Manic Monday #11

What is the sexiest part of the body?: Some have told me my hair and my eyes are my sexiest features. I've personally never given it much thought. It's just me and my body, and I'm proud of it.

If you kissed a frog, who would you like it to turn into?: I think this one is so unbelievably easy. I have my favorites. Jon Bon Jovi will always be my first choice. I've loved that man forever. Eric Bana would be next. He could bring Brad Pitt along somehow if he wanted. If kissing a frog could bring me a princess instead, my first choice there would be Charlize Theron. I've always found her to be unbelievably attractive.

What do you have stuck up on your refrigerator right now?: I don't personally have anything stuck up there, but there is a lot up there right now. Building notices and other paperwork my brother has put up there mostly with a lot of little cutesy magnets.

A New Week Begins

This was an oddly quiet weekend. My brother was out in California at a tournament, so it was just my father and I. We went out for dinner on Friday night, and then for breakfast yesterday morning. We went to Denny's which always has a good breakfast. One thing I did notice though is that prices have gone up while food servings are less. At least it looked like a smaller portion to me. The food was good. That's all that counts. I have a few things I need to work on this morning. All writing related. I need to submit my short into one contest. The deadline is today. I had my submission done on Friday. Then I need to write up a few more things. Writing is just going well for me right now. I couldn't be happier.

This morning in my web hopping I found the site of My Voice Over Guy. He is a man that appears to do all voice overs for your projects for a fee. He's that booming voice from above that you hear sometimes come from nowhere in commercials. If you need that type of thing, he seems to be one of the ones to call. His website has all the information you need. Voice work has really always fascinated me. People are always telling me I have a great voice, and that I should use it. I never have thought about trying to until the last year though. It is a small idea in the back of my mind, but maybe someday I might look into it. For now, it'll just stay in the back of my mind while I focus on my writing. That is my priority right now. I finally see myself going somewhere with it.

Blogging Your Blessings

Tonight around the globe cities took part in Earth Hour. Between the hours of 8 and 9pm, you were asked to turn off all unnecessary lights to help combat global warming and climate change. I live in Phoenix, one of the flagship cities participating in the project that started off last year with only one city, Sydney. In the Australian city last year, 2.2 million people turned their lights off. Tonight, there is no real way of knowing yet just how many took part. My dad and I took part. Shut off all the lights and with flash lights in hand sat in the dark for an hour. Me with my MP3 player, and he checking the TV guide.

The Earth is a blessing. Having this planet to call home is a blessing, and things are changing. Just this week a piece of ice in Antartica that is seven times the size of Manhattan broke off. This is due to global warming. It isn't a myth. It is a problem, and in time we might not have a planet livable for us. We need to do what we can now to save it so that it is our home for many generations to come. Every little bit helps.

Friday's Feast #8

Appetizer

What does the color dark green make you think of?: All things Irish usually. Leprechauns specifically. I have no idea why. I'm not even remotely Irish!

Soup

How many cousins do you have? I can't even begin to count! We had a really big family on my mother's side of things. Twelve siblings, and they all had kids. I didn't even most of that side of the family, and then you don't even want to get me started on my dad's side.

Salad

On a scale of 1 to 10 with 10 being highest, how honest are you?: Uh, I'm thinking I'm around a 7 or 8. I'm one of those that if you don't need to know, I'm not going to tell you types. Some might call that being dishonest, but if you don't ask, I'm not going to tell you!

Main Course

Name something that is truly free.: Love is always free, unless you're one of those that sells love on a street corner. That isn't real love anyway.

Dessert

Using the letters in the word SPRING, write a sentence.: See Paul Run Into Nan's Greenery. Horrible sentence I know. I wanted to say Naked instead though! It just didn't sound right.

Up Way Too Early Again

Once again, I am up early. I actually woke up around 4am, but I fought being awake until just a little before 7am. My stomach is feeling kind of crappy, and there isn't much for me to do this early on a Friday morning. Yesterday, I wrote my entry for a contest with a deadline of today. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! So now I'm web hopping, and checking things out to pass the time. I've always been a bargain shopper. I like finding deals online. Sometimes you can find things online for prices drastically lower than at the stores themselves. Sometimes you're lucky.

Just a couple of days ago, I bought myself that tiny digital camera I mentioned, and now I see I could have also found a great discount digital camera on sale if I shopped online. There are other things I'm trying to look into right now as well. My dad and I are planning a Vegas trip this summer, and I see I can find discount hotel packages if I look around a bit. My weakness when it comes to online is always electronics and DVD's. You can find great deals on both. My brother is still looking to pick up a laptop soon, and I just found him a great sale on laptops here. The thing that always pulls me in when I'm shopping online though is offers with free shipping. With some places, shipping costs as much as the item you're buying! If you can find free shipping, then you're set.

Thursday's Threesome #4

Today's Thursday Threesome is ::Something old, Something new, Something borrowed, Something blue::

Onesome: Something old - Do you have anything that you've owned simply forever? A cherished childhood toy, an antique handed down through the family? ...the family Bible?: My doll. My mom gave it to me the Easter I was six years old. The doll is now twenty-six years old, and I still have her. She is just put away at the moment because my cat was being a bit too friendly with her.

Twosome: Something new - Buy anything new lately?: My MP3 Player. The first one I bought broke a couple of days ago, so I went to take it back, and since they gave me store credit I bought this one instead. Double the cost of the first one I picked up, but a lot nicer looking, more features, and a lot less headaches. The first one I bought had been giving me problems since the day I brought it home. The fatal system error might have been a small blessing in disguise.

