and specialty cheeses mixed with berries or rosemary or nuts. God! The shit is just good. It literally makes everything better. My hips are probably made of 50 percent cheese. And, honestly? I'm OK with that.

4) Chocolate. This must be an age thing. I was fine with chocolate when I was young, but I wasn't crazy for it. When I was a teen I craved sweets but never chocolate specifically. Then I moved out of my mom's place after college and discovered chocolate chips melted with peanut butter. That was all it took for me to have occasional moments where I space out and daydream of eating my way out of a vat of warm, melted chocolate with a box of vanilla wafers to scoop the sweet stuff up. This is the number one reason I started exercising again; so I can continue eating this insane level of chocolate without getting diabetes. Oh, yes.

5) Dessert. Speaking of sweets...Know what I used to do? As a kid, I'd wait until my dad was at work and my mom was asleep. I'd sneak into the kitchen, get the cream cheese out of the fridge, set myself up next to the sugar bowl on the table and stick thinly sliced bits of cheese into the sugar and eat them. That, my friends, is a dangerous sweet tooth. Let's understand, I don't consider fruit dessert. I can eat fruit for an after dinner snack, but it's not the same. Dessert must be ooey, gooey and bad for me in order for me to consider it true dessert. Give me your cakes and pies, your muffins and scones, your donuts and cookies. I will eat them and have fruit some other time.

What foods are you addicted to?

Music Monday: Victory!

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So, today? Just fucking awesome! I had something nerve-wracking to do, which I put off last week and promised myself on Friday that I would just suck it up and get done this morning. And I did it! I'm not going to pretend I didn't stand, catatonic and staring into space, for a half hour before sitting down and doing it. But! I got that shit done this morning!

I'm loving me today and hope your Monday has gone as good as mine. Let's rock out!









What was the last thing you did that scared you a little?

Happy Friday! It's OK

As you can see from my posts this week, I've got a shit-ton of stuff planned for this year. Mostly I did pretty well integrating new things in. I worked away from home twice this week, sent a blog query to an entertainment website, dressed better in public and got some preliminary research done on some of my other goals.

I did fall behind today, though, but that's OK, especially since I know why. I've got three things left on the last to-do list I made for this week. One thing I just keep forgetting to do, one thing that will be time consuming and one thing that scares the crap out of me. I'm going to resolve, right now, to take care of the scary thing right away Monday morning. It's going right after peeing and feeding the cats so I can't keep putting it off. Besides, if I get it done early I won't have to think about this particular duty for another week, so that'll be handy.

Now, let's look around online and see what interesting stuff we can find.

1) I've got a new addiction that's making it hard to get work done. Actress/comedian Aisha Tyler has a geeky podcast called girl on guy that is filling my bunny. She talks to various entertainment types about being in the business, motivating yourself and other things a lot of folks (including me) really need to hear.

2) You all seem like smart, capable people. I'm sure you know that using crystal meth is a bad idea. These photos show just how bad an idea that is. It's just pictures of faces, but the destruction is stunning.

3) Many of us enjoy the occasional cocktail. Alie & Georgia are funny ladies who wear cute clothes and show you how to make fun drinks at home.

4) Ever wait in line for what feels like an hour or more only to realize it's been 10 minutes? Here's why the wait seems soooooo looooooonnngggg.

5) Already wavering on your resolutions? These tips might help you make them stick.

That's all for me this Friday. I'm going to think over my week, enjoy the Golden Globes for once and catch up on my reading. Enjoy!

38 Professional Things For 2013

I'm getting better at getting things done that matter, you guys. It's exciting and scary for me. It means that I'm finally moving forward with things that are important to me. But, it also means I'm getting closer to having to do things that, while important, will scare the shit out of me.

I spent about a half hour today adding the monthly and weekly duties I've given myself to the calendar on my phone. It's all planned out. Did you hear that? My days have plans now. And that, in and of itself, freaks my shit out a bit. I'm just gonna keep on rollin', though. Here's my list of professional goals I worked on over the weekend. Let me know what you think!

