Inside we are all a little mad... some just more than others.
Life will sometimes just introduce us to the strangest, randomest thoughts! These are mine!
I never really considered myself a vain person. Not that I thought I was ugly or anything. But then again, who really does?
My left eye is almost completely swollen shut. It looks like I got into a fight!
Guess what? Lately I realized how truly vain I am...I can't stop looking in the mirror!
All it took was for me to go through some medical issue I can't explain which causes some severe rash to cover my face and swell up my eye.
Believe me, this is an improvement to the oozing scab from last week that will probably leave a permanent scar on my face.
It has already been 3 visits to Urgent Care and the doctors have no clue what is going on. I thought it was an allergic reaction. Now I just think the zombie apocalypse is starting with me!
That is why today's song that is stuck in my head for Music Monday is....
Carly Simon with "You're So Vain!"
Hope you enjoy... I am off to the Emergency Room. This really is turning out to be a crappy summer!
I know it has been awhile since I have done a Music Monday post, but yesterday I got this song stuck in my head and I just couldn't get it out. I thought I would share...
There is a big reason why this song is stuck in my head, and frankly, if you could see me right now, you would notice that I haven't stopped jumping up and down since yesterday afternoon. I walked out on a ledge and took a chance. I really wasn't sure what was going to happen, so I walked into a local book store more nervous than a person afraid of heights jumping out of a plane and I asked a question.
"I am a new self-published author and I was wondering, how do I get my book on your shelves?"
Instead of being turned away or told to buy a book and do some research, I was given a phone number by one of the store owners and told how excited they get to promote local artists.
JACKPOT!!
To make it even better, this gentleman used to do marketing for Borders and gave me all sorts of ideas on what I need to do to market myself and my book. How far I take this is completely up to me, however, as any writer knows, information is gold and I don't think I could ever repay this gentleman for the insight he has given me in the short 15 minutes I talked to him.
So I better get to it. I got some marketing to do while I dance away to the song playing in my head. I couldn't have planned this out better if I tried!
Today is a busy one. Not that there is ever a day that goes by that I am not busy. I got a massive amount of scrubbing and cleaning to do... after all, it has been neglected over the last few months. I have homework to do; end of school activities; washing my hair; working out; picking my nose and picking my blog post. Mostly though, I have to start coming up with marketing strategies for my book Mother's Day.
If you thought writing a book was hard, try getting the word to spread like wildfire. So, as I step into the beginnings of the marketing process, I am just going to have to Whistle While I Work... seems like the perfect song for Music Monday!
Even so, it doesn't mean I understand all Internet Acronyms. YOLO was one of those that I just nodded my head at when everybody was using it. I didn't want to ask what it meant for fear of looking stupid.
YOLO
And now, I have openly admitted that for the longest time, I never even understood what it meant. (For those of you that are right there with me, it means You Only Live Once!)
The meaning behind it is kind of cool. It means get out there and do something. After all, why wait and why hide. Life is full of ups and downs - you should at least experience it! Go out on adventures. Dance like no one is watching. Sing like no one can hear. Don't dwell on what you don't have; Enjoy what you can do! It's about the experience. It's about enjoying your time with those that do the most to accent your life. It is living like tomorrow never comes. It really is a great motto.
Although I am never one to jump on the bandwagon so I still don't really use internet acronyms. I like to be clear with what I am saying... although I will admit to an overuse of the acronym LOL.
Last Saturday night we were over at a friend's house watching a movie. The second the movie came off, we got sucked into watching Saturday Night Live. I don't remember the last time I watched Saturday Night Live. It seems to go through phases where it is really funny and other times when it is really bad.
But if it wasn't for last Saturday, I would have never been introduced to the song from The Lonely Island, featuring Adam Levine, called "YOLO"
Don't skip this video! It is hilarious! Not to mention the perfect choice for Music Monday!
Ok, so I have been screwing up my sleep schedule. Maybe that is why my dreams are sitting in the forefront of my memory when I wake up. I have been going to bed really late and still getting up at roughly the same time.
I will admit though that even though I wake up at my normal time, I do force myself to go back to sleep. I would hate to grace the world with my cranky attitude!
So the other night I was introduced Role Playing Games... the kind with dice you pervs!
A friend of mine wanted to run a game for her son and thought it would be an advantage to have some older players. Of course, I have never played, so I don't know if that is necessarily an advantage.
On Saturday night, we made our characters. It took almost 6 hours to get the perfect character. I have a vision in my head on who she is and what her special powers are. To me, it is no different than writing. This is my character synopsis and I know every aspect of her personality.
