30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/31/16: BONUS ROUND

Rules: Write the first 10 songs that come up on shuffle (no skipping) and quote your favorite lyric(s) from each song.

Well, shuffle never seems to work quite correctly for me, so instead I started with song 2 and moving forward every 12 songs after that. Seems random enough.....

(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love, and Understanding? - best known by Elvis Costello, but this version is by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs.
"As I walk through / This wicked world / Searchin' for light in the darkness of insanity. / I ask myself / Is all hope lost? / Is there only pain and hatred, and misery?"

As Hope and Promise Fade - Chris Cornell
"And I thank you for the offer / But you know I must decline / Never more than two drinks away / From crying"

Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden (but this is a solo acoustic version by Chris Cornell)
"Hang my head, drown my fear / Till you all just disappear..."

Bring 'Em Back Alive - Audioslave
"I was on my way to the center of the sun / When I lost my wings and I fell into a crowd...."
(Gotta admit, my least favorite song by them and I usually skip it!)

Couldn't I Just Tell You - originally by Todd Rundgren, this version by Matthew Sweet and Susanna Hoffs
"Keep your head and everything will be cool / You didn't have to make me feel like a fool / When I tried to say I feel the way that I do."

Don't Take Me Alive - Steely Dan
"I know you're out there / With rage in your eyes and your megaphones / Saying all is forgiven / Mad Dog surrender..."

Fast Company - The Eagles
"Be careful what you say / Be careful who you trust / This world is beautiful / This world is dangerous"

Get What You Deserve - The Derek Trucks Band
"Well, you can't quite remember, baby ain't you heard? / You can do what you please, but you get what you deserve."

Heaven's Dead - Audioslave
"I'll take it all, arrows or guns / Hundreds more to save you from one."

I Wanna Be Sedated - The Ramones (this version is another Sweet/Hoffs cover)
"So get me to the airport, put me on a plane / Hurry hurry hurry, before I go insane / I can't control my fingers, I can't control my brain...."

WELL! that's the ten. Whew, because #11, there was gonna be some 'splainin' to do....... (Kickstand by Soundgarden, and I shouldn't enjoy that song as much as I do.)

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/30/16: SQUEEEEE!

One Thing You're Excited For

Just in case you didn't see my Facebook or Twitter feeds yesterday......

I'M GONNA SEE PEARL JAM IN GREENVILLE!!!!!!!!!!!!

Okay, PJ isn't my very favorite Seattle band; that honor goes to Soundgarden. But (1) it's a 25th anniversary tour for Ten, the album that brought them to the world's attention; (2) I'll get to see Matt Cameron, their drummer, who is also the drummer for Soundgarden; (3) they're playing my town!!! They skipped Atlanta. They skipped other bigger cities and they picked Greenville. How could I say no??

And what made it even more squeee-able was that I got the tickets in less than 2 minutes, thanks to the Ticketmaster app and Apple Wallet. I also had the Ticketmaster site up on my PC and it was showing delays of 3 minutes, then 7 minutes. The little wheel-o-doom was still spinning and "please be patient" was still on screen and my transaction was done on the phone.

It's going to be an awesome show -- that much I know already! I cannot wait!!! Happy dance!!!!!

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/29/26: Legal

The Night Of Your 21st Birthday

Easy. I worked.

It was a Thursday, and I was on the schedule to work my usual 8-11 shift at the computer lab in the library basement. Some of my friends had already made plans to treat me to dinner on Friday night and others on Saturday, so it was no big huge whoop to work that night.

On Friday, my friends Todd and Ernie took me out to California Dreaming for dinner, and on Saturday a bunch of folks treated me to dinner and a couple of drinks at Tommy Condon's.

All told, the 21st birthday celebrations were rather nice.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/28/16: TOTALLY!

The word/phrase you use constantly

Hmm, there are lots of words and phrases that are in heavy rotation (so to speak) on my personal playlist. Several of them. I won't bother to write down here......

But I admit to a few that are probably holdovers from, oh, junior high school days.......
* totally
* awesome (probably used most of all)
* ohmigawd (yes, I realize that I'm sounding very much like a Valley Girl at this point)
* SERIOUSLY??? (most often said when the system at work begins to lock up or otherwise be uncooperative)
* that is SO me!
* truth! -- or -- preach!  (usually to agree with something)
* indeed. (Close tie with awesome for most used)

And the phrase I use most?

"Hi, this is Annette with the service center for your (make) printer, just wanted to let you know (nature of the call). Please call me at 800-xxx-xxxx extension yyyy and I'll be happy to get that information out to you or answer any additional questions."

#customerservice

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/27/16: Attire

What You Wore Today

Hmm, considering it's almost 6:00 am, the only answer is tee shirt and PJ bottoms.

So we'll review yesterday's wear......

* different tee/PJ bottoms
* peacock blue cable-knit V-neck sweater
* navy slacks for work / jeans after work
* taupe boots that I picked up at Target over the weekend on clearance (soooo cute)
* amethyst crystal pendant
* "I Wanna Be Sedated" pendant (see Etsy, 8TrackRomeo shop.... They are AWESOME! All sorts of lyric-y goodness!)
* stretchy bracelet

That's it. I haven't yet planned today's wardrobe. Then again, I haven't really paid attention to the weather forecast....

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/26/16: Crickets

Things You'd Say To An Ex

This one is easy: NOT A DAMN THING!

Funny thing is, even three months ago, the answer would have been different. I'd have written a 16-page outline of all the things I wanted to say, that I regretted not saying back then.

And then November happened. Sometime in mid-November, the question was posed about "if he wanted to reconcile, would you take your ex back?" As I pondered my answer, I realized that it was a huge no (actually more of a "OH HAYYYYYYYYULLLLLLLL NO! are you insane?") For a few moments, I did give the question room to simmer into a what-if scenario.... and in that short time, I had an insight into myself that truly almost made me pull the car over, hop out, and scream to the sky, "That's it, ohmigosh, why didn't I see this before?" I'm sure the drivers of the cars I met on the two-lane road wondered what was the deal with the girl with the open jaw.....

And ever since then, nope. Absolute zero desire, interest, or  inclination to ever want to hear from him, see him, think about him. Zero chance of ever turning this around. Not that I'd had any contact with him in a dozen years, but he would pop into my head from time to time, take up free space for a week or two, and then go away for a while. Nope. No more. Honestly, this is the most I've thought about him since that November day.

And this is good. Relics belong in the past.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/25/16: Quirks

Four Weird Traits You Have

Just four?

