This -N- That for March 28th 2010

*This blog entry is going to be a hodge-podge of randomness all-n-one so please bare with me.*

1. I am sitting here looking out my window when I notice this little man. Does he not realize he is going the wrong way? I mean I live on the second floor so what is he doing so high up? And where is he planning on going?

Made me think of a saying I came across just the other day:

"I am too positive to be doubtful
Too optimistic to be fearful
And too determined to be defeated." ~ unknown

Hmmm..........



2. Which brings me to this -
I saw this at Kohl's on Friday. It made me smile. It says: Don't worry everything is going to be amazing. Yes it is. :O)

3. One of my favorite quotes: "My mind tells me to win, my spirit shows me how, and my body delivers." ~ Anonymous


4. I swiped this from Jayne's blog (whom got it from an email) on how fairy tales really end. I thought it was funny. Maybe it was because I have a Cinderella tattoo?


5. Speaking of tattoos....

before my color session this past Friday

.....during.....

And here she is: Little Miss Be Good by Lisa Murphy. Eight hours total to complete this calf piece. I love it! (don't you?)

This is how the idea started. The doll pictured belongs to my sister. It comes from Norway. I believe the story goes it was given to her by Tim when he went over for business, but it just reminds me of my grandpa who came over from Oslo and where his family still resides.

I asked Lisa to use this photo as the inspiration focus point. I wanted the girl to be playing a concertina in memory of my gma's musical talents and to have "Be Good" somewhere incorporated because that is something she has always said to me. My gma is still with us but she will never see this piece nor to my knowledge does she know about any of my other tattoos.

6. My latest Asshat Award goes to: FireFox browser 3.6

Thanks for the bug that would not allow me to use search engines or get onto blogspot. I deleted you and found an older version (3.5) on the net, hopefully this won't screw up my computer since I am not "updated", however, I did not know what else to do. I am not a fan of IE but don't think I am afraid of switching back if you don't get your act together. :p

7. Runner up for the Asshat Award is the Department of Justice in my county. I was released from jury duty nearly two weeks ago to find another summons in my mail box this past Thursday night. I spoke to the lady at the court house and she said since I was released from the first summons I eligible for the new summons. I asked her if they would like to start picking my lotto numbers. She thought that was way more funny then I meant it to be. :\

And there you have it folks: randomness on a stick.

I hope you all enjoy this beautiful Sunday!

Chuối!

Photo credit here.

It's been a while since I have shared a recipe; here is one of my ultimate favorites:

Ponte Vedra Innlet Banana Bread

2 cups sugar ~ 1 cup oil ~ 4 eggs, beaten ~ 1 lb very ripe bananas, mashed ~ 2 cups all-purpose flour ~ 1 1/2 teaspoons salt ~ 1 tablespoon soda ~ 1 cup buttermilk ~ Optional: 1 cup chopped pecans

• Beat sugar and oil together
• Add eggs & bananas and mix well.
• Sift together flour, salt and soda and add to banana mixture, alternating w/buttermilk (stir in pecans).

Pour into 2 greased regular loaf pans or 4 small ones and bake in a preheated oven at 300 for 30 minutes, then at 350 for 30 minutes longer. Check to see if they are done. The large loafs may need a few more minutes.

Try not to eat the entire loaf yourself. ;O)

Happy baking!


Chuối means "banana" in Vietnamese so says my 10 y/o patient trying in vain to teach me a few words in his mother language.

CALLING DOCTOR MCDREAMY

Photo credit: google images

On Oprah there was a segment about where in the United States is the male to female ratio the greatest to the women's favor. Turns out it is the northeast of the US, however, ladies before you start to pack your bags for prime selection in the meat department you must beware of what else was said:

There was a guy who claimed to be a expert (I use the word loosely) on the panel suggesting to women how they need to make themselves stand out for these men to notice them. He suggested that at all times a woman must be dressed to impress. That's right, no sweats to the super market, you must always have freshly groomed eyebrows (I did not note if he said anything about freshly shaven legs), and simply forget wearing those flip-flops to fill up your gas tank.

This brought back memories of my not so beautiful moment(s)...........

I had come down with the flu in the middle of the night & having no one to go to the store for me, I had to drag myself out to my car and find a drugstore that was open. I pull up to a CVS in the middle of ghettoland, exited my vehicle and promptly puked in the parking lot. Once I got inside, I see a somewhat cute cashier whom seemed startled by my ashy makeup less complexion (not to mention the stench that was probably following me from outside). "Where is your cold n' flu medicine?" I mumble. He points, I make my purchase, and proceed to lay in a semi-comatose-semi-delirious state on the bathroom floor wrapped in four quilts for the next three days.

Once the fever and chills subsided a full blown head cold followed. By now it's the weekend and there is no need to call in sick so I just stuck it out thinking the worst was probably over. Not quite.