Needless to say, I was so wrapped up in this character that I have made that I dreamed about her all night. What can I say, she was a bad ass and she was taking down the bad guys and conquering missions like any bad ass would.
Unfortunately for my husband, that means he got the brunt of force from the bad ass fighting skills I must have possessed in my dreams.
And because of the insane amount of dreams I have been remembering lately, I seemed to have also get a song stuck in my head as well. And I can't think of a better song for Music Monday...
My husband and I don't have similar tastes in music.
But there is one thing that can be said for sure about my music selection, there is a little bit of everything on it for everyone. Just not everything for everyone to like unless you are me. Chances are good, one of the songs will surprise you! Some of them may even take you back a little.
What can I say, my music taste is eclectic!
So this weekend, we decided to take some big action on the house that I have been neglecting. It might be because I have been busy writing. It could be because I am constantly getting distracted from that damn Misplaced Alaskan! Not blaming... just stating the facts.
So, I decided to do my cleaning to some grooving music. My music of course.
I need a smaller house... and less kids!
We were rocking it out and my husband was even pleasantly surprised that I had some "good" songs on my Ipod. Well at least according to him! I personally think they are all good. He might disagree when The Barbie Girl song comes on. (Yet I know he secretly jams to that when no one is looking!)
So here we are, enjoying a little hard work and elbow grease when a song comes on. It was an oldie but a goodie.
And he looked at me and said, "Really?"
"Yes, really! Why not?"
"This song?"
"What's wrong with this song?"
"Doesn't it make you always want to go like this?" He said, putting his hands up and revving the engine of his imaginary bike.
Man, just because I like oldies doesn't mean I am weird.
However, please enjoy today's Music Monday selection from The Shangri-Las - Leader of the Pack!
I am not really sure where this clearly unhealthy obsession came from, but it has rapidly gotten worse over the course of the last couple of years. Maybe I have been infected by the Z-virus. Maybe this is how the apocalypse starts!
Last week, my husband and I were perusing around the DVD selection at Walmart. We were looking for a very specific zombie movie and Redbox didn't have it available unless I wanted to go for an hour long drive. Needless to say, I wasn't heartbroken to buy the DVD and add it to my collection of zombie movies. Except we couldn't find it.
Since we were already there, we continued to look. And that is when we found it.
The concept was pure genius. At least in my mind. Even though I have never heard of it before, I couldn't wait to watch it. Even if it was the worst thing I have ever set my eyes on, I knew it would be worth the entire 98 minutes of wasting my life away.
After all... how often do you see a storyline about a writer who writes zombie novellas, but is having a bout of writer's block. I can relate. And they sing. Best way to describe it...
Musical Horror Movie!!
I am so on board!
This movie is called The Dead Inside. And while I was originally interested in it just because I thought it was going to be a "so bad, it is good" type of movie, I was pleasantly surprised. This is writing at a pure genius level.
The storyline was intense and had the perfect twists. This is the first movie in a long time, that I couldn't figure out the ending. And as soon as it finished, not only did we watch all of the special features, but we wanted to watch it again. Upon start, it seemed like it was going to be mostly comedy. But it wasn't. It twisted and took a serious turn. Needless to say, it was probably one of the best movies I have seen in a long time.
Being that it is a musical doesn't hurt anything either. Not only am I obsessed with zombies, but I am obsessed with musicals as well. So a zombie musical is my idea of heaven!
What got me the most though was the brilliant writing. They took a story and twisted it in a way that has never been done. As a writer, I know how hard it is to come up with a unique idea, so this is something I can really appreciate. But don't take my advice, go check the movie out for yourself.
As for me, it has become the inspiration for my Music Monday Post, featuring the love song "Zombie Apocalypse".
Yesterday, they planned a mandatory power outage for our area.
We knew in advance. They sent us letters and they even called us on Friday to let us know it was going to happen. Yet, when Sunday morning arrived and the power went out... I was surprised.
Maybe it was my half asleep state...
Maybe it was because I only skimmed over the letter...
Maybe it was because my husband is the one who answered the phone...
Ok, so maybe it is nothing more than I am forgetfull and didn't want to think about facing a torturous day without power or amenities. If we would have remembered, we would have planned better.
Ah... but that wouldn't have made nearly as good of a blog post either!
I mean seriously! What would I have said? Yep! The power went out. So we went to Disneyland. End of story! Boring - I know!
Spend the weekend with good friends and board games.