38 Professional Things For 2013

1) Make $ writing
2) Try a podcast
3) Write a book proposal
4) Send it out
5) Enter writing contests
6) Make honest work of my ideas
7) Write at least 1 hour daily
8) License photos online
9) Enter photo contests
10) Put profiles on professional sites
11) Send at least 4 queries monthly
12) Get my photos in a gallery
13) Write to authors whose books I enjoy
14) Shop at least 1 screenplay to agents
15) Blog at least 3 times weekly
16) Comment on other blogs 1 day weekly
17) Add posts to Pinterest
18) Revisit Flickr
19) Network at least 1 time monthly
20) Dress better in public
21) Go to a reading, talk to the author
22) Make sure all profiles/resumes are up to date
23) Send photos to PopCandy
24) Photoblog 3 times weekly
25) Submit blog photos to photo challenges
26) Keep up with film/screenwriting business 1 time weekly
27) Look into cat colony
28) Volunteer 2 times monthly
29) Take a film class
30) Check pro email daily
31) Keep up with freelance business info 1 time weekly
32) Make consulting calls/emails for 3 businesses weekly
33) Apply for 3 part-time jobs weekly
34) Ask John August a question
35) Add photoblog/blog posts to Twitter
36) Add posts to Blogaholic
37) Find a mentor
38) Take a writing class

I know. This combined with the personal list is a lot of stuff. I need this, though; to dive in the deep end and stop waiting for life to find me.

Tell me, what are your professional goals this year?

Music Monday: That'll Do, Pig

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I am on a roll, people! Friday I told you about my efforts to live a significantly more fulfilling life. I started this weekend by making my two lists, as I promised myself I would. It took some doing, but I think I've got the makings of some solid plans for this year. Here we go!

38 Life Things For 2013

1) See live roller derby
2) Visit a state fair
3) Visit a renaissance fest
4) Dress up and go out to a fancy restaurant
5) Leave some food on my plate at a restaurant
6) Jump on a trampoline
7) Get to know someone new
8) Dance at a club
9) Wear (p)leather that isn't on shoes or a purse
10) Eat alone at a nice restaurant
11) Cook 1 new dish a week
12) Read a book in one day
13) Photo walk twice a month
14) Try stilettos
15) Go to a Meetup
16) Take at least two road trips
17) Talk to random people when I run errands
18) Work away from home twice a week
19) See a pow-wow
20) See live music
21) Limit pre-5pm TV to two hours a day Mon-Fri
22) Practice reading faster
23) See a movie with PT
24) Spend 1 day monthly with nothing but music
25) Hang out on our deck
26) Make a souvenir collage and hang it
27) Take a class that's not online
28) Walk in Forest Park
29) Go to a music festival
30) Paint again
31) Learn a simple guitar song
32) Study Spanish again
33) Master winged eyeliner (or any eyeliner)
34) Ditch the "uniforms" and wear different clothes
35) Spend a work day writing
36) Dress up, go to a casino, blow $5
37) See a burlesque show
38) Watch a parade live

There! The idea with this list was to get me (and HUBS, too) out and about more. I'll keep you apprised of my progress (I worked away from home today and only watched two hours of TV!). Let's breathe a sigh of well-planned relief with some music!

Happy Friday! Making Decisions

I've decided something. But, first, let me tell a little story.

After leaving my birthday lunch with TC in 2010, I was walking to my car when a man who appeared to be homeless asked me for change. I was feeling pretty good in general, so I gave him a five dollar bill. It was all the cash I had on me and, honestly, we didn't have much in the bank that wasn't committed to bills or other must haves. I figured, though, that I was still likely much better off than him, so I gave the money freely.

As I drove home I thought about our overwhelming financial responsibilities and started to worry that I should have said no, but tried not to let the feeling take down my mood. I pulled up to the house before long and checked the mail. There was an envelope addressed to me from Quik Trip. I got in and opened it to reveal a $5 gas card. I had, in the span of half an hour, completely gotten back what I'd put into the world.

Even realizing as I do that karma, good will or whatever you'd like to call this generally takes a lot longer to circle its way back to us, it made me realize something.