Threesome: Something borrowed - Have you ever borrowed an item and never returned it?: Yes, the first thing that comes to mind is a CD I borrowed from my prom date oh so very many years ago. The date sucked beyond belief. You want to hear a prom date horror story. I have one. I might share it sometime, but the date was so bad I never spoke to him again, and he never got his CD back either. I still have it. It's a Peter Gabriel CD. The one with all his hits on like Sledgehammer and In Your Eyes.

Bonus: Something blue - Can you see anything blue from where you are? What is it?: A bag of chips my brother bought for me a few days ago.

All in the name

A few days ago, I talked about finding good web hosting. That is a search many people go on when they decide to make a home for themselves on the World Wide Web. Something else they may consider is finding a domain name. A domain name is just like your own name. It signifies your home and place on the web. You want it to be unique, and you want people to recognize it immediately. It is your name, and you want it to be yours and yours alone. You really don't want someone else to have the same exact name as you.

Once you think of a name for your space, it comes time to register it. There are many sites out there that will let you do just that. Some cost more than others, and some offer other things that go along with your name. When it comes to domain name registration, there are so many places to go to do just that. Once you register your name, you need to remember to pay for that name yearly. That might sound kind of weird to do because that name is yours, but there are names that do end up getting quite popular. People want them! I doubt this will happen with the name you pick for your personal blog, but you never know. That might just happen. You just need to think big and think of a name that best describes you and your content.

The things you find ...

I just went for my normal walk down the block. On the corner about a half mile away, there is two shopping centers, one on each corner. I always end up looking at one or the other. Today I went into the CVS, and they had a tiny digital camera on sale for $9.99. Mine had broken a long time ago, and I figure for ten dollars it might be worth picking up. I was also thinking ahead to the concert I am going to in a few weeks. The camera is small enough, and maybe with as close as I am to the stage I will be able to snap a few good shots. We will have to see! This is a picture of my cat Mikey I just took a few minutes ago. He's grown so much since I last showed everyone a picture of him. He is just a little over two years old now.

College Days

For some reason, I've been remembering my college days a lot lately. I even had the strangest dream last night. I was back in college, and it was early on in the semester, and I was trying to figure out my schedule. I was taken a course on the history of Gaelic. I don't even know why it was about that specifically. That was the only part of my schedule form I could read. Everything else was in this really awful tiny print and blurry. I remember my college days, and they were a mix of good and bad times really. I remember them all, and it leaves this whole bittersweet feeling to the time.

Fourteen years ago, I was a senior in high school waiting to graduate. Then there was the summer, and my moving to Arizona, settling myself in a dorm, co-ed, which caused all kinds of problems. I met my first love there. Made my first real enemies there. Those first six months were the oddest ever. Back then, I don't think the idea of taking online classes existed. If they did, it was a concept in its infancy. Now you can take your entire college education online. There are programs with online education. Online Degree is really not out of the question. Online MBA is one such program where you can even earn your Masters Degree online. I've always thought about going back to further my education, but college burned me the first time around. I'm not sure I want to deal with that again, even if it is all over the Internet. If I ever want to though, the opportunity is there.

The No Good Very Bad Day

Yesterday, was just a really bad day. It started with the weirdest sleep schedule ever, and then it just went on from there. They started jackhammering outside my front door, and I mean that literally. Then my MP3 decided to have a major system error that I couldn't somehow fix. Luckily, it hadn't been thirty days yet, so I took it back to the store and I ended up buying a new one. A better brand with some more features. I'm hoping there are no problems with it. The only thing that tripped me up was the battery. It has one of those life time batteries.

All you need to do is plug the player into your computer's USB port, and it will recharge it. That confused me for a bit, but once I figured that out I see it as a good thing. The USB connector is even built in as part of the player. It just slides out of the bottom, and you're all set. It sounds better than the first one I bought, which it should. I paid double the cost for it. Good news is I have a better player, and they finally turned the air conditioning in our building on this morning. Having ninety degree days with no air was killing me. I guess there is always good that comes with the bad. That always makes the bad not so bad after all.

Finances Always Trip Me Up

If there is one thing I've consistently mentioned here on my blog is my family's finances. We have our daily struggles with it, but we keep moving forward as best we can. Yesterday, we received my new credit card statement. A certain amount goes to this every single month. A couple of years ago, the credit card was maxed out, and I had to have them close it and put us on a special program so we could pay it off. We are doing that slowly but surely. Back then, it was over $16,000, and now it is just a bit over $4,000. I'll be glad once that is paid off. It'll be paid off just like my student loans were paid off. The first year of college hit us hard, but I was out of state then. Once I turned in-state, I received college scholarships each semester that covered the rest of my four years of education. Not sure what good my degree does me, but I can at least say I have it. That is a story for another time though.

Finances are just hard though. Our savings are next to nothing now, and we keep looking for more ways to stretch our dollars. Bills are always due it seems. My dad works, but sometimes those bills come in when we're in between checks. It always seems to happen that way anyway. I know there are ways to get money until you get your paycheck, you can see places like payday loan archives to see about those. It seems there is a lot to worry about when it comes to those types of loans just by glancing at a few of the articles. I hate loans though. I know some might see a credit card as a short term loan, but I've never seen them that way. Maybe I am one of the few. I don't have another credit card though. Everything goes straight through my debit card and from one of accounts. I learned my credit lesson early on and well. Can't say the same for my dad, but yet again that is a story for another time!

Sleep? What's that?

It seems my sleep patterns lately are getting more out of whack. I'm tired a lot of the day, and I have trouble sleeping at night. Last night, I was tired at 9pm, so I decided to go ahead and go to bed. I was in bed before 9:30, but I kept waking up through the night. I woke up around midnight, and then again around 5am. I am not the type of person to just lay there when I can't sleep either. I usually get right up and get on the computer until I can fall asleep again. Sometimes that is thirty minutes. Sometimes it is a couple of hours.

