I made a new friend today. He is utterly delightful and one of the best parts is that he is from California!
Not just anywhere California, but the East Bay!!!
Le sigh ... I love the East Bay ...
Please enjoy these photos of my favorite places in Cali.
Alcatraz ...
The. City.
Favorite restaurant in SF.
My spectacular parents got married here in 1973.
Time to cross the bridge!
That's right - Star Wars inspiration.
The way to my home.
The way to my other favorite restaurant.
(
Gold Star Sticker if you can name this street!)
I don't think that I can describe the perfection that is Gordo's - especially this location on Solano.
Favorite view of all time.
(
3 Gold Star Stickers if you can name this street!)
My mama went here - she is the smartest cookie I know.
Marin.
:)
Hands down, best piano bar ever. Ev-er.
Now we go through the tunnel!
WhooHoo - Mt. Diablo!
I have driven by this sign probably 4,000 times. At least.
Oh, I'm a Carondelet Girl - there's no ifs, ands, or buts about it!
My second home for which I have boundless love and eternal devotion.
Don't judge - I've spent more money and more time in this place than probably any other store.
Okay, I'm done for now.
Mary, I promise to do a post entirely dedicated to my love of East Tennessee very soon. (Especially once you take me to a reenactment! Come on, I neeeeeeeeed it .... )
"You probably have a lot to say but don't try to say it all at once. Words will prematurely diffuse your ideas before they reach fruition. Trust your dreams without feeling like you must share them aloud."
Fine.
I get it, Universe. Keep my trap shut today.
2 different horoscopes told me to be quite today.
How do I respond to this? Well, naturally I'm going to write about it.
Ha. Take. That.
This is a problem for me and if you know me well you have probably experienced my inability to edit what comes out of my mouth.
My nasty thatswhatyouget habit is a perfect example of this.
Additionally, I've been known to spew out ohmigoshsuckitupandsinglouder! which resulted in my Derrick gasping in shock and the brilliant Alexis retorting with "Not everyone has lungs the size of Montana!"
And when I told John Boy about this his first response was "Did you say that outside your head?!?"
Ugh. Yes, yes I did.
Sorry.
I should not have said it outside my head (obviously) but in my defense I was right - they just needed to sing louder.
My lungs are a perfectly normal size.
So there.
I may not be good at keeping my thoughts to myself but you can sleep easily knowing that I will always tell you what I think.
About everything.
Whether you like it or not.
"Instead of reining in your thoughts, follow them as they meander through your imagination. But don't judge yourself harshly if, at the end of the day, you don't have anything tangible to show for your lovely fantasies."
The above quote is from my horoscope today.
That's right - my horoscope is telling me not only to allow my imagination to run wild but to do so proudly.
Ha!
Universe,
I'm glad that we are on the same page today.
Peace,
J
Here is the low-down on a long-running fantasy
(Nothing kinky, get your mind out of the gutter. Sheesh!)
I've been working on a couple of different children's books for the last few years. I'm sure that eventually I will try to get them published but for now they knock around in my imagination with all the other stuff. So in honor of my imagination and encouraging horoscope I thought that it might be nice to share a small selection from my favorite today. The illustrations that this will eventually have are an essential part of the project but for today you'll have to use your imagination.
Please accept as my humble gift a short except from:
The Missed Adventures of Jameson Green.
(This has a copywrite, you ba#$^*ds so don't try anything sneaky)
Jameson Green was not an ordinary 1st grader. Oh, sure she was six years old, had ordinary brown hair, ordinary green eyes, and lived an ordinary little life. But underneath it all Jameson knew she was anything but ordinary. For one thing, Jameson’s best friend happened to be a little black cat named Arturius. Arturius, a descendent of the royal cats of the pharaohs of Egypt, was not an ordinary house cat. The thing that Jameson and Arturius liked to do most in the world was to go on adventures! There was only one problem. No one ever believed that their adventures were real.
And so one sunny afternoon when Jameson was telling her mother about the pirate ship that she and Arturius had sailed on last Wednesday, all her mother said was, “Oh, Jameson! If only you could put that creativity to good use and stop making up these stories!”
“But Mom!” cried Jameson. “Really, dear,” said Mrs. Green, “there was no pirate ship. You were out in the garden with Arturius the entire time!”
“Mom! Arturius and I almost had to walk the plank! But he saved us in the nick of time by confusing the pirates with a riddle,” explained Jameson.
“Jameson, Jameson, Jameson. Arturius can’t speak! He is just a cat.”
“But Mama, he is the descendents of the royal cats of the pharaohs of Egypt!”
“Sweetheart,” interrupted Mrs. Green, “Arturius is an ordinary house cat that Daddy brought home from the SPCA.”
“Hmmph,” said Jameson.
“Hmmph,” said Mrs. Green.
“Hmmph,” said Arturius, though it came out sounding more like a sneeze.
Mrs. Green took the laundry into the house, and Jameson and Arturius climbed on to the porch swing to think. “Why doesn’t anyone ever believe us!” wailed Jameson. Arturius sat besides her, twitching his tail back and forth as he often did when he was in deep thought. “I know!” cried Jameson as she leapt from the porch swing. “If we brought back proof from our adventures, everyone would have to believe us. Come on Arturius, we’re off!”
(My familiar and inspiration)
Yesterday my delightful friend, Bevin (who I like to call Blevin due to an unfortunate typo on a call sheet) posted a status update on her facebook that read:
"Perpetual hope is exhausting! But, singing helps."
Oh, man - I could not agree more!
