Music Monday: Christmas Time? Already?

Hello lovelies! Are we all as ready for Christmas as we want to be? I, for one, am not. I'm really not feeling the spirit this year. HUBS and I did all our shopping in one fell swoop back in July, but I have yet to wrap anything or put up an iota of decorations. I've failed to listen to any of my favorite Christmas music or watch any significant amount of holiday cartoonage.

What's up with me?

Even the fact that a group of carolers hit the ghetto to serenade our neighbors last night (about a half hour before we had to call the police to report hearing gun shots, by the by) didn't do much to brighten my blah mood. I don't even know if PT wants to cook this year or not. I told her it didn't matter either, way, which is true, yet I now find myself wondering if cooking the usual Christmas meal would help get me in the mood.

Maybe some songs can help out right now...





Wait...





Something's...



Happening...



Yes! It's working! Woooooooooo!!

How do you get in a holiday mood?


*If you're wondering what's up with the sweet potato, HUBS' folks grew it and gave it to us at Thanksgiving. That thing was like a new baby...but bigger!

Television! Television! Part 2

Lordy, I just love me some TV! Sometimes there's nothing better than curling up with a good snack (Homemade popcorn, please!) and a great show on the ol' tube. Here's a rundown of my faves from this Fall.


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1) Heart of Dixie: Look, I know this isn't the best show in the world. I actually don't quite buy Rachel Bilson as a doctor. Not that she doesn't seem smart enough, I just don't see her wanting to help people in such a (frequently) complex way. But, it pushes many of my Gilmore Girls/Everwood buttons. It makes me feel warm inside; like everything's going to be alright somehow. Who doesn't need a bit of that every week?

2) Ringer: Lots intrigue with rich people, down-on-their luck folks, druggies, Feds, cops, stuck up teens and lots of amazing clothes is keeping me glued. I wish the twins that Sarah Michelle Gellar plays seemed more different, and I could do with a bit more humor, but I'm basically digging it. I do worry a bit about the long-term story prospects for what's essentially a pretty cut-and-dry premise, but if they can keep it fresh I'll keep watching.

3) New Girl: One of my favorite new shows, it holds up quite nicely to repeat viewings. It's cute, funny and there's stuff to love about all the characters, not just Jess. Schmidt is comedy gold!


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4) Suburgatory: This is my other new comedy fave of the season. It's a fish out of water story about a New York City girl who's forced to move to the 'burbs by her single dad. I know that might not sound hilarious, but it is; and they do it without a single one-note character in the bunch, even folks we barely see have sides to them. This is another show that's funny after multiple viewings. Also? Dallas and Dalia kill it every week.

5) Person of Interest: I've already detailed my main issue with this show, but they've got a nice over-arching mystery going and manage to bring the action-packed drama every week. It's a keeper.

6) Prime Suspect: I'll admit, I was not sure about this one after seeing those ads that made the lead character seem unreasonably hard-nosed. After weeks of watching, though, I can tell you that it works. Too bad it's been canceled!

7) Allen Gregory: I thought this show was quite funny and unique, though after looking at a lot of reviews online it seems I was the only one. This show? Also canceled. Bah!


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8) Homeland: If you're looking for superb, real-world, suspense-filled drama and surprises galore, get thee to Homeland. It is, hands down, the best new drama on TV. Period. You must see it to believe the awesomeness.

So, there we have it. Unless some new things come along in the Spring to rock my TV world, I'll be down to six broadcast shows to keep up with. Do better, network television overlords. Do. Better.

Things Change And Stay The Same

I was planning to do a final Fall TV roundup for you guys today, but I'm going to be totally honest here: I'm having a crappy moment right now.

I don't feel like thinking, talking, writing, seeing or doing much of anything. I will write about television shows for you tomorrow, I promise. Now, though, at least someone should be laughing:

Person Of Interest Has a Problem...

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Fall TV has quickly become Winter TV as 2011 winds down. I'm going to talk tomorrow about how the new shows are faring creatively and what I'm looking forward to in the mid-season, but today we need to discuss CBS' Person of Interest.

I basically like the show. I think it's a great premise; the idea being that post 9/11 the US government wanted a super-efficient way to track the shit out of terrorist suspects and found such a way, but that it's also being used on the sly by its creator and a damaged ex-CIA badass to stop the small-scale acts of terrorism (muggings, rapes, random homicides) that we all pray to avoid each day.