It is frustrating. I'm more active during the day. Last week, I walked all five weekdays. I don't walk on the weekends. I plan to go for a walk in a bit here today. I'm thinking of heading up to the local park and read or try to see if I can get a basic beginning for the story I know is due Friday. Nothing like waiting until the last minute! It's for a short though, under 1000 words, and I have a first line in mind. I'll just have to wait and see if I have the rest in me. Hopefully I do.

Finding Web Hosting

For years I have pondered finding web hosting for either my blog or my website. I haven't done it, but I always tell myself that someday I am going to. The problem is finding reliable web hosting. There are so many companies out there offering to host your home on the Internet. You have the big guys like Yahoo, and then you have countless other smaller companies. It is all a matter of finding the one that is right for you. I think one holds me back is the hassle in moving everything. Because once I go for web hosting, there is nothing stopping me from getting the domain name set up. In fact, that is probably easier to set up than the web hosting. One person did their own little search for reliable best web hosting, and they came up with their own ideas of what companies were the best. I'm sure everyone will have their own opinion, but it is good to get a lot of opinions before jumping into anything. At least, I've always thought so.

Thoughts on The L Word Season Finale

I have watched the season finale to The L Word's fifth season three times now, and each time it just makes me a little bit more angry. The one sixty minute episode wrapped up many of the season's problems, and it cause new ones that I'm sure will be dealt with when the show comes back in 2009. However, I think it wrapped up everything too quickly. If you haven't watched the episode yet, stop here.


In this episode we see the return of Helena Peabody from a hut in Tahiti. Her mother is supposedly on her death bed, and she decides to give Helena back her money, and then she tells her to use it to help her friends. This leads her to buy She-bar and I am hoping The Planet back from Dawn. She just comes back and saves the day. Problem solved. Adele, who we know is major witch, goes from having no girlfriend at all to having a beautiful lady. There will be more problems with the movie next year. Nice Jodi turns into a major witch, and the one that tops everything for me is Jenny and Shane. I know Shane is the slut to end all sluts, but come on she would not even think about screwing around with her best friend's girl. That is just what she does here, and she has totally ruined a friendship. The only way I can see this being a good thing is if Jenny and Shane somehow are meant to end up together when the series returns next year for what is now being called the show's final season. I have no idea what the writer's were thinking.

Radio in HD

I love music. I have mentioned how much I love music on my blog several times. I think my stereo is on at least half of the time, if not more. I'm either listening to my CD player or the radio. I like listening to the radio because sometimes I'll find songs or artists I might not find otherwise. Sometimes I listen to the music stations my cable television offers with Music Choice. I recently bought an MP3 player with an FM Radio in it. No, it wasn't an iPod. I simply can't afford those, and the one I picked up does what I want it to do at less than half the price.

New things keep coming out all the time, and now you have HD Radio which you can access using an HD Radio Receiver. HD Radio is all digital radio which allows radio stations to come through with better sound quality and more options. We have HD TV. Why not HD Radio? New stations are being added all the time. Check out these New York High Definition Radio stations. Digital Radio adds more options, and for those iTunes lovers they even have iPod dock with iTunes Tagging that makes it easier to download your favorite tunes from Apple iTunes.

I don't use iTunes much, but it seems everyone else is. You can now download movies and television shows. I remember when the craze with iTunes started a couple of years ago when I first started covering television items for Media Village. Now it has just blown up, and it will only continue to do in the time to come. People have just latched onto it, and they don't seem like they want to let go of it anytime soon.

Blogging Your Blessings

Today is a day of many small blessings, but each are important in their own way. The first being that they finally fixed the main problem we had with our car yesterday. A week late, and there are few more things that need to be done before everything is perfect. The main problem is fixed though. The second blessing is that I was finally able to talk to a friend of mine that I hadn't really had a chance to speak the last few weeks. She was missed, and I was glad we were finally able to talk. The final blessing is this day, Easter. I will be able to spend the day with family, and we will sit down to dinner together. To all of you out there, have a very Happy Easter.

Win A Home Makeover

Now who wouldn't want to win a home makeover? I know I would love my apartment made over, but I don't think that is what the contest is for. Renuzit has a new product out, and they want you to try. In fact, it is called TriScents. You can enter to win here for a $20,000 make over courtesy of Renuzit. All you have to do to enter is share why you think your home is the one they should pick to make over in the form of a 250 word limit essay. They also want to see your home with either a picture or a video of under two minutes or length. You can see official rules completely here. There is a coupon on the site for you to print easily in order to also try the product if you haven't already done so.

Submissions go through May 8th, and once those are closed, voting is opened to the public so they can choose the winning entry and home to be made over. Just sitting here and looking around my apartment, I wish I could enter. I don't see anywhere where it says I can't, but a home makeover usually means it is a house and not an apartment. At least it does to me. I've always loved makeovers. Extreme Makeover Home Edition was one of my favorite shows to watch, but I haven't watched it much at all this year. The show always ended up making me cry.

A Month Without Lost

I'm not really sure how I will survive. Lost is my favorite show on television, and when the strike began and rumors flew that Lost might not come back until 2009 like 24 is, I was upset. This show has more twists and turns than any other show I've seen in television in years. First with flashbacks, and now with flash forwards to the future, I am being kept on my toes. I am sure I am not the only one either. We now six make it off the island, but we don't know what happens to the other survivors. I'm hoping we find out soon because I'm impatient and the suspense is killing me. Lost will be back next month with a few episodes, and we already know it comes back next season. The series is starting to come to an end though. You can feel it. What will Losties do once the story ends?

