Music Monday: Well, Let's Hope I Don't Get Fired

No emergencies here, folks. None at all...

Well, after last Monday's stress-a-thon I finally got paid (right after bitching about it, in fact) and then I went on to relax for a whole day before I started worrying about work.

When my hours got cut I went from being responsible for three company blogs to two. This means that every Friday I am now supposed to turn in two stories, one for each blog. In order to get stories I have to research client events and email them. Then, whether or not I have articles to write depends on if any of those clients get back to me.

Only one person got back to me. Not one for each blog. Just one.

I MISSED A DEADLINE LAST WEEK. FUCK.

On one hand I really feel I did everything I could to email as many contacts as possible. But on the other hand I know it might not matter. My hours got cut, I had two weeks where I got two stories in each week, and then I missed one. Only one client got in touch with me, so I only had one article for one company blog.

I spent the weekend trying not to panic, and did a pretty good job. Today, though? Today I have a headache and feel a bit dizzy. I haven't checked my work email yet and probably won't for at least another hour. I just need to not think about it for a bit longer.

However, I can think about music. Let's go!









There. Now I need the biggest cup of coffee I can get my hands on!

How To Tell You've Watched A Bad Movie

I watch a lot of movies. But, every now and then I watch a movie and have no idea how I feel about it. Good movies are easy. Really bad movies are easy. But the ones in the middle? Those can be tough.

So, here's my list of 11 ways to tell a bad movie was just all up in your face.

11 Ways To Tell You've Watched A Bad Movie

1) You had no problem getting up in the middle to go to the bathroom and taking your sweet time in there.

2) You just left the theater. Wait, what was the movie about again?

3) It's opening weekend, and you were the only one in the theater.

4) You watched intently, but still felt confused during the whole thing.

5) You didn't care what happened to anyone in the movie.

6) You couldn't manage to laugh, cry or feel anxious/scared/thrilled about anything that went on during the film.

7) Whoever you went with talked to you the for the entire movie, and you didn't mind at all.

8) You spent the movie comparing plot points to other films that did them first, and better.

9) At least 25% of the audience got up during the movie and didn't come back.

10) After getting back from the bathroom you realize you missed a lot, but you can still follow the plot just fine.

11) Did you fall asleep? You don't remember?! Bad sign, my friend.

Music Monday: June, Thanks!

There's nothing like an Elvis pig to brighten your day...

Vacations are awesome things. You see new sights, eat new food and see new people. Sometimes you also sweat like a pig, eat dinner at 1 am, drive the wrong way down a one way street and get pulled over by a bicycle cop, but, you know, such is life.

I've got one big Thank You for June, and that is that HUBS and I made enough cash to take a two day trip to Louisville, KY and Nashville, TN last week. It was fun and exhausting. We went out late at night and mingled with drunk, sweaty Nashvillians. We walked down dark, abandoned streets. On my way to the bathroom a clown covered in balloon animals told me to cheer up and I smiled at him even though I was thinking Fuck you, clown.

We partook of July 4th activities. Like when we stayed at home and the ghetto heathens of our neighborhood set off what must have been professional grade fireworks. They were pretty, but, really, I wish they would have stopped that shit by midnight instead of 2 am.

Saturday evening we took the train downtown to the last night of Fair St. Louis. We saw a free show by the Counting Crows, watched fireworks under the Arch, walked amongst the drunk, sweaty denizens of Laclede's Landing and ate an expensive snack at the Drunken Fish.

June's money got us there, people. And I am really thankful for that.

Music Monday: Decisionary

Like the hot, hot fire in my belly...

I need to go to the doctor. Something has been wrong with me since 2008. For about a year I thought I'd just become more sensitive to food that wasn't prepared well, and was getting frequent bouts of food poisoning.

Then I started paying more attention. About four times a year, HUBS and I would eat the same thing ( I would eat less of it, even) and I would get horribly ill. It always hits either around 2 a.m. or 7 a.m. And?

IT'S VERY, VERY BAD.

It's the kind of ill where you're forced to spend two full hours in the bathroom. The kind of ill where once everything finally stops you're tired and sore for the rest of the day.

I've had several near misses so far this year; where I woke up, thought I was going to be sick, but was able to medicate it away with Rolaids or Tummy Drops. I had another one last night.

I must be allergic to something, but I have no idea what. I've gotten sick eating a wide variety of things: pasta sauce, salsa, BBQ spaghetti, baked un-breaded fish, chicken & dumplings, Mexican food, Arby's (that was last night). It's usually something I've had before and kept down just fine.

I have put this off for way too long, being worried about doctor visit copays and medical test copays. I have to just do this now and hope they find that something easily manageable is wrong with me. (Which I think they will. I mean, if something MAJOR was wrong it would have shown up in other ways after five years...I think.)

Wish me luck.

Music Monday: Sigh Of Relief

R.I.P. Chrissy Amphlett

Last week was insane. Boston, Texas...Here in Missouri and in river towns in Illinois there was a shit load of flooding. I feel like there was just too much bad news for one five day span. Thank God people can start to recover...

