Warning: Tough Feelings Discussed Below

Sometimes I wonder if you can truly ever let something go... For example, something bad happens to you. You lose something or someone. If what you've lost is important to you, then it takes some time to get over. Some people do, some people don't and some people fake it really well. For most, you probably hurt, then you start pretending things are ok (usually because of some stupid social norm about how you should be responding), and then you realize you aren't putting any effort into pretending anymore, because things really are ok.

So why do things come back to haunt you? I really wish I could understand why something that happened so long ago, something that you believe you have let go of can just come back and kick you in the gut. In my case, it usually kicks me in the gut, gives me a Stone Cold Stunner, and then proceeds to kick me while I am down.

Yesterday, I decided to talk about the loss I experienced with someone I am becoming friends with. In truth, when we were done talking, I really felt ok about it. I wasn't anxious or weepy. Well, my unconscious self, apparently, did not feel ok with it. I had nightmares about the person I lost and it was awful.

Today hasn't gotten much better. Not directly related to the situation discussed last night, but it's like the fates are pissed at me or something. Maybe I am being tested - how much can she handle?

All this angst will fade and I will be fine again. But today? Things aren't so good...

So... Twilight.

Have you read it? It's by Stephenie Meyer and is a wonderful story. I have heard that people are comparing this series to Harry Potter, and I can see why. Now, I am not saying it is bettter... It's just equally as good in a different way. The movie comes out on 11/21. I am pretty sure I will be buying tix ahead of time and getting their early.

I don't want to give anything away - but there are vampires and that makes it cool enough to at least check it out.

OK - back to reading. Bought the rest of the books today. On page 130 of Book 2 already. So far, not as good as the first, but I may change my mind.

Hope you're all well. I will write again when I have something interesting to write about.

Love and hugs...

Tears for Tek

So, as most of you know - I love Tek, but I am not one of those girls that goes Ga-Ga over him. However - he is the face of the Sox, IMO, and this just broke my heart and made me incredibly sad.


http://www.necn.com/Boston/Sports/Varitek-emotional-over-Red-Sox-future/1224481764.html

We love you Tek, even though your bat's been sleepy - you help make the pitching staff the best they can be... Look what happened when Schill shook you off - bad things!!! Good catchers are hard to find. Let's hope you can find a way to stay here... We love you. In Tek we trust!!!

Astrology and The Candidates

Everyone loves a race, whether it's a hot-dog eating contest, a triathlon, or an election for the highest office in the United States. Two main candidates are in consideration for the presidency, and a vote will be held on November 4, 2008.
The Democrats
The Democratic possibility, Illinois Senator Barack Obama, was born on August 4, 1961, in Honolulu, Hawaii, at 7:24 p.m. Barack is very thoughtful and quiet in his demeanor, thanks to his Aquarius Rising Sign, but don't be fooled: he is a true Leo. Barack's showmanship comes out when he steps on the podium and begins to speak. In typical Leo style, he commands the stage, and all eyes and ears are focused on him and his message.

Barack Obama's Mars, the planet of energy and drive, is in Virgo, giving him a strong work ethic. Should Barack be elected, he will certainly put his nose to the grindstone and devote long hours to the job. This is not a president who will take long vacations or come into work late and leave early.

Barack's Mercury is in Leo, opposite his Jupiter in farsighted and utopian Aquarius. That aspect indicates he is very idealistic but his ideas are impractical at times. Still, his ability to visualize the world the way he believes it should be is extraordinary.His Mercury is also opposite Saturn, and that gives him the ability to consider all the ramifications of any issue he confronts. But he may be so convinced that his approach to solving a problem is the only way possible that he doesn't listen to anyone but himself in the final analysis.

Barack's choice for vice president is Joseph Biden, the Democratic senator from Delaware. Joe has been in politics for many years and was born on November 20, 1942, in Scranton, Pennsylvania.Joe Biden is an intense, shrewd, and savvy Scorpio, and he brings a lot of formidable determination to the team. In a synastry analysis, Joe Biden's Sun falls in Barack Obama's all-important tenth House of career and leadership. He and Barack share the same ideals and vision for the country, and Joe genuinely believes in Barack's goals and ambitions.The Democratic team's astrological signatures show them to be truly visionary with a great ability to inspire others and a strong sense of purpose.