Finding Love

A few days ago on my blog here, I mentioned about men and how they seem to find it necessary to hoot and holler when they see an attractive woman. Not all men do this. Some are actually very gentleman like and they avoid behavior such as this. I am a single woman. I am a very busy and picky single woman. I don't do many relationships. As I've said before, I've had more luck writing romance than being in a romance. I have hope that may someday change for me, but I'm not allowing myself to worry about it. I'm happy as I am right now, and I do have an interest in someone, but they happen to be one of those unattainable options at the moment because of distance. With the Internet though, you can use online personals to discover new friends or make a romantic connection. I know to some it may seem kind of odd, but I do actually know of people that had met online and gone to have great relationships. Some have even married. It is starting to happen more and more often really. There are many ways to meet people these days. Whether or not you use a service you have found online or a more traditional approach love is out there to be found if you just look for it.

Friday's Feast #7

Appetizer

Given the choice, would you prefer to live in the country or in the city?

I have always been a city girl. My whole life has been spent in one city or another. I grew up in a suburb of Los Angeles, and now I live in the Phoenix Metro area. I've always had this dream about living in the middle of nowhere and just writing. It isn't the country, but I went to visit my brother one summer when he lived in Big Bear, CA, and I've always wanted to go back there and live. It is so beautiful up there.

Soup

Who is the cutest kid you know?

My best friend's little boy, but then again I am probably very biased there!

Salad

Fill in the blank: I couldn’t believe it when I heard ___________.

... that Patrick Swayze was sick and dying from cancer earlier this month. I'm Dirty Dancing obsessed, and I've always been a fan of his work. I will be so sad when he passes on.

Main Course

If you could star in a commercial for one of your favorite products, which one would you want to advertise?

I have this insane love for Pepsi, especially their Wild Cherry Pepsi. The Pepsi commercials are always a bit above the norm and interesting, so I'd love to be in one of those someday!

Dessert

What type(s) of vitamins and/or supplements do you take on a regular basis?

Sadly, right now I am not taking anything at all. I know I probably should be, but I just don't.

Keeping Yourself Safe

More and more you hear about people stealing the identity of others. There are commercials on television and stories about it on the news. I've heard personal stories from friends and neighbors about it happening to them, but I am fortunate enough to not have had it happen to me yet. They make it so easy for it to be done these days with the way they send out letters and personal information. There ways to keep yourselves self. Students and families are especially at risk for identity theft. Anyone can have their identity stolen, and once this happens your life can be turned upside down and your credit could be ruined for life. You might even end up in jail or paying higher premiums on those everyday expenses just because someone stole your identity. There is services like life lock that can protect you. A service that keeps your identity safe from those that might steal it. I never understood the concept of stealing someone's identity, but people will do anything these days.

Dancing With The Stars Season Six

Anyone catch it this week? This show is my little guilty pleasure, and I try not to miss an episode. The new season premiered this week, and we have some great people dancing this time around. My favorite is Academy Award winner Marlee Matlin. I've always admired her as an actress and a person. I've seen so many of her movies over the years, and I love her character on The L Word. She came out strong this week with a good performance. She amazes me with her rhythm, even though she can't hear one ounce of the music.

There will be one more performance next week before we start seeing eliminations. I really think Marlee did great this week. Apparently there are also rumors going around that season two champions, Cheryl Burke and Drew Lachey, had an affair during this last tour. Both parties deny the rumors of course. This isn't the first time dance partners have been romantically linked. Sometimes it has been true, but I'm sure not every instance is true. Perhaps a little wishful thinking after seeing some chemistry on the dance floor?

Money Troubles

Time and again on my blog I have mentioned my financial situation and the problems my family has been having. The last couple of years have been difficult, but things have been really bad the last couple of month. My own credit card was maxed out, and we're paying that debt off slowly using a special program available through my credit card. My father has tried to file bankruptcy before, but it didn't work out too well. He finally went into debt consolidation.

That seems to be working better, but it is still not the best with a five hundred dollar payment going out every month. We somehow make do though. Debt Management Plans can help if you let them. I don't like being in debt much. I avoid credit cards at all costs if I can, but sometimes they are unavoidable. I'm just tired of seeing more money coming out than is coming in. I'm sure I'm not the only one that feels this way. A lot of people have money problems. It becomes an issue of how to manage your money.

Sometimes though even with the best laid plans, things end up coming up. Those things called life's little emergencies. Car repairs, an unexpected trip, or any number of things can come up, and usually when it comes to life's little emergencies it means big money. All you can do is roll with the punches, deal with the cards life is dealing you and hope you have some savings left over when it is all said and done. At least that is what I do.

Thursday Threesome #3

Today's Thursday Threesome  is ::Anyone can miss a Day::

Onesome: Anyone-- Has anyone made an impression on you lately? No, not on the national level, but at work or school or just 'around'. ...or even here on the web? -- I've recently started writing with someone new in my role play writing who keeps on impressing me daily with how they write their character. It helps me pass the time between job assignments, and it is always nice to find someone to write against that makes things fun and interesting consistently.

Twosome: can Miss-- Speaking of webbish things (and of course we are <g>!), what types of things do you take a miss on at your place and chose not to post about? Just curious... -- I have learned when it comes to blogging, just as it is in life, politics are a hard topic. People tend to have strong emotions one way or another when it comes to politics, and I've seen a difference in political opinion end friendships.

Threesome: a Day-- On a similar note: do you post every day? ...or just whenever? ...or is every session at the computer a spur to work up a little something? -- I try to post daily. I intend to post daily, but sometimes that just doesn't end up working out.