I'm enjoying Taraji P. Henson as the cop that's trying to track them down and Michael Emerson as a non-creepy scientist. There is one problem, though.

Jim Caviezel is too, too, too intense.

And, look, I know his character is supposed to be kinda intimidating and serious and a bit damaged. I get it. But I think his deadpan portrayal is turning the show into a downer.

I didn't really notice it at first. HUBS pointed out his unwavering seriousness to me as we watched one night. It's too much and it's heightened by the fact that the writers give him the occasional pithy one-liner, which is supposed to lighten the mood...And be amusing. But it never is, because Caviezel says pretty much everything in monotone and with the stone-cold look of a killer on his face.

So, keep everything else the same, but have Jim brighten up just a titch. I do believe that would make for a perfect show.

Recent Obsessions: Kimbra

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I pride myself on finding new music and rediscovering old musical favorites. This is one of the reasons I started doing Music Monday; to help some of the artists I enjoy find new fans and to keep a curated list of songs/bands/music I love. I'm confident that something we'll never run out of is new music to listen to!

I stumbled across Kimbra last week while goofing off on YouTube. She's either from Australia or New Zealand (I'm getting conflicting Google reports on that), but it really doesn't matter. The only thing that matters is her amazing voice and unbelievably cool songs.

Right now there's only an EP available in North America, but you can best believe I'll be keeping an eye out for when her CD goes on sale here. Take a look, listen, and be awed:

Happy Friday: The Universe Speaks

I am stunned by the universe's timing today. You know how I said I'd gone out last week and laid out some story ideas for freelance work? Well, since I've been blessed with a divine combination of fear and a tendency to procrastinate, I hadn't sent out a single query letter for those ideas.

Today I checked my voice mail and had a message from my editor's boss at the place I've been doing my main freelancing for the past four years. That woman has never spoken to me before, so I knew something big was up. And it really is.

As of January 1, they're shutting down all local affiliates of the website and only using national content. What does that mean? I'm out of what is currently my only paying freelance gig (and my editor and her boss are out of work also).

When my editor gave me the scoop as I talked to her, I'll admit my heart stopped for just a second. But then, something amazing happened: I felt free and hopeful and energized.

Those types of feelings rarely hit me. I was excited. I honestly felt like providence was giving me an opportunity; pushing me to stop using my one job as a crutch and get down to generating freelance income for myself. In the first hour after our conversation I was flooded with so many ideas that the possibilities filled every corner of my brain.

Obviously, I hope everyone who's out of work now can find something they enjoy soon. But this? This is a nice feeling, people! If you've never had it, find a way to get it!

Now, some newness around the web to start your weekend off right:

1) Google's got a new app. I downloaded it today, and so far it looks pretty awesome.

2) Ridiculous uselessness.

3) Oh, shit. LL's giving the goodies away!

4) I wish Paris Jackson all the best. But this movie is probably gonna be kinda crappy.

5) Thank you, Robert California. Thank you.

That's all, lovelies. Enjoy your weekends!

Ahh...The Muse

Inspiration is a tricky thing, isn't it? No matter what you're working on (article with a looming deadline, painting, photo essay, book proposal or business plan) that urge to create is essential. So when the muse isn't with you, what do you do?

In many things getting started is the hurdle that can help. At least, that's what everyone says. Begin, the logic says, and let things flow until you find something that resonates with you and gets the juices flowing. And this is what I often do. It does help, but sometimes it feels empty.

I've never been much of a "fake it 'til you make it" person. It's not that I don't believe it works; it just usually doesn't get me to a genuine place. Say I'm having a crappy day and someone smiles at me in the grocery store. I always smile back, but it doesn't make me any happier or ease my anxieties. I frequently feel like a poseur for doing it, like I'm not being myself in the moment. And I don't like that. I don't like doing things just because I'm supposed to. I want to want to do nice things, kind things, generous things.

Maybe it's childish, but I want to create because I've been struck by an idea and moved in some way that I want to share with others. I suppose it's incredibly naive, especially for someone who's been writing, painting, playing music and dreaming up fantastical inner worlds for almost 40 years to desire more frequent light bulb moments. But, there you go.

Do you get inspired to begin, or begin to get inspired?

I Can't Hate A Man Who Loved Magnum P.I.

Even if you already liked Michael Fassbender, don't you like him a bit more now?

Music Monday: Church Shopping Just Got Interesting, Y'all!