1. As if you couldn't guess already, I have to have access to music in some way, shape, or form...... radio, MP3 player, CD's, my phone, and failing all else, my head. Not that I have it on all the time - for instance, right know I have the news on to catch the weather, and no audible music. But trust me, there definitely is a song going through my head.

2. I don't do it anymore, but when I was a kid (like maybe 1st grade or so), I honestly thought that if I did something with one hand and not the other, the "other" would feel hurt or upset that I didn't include it and so I had to let it do that same thing too .... like if I tapped my three fingers on my right hand, I'd have to do it with my left hand too so that it wouldn't be upset. That phase didn't last very long.... thank goodness!

3. I know a lot of people have a thing about foods touching. Eh, I'm okay with that, but if I'm at a place where the meat and the sides are served in separate compartments or containers, I usually tend to eat one section at a time. Let's say I have grilled chicken, green beans, and carrots. A bite or two of chicken, then on to the green beans, then back to the chicken, onto the carrots, then finish the chicken. I know, weird.

4. Coffee. Must have 2 packets of stevia per cup, and one Tbsp (or tub-lette) of creamer. You don't mess up a perfect formula. :)

I'm sure there are plenty of others, but right now..... it's still early!

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/24/16: Remembering

Something You Miss

Hmm..... Wow, something that I miss. Well, there are things that I miss that are impossible to ever get again:
* the beautiful, sweet days of my childhood summers when the world was wide open before me and I could choose to do anything I wanted...... And it was usually either ride my bike or stay inside and read.
* Christmas Day gatherings with my huge extended family at Granny's, and we cousins eating on the stair steps because there was just no room to eat anywhere else.
* Uncle Jack's little "Opry" building and his amazing generosity in letting his niece sing there on occasion. And as much as I'm not necessarily into country and bluegrass, I miss the camaraderie of those events ..... simple little jam sessions to actual bands who'd practiced! Heck, I even miss (now) the jam sessions from those Christmas dinners, now that I'm learning to play (though my uncles and I would not be on the same page musically)!
* I really miss my mom being more independent. I miss the woman who raised me to be strong and to just do, just get in there and do! I miss the person she was because I really struggle with the person who is. It is the most difficult transition I have ever witnessed..... And not only do I hate with a passion what it has done to her, I really hate how it has changed us all.
* I miss me. Somewhere in the last year, I've apparently had a marked personality shift, enough that some people have noticed and noticed some of the not-so-good changes. I don't want to lose the things that changed that I need to propel me forward but I do need to drop some of the other things..... a lot of negativity and darker colors that seem to have made their way in. I don't want the doormat me back -- I do NOT miss her by any stretch! But it seems something does need to change..... Where? How?

I miss more than I thought, perhaps.....

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/23/16: SRSLY?

A Family Member You Dislike

Are they serious? This has to be a joke. Truly.

There is no way in the world I would ever answer this question, and certainly not so in a public forum. No matter how you may personally feel about a family member, he or she is still family, and that runs deep. My own take is this: if he or she is still alive, and unless the offense is a matter of public criminal record, then it remains a purely private matter. End of story.

To be fair, there are people throughout my family with whom I have disagreements. I'm sure I'm on the list of others as well, and probably especially lately as I've spoken my mind (more often than I should, perhaps). But again, it's all opinion and subject to a lot of personal interpretation.

In the end, we are still family and that wins out.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/22/16: SOSDD

My Morning Routine

I'm definitely not a morning person but I can be a creature of habit. So this has more or less been my morning routine for years, with a few minor tweaks depending on when I have to go into work. For the last several months, I've worked 9:00-6:00 mainly to accommodate my need earlier for extended occupational and physical therapy after foot surgery. And for now, it's still working for me, at least right now anyway.

But I decided not to break my waking time from when I had to report at 8:00..... One, I'd already become accustomed to it and two, it gave me some extra time each morning for myself (and things like this)! So here's a rough timeline.....

5:15 first alarm, hit snooze (unless I have to be somewhere at 8:00 -- work or OT/doc appt).
5:24 second alarm, hit snooze again and wait a few minutes. In those few minutes, I get my bearings, try to figure out what's on my agenda for the day, anything I might have forgotten..... Continue attempting to wake up. (When I'm asleep, thankfully most of the time it's a good deep sleep ... Not always but mostly).
5:30ish get up, take daily medicine for migraine prevention, and start on breakfast (protein shake with unsweetened almond milk, almond butter, and protein powder). Mmmm! OH! and coffee. If I'm the first up, I start the coffee. Coffee is a must. Coffee is life. Mmmm.......
5:35ish get shake and go to living room. Turn on morning news, half-listen to weather and headlines (more weather than headlines)..... Grab tablet and start checking email, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr, whatever else.......
5:45 Grab coffee at some point once it's ready. Two packs of stevia, one Tbsp of sugar-free vanilla creamer. Mmmmm. Warm yummy elixir of life.....
6:45ish Look at clock and go, "ah crap!!!'" Start unraveling lymphedema bandaging and get ready for getting ready. Grab clothes for the day (chief criteria: clean? match? Good.) Grab tunes. We must have tunes.
7:00 hit shower. Continue getting ready ...... At some point, glance at clock and think, REALLY????? (yes, it is already almost 7:30...).
7:45ish start leaving.... If you leave at 8:00 you're going to hit yuck traffic. Anything between 7:45 and 8:00 isn't awesome but at least you'll have a cushion of time.

Arrive at work sometime between 8:30 and 8:45 (depending in how traffic was, route you took, etc.). Pull in, breathe deep, do the self-pep-talk if you have to, and go in. Face the day. Just do it. One more time around.

And that's pretty much it.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/21/16: Zodiac

Your zodiac sign and does it fit you?

Scorpio and TO A TEE!

I have an entire Pinterest board called Scorpio Stuff and with well over 200 pins, yeah, I'd say it's something I've looked into.

I'm actually a Scorpio sun sign, Taurus moon and Sagittarius rising. The sun sign is supposedly your fundamental qualities; the moon is your emotional personality, and the ascendant (rising sign) is how you act in new situations. I can see some of that.

Scorpios are very guarded, naturally suspicious, terribly protective, and we'll hurt ourselves before we hurt you -- unless you cross us in such a manner that deserves unending fiery wrath. We love wholeheartedly but show it coolly until we're absolutely 100% certain that we can trust you. And while we have a reputation as the serial killers of the zodiac, nothing could be further from reality. We're actually incredibly nurturing and giving, especially if we've deemed you worthy of care.