Dark Skies

Just earlier today I mentioned my love for looking up at the stars. I can spend hours doing it, but living in the city as I do the stars get drowned out by the city lights. That is something that has always taken the fun out of stargazing for me. I have always wondered what it would be like to have a sky full of stars without having to go out to the middle of nowhere. In Florida, I found out a festival that is trying to stop light pollution and allow for uninterrupted stargazing. The Dark Sky Festival will be a fun experience it looks like with telescopes provided to look up at the stars, music, and guest speakers. The festival is promoting environmentally intelligent lighting and practices for better living. The festival actually kicks off National Dark Sky Week which also promotes those same practices. This is one national event I've never heard of before, but this wouldn't be the first time I've missed something. It is something I find interesting though. I'm thinking it would be nice to be able to go out and stare up at the sky and actually see the stars again. You can read more about the festival below.

Get Ready! This Year’s Dark Sky Festival is Out-of-this-World

HARMONY, FL – March 15, 2008 – The 5th Annual Dark Sky Festival at Harmony will be held on Saturday, April 5, 2008. Sponsored by the Harmony Institute, the Kissimmee Convention and Visitors Bureau, several astronomy clubs, the Osceola News Gazette and Florida Travel & Life Magazine, the event will kick off at 7pm in Harmony's Town Square.

“The Dark Sky Festival is intended to celebrate and promote the benefits of a night-sky free from the effects of excessive artificial lighting,” said Greg Golgowski, Harmony’s Conservation Director and a key member of the Dark Sky Festival Planning Committee. “Poor outdoor lighting not only washes out the splendor of the heavens, but also reduces visibility at night, wastes energy, and disturbs wildlife.”

As with the past four Dark Sky Festivals, attendees will be able to enjoy viewing the night skies through a variety of telescopes. There also be lots of music and food, numerous specialty booths, an educational zone with presentations from astronomers and other scientists, nocturnal creatures, a Cosmic Kids Zone and so much more.”

Local favorite, the Silver Clouds Orchestra, will start the entertainment portion of the evening at 7:00pm. This will be followed by a free concert by legendary recording artists, Rare Earth.

Rare Earth will take to Harmony’s outdoor amphitheatre stage at 8:00pm for a live concert chock full of their greatest hits including “Get Ready” and “I Just Want to Celebrate.”

“We are ecstatic to have Rare Earth performing at this year’s Festival,” said Shad Tome, president of Harmony Development Group. “We are encouraging everyone to wear comfortable shoes because Rare Earth is known for getting the whole audience up and dancing.”

The festival will be emceed by Magic 107.7’s afternoon drive on-air personality and program director Ken Payne.

The Festival is open to the general public. Over 3,500 people are expected to attend the event this year. The event will conclude around 11:00pm.

This date was selected because it falls on the heels of National Dark Sky week (March 29 – April 4); where people in the United States are encouraged to turn out their unnecessary outdoor lights in order to temporarily reduce light pollution.

For more information, please visit www.DarkSkyFestival.com or call 407-891-8358.

Do you find this appealing?

This is something I've wondering about lately. I've been going for walks a few times a week. Almost every time I gone the last week, some guy has found it in himself to either hoot and holler or honk his horn as he passes me by. Yes, I know this means he finds me attractive, but personally I've never liked this approach. I find it a bit rude actually. I've had one guy actually stop his car and tell me he thought I was beautiful. This one I didn't mind. He actually made more an effort in my eyes. What does it take to yell out or honk a horn? Not much really. To me it makes you wonder if they would do things half way elsewhere. Not the kind of guy I would want. What do you think?

Rapping on.

I've always been a huge fan of music. I like a lot of different genres and styles. One I sometimes enjoy is rap music. Not always, but I do have a few artists I enjoy. Eminem and Kanye West immediately come to mind immediately. Some of the best rappers have been around for a long time. Eminem has been on the scene for about ten years now I think, and I remember being a fan of his from the very beginning. One of my favorite songs he's done is Mockingbird. As with any genre of music, artists come and go, but Eminem has had a staying power that I admire.

Remembering

I've always been fascinated with space. That great expanse out there where other worlds and probably species far different from our own live. There are nights where I go outside and stand there just to look at the stars. Whenever I hear about some celestial event, whether it be an eclipse or a meteor shower, I'm out there to at least try to catch a tiny glimpse. I watch so many things about space, fiction and reality based, that it isn't funny. Many of my favorite shows or movies are about space, take place in space or are about people from space. The truth is out there. I was a huge X-files nut when that show was on. Yesterday, when I heard of the passing of Arthur C Clarke, I was immediately saddened. Yesterday was a sad day with also the death of Anthony Minghella, an amazing director who I have enjoyed watching the work of in the past. 2001: A Space Odyssey is known by all to be a classic, and Arthur will surely be missed.

Time For Baseball!

It's just about time for the baseball season to start this year. Living here in Arizona, fans get a special opportunity to see their favorite baseball players in action with the spring season. Many of the teams have stadiums and play exhibition games here to get ready for their season ahead. We have the Angels, the Cubs and a few others around the area, and the games are quite popular. As many as ten thousand can show up for a game, and some fans travel here to the state just to watch the spring games. I've been to a couple of games myself over the years.

With the season getting ready to start, some fans are starting to look ahead to playing fantasy sports online or off. I've played fantasy sports before. Mostly when it comes to football, but I did try a baseball league one year. When you get into fantasy sports it can be a lot of fun, but to me fantasy baseball sounds like a lot of work. You need to be on top of your game. Things can change from day to day with injuries and records. There are ways to keep on top of your game though. One is by using software that helps you keep track of things.

One such program found at the link above is a completely web based program that helps give you all you need to know to draft the best time you possibly can. Everything from the latest rankings to injury reports. The software can only help you improve your chances of doing well in your fantasy league. If you act now, you can get $10 off the software using the following promo code: BMC200. I'm excited for the actual season to start this year. I usually go to a game or two every season. Usually when the Dodgers are in town to face the Diamondbacks. Should be a good year!

