Hmmm, this sounds familiar.
Current mood: Ugh
Category: Ugh News and Politics
"The budget should be balanced, the Treasury should be refilled, public debt should be reduced, the arrogance of officialdom should be tempered and controlled, and the assistance to foreign lands should be curtailed lest Rome become bankrupt. People must again learn to work, instead of living on public assistance". --
You know you’re a blogger when... redux
Current mood: dorky
Category: Blogging
I was going through some of my old blogs, reminiscing and I stumbled across this one, from almost two years ago. I was cracking up again, so I thought I'd repost it in its entirety. I hope y'all enjoy it the second time around, too.
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You know you're a blogger when...
...you carry a notepad because you never know when you'll have an "I need to blog about this," moment.
...you bought a digital camera and take it everywhere with you, so that you can document normal everyday events to add to your blog.
...the only reason you know anything about HTML is so that you can make your blog better.
...you know the difference between a blogger and a writer and are proud enough to claim being a blogger online, but won't mention it in the 'real world'.
...you acknowledge the difference between the 'online world' and the 'real world,' and have blogged about it.
...you get excited when new people subscribe to your blog.
...you want as many subscribers as possible, as long as they aren't 'real world' friends, family or co-workers.
...you can't remember what someone's profile page looks like because you spend all your time on their blog.
...you know whatthe Most Popular Blogs are, have found yourself in the 150th place and were excited.
...you feel obligated to post a blog explaining why you aren't spending as much time online...and when you will be back.
...you know the difference between your and you're; to, too and two; its and it's; alot and a lot...and when someone misuses them, you are distracted from the content of the writing by it.
...you have corrected someone's spelling, grammar or punctuation in comments.
...you have corrected YOUR OWN spelling, grammar or punctuation by responding to your own comment.
...you've accidentally or intentionally found yourself engaged in 'Blogger Wars'.
...you miss people who have stopped commenting on your blogs and wonder if you said something that offended them.
...you've received emails from friends, family or strangers asking how they can become a better blogger.
...you've written your blog link on a napkin in a bar, club or other public place.
...you are still campaigning to get your holdout 'real world' friends to create a profile and read your blog.
...you have 'real world' friends or family members that only have a profile to read your blog and see if you are blogging about them.
...you enjoy meeting people in the 'real world' that you first met online and the main topic of conversation is...blogging.
...you've emailed a blog link to a friend because you think they would be interested in it.
...you will go back to a blog fifty times in a day, just to see if someone responded to your comment.
...you get excited when you are the first comment on a blog. So excited that you comment "FIRST," then go read the blog.
...you get bummed when your "FIRST" comment, ends up second.
...you've defended your blogging style...in your blog.
...you have a custom "Click Here to Subscribe" button.
...you've deleted a subscription because you've taken offense to the blogger's style...and think it makes a statement.
...you've taken offense that a blogger deleted your comment from their blog.
...you've been blog tagged...a lot.
...you don't like when someone posts a blog and disables comments because you really, really, really want to post a response.
...you know what blog pimping means.
...U H8 WHEn PPL DoNt UsE PRoPeR eNgLIsh...and have blogged about it.
...you are thinking about doing a companion blog to this one, right now.
There’s something I wanted to tell you. (If this is locked, send a friend request.)
Current mood: grateful
Category: Life
Hey, you may not hear this enough, so I want to say it clearly and directly to you.
You are awesome and I really appreciate you. No joke, not kidding, I'm completely serious.
I know that your life is not always easy and I know that you are not perfect. I appreciate you anyway. I appreciate your generosity, your compassion and your resilience.
I'm telling you this, with as much clarity as I can, because I know that not enough people completely acknowledge the effort you put into your daily life and the heart with which you live by. Though I know you will probably never be praised enough, I just wanted to stop and take a moment, with no exterior incentive or ulterior motive, to give you some encouragement to end your weekend while heading into the next week.
The good you have done in your life vastly outweighs the mistakes that we've all made. I implore you to stop being so hard on yourself, but whether you choose to do that or not, you do not have the power to discount my opinion of you. The strength of your spirit inspires me and PLEASE, do not accept petty judgements from hurt people, as any kind of valid depiction of who you are.