It is really rough sometimes keeping up a good front, stiff upper lip, smile on your face, blah blah blah.
The delightful Blevin is correct, though - singing does help.
Listening to music in general is a real mood booster.
You know how I feel about Pandora Psychic Radio (I'll share my secret with you - type in "Billy Joel" and you will get the single greatest collection of soft rock from the '70's, '80's, and early '90's there might also be some stuff from the '60's as it plays the Beatles and Sir Elton pretty often) and pretty much if I'm not in class or talking to actual human people I have my ipod on giving my day an awesome soundtrack.
I have a bad habit (yes, I know I have more than just one).
But this habit is a difficult one.
It's a compulsion.
There have been many times in my life, and I'm sure there will be more in the future, where I have been unable to stop myself from saying ...
That's what you get!
eeehuuuuuwhhhhhhheiiiiiiheeeeeeeeeee ... I'm so sorry ...
Please accept this scene as my best example and vague apology.
Scene: Sitting in Enid's living room with Roster when we see a giant, nasty spider on the ceiling.
Me: Ohmigosh. Look at the spider.
Roster: Where?
Me: (pointing) There! Look up!
Roster: (sighing) I'll get it
Roster proceeds to get some paper towel from the kitchen and climb on a chair.
Me: Wait! Put the paper towel on the end of a broom stick or yard stick and crush it that way.
Roster: No. This is fine.
Me: But ...
Roster ignores me and tries to get the spider. Naturally this does not work and it falls on him and he stumbles off the chair, brushing himself off.
Roster: Ugh ... Oh ... Gross!
Me: Ohmigoshthatswhatyouget!
Roster: (looking at me both incredulously and with a bit of murder in his eyes) Seriously?
Me: Uhh ... Sorry? ... Butifyouhadjustlistenedtome ...
Roster (cutting in) Seriously!
Me: ... itwouldn'thavehappened... I'm just saying ...
I'd like to point out that I have no idea what happened to that spider.
My people, I have some questions:
1. When did Verizon buy the Big Red theme song and why is that one of the catchiest jingles of all time?
2. Do people still use those rubber bracelets for their causes? Is that fad over?
3. I'm afraid that the entire "Red Ribbon for Women's Heart Health" thing is some sort of subversive plot to overthrow the Red AIDS Ribbon folks. What do you think?
4. Would Justin Bieber be as popular as he is if Michael Jackson hadn't died last year? I feel like with all the Jackson reminiscing that went on we, as a pop icon loving people, remembered how cute and great he was before he got all white and scary and now love Justin Bieber because of this. I'm not ashamed to admit it, I love that Justin Bieber, he reminds me of a kinder, less terrifying MJ. I want to put him in my pocket and pull him out from time to time so that he can sing to me.
I have a quest. (Okay, I have many quests)
It's an important quest.
One that is more important than the other quests.
I have a quest for world domination.
Not in any sort of aggressive way.
I've explained this before - I really only want what is best for you. Don't get your panties in a knot. I have no plans to steam across Europe into Russia.
(
Mostly because I learn from other people's mistakes and trust me, third time would not be the charm with that escapade)
I also realize that this is all a product of my over active imagination.
(
ahem, delusions)
But here is the thing that I have recently realized about my thought processes - they make my life interesting. It really is a rare day when I am genuinely bored. And other than my own slow separation from reality (
whateves, reality - you are overrated) nothing bad comes from it.
"No harm, no foul," I always say.
Much like Don Quixote, I spend time tilting at windmills. And I haven't the slightest problem with that.
There are many things in this world that I want to fix and I can only do so much. Sometimes I feel frustrated by the amount of problems that are out there and by the stupidity or callousness that causes people to be blind to them.
Sometimes I need a break from these heavy issues and need to get riled up over inconsequential things. I'm lucky that my active imagination gives me the freedom to do this.
Today I say: "So what if my windmills are things like a stupid college newspaper, or the Olympics for interrupting my regularly scheduled programing, or winter - you know for the static and the snow and stuff."
There are much worse things that one could be tilting at.
(Don Quixote Dementor from La Rambla)
This is how I feel about the people I love. Especially the people who deserve Gold Star Stickers.
This is how I feel about people on MY LIST.
This is how I feel 50% of the time.
This is how I feel the other 50%
This is how I feel about people who smell bad.
(Yes I do think I'm Scarlett O'Hara - is that a problem for you?)
This is how I feel about people who don't listen to me.
This is how I feel about people who do!
This is how I feel inside.
But sometimes it's more like this.
The times when inspiration hits I lift my soul to the sky.
Sometimes I have to fight for people's rights and this is how I feel.
There are times when I just have to sing and dance - there's simply nothing else to do.
My mama used to say that I was the queen of this place.
(The Queen of "da-nile" get it?)
She's wrong - it's really here.
But all of this adds up to me and there is no one else I'd rather be.
I have felt mentally, physically, and spiritually fractured this week.
I hid in my bed and wallowed.
But while this week was pretty rough I refuse to let it break me.
Now I’m done.
I turned a corner today (figuratively – literally I turn many corners every day).
I feel recharged and rejuvenated.
I did not reach this place of peace and joy all by myself, however - there are some very important things that provided the necessary boost to my spirits.
* Azalea Pink nail polish
* My Pink Pashmina recovered
* A big glass of ice cold orange juice
* Pandora Psychic Radio
* 2 beautiful blue sky days in a row
* The most amazing circle of friends and family
* Inspiring mentors
* Kind and generous people
* My beloved talismans of positive energy
What more do I need with the sun shining on my face and a song in my heart?
