OK, I actually got it up finally... if you've got some extra time, look at the index to the right to check out my 300 Things About Me list (sorry, I got carried away). I actually wrote this about a month ago in a moment of rambling inspiration, and have now gone back through it and hopefully caught all the spelling & grammatical errors. It's sort of in chronological order, though I do stray from time to time, I hope it makes some sort of sense... More About Me stuff and links & pics to go along with the list to come.
More comments :-) Thanks to CP for the link on sleep paralysis, I will check it out. I have suffered from this before, also overly lucid and waking dreams, which is always sort of alarming. I've jumped out of bed and ran across the room thinking there was something dripping from the ceiling, and it's always fun to wake up and think you see someone or something (often a large spider) right in front of you (shudder).
I have three comments! And such nice ones, I feel so special :-) Now I feel obliged to put up my "About Me" info, I've done a 100 things list, which ended up being 300, I'm not that interesting really, I'm just overly verbose. One of my few real talents growing up was when the teacher would say "OK, everyone write a page on so and so" and I'd end up writing three pages. And being able to proofread pages and have spelling & grammatical errors jump off the page at me.
It has been raining all day, which I've enjoyed since I didn't have to leave the house. I love listening to the rain, though with all the lightning I'm amazed our power hasn't blinked even once. And now that we have insulated windows it's sometimes a little too quiet in the house...
One of the joys of having a weblog is having a place to get some of the extra thoughts out of my brain, especially before bedtime (which is where I should be now), when even an Ambien can't make my brain shut completely off. The only time I seem to get sleepy lately is when I shouldn't, but since I've been doing the Atkins thing and have upped my daily Prozac to 40mg I haven't been dozing off after dinner as much.
But even as a child I remember laying in bed for hours wondering why I wasn't asleep, why my brain wouldn't stop racing. My dad likes to tell stories about how in the summer, when there would be the time change and I'd have to go to bed when it was still light out, how I would moan and complain. And when I do get to sleep I'm almost always plagued by overly vivid dreams (that I usually remember the next day).
Sparky, on the other hand, seems to have inherited his mother's ability to fall asleep in less than two minutes (narcolepsy, perhaps?). It's kind of spooky sometimes, we'll be talking and suddenly he's snoring away. And he doesn't usually remember any of his dreams (though he talks in his sleep, which is kind of alarming).
Given the choice, though, I'd choose to remember my dreams. But it would be nice to be able to fall asleep without pharmaceutical assistance...
I've been kind of in a funk today, then I clicked on an email a friend sent and my iTunes automatically popped open to play the snippet that was attached. And, because of poor alphabetization, some of my Yeah Yeah Yeahs songs popped up to the top. I've only seen the video to Maps, which is mesmerizing, so out of boredom I listened to some of their other songs that were, um, in my files. Now I've got to get the album. They remind me of a lot of the early girl punk - New Wave groups, just totally doing their own thing. The lead is kind of Siouxsie-esque.
Then I scrolled down a bit and the tracks from my two Altered Images albums that I painstakingly transferred from vinyl to CD, and were in correct alphabetical order, appeared, so I listened to them for an hour or so and felt like I was 19 again. Altered Images were another very weird UK New Wave group that most people haven't heard of, you sort of had to frequent clubs and alternative record stores in the early 80's to know who they are. Amazon has the two albums I bought new way back, Happy Birthday and Pinky Blue, just recently released on CD for like $21 each, yikes, imports... ooh, extra tracks! They also have a good little best of CD (with song samples online) for $11.
It may sound silly now, when there are so many easily available choices when it comes to music, but New Wave and punk rock music changed my life in college. Growing up in the 70's with some of the scariest pop music ever, not to mention non-stop disco would numb most people's ears to just about anything playing on the radio. Nothing against classic rock, I still love it, but after hearing the same songs for almost a decade a breath of fresh air was nothing short of exhilirating.
Daydreaming on Paper writing prompt
Wow, that's heavy. I'd like to vote Dubya out of office... I'd like to have written at least three books. I'd like to be financially independent from everyone for once in my life. I'd like to be fit, healthy and able to see again properly. I'd like to keep all of my own teeth.
I don't really know... I'd just like to have lived a happy, low stress, uncomplicated life... and I want my husband to have had the same. And cat :-) The only real material possession I can think of I'd want is another muscle car, maybe another Corvette. I really like to drive.
Wednesday Mind Hump for this week, I have a total lack of imagination tonight, maybe this will help...
01. You are a character from a children fairy tale or nursery rhyme. Who are you and why? Matilda, Who Told Such Dreadful Lies, and was Burned to Death, because I'm weird and I like that story (can you tell I don't have kids?)
Within an hour the Gallant Band
Were pouring in on every hand,
From Putney, Hackney Downs and Bow.
With Courage high and Hearts a-glow,
They galloped, roaring through the Town,
‘Matilda’s House is Burning Down!’
Inspired by British Cheers and Loud
Proceeding from the Frenzied Crowd,
They ran their ladders through a score
Of windows on the Ball Room Floor;
And took Peculiar Pains to Souse
The Pictures up and down the House,
Until Matilda’s Aunt succeeded
In showing them they were not needed;
And even then she had to pay
To get the men to go away!
It happened that a few Weeks later
Her Aunt was off to the Theatre
To see that Interesting Play
The Second Mrs Tanqueray.
She had refused to take her Niece
To hear this Entertaining Piece:
A Deprivation Just and Wise
To Punish her for Telling Lies.
That Night a Fire did break out -
You should have heard Matilda Shout!