I know that you will continue striving towards meaningful achievements and I know that though you will suffer setbacks, your courage will carry you forward and you will accomplish much more than you ever thought you were capable. And you deserve all of that success. Please never lose sight of that.
You bring pleasure, happiness and smiles to my life. I think of you almost daily and never with regret. The way in which you've shared your life with me and accepted me into yours, has always created a sanctuary and safe haven for me. YOU have made that difference and though I will never be able to completely repay you, I at least want to thank you.
If you’re not on my friends list and can see this, you need to read it.
Current mood: busy
Category: Friends
Ok, sad to say, but the time has come that I need to do some serious job hunting. I've been having fun with a laundry list of side projects, but nothing has developed to the point of being able to sustain me...in the manner with which I am accustomed (which doesn't say much).
The point is that I am going to be making my profile private for a little bit, at least until I can get a handle on what I would and would not want a potential employer to see. Since I'm too lazy to go through 274 blogs and their related (and often unrelated) comments, for the first time I am going to take the easy route and shut off my public presence.
So again, this is mainly for people who are subscribed, but not on my friends list and you have two options:
1) Send me a friend request. I just can't fathom a reason why I would say no to that. I want to be friends with my subscribers.
2) In the upper left corner of this page, there is a link under my picture that says Unsubscribe. Unsubscribe. Trust me on this, you do not want to be subscribed to a blog you cannot read. I've had it happen and it is EXTREMELY annoying because not only are you denied access, you can no longer reach the Unsubscribe button because you do not have access! Ugh, SO annoying! So please, if you're not terribly interested in what I may (or may not) write in the future, click the Unsubscribe button under my picture. You won't offend me, I promise (unless I have your phone number or know where you live, in which case I will call or drive to your house and whine and cry about why you unsubscribed from me).
Wow I babble. You'd think I could have been less verbose to say:
So every day, when I first go onto the internet, I also get to check and see what the heck people are watching that day. Sometimes, I have to purposely avoid the site because...well, I'm sure you can figure that part out.
Anyways, so that's where I found this video and was cracking up so much I had to pause it around the middle. Then by the end, I was laughing uncontrollably again. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
The video is pretty long at just under 6.5 minutes. If you don't have enough time to watch the whole thing, then go to the 5 min mark and watch cat yoddeling. Fricken' hilarious!
I can’t complain about the review since overall, I made better grades than high school, right?
Ok, I’ll try to get back soon and write something more interesting. I just volunteered at my Crazy Bay’s school yesterday and will try to find some time to tell you a funny story about my time with the little people.
I hope your week is going great and that you didn’t fall prey to too many April Fool’s Day jokes!
It’s good to be a Marine.
Current mood: honored
Category: honored Life
I'm still only checking into myspace briefly, but as I was going through some bulletins, I ran across this one, posted by the everlovely Italian Princess:
As I came out of the supermarket that sunny day, pushing my cart of groceries towards my car, I saw an old man with the hood of his car up and a lady sitting inside the car, with the door open. The old man was looking at the engine. I put my groceries away in my car and continued to watch the old gentleman from about twenty-five feet away. I saw a young man in his early twenties with a grocery bag in his arm, walking towards the old man. The old gentleman saw him coming too and took a few steps towards him. I saw the old gentleman point to his open hood and say something. The young man put his grocery bag into what looked like a brand new Cadillac Escalade and then turn back to the old man and I heard him yell at the old gentleman saying, "You shouldn't even be allowed to drive a car at your age." And then with a wave of his hand, he got in his car and peeled rubber out of the parking lot.
I saw the old gentleman pull out his handkerchief and mop his brow as he went back to his car and again looked at the engine. He then went to his wife and spoke with her and appeared to tell her it would be okay. I had seen enough and I approached the old man. He saw me coming and stood straight and as I got near him I said, "Looks like you're having a problem."
He smiled sheepishly and quietly nodded his head. I looked under the hood myself and knew that whatever the problem was, it was beyond me. Looking around I saw a gas station up the road and told the old gentleman that I would be right back. I drove to the station and went inside and saw three attendants working on cars. I approached one of them and related the problem the old man had with his car and offered to pay them if they could follow me back down and help him. The old man had pushed the heavy car under the shade of a tree and appeared to be comforting his wife . When he saw us he straightened up and thanked me for my help. As the mechanics diagnosed the problem (overheated engine) I spoke with the old gentleman. When I shook hands with him earlier he had noticed my Marine Corps ring and had commented about it, telling me that he had been a Marine too. I nodded and asked the usual question, "What outfit did you serve with?" He had mentioned that he served with the first Marine Division at Tarawa, Saipan, Iwo Jima and Guadalcanal. He had hit all the big ones and retired from the Corps after the war was over.
