Random (cat) videos of the day!

I am a firm believer in the healing power of the cat video...  Trust me. If you're ever having a lousy day, watching some adorable kitty do something totally weird and wacky (like the "nom nom cat" in a previous post) will put a smile on your face.  Feel free to test this theory with the following videos...











Even Kaiser Permanente is aware of the mystical power of the cat video, as evidenced by their Thrive ad campaign: "...it's ok to throw in a cat video now and then".

P.S. I have not tested this theory as it relates to puppies yet. I figured I'd finish my dissertation on the cats first... =)

Totally random thoughts of the evening...

Since I can't think of a general, overall topic, here are some random thoughts (love 'em)...

• According to the quiz here, it is 76% certain that my kitty Josie is planning to kill me.  Plus Tasha is 100% convinced Josie is trying to kill HER.  Note to self: Be a lot nicer to Josie, and stockpile some weapons.  Sorry Tasha.  Since I am sure she likes me better, you're on your own!

• Why do certain people at work only respond to portions of emails I send?  I always end up having to send four emails to get answers to stuff which can be accomplished with one.  Yes, I could speak to these people personally, but I usually send emails because I don't WANT to deal with them in person (Hmmm... maybe they are aware of my evil plot to avoid them...)

• Dear kettle corn: You rock!  You're salty and sweet, and you bring back memories of carnivals, and festivals, and sporting events...  Of course, I also hate you because you get stuck in my teeth.  You are one of my few dysfunctional relationships I have not been able to give up.  I'm not sure I could survive the breakup.  And... apparently I don't hate you enough to dump you for the caramel-covered marshmallow I was just handed.  You're sweet and chewy, and yet you too stick in my teeth.  Curse you, kettle corn (and all other sticky foods!)...  **Go ahead, Tasha, there's definitely at least one "that's what she said" joke in there!**

• I read online earlier today that Seth Green got married over the weekend to his longtime girlfriend (a model/actress, of course!).  I am happy for him, since I always thought he was a talented guy (Robot Chicken, Austin Powers, plus Buffy the Vampire Slayer, which was on in marathon fashion on LOGO over the weekend)...

Good night all... and sleep with one eye open -  those kitties are out there!!!

Random video of the day!

Enjoy!! =)

Music Video Parodies

There are a lot of music video parodies out there, and usually they're lame, but sometimes... they're freakin' brilliant!


I was introduced to two fantastic music video parodies on Friday night.  (Of course, to appreciate them fully, I have posted the original videos before each parody).


For your viewing pleasure...





And now...





Here's another original video...



And here's the parody:





I laughed my ass off...

Best day ever (well, for the most part...)

Josie was meowing at me to wake up and feed her breakfast... man, are kids demanding!  Ah well...  I fed her, then lay in bed for a little bit, but not too long, because I knew I had to clean for the "Beignet Party"!


Believe me, this has been a looooong time coming.  The event was first discussed back when I lived with the "Del Mar Girls" - Jen and Becca.  With everyone's crazy schedules, it never worked out...  I guess it took all of us moving out to finally make this shit happen!


In any case, I cleaned, then worked on the fruit salad, once Misha and Tasha came back from the Farmer's Market with the fruit (it's an important ingredient!).  Fruit salad is easy, but man is cutting up the fruit time-consuming...  I barely had enough time to make the dressing and finish cleaning/getting ready before people show...


Here are the beignets in all their powdered-sugar glory:

And here are our guests (the cook is wearing the powdered-sugar stained apron... though Mom and Cath helped!):

(Those are all the pictures I took as I was too busy... eating!!! duh!)

I spent most of the day after they left cleaning and organizing... y'know... fun stuff.  Then I was able to convince Cath to come with me to the LA Kings Watch Party...  We parked ourselves in the bar area, where they eventually showed it on 3 screens:

Here's Cath having fun:

Here's me when I won another prize... a free pint of ice cream!

Here's Cath when she realized that sudden-death overtime in the Playoffs goes for 20 extra minutes, not 5...  

** Note the purple nail polish!! Yeah! **

It's ok Cath... look, it's over!!

GO KINGS GO!!!!!!!!!