Instead, what really happened is we stayed up way too late the night before playing board games with friends. I woke up to my son who was suddenly going through Wii withdrawals and wanted to play Mario. I forced my husband to get out of bed and assist my son because I may or may not have had a headache directly related to the amount of wine I consumed the night before.
So we got a chance to clean the house. What else were we going to do? There was no power, but at least we had water.
We wanted to leave and escape the house, but since we forgot about the power outage, the car was stuck in the garage. (Sure, we could have manually unlatched it... but it wasn't worth the effort or the possibility of breaking the garage door. We are just good like that!)
So instead, we did things that people used to do. We went outside and played. Rode bikes... jumped on pogo sticks... jumped rope... and even went for a walk. We came back in and I taught my daughter how to play cribbage. My husband read a book.
People used to survive like this. NO TECHNOLOGY! They used their bodies and their imaginations.
Made me wonder.... It was just so quiet. Is this what it would be like if the apocalypse happened? Without the zombies of course. I can only assume they would be noisy.
Would you stop with all the moaning and groaning. You are going to wake the kids!
But mostly, we survived this power outage. Even without TV, without the Internet (I know - impossible and torturous scenario - right?), without lights (in the bathroom), and without killing each other.
We are STILL ALIVE!
Which is why, for Music Monday I choose the song Still Alive from the game Portal.
This weekend... I ruined the song sung by Johnny Cash for Terrye over at The Adventures of a Misplaced Alaskan. It really wasn't my fault. Let me explain....
This weekend, Terrye and I dragged our families out to The Grand Canyon. Ok - so some may say we did it for the breathtaking view of this giant hole in the earth. Nope - we were morbidly curious about each other and we thought this was the perfect chance to meet!
Success!
Anyway, we decided to take the train ride to the canyon and on this couple hour trip, there was entertainment provided. This cowboy came and sang and played his harmonica. One of the songs... is my feature for Music Monday.
Johnny Cash's Ring of Fire
Now you are probably wondering how I could ruin this song for her... Well.... let's just say when I was in Cosmetology school, I have vivid memories of a girl singing this at the top of her lungs will doing her business in the bathroom.
There really is no need to explain further. Not sure if Terrye will ever think of this song the same way again.
Rhino The Hamster and his penthouse view! He seems to have made this his bedroom, even bringing up some of the bedding and some food for later!
I don't know what made me think this was a good idea. My daughter has been asking for a pet for a long time. She is downright obsessed but we can't have the traditional dog or cat. It isn't allowed on our lease (OK - maybe because I requested it!) We just don't have the time or ability to take good care of a pet at this time.
Yet, when Christmas came and there was no baby turtle under the tree, she was in tears. It was the only thing that she asked for.
Yesterday was her birthday. She turned 8. As an 8 year old, she is spoiled. She isn't really lacking in anything. So when it came to finding her a birthday gift, we were stumped.
So we got her a pet. Not just any pet... a hamster. We were going to get her a fish, but you would have to clean out the tank, you would have to plug the filter in... there was just no where to go with it.
So we opted for a hamster instead, and we even let her pick it out.
She had to go ahead and pick out the most hyper hamster in the cage. She said it fit with her personality. He is a character already, much like my daughter Bella.
So naturally, how could I not choose The Hamster Dance for Music Monday!
Last week my oldest daughter came to me complaining that her vision was blurring throughout the day. I knew what this meant instantly. This meant we were going to have to take her in and check her vision.
For me personally, I have never needed glasses. I don't know what it feels like to start having blurred vision. My husband on the other hand, is blinder than a bat.
So we made an appointment and took her in to get her eyes checked. I guess we know who she is starting to take after and it is not me.
As of right now, she only needs to wear them while she is reading. But I keep catching her wearing them even when she is not reading. I think she likes the way they look.
I am sure the novelty will wear off once she realizes she is stuck with glasses permanently. However, it does give me the perfect song for Music Monday...
Today I had to say goodbye to a dear friend. I knew this day was coming, so on Saturday I spent some extra quality time with my dear friend. I thought maybe the extra attention would help extend its life. I was wrong.
This morning at about 9:18 a.m., my Hamilton Beach BrewStation took its last breath.
A moment of silence please....
*****
Alright, I have collected myself.
I was the first one on the scene, and there was coffee everywhere. It was a site. I will probably be having nightmares for months. I tried to resuscitate it, but my attempts didn't work. The on/off switch had obviously been shorted out from the coffee that had leaked out. I fear that the extra attention to it on Saturday, might have actually done more harm than good. Cleaning it out might have actually dislodged what was holding everything together.