The Republicans

John McCain is the candidate for the Republican party and the oldest candidate to ever run for office. He was born on August 29, 1936, at 9:00 a.m. in the Coco Solo Air Base in Panama Canal.John comes from a military family, and he has a distinguished record of service to his country. He withstood many years of hardship, including the time he spent as a prisoner of war in Viet Nam.

John McCain is an earthy and mutable Virgo, and his plain speaking and commitment to honesty and integrity are part of his Zodiac Sign. He takes himself, his country, and his work seriously, and he will bring that dedication to the presidency if elected.

John's Libra Rising Sign gives him a very likeable, friendly, and amiable personality. He may be much more indecisive than is apparent; the Zodiac symbol of Libra is the Scales, and he could find it difficult to make up his mind and stick to his decisions.
The cusp of John's tenth house, or midheaven, is in Cancer, and Cancer is motivated and success-oriented. John has enormous tenacity, perseverance, and patience regarding his political desires.

John's Moon, his emotional center, is in striving and industrious Capricorn. With a Capricorn Moon, John is much tougher and colder than he appears to be on the surface. He can be quite ruthless when he wants to achieve his goals. However, he is also devoted to family and tradition. Those qualities are enhanced due to the placement of his Moon in his zone of home and family. He certainly has a strong desire to protect his family and his county, but he may be overzealous in that regard at times.

John McCain's choice for vice president surprised many all over the nation. Not only did he pick a woman, but he also picked a relative unknown: Sarah Palin, the governor of Alaska. She hasn't really been on the national scene before.

Sarah Palin was born February 11, 1964, in Sandpoint, Idaho, under the sign of the Water-Bearer. She is an eccentric and highly unique Aquarius.Aquarians are independent, and they want to go their own way and dance to the beat of their own drum. Still, Aquarius is a fixed sign, and Aquarians are known to be quite dogmatic in their personal beliefs. Sarah Palin is an evangelical Christian and proud of it, and she makes absolutely clear that this hockey mom sticks closely to her religious beliefs.

Sarah's Sun is trine John McCain's Libra Rising Sign, which indicates that they have a strong mental and emotional rapport, even though they reportedly met only once before he chose her.This analysis indicates that this team is conscientious and dedicated and will bring a strong sense of devotion to any task.

What the Stars Say
Looking at the Election Day astrological aspects, four stand out: the Moon enters Aquarius; Mars in Scorpio squares deceptive and illusionary Neptune; karmic Saturn is opposite unpredictable Uranus; and Mercury enters Scorpio. That's quite an astrological handful! It seems certain that there will be reports of voting irregularities and lots of behind-the-scenes activity. The ultimate outcome may prove to be quite surprising, especially once the lucky pair actually takes office.

Make sure to vote on November 4!


***My thoughts***

All of my firends know that I love astrology and actually believe it does have some truth to it... With that said, I cannot believe that Sarah Palin and I are both Aquarians. Actually, I can. While we stand on opposite ends of the spectrum, we both are pretty tough, and stick to our beliefs. I wonder if people think I am as crazy as many think she is... Anyone? Thoughts?

Post Turtle

While suturing a cut on the hand of a 75 year old rancher, who's hand was caught in the gate while working cattle, the doctor struck up a conversation with the old man. Eventually the topic got around to Palin and her bid. The old rancher said, "Well, ya know, Palin is a Post Turtle'". Not being familiar with the term, the doctor asked him what a 'post turtle' was. The old rancher said, "When you're driving down a country road you come across a fence post with a turtle balanced on top, that's a post turtle." The old rancher saw the puzzled look on the doctor's face so he continued to explain. "You know she didn't get up there by herself, she doesn't belong up there, and she doesn't know what to do while she's up there, and you just wonder what kind of dummy put her up there to begin with."

White Privilege and The Election

http://www.zcommunications.org/zspace/viewCommentary/3618/1

This is Your Nation on White Privilege
September, 14 2008
By Wise, Tim
Tim Wise's ZSpace Page

For those who still can't grasp the concept of white privilege, or who are constantly looking for some easy-to-understand examples of it, perhaps this list will help.