P.S. Oh, the reason I say "for the most part", is that I dropped my phone off the little bar table, and it may be dead.  I am hoping it is better in the morning (Dear cell phone... Heal Thyself, please!)

Kings vs. Vancouver Game 1 Viewing Party

Stanley Cup Game 1 Viewing Party ~ LA vs. Vancouver ~ ESPN Zone @ LA Live ~ Thursday ~ 7 pm ~ with my dad...

We're standing in line to put our names in, and I am handed a raffle ticket (dad passes).  I say, you can't win if you don't play!!  So we finally settle in to wait for our table at ESPN Zone when I see "Lucky" Luc Robitaille walk by.  Darn.  I forgot to bring my old school trading card for him to sign... assuming I can get close enough to him!  After our last meeting (see my Facebook photo album for the last Tip-a-King), I'm sure they have given my photo and description to security... ;-)

Before we order our food, the Kings Crew Member comes around with a raffle ticket for each of us (not realizing I already had my freebie - oh right, like I'm going to turn 2 more down - 2 since I had dad's again!)...

My Eats: Buffalo chicken sandwich and fries.... and a beer... dad paid for my meal & 1 beer, and I'm trying to save $$, so I was cool with only 1...

Dad's munchies: Fettuccine alfredo and a soda....

Anyway, I'm not going to blog about everything that happened in each period, since you can go here to read that.  I will say that I was impressed with Quickie (thought he made some fantastic saves, including an amazing one in OT), and with Stoll and Richardson... Simmer finally had some energy too.  All we need to do is bench Randy Jones, make some crisper passes, and bump it up offensively/physically (Kopi and Brownie, can you hear me?).

At the 2nd intermission they start giving out stuff, and... nothing for Hannah *sad face*...

After the 3rd... more stuff without Hannah's name on it...

So it goes to OT (*sigh, we lose*)...  They announce the final prize, which goes to a Dale-somebody.

Hmm... no Dale...  Then that left Jay "Kings Crew-leader" with only one choice...  the autographed jersey goes to Hannah Freed!!!!!!  No freaking way?!  I swear it was a surreal moment... then I screamed like a little girl.  Dale returned from the bathroom and asked if I wanted to cut it in half and share... uh... no?  Some guy offers me $100, then $150 for it too... Nah, I think I'll keep this one:

Motto of the story:  Kings watch parties freakin' kick ass!!!!

That is all. You are dismissed.

Final LA Kings home game...

So...I went to the final LA Kings home game of the 2009-2010 season on Saturday.  Yahoooo!!!!!! =)

I went with Danielle and her daughter Cheyanne as part of her "sweet 16"... We sat in Section 107 (uh, can you say "ca-ching!"?).  The Kings were down 3-0 in the third, came from behind to tie it, and then lost in the shootout.  *sigh*

Well, in any case, here are some pics from out seats:

Here's Cheyanne looking happy:

Here's all of us together:

Danielle, who had never been to a game, is not much of a sports/concert (=crowd) -person, so her exact words I believe were "it's uh... something different".  It's all right - it was so awesome that she did this for Chey's "special day"!  Plus, Cheyanne was confused as we meandered (yep, I used the word "meandered") through LA's Fashion District - ok, I missed the turn and got lost - and ended up being (mostly) surprised.  The surprise actually lasted until I gave her my present -  a gift bag with my gear ("oops, Chey, that's MY stuff")... and then Danielle gave Chey her gift... of some clothes to change into... hehehe...

As for my Kings, whatever energy they had towards the end of the third, I hope they BRING IT to the Stanley Cup Playoffs!!!!!  Woohoo!

There will be some watch parties coming up, and maybe I'll even make it to Staples Center to see them in person...

Oh, and since they're going "Back in Black" for the playoffs, I just HAD to get a new jersey, seen here:

GO KINGS GO!!!!  USA! USA! USA! (BEAT THE 'NUCKS...)

What to do when you're not feeling so hot...

So I'm not feeling well, though assuming I'm not dead, I WILL attend the hockey game tomorrow night (FYI, the KINGS are IN the playoffs!!!), as well as getting together with my HS friends Janel and Sam!


