30 Day Music Challenge - Day 1

Day 1 - Your Favorite Song

Well geez...you would think that this would be super easy to rattle off right?  Yeah, no.  I have at least two or three come to mind.  I checked my iTunes, and according to that, my most played should be my favorite song, right?  Um, nope.  Just a bit Glee obsessed I think.  Plus, when I transferred all my songs to the computer they are on now, I lost all my play counts...so no bueno.

After some thought, I realized there shouldn't have been a need for thought...here it is:

I'm Movin' On - Rascal Flatts

A New Challenge!!

So, you know when you sit down to write a blog, you have serious writer's block and can't think of a single thing to write?  Yeah...totally have been there the last few weeks.  My 30 day photo challenge finished up and then the Royal Wedding, and then...(insert the sound of crickets here)...nothing.

Oh sure, I was able to post a couple times, one being silly YouTube videos, the others being small things.  But I've decided it's time to start a new thread.  You guessed it.  Another challenge.

No, no it's not another photo one, this one is a bit easier because all the pieces are already out there, I just need to cull iTunes to find them all.  That's right it's the

30 DAY MUSIC CHALLENGE!!!

No, I will not be boring you with only country music, I have quite the eclectic taste in music really.  But, fair warning, I am a country fan, so there will likely be a sizeable smattering of that genre in this challenge...oh, and Broadway...and...oh you get it.

I am half asleep as I am currently typing this, so I will start the challenge tomorrow.  According to the list, I am to find my favorite song.  Well crap, this might be harder than I thought...

PS: Yes, Maggy, this is my carrot.  :)

Defying Gravity

So for the last almost year, I have had this insane pull back to Seattle.  I can't explain it, I don't know what it is exactly...I can't put my finger on it.  The stars haven't aligned, the plans haven't worked out, the ducks aren't in their row.  (How many more cliches can I come up with for this?)

I can't put into words myself this feeling that has been in my gut, and I don't know what will eventually either satisfy this "craving" or pull, or whatever you want to call it.  I visited in October, and that seems to have been enough for a little while...now I'm going back for a friend's wedding in a month, and I can already tell, I don't want to come back.

I love Colorado.  I love my life, friends, family, everything that is here.  I have a pretty sweet gig.  But there is this nagging feeling, and I don't know how to explain it.  (It doesn't  help that work is incredibly stressful right now and putting everything in a moving van and driving West sounds absolutely awesome.)  Am I going to pack my entire life into a U-Haul this weekend and move across the country?  No.  (First off, it's already Thursday, I don't have enough time to pack everything, plus I'm getting a nice table and chairs on Monday.)  Do I wish I could some days?  Yes.  (Oh, and PS: the week straight of Seattle-esque weather Colorado has been having, isn't helping.  Don't get me wrong,  I ADORE the rain, but the rest of the state is starting to freak out a bit.)

Some people find references for life in a tv show (and trust me, usually I would find one in the show "Friends"), but with my theatre loving background, I have taken to my favorite musical...Wicked.  The closing song to the first act, Defying Gravity, brought me to tears the first time I saw it live.  Such power, such strength, such emotion, such...wow.  To give you a bit more to work with other than me sitting here gushing about the song, here are a few snippets of the lyrics...imagine these powerful words being sung by a girl painted green...and a girl who is dressed in buttercup yellow.

Something has changed within me

Something is not the same

I'm through with playing by the rules

Of someone ele's game

Too late for second-guessing

Too late to go back to sleep

It's time to trust my instincts

Close my eyes: and leap!

I'm through accepting limits

'cause someone says they're so

Some things I cannot change

But till I try, I'll never know!

Too long I've been afraid of

Losing love I guess I've lost

Well, if that's love

It comes at much to high a cost!

I'd sooner buy

Defying gravity

Kiss me goodbye

I'm defying gravity

And you can't pull me down.

Maybe I'm supposed to eventually move back to Seattle, maybe I'm supposed to be here and go back to visit...I don't know right now.  Hopefully though, the stars will align, the plans will work out and those elusive ducks will get into their rows...and life might start being clear again.

Unfinished Thoughts...

So I have two other blog posts in the works, but I'm having a hard time bringing my thoughts together to finish them.  Plus, it's been a bit...weird...around here lately.

So, in the mean time, I found THIS little gem while going through pictures the other day, and just had to share...my brother-in-law ladies and gentlemen...

This picture also makes me remember that FIESTA is around the corner...WAHOO!