White privilege is when you can get pregnant at seventeen like Bristol Palin and everyone is quick to insist that your life and that of your family is a personal matter, and that no one has a right to judge you or your parents, because "every family has challenges," even as black and Latino families with similar "challenges" are regularly typified as irresponsible, pathological and arbiters of social decay.

White privilege is when you can call yourself a "fuckin' redneck," like Bristol Palin's boyfriend does, and talk about how if anyone messes with you, you'll "kick their fuckin' ass," and talk about how you like to "shoot shit" for fun, and still be viewed as a responsible, all-American boy (and a great son-in-law to be) rather than a thug.

White privilege is when you can attend four different colleges in six years like Sarah Palin did (one of which you basically failed out of, then returned to after making up some coursework at a community college), and no one questions your intelligence or commitment to achievement, whereas a person of color who did this would be viewed as unfit for college, and probably someone who only got in in the first place because of affirmative action.

White privilege is when you can claim that being mayor of a town smaller than most medium-sized colleges, and then Governor of a state with about the same number of people as the lower fifth of the island of Manhattan, makes you ready to potentially be president, and people don't all piss on themselves with laughter, while being a black U.S. Senator, two-term state Senator, and constitutional law scholar, means you're "untested."

White privilege is being able to say that you support the words "under God" in the pledge of allegiance because "if it was good enough for the founding fathers, it's good enough for me," and not be immediately disqualified from holding office--since, after all, the pledge was written in the late 1800s and the "under God" part wasn't added until the 1950s--while believing that reading accused criminals and terrorists their rights (because, ya know, the Constitution, which you used to teach at a prestigious law school requires it), is a dangerous and silly idea only supported by mushy liberals.

White privilege is being able to be a gun enthusiast and not make people immediately scared of you. White privilege is being able to have a husband who was a member of an extremist political party that wants your state to secede from the Union, and whose motto was "Alaska first," and no one questions your patriotism or that of your family, while if you're black and your spouse merely fails to come to a 9/11 memorial so she can be home with her kids on the first day of school, people immediately think she's being disrespectful.

White privilege is being able to make fun of community organizers and the work they do--like, among other things, fight for the right of women to vote, or for civil rights, or the 8-hour workday, or an end to child labor--and people think you're being pithy and tough, but if you merely question the experience of a small town mayor and 18-month governor with no foreign policy expertise beyond a class she took in college--you're somehow being mean, or even sexist.

White privilege is being able to convince white women who don't even agree with you on any substantive issue to vote for you and your running mate anyway, because all of a sudden your presence on the ticket has inspired confidence in these same white women, and made them give your party a "second look."

White privilege is being able to fire people who didn't support your political campaigns and not be accused of abusing your power or being a typical politician who engages in favoritism, while being black and merely knowing some folks from the old-line political machines in Chicago means you must be corrupt.

White privilege is being able to attend churches over the years whose pastors say that people who voted for John Kerry or merely criticize George W. Bush are going to hell, and that the U.S. is an explicitly Christian nation and the job of Christians is to bring Christian theological principles into government, and who bring in speakers who say the conflict in the Middle East is God's punishment on Jews for rejecting Jesus, and everyone can still think you're just a good church-going Christian, but if you're black and friends with a black pastor who has noted (as have Colin Powell and the U.S. Department of Defense) that terrorist attacks are often the result of U.S. foreign policy and who talks about the history of racism and its effect on black people, you're an extremist who probably hates America.

White privilege is not knowing what the Bush Doctrine is when asked by a reporter, and then people get angry at the reporter for asking you such a "trick question," while being black and merely refusing to give one-word answers to the queries of Bill O'Reilly means you're dodging the question, or trying to seem overly intellectual and nuanced.

White privilege is being able to claim your experience as a POW has anything at all to do with your fitness for president, while being black and experiencing racism is, as Sarah Palin has referred to it a "light" burden.

And finally, white privilege is the only thing that could possibly allow someone to become president when he has voted with George W. Bush 90 percent of the time, even as unemployment is skyrocketing, people are losing their homes, inflation is rising, and the U.S. is increasingly isolated from world opinion, just because white voters aren't sure about that whole "change" thing. Ya know, it's just too vague and ill-defined, unlike, say, four more years of the same, which is very concrete and certain.

White privilege is, in short, the problem.