Ten on Tuesday #2

This week's Ten on Tuesday is: '10 Places You'd Take a Tourist to See in Your Hometown'

I live in the State of Arizona. A beautiful state I have called my home town for several years now. I moved out here in the Fall of 1994, so I've been here nearly fourteen years now, and I couldn't imagine living anywhere else. If someone came to visit me here, there are several places here in the State I would try to make sure they saw.

1. Grand Canyon - This is probably a given, but it is one of the wonders of the world. It has to be seen.
2. Colorado River - This goes along with the above. Right across the river from Kingman, you also have Laughlin, which is a mini-Vegas!
3. Chase Field formerly Bank One Ballpark, where the Arizona Diamondbacks play. It is an awesome venue to see.
4. Superstition Mountains - This mountain range just outside of Phoenix is beautiful. While there we can check out Goldfield and The Lost Dutchman Mine.
5. The Sedona Red Rocks
6. A casino - there are a few around the state that have been built over the years. Fort McDowell is the oldest, and Casino Arizona is probably the newest. There is even a Harrah's casino about an hour away from me.
7. The Phoenix Zoo and the Desert Botanical Garden
8. The Heard Musuem - A museum containing a large number of artifacts and information about the Native American's in this area.
9. Monument Valley Navajo Tribal Park
10. ASU and Gammage Auditorium - A beautiful campus and Gammage regularly gets many Broadway shows.

All in all, Arizona is great state to live in. Yes, it is hotter than hell in the summer months, but you honestly learn how to adapt to it over the years. It is a beautiful state with a rich history.

The Calls Don't Stop.

If there is one thing I'm quite used to getting a lot of, it is advertising phone calls. They seem to just keep coming, and one of the most often callers are people offering mortgages, which is silly because my family lives in an apartment. We've thought about getting into a house over the years, but we all just hate moving. Every time our lease comes up though, we talk about it. Mortgages are kind of scary though. It's a bill that will follow you around for the rest of your life unless you pay it off. My one brother-in-law is an appraiser, so he is always telling my brother about the current market whenever he calls to check in with us. A home would be nice to have though. The calls coming for them now though is amusing to me to say the least.

Manic Monday #10

If you could have any music group or musician play at a party, who would you hire?: Bon Jovi or U2. I love both of them to no ends, and I think they would be both amazing to have a party.

Name three things to be happy about today.: Life in general is something to be happy about today. Then my family and lastly my writing. Things are really amazing there right now, and I love it.

How do you release frustration?: Music, walking, writing, sometimes eating or just sleeping. There really is so many things I do. Just depends on my mood at the time.

Love is in the air

I have always loved love. It just doesn't love me most of the time. I think that is why I went into writing romantic stories. I love people coming together and forming relationships that make them completely happy. I'm a romantic. I love hearing a good love story. Reading one. Watching one on the screen. I'm the type that cries at happy endings. I want to see it. I love the concept of love, even though I'm very single. I have better luck writing about love than actually experiencing it myself. I think there are so many ways to show you love someone.

Some think its gifts that are the way to win someone's heart, but words can be just as good. An I love you letter can just be the sweetest thing. I love writing them myself. Just putting my all into a letter letting the person I love how I feel. There are many other romantic ideas you can use to show how you feel too. I can be the biggest romantic sap in the world. I just tend to throw that all into my writing when I can. Even though it is just a character feeling those things, it can still bring a big smile to my face because I'm the one creating it.

Blogging Your Blessings Sunday

I know its been a long time since I've done one of these. To be honest, I haven't felt very blessed the last month or so. Things have been difficult here on the financial front with my family. Bills keep coming in, and a lot of money keeps going out. We're dipping into the savings, and there isn't much left. We've had car problems ever since we paid two thousand just to fix it. Life is difficult around me, but for me personally things aren't too bad. I'm trying to look on the bright side of things here. That is what you have to do in times like this. Sometimes there is only one bright spot. For me today, they finally figured out what was wrong with the car yesterday. They put in a bad part, and it screwed up everything. They have ordered a new one, and they will put it in tomorrow at no charge to us. The part they put in was brand new. I'm not sure how it could be bad, but that's what they told us. At least they are fixing it. I might not participate here every week, but I'll try to get better at it. Some weeks it is harder to find a blessing than others.

College memories

The other day a friend and I were discussing college together. She still takes classes as she works towards another degree. I graduated college ten years ago, and I've never once thought about going back. I enjoyed my college days for what they are worth, but I don't necessarily have the best of memories of the time. It was an important period of my life though. I attended college to become a teacher. I went to ASU here in Arizona. The program at the time I went involved both textbook studies and in class room hands on learning with students.

I have always enjoyed working with kids, but after spending some time in the classroom over the years I went to college, I realized that the classroom wasn't the place for me. Programs that put you out there and dealing with a career hands on are a good way to see if you're a good fit with a chosen career. Some colleges have programs that takes students from the classroom to a job of their choice.

One such school is Kettering. Their industrial engineering program has been ranked #1 by US News and World Report in its annual ranking of colleges, America's Best Colleges Guide for 2008, Their engineering co-op programs takes students as soon as their freshman year and puts them into the workplace to gain hands on experience. I think this is the best way in any field to educate people best on what will be expected of them once their out of college and into the workplace. Everyone needs to start somewhere.

Friday's Feast #6

Appetizer

On a scale of 1-10 (with 10 as highest), how much do you like your own handwriting?: I think I'm at about a six right now. I don't write as much as I used to because I'm just so used to typing everything.