Sunday morning I awake to darkness. I could not open my eyes. It was as though some little troll had sneaked in and super glued my eyes shut as a practical joke. I felt my way to the bathroom and put a warm cloth to them. When I got them to finally pry open all I see is two flaming red eyeballs looking back at me with goo caked at the corners. Great. Pink eye.

I refer to my friend, Dr. Google, and see what the heck am I supposed to do now. It's 5:30am Sunday morning and there will be no doctor office open in this time zone/day. There are three different types of Pink Eye. One is due to allergies. The other is due to bacterial. And the last one is viral which requires nothing really for treatment other then time to let it run its course, however, you could use OTC (Pink) eye drops. Since none of my symptoms matched the first two, I diagnosed myself (and was confirmed via the actual eye doctor the next day) with the latter and headed back to CVS.

You guessed it, the same cashier is working. My hair is unwashed, I've been in the same clothes for two days in a row, the end of my nose is raw and peeling, and my eyes look as though I have been on a crying jag for the last 34 years. "Where is your Pink eye solution?" I snip. He points, I make my purchase, and proceed to hang around the apartment for the next 5 days because I was considered "contagious" until my cough subsided.


Sweet dreams my lovely readers.

HOPE FLOATS

Photo credit: google images

This whole Sandra Bullock and Jesse James ordeal has me deeply saddened for our American Sweetheart. Shame on that mistress for treating a fellow sister with such disrespect, and not only shame on Jesse for breaking his sacred vow to Sandy, but shame on him for being such a let down to his children. What is this teaching his two young girls (and son)?

I personally hope Sandra divorces his sorry ass. An alleged eleven month affair? She will show much more respect to herself if she does, unlike Mrs. John Edwards that stayed with that looser just long enough (two years?) to find out the love child is really his. Wasted two more precious years the doctors she said she probably wouldn't have.

Anyhoos........to Miss Sandy remember this: HOPE FLOATS ;O)

TRUTH

"The truth is I've never fooled anyone. I've let people fool themselves. They didn't bother to find out who and what I was. Instead they would invent a character for me. I wouldn't argue with them. They were obviously loving somebody I wasn't. When they found this out, they would blame me for disillusioning them - and fooling them." ~ Marilyn Monroe

OH CINDERELLA!

I have loved the Disney movie Cinderella since I was a child. I wouldn't go as far as saying it was my ultimate favorite, but it ranks in the top 5 along with The Rescuers, The Jungle Book, Snow White, and Lady & The Tramp. I have a Cinderella themed quarter sleeve on my left arm. Within this tattoo you will see Jax & Gus, Lucifer the cat, the pumpkin carriage, and Cinderella herself of coarse. What is missing is the prince and that was done on purpose.

My love for the story of Cinderella was because she proved that if you work hard enough and believe hard enough, all your dreams can come true. A prince may come into your life, or he may not, either way she has thick enough skin that protects her kind heart, and she has the determination to make it in life no matter what is thrown at her. Of coarse I would like to have a prince in my life, but I don't need him in my life to make it complete. That is the difference between want and need after all.

My Cinderella is in her tattered dress to remind me of the challenges I have had to overcome, Jax & Gus are to remind me to keep humor in my life, Lucifer is to remind me there is always going to be a naysayer(s), and the pumpkin carriage is for the possibilities that lie ahead. I also asked the artist to give my Cinderella tattoos because that is what I see is beautiful.

And there you have it, the story behind the ink.

What's your story?


LL

PRESS YOUR LUCK

Photo Credit: google images

One of my favorite game shows on television as a kid was Press Your Luck. It ran for three years in the 80's and I would rush home from school to watch it (well that and Scooby Doo which was on afterwards). In this game, three contestants would try to accumulate the highest money total to win. By doing so, they first had to go through rounds of trivia questions in which they were given three possible answers. If chose the correct answer, you'd win a spin on the Big Board at the end, which is were you'd win money and prizes.

The catch was, you had to take the chance that your spin(s) wouldn't land on a "whammy", a little brown Tasmanian devil looking cartoon that wore a red cape. If you landed on a whammy, you lost all your money & prizes. If you landed on 4 whammies total throughout your spin chances, you were eliminated from the game.

Life is like Press Your Luck. Taking chances at a job/career change, opening your heart to relationships and possibilities, or simply hoping tomorrow comes so you can make a difference. And then there are most certainly the whammies; the job/career that didn't turn out like you expected, toxic friendships/relationships, the tomorrow that never comes.

I hope I never stop taking chances. That I don't become so jaded by whammies that I forget what it feels like to take a chance and experience the true joy of success, accomplishment, love, passion, a smile from the heart, and a belly laugh. That there is no such thing as failure rather simply just a detour.

Good night my friends.


This blog entry is dedicated to Kristine -

"Risk more than others think is safe.
Care more than others think is wise.
Dream more than others think is practical.
Expect more than others think is possible. "
~ Cadet Maxim