I've spend the bulk of my life waiting for good things to happen to me.

And, I'm tired of it. Mostly because it doesn't work. If it did life would be too easy and none of us would ever get off our asses to create something new, helpful, interesting or exciting.

Also, I'm tired of it because a life spent waiting is a life wasted. I am living proof of that. When I've tried; when I've stopped the waiting and started doing in the face of hope, interesting things have happened to me. Things that made me happy and feel like I was living.

That's what I want more of: more living in my life.

Here's what I'm going to do, I'm going to make two lists this weekend. One with 38 personal things I want to accomplish and the other with 38 professional things I want to accomplish. I'll publish the lists next week.

Then, I'll get busy living.

There. I feel good about this. Let's look around online now and keep things from getting too serious!

1) "Inspiration is for amateurs-the rest of us just show up and get to work." Special thanks to Chuck Close for helping me make my decision.

2) It's still resolution time. Here are what some famous people wanted from their lives in new years gone by.

3) I'm a slow reader. I like to really feel the words in my mind and create the fullest picture possible in my mind's eye. I also want to read more, which would mean reading faster so that it doesn't take up all my time. Maybe this can help.

4) Looking to do even more stuff without leaving the comfort of your home? Mashable has a list of things you might not know you can do online.

5) Last, but not least, I introduce you to the puking robot. Ain't science interesting?

Music Monday: December, Thanks!

Well, I trust everyone had pleasant holiday times with family and friends. Now it's New Year's Eve. Didn't that happen fast? It was a year ago today I lost my writing job. I am determined to live happier and more fully in 2013. Toward that end, here's my December appreciation list.

December, Thanks!

1) Thanks to nature for letting me harvest some of the cauliflower I planted late this year. It survived a couple of frosts and then grew during the crazy, inexplicable mini heatwave we had in November.

2) Thanks to Purina Farms for the dog show. It was nice to do something different.

3) Thanks to HUBS for helping me bake our Christmas gifts. We've been buying stuff for people for so long that none of it feels like it matters. I might make gifts from now on.

4) Thanks to my wonky car battery for needing me to drive everyday to keep it charged. I tend to let myself get stuck in the house for days at a time, but, this way, I get out and I've seen more of my city than I have in years.

5) Thanks to my sensible nature for being able to talk my precision-minded mom down when she called me freaked out about getting paid an extra $1.52 on her last check. She's so weird! PT thought she couldn't use her money because of it! I convinced her to put aside that amount in change at home and then act as she normally would. That way if her company wanted their money back she could just give it to them.

6) Thanks to nature (again) for snowing during the holidays.

7) Thanks to fashion magazines for finally giving me an idea of what to do with my increasingly wild natural hair that actually works.

8) Thanks to Zoloft for not wrecking havoc on my internals as I try to feel better.

Now, let's do music!









Tell me, what are you thankful for in December?

Music Monday: Moving Right Along

I mentioned a few weeks ago how my therapist wanted me to consider going back on medication for my depression. I thought about what she said, that since I've been depressed off and on (mostly on) for over twenty years the root cause is probably a chemical imbalance that lifestyle changes alone won't take care of. She might be right. Lord knows I've had trouble keeping any momentum going even with things I love to do, so I talked to my doctor and started Zoloft Friday.

I had some nausea and dizziness over the weekend, luckily I think that was just my body getting used to it because those symptoms were gone today. It'll take a while for it to really kick in, but I'm hoping that knowing the medicine is there to support me will help me get a move on and keep going. Wish me luck!

Now, let's do some music!

(Not Really) Happy Friday: Pleasant Distractions

Well, just when you thought today was going to be no shittier than a normal day...I've spent a significant amount of time watching comedies (The Five Year Engagement), Christmas movies (Desperately Seeking Santa) and old TV shows (Highlander) just to get away from the news.

If you're a worrier or a depressive or a cynic, it can be difficult to listen to breaking news like we got today without going a little nutty, even if you don't know anyone directly involved. So, my prayers go out to everyone in Connecticut and let's get ourselves to an extra long list of internet goodies. Be well, friends.