Our coolness and detached demeanor is self-protection. If we decide to let you in the shell, then consider yourself lucky indeed. It is a privilege denied to many.......

Does it fit? Ask anyone. I've been called friendly and aloof by the same people. I've watched people scratch their heads to see my entire expression and modus operandi change when threatened.

So in short, yes, loves, I am totally Scorpio and wouldn't want it any other way......

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/20/16: Shufflin'

Put your music player on shuffle; list the first 3 songs that come up and your initial thoughts on them.

Okay.... I never use shuffle, so the first song was actually the first (alphabetically) that's on there and THEN shuffle kicked in. I need a new player anyway... 

1) #1 Zero (Audioslave) -- I love this one, because it's kind of bluesy and in a minor key. I probably shouldn't like it as much as I do -- because I also call it the "creeper" song. It has that stalker-ish feel to it and a perusal of the lyrics bears that out. But dang, that music........ Sometimes it's the lyrics, sometimes the music and sometimes both. For me, this one is mostly the music.

2) Harder To Breathe (Maroon 5) -- another one I like, but one I listen to rarely. Honestly, I'd forgotten it was even on here! I think it's another case of minor keys and chords that appeal to me. Lyrically, I'm not so keen but that's mainly because it's about a tortured relationship. No thanks, did that emotional rollercoaster already......

3) 4th of July (Soundgarden) -- one of my favorites!!! It's definitely a different song, and again one with dissonant chords and minor keys/chords. I think I'm probably more attracted to songs like that because I have my own "interior minor chord"...... Now, as far as the lyrics, the story is that the composer wrote about a time when he got pulled by the cops for reckless driving (while he was tripping). The police strobes and such began to freak him out and he felt like he was in a panic attack...... I can understand. I got pulled once in the middle of a horrid migraine and the strobes made me want to come out of my own skin. Luckily the trooper was very understanding and sent me off instead.

You know me, I could talk about music all day long.......

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/19/16: Fear!

Five Fears That You Have

Wow, you don't ask much, do you? I'd think I'd almost rather have a rabid ferret gnawing off an extremity.

Why would I ever confess my fears to the world at large? Don't you know, dear prompt writer, that I have a velvet rope and bouncer for nearly every level of the sacred home I call my head and my heart? That on some days, "how are you" is the most invasive question you could ever ask?

That, and I don't want to jinx myself in the Universe. I don't want to Beetlejuice up this crap!!!!!

That being said.......

1) Spiders and snakes. It ain't just an old Jim Stafford song. I'm less scared of spiders. I'll squoosh the darn things. We had a teensy spider issue at work a few years ago, and it was "scream scream a spider!!" Followed by the sounds of me grabbing a few tissues, going out into the hallway muttering, "ohferchristssake you wusses" and stomping on the wee beastie...... Scooping it up with the tissue and flushing it to its watery grave.  Snakes are an entirely different story. We had baby copperheads in the yard for a while. A very short while. Hell no, I don't want snakes. I'll kill arachnids all day long but slithery beasties, noooooo!!!!!!

2) The day my WeeBoo leaves me...  I cannot even think about it. He's almost 10, and most Labs can go 12-15......... He's starting to show signs of arthritis or some hip issues. He's always been a bit lazy but he REALLY loves doing nothing now. He's old and even with the white fur, I see the graying muzzle. Crap, I'm crying just thinking about it.

3) Job-seeking. I'm praying I don't have to go through it again. Choosing to is one thing; having to is quite another.

4) Labwork abnormalities. I've already been through this once and it freakin' killed me. Seven weeks of torture (that didn't have to take that long, except for a scheduling snafu)...... I hope I never ever have to endure anything like that again.

5) Being out of coffee. Don't laugh...... Yeah, I know I could always pick up some on the way but there's something to the ritual of making it yourself each day that sets a mood.

I never said they were my five deepest fears.......

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/18/16: Color

My Favorite Color And Why

I guess you have figured out by now that I LOATHE "pick a favorite (whatever)" lists. Why should I ever limit myself to one favorite of anything?! There's such beautiful variety of everything in the world that it's impossible to pick a single one out of infinite choices.

Color is no exception...... I've found that if I stick to more basic colors, but varying shades thereof, I tend to do best. Pastels are not for me. I'm not exactly a dainty, fragile, delicate...... Oh, no, no..... Bold, bright, and dark work best for me in everything.

Lately, I have really been into brick red, deep burgundy, peacock blue, and all fall, salmon was a go-to color (odd, considering how much I loathe orange shades, but the pink undertones helped). I prefer hunter green to other shades but it's hard to find the exact shade in my brain anywhere in the stores (except Home Depot.... Great for a wall, not so much for a sweater).

And then there's black, the timeless classic. Call me Morticia Addams for all the black I own. But daaaaahhhhlings, it's simply divine, anytime. Black is always in style! Unless you own a white dog that sheds like crazy.... Oh dear.

But I love my colors because they are expressions of me. I don't usually pick colors to match a mood or convey a specific sentiment but somehow...... My earth tones come in handy when I need to feel grounded, my super-brights when I need to soar.....

Ah, yes..... How I love color.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/17/16: Quote

A Quote You Live By

Okay, I love quotes. I'm a collector of them..... Got 'em pinned all over the place, cut them out years ago from magazines or copied them from books and carried them around forever. But to pick one that I live by, or have based things in my life on? Wow.... I don't know.

My parents said things but it was those same things all parents say...... "If all your friends jump off a bridge, it doesn't mean you have to!" or "You keep crying and I'll give you something to cry about...." Not entirely helpful advice. But that's where music came in........ not that I necessarily followed it any more closely, but it got in my head more easily than via parental lecture.

* "Love hurts" -- Nazareth
* "Love stinks" -- J. Geils
* "Love is a battlefield" -- Pat Benatar
* "Love bites" -- Def Leppard

(And that's just a few on love.....)

But seriously, there's one song that, oddly enough, provided the best quote at a time I needed it most. I've rarely gone without listening to music, ever. The rare exceptions were the couple of weeks after my maternal grandmother's death (age 12) and for about four days after a horrid breakup in my late 20s. In both cases, I just couldn't bring myself to turn on the radio for anything. And by the time of the breakup, I just didn't feeeeeel it. It was the day the music went on life support for me.

The first song I heard or sang? It was something that went through my head and I couldn't help but laugh at my own twisted humor and cleverness, all the while knowing that it was going to be far easier sung than done....