Soup

Do you prefer baths or showers?: Showers. I sometimes shower twice a day, but I like a good bath every now and then to relax. A nice bath with my lavendar bubble bath can be heaven.

Salad

What was the last bad movie you watched?: I watch so many movies, but I just saw Children of Men a couple of weeks ago for the first time, and I wasn't all too impressed with it at all. I know a lot of people liked it, and I love Clive Owen, but I couldn't even finish watching the movie.

Main Course

Name something you are addicted to and describe how it affects your life. I can fully admit being an Internet addict. Since I work from home, I'm always online for work. The Internet is my connection to the world, and I'm on my computer way too much.

Dessert

Which instrument is your favorite to listen to?: It's a tie between the guitar and the piano really. I've always loved both. The piano is relaxing, and the guitar is more exciting because I've always loved guitars in rock music.

Food and dieting

Since junior high school Ive fought a constant battle with my weight. I've weghed as much as two hundred pounds, and as little as one hundred and forty. It jumped back and forth during my college years. I am somewhere around one hundred and sixty now I think, which isn't a bad weight, but not skinny either. I love food. Simply put. I eat what I want. I don't really limit myself. The last few months, I've started walking though. A mile or two every other day. I've seen an increase in energy for one since I started, and I am hoping to see a drop in weight.

There are many reasons why people eat. Some are more emotional. I know if I'm upset or stressed I look for food. It's a natural reaction for me. A program found online at www.ShrinkYourself.com helps people look at the reasons why they eat the way they do in order to help them lose weight. By going to the website, you can find a free interactive session and full report focusing on you. All of this online. I think that makes it easier.

Thursday Threesome #2

This week's Thursday Threesome is on: ::Insomnia, the Cure for Sleep::

Onesome: Ever have it?-- Now this is a topic I have too much experience dealing with over the years. There have always been times where I just can't sleep, or if I do fall asleep I find myself waking back up and unable to go back to sleep. This is actually one of those times. The past week or two, I've been dealing with the worst case of insomnia. In bed at 2am, up at 5am anyone? That has been my last two nights.

Twosome: The cure-- The only thing that works for me is just going with it. I don't force myself to lay there and not sleep. I get up. Read a book. Go back online. Usually I end up falling asleep for another couple of hours during the day.

Threesome: for sleepFemale/male, young/not so young, we all need varying amounts of sleep. What's your personal sleep cycle?--  Generally I can get by on five hours a day. Sometimes I'll sleep more or less, but as long as I have my five hours and maybe a catnap during the day I'm good.

Heating Up

Here in Arizona it is already starting to get warm. In other parts of the country, there was snow last week. As of this moment, the temperature here in my local area, according to my weather program in my system tray, is 81 degrees. A nice spring day. I went out for my walk earlier, and there was even a light breeze. It's really just a nice day out. Reminds me of a nice California day. A day like today would be a nice one to spend at the beach. I lived in California half my life, and the beach was a favorite. I didn't get to go much, but the times I did go I always enjoyed myself.

There is just something about the beach. Walking by it, being near it, the smell of the ocean air, people walking and riding along. You see people on roller skates and beach bikes. Bikes like the one in this picture from Cruiser Style. I haven't been on either in years, but they are fun. I just stick to my own two feet more often than not. Either that or car. I'm really just enjoying the weather we're having right now here in Arizona, and it is making me miss home just a little bit. I don't remember the last time I went back to California. I still have family there, and we talk as much as we can. There isn't nothing that compares to actually seeing someone though.

Manic Monday #9

What's your favorite thing to spend money on?: Probably DVD's. I love movies, and I love adding to my collection. Another favorite of mine is books. I have books all over my room, and I just keep adding to my collection. My dad is always telling me that I need to get rid of some of my books, but I never listen. A new love is posters. I'm looking to pick up one now, and I have another on the way already. I just need to keep them safe from the cat!

If you could retire tomorrow what would you do?: I'd move to Hawaii, live in a nice big house and spend my days on the beach and still writing. I don't think I could ever really stop writing. This is of course if somehow a million dollars magically appeared and I could live the rest of my life on that.

Should anything be censored and if so, what and why?: I have never really believed in censorship of any kind. The only thing I think should be limited is to minors. Not every thing is meant for their young eyes. However, censorship of books and others materials is just not something I agree with.

Released: The Real Deal

My first fiction publication was just released by Torquere Press this weekend. This is a gay erotic romance short where Caleb finds himself in a predicament. He doesn't know his best friend is in love with him! This is my first story in print so to speak, and its an exciting day for me. A lot of work, years and tears. I'm hoping it is the first of many. Check it out.

THE REAL DEAL by Gina O'Neale



Caleb has a problem. He hasn't had sex with a man in a long time, even though he wants to. His best friend, Kyle, decides to help him out, getting him a male escort for a night he'll never forget. By the morning light things seem very different, though, and Caleb finds out that Kyle has something else to give him. Can Kyle make Caleb understand how he feels?

Thursday Threesome #1

Another new meme I've found to jump into. This one is called The Thursday Threesome. Each Thursday a topic is given, and you answer it. I seem to like these types of memes. They make you think. This week the topic has to do with - ::Choreography: The art of symbolically representing dancing::

Onesome: Choreography: What do you choreograph in your life? Your morning routine? The dinner ritual? How you study? What is 'designed' by you? I had to think about this one for a bit. I don't have a set schedule for my day since I work from home, but I do have a morning routine once I am up that I follow. Get up, boot up the computer, make a bathroom stop and then check email and work on what I know needs done that done. Once that is done, I either watch a bit of television or I head out for a walk. This seems to be the norm the last week or two, and in the past as well. I'm trying to get better organized, and it appears I am falling into this routine that is working for me.