So today, it brewed it's last cup of coffee for me. It will be hard to replace, but I know that my coffee pot would truly love to move on.
The Hamilton Beach BrewStation was survived by: The Teapot, The Toaster, The Crock Pot, The George Foreman Grill, The Quesadilla Maker, and the Blender. Funeral services will be held later this week.
So, without further ado... for Music Monday I dedicate this song to my Hamilton Beach BrewStation.
Doesn't hitting 100 of any milestone just make you want to smile? I know it does for me!
Life is full of seconds, minutes, moments and years. Entwined between all these pieces of time are milestones that make up our lives.
I remember when I was much younger and I couldn't wait to grow up. Now that I am 33, I look at my children and I wonder where all the time I thought I had has suddenly gone. It seems that in a blink of an eye, my babies grew up and suddenly my hair is full of wisdom highlights. I never imagined getting older.
But what I realized is with age comes wisdom. With age comes lessons. With age comes milestones.
Today I am embarking on another milestone which only a year ago... maybe not even that long ago... I never even imagined. This is my 100th blog post on Ramblings of an Undiagnosed Mad Woman. Honestly, I didn't ever imagine myself as the "blog" type person. Maybe it was because the internet was still new when I was growing up.
Yet, I haven't regretted one bit of time that I have spent here in the blogosphere. I have learned so much about myself and others along the journey.
So for today's Music Monday post, I am featuring a song by Five For Fighting - 100 years.
It has been no secret that 2013 has not started off well for me. It has just been filled with bad things happening. From cars blowing up to frozen water pipes, it has made me into a Pessimistic Patty.
But then it dawned on me. Why? Why do I have to be so negative? Bad things happen. They happen to everybody. And eventually they work themselves off.
So it is time to say good bye to the negativity and start thinking in a more positive light. So it doesn't matter what 2013 puts my way, I am just gonna go ahead and Smile.
So for Music Monday's post, here is Lily Allen with Smile.
We needed to unload the car quickly. Here is the mess. It looks much worse in person!
Yes - I have been gone for awhile. I was back home in Wisconsin celebrating Christmas with my side of the family. Let's just say - it was the best and worst vacation all wrapped in one.
We celebrated the New Year with family and friends. I thought it was a great start. That quickly changed. Let's just say, since the New Year hit, this is the song that has been running through my head. One line in particular....
"If it wasn't for bad luck, you know, I wouldn't have no luck at all!"
Since I am just now getting home - late on Monday night - a day later than what was planned, I don't have much time to go into details. I will save that for tomorrow. Right now, I am heading off to get my kids tucked into their own beds (they have school tomorrow!) and sort through some of the chaos that has been tossed into my front living room.
So here for Music Monday, I am featuring Homer Simpson with...
I love Christmas music! All the way from the classics to the ones that come out new each year. However, one of my favorite ones is I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
Now one of the reasons this one came to mind is because of my adventures finding the crazy sarcastic Christmas shirts. While I spent hours searching for perfect ones for the kids, I easily picked one out for myself and my husband.
My husband got the one that made him look like Santa... without the big belly... and I got one that said, "I Kissed Santa!"
Ok - so maybe it is weird but I like coordinating our outfits. These shirts were the perfect match.
They were also the perfect match for the song featured for Music Monday: I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus.
If you haven't already heard by now... I am leaving!
Yep, that is right. In just a few short days we are heading back home to Wisconsin to celebrate Christmas with my side of the family.
Holidays have always been difficult since I have met my husband. They have become even more difficult since we have had kids. At the beginning, we always flew on the holiday so we could see both families for the holidays. The more kids we had, the more expensive and stressful it became to see both families. Now we have to choose sides.
It has been two years since I have been home for Christmas. If we wouldn't have been able to go home this year, that would have made three years missing from the Christmas festivities.
I miss them terribly. I miss the memories that everybody takes for granted because they get to see their family all the time. For us, we need to shove a year's worth of memories in one or two visits. It just isn't nearly enough.
So I couldn't think of a song that was better fitting for Musical Monday: I'll Be Home For Christmas by Kelly Clarkson.
Hope everybody gets a chance to spend some time with their families for the holiday season.
Last night we were watching Spongebob. Now I will admit, Spongebob isn't the greatest role model for any child or adult. But he makes me laugh and my kids enjoy him, even if his lessons aren't always the best. Ok - what am I talking about. Spongebob doesn't teach lessons. The humor is sometimes even crude.
Yet, when the Christmas special came on, I was pretty impressed. The lesson, while sarcastic in nature (and everybody knows how much I enjoy sarcasm!), was pretty spot on.