Anywho, since I'm at home ATTEMPTING to relax, I got to thinking about things I can do to accomplish this:


1) Watch some mindless, brainless (reality?) TV show, one that doesn't involve too many brain cells (a la Bad Girls Need Love Too).  Of course, the living room TV is currently without sound for some reason, so I am using the captions...  I actually attempted to look behind to see if a cable was unplugged, but realized I would need a flashlight.  The idea of searching the house for a flashlight involved too many brain cells, so I gave up.


2) Read a book.  Eh.  I usually love to read, but for some reason it just doesn't have any appeal.


3) Sleep!  I have a really tough time sleeping/resting when I feel I could get some important stuff done (like writing a blog perhaps? ;-P)


4) I could watch random videos on YouTube, like:





OR this:





OR:





5) Finally, I could take drugs... maybe even the type that cause me to make a video like this!
*** WARNING: Not "Office-Friendly"! ***







On that note.. what do you do when you're sick and/or need to relax?

And now... an update to the "Joy of Commercials" post...

In response to the "Men's Dodge Viper Commercial" which aired during the "BIG GAME" (and received a nomination for "most annoying commercial ever" - see "Joy of Commercials" post!), I give you...





Yeeeees!!! 'Take that! =)

An update to the gummy bear saga...

(Click here for the original story...)

... so today I tried unsuccessfully to get a copy of the "gummy bear ransom note".  Unfortunately, the guilty party (or who I was almost positive WAS the guilty party) had NO EVIDENCE of such a note... Imagine that?  Lesson #1 learned:  If you're going to do something really bad, cover your tracks. Check. Got it.


I was also reminded that the human victim sent out two notices: 1 an email plea to simply "let her know her gummies were ok and in a safe place for the week", and 2: An official AMBER ALERT, posted on her door, the elevators, etc. Yeeeessss! Bitchin'!


It appears my next job is clear: track down the Amber Alert.  Stat!


And so the saga continues... even after all these years...


P.S.  Based on the email plea I saw, this happened in 2002 not 2003.  Lesson #2: In a criminal investigation, make sure you get your facts straight.  I will need these lessons if I ever apply for a job as a mafia flunkie... or a cop... I'll let you know which...

The joy of commercials... not really

These days, there are quite a few commercials that are irritating the crap out of me. I thought I would spread the fun!

1) "Every kiss begins with 'Kay'...".  Oh. Good. Grief. Make. it. stop!

2) "He Went to Jared's!?": I don't know why this irritates me... I guess it just feels so lame and

forced.

3) FreeCreditReport.com: The singing in this makes me want to gouge my ears out.... or reach through the screen and kick the lead singer of this "band" in the face (and I am a pacifist - really!).  However, I would watch this 50 times before the "Every Kiss" ones.

4) The ones where the babies talk as adults... especially this one:

5) The Dodge Viper Super Bowl Commercial. To the men bitching and whining in this commercial - You poor things, having to do what women tell you to... You are just so oppressed. Grow a pair already!

These are the ones I change the channel to get away from...

Of course, not all of them make me want to tear my hair out. The following two are hilarious and effective respectively:

1) Of course one of them has to be a hockey commercial!

2) If this doesn't get you choked up at least a little, you may be an android of some kind...

What commercials make YOU run screaming from the room?

Ode to frozen cream and sugar...

"Oh sweet ice cream, I love you so..." ~ Hannah, 1976-present!

Ever since I was a kid, I have loved ice cream in all it's lovely, delicious forms (shocking I know!)... sundaes... sandwiches... cake... with fruit... with shortcake...

In honor of one of my all-time favorite food items (next to cheese, wine, bread, pasta, tomatoes, strawberries...), I present to you, my 20 favorite ice cream products. There's no way I can rank 'em though, so in no particular order:

1) Baskin-Robbins ice cream cakes: Ice-cream - yum! Cake - yum! Ice cream and cake combined - priceless!! Favorite combinations include chocolate cake with jamoca almond fudge, and chocolate cake with mint chocolate chip, and chocolate cake with, aw hell, any flavor!

2) Ice cream sandwiches: Either with vanilla or with neopolitan ice cream, though the chocolate ice cream is the best part in that instance. I usually love strawberry ice cream, but I like it better when it has chunks in it (and doesn't taste quite so fake...).