As we talked we heard the car engine come on and saw the mechanics lower the hood. They came over to us as the old man reached for his wallet, but was stopped by me and I told him I would just put the bill on my AAA card. He still reached for the wallet and handed me a card that I assumed had his name and address on it and I stuck it in my pocket. We all shook hands all around again and I said my goodbye's to his wife. I then told the two mechanics that I would follow them back up to the station. Once at the station I told them that they had interrupted their own jobs to come along with me and help the old man. I said I wanted to pay for the help, but they refused to charge me. One of them pulled out a card from his pocket looking exactly like the card the old man had given to me. Both of the men told me then, that they were Marine Corps Reserves. Once again we shook hands all around and as I was leaving, one of them told me I should look at the card the old man had given to me and I said I would and drove off. For some reason I had gone about two blocks when I pulled over and took the card out of my pocket and looked at it for a long, long, time. The name of the old gentleman was on the card in golden leaf and under his name......... "Congressional Medal of Honor Society."
I sat there motionless looking at the card and reading it over and over. I looked up from the card and smiled to no one but myself and marveled that on this day, four Marines had all come together, because one of us needed help. He was an old man alright, but it felt good to have stood next to greatness and courage and an honor to have been in his presence.
America is not at war. The U.S. Military is at war. America is at the Mall.
Long before I got to the part about the man with car trouble being a Medal of Honor winner, I was already remembering my own stories of randomly helping people and also randomly being helped, by people that ended up being Marines.
Here are two not so quick stories.
I was driving through town and saw a car stalled in the exit lane of a strip mall. An older gentleman had the hood open, looking in and his wife was in the car. A person who appeared to be their daughter, was in a car behind them, looking like she might decide to push their car with hers. None of them looked like they were up to the task of this.
In the meantime, there was a growing string of cars behind them. In particular, I saw at least one lifted truck, full of at least a couple young men in it. All of them were just trying to squeeze by and no one was stopping to help.
As I drove by, I didn't get even half a block before I was compelled to pull into the shopping center to see if there was anything I could do. I was HOPING that by the time I got back there, someone else would have helped them. That was not the case.
I parked my car, put a big, "I'm here to help," smile on my face, walked around the corner and told them that I would push the car to a side spot, out of the way, with room to work, that was maybe 100 level feet away. I've pushed many cars in my day, so I knew this one wouldn't be a big deal.
I directed them man to get back in his car and steer. In my experience, people get embarrassed easily and are hesitant to accept help. I knew they needed it, so I wasn't going to take no, so I just directed him firmly, with a smile and he climbed in. I started pushing the car, directing him how to steer, while the daughter followed behind. Both cars we able to pull into the space, where the daughter then jump started the car. I wished them good luck and went on my way. The whole thing took less than ten minutes of my life.
The next story is from some Jarheads helping me.
I was travelling a long distance and as I do sometimes, I needed some sleep come early morning. I was in the middle of the California desert, between Barstow and Arizona. I thought I'd be smart and pull into a riverbed, behind a big rock and catch some zzz's. It's something I'd done before with no problems. Well, I was in my little Honda Civic and just as I found a good spot, my tires sunk into the sand and I was stuck...in the desert...in summer...in the middle of nowhere. Good times.
I was REALLY tired at the time and knew there was nothing I could do at the moment, that I couldn't do later, so I got a few hours sleep before the sun came up.
As the sun came up is when I realized how much real trouble I was in. As it started to get warmer, I looked at my water supply and had maybe a quarter gallon left. Not good. By 9am it was probably already high 80's or more. There was no shade. My car was still stuck.
I tried a lot of different things, like putting stuff under the tires, rocking the car with the gas peddle, etc. The car wasn't going to come out. So I walked out to the road and hoped someone would drive by...soon.
After 10-15 minutes in the now broiling sun, the first car to drive by was a minivan. As I waved from the side of the road, they sped by at about 85 mph and didn't even slow down. I wasn't freaking out, but I was definitely doing some praying, with an accepted, "I'm fricking screwed," mentality.