Sun comes up, sun goes down
This ol' world keeps spinnin' around
Not much has changed since you've been gone
I miss ya honey, but life goes on......
"Life Goes On," Little Texas

I sang it with venom, with a shaky voice but still with every ounce of defiance I could muster in that moment. I couldn't always keep that level up for long but in that moment, I could. And I knew I'd be okay.......

Since then, there have been other quotes or lyrics that have been important to me....... "Be particular" (Jill Conner Browne) comes to mind most, but then again I've always been particular. Being particular will get you farther than you think!  

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/16/16: Day

Bullet your entire day.

It is Saturday. There's nothing TO bullet. There's no real agenda, other than go pick up my jacket from the hair salon where I mistakenly left it yesterday...... But allow me to bullet yesterday, given that .... well, it already happened.
* Get up (5:27 am, after two hits of the snooze and a couple of minutes of "do I have to?")
* Take medicine
* Start coffee.
* Mix protein shake.
* Turn on morning news.
* Turn on tablet -- check E-mail, Facebook, Pinterest, Tumblr....
* Do yesterday's writing challenge post
* Unravel lymphedema bandages
* Grab clothes for the day
* Grab phone (for music), make sure shower speaker works
* Hit the shower.
* Dry off, dress.
* Look at the time and think, "REALLY??? HOW??" (yes, it's already 7:30).
* Pour travel mug of coffee. Make sure you have everything you need to take with you. Debate taking guitar with you to practice at lunch. Decide it looks too rainy, might as well have one less thing to tote.
* Drive to work. Discover many new fascinating combinations of curse phrases. Use them often.
* Pull in to parking space. Wait until rain lightens up a bit, you're actually a little early.....
* Go in, start the day. Daily spreadsheet for one vendor. Update working spreadsheet for yourself. Open Rhapsody and decide which playlist and ..... hey, might as well finish the one you were listening to yesterday at the end of the day! Yay for Telephantasm!
* Wow, 10:00 already? Time for the team meeting! Have a great productive discussion with everyone. Your upcoming changes in duties is announced. Excitement!
* Back to investigation work.... When is your ETA for the return visit? Is this work complete? When is this due to ship? Can you cancel this order? Dear Customer, the work is complete, and we will need a revised PO to match the actual work performed and parts installed......
* Mmm, lunchtime. Pouring rain. Pay bills online. Make sure hairstylist is working tonight. Head out to PDQ for the grilled chicken salad..... Mmm, twice so far this week but it is yummy!
* Back to work ..... it's a little early but it's yucky cold rainy out, and I am so over it already. I need some hot tea!
* Training our new team member on what I do.... I can help with "front-line" call entry, but I primarily do investigations when service calls run into issues. So an hour isn't quite enough but it will do for now.
* More updating and investigating the newer ones which got added. Why did this get moved? We have their payment and approval!
* WOO-HOO!!!! It's 6:00 and I call the salon, I'm on the way!!
* I get there and tell Shannon the two crazy ideas I'd had recently about my hair. She explains why one will be at least a year in the making, and why the other isn't working exactly correctly at the moment but is easily remedied! So we trim my hair to match the 2nd option (which will be better anyway).
* I head over to AC Moore. I have something I want to frame and I think I need something different than what I'd picked up elsewhere (10x13). Well, looks like a 9x12 unless I want to custom frame. NO! one, I don't want that much expense and two, I have had another beautiful brainstorm to go with this idea and I can't do that unless I have that larger frame. I buy a few sheets of "chalkboard" paper for practice..... I feel positively Grinchy.... It's a wonderful, evil, awful idea in the most awesome way possible and I cannot WAIT to see it come together!!!!
* CRAP!! 7:30??? I gotta get home for dinner. Protein shake time!!! Finally get home around 8:20..... Mix the shake, grab my guitar for practice, gulp  down the shake, nibble some string cheese and some almonds.....
* Take Jade, grab my pick, my practice sheet, and sit at the table. Here we go! Aaaaaagh!!! That right hand! My pick technique..... My teacher is right, this is a mental battle! So I focus more on this portion of things than the notes at this point. Back to the left hand...... AAAAAGH! Keep those fingers down. Hey, that's it! Keep at it! After a few run-throughs, it's starting to look and sound better.
* Decide to just play some things for the fun of it and try to find those "lost chords" I know are out there on this one song.....
* Whoa...... Fallon's on already!? Yow. Time for bed. Yikes. Guess I'll plan to do my leg treatment on both legs tomorrow..... Ooops!!!!!
* Change into yoga pants and tee shirt. Bed time! Snore...... (11:50ish?? Who knows?).

Okay, this was atypical but not too far off. Crazy life. Crazy life.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/15/16: AAARGH!

Three Pet Peeves

I get mildly annoyed an awful lot. I also get over it pretty quickly, mostly. Hair-trigger temper but just as easy to let it go.... mostly. But yes, I have some pet peeves that just twist my last raw nerve.....

1) Driving too slowly in the left lane. Oh my God, don't get me started. If you have nowhere to go and all day to get there, then please -- take a back road, stay in the right lane, whatever it takes, just stay out of my way. Because I'm going to be using the left lane to get around you and all the others.

2) Being interrupted. I have never been diagnosed with any sort of attention deficit disorder, but concentration is very difficult for me. So when I have to concentrate, I put on the headphones (or earphones), and the music quells whatever little distracto-gremlins are trying to get to me. That allows the rest of my brain to take over and let me focus (really, hyper-focus) on whatever task I need to complete. And because I have to work so hard to achieve that level of focus, interruptions are disastrous. My coworkers always ask why I jump out of my skin every time they come over ..... well, this is part of it. I truly am so deep into my work (at least brain-wise) that a tap on the shoulder might as well be a firecracker going off behind me. It's not easy in a team environment to have this need for deep shut-out........

3) Underestimating me.  I smile a lot, laugh a lot, live and die for good music, am a sucker for pop culture things, still live somewhere in the 80s/90s in my head, get excited about things I love. I get emotional, I cry at silly things and sometimes at the drop of a hat. I say things like "y'all" and "mommer'n'em" ...... and all this sometimes leads people to assume I'm about a thimble-deep (if that). Oh my dear, no no no. To do so would be your worst mistake. Talk to me at length, then decide. It takes time for me to be open enough to people to share a lot, but once you get past certain bouncers and velvet ropes (and there are multiple levels, to be sure) then you may see past the surface of me and dive into the ocean.