You should have heard her Scream and Bawl,
And throw the window up and call
To People passing in the Street -
(The rapidly increasing Heat
Encouraging her to obtain
Their confidence) - but all in vain!
For every time She shouted ‘Fire!’
They only answered ‘Little Liar!’
And therefore when her Aunt returned,
Matilda, and the House, were Burned.
02. You are a magic potion. What is your main ingredient(s) and what are you used for? For some unknown reason cinnamon keeps popping into my brain. I like cinnamon on toast with sugar and butter, but it is a tremendously potent spice, walking into most craft and import shops the smell of cinnamon that hits you in the face at the front door makes my eyes water. And a little mandrake root, which must be harvested at midnight by the deaf because the sound it makes when it's pulled from the ground will drive anyone within hearing insane. Glitter, because it's so pretty and can never be completely removed once it's thrown. And some rosemary, lavender and cloves to smell pretty. When thrown I would neutralize the irrational anger in the world and raise people levels of common sense. And perhaps add a few IQ points to those in need.
03. Tell us your favorite joke. It can be naughty but clean up the language, puhleeze. I don't really a favorite, I'm an awful joke teller. I do like the official funniest joke in the world of 2002, though...
He gasps: "My friend is dead! What can I do?" The operator says: "Calm down, I can help. First, let's make sure he's dead." There is a silence, then a gunshot is heard. Back on the phone, the guy says: "OK, now what?"
04. Imagine you're in the Old West. What town character would you be and what would your colorful nickname be? Example: School Marm - Old Widow Maples... Dead Eye Tish, because I'd always have a pistol and I'd be such an expert shot that no one would mess with me ;-)
05. You are a mythological diety/god. What are you the god of? What offering(s) would worshippers lay at your feet? If one displeased you how would you smite them? I'd like to be Diana/Artemis (there's a bit of a feminist theme to these answers), because she's brave, beautiful and a wild creature. Hmmmm... I'd like offerings of the finest foods, lots of dark chocolate and cured meats. If someone pissed me off I would make them feel guilt for every wrong they've ever done, feel the pain of anyone/thing they've ever hurt. (Wow, I'm mean! Must be the PMS...)
Why is my current mood displayed as "pained" you might ask? Well, Sunday when I was over visiting my mom the right side of my lower back kept giving me those little weird twinges that hint that something's about to go terribly wrong and last night it did. Out of nowhere the entire right side of my body from the waist down just sort of gave out. I could barely sit up in a chair, I couldn't walk at all, and even laying down to sleep hurt. I don't know if it has to do with my MS, the fact that I'm double jointed and my hip does go out from time to time (but usually doesn't hurt like this), or a number of stupid things I've done lately. Carrying laundry on my hip, reaching up in the closet to get a box down. And, oh yes, jumping up and down at the grocery store Saturday trying to knock things off the top shelf so I could actually purchase them. (I'm 5'1") I don't know who the tall, sadistic bastard is that designed my grocery store, but he made the three foot deep shelves over 6' high, and he always puts the last couple of bottles of Evian at the very back of the shelf. If I ever meet him I'm going to kick him in the shins...
So I'm suffering like hell now. Could be totally unrelated to my high jumping attempts, but that couldn't have helped. I need to buy one of those little reacher thingies to take grocery shopping. Or just a long stick. And to add insult to injury, I had to go in for my mammogram today and it rained the entire day, actually even flooded. I was a few miles away, on a road that parallels a huge bayou and the rain started sheeting. So when I got to the clinic I got drenched and stepped in about four inches of water in my good shoes. And then got to sit around with a hospital gown that wouldn't stay closed in wet jeans. Oh, and then got my boobs put in a cold metal clamp while I tried to keep standing in one place with throbbing back for way too long while the technician reset the machine because the power had gone out just before I arrived. The only good thing that happened was because the power had blinked the clinic's computers were offline so they're going to have to bill us for the test. We just got the bills in the mail for the labwork from our physicals in today, for a change his exam was more expensive, being an over 40 white male they seem to be taking his health and extra weight more seriously than they do mine.
Speaking of, Sparky's back went out this weekend and I gave him a couple of Soma and now he's fine. I hope I'm fine in two days. My Fiorinal is doing nothing for the pain and the Soma just made me kind of woozy but I may take one anyway before bed. The kitty came down with an upper respiratory infection last week (sneezing, sluggish cat!) and we've been squirting antibiotics in her mouth twice a day. She doesn't like it, but she's smart enough to get over it in a few minutes. And I've been hand feeding her turkey baby food afterwards which helps the proverbial medicine go down. She wasn't eating properly for about a week after her physical, but until she started sneezing we weren't quite sure what to make of her lethargy since she'd also received two shots at the same time. But she seems to have her appetite back now, and is murring and running though the house again.
After over a year I've finally turned Comments on and I'm testing to see if it actually will show up at the bottom of the entry...
I'm doing this on a probationary basis at first, if all goes well, I will keep it open. No advertising or nasty stuff allowed, I am open to constructive differences in opinion but any garbage will be promptly removed and the IP's blocked.
Unconscious Mutterings for this week
OK, I've seen the new fashion trend for teens, on SNL tonight Avril Lavigne wore a bright red swimsuit under black jeans so low you could see the top of her legs. At least it's not a slutty look since she had something on underneath that wouldn't ride-up. Not a real flattering look for her, since she's so tiny, made her legs look way too short but it looked good with a guitar held in front of her for TV.
So look for teens to be sporting one piece swimsuits, maybe it will even increase sales and anything that covers up their navels and butt cracks is fine by me. You heard it here first... Avril is a great role model for girls who aren't slutty, I'm looking forward to her new album, the two songs she did tonight were very promising :-)