After another 10-15 minutes, a white truck approached. I stood and waved from the side of the road again and they pulled over. As the slowly passed and pulled off, I could see a Marine Corps sticker on the back of the truck. I almost dropped to my knees in thanks at that moment, because I KNEW it would be ok. I just so happened to have my Marine Coprs challenge coin in my pocket, at the time:
The above pictures are my actual coin and I just took them at this moment, because it is less than 5 feet away from me, as I write this blog.
Anyways, so as the two active duty Marines get out of the truck, along with a female friend, I introduce myself, mention our connection, show them my challenge coin and explain my problem, along with my idiocy.
They walk over to where my car is and together we came up with a plan of action. Neither of them knew how to drive a stick, so they were kind enough to push, while I drove. Less than five minutes later, I was pulling back out of the riverbed and onto the road.
I profusely thanked the men and wished them luck on their jaunt to Las Vegas, which they explained was where they were headed. I then went on my way.
Ever thankful that I've had the honor of serving as a United States Marine.
I apologize that this has ended up being so long, I just couldn't help myself after reading that bulletin. I hope you are enjoying your Leap Day and have an AWESOME weekend!
I’m tired, but excited. I wanna show you what I’ve been working on. **Updated**
Current mood: tired but excited
Category: tired but excited Fashion, Style, Shopping
**See bottom for update.
Ok, I haven't been around a whole lot (on myspace) for the last couple weeks. I've been working on a project that has been a lot of fun for me, while also being a HUGE learning experience.
I'm still swamped, but I wanted to bring you into the loop because I think I am finally ready to let outside eyes see it.
I've been working on it non-stop, but I feel pretty comfortable that it is now ready to go. Before I try to promote it much, I wanted to show you so that I could get feedback from people I trust...which means you.
I'm having a giveaway for Saint Patrick's Day. If you decide you want to buy stuff and spend $25 or more dollars (2 items),add the Four Leaf Clover Lucky Belt to your cart too, then check out with the Promotion Code: freeluck. You'll get the Clover Belt for free. =)
I'm not asking you to buy anything though, unless you see something you like and really want to. What I hope you'll do is go check out the site, move through the pages, check things out and then come back and tell me what you think. I'm at that point where I have looked at everything for too long and too much, that I don't know what I am missing or if I need to tweak anything. So that's why I'm hoping for your input.
If you have any questions about anything, don't hesitate to ask. I may not be around much this weekend. I have to get away from the computer because I've been plastered in front of it too long. But I'll check in if not Sunday then for sure starting Monday again.
Until then, I hope you have a great weekend!
** I made some of the tweaks that were mentioned in the comments and added a couple other features. Probably nothing so significant that it's noticable.
If you are so inclined and don't mind, I need someone on a computer besides mine, to test a feature I am trying to add. I'm trying to get a handle on if, when or how people are adding stuff to their shopping cart.
All you have to do is randomly add anything to your cart. At that point, the site is SUPPOSED to bring up a quick window with a special offer and a box to sign up for the email newsletter. You don't even need to sign up for the newsletter. I just want to know if the window is coming up.
I can't tell if it's working on my computer because it will only bring up the box once and my computer already has the cookie on it (and I don't want to delete my cookies right now - I lose too much of that automated box filling out stuff, hehe. I'm lazy, I know).
Again, I am NOT asking anyone to buy anything! The main purpose for this blog was to get input on the layout and feel of the site and what changes might need to be made, to make the shopping and buying experience more comfortable.
Thank you SO MUCH for taking a look and for your input!
Groundhog Day's Eve is a special occasion, right??
Either way, I ran across this video and thought it was totally hilarious...in my very dry, 'how can we mess with the entire world all at once,' kind of way.
Caption This - Rainy California Version
Current mood: cold
Category: Quiz/Survey
I'm not complaining here, but holy crap has it been raining a lot out here, for the last week or so!?!!
Hey, just because most of you are dealing with some variation of a freezing winter wonderland, doesn't mean that we, here in California, need to be dealing with it! I'm thinking we pay GOOD money, to live a cold-free lifestyle! Someone is getting an angry letter from ME, I'll tell ya that! Who's in charge of the weather here? Who do I gotta call?! The Governator? Tell me. Someone needs to take responsibility for this!
