Happy Friday: Working For The Weekend! When I Will Also Be Working!

But, don't cry for me, Argentina. I still have one story to write for the new job before Monday, but you know what's cool about having a gig where you write stories and send emails from home? You can literally do it any time of the day or night!

I'm taking a break to eat a super-late lunch and blog, since I haven't done it since Monday...Blog, that is. I've been eating just fine, thank you!

I've also been doing pretty good at the job. I'm getting the hang of procedures and using their online ordering system to gather info for stories. I even got two interview responses this week, which I was told likely wouldn't happen so soon. Score!

I hope you've all had a lovely week, as well. I'll be catching up on your blogs this weekend. Now, let's see what's happening online.


1) 38 fascinating maps that detail everything from what the world's population would look like if it were concentrated in one city, to every country that ever got invaded by England and the US area codes in which the rapper Ludacris claims to have "hoes".

2) If you need a laugh try giphy. Just scroll over your choice to see a variety of animated gifs.

3) Speaking of gifs, this tumblr uses them to tell a comical New York based life story.

4) All you writers out there should find Writing a Scene in 11 Steps and 60 NaNoWriMo tips useful.

5) For everyone with multiple, hard-to-monitor-them-all email addresses, Mailstrom might be the answer for you.

Whoa. That's all for me. I need to rest up and goof off this weekend. It's nice to have something to step away from on weekends, right?

Music Monday: February, Thanks!

Well, 2013 is moving right along, ain't she? Things are looking up for me, and I hope, for you too.

February, Thanks!

1) Thanks to the job gods for hooking me up.

2) Thanks to free workouts on HULU for making it easier for me to get in shape.

3) Thanks to tax refunds for helping us fix our plumbing.

4) Thanks to good plumbers.

5) Thanks to coffee for keeping my mornings grumpy-almost-middle-aged-lady free.

6) Thanks to chips, cheese and salsa for making me happy when I don't feel like cooking.

7) Thanks to HUBS for cleaning the kitchen LIKE A BOSS.

8) Thanks to HUBS for working his geek computer magic and getting more memory on my smart phone.

9) Thanks to GetGlue for making tv/movie watching even more fun.

10) Thanks to washing machines for seeing to it that I've never had to beat dirty clothes against a rock by a stream.

11) Thanks to eshakti.com for extending the discount code from last week. It's now good through 3/20/13!

This is a very good list, if I do say so myself! Now, let's dance!









What made you happy in February?

Clotheshorses Unite!

All photos via eshakti.com

Ladies, who likes to shop out there? I'll admit that since I a)gained weight and b)became lightly employed shopping for clothes has not been my favorite pastime. But, every now and then you find something so awesome it's hard to look away. Eshakti.com is one of those somethings for me.

Last summer I won a contest sponsored by them through another blog. I had a chance to get amazing clothes totally for free. I picked a long, silk dress. The sort of thing I would never actually buy for myself. The cool thing about eshakti.com? You can get any (non-overstock) item on their site ready made or have it customized to your specifications in sizes that range from 0 to 36W.



That's right. 0 to 36W. I don't think any other retailer has a range of sizes that broad.

You can change the length of skirts, tops and dresses. Pick out different necklines or types of sleeves. They will even let you measure pretty much every area of your body and cut their clothes to fit you and only you.



Here's the really cool part, now you can get on the eshakti.com train for less. Head to their site, pick some duds and enter my reader sale code ROCKETTE74 to save 20% off from today until March 10!

Now, go, my pretties! Shop and have fun!

Code has to be entered in the 'Promotional Code' box. No Minimum Order Value. The discount code is not case sensitive. The code can be used any number of times until the validity period. This code can be clubbed with any other gift coupon or gift card in the same order. This discount code is not applicable on our Overstock category. Not applicable on previous purchases.

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?

Happy Friday: Jobbing!

...

So, yesterday was good. HUBS got a snow day at work, and I...

I GOT A FREAKIN' JOB, YOU GUYS!!

I know! I originally applied to this company late last summer, but kept in touch with the hiring manager. She called me yesterday and simply offered me another position. YES!

HUBS and I are cautiously optimistic, since I have been semi-burned before with freelancing, but this will be very good for my self-esteem. I'll be interviewing, writing and still working from home on a part-time basis.

Also, this means that I've been able to cross three things off my professional goal list just this week. I'm making money from writing again, I tried a podcast and I began to make honest work of one of my screenplay ideas this week by actually sitting my ass down and writing the damn thing.