I don't know about you, but I was positively glued to the news on Friday and was so glad Boston (and, really, the rest of the country) got to have their weekend without wondering where that fucker was and what he was up to. It's extremely rare for me to watch the news for nine hours straight, but there I was: working on articles for my writing gig and watching some miraculous shit go down.

I need to have some fun. How about you?

Music Monday: March, Thanks!

It's hard to believe that a week ago there was over a foot of snow on the ground in Missouri. Well, Spring's a-sprung for now and here's what made me happy in March.

March, Thanks!

1) Thanks to the Sandman for helping me get 12 hours of sleep I didn't know I needed on Friday night.

2) Thanks to my niece for sharing some of her Easter candy with me.

3) Thanks to my sister-in-law for being patient with me and the project I'm working on for her since I got my job.

4) Thanks to my hair for annoying me less as it continues to revert to its natural state.

5) Thanks to Avon for having stylish, and yet fairly cheap shoes.

6) Thanks to the USPS for delivering my first new-job paycheck.

7) Thanks to the creative genius who invented the fantasy genre for keeping my reading life interesting.

8) Thanks to the magic combo of natural peanut butter, honey & cinnamon for being great on toast or animal crackers.

9) Thanks to recyclebank.com for allowing me to subscribe to way too many magazines for totally free.

10) Thanks to turkey cutlets for being an awesome substitute for fried chicken.

Enough about me, let's enjoy some tunes...

Music Monday: Dammit, I Like A Taylor Swift Song!

Dear Taylor Swift,

No. You are NOT ALLOWED to do this. I mean, really. Is it fair that you have every White girl/woman under the age of 35 gripped in the throes of your music and still you want more? NO. This is not OK, Swifty.

But, I'll give you this one song. I will publicly admit that you made a song so damn catchy and, from what I can tell, different from your other stuff, that I was captivated by it and in no way even considered that it COULD be you. This, of course, means I WAS FOOLED BY TAYLOR SWIFT. Damn you, Taylor!

While I am slightly horrified by the fact that I like this song, I'm not going to call it a guilty pleasure, because I don't believe in feeling bad about anything I like that doesn't hurt anyone else. And I suppose I can cop to the fact that liking one of your songs doesn't make me, like, a MONSTER or anything.

Well, at least I'm setting myself apart from 100% of self-employed, mid-western, 38-year-old Black ladies with natural hair who pay no attention to you at all. Bright sides, right?

Sincerely,

I'm Just Embarrassed Enough To Not Sign My Name

Thank God that's over...

Music Monday: All Entertainment All The Time!

via this and this

So, did anyone watch the Oscars last night? I thought MacFarlane did a pretty good job balancing snark with a proper reverence for the event. Of course it was too long; it always is. The only way to get the thing down to a reasonable length is to cut out awards that (I know this sounds harsh) non-industry people simply don't care about or even understand. Honestly? This is the first whole Oscar show I've watched in maybe 18 years. And, with all the live-blogging and tweeting going on, it was kinda fun to be a part of that.

If you want to have some fun with Oscar recapping, head over to Mashable for GIFs, awesome Jennifer Lawrence awkwardness (the second video is THE BEST) and a bit of nominee nostalgia.

Now, let's get to some muuuuuuuussssiiiiiic!









What did you think of the Oscars?

Music Monday: Soul Laid Bare

You know what I'm happy about today? My ability to use this blog to talk about life in a real way.

For most of my life I've felt like a singularly fucked up individual. Logically I knew that other people must be feeling lonely, useless, stupid or ill-equipped for life, but there was no way to tell if I knew any of those people because folks don't talk about things like that.

I certainly don't believe we should discuss everything with everyone all the time, but I do think a little selfless experience sharing (especially when that experience was negative) can help the sharer and the sharee.

When people feel alone they do lots of dumb things to themselves and others out of desperation. I talk about my experiences with depression, anxiety, loneliness, guilt, procrastination and fear not just to work through my own issues and get them off my chest and out of my mind, but so that somebody who feels like they have to keep crawling out of the same hole can read about me doing the same thing. And, hopefully, feel less alone and hopeless because of it.

In a small way, I feel like it's a public service to all the loners and losers in the world. Now that I think about it, so is spreading some aural cheer. Shall we?









If your blog is essentially a diary, how do you decide how much sharing to do?

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!

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?

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!

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?

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?

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?

Music Monday: Aaaaand, I'm Old!

So, I'm a year closer to middle age today. Congratulate me! I realize 38 is far from old these days, but I have not been feeling young at all. My issues? Let's make a list!

1) I've been getting nose bleeds. My nasal passages are super sensitive to dry heat, so I have trouble every winter once we turn the heat on anyway. But now, since my sinus infection, they've been worse. Even though I use a humidifier on high every night.

2) My skin won't stop breaking out. First it was my chin, then my forehead and my neck and my chin again. Ack!