Well, my goodness! HUBS and I had an interesting Sunday morning. You know how we've been visiting churches to try to find one that HUBS really likes? We went to a new one yesterday, and things got...interesting.

This is a very popular modern, local church. They have two locations, over 1,000 parishioners and a broadcast on local television. We got there a bit late and the band was still playing. But, then, the main pastor's wife (who is also a pastor) got up on stage to pray or offer a blessing or something. You know why I can't remember the point of her brief talk? Because she said something so offensive to me (and HUBS) as a spiritual person that it's the only phrase out of her mouth that registered. Everything else was literally blown away.

So, what did she say? Word for word, she said:

Buddha is dead, but Jesus is still alive!

The crowd cheered and clapped, while HUBS and I looked at each other stunned. HUBS told me as we left later that he actually considered walking out right at that moment.

Here's the deal, Pastor Lady; HUBS and I have been going to church off and on for over 35 years. Neither of us have ever, ever heard a minister, pastor, priest or what-have-you insult another religion during a service! Do you know why? Because it's inappropriate, rude, unnecessary, self-important, arrogant and just plain bitchy.

Are you really such an insecure Christian that you need to openly and very publicly put down other religions? How'd you get to be a minister's wife who is also a minister if that's the case? I find it especially troubling that you picked on Buddhists, who, as far as I can tell, have never (as a group, at least) put down any other religions and seem to be some of the most peaceful people on the planet.

Clearly you didn't get the message about loving your neighbor or keeping your ignorant mouth shut when you've got nothing nice to say. I know you meant that the spirit of Jesus is alive; but so is the spirit of Buddha with his followers. If you really need to diminish other religions to make yourself feel good, then you might have bigger problems than Christianity alone can handle.

Blah.

In case you were wondering, friends, the rest of the service was fine. We like her husband. He only said one thing we sorta weren't so crazy about, but that paled in comparison to her.

OK, now that I've gotten that out of my system, let's watch some videos!

Happy Friday!

Well, the weeks keep tumbling by, don't they? It's December, y'all! The year is almost gone. I'm going to try not to think about it.

Now, let's enjoy some things around the net, shall we?

1) Never in my wildest dreams.

2) Also? Threats and cheese. Yeah, that's what I said.

3) Can women be funny and hot? (I know! Stupid question!)Here's one female writer's list. (Which I don't totally agree with, but see what you think!)

4) Look! Guys can do it too!

5) Yes. They are awesome.

6) And, finally, something practical for all you job seekers out there.

Enjoy the weekend!

A Nice Thought

Ah, so true...

Hump Day: The Revelation!

Welcome back, lovelies! I hope everyone had a fantastic Thanksgiving filled with food, fun and free time.

For the first time in over a decade, PT and I did not make our famous sweet potato pies. Mom just didn't feel like it. She also told me she didn't want to cook anything much, so I didn't go over on Thanksgiving Eve. Then, when HUBS and I got there the next night, she'd made everything we usually cook except for homemade dressing: candied yams, rolls, her mac-n-cheese and home-cooked veggies (corn on the cob and green beans with ham hocks).

Clearly she felt more like cooking then she let on.

HUBS and I spent the rest of the weekend eating leftovers, finishing up my birthday freebie food and watching movies. The beginning of this week was kind of dead; dreary, cold days that are good for sleeping late and lazing around, which is mostly what I did.

Today, though, was crisp and bright. I headed out to my local Panera Bread to get a small lunch and work on some writing ideas that have been twirling around the ol' noggin. It really was a nice time. I got some writing and reading done, including article ideas and a new screenplay that came out of watching Friends With Benefits this summer and finding it inadequate.



While I was flipping through my relatively new idea book I noticed something. All my previous entries were on Wednesdays. Then I looked through my to-do lists that I keep on my phone and noticed that quite a few of those were made for battling mid-week blues as well. Apparently, Wednesday and I have a love affair going on and I didn't even realize it!

Has this happened to anyone else? Where you've noticed that you get more done on a certain day of the week? I don't know what it is about hump day for me, but I've decided to go with it and declare it my ACTION DAY. The day when I'll jump into action every week, if not earlier.



Look at today. Aside from getting work done I even managed to work in some EXPANSION. I sat down next to a lady who was working on her laptop and we chatted a bit about the food, then did each other the favor of watching our things as we alternately took breaks or got up for coffee.

