I know I'm over a week late with all this, but I think I'm going to make some New Year Resolutions after all. I'm really good at keeping them, so this time I'm going to be extra careful and do fairly easy one's.
Here I go...
1). Declutter and organize the guestroom closet. (Which is filled with boxes of my old stuff).
2). Just for my own sake, rewrite the 1st chapter of my last book. (This one cuts deep, because there's a lot of pain involved. I was fairly proud of this story, but nothing came of it. In other words, I failed. I haven't written anything since).
3). Be brave (code word for stupid) and submit my children's story to magazines. (I expect this to fail, too, but the point is at least I tried with another story.... again).
4). Type up those notes I've written for a new story, even though I'm pretty positive I'll never write another word again.
5). Learn how to quiet my mind/meditate.
6). Watch more comedy.
7). Accept that some people just aren't who they used to be, and will likely forever be blind as to how their behavior affects others. Just let it slide. It's healthier this way.
8). Be more open, spiritually. (This is going to be a tough one actually, as over the past year or two I've become quite the doubting Thomas. I don't really believe in much anymore, and I don't like feeling this way).
9). Continue to do at least 30 minutes on the exercise bike everyday, and don't obsess over missing a day or two a week. (Again, this really will be a tough one for me even though I hate that stupid bike and don't think it achieves positive results).
10). Learn to relax by letting the little things go. Stop worrying over trivial things.
11). Control that OCD, which I've noticed has been creeping up on me these past few months. (Usually I'm fantastic at keeping it at bay and refuse to let it become as prevalent as it is in my Dad's life. Already, I've succeeded with this resolution so that's good).
12). Try to find a way to make decent money ONLINE. (I admit it. I'm not like everybody else: I am not a people person... I don't want to have to drive to work... I like being at home with my pets... 9 times out of 10 I have zero desire to leave the house... I don't want to spend the rest of my life in retail, caring for other people's kids or even working at a school. I'd rather be dead than spend 99.99% of my life at a job I hate, surrounded by people I really don't like.
I just want to feel happy and secure and - for the first time in my life - not completely lost. Out of all these resolutions, THIS ONE is going to be the toughest. It might even be impossible. All I know is I'll never marry and don't want to, and that this HAS to work. One thing I do have going for me is that I don't have a family to support; only myself).
I've thought of a few more to add, but for now I'm going to tuck them under the rug here, where all the dust bunnies hang out.
Even though I'm not a big Nora Roberts fan, I've been searching for one of her books for a while now; "Spellbound." But then tonight, while perusing one of my boxes filled with books to be read I stumbled upon this anthology.
I was so surprised when there, on the back cover, I read that the Nora Roberts story in the book was "Spellbound." I had the darn book all along!
I hope it'll be a good read because lately the books I've been reading have been yawn fests for the most part.
Ooh! I have another Happy Thought. It's the fact that yesterday Mom and I got all the ornaments off the Christmas tree and packed away in boxes in only 3 1/2 hours.
(The video would have been longer and perhaps more entertaining if the camera hadn't shut down on me yet again)
Which is a record breaker, as we have A LOT of ornaments and taking them down is a real pain and very time consuming. It's the reason we waited so long to take the tree down actually.
Finally, all the Christmas decorations are put away.
Except for the Christmas tree and Village, of course. Grandma and my uncle came over today to pick up Dad's old truck that they bought, so I'm glad those two things were still up for Grandma to see.
Below are pics of the girls (minus Tiger Lily). Nothing special really, but don't they look exhausted just from watching us put everything away?
(In the above picture, it looks like Santa got a time-out)
I'm so angry with myself for not taking a picture of one more Christmas decoration that we put up after Christmas. It was a little snow/bird scene that Mom put together inside a little glass dome. OMG, it was so adorable!
Now I'll have to wait until next year to show it off.
- The new season of MERLIN came on last night! There were A LOT of commercials, but it was nice seeing Lancelot and Gawain again.
And while I like the new intro, I definitely prefer the original. (And I just realized that they call Merlin a "man" instead of a "boy" now).
- It was an interesting day in the neighborhood today. The Sheriff, 3 cop cars and an ambulance were at the punks house for an hour today. They did pull out a stretcher, so I guess there was an accident; most likely domestic violence.