So there. Have at it. ☺

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/14/16: Seven Years

Your Life In Seven Years

Okay, gotta admit I'm a bit confused ...... Am I being asked to project what my life will be like seven years from now, or give you a snapshot of a seven-year timeframe of my life?

Because quite truthfully, both prospects are a bit daunting.

I'm not soothsayer. I can't even begin to think where I might be seven minutes from now.... Let's not even consider years. I always hated those interview questions such as "where do you see yourself in five years...?" Do I look like Kreskin? What I can say is that I have some things I'd like and I'm willing to work toward them. But I'm also someone who's spent far too many years resisting the flow of life. I wanted my life to unfold just a certain way and I did as much as I could to direct it that way. It didn't work...... and thus a very different seven-year snapshot of my life.

Those seven years were tough, because I partly brought it on myself. They were the lost years -- the years I lost the essential core of myself. The years I fought like hell to get me back. I think I succeeded wildly and did one (or ten) better.

And that's the thing about this question. Sometimes when you know yourself -- who you are, what really matters, how to separate wheat from chaff -- then what happens in the next seven years doesn't matter. You know that you can handle it. You know that none of the petty concerns really matter.  You've got the big picture in mind and heart......

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/13/16: The Road

Your Commute To Work/School, Etc.

For 10+ years, I've had a daily 60-mile, roughly 90-minute roundtrip commute. That's if traffic conditions are ideal. Most days, it sucks 2 hours or more from my life, because -- oh, gotta stop by the grocery store or, hey gotta get a haircut after work or.... name the errand.

But strangely enough, the commute really doesn't bother me. It's the one place in the world that is truly mine and mine alone. My car is my sanctuary. It's my concert hall more often than not. It's my confessional. It's a place where I sing, talk aloud to myself, work out the kinks of my life and my brain, and go on adventures at times (detours, long traffic delays).

I have a couple of ways I can get to work -- once I go out of my hometown and through the next town over, I can choose to go through my work city's downtown, then via expressway to the exit I need on the interstate. Or I can get on the interstate once I'm out of that second town via a short state road (short but crowded). Once I'm on the interstate (always crowded), there are several ways I can get to work depending on traffic conditions.

One big thing is that you have to learn about seven different ways to get to the office because there's almost always a traffic backup,  slowdown, or jam somewhere on your route. Accept it and learn the back roads (hence the above-mentioned "adventures"). Figure out several options and just sigh when you have to use them.....

But as I said, this is my "cave time," so to speak. By the time I get home, I've forgotten work even existed and whatever problems I had are a distant memory. And same for when I get to work.... well, sometimes. Yesterday, I did hear a song that reminded me of a situation and it kind of stuck in my head a few minutes at work. But then work brought its own little challenges, and.......

So there's my commute. I've had 10-minute commutes (5 each way) and this ...... I'll take this. I need this. I need the solitude, I need the space. I miss those two hours when I'd much rather be doing something constructive but this is helpful too.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/12/16: Laugh, Laugh

Two Words/Phrases That Make You Laugh

Really??? I can laugh at mostly anything. Like the song says, "I'm the kind of girl who laughs at a funeral..." so there isn't much where I'm not cracking up. But these are ones that are extra-special to me.

Rasputin:  okay, so Stacey (my bestie) and I are juniors in college and we're reading something from .... I don't know, "Mysteries of the Unknown"??? .... but anyway, it's the story of Rasputin. And especially intriguing is the tale of how this man just would. not. DIE. I mean, they did everything you could possibly do to a human being and he wasn't going anywhere. Poisoning? Nope. Shot? Bah! Stabbed? Please! Drowned? I laugh at your feeble attempts at murder! And we were marvelling at the hypnotic eyes. We could see how the Czarina was taken by them. So anyhow, at some point, I fell asleep and Stacey was up a bit longer. As she was at our vanity sink, she said I sat up, looked at her and said in a loud voice, "I am Rasputin!" and then flipped over onto my stomach and back out I went.

I'm still baffled by this, 26 years later. Apparently, I am the reincarnation of one Gregor Rasputin....... And apparently missing some of his magnetic charm as well. All I got were the blue eyes and a lousy T-shirt.

Rock Ridge:  if you've ever seen Blazing Saddles (1974 Mel Brooks film) then I need make no further reference....... But I will say, in the last few years, a small development went up on the outskirts of the next town over (on my way to work). And they named the little subdivision "Rock Ridge"..... I. HOWLED.  I couldn't imagine telling people I lived in Rock Ridge without cracking up....... There's even a song from the film that I sing or hum every time I pass by and I start cackling all over again...... If you don't know the song just YouTube it but here's the final verse:
Now it's a time of great decision
Are we to stay or up and quit?
There's no avoiding this conclusion
Our town is turning into sh.........

Mayhem and chaos. My work here is done.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/11/16: Singleton

Discuss your current relationship, or if single, discuss.

Fine, nosy.

I'm single. Have been most of my life, and honestly, I'm mostly good with it. I've kind of decided that at this stage in life, maybe marriage really isn't meant for me.

I'm very accustomed to having my own way, to the freedom of "not reporting in" (so to speak). If I want to wake up early on a Saturday and hit the open highway, I can do so without a second thought. I can spend my own discretionary income (heh) however I choose without anyone's approval or reprisal. Not that I'd particularly care anyway. And while I enjoyed the relationships I had...... Oh wait. Huh. Yeah. Okay, moving on.

There are downsides, to be certain. You always feel like the odd wheel out at parties or worse, you get to be the blind date for another lost singleton (who'd usually rather prefer having an extremity gnawed off by a rabid fox than have one more bomb of a blind date). You constantly get asked by relatives "so when are you getting married?" (I suppose now I can say, "when a famous couple asks me to be a sister wife in a legal polygamous marriage but until all are free...." J/K).

Funny enough, I have had profiles on online dating sites but I've taken most of them down. For me, just not working. I know several folks who've found great success. For me, nah. Not so much. It seems that when you say you prefer guys within a five-year range of your age, everyone 15 years older than you suddenly views your profile. No thanks, I'm already dealing with an aging parent with one foot on the banana peel (so to speak). Not going through it with a potential rest-of-life person. I just can't. I know, it's probably petty but right now I'm having a hard enough time with this situation. I really can't with someone to whom I'd want to give my heart. Ya know? Closer to my age just works for me. I'm still young enough to want to share adventures and travel and fun..... Not bowling night every Thursday and Saturday dinner parties each week at the Water Buffalo Lodge.