3) Banana Splits or other such sundaes: Best with lots of stuff to 'em. When I was younger, I actually finished off a BR 5-Star Sundae. Yep... FIVE scoops of ice cream, 3 toppings... I'm amazed I'm not seriously huge...

P.S. Since I only received this sundae because my father felt guilty about something totally not his fault, I have been accused of sometimes thereafter attempting to get additional ice cream by crying... I plead the 5th!

4) Bon Boniere Ice Cream: Handmade gourmet ice cream from a company in northern CA. Blackberry cheesecake, green tea...mmmmm...

5) Redwood Yoghury: Haven't been there since I was in college, but have fond memories of their waffle cones. Best combo ever - blackberry and chocolate swirled!!!

6) Dryers Light Rocky Road: The best LIGHT Rocky Road ever. This DOES not discount the REAL Rocky Road flavors, but when I'm trying to be good, this is what I go for.

7) Tofutti Cuties from Trader Joes (vanilla and chocolate): Yes, I know they're not real ice cream, but tofu's NEVER tasted this good. They are even good enough to fool my brother's seriously food-picky ex-girlfriend. Seriously. Try 'em already.

8) Trader Joe's Super Premium Ultra Chocolate Ice Cream: Oh sweet Jesus! The best chocolate EVER! Dark, rich, slightly bittersweet. This may even be the closest ice cream to sex. Perhaps.

9) Ben and Jerry's Coffee Heath Bar Crunch: Obviously I can't talk ice cream without mentioning this brand! The Heath Bars kind of melt into the ice cream, giving it a little bit of a caramel-flavor...

10) Ben and Jerry's Cool Brittania: RIP my dear strawberry ice cream with fudge-covered shortbread pieces. You will be missed. =(

11) Fosselman's (Alhambra): *sigh* So many delish flavors... I love you fresh peach, and lemon custard, and blueberry, and...

12) Cold Stone Creamery: Not necessarily the best ice cream, but love the fixins' and mixins'!

13) New Zealand Natural: Located in the LA Live complex, this is the perfect treat for celebrating an LA Kings win (or drowning my sorrows). Favorites include the standard cookies n' cream, and Hokey Pokey... =)

14) Ben and Jerry's Dublin Mudslide: Definition - Irish Cream Liqueur Ice Cream with Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies and a Coffee Fudge Swirl. Need. I. Say. More?

15) Ben and Jerry's Mint Chocolate Cookie: Mint ice cream with oreo-style cookies! Yay!

16) Ben and Jerry's Peach Cobbler: Not the same as homemade cobbler, but not exactly terrible either. =)

17) Ben and Jerry's Apple Pie: A flavor that has gone to it's maker, but I have so many fond memories of sitting in the college lounge with friends, and a carton of this, watching random movies...

18) Chocolate Peanut Butter: No comments needed.

19) Pumpkin Pie Ice Cream: A taste of Thanksgiving... anytime!

20) Gelato from the shop next to the Wiltern: When we lived in Koreatown, my dad used to take me there all the time. mmm-mmmm-mmmm. (Unfortunately, I think it's gone now...)

20b) Thrifty Ice Cream: Back then, they were the cheapest cones around (which is what made them so awesome!).  The ice cream wasn't bad either...  These are some of my favorite times with my dad.

**So, between the BR 5-star, the gelato by the Wiltern, and the Thrifty ice cream... let's just say we'll know who to blame if I ever end up on the A&E show "Intervention"!!   ;-p **

** Proof that Hannah's ice cream obsession began at a young age - it's mint chocolate chip, by the way...**

There you have it. The best ice cream tastes and experiences EVER!!!!!!!!!! I'm interested to know what your faves are. Comment away!

Work and fun: An oxymoron?

** Names have been changed to protect the innocent (and the guilty too!) **

I don't usually use the words "work" and "fun" in the same sentence. Lately, I feel like I've complained a little too much about work. The building itself was built in the 50's, and is somewhat depressing (see photographic evidence below)

When I started there (originally in 1999), it had a very wacky, goofy atmosphere. :-P

Case in point... the "Gummy Bear incident" of 2003!!! One of the postdocs, we'll call her, uh, "Mary", is a very funny lady from France (she's Parisian AND Persian). "Mary" enjoys bubble wrap (which I give to her when we get shipments) and gummy bears!!