Giggles

So, lately, life has been a bit...well...stressful.  (I'm fine, I swear.)  Lots going on.  I'm not trying to complain, and bring everyone down, so I'll share a few of the things that have been definitely making me laugh/smile/happy in the last few weeks.  Because c'mon...who DOESN'T want a youtube video to chuckle at?

Yes, I realize that a few of these involve babies laughing...I can't help it...that sound is good for the SOUL.

Up first:  Emerson FUH-REAKING out at his mommy blowing his nose.



Next: A little girl, her dog, and bubbles.



Two Bunnies in Cups.  No, it's not one of those weird clips...it seriously is just two ADORABLE bunnies in cups.  The one on the right, is my fav.



French Bulldog puppy who can't roll back over...I know, you are supposed to let these puppies figure this out on their own, but how stinkin' cute is he???



Whose Line Is It Anyways? - This show originated in the UK, but had an awesome run here in the States as well.  I LOVE this show.  I have a fav ep where Ryan Stiles hits the neon light on Drew Carey's desk, breaks the light, but never breaks character.  I about died laughing.

I can't embed this one, but here is the link, skip to about 2:15 to see the part where I literally almost peed my pants (after I figured out he wasn't hurt).

So there you go...a couple of the things that are making me giggle these days.  Anyone reading or watching anything funny of note to share?

Will and Kate, The Sequel.

Ok, I thought I'd put this off till this weekend, however, now is just as good a time as any!  Plus, I fully intend on crashing until my body decides (hopefully late Saturday morning) "Okay, we are fully recharged now, we can wake up."

The Princess was beautiful, William was very dapper in his military jacket.

Westminster Abbey...wow...just...WOW.  I have always wanted to go to London, and now even more than before.

Stacey and I stuck with NBC for our wedding coverage, though I'll admit, I had the DVR running on TLC as well.  (Nothing like making sure you had things covered right?)  She had tea, I had juice and then I switched to my beloved Bing.  Caffeine, oh how I love you.  Thank you for keeping me propped up all day!

I promised pictures...and here we go...Stacey was a bit more brave and willing to take one of herself, whereas I opted for just one of the top of my head.  So, here is Lady Carol Buttercup-Inyo in her beautiful hat!

I am not so brave as to show my face/full head of hair, as I had showered the night before and went to bed with wet hair.  Although, you can see some of my bedhead/unruly curls under my tiara before I attacked them with a flat iron before heading to work. (Pay no attention to the gray hairs peeking out, I'm between dye jobs...)

Stacey brought some traditional English treats, which I loved the names of...particularly the one on the left...Digestives...huh, nothing screams COOKIE! like a name like that!  ;)

I chose to make traditional scones, which I think turned out yummo good!

Hmmm...I miiiiight need to go warm some up for a snack tonight...

Ok, I'm off to wach the "pre-show" and arrivals off of the DVR, because I'll admit, I can't get enough today, and then, I will fall asleep and dream of my own Prince Charming.  

Cheerio!

PS: Between 3 separate conversations, I've agreed with the fact that we Americans don't have enough activities where we wear insanely outlandish and fun hats.  My birthday is around the corner...I'm beginning to get ideas...

Will and Kate

I admit it.  I am going to be one of the millions of Americans who get up at the ungodly hour of 3:30 am and watch The Royal Wedding.

I have to admit, I haven't looked at much of the hoopla going into this shindig, however, my friend Stacey (who happens to live very near my apartment...as in...about 10 buildings away in my complex), is full on OBSESSED more of a general anglophile than a royal-watcher.  I promise to post some pictures this weekend of our little tea party, however I can pretty much guarantee you that my face won't be in them.  (I fully plan on being in pj's, sans makeup and with really wonky hair.)

In fact, Stacey just posted this as her facebook status:

What is your Royal Wedding guest name?  Start with either Lord or Lady.  Your first name is one of your grandparent's name.  Your surname is the name of your first pet, double barrelled with the name of the street you grew up on.

Yours Royally,
Lady Carol Buttercup-Inyo

She cracks me up.  She has had a countdown app on her phone that shows details of the wedding for over a month now.

However, back to OUR party.

Stacey is bringing macaroons, I am making scones, and while she sips black tea, I will be sipping hot chocolate (no matter how hard my mother has tried, I just don't like tea...sorry mom).  Then after the whole sha-bang, I will be chugging caffeine to make it through my day.  I have never been so grateful to have both doctors on vacation in my life.  :)

I find it funny remembering how my mom stayed up to watch Princess Diana and Prince What's-His-Bucket's wedding...and now here I am staying up for their kid's wedding.  Full circle I guess.