1)Christmas is around the corner. If you ever wonder what the super rich give each other, Hello Giggles has an idea. The $52,000 playhouse might be my favorite. And by favorite I mean most insane waste of cash ever.

2) Kitten dance party, anyone? I think we need it!

3) If it weren't for the relatively small size of these animals/insects, humanity would be in for a world of freaky ass hurt.

4) Lions and tigers are big enough to hurt people. These zoo videos show why we need so much unbreakable glass between us and the beasts.

5) Frogs are people, too.



6) Still doing your holiday shopping but wondering what's appropriate to spend on certain people in your life? What Should I Spend is here to help!

7) Rap music has never been funnier.

8) Holiday shopping for a lot of guys? This list of gift ideas won't steer you wrong.

9) Behold the tranquil beauty of these 10 baths with amazing views, and, if you're lucky, plan a trip.

10) Finally, here's links to 14 holiday films you can watch online.

That's all for now. Go enjoy the weekend!

TV You Should Be Watching: Winter 2012 Edition

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I don't know if you remember this about me, but I love, LOVE watching TV. Now that we're heading into winter hiatus for all our favorite shows, I thought it would be a good time to let you know what I've been filling my nights with this television season. Since many of you will have vacation days coming up, it's the perfect time to check these shows out if you haven't already, just follow the links. Let's go!



1) Arrow: The CW knows how to do superhero shows right. The first episode was the most exciting hour of network TV I've seen since the third or fourth season of LOST. The basics? Spoiled super-rich boy Oliver gets stuck on a dangerous island for five years, learns how to kick serious ass, gets rescued and then sets his sights on cleaning up his corrupt, crime-ridden home town as a masked vigilante. If you like action and good-looking people this will hit all your buttons. Granted, sometimes the actors (especially the occasional guest star) are better at looking good than acting, but no one has embarrassed themselves and the writing is just good enough to keep you interested.



2) Nashville: If you like soapy drama, good writing, excellent acting and amazing music, look no further. I love it when I have high hopes for a show and it makes me love it even more than I thought I could. The basics? The core of the show is aging country diva Rayna trying to stay relevant and feuding with the much younger Juliette, who's a country-pop superstar. But, there's a lot more going on, including embezzlement, dirty political campaigns, old loves interfering with new ones and some musical newbies trying to find their way in the industry. This is good stuff, people. Anyone who misses nighttime soaps but wants something more realistic should find this to be right up their alley. And, the music? The actors do all their own singing and...God, the music is awesome! Just watch the clip above for proof.



3) Scandal: This actually premiered at mid-season early this year, so I admit to being late to the party. After watching the first season fly by in the Netflix instant "newly added" options one too many times, I finally decided to check it out. I was shocked by how much I enjoyed it. The basics? Olivia is a high-powered attorney who helped the current president get elected and runs her own crises management firm, meaning she helps lots of rich folks get out of trouble when they do really stupid shit. This is the sexiest show I've seen in ages; everyone's smart and talks really fast because they know what they are doing, and the plots always keep you guessing. Plus, I like that not everyone on the show is super-outrageously attractive. This is good stuff, guys.

And now, a couple of honorable mentions to show that have already been canceled:



4) Emily Owens, M.D.: Yes, this is a lot like Grey's Anatomy without all the sex. But, it makes me feel warm inside when I watch it. It's just a simple, pleasant show filled with folks who are nice to look at. Sometimes that's all I need. I'll miss you, Emily.



5) Last Resort: Well, hello there, action drama about a navy sub crew that has to flee government conspiracies on a small island populated by drug lords. I really enjoyed watching you start off strong and get mired in minor ridiculousnesses that continued to grow week by week. I'll miss the intense acting and your crew of sweaty seamen. God speed!

What new show has become appointment viewing for you this year?

Music Monday: Christmas Is A-Comin'!

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Well, that was quite a weekend for me, folks. I spent most of Thursday writing the first draft of an essay I hope to have published, got badgered by my doctor about losing weight on Friday and later had a panic attack at the grocery store. Nice, right?