At some point, the gummies "Mary" had were...

BEAR-NAPPED! *dun-dun-dun*

She received the following image:

along with a ransom demand!

"Mary" ran around like a maniac, interrogating everyone. She even accused "Jane", the sweetest "mom" to everyone there. "Mary" was panicked, and of course we all were trying to keep straight faces, while snickering behind her back. The real culprit shall remain nameless, but needless to say "Mary" didn't suspect this person - as she said in her lovely accent, "no, no, no, it cannot be "Mr./Mrs. X" - he/she is too busy to do this mean thing". ;-P

Of course there were other incidents (a few examples):

** When "Scott M" gave "Jane" a Playgirl magazine wrapped in black tissue paper as a Secret Santa gift...

** When "Marianne" went around whacking people with a large, pink, plastic bat... and no that is NOT a euphemism...

** When "Jane" ranted about everyone laying claim to the colored sharpies used to enter experiments on the schedule - leaving her with the Black sharpie (uh, yes, she is African American). It was shortly after I started working there, and I was afraid she was serious!

I have my memories (and "Mary", "Marianne", "Jane", and "Peggy" are still there). It's not as wacky, but thankfully it is still "nerdy" - Cathryn's beta-cell birthday cake

for one of the guys being the most recent example (if you're interested, this is what a beta-cell is)... I may have to take matters into my own hands to bring back the wackiness. I'm thinking of using some bubble wrap... duct tape... maybe some pipettes (actual prank to be determined). Be warned! ;-P

P.S. Yes, her gummies were returned...
P.P.S.  Since Cathryn was not around during those wacky days, I did not really feel the need to give her a fake name.  However, if she really wants one, she'll get one.  From now on, you may call her, uh, "Cat"!...

Hockey!!

So, even though I am an LA Kings fan (not a Panthers fan) I enjoy listening to this!!!



As for the Kings, they have had a bunch of comebacks over the years, including this!!


And of course, hockey is known for it's physicality!!!


P.S. You will note the utter lack of "..." in this sports post. When talking about hockey, "!!!!!!" will be involved. If you have any problems with this punctuation use, go read about a boring sport, like golf - er, I mean please submit your letter in writing to the management and we will graciously take care of it. Thank you.

An open letter

Dear MTV,

I understand that those young whippersnappers from one of your shows, "Jersey Shore", are not happy with their salaries, and are demanding twice as much money per episode. Please consider that with people starving, the tragedy in Haiti, etc., giving the kids in the following clip more money might not be an efficient use of funds.

Thank you for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,

Hannah

I am realizing...

... I can't find any poetry I've written in the past that isn't depressing.

... I can't think of anything new to write (and especially anything full of rainbows and sunshine!).

... there are so many things I want to post here, but don't feel comfortable enough yet to express.

I thought creating a blog would be cathartic and a form of therapy. The problem is, that the point of therapy is you have to be completely open and honest, and so far I can't do that here.

I know I hold back too much in life due to fear... fear of how others will react, fear of change, fear of nothing changing...

Hopefully little by little I will be able to express myself more.

Until then, if anyone's out there and still interested, please fee free to keep reading these random posts.

P.S. Do you ever feel like maybe you want to trade in your brain for a new, shiny one?

Once upon a time...

...I used MySpace. Due to my mood (see previous post), here's something I posted there - it pretty much still applies. Feel free to complete this on your own in the comments section, or comment on mine!

I Live in a world of my own making. It sometimes comes out burnt or inedible, mostly because I am not the greatest cook.

I Work way too hard. But on the plus-side I don't get paid enough!

I Talk to strangers. It's not my fault - they talk to me first.

I Wish that I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life – besides goofing off on the internet all day, of course. It's a very expensive hobby – what with the Ebay purchases (they have vintage M & M wrappers!) and ahem, "Mature" sites.

I Enjoy many things. They are listed on my MySpace profile. However, if you want the detailed list in order of importance, it'll cost you. I mean I was offering prizes for a correct guess - I can't just GIVE that information away for free, y'know!

I Look at hot guys, of course! I also look at myself in the mirror and wonder what picture would appear if I connected my freckles. Which one do YOU think is more fun?

I Find coins all over the place – in my car, couch cushions, etc. – I'm planning my retirement around it.