Anywho...I will update this weekend with pictures...like I said, no guarantees that I will actually be IN said pictures...plus, my apartment is a bit of a mess, so no guarantees that the pictures will be of much other than the food and our *ahem* headwear.

Yours Royally,
Lady Doris Happy-206th  (Yeah...just doesn't work for me like it did for her!)

Deutsch Überraschungen

This blog post is very overdue, the last week has been even busier than normal.  But, I promised someone I would post this so here I am!  :)

My amazingly wonderful cousin, Anke, who I have mentioned before (here) surprised me (mostly because I forgot that she asked me for my address) with a super fun surprise!!!  I went to my little mailbox last week, and it was crammed full!  (I'm also not the best about getting my mail every day, but hey...)

There was a package I had ordered, some Netflix DVD's, and this package (telling you, it was a PACKED little mailbox):

And in that wonderful package!  Such fun things!

SEE!!  Handmade potholders/hotpads, a handmade little stocking, German chocolates (!!) a great card and (oh crud, it got cut out a bit...) an adorable little angel!!!  (Scroll down to see it...)

See?  Cute eh?

Anke: I love it all!!!!  Your little stocking is amazing!  I envy that skill, I'm still figuring out/working on my first pair of socks in my knitting!

Danke!!!

Shel Silverstein Sunday

I found myself (in the last few days) thinking about how much I loved Shel Silverstein and how he could put things, both silly and otherwise.  I don't know exactly what triggered that thought, and yes, while it's not often, believe it or not, occasionally book related, semi-educated thoughts roll through my noggin.

I went to my bookshelf to grab my favorite "Where The Sidewalk Ends" to thumb through a few poems, only to be completely surprised that while I thought I owned that book, turns out, I don't.  However, I do have it in audio form, read by Shel himself, and that brings a whole new life to the words.  Hmmm...I see a trip to a bookstore in my future.

In the meantime, massive Googling (thank you to amazon.com for listing every poem in the book on the website, that definitely helped!) ensued and while I know there are other poems I love in that book (Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout and Peanut Butter Sandwich comes to mind), for some reason, these ones stick out to me today.  Enjoy!

Spaghetti

Spaghetti, spaghetti, all over the place,

Up to my elbows--up to my face,

Over the carpet and under the chairs,

Into the hammock and wound round the stairs,

Filling the bathtub and covering the desk,

Making the sofa a mad mushy mess.

The party is ruined, I'm terribly worried,

The guests have all left (unless they're all buried).

I told them, "Bring presents." I said, "Throw confetti."

I guess they heard wrong

'Cause they all threw spaghetti!

No Difference

Small as a peanut,

Big as a giant,

We're all the same size

When we turn off the light.

Rich as a sultan,

Poor as a mite,

We're all worth the same

When we turn off the light.

Red, black or orange,

Yellow or white,

We all look the same

When we turn off the light.

So maybe the way

To make everything right

Is for God to reach out

And turn off the light!

Work In Progress...

So last night, I went to get my tattoo fixed, as I have wanted to get it fixed since 2006, not long after I got it.  There is a bit of a story here, because Sister went with me yesterday to get it fixed (she was there when I got it the first time), however the gal who I had the appointment with, had a client suddenly change what she wanted which ended up taking a LOT longer than expected, plus she didn't have the right materials clean she wanted to use with me.  So, instead, she asked if I could come back the next day.

I have had my appointment for about a month.  I won't lie, I was MAD.  Sister wouldn't be able to be there, she came down specifically for this.  (Insert mad pouty face here.)  We went to dinner instead, and then on to trivia night as usual for a Wednesday night.

Thursday, C went with me to get it fixed, and the gal who asked me to come back was more than ready for me.  Once we got going, it took her less than 20 minutes to fix what needed fixing, plus add some shading that was definitely needed.

Here I am with Jeannie, who honestly is awesome, and, you would never guess, but she KNITS!  That's where I met her, was across the street at the shop where I get all my knitting stuff!  Yes, there were times I did wince like this, but rest assured, this picture is indeed, staged.

So, I won't show the fixed version, because it's in the healing stages, however I will show you the initial, my tat as of last night, and then as soon as it's healed, the finished product!

So, here we go:

Day I got it:

Finished product after infection pulled out half the color (and 5 years later...this picture was taken Wednesday night) :

Do you see why it needed to be fixed?  It was driving me crazy.  Right now, it is really pissed at me not happy with me.  When it calms down and decides to play nice (gimme about a week or so), I promise a finished post with (hopefully if I can manage to figure out enough html) all three side by side for a progression shot...no promises yet though!

Happy Friday!!!