I will admit that even though I'm planning to make nifty food gifts for everyone this year, I am not feeling Christmas spirit at all. HUBS and I tried to remedy this by getting five holiday films from the library this weekend and watching all but one so far. The result? I now want to stuff my mind with as many cheesy Christmas movies as possible. Here's what we've watched so far:

1) Jingle All the Way (Sigh...)
2) Arthur Christmas (Nice, better than I expected.)
3) The Santa Clause (Possibly the most boring Christmas movie I've ever seen.)
4) Santa Baby (Notable mostly for the fact that Jenny McCarthy's chin is broken out for the whole movie. Look, girls! Sure, she's got a hot body, but she's also got acne! She's just like us!)

Next up is the live-action version of How the Grinch Stole Christmas. The Grinch has always scared me a bit, so I'm a bit nervous about my response to this, but I'm diving in anyway! Any recommendations for holiday films we should watch to prep for the season?

OK, let's get to the music!









What's the silliest holiday movie you've seen?

5 Music Acts That I'm Shocked Have Lasted This Long

Let's be honest here, no matter how good a singer or musician you are, there is not a lot of room on the Top 40 for new music. Sure, it helps to be good looking, but since almost everyone who deigns to shoot for longevity in the music industry is hotter than shit, that will not set you apart. Neither will dressing like a freak (anymore) or actually knowing how to sing.

Here are acts that have managed to bottle the longevity lighting, much to my (basically pleasant) surprise.

5 Music Acts That I'm Shocked Have Lasted This Long

1) Pink. I like Pink, really. But, come on, did you expect a chick whose whole persona hinged on her hair color to still be charting hits 12 years after she debuted? I sure as hell didn't.



2) Foo Fighters. I fucking love Foo Fighters! When I listened to them in my dorm room in 1995 I had no idea that they'd still be kicking it almost 20 years later. Amazing. Especially if you consider the fact that they may not have existed (at least not at this level) were it not for Kurt Cobain's unfortunate depression.



3) Green Day. Their first recording came out in 1990. I had just started high school. People! That's an assload of time passed for a punk band, even one that managed not to self-destruct within a couple of years! They've released 15 albums and done a Broadway musical based on their music. All that, and it wasn't until this year that one of them had a public freak-out. Good on you Green Day. Good. On. You.



4) Weezer. Look at that video. They're the comedians of rock, for God's sake! And yet, they've managed to stick around since 1994. God bless 'em.



5) Rihanna. She come out in 2005 looking like a Caribbean Beyonce' clone but quickly went in a very different direction and managed to carve out a constant space at the top of the charts for herself. Seven years on top isn't an eon or anything, but I still find it surprising considering how much competition there is. You go, RiRi.

Whose musical career is still going strong, much to your surprise?

Music Monday: Thanks!

We miss you Skyler, but this is better for you.

As part of my on going struggle with depression, anxiety and cynicism, I'm going to take some time at the end of each month to think about all the things that made life a bit easier for four weeks. Gratitude as an idea is overused, (and sounds too hoity-toity to me, anyway) so I'm just calling this my Thanks! list.

November, Thanks!

1) Thanks to the nice old white man at The Original Pancake House who tapped me on the shoulder before he left and said, "You sure can wear a hat!" a day before my birthday.

2) Thanks to the Humane Society for having room to take in little Skyler kitten so we could get him off the street.

3) Thanks to nature for easing us into winter with stupid mild days that feel a lot more like Spring.

4) Thanks to my aging body for forcing me to bed early, but not so early that I have to be done with dinner by 6 p.m.

5) Thanks to Walmart's Equate Anti-Itch Plus for cleaning up my acne-ridden face and neck like a true beauty champion.

6) Thanks to the giant owls who've invaded our neighborhood for keeping the hooting to a minimum and (hopefully) not snatching up any kitty cats for dinner.

There! That feel good to say. Now, ready to get down?









What made you happy in November?