I Smell nothing. I live by my sense of smell. The air is sweet and fragrant, and none may pass without my permission! (- Didymus, from "Labyrinth")

I Hide my pain behind a smile. It's not healthy, but nothing is healthy these days, right? I hide my sex toys too, and I hope Marie's mom doesn't find out. ;-)

I Pray that my friends and family are happy and healthy, that the soldiers stay safe, and that I get a new car soon. Hey, I need a LITLLE something for myself – right?

I Walk down the street with my head held high after a new haircut. I also have a tendency to walk into things. My new hair doesn't get in my eyes as much, so that should change.

I Write bad poetry, then put them through numerous re-writes, criticizing every one. Hey, I am a Virgo.

I See my cat curled up on my bed. She looks soooo adorable!

I Sing only when I'm in the car by myself. Unless I hate someone enough to make their ears bleed.

I Can do jigsaw puzzles with a decent amount of speed. Even the "Magic Eye" ones! Isn't that a useful skill?

I Watch the boys in the gym lift weights like idiots. I'm waiting until some meathead drops the weight on his foot and cries like a baby – then I can laugh.

I Yearn to dance like nobody's watching, but I'm white - someone's ALWAYS watching, and sometimes pointing and laughing.

I Daydream that I live in a gorgeous house with my very own Johnny Depp (ok Marie, maybe I'll rent him out to you). We have two amazing kids, a never-ending supply of ice cream, and an amusement park in the backyard (complete with pirate ship for those POTC fantasies! ;-P).

I Want to find a boy that understands me – or at least has a nice rack.

I Cry occasionally, mainly at sappy shows like Extreme Makeover Home Edition. I also cry at weddings, but I don't laugh at funerals.

I Read for fun. What? Haven't you ever read a cereal box?

I Love being around my friends and family and being myself.

I Sometimes wonder what it would be like to be a cat – sleeping, eating, playing – how is that a bad life?

I Touch anything that looks soft – pillows, cats, maybe you?

I Hurt myself when I bottle my emotions up inside.

I Fear that my cat moves my stuff while I sleep.

I Hope that she hasn't found my secret stash of catnip. Hey, it's legal!

I Break out in dance in my kitchen. It helps burn off all the yummy food I eat. Plus, nobody can see me (or can they?)

I Eat quite healthy – er, except for all the ice cream – I need fuel for my workouts, right?

I Quit smoking years ago. It was the best decision of my life.

I Bathe in milk like Cleopatra – even better, it's CHOCOLATE milk.

I Drink things that start with the letter "M" – Milk, Midori Sours, and Mojitos – they do a body good!

I Stop working, and surf the web when my officemate steps out - and yet I still get my work done.

I Save every letter and photo I can. "Memorieees, misty water-colored memories…"

I Hug my friends and family whenever I can. Anybody need one?

I Am wondering when this will end. I have some important Web Boggle games to play!

I Play Web Boggle quite a bit. I do better at it when I've had a couple drinks.

I Miss my sister because she didn't come home for Spring Break. I also miss my friends – Karyn, Amy, Steve, and their baby Emma. It would be easier if those 4 punks had MySpace pages dammit!

I Hold my friends and family close to my heart. It gets a little crowded sometimes, but it's cozy.

I Forgive the creator of this survey, because I have to forgive myself for feeding into their obsession.

I Drive myself crazy sometimes. I was always bad with directions.

I Learn something new every day of course! Unfortunately my memory sucks, so I have to relearn the lessons the next day.

I Have a wonderful circle of friends and family.

I Don't know how to ride a bicycle. When I was little, every bike I had got stolen, and my parents stopped buying them for me. You're weeping for me now aren't you?

I Made this very yummy fruit salad once. And it had nothing to do with the fact that the fruit was soaked in liquor – really!

I Kiss a select few people. Unless I've had a bit of "liquid courage".

I Believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way...

I Wait for the day when the man of my dreams sweeps me off my feet. Or maybe just the day when I can get a good night sleep.

I Need a few days of pampering with my friends.

I Feel tired – it's been a long week.

I Know that Xanax will not solve everything – just MOST things...

I Wonder who wrote the book of love.

I Am done! Oh thank goodness! Web Boggle here I come…

Needing humor...