I really wish these people would leave our neighborhood. They're nothing but bad news. Every single day they just walk the streets, looking for trouble.
(This was before the ambulance arrived)
- I'm tired of all this warm weather. It's almost 3 pm, and it's 80 degrees right now.
All right... this post just never should have happened. How boring.
I was reading a post from one of my favorite blogs today, Mockingbird Hill Cottage. It was about things being simpler back when we grew up. No cell phones, text messaging, computers, etc.
Heck, we didn't get our first computer until after I graduated high school! All my research papers had to be typed on the typewriter. (I bet kids these days don't even know what White-Out is).
It got me thinking of a country song I'd heard a while back. Being a child from the 70's and 80's (and the 80's STILL ROCK! Even my niece and nephew love the old 80's music and movies), I love the lyrics to this song. The video I'll post below.
I think my favorite lines are the one's about the garden hose and having to get up to switch the few random channels on the television.
* (Remember to pause the little ipod on the top right hand side of my page) *
And here are the lyrics:
We were born to mothers who smoked and drank
Our cribs were covered in lead based paint
No child proof lids, no seat belts in cars
Rode bikes with no helmets and still here we are, still here we are
We got daddy’s belt when we misbehaved
Had three TV channels you got up to change
No video games and no satellite
All we had were friends and they were outside, playin’ outside
(Chorus) It was a different life
When we were boys and girls
Not just a different time
It was a different world
School always started the same every day
The pledge of allegiance, then someone would pray
Not every kid made the team when they tried
We got disappointed and that was all right, we turned out all right
(Chorus)
No bottled water, we drank from a garden hose
And every Sunday all the stores were closed
Stuff? Can't remember everything. This year was neat because I got a few things from Disney World; my favorite being a "Beauty and the "Beast" mug.
I also love this mirror from Old Town Spring.
2. Have you taken down your Christmas decorations?
All but the Christmas tree and village.
3. What did you do for New Years Eve?
Nothing special.
4. Do you like accents?
There is one accent that gets on my nerves (won't admit which one, as I don't want to be mean) but the one accent I am madly in love/lust with is a man's deep SCOTTISH brogue!
I know it sounds strange, and daft considering the accent is still around, but when I hear that brogue it feels like I'm hearing something from Scotland's past in the here and now. It's like a part of that history is still alive today. We can't SEE those Scots warriors from earlier centuries, but in a way we can still HEAR them.
5. What kind of television do you have?
Beats me. I'm not much of a gadgets person.
6. Did you make any changes at the beginning of 2012?
Not really, no. A few days before the new year I started getting on the exercise bike again... which really isn't a big deal.
7. What’s the last book you read and do you recommend it?
I'd rather not list the title. There was one element in it which was ridiculous in how it was executed. It was an okay book, but nothing I'd re-read or recommend. I still enjoy this author though.
8. Do you stay current on celebrity gossip?
No. Every once in a while I'll check the updates on one of Gerry Butler's sites, but other than that I could care less.
9. Do you know the words to Bohemian Rhapsody? Gangstas Paradise? Fresh Prince of Bel-Air?
I think I still recall most of Fresh Prince.
10. What is your favorite educational television show?
I really don't watch much tv, and 9 times out of 10 I forget about my favorite shows unless I DVR them beforehand. The more educational shows I used to try to remember to watch were:
- My most favorite ever was one that aired a long time ago; Meet the Natives.
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- Rocket City Rednecks
- Michio Kaku (I can't recall the name of this series, but I love MK. I'm not even sure that this show is still on).
- Ancient Aliens (I find the show a little repetitive, and the narrator's deliberate italics on certain words and overuse of phrases annoys me to no end, but overall it's an interesting show).
- An Idiot Abroad (FUNNY show! I don't even know if it's still on the air).
-
- For a while there I was addicted to all those fondant cake shows. I want to make those so badly! I think it was "Amazing Wedding Cakes" that I enjoyed the most.
It's official.
Even with the level 10 crowds, I would have LOVED to have been at MK on NYE.
EPCOT puts on a great NYE fireworks show, too. Their finales are deafening they're so loud.