I might be interested one day with the right guy. I don't know. I'll know if and when the time and circumstances are right, but until then, I'm rather content where I am. Again, all about blooming where I'm planted, and knowing when to change up the soil. So..... who knows? But he must love my kind of music, must love dogs, must love football, and ....... Oh, lots of things I'd like in Mr. Ideal. :)

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/10/16: Fruit

A Fruit I Dislike & Why

Well now ..... there's an odd question. I like most fruits. Fruits are great! Sweet and crunchy or sometimes slightly tart but always yummy, right? And mostly good for you (except that there is a little more sugar but it is naturally occurring instead of added sugar)......

Except star fruit.

GAG!!!!!!!!!!!

When I was in my weight-loss process, once we had a six-week challenge (if I recall correctly) and one of the challenge items was to try a fruit you never had before. While my grocery store has a great produce section and carries a wide variety of items, I had eaten everything the fruit section offered....... Except star fruit. So they had a package of pre-sliced star fruit in the "grab-n-go/eat now" area, so I picked it up for my morning snack.

Two slices. That was all I could stomach. And that was with a packet of Splenda from the coffee area generously sprinkled on top. Even that couldn't help this poor fruit taste like anything I'd ever want to eat again. Acidic, bitter, no distinguishing flavor...... You know what an apple tastes like or an orange. You'll never confuse a blackberry and a blueberry. But a star fruit? Nothingness. Just nothing except the yuck.

So no. A big NO to the star fruit. Sorry........

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/9/16: Ageism

My Thoughts On Ageism

Hmm..... I haven't honestly given it much thought but I suppose I should, since I am getting to a point in life where it is starting to matter. I think the first time I ran into it was when I was faced with a decision about a position change where my age (40+) allowed me a little extra time to mull things over. It was the first time I thought, "Really, 40 is the threshold for this?"

I don't think of myself as middle-aged or even just past it..... In my mind, I'm still in my late 20s. My friends and I have all just gotten out of college and have only been working a few short years or just gotten out of grad school. We're not yet staring our AARP cards in the face. But then I go to doctor's appointments and reality catches up. Labwork every three months to keep hereditary health conditions from sneaking up on me. Treatments for age-related issues. Being told, "you've got a lot of arthritis built up in that ankle" and realizing that my initial diagnosis was 25 years earlier when I was a "healthy" 20 -- and giving the doc my old "tell me something I don't know" look and speech.

I kind of enjoy my role these days as elder sister....... I'd always been the baby of the bunch, not knowing certain things and having my older friends share their wisdom and knowledge with me. Now it's my turn.

And there are those who just don't care, won't care. The ones who'll think I'm a relic from a long-forgotten time and place. The ones who assume that because I don't listen to certain groups or don't see the same viewpoint on a subject, that I'm to be dismissed or discarded as a dinosaur. Go ahead, underestimate me. You aren't the first and won't be the last. It's a youthful mistake. Enjoy it. And remember it for when you're the fossil a few years later.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/8/16: Books

A Book You Loved And A Book You Hated

Narrowing down the list of books I loved to pick one??? Haaaaaaaa! Haaaaaaaa! Oh wait, you're serious? Oh, oh wait, let me catch my breath.......

One that I read a few years back that I purely adored is The Red Tent by Anita Diamant. I loved the story of Dinah, daughter of Jacob, told from the women's viewpoint. I love that she finally was given a voice -- even fictionally -- instead of being a footnote of history. By the end, I was in tears and hoarse from crying. Yes, tears that made me hoarse. When a book gives you that many feelings.......... 6 stars out of 5.

For a book I hated, I nominate The Deep End of the Ocean by Jacquelyn Mitchard. Yes, Oprah loved it. Good for her. I couldn't make it through the first quarter of the book and that's when I decided to follow the advice that life is too short to read crappy books. I could not make a connection at all with the main character, Beth. She seemed way too self-absorbed and completely unbelievable to me. I just couldn't get her at all. So I put the book down and I did attempt to read it a couple of years later. It still didn't do anything for me. Let's put this in context...... In high school, I was forced to read Charles Dickens' Dombey & Son, for which there are no Cliffs Notes. That I ranked this ahead of a horrific Dickens novel should tell you everything.

*****

Over the last few years, most of my book purchases have leaned toward non-fiction...... Primarily a crapload of self-help, a library of cookbooks, and lately bookoo of music books. I'll be weeding through my books soon and making a donation for the literacy association book sale this summer. The music books will stay FOR SURE. Quite a few of the cookbooks, indeed. The self-help? Only keeping a select few. The rest can go. Apparently if I haven't used or needed them by now, I don't really need them after all, do I?

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/7/16: Ink

What Tattoos Do You Have And Why?

I don't.... Yet.

I haven't had any because of needles. I hate needles. But years of doctor's visits and now near-constant lab work (every three months) have done much to alleviate my needle phobia.

Then there is my lymphedema. I will never ever be able to get a tat on my legs. EVER. That truly, medically, is off the table. So that doesn't leave much usable real estate.

But I have made the decision to get one later this winter/early spring. It will be small and on my arm, and done so that I know it's there but it won't be visible unless I choose to show it off.

And why?

A big milestone that I need to celebrate. I don't want to say now. I'm not sure I'll reveal then. It's something that's incredibly personal that only a few people in my life know about anyway, and only a select few know any of the deep details.

It's not something I'm embarrassed by. In fact, I'm proud to be celebrating this event. But I still can't think about it without a waterfall of tears. I've got one escaping my eyes as I type this. Deep, deep feels.

I plan for it to be my only. But I also have friends who've snickered as I've said that. We'll see. The only other one I can imagine getting is a small treble clef or 8th note on my left ring finger in place of where a ring would go. Since obviously I'm more married to music than anything else!!

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/6/16: Fascinating

Someone Who Fascinates Me And Why

Okay, wow, hmm. This one is tough because I usually find that everyone has something about them that is absolutely fascinating -- if you ask them to speak about themselves, you'll find a gem and some area of their lives where their passion lies...... And once they go there, you'll find why they draw you in. It can be a coworker or a celebrity in a short interview, it really matters not.

But in my case, this person fascinates me because he is the great mystery of my life. I never had the opportunity to ask him any questions. The only time I ever met this person, I was exactly two months old, and he was gone from my life just over three months later. But in the afterlife, oh you had best believe........

I hear lots of people say, "When I get to heaven, I'm gonna run to Jesus and spend all my time in praise...." Okay, nice, whatever gets you through the night. But as I see it, if I'm already in heaven -- what, I'm gonna get kicked out for ingratitude because I need to take care of business first? God already knows I will offer my praise and thanks for certain, but not in some massive weep-fest so that people could see what a "Good Christian"® I was. GAG!!!  God is very well aware that I got peeps to see and things to do first.