Ok, don't mind my rant. I'm just kidding. But as an example of how much rain we've gotten, this pool was bone dry last week:
Yeah, save it. I know I live a tough life when I have to get off my S and walk all of 15 feet, to take that picture. (<-- dripping with sarcasm, if you couldn't tell - where's my "sarcasm font" when I need it?) I spent more time cropping and resizing that picture, than taking it.
My point here (assuming I have one), is that is A LOT of rain for this place.
Anyways, onto the real point.
I was standing outside yesterday, during a lull in the drizzling downpour and noticed the craziest thing. On the otherwise dead pomegranate tree, a few feet from my room (I KNOW, I KNOW! I'm telling you, my life really IS hard!!!), was one, bright red fruit. Surrounded by nothing but what otherwise looked dead.
I've been trying to come up with a caption, ever since. To no avail. Then it occured to me how much smarter you are than I.
Today is Carol's birthday! Her and Zoe and the rest of the ladies who are hanging out in Tennessee, were gracious enough to call me the other day and tease me that I couldn't be there. They spent more than a few moments rubbing it in, as to how much I should WISH I was there. I did wish I was there, hehe.
Anyways, as we were chit-chatting, Carol mentioned which of my blogs was her favorite and asked if I would repost it for her birthday. I am powerless to say no to such a lovely lady, especially since she asked so nicely.
So here itis, in it's unedited entirety. Originally written on May 21, 2006, one of the many stories I could tell of how I learned about faith.
My mom used to own an 80 something Plymouth Reliant. Do a google image search if you don't know what it looks like. You'll laugh.
She got it soon after she divorced my dad and around the same time we all moved to California. With numerous trips between the two states and a nightmarish two week coast to coast "vacation" (I joke, it was fun - and only partially nightmarish), by the very early 90's it either needed a new engine or my mom needed to buy a new car.
My step-father had been layed off from his defense industry job around that same time, my older sister was taking the six year route to her college degree and my younger sister still lived at home, so money in the house was none too plenty. I'm sure you can understand, this was quite a dilema.
My mother accepted Jesus as her Lord and savior sometime in the mid to late 80's. Her sister had become a born again Christian a few years earlier and had been the catalyst to get my whole family attending church. I begrudgingly attended and was skeptical of everything. My mother accepted it whole heartedly and happily enforced having the whole family attend each Sunday. She got involved in the volunteer programs. She contributed to the ministries. She had bible studies. She grew in her faith. She still does all these things to this day.
Because of her trust in the Lord, she knew she only had one option in regards to her dilema over the car. She had to pray. She did pray and she had her church groups pray as well. After praying for guidance and wisdom she made the decision to have the engine rebuilt. It would take all her savings but she wouldn't have a car payment. Her savings was the same money that she could use for a down payment on something else, so this option HAD to work or she would be in trouble.
Well, it didn't work. Soon after the work was done, she began having trouble with the car. She took it back to the shop and they looked at it, tweaked some things and said it was fine.
The problems didn't go away. The engine leaked oil now and had to be constantly refilled. There were many other problems that I don't remember specifically, but the bottom line was that this car was falling apart and my mom had no way to get a new one now.
She fought long and hard with the repair shop. She reported them to anyone who would listen. She wrote letters. She kept trying to get them to fix what they had started. They never did and she eventually had to accept that she needed another solution.
So she prayed. She prayed for wisdom, guidance and a solution.
And here is the kokamamy solution she came up with:
God was going to give her a car.
Yep, she said it. But more than anything...she believed it.
It was late 1991 or so and I was gallavanting across the globe in the Marine Corps. I never questioned her faith and when she told me this concept, I just said...."Uhhh, ok..."
She told EVERYONE this story. She told her church groups, she told her coworkers, she told anyone who would listen. And she prayed. She prayed with her groups, she prayed with her family and she prayed on her own. She knew deep in her soul that God was going to give her a car.
Sometime in 1992 my mom got a raise at her work. It was a few hundred dollars more per month. I was off training somewhere and when I came back, my step dad had a new car of his own. Haha, they had decided that he needed a new car and they were gonna use the extra money for the car payment.