Tim Wise is the author of White Like Me (Soft Skull, 2005, revised 2008), and of Speaking Treason Fluently, publishing this month, also by Soft Skull. For review copies or interview requests, please reply to publicity@softskull.com

Choice

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-WL_MvRu6SE

If you know me, then you know my stance on this... But what you may or may not know is what the effect the election will have on the issue of choice. Here are some verifiable facts:

1. McCain and Palin are the strongest anti-choice candidates this country has seen since the decision of Roe Vs. Wade.

2. Currently, with issues regarding choice - supreme court justices usually are split 5-4 in favor of upholding the ruling allowing choice, with little restriction... Justices Ginsberg, Souter, Breyer and Stevens - generally support a broader interpretation of Roe vs. Wade while Roberts, Scalia, Thomas and Alito tend to vote with a more restrictive nature. Kennedy is labelled as the 'swing vote'...

3. Justice John Paul Stevens (seemingly more 'pro-choice') is 88 years old. In the coldest of terms - death or retirement can't be that far off for him. Certainly not more than 4 years (one or the other). With this logic, the next president will most likely nominate his replacement. (And possibly others???)

4. McCain would most likely attempt to nominate a justice who shares similar beliefs as his. He is anti-choice. A justice with an anti-choice persepctive would swing the vote in favor of more restrictive interpretations.

So many think that abortion isn't necessary - they feel there are always other choices. Here are their suggestions and the reality, as I have seen it...

1. Use birth control.
Did you know that other than condoms - birth control has to be prescribed or administered by an MD?
Did you know that an average of 18% of women in this country DON'T have health insurance? And when they are classified as 'low-income' that jumps to 36%? Think about how expensive health care and prescriptions are without insurance.
Did you know that any woman with high blood pressure, migraines, a history of a stroke or other blood clots in the body can be denied most hormonally based birth control? What do you tell them? "Get an IUD!!"
Did you know that many conservative family MDs won't give a woman who has NOT had a child an IUD? (Aside from the diaphragm and cervical cap - which are less than 95% effective - the IUD is the ONLY other alternative to condoms, hormonal birth control or sterilization).

2. Abstain.
Forever? Even when you are in a committed marriage/relationship, but aren't yet ready to start a family? What if you don't EVER want children? Are you expected to never have sex?

3. Adoption.
There are many arguements for and against it. I have five VERY close friends that I know are adopted. I am sure that they are all grateful for the lives they have, but none of them have had it easy. Try being the only brown haired, brown eyed child in a family of fair-skinned, blue eyed people. You understand "different" very early on, and that understanding isn't always a good thing.

A woman who can carry a child and make an adoption plan is a strong person, no doubt. However, if she isn't white, her baby is less likely to be adopted. If she has problems with addiction or other crimes, that child she bears is even less likely to have a caring family.


Conceivably, yes, those are choices or plans that can be made. Clearly, none of which are easy or simple. But what about when you don't get to choose or make plans, what would you do?

Estimates state that 1 out of every 4 or 5 women has been a victim of a 'completed rape' (not an attempt or some other kind of sexual assault). If you got pregnant as a result of rape, what would you do?

And if you are a man - you are NOT off the hook. Maternal mortality in 2004 was an estimated 13 for every 100, 000 pregnancies. Small, but not insignificant. If things don't go as planned, and you had to choose your wife/girlfriend/sister/mother or the unborn fetus she carries - what would you do?

What about a fetus that is either going to be born with a birth defect OR an ailment that is deemed, 'incompatible with life'? Again, something that wouldn't be part of one's plan. What would you do?

Many people don't care about this right, because they think it doesn't 'apply' to them. And I will tell you, I have heard the stories and reasons of many women and men faced with this decision - they ALL thought it couldn't happen to them. Clearly, it did and clearly it can.

Earlier this year - I had the honor of being published in a booklet distributed by Massachusetts NARAL called "I Am Pro-Choice Massachusetts: A collection of 35 personal stories in honor of the 35th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade." Please feel free to read my story and the others that accompany it...

My story is on Page 5:
http://www.prochoicemass.org/getinvolved/booklettext.shtml

Matt Damon on Palin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anxkrm9uEJk


I agree 100%.