Happy Friday! Getting On With It

I don't know where you're reading from, but I plan to spend my weekend enjoying our unreasonably warm weather. Right after I share some cool webtastic sights, that is!

1) Anyone remember '90s teen show Boy Meets World? That show hosted some now well-known folks before they hit it big.

2) Did you know that you can use your hand to properly portion your meals?

3) If you need a reminder to do your kegels, these panties might help!

4) I'm now even more glad that I've never needed a urinal.

5) Wanna watch Sesame Street parody Mad Men and more? Now you can!

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!

Tuesday Tipday: How To Keep December From Sucking

Aw, yeah!

I have never had holiday anxiety. In fact, it's one of the few forms of anxiety I haven't dealt with. But, some people go crazy at this time of year trying to make everything perfect. And in their endless quest, they make December the suckiest time of year instead of the happiest.

Well, if this sounds like you, I've got some tips to help you out.

How To Keep December From Sucking

1) Perfect schmerfect. You know there's no such thing as perfection, right? Then why are you losing your mind over something you can never achieve? Not to mention the fact that everyone's idea of "perfect" will be different anyway, so no matter what you do something will be left out for someone. Think about this: if these people didn't like you they wouldn't be hanging out with you during the holidays. YOU DO NOT NEED TO IMPRESS THESE FOLKS. ALL THEY WANT IS TIME WITH YOU. Ok?

2) Rest, relax, repeat. Here's what I think most people really want from the holidays: time off from school or work and...wait for it...FUN. That's right. They want to catch up on their favorite magazines, clear out their Netflix cue and sleep until noon after staying up too late. Ask yourself how your friends and family can have fun watching you do your best impression of a whirling dervish as they try to relax. If they care about you, they probably can't. So, you know, calm the shit down already and enjoy yourself!

3) It's as easy as it looks. If you're used to running yourself ragged for Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa/Whatever perfection, you may literally not be able to relax about it. So, go nuts over something else. Sleep more, exercise more, watch more TV or throw yourself into learning a new language or an instrument. But, keep your obsessive behavior away from holiday planning.

4) But there's so much to do! There really isn't. Even if you haven't done a holiday related thing until December 15. The key here is knowing your limits. Not the limits you impose on yourself to get all the crap done you think you need done, but your actual holiday planning limits considering all the other stuff you do. And the answer to that, you ask?

5) No man is an island. Come on, you have a significant other or kids or friends, right? Make them do some of the things you want done. That party you're planning can turn into a pot-luck. Someone else can hang lights, buy the tree, make cookies, clean the bathroom, get a gift for your youngest daughter's former piano teacher, etcetera, etcetera. Get over the idea that nothing is done correctly unless you do it and every day will suck a lot less from now on.

How do you stay calm during the holidays?

Music Monday: I Will Not Be One Of Those People!

Well, welcome back to everyone who enjoyed a Thanksgiving break last week. Ours was pretty mundane; HUBS, PT and I went off to his parents' house to eat, talk and eat some more. I was surprised my mom came along, she's always invited to their various holiday celebrations, but has only gone once. She found out she would have a four day weekend, though, and it changed her mind.

Remember how I told you about my birthday last week? And how old I was feeling? Well, I've really got a lot of work to do now. I do not want to be one of those old people who takes medicine day and night, spends all their time at the doctor or who looks and feels older than they are. Aside from the birthday, the thing that's brought this on is my stupid sinus infection. I had to get another round of meds from the doctor, know what? If I count the vitamins I take, I know have seven daily rounds of health additives.

Um...I'm only 38! That's too many pills and sprays and gummy chews and oils for someone who's not even fucking 40 yet!

I cannot wait to be over this infection so I can go back to preventative medicine. While that will help me not feel so old, I also need a serious attitude adjustment. I know you're only as old as you feel, so I need to keep my mind and body active enough to slow the atrophying.

I'm declaring it here and now: I REFUSE TO AGE WITHOUT A GLORIOUS, FUN-FILLED FIGHT.


There! Take that, body and bad, depressive attitude!

Now, let's get pumped!









How do you keep feeling young?