I'M MAKING PROGRESS!

And progress deserves a reward, so let's see what's new!

1) I think I'm finally starting to get the hang of reading faster, thanks to Bill Cosby.

2) How did I just find out about The Fluffington Post? How!?!?

3) Ever wonder how companies like Evernote, Instagram and Twitter make money? Here you go...

4) Daria Morgendorffer has a point.

5) I might be obsessed with funny/cute animal pics.

Happy weekend, everyone!

I Might Be A Terrible Daughter

I talked to my mom on Monday. It had been a while since I spoke to her, I probably called her a week or two ago.

Being an only child who sometimes neglects to call her mom on a regular basis, I have often considered myself not the best kid in the world. But when PT called me Monday, well, I realized just how shitty I am.

PT had, apparently, called me on Saturday and left a message, but I hadn't listened to it or even noticed that it was her that called me because I'm sometimes crappy about picking up messages.

She revealed that last week was hard for her. I said, "Have you been sick?" And PT replied, "No, Adrienne, you know mom died on February 16."

Oh, shit. I forgot about the anniversary of my grandmother's death.

Of course she had a shit week! And I wasn't there for her. Even though at the beginning of this month I reminded myself to call mom around anniversary time. But, I didn't put it on my calendar, so I was wrapped up in my own bullshit and let it completely slip my mind.

She didn't give me any grief over it, but I know she wishes I'd called her. I could hear it in her voice. And you know what? I forget every year.

PT and her mom were very close. I know how hard her illness and death were (are) on mom, but I can't remember to do this one very basic thing for her once a year.

I don't know why this is. Really. Is it just my never-ending mental crap? My general dislike for talking on the phone (thanks to my 9 1/2 years as a receptionist/admin)?

Who the hell knows. I put a reminder on my calendar so I won't forget next year. Though, it doesn't change the fact that I feel I shouldn't have to do that.

My grandmother was a cool, calm lady who bought me my first purse, gave me a love of hats, never cursed and "smoked" cigarettes by lighting them and letting them burn out in the ash tray. Every time I think about her I wonder why I don't miss her more. Then I feel bad about it. Then I push those feelings way, way down because I really don't need anything else to feel bad about.

Maybe what I really am is a terrible granddaughter.

Dammit.

How do you deal with tough family things you'd rather stay away from but know you shouldn't?

A Movie Podcast? Yes, Please!

I did something new today! I recorded my first ever podcast!

So, for my first (as yet untitled) podcast it seemed like a good idea to talk about something I know. Since I've been a film critic for almost seven years, movies are what I know. What I've done is watched Alex Cross, a film I've never seen before, and critiqued it as I watched.

Some things to keep in mind:

1) I'm new at this! Be patient with me!

2) This will be filled with spoilers, so if you had planned to watch Alex Cross and those bother you, wait until after you see the film on your own to listen.

3) I cursed a few times in here, so if that bugs you, feel free to skip my little experiment.

4) The whole thing takes about an hour and 43 minutes. I do an intro, watch the movie and then wrap things up at the end.

5) I used Dropbox to store the file online. Follow the link below to download the audio or add it to your own Dropbox account and then play it.

6) Title suggestions? Love the idea? Hate the idea with a passion? Have ideas for movies I should watch for the next podcast? Give me your opinions in the comments!

Click here for A Movie Podcast #1.

Thanks so much for listening! I'll be back tomorrow with a post about something sort of delicate.

Happy Friday: 7 Things I'm Bad At That Don't Matter

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I had a semi-crappy week. As such, I need to remind myself that I'm not actually bad at everything, it just seems that way sometimes. Also, not all of the things I'm bad at are life-destroying. Here's my list of stuff I suck at that doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.

7 Things I'm Bad At That Don't Matter

1) Brushing my teeth. Of course I'm good at brushing my teeth, technically. I'm just really, really messy at it. The toothpaste foam that forms dribbles down my chin and usually lands on my shirt. I often walk around while I brush and frequently find dried toothpaste spray around the house on mirrors, TVs, counters, tables, walls...You get it. Messy!

2) Reading books/magazines. I subscribe to seven magazines. Most of them sit in un-presentable stacks around the house for WAY longer than a month. I also have a book buying sickness, which I think I've finally kicked, but it's lead me to having a house filled with tomes I've owned for a few years but haven't even cracked the spines on.

3) Checking emails. I have three email accounts: one for family/friends and serious personal business, one for applying for jobs and one for entering contests and other crap. I can go a few days without checking any of them. Then I end up with 700 unread emails and freak the fuck out, do better for a bit and then fall behind again. Oh, well. No one's dying from this one.