Addendum: So apparently, a good portion of our country (or really, a good portion of the yammies who sit around and watch YouTube shit all day) think that Matt Damon doesn't have a right to speak voice his opinion. Some of the things I read in a very small % of the more than 7000 comments people have posted... "what qualifies him to say anything?" or "fucking Hollywood liberals, not everyone is a millionaire and gets to act for a living?"

OK - what the hell is wrong with being an actor? ANY performing art is hard to get into, hard to stay in and though they may not work 40 hours a week - 50 weeks a year, they work their asses off 12 - 18 hours a day for months straight (no weekends, few days off and unless you are a superstar, say bye-bye to family time, until you can afford to have them travel with you to your locations). In Matt's case - he literally DID work his ass AND 40 lbs off in less than 1 month. (For his role in Courage Under Fire.) Is this somehow an EASIER or less worthy career, because as far as I can see - not too many people give themselves an adrenal problem to lose 40 lbs in 1 month for THEIR job.

And what qualifies him?? He is human, he has a (well educated) brain and he cares about what happens in November and beyond. Oh, and about his education - he graduated from Cambridge Rindge and Latin AND attended Harvard. As I said to a friend, one semester at Harvard can be like 4 somewhere else... SO, i am pretty sure he is smarter and more educated than the majority of the middle of the country.

Finally, just to point out - the Republican party nominated AND elected to office not one, but TWO actors!!! And, Chuck Norris is ALL OVER Tv voicing his opinion - I bet the right wing-nuts have no problem with that... Mother-effing hypocrites!

I responded to a few quotes and one person wrote back and told me I was a "brainwashed Obama teenie-bopper". Umm, what? I couldn't find the quote again to respond... But man oh man, I had a LOT to say about that little comment.

The next 7+ weeks are certainly going to be interesting. I just hope that people really research the candidates and make decisions based on the issues that matter to them and not the candidate's gender or the color of a their skin.

I guess we will see soon enough...

#456

(Click on pic above to open in a different window and make it bigger)...

So - how's that for a trip down memory lane??

Here are some that stand out for me...
170 (Sox @ Cincy 06/08)
286 (Victory Parade ’07)
317 (I was at that game!!!)
353/354 (Having a Press Pass for this in Jan 2006, was pretty damn cool)
336-339 (At Fenway for these, too!!),
351 (See an old post of mine about Pink Hats...)
411 (At Fenway AGAIN!!)
424 (Diane, you’ll never not carry again!!!!/Also funny from the BitH days, right Bin?)

These are obvious:
104, 228, 250, 288, 378, 423, 428

And as for #273 – it should be 1,485, not 1,487. No Bronson for Wily Mo. No Wily Mo for??? Hmm. Who did we get for him? LOL.

#10 - made me think of my Pepe. He was a diehard Sox, Celts, Bruins AND Pats fan. He missed out on seeing the Sox and Pats win big while he was alive - but I am POSITIVE he is keeping track in the afterlife.

Hugs and love to you all :)

Missing BITH

Sometimes I just miss Ball In The House...

Songs written by JonJ have always been my favorites:

"Is this heart of mine
Just wasting time
On something it can't change?"

-So Long, So Far


But it's Stephen's voice that made me see them a second time...

"I wanna take a picture
One of you and me
So when this time has passed
I'll remember you and how it used to be
Only a moment to catch that feeling
I'll put that memory away 'cuz it won't come back."

-Picture

And it really couldn't get any better than when you put both together...

I think its time I told you just what Ive been thinking
I feel I'm being held back
You see its hard because my thoughts are so one-sided
It's only answers that I lack
You take all that you want and leave the broken pieces
But my heart has no seams
You must know, I mean, as least as much as I do
What the black hole really means

The more that I say, oh, the less that I know
The more that I feel, I don't know where to go
The more that I do, you just turn away
Now, I have nothing more to say

You made you mind up, but you made it sure I dont know
Oh, which way I should turn
I wish youd get out of that mess that's up in my head
I wish that I could just learn...

The more that I say, oh, the less that I know
The more that I feel, I don't know where to go
The more that I do, you just turn away
Now, I have nothing more to say

-The More That I Say

Some Quotes

Here are some quotes from movies, songs and whatever - that I like...