When she was about to leave I asked if she worked out of the restaurant a lot and when she said that she often did, I gave her my card and told her to call if she was planning to come over and wanted a friendly face to look after her things. She took it and then handed over one of her cards after I asked for it. So, yea! I might have a "work" buddy soon.

Hump Day is good!

Consumer Warning: Dear God, What Is Happening To My Underarms!?

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I am really not that particular when it comes to beauty/personal care products. In general, whatever works at as cheap a price as possible usually does quite nicely for me.

However, with all the investigative confusion over whether or not aluminum in antiperspirants causes breast cancer, I decided to give a deodorant without the metallic stuff a try.

At around $4, which is more than I'd ever spent on underarm paraphernalia before, I sprung for this Tom's of Maine aluminum free deodorant. I got the lavender scent; usually I avoid lavender because it tends to be too strong and give me a headache within minutes, but this scent was like a gentle lavender breeze.

Here is where we get to the kicker. You see that sticker on top that says 24 Hour Odor Protection? Well, let me tell you to take the good folks at Tom's of Maine completely seriously. I have found that at exactly the 24 hour mark after applying something radical happens: your pits become deeply, deeply funky.

I know that sounds self-explanatory, but it's not. See, it isn't as though the deodorant fades away, leaving your body to it's own odoriferous devices. Oh, no. That's too easy. This stuff? It actually turns bad on you. Meaning, if you compare this scent at 25 hours with your usual scent after a hard workout, you will smell different and far, far and beyond worse.

Never in all my post-pubescent life, you guys. Clearly I should have looked at some reviews first. Once I finish this tube, I will be going back to Secret forever and ever, amen.

So, This Is What We've Come To?

Apparently it's cool now to take the year's most maligned song and do a parody of it for a post-Thanksgiving shopping extravaganza commercial. Of course the benefit of this is that everyone who's been paying even a little bit of attention will hear the ad and go, "Wait...Oh, wow! Look what they did there!" You know, like I did.

Genius advertising? Quite possibly.

Music Monday: Post Birthday Pep!

Peeps! Did everyone have a good pre-Thanksgiving weekend? HUBS and I did quite a bit of running around in honor of my birthday, including driving almost 50 miles to obtain the four free meals I got from various restaurant e-clubs. Getting that much free food made this the most exciting birthday I've had in years. Is that weird?

Well, I think it's time for some tunes. How 'bout you?

Happy Friday: Birthday Time!

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Well, looky there. My birthday is this weekend. Honestly, it's freaking me out a bit. Not to become a middle-aged stereotype, but the fact that I'm now close enough to 40 to give it a good smack on the ass, it is making me nervous.

In other news, did you know that none of you fabulous people took me up on the contest offer from last week? I know you can use some free art, right? Here are some things you can do with my photo if you win: give it as a gift, put it on your wall, use it to decoupage, have it turned into an awesome coffee mug/mouse pad/tee shirt, masturbate to it...wait, what? Who typed that? Wasn't me! I swear!

Anyway, be sure to enter by next Friday at 5 p.m. CST. Now, let's do some looking around the internet!

1) I love Louis C.K.

2) All you avid e-book readers should try Litfy for access to a lot of freebies.

3) I admit it: I am not a car girl. I just want something reasonably priced and reliable. But, if you are a car chick, look into VroomGirls.

4) Lit heads, design fans and foodies alike can get into this.

5) If you already like GiltGroup you'll likely enjoy their new fine dining site.

That's all for today. Get thee to something fun this weekend!

Interesting Theories

In the interest of EXPANSION I've been reading a lot of books on freelancing, writing, creating an ideal life and personal branding over the last few months. Last night I was pouring over Be Your Own Brand, and some of the ideas really struck me.

I've wondered quite a bit on here (and during my general alone time) about why I procrastinate and sabotage myself. I've come to the basic conclusion that I'm afraid of a lot of stuff, but this book made me think something else is also behind it.

The authors write about the importance of authenticity when building a brand. People, they say, will trust you faster and longer when they feel you're being real with them. Which, aside from making total sense, I believe I'm good at doing. But, they also mention three important components of authenticity: purpose, vision and values.

I have the strongest handle on my values (the stuff that's important to me), a little bit less of a grasp on my vision (What do I really want out of life? To make movies? Become a pro-blogger? Make money selling my photos?) and almost no idea of what my purpose (Really, why do I specifically exist in the world?) is.