My mom was still driving the crappy Reliant and I couldn't help but ask her "Mom? WHY would you take this money and get HIM a car, when YOU need a car? How do you know this isn't God's way of giving you a car?"
And she said, "No...God's going to GIVE me a car!"
Well, that was it. I decided my mother had lost her mind and all I could do was still love her, haha. I said something to the extent of, "Suuuuuurre Mom, whatever..." and washed my hands of it.
Skip to 1993. My unit is gearing up for an overseas deployment and my younger sister, who had just graduated high school, was selling raffle tickets for some event or other. Grand Prize? 1993 Honda Civic.
My mom took the tickets to her work and was selling them to her coworkers. Apparently the organizers made an incentive that for every book of tickets sold, the last ticket would go to the seller for free.
My mom sold her whole book and just before selling the last ticket too, she realized that if she expected God to give her a car, she should probably give Him a chance. She filled out the last ticket - one ticket - in her name...gratis. Then she forgot about it.
It was a few months later that I got the message to call home. This was pre cell phone and email days, so getting a message in the Marine Corps was a big deal. I call home and this is the story I get:
My step-dad came home from work as my mom was hanging up the phone with a shocked look on her face. She started saying to him, "I WANNA CAR! I WANNA CAR!!" He gave her a hug, because now he thought she was losing it too and he said, "I know honey, I know you want a car."
And she said, "NO! I WON A CAR!!!"
She won the grand prize. With one ticket. That she didn't buy.
God gave her a car.
She'd spent over two years praying and telling the world that God was going to give her a car. To the point that people just thought she was a batty old bird. Including me. It was at that point - when everyone but her had given up hope and faith - that God gave her the car. In no uncertain terms.
We found out my unmarried sister was pregnant with my niece around that same time and the father has not been heard from since. It took a lot of faith to get through that struggle.
My unit deployed and within two months I was in Somalia, a place where I needed God like no other time in my life. If you've ever heard the saying that there are no athiests in a foxhole...I think that is true. It was there that I learned the true meaning of not being in control. Once I was able to give up that desire to have "control," my life changed. A great weight was lifted off my shoulders and I could appreciate the small moments much more, rather than constantly struggling to "control."
Do I believe in God? Yes.
Do I know where I fit into His plan? No.
Do I trust Him? Yes.
Do I question? Yes.
Do I get frustrated? Yes.
Have I failed Him? Yes, daily.
Do I pray? Yes.
Do I have faith? Yes.
I learned it from the woman that SHOWED me what faith was.
That 1993 Honda Civic was the car I drove for many years, after my mom moved back to Colorado and gave it to me. I don't have it any more. But it was a Godsend the entire time it was in our family. I call it God's car. It's took me back and forth from Arizona to California to visit my daughter, when I lived there and it took me 3600 miles through the midwest, when I went to visit as many myspace friends as I could reach. It brought me back to California, so that I could live near my beautiful child and it helped me cover 300 or more miles per week, when I worked 45 minutes from home and visited my Bay each weekend, over 200 miles round trip. It always got between 35-40 miles to the gallon and I hope that whoever has it now, appreciates the car as much as we did.
Currently
listening
:
Happy Birthday
By
Gidon Kremer
Release date: 28 January, 2003
I was hanging out with my little Bay the other day. While we were off doing crazy stuff in the world, she said something to me that I forget and I asked her how she knew. She said, "God told me in my heart." I was a little bit floored, but the reason I forgot the initial part of the conversation is because of what came next.
I'm always trying to delve a little deeper into the kid's brain. I figure she'll start to find it annoying one day, but since she apparently doesn't yet, I try to ask questions that challenge her ways of thinking and communicating, while giving me more insight into who she is becoming. The best that I can hope for is that she grows up to be a thoughtful, caring, well spoken person. Yay for noble hopes, right?
So after she said that God told her whatever it was, in her heart, I asked, "What else does God tell you, in your heart?"
She gave it no more than a moment's thought and said, "He told me that you should tell your friends that He loves you. And that He loves them. And that they should tell their friends too."
Luckily, I was just parking the car at the time because as soon as it was stopped, I had to turn and look at her. Being a skeptical adult, I was compelled to ask more clarifying questions. I started by repeating her words, "So God says that I should tell my friends that He loves me?"
dorky
grateful
optimistic
busy
enthralled
excited
blessed
cold
happy
loved