Woke up feeling stressed, and "not so good" (and am having writer's block at the moment). In the meantime, from one of my favorite sites (a webcomic for nerds):

Water, water, water...

All this rain has prompted me to think of the symbolism, meanings, and sayings related to water, and the various ways it makes us feel...

Meanings & Symbolism: Rebirth, cleansing, life, change, emotions, intuition...

Quotes & Sayings: "raining cats and dogs", "drowning in paperwork", "drowning in debt", "getting along swimmingly", "fish out of water", "don't make waves"...

How it makes us feel: Peaceful and serene, sad and lonely, happy...

Lately it feels like a few, ok all, of these apply to my life...

* I am undergoing lots of change in my life... I have been living in a fantastic place in Pasadena with two fantabulous (fantastic and fabulous, in case you needed a translation!) gals. The owner is now selling the condo. Eff. I still don't know what I'm going to do, and am trying not to panic... I hate hate hate moving. *sigh* Did I mention I hate moving?

* I would say ~ 55% of my days I feel I am drowning (mostly in paperwork - but also doggy paddling financially, just because I am not where I thought I'd be). Really, there are SO many people worse off than me (e.g., everyone in Haiti, abused people/animals, Somali refugees), but of course, as humans we tend to focus inward so much and on our own lives... So, I guess since I'm human, that's what happens sometimes!

* Also, I am still trying to figure out what changes need to be made to make me happy, as I can't remember the last time I was peaceful and serene... these include doing some cleansing of my body and mind. Ok, actually, my body is fairly cleansed - I just need to get back to my workouts, and continue to maintain balance in my diet! As for my mind, I guess it could use a little bit of a wash (ok, this word isn't in my list, but it fits with the theme!). Accordingly, I will get a better handle on my emotions, and try to "get along swimmingly" with as many people as possible. More importantly, when I can't get along with someone, I will stop wasting my time stressing over what went wrong. I used to try my hardest to not "make waves" and cause trouble for anyone else, but it was often at the expense of my own emotions or feelings. (Ok, actually, I am doing much better with this, but of course there's always room for improvement!). I may try "making waves" in a positive manner though! The last step to the emotional "laundering" is figuring out why I feel like a "fish out of water". Just about every time I vent/bitch/kvetch to Cath about these feelings, she reminds me that I'm not the only one who feels that way or has experienced whatever it is I'm experiencing. Of course she's right (she's a smartie-pants), and deep down I KNOW this, but I still have these sad and lonely feelings. Maybe it's because it has been a struggle meeting people (i.e., boy-type people)... maybe it's because I wish I was more extroverted in general... or a combination of the two, who knows... A few girls I know seem to meet new people easily (of course this is just my perception, so I could be wrong - see my earlier note about how humans focus on our own shit!). I'm jealous of this and I admit it. There have been a number of times with 4 or 5 girls hanging out (sometimes it happens with 2), and I feel isolated and the "extra wheel". It's not their fault - it's up to me to shake off these feelings and deal with it...

* Finally, I will follow my intuition - which unfortunately gets buried under those pesky emotions (when they get the better of me)!

Hopefully all this will create a "rebirth" of sorts...

Along with this water theme, here's a bit of writing from my college days:

Splash

We jumped in puddles

happy and carefree

TV our after-school parent

we watched our reflections on its face

distorted

changing to fit images

we're expected to be

Splash

We fell into those puddles

drowned

the carefree days washed away with the rain

washed away with bright yellow slickers and boots

lunchboxes with Snoopy

or Jem or Thundercats

rusting and wasting away

Splash

I still like yellow rain gear

Splash

I still love those old shows

Splash

I still play in puddles

Don't tell anyone

Well, it's "raining cats and dogs" and I should get back to the hockey game.

Now, a question... What's your favorite water-related story? dream?

Thanks for listening!

Welcome to my world...

Ok, decided to give this a try, as my roomie Yen has a fabulous blog, and I enjoy reading hers. Not sure who will feel the need to read mine, but I used to write a ton... and enjoyed how cathartic it was! Maybe this will help vent out some of my emotions, and decrease how I sometimes feel like exploding.

In any case, to those reading this... welcome to my crazy, mixed-up world!! =)