It is the holiday season, and even this year I have been a little bit on the grumpy side. I will admit, part of that is due to being homesick. Which in effect is actually compounded by the stress of going home. I know - ironic isn't it?
I miss my family but with the stress of the holidays, I have just gotten downright grumpy. Just imagine the normal cost of Christmas. Now compound that with trying to find the perfect gift, but it has to be small enough to travel with you. On top of that, add an additional couple thousand dollars to what is already an expensive holiday, and that is what we are expected to deal with.
Now, we also have to worry about the weather. After all, it is Winter and the likelihood of getting snow is pretty good once we get past the snowbelt, and maybe even the small portion of the drive through the mountains. I just hope and cross my fingers that the snow holds off until we are off the road and safe and sound at my parents house.
But, as I watched Spongebob yesterday, something hit me. Why am I stressing? Adding stress doesn't help matters. Besides, we always figure it out. We have done this countless number of times and usually everything goes smoothly. So, what I have found, is I have been a cranky jerk for nothing.
Christmas isn't about the money you spend, it is about the people you spend your holiday with. Remember that this year... and if you have been a little on the cranky side like I have been, hopefully this song will help put you in the right mood.
Today's feature for Music Monday is none other than: Spongebob with "Don't Be a Jerk - It's Christmas!"
One of the biggest things I miss about Wisconsin is the seasons. We have seasons there. You know the kind. Winter with snow... Spring with flowers and everything blooming... Summer with heat waves and swimming and camping... Fall with the changing of the colors... and then back to the Winter with the snow.
California doesn't have seasons. We have hot... hella hot... hotter than hell hot... and rain.
This doesn't make me a happy person when it comes to Christmas. This time of year (even though Wisconsin has even been lacking on the snow for Christmas lately), I associate with snow. What is Christmas without snow?
Well this year I am in luck. We are heading home for the holidays and I am super excited. Sure, I get to see my family and friends. I miss them too. But who would have ever thought I would miss the snow as well.
Now I know what everybody is saying. Well, you could just drive up to the snow where you live. But it isn't the same. There is just something about being able to sit by a window drinking hot cocoa, listening to Christmas music, while watching a nice blanket of snow fall. We don't get that here. We get rain.
Rain is just messy, gross and gloomy. There is just something about snow that makes the gloom just disappear. So this year... I am dreaming about a White Christmas! (Preferably not while we are making the drive to or from Wisconsin - but sometime in the middle of the trip!) I want to see the snow and I want to play in the snow. I want my kids to enjoy the snow.
As of right now, we will be heading back to Wisconsin in a few short weeks. Which is why it only makes sense to spotlight this song for Music Monday:
Bing Crosby's White Christmas!
What do you guys all think? Do you find it difficult to be in the holiday spirit without the change of the seasons?
This weekend was rough. Isn't that the way it is for most holiday weekends?
For me holidays just mean more time with family. It isn't like I get an extra day off. I work from home. Technically since I consider my writing my work, I even worked a little while most people were off from their jobs. And since I am a mother, my job never gets a day off. In fact, holidays are anything but holidays for me. I get to do extra cooking.
However, we did take a break and have some down time where we watched a movie. We sent the kids to bed and it was just my husband and I all cuddled up. I treasure these times because it doesn't happen very often. My son has placed claim on me (I don't know if it is because it is a mommy/son thing, or if it is because he got used to me being a stay at home mom!) But either way, what happens is if my husband gets even within a foot of me, my son comes running to take that foot in between.
We don't get time to ourselves very often.
But Friday night, after the fiasco of Black Friday (which we only participated in for about 20 minutes), we sat down and watched the movie, "Seeking a Friend for the End of The World" staring Steve Carell. It was a great movie and it kind of makes you think.
Ok - so here is a little spoiler - it is about the world coming to an end!
Now I am sure you already got that from the title of the movie, but I won't give you any more than that. I am just going to say give the movie a shot. It is one that will definitely give you something to think about.
For me, it reintroduced a song I have heard before, but I haven't heard in awhile. I absolutely loved the song then and more so now that this movie has given it a little more meaning. It gives me chills. It makes me think about how important it is to keep those you love near you. We don't know when tragedy will strike; we don't know when the world will end. But when it comes to those last final breaths, I would rather die staring into the eyes of the people I love.
So now, for Music Monday I give you: The Air That I Breathe from The Hollies
I know this video isn't the original, but I love the pictures that play with it and I think it drives the message even deeper when you are able to read the lyrics. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do!