The purpose part is what really bugged and stuck with me, because here's what they say about purposeless folks: people without it have no grounding for their values, no motivation to act and nothing that inspires desire.

NO MOTIVATION TO ACT AND NOTHING THAT INSPIRES DESIRE.

That's not a direct quote, but that's what hit my heart hard. That phrase pretty much describes my whole life. I've got lots of big goals and plans and dreams, but have made very little effort to bring much of anything to fruition.

The Why am I here? question has nagged at me since I was a little kid. It comes to the forefront whenever I have a deeply depressed moment that leaves me feeling like a wasted bag of useless existence. But, really? I've never had a very strong feeling of Oh! This is why I'm here!

Even when I get an inkling of that feeling, my brain stops it with But that's silly. I can't be here to help people with their screenplays. Or, How could I have been put here just to rescue stray cats?

Is this it? Is this really why I lack enough ambition to push through fear and act on what I want with few limitations? Has this been the root of my depression all these years? Is this what's actually causing my newly acquired panic attacks? Is this the root of my general passionless mood, something that's been with me for decades?

I swear. The more I read, the more I see how screwy I am.

What about you? Do you know why you're here?

Happy Friday! New Things & The Contest*

Welly, well, well! Looks like it's Friday again, my friends. I've been working hard on Citygirl today to update some things. If you look right under the masthead you'll notice some nifty new pages that I'd love for you to check out. They'll tell you more about me and the writing projects I've completed. Plus! If you'd like to take advantage of my writing services there will be another page available shortly that'll spell all the options out for you. Yay!

Now, the contest! A few days ago I noticed something cool had happened with Citygirl; I've hit 30 followers! As a thank you for reading and supporting my work here, I'm having a little contest.

The first five people who email me at rockette74@yahoo.com with the subject line "Contest! Woo! Yay!" by 2 p.m. CST on Monday will be emailed a photo from my extensive library of the shots I've taken over the years. Just let me know what category of pic you want (Animals, Cats, Nature, People, or Inanimate Objects) in the email.

All photos will carry a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs license, which means you can do whatever you want with the photo as long as you don't alter it or make money off of it and give me credit for the image. You can check out my photo blog, A Girl And Her Camera or many of my previous posts here to see more of my photos.

Phew! Now, lovelies, on to some interesting things around the web!

1) Job seekers are getting creative.

2) Ever thought about starting a small business? These websites might help.

3) If you want to see a movie this weekend, you might not want to bet on Adam Sandler's Jack and Jill. It's getting zero love, friends.

4) Someone got inappropriately creative with a wedding dress.

5) Kate Moss has a modeling little sister. Unfortunately, "little" means only 13 freakin' years old.

6) Kim K. Just. Can't win. And I don't care.

7) Sometimes, Americans are stupid.

*Wouldn't New Things & The Contest be a cool band name? Just sayin'.

Oh, Heavy D...RIP

I'm sure a lot of you have forgotten all about Heavy D & The Boyz, if you knew about them at all. But for fans of late '80s through mid '90s hip hop, Heavy D was the shit. I wish he hadn't passed away earlier this week at only 44 years old.

Want to get to know Heavy D and his ever present Boyz? Here you go...

Compadres

I've been chatting via email with another blogger about making and keeping friends, and how difficult it seems to be (for some of us, at least).

When I was a kid, I always had a couple of buddies I did things with: going roller skating or swimming, having sleep overs, heading to the movies, passing notes in class...But I was never one of those people with a gaggle of amigos surrounding me at all times. I was quiet, studious, lacking in confidence, overweight, well-mannered, four-eyed and frequently riddled with acne. Any one of those things could have knocked me out of cohort competition, but I suspect the combination was what really did me in.

I spent the occasional moment, as a young'n, wondering why more people didn't like me, but I was basically fine with having only one or two close friends. Now, of course, I've been without close friends who live nearby for several years.

It's odd. Even when I was young and thinking about friendship two things never occurred to me: completely changing who I was to fit in more and concern over my future ability to make friends. I guess it seemed like I'd always be able to run into someone somewhere who had things in common with me.

Creating and maintaining friendships is like money management, or brewing the perfect pot of coffee. No one teaches you that stuff. They all just assume you'll get it or that you'll ask the right questions and then they can help you. Clearly, it doesn't always work that way.

What have you learned about friendship since becoming an adult?