4) Skipping dessert. Only happens if I'm sick or so full I might get sick if I inhale one more might. As far as vices go? Not horrible.

5) Waking up early. I fucking hate it. End. Of. Story.

6) Fixing my hair. I have no appreciable skills in this area. I would much rather wear a scarf or hat all day, every day. So, I frequently do.

7) Drinking hooch. One drink and I'm done. And it better basically taste like Kool-Aid, or I'm out. I didn't even start to get a taste for sugary, pansy-assed mixed drinks until about 12 years after I turned 21. I've never been drunk and likely never will be. I can go for several months without having any kind of booze, and I'm totally OK with that.

There's my list. Now? Internet!

1) X-Men Muppets? Yes!

2) Age, dammit! AGE!

3) People who do amazing things only have one different trait from those who don't. Simple as that.

4) Caffrey the cat only has two legs. I love him.

5) This is just fun. Also, it involves cats, so, you know, there's my wheelhouse!

That's all for me. Let me know, what are you bad at that doesn't matter?

Happy Valentine's Day To Me

I slept until almost noon today. I haven't done that in years, but I had a crappy time last night. So did HUBS, and it was his birthday.

He wanted to build a new computer. We'd done our taxes and were getting a pretty good refund; but there were other pressing issues. The plumbing in our kitchen is shot and we need to pay his property tax from last year. I talked to him about it and told him I didn't like the idea of him spending so much, right now, on a computer when his isn't blown out. And I know his parents talked to him about it.

HUBS is angry. He's angry that he's 42 and can't just buy what he wants he wants to. He's angry that I don't have a job. He's angry that he feels like our whole financial life rests on his shoulders. He's angry that he has a job he basically enjoys, but where they've told him outright that he won't be able to move ahead if he stays there. He's angry that every time he comes close to getting a higher paying gig...he doesn't. All of that makes sense to me.

So last night, instead of enjoying his birthday, he told me how angry he was, is and will be about things until I get a job. It took a few hours. And when he took a break to shower I sat watching Access Hollywood, with a growing headache, and considered just walking out the door and getting into my car and not telling him where I was going or when I was coming back because I didn't know.

I stayed. When he came back into the room I apologized for being a depressed, unemployed and ambition-less loser. I apologized for leaving my job at exactly the wrong economic time, letting the process of applying for and not getting jobs demoralize me and giving up over and over again. I apologized for not knowing how to make working for myself work and for hating whatever office or retail job I might get in the future until I can make real money writing. I apologized for not caring about sex enough to do it when I don't want to and not even trying to find a job for the past seven months.

Then, we went to dinner. We drowned our sorrows in food and booze, and I, for one, felt no better.

I realized this morning, laying in bed trying to go back to sleep, that none of the things I want seem even remotely real or possible for me. For other people, sure. But not me. Whenever I try moving toward those things, I feel good only on the surface. Deep inside, there's a tight ball of tense fear that forms and says This will never happen, but you just keep on keeping on.

I don't feel special enough to have what I want. So, I stop trying and the fear of wanting goes away. I think that's why I sabotage myself so much.

The only way to get through the fear is to feel it and do the things I'm scared of, but I haven't mastered that. At all.

Clearly, I have some things to work on.

What's the scariest thing you've ever done? How did you make yourself do it anyway?

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?

Music Monday: January, Thanks!

Ok. So, that was January. Not bad. Got some things done. Fell behind on some others. Learned some things, made some plans. All in all, I do have some things to be grateful for.

January, Thanks!

1) Thanks to laying out some clear plans for things I wanted to get done.

2) Thanks to learning that change isn't as easy as making plans.

3) Thanks to the wisdom of an ear, nose & throat doctor.

4) Thanks to my plush eye mask for sealing out light while I slept on the couch.

5) Thanks to a shelf full of crappy bath towels for being available to wipe up plumbing mishaps.

6) Thanks to free therapy.

7) Thanks to macaroni & cheese for keeping me happy on cold nights.

8) Thanks to yoga for being there when I need it.

9) Thanks to half.com for making reasonably priced gifts a possibility.

10) Thanks to Halls cough drops, tissues, cold medicine and my sinus rinse for getting me healthy sooner.

Hey, that's kind of a lot. Not bad, right? Now, let's stop talking about me and entertain you!









What are you thankful for in January?

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!

...


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

...

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!