First in line? Ol' Roy. My grandfather. He utterly intrigues me. I have a interrogation ready for him that would make Lennie Briscoe proud. I may be standing in line behind his 7 kids and 14 other grandkids but I guarantee he'll have never ever expected the combination of DNA that is me. Not even my brother comes close to my tenacity and capacity for pure cold fury. My mother says my dad looks a lot like him. I wouldn't know. If he has the same eyes as all of us (the blues), then he will see the deep red fire behind mine and wonder from whence it came. Like I even know....... Not that I'd change it, mind you. That fiery core serves me well and if I lose that, I lose me. That is not happening again, no thanks.

Oh, and Gene better get ready too. My other grandfather, who died seven-and-a-half years before I was born...... But I figure my mother will still have to be pried away before I can begin my interrogation of him. The grandmas? Oh, they'll have a few questions pending but nothing like what will await Ol' Roy.

Yes, indeed. I got a (shinola)-load of questions for him. And eternity for answers. And in a situation like this, the patience of a saint.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/5/16: Place To Live...

"A Place You Would Live But Have Never Visited"

Hmm, interesting......

About 15 years ago, I began tossing around the idea of picking up stakes and moving where no one knew me. Starting over from scratch with nothing but my wits to go on. At 30/31, I was young enough to pull it off without much difficulty. And for whatever odd reason, I was thinking Des Moines, Iowa. I have no idea why. Never been to Iowa, have no reason to pick it or consider it...... What stopped me? Four little letters: SNOW. I am ill-equipped to deal with the minor bit of cold weather and "snow" we get here. I would be a complete mess in the upper Midwest on my own.

So these days, where would I choose? I keep thinking Europe, for some reason. Possibly somewhere either in Spain or Italy. I speak Spanish, though definitely with more of a Latin American bent than classic Spanish. I doubt I'd survive in Barcelona, trying to adjust to Catalán after all these years! But Italy...... Dream of mine. Pretty much anywhere...... I think I'd find a way to bloom where I was planted.

But then again, that's the whole thing -- blooming where you're planted. It sounds so trite but it is true: wherever you go, there you are. You can try to leave the people who surround you, or bad situations, but you carry YOU  everywhere. The problems don't go away just because you do. But sometimes new soil may be just what you need to blossom........

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/4/16: 10 Interesting Facts About Me

Really? Define "interesting" .... because what may be interesting to me may be utterly banal to you. Or what I pooh-pooh as ordinary may be something of greater import to others. So basically, I'm just going to put ten items out here.... I'll let you be the judge.

1. I am one of three descendants remaining in one branch of my mom's family tree. The way it is looking, when my brother and I both pass, that branch will end as well. 

2.  When I was very young, one of the things I was often asked to do was recite all the state capitals and the presidents in order (which at that time was either Nixon or Ford). I was pretty good at it, rarely missing. Some kids are trotted out on stage to sing or dance. I recited nerd facts. Go figure. I can still do it but it takes a lot longer and by John Tyler, I'm looking at you with a stink eye and saying, "Why is this crucial?" (Any surprise I was a poli sci major?)

3. Speaking of, I changed my major only ONCE, contrary to popular opinion at the time..... from English to political science. The trick was I did it without ever having taken a poli sci course at that particular time. I still have no regrets. I loved my major. I hate the rancorous nature that American politics has taken on in the last 20 years or so but you could see it coming then. Now, minors were a different story.... education, public health, theatre..... (When I left college, I was still officially a poli sci major and a theatre minor. What a combo.)

4. Tomorrow, I start the first actual formal musical training I've ever had -- guitar lessons! I've sung almost all my life (choirs, ensembles, a cappella, informal dorm jam sessions) but never any formal lessons. I decided to change that. It was different when I was a kid and money was tight. I'm paying for these, so it's my responsibility to make the most of them! "Jade" is my electric (strat-style) and "Ruby" is my 3/4 acoustic. Some day, I want a baby Martin, baby Taylor or baby Luna for an acoustic/acousto-electric...... and a Gretsch electric. Ah yeah, baby.......

5. Speaking of singing, I'm technically a mezzo-soprano ..... at least as I'm billed most times in programs where I have a solo (and as an alto with the other choir members). But I far prefer the title given to me by my dear fellow altos Morgan and Kathy: The Sopraltenator. I have a range of B2/C3 (depending on how well I've warmed up, how tired my voice is, time of day....) up to an A5/B-flat5 (again dependent upon warm-up, time of day, etc). Normal range is D3-G5 without much effort. I am so aiming for 3 octaves even. I wish it were a bit wider.....

6.  For twenty years, I thought I was a cat person. If I ever got a pet, it would be a cat. The only reason I hadn't was due to a family member's severe allergy to cats. Then I got a dog, and realized I'm not only a dog person but a BIG DOG person. Really, I'm a Lab girl more than anything...... I love my yellow Lab mix more than life itself and to know he'll be ten this year is making me a bit anxious, I must say......

7.  I have 3 chronic conditions that I currently manage, and do so pretty well for the most part. Osteoarthritis (diagnosed at age 20) is the one that bothers me least. It caught up with me summer 2014 when I sprained my ankle, and eventually led to my foot surgery. Primary lymphedema (discovered at age 38, probably had since birth?) is the next in line and it is pretty well managed thanks to vigilant care and some AWESOME occupational therapists! Migraine disorder is the one that is the hardest to predict, even with preventive medicines and an arsenal of abortive meds in case I do have an attack. I can promise you that if I say I can't do something due to a migraine, I really don't just "have a bad headache".... Picture the lyric from "Rusty Cage": "It's like a Philips head into my brain...."

8. There is a picture on my desk that is me, almost 10 years ago (this May). I keep it there as a reminder of a place I never want to be again. From May '06 until June '09, I lost 228 pounds total. Since then, I put some back on due to various health issues, etc but have managed to drop a good bit since the fall. About 25 to go to get back to where I want to be!!!!

9. I am always cold....... at least 95% of the time, you'll find me in a jacket or long sleeves if indoors. Hey, you lose your insulation and see what happens!!!

10. I am an introvert, to be sure. But introversion is about where I get my energy, not a statement on my comfort level with public performance. And I have no problem whatsoever with public speaking, singing, acting, etc. On the contrary: I rather cherish those activities. Quite a number of introverts find a home on the stage.......