Twosome: The art of symbolically: Art? Hmmmm... Sure, what do you like to have? ...or do you? ...but how about that little symbol you keep on your desk or headboard? The one you keep because??? I mean, if you can share that... I don't know if it is considered art, but I love movie posters. I'd have them hanging up all over my room if I could get away with it. I have a few up now, and I've been looking to pick up another. I just like posters in general. I know I'll be picking up a new one at the Bon Jovi concert next month as well. The thing is my cat likes them too. My other boy I used to have made it his mission to tear them down. I haven't put any up because I'm not sure if Mikey has those same tendencies. Do I want to chance it?

Threesome: representing dancing: No, not 'do you dance?' (although that's fine too!); rather, which type(s) of dancing will you stop and watch for a moment? Ballroom? Swing? Patrick Swayze and Jennifer Grey? I love dancing. I watch all the dance shows. Well, not all. I watch Dancing With The Stars and So You Think You Can Dance every season. I was a big fan of Dirty Dancing when that movie came out twenty years ago. I was sad yesterday to hear that Patrick Swayze is likely dying within the next few months from pancreatic cancer. He's too young. I know he isn't young young, but still too young to go. I've always been a fan.

Internet for Life!

Now who wouldn't want internet for the rest of their life? High speed internet. I pay close to fifty bucks a month for my Internet service through my provider. The service isn't the best. It goes in and out throughout the daytime hours, but its high speed. After almost seven years on dial-up, I was glad to jump to high speed. I know the first month, I downloaded all I could just to see the pages and downloads move quickly. Now it allows me to do the work I need to do online.  It would be nice to be able to have the service for free for the rest of my life.

Right now, if you live in an area serviced by Charter High Speed Internet, you can bid on Internet access through them for the rest of your life. The bids start at $10, and whoever wins the auction will get free internet for the rest of their life. Even if you don't live in an area serviced by Charter, you can enter to win a Wii in their sweepstakes. Click Here for a Chance to Win a Nintendo® Wii™! It comes with all you need to play right from the start including five free games. I'm not much for video games anymore, but I still play a few on my computer. I used to be a huge Nintendo nut growing up. Mario, Donkey Kong, and all the others that are part of the Nintendo family were a favorite of mine.

Ten on Tuesday #1

Happy Tuesday everyone. The weather here in Arizona has actually been heating up. Early this year. It was just about eighty the other day. I don't even want to start thinking about the summer months ahead if it is already hitting eighty and we're barely out of February. I have a feeling we're headed for a hot one. Another meme I found that looks like might be fun. Ten on Tuesday. Basically you're given a topic, and you need to list ten things about it. Today the topic is your ten favorite drinks.

1. Pepsi
2. Iced Tea
3. Lemonade
4. Wild Cherry Pepsi
5. Hot Apple Cider
6. Hot Chocolate.
7. Beer.
8. Long Beach
9. Cranberry Juice
10. French Vanilla Cappucino

What are your favorite things to drink?

Snackie Sunday #1

I'm always looking at different memes to try out here on my blog. I like ones that make you think a little and ask you questions. There are so many blog memes out there though. Every blogger seems to have their own. I hate being tagged for memes. I like picking out my own. Yesterday, I found some new ones that might be fun to try out. Snackie Sunday is one of them. Each week the blogger in charge of the meme will ask a question. This week that question is ...

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE "BOARD GAMES"?

I've always been a huge fan of board games. Growing up, I had a large collection under my bed of games. Once I bought a PC, I bought computer games of my favorites including Monopoly, Scrabble, Battleship and The Game of Life. Online, you can find sites to play them online as well. I used to be a regular at Atari's site before they took down the board games. I still manage to catch a round or two of Scrabble via Scrabulous. I'm always up for a quick game!

For Beer Drinkers

I have always been a beer drinking. Since I turned the age where I could drink, I started drinking beer. My dad is a beer drinker, so there is always beer in the house to drink. I have my favorites. I love a good Corona with some lime. I like a nice dark beer from time to time. Usually though, it is a nice Miller beer, or a Coors beer. The only times I've had a light beer is when my dad has bought it by accident, or if we were out and that's all they had. I remember drinking a light beer when I went to our church's fair with my dad. They have a Budweiser booth, and since I'm not a huge fan of Budweiser, I usually grab a light beer instead.

Sitting here, I just realized that was almost a year ago. My church has a fair every March, and it almost feels like yesterday we went to the last one. Today is March 1st though, so it is about time to go again. That is just insane to me really. There are times when it feels like time is just moving so slow, and then there are times when it hits you that time is really moving quite fast. If you're a beer drinker though, there is a new contest going that you can enter using your cell phone. The prize is a $300 gift card to Amazon. Answer a few simple questions about your beer drinking preferences and you can win. I'm an Amazon shopper, so I might just enter this myself. To take part in the survey and enter the contest, text the word beer to 247365.

Saturday Ramblings

This week seems to have been one where I've been constantly on the go. It isn't a bad thing, but I usually don't go out this much. Today I went back to Staples to pick up a new ethernet card. I'd been having some connection issues with my cable internet, and after researching the problem a bit online I discovered it could be one of a few things. I tried one fix last week, and it seemed to work for a few days, but today the old problem returned with a vengence. I decided it might just be time to upgrade my ethernet card.

The one inside my computer now had been there since the computer was purchased. It's a part of the motherboard, and I always wonder about the things that come with the computer. Of course, it wasn't an easy install. The first card I bought wouldn't even install, so I headed back up to the store and bought the one that wasn't on sale. A nice little Linksys. I'm hoping it fixes the connection issues I've been having this week. I'm crossing my fingers anyway. They can't be any worse than they have been the last week anyway.