3) My knees are killing me. They creak and pop and hurt whenever I sit down or get up. I've been exercising regularly for over a month, but it's not helping.

4) For the past week or so I've been exhausted. I'm wiped out by 11 pm nightly. Is this it for me? Do I need to start eating dinner at 5? This reminds me of two years ago when I realized I couldn't stay up all night anymore without being tired for an entire week afterwards. It was a crushing blow!

I have spent a quiet day trying to ignore all the stuff that's making me feel old and useless. What's that? You want another list. I can do that!

1) I did yoga and took a walk.

2) I danced naked to Bobby Brown's Every Little Step.

3) I watched two movies.

4) I ate free birthday food for lunch and plan to get more.

5) I ate dark chocolate fudge stripe cookies and dark chocolate pretzels.

6) I opened the windows and let the cool November air fill the house while I bundled up on the couch.

I know, not exactly an exciting day. But, music makes every day more interesting. Let's enjoy some!









How do you like to spend your birthday?

Happy Friday! Party Time!

I have a good feeling about this weekend. Why? Well, I've gotten a good amount of stuff done this week, so I don't feel like I waisted my time. We have a bit of fun money to work with, and...And? My birthday is on Monday and we'll actually be able to celebrate a bit!

In three days I'll be two years away from 40, people. I'd be lying if I said the idea of that isn't fucking with my mind, but I'm trying. Trying to do better and move ahead so that 10 years from now I don't find myself dreading 50. I want to look forward to each year. Who doesn't?

Enough seriousness! Here's what I found online this week.

1) If any of you writers are doing NaNoWriMo, Galley Cat and Writer's Digest have a host of tips for you.

2) Most of us can use a self-esteem boost from time to time. Here are 50 ways to upgrade yours.

3) Want to eat better? Dr. Oz likes all these foods, and this is a list of foods that aren't as bad as we thought.

4) I can't stop talking about mustaches!

5) Last, but not least, this video-filled list of cats freaking out should send you off with a good laugh.

That's all for me folks. Have a great weekend!

Music Monday: I Got The Music In Me!

Welcome to the week, everybody. Do you know what's awesome? Google Play Music. I'm probably late to the cloud music party, but I love this thing. Just upload your music and you can listen to your library on any device with the app installed. It's amazing.

What else is amazing?

1) Comfort food on a rainy day.
2) Frozen yogurt with caramel sauce.
3) New fall TV shows.
4) New music. Go!

TV You Should Be Watching

Isn't television a frequently wonderful thing? I've always been a TV lover, and since HUBS and I are currently people of modest means, most of our nights are spent in front of a weekly television series discussing the vagaries of human motivation. Or, sometimes just laughing our asses off. But, you know, either way it's fun!

We've come upon some shows recently that I would be remiss not to discuss with you. They are all funny and thought provoking, and I think you'll like them.

1) Veep

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I like Julia Louis-Dreyfus, so I had decent hopes for Veep. Who knew it would turn out to be one of the more surprising new shows in years? As you can likely guess by the title, she plays a US Vice President. And she just happens to be dealing with a distant daughter, scheming lawmakers, a president who doesn't much respect her, a pregnancy scare and her own struggles to push her political agenda while under intense media scrutiny. I know, it sounds hilarious! Actually, that's one of the things we loved about the show; it manages to be truly funny while still dealing with insider political stuff very realistically. The first season has finished showing, but you can watch it on HBO GO. Favorite Line: "I am going to throw up a leg."



2) Girls

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I freely admit that Girls is one of those shows where I initially thought Great, just what we need. Another young-pretty-white-people-in-New York show. How could we ever get enough of those! But, I kept hearing about it and when we decided to give it a try we sort of hated most of the main characters...and found them fascinating. Creator/writer/producer/star Lena Dunham has given us the most confused, self-absorbed group of fuck-ups who still manage to be watchable that I've ever seen. They are brutally aware of their friends' foibles while being blind to their own. They also constantly get themselves into funny bits of odd trouble that you simply can't look away from. In short? They're young, stupid and human. I enjoy Girls a LOT more than my young-pretty-white-people-in-New York barometer should allow me to, which is a huge testament to the joys that lie herein. This is also over for the year; watch on HBO GO. Or, wait until the first season DVD comes out. Favorite Line: "I know all the dick moves, OK? Don't be a dick."



3) Episodes

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Episodes is, by far, one of the funniest shows that's come along in recent years. If you haven't heard already, Matt LeBlanc (yeah, Joey from Friends) stars as an uber-douchey version of himself in this show about the making of a sitcom. We get a view of the unbelievably hard work that goes into making even the most mediocre of TV shows, all while providing steady laughs when the characters inevitably blow up their own lives. This one's still playing on Showtime for a few weeks, but there's a whole first season available on DVD for you to catch up on. Favorite Line: "Well, I guess things did get kinda blowy and sucky."



What shows do you look forward to every week?