Well, that's that. Hope you enjoyed!!!

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/3/16: My First Kiss/First Love

First Kiss: I'd really rather not discuss, because it was such a disservice to the then-young man in question. It was during a game of Truth or Dare, and he did not enjoy being part of it. Quite honestly, if I could go back in time, and have a do-over, I'd have given him a "get out of jail free" card, so to speak. It wasn't an awesome kiss like it should have been, and I came away thinking, "Nah, not going to really count this...." But I did anyway. So to "Jay" .... my deepest apologies. You deserved better, and really we both did.

First Love: Funny thing..... I spent a weekend recently ruminating on this person and decided I was DONE with the memories once and for all. DONE. It was a relationship that was doomed from the outset, and went on far longer than it should have, thanks to my own stubbornness to let go. We were two people who were not mature enough to discuss our issues like adults because we were just too polite. I changed everything about myself (personality-wise, anyway) in an effort to continually win him over. DOOM, I tell you, DOOM. That never works. If I had been myself and (more importantly) stayed true to myself from the outset, then yes, the relationship would have ended sooner, but there would have been far less heartbreak. As I say, I made the decision not all that long ago that I no longer wanted to entertain memories of this person, and I realized how many things from that time in my life I lost interest in after he left...... I could write whole new verses to Audioslave's "Doesn't Remind Me"!

The things that I loved, things that I lost
Things I held sacred that I dropped
I won't lie no more, you can bet
Don't wanna learn what I'll need to forget......

So really, that's all I have to say about that person. He was once my world, and when it crumbled, I had to rebuild from the ashes and shreds that were left. I daresay I did a damn good job of it too.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1 - 1/2/16: My Earliest Memory

I think I am three, and what I remember most is the smell. Today, I can walk into a fabric store, breathe deeply into the bolts of cloth, and I'm there again.

It's a bright day but I don't remember if it is spring or fall. I want to believe it is spring. The sky is pure blue, the grass is green as can be, and the shed is weathered and ramshackle. He is an old, old man wearing blue denim overalls, a white long-sleeved shirt, and a hat. He has the same blue eyes as my grandmother; that I notice right away.

Granny goes into the shed, and Mom and I follow. I don't remember what they did because I was transfixed by all the cloth, and the thread, and so much color, everywhere. I feel fully immersed in a sea of colors and shades and hues ... and I smell that cloth and the grass and even the livestock in nearby fields. I know that we are somewhere near Porter's Chapel, which is this place where Mama sometimes takes Granny and Aunt Ruth on occasion. I know that when we see the little station with a Bay sign, it isn't too far to Porter's Chapel.

It's almost overwhelming but not in the way that makes me sick. Sometimes when I ride with Mama and Granny out this way, I see so much and we go around so many curves ...... I get so excited that it makes me feel sick and I have to lay down to stop it from happening. I don't think it will today. I hope not. This is so pretty. The cloth smells old and strange but it smells good too. I can't explain why I like it. But it's really fun to be here.

I hear Mama talking to the old man in overalls and I think she calls him a name: Nathaniel. He smiles but I don't think I see any teeth. He's got wrinkles galore and those blue eyes like Granny, that's for sure. We leave after Granny got what she needed. I can't remember if we went to Porter's Chapel afterwards or straight home.

Many years later, I wondered if it had all been just a very vivid dream. But I couldn't explain how that smell always took me to the same place -- the blue sky, the shed, the cloth -- every single time. So I asked my mom if it was real. If Nathaniel was a real person or a figment of my imagination. Did I only think I'd been there, maybe overhearing Granny telling someone about the place and having integrated it as one of my own memories?

She confirmed that it was indeed a real place, a real person, a real event, and that I must have gone with them once or twice. I instantly feel better knowing this wasn't just something I dreamed.

It is the start of my personal memories, the moment when I had experiences that weren't just repeated to me through someone else's filter. It is a small memory but so important. And I'm not sure why it was the sense of smell, especially of bolts of cloth stacked in an old wood shed, that triggered it all and still does to this day, some forty-plus years later.

30 Day Writing Challenge 1: 1/1/16 - 5 Problems with Social Media

Well, this is a fine howdy-do, right? Using social media to tell 5 problems with social media. Hmm.But let's be real, right? There are problems with social media, and this is just my take:

1. It's a highlight reel. Unless you are brutally honest and no-holds-barred -- and refreshingly at times, some people are -- all you see are the highlights of a person's life, not the ugly everyday stuff. You don't see the cat vomit that they stepped in when they came home from a crappy day at the office. You don't see the boss asking why they cut a strange deal with a certain vendor or client. You don't see the thigh jiggle, the nearly-happened car accident, the always-untying shoe laces. I almost would like to see that change. There are more things I'd like to share on social media and don't .... because I live by the credo that I don't want to supply ammo to any enemies I may have out there. The sad thing is that may deprive people of necessary encouragement or solidarity because of my reticence. I debate that stance nearly every day, and 2016 may be the year I rethink that for good.

2. Selfies. To be fair, every now and again, it's not so bad. When you have a killer outfit, or a new 'do that you want to show off. But daily selfies to show off a quarter-inch progress on your bicep? Dude, seriously. And who needs to see another duckface? No one has done a successful duckface since Freddie Mercury - and he's been dead since '91. Stop.

3. Recipes. STOP!!!!! I am on a reduced-carb plan and y'all are killing me with all the potato and pasta dishes!!!!! And let's not even discuss the desserts. So there.

4. Polarization of opinions. It seems as if all opinions on any topic swing to either extreme and anyone holding a well-balanced, moderate opinion is seen as uninformed and weak. Um, okay. So let's say I express an opinion on a particular movie - that the premise is good, that the lead is well-suited for the role, his leading lady casting wasn't that great, but the villain was awesome and deserves an Oscar. OH NO....... Her fans are convinced she's going to win the Oscar, Golden Globe, etc. and the men in the movie were both losers. Lead's fans are of the opinion that she sucked bigtime and HE will win all the awards and her scenes are a waste of celluloid, etc. etc. and in the meantime, BOTH groups are ragging you for having a balanced opinion. OMG! THE HORROR!!!! And that's just a movie. Let's not even discuss politics. OY.

5. A complete lack of pins with good classic grunge lyrics. That's just my own pet peeve. So you know what that means. I have to MAKE some. Twist my arm, ok? ;)

More to come over this month!

The January 2016 Challenge!

Here we go. This is my January 2016 Writing Challenge!!!!! Enjoy each day's post!