"The things that come to those who wait, may be the things left behind by those who got there first." - Unknown

Lelaina: I was really gonna be something by the age of 23.
Troy: Honey, the only thing you have to be by the age of 23 is yourself.
Lelaina: I don’t know who that is anymore.
Troy: I do. And we all love her. I love her. She breaks my heart again and again but I love her.
- Reality Bites

"If you want to know the truth, you make or break my day."
- The Truth, David Cook

Mike: I told Worm you can't lose what you don't put in the middle. But you can't win much either.
- Rounders

Mark: Imagine... A fucking political hag being in charge of free speech in America. I bet Watts was the guy who took names at high school when the teacher was absent.

-Pump Up The volume

Penny Lane: "Groupies" sleep with rock stars because they want to be near someone famous. We are here because of the music. We are Band Aids.

- Almost Famous

OK - that's it for now... Hope this stirs some fun memories/thoughts for you :)

Say by John Mayer

I love this song... Obviously, I deleted the repeats of "Say What You Need To Say" - but I think we all still get the idea... My fave part in bold, italics. :)

Take all of your wasted honor
Every little past frustration
Take all of your so-called problems
Better put them in quotations
Say what you need to say

Walking like a one man army
Fighting with the shadows in your head
Living out the same old moment
Knowing you'd be better off instead
If you could only
Say what you need to say

Have no fear for giving in
Have no fear for giving over
You better know that in the end
It's better to say too much
Than never to say what you need to say again

Even if your hands are shaking
And your faith is broken
Even as the eyes are closing
Do it with a heart wide open
Say what you need to say...

Bradford to Bibles

OK - as most of you know, I am not a religious person. It isn't that I don't have faith, or believe in a higher being/power - I just don't understand some aspects of religion. I struggle with the minutiae that occupies some religious affiliations. I also struggle with anything that seems to completely envelope a person's life. For some, it appears to be an obsession that often doesn't allow for free thinking, free expression and focuses too much on conversion and placation.

Bradford College was a wonderful institution that praised individuality, spirit, creativity, knowledge and a service to community. Naturally, as a product of that system - those are things that I value and respect. Bradford's motto was "Surgo ut Prosim" - "I rise (so) that I may serve." At Bradford we were taught that service is not only for the faithful, or those like us - but that we could help, educate, entertain or find a common ground with any person, no matter their faith, orientation or life choice.

Based on my research and what I saw this past weekend at Bradford, this is not the intent of the Zion Bible College. While the president appeared to be a gentle, caring man - I couldn't help but feel very sad when he said that Denworth Hall - which housed our beautiful theater and dance studio - was going to be gutted. It did not seem to phase him in the slightest (other than the 3M it will cost) that they would be steamrolling such a beautiful place. He indicated that they will be turning it into a prayer center. Wow... I do not understand why they cannot just add on to/renovate the existing chapel. They could rent the theatre building or bring in a dance company in residence. They could make some money on it... funding for their missions.

Then I started to do some research - theater, dance and other means of expression are not always 'ok' in the evangelical faiths. Check out this site: http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/Books,%20Tracts%20&%20Preaching/Printed%20Sermons/Billy%20Sunday/theater_cards_dance-billy_sunday.htm

It made me nauseous. Period.

With that said - I don't think that this school is exactly as extreme in belief as what is written in the link above, but I have yet to find anything that convinces me otherwise. Here's an excerpt from the ZBC student handbook:

"There is a dress code for class attendance, chapel attendance, and leisure time.[7] Class attire includes a collared shirt and slacks for males and conservative business casual attire for females. Female students may not wear pants that have back pockets with exterior stitching or flaps. On personal time, modest pants and shirts can be worn, but shorts and skirts must extend to below the knee. Students are also asked to refrain from wearing sweat pants, spandex pants, tank tops, muscle shirts, body rings, tattoos, form-fitting clothing, and sleeveless shirts. Males may not wear earrings and females may not wear multiple or dangling earrings. Hair is expected to be groomed and neat in appearance. Men’s haircuts must be trimmed and not longer than the top of a conventional shirt collar. The dress code is monitored daily by the faculty and staff for compliance. Any student who is found to be non-compliant is required to change their clothing before being allowed to attend class, chapel, or school functions and may be fined by the Resident Director or Resident Assistants."

This is what I mean by minutiae. I realize looking presentable is important, so the business casual look makes sense to me... But then it starts getting weird, no sweatpants (what do they sleep in then? what if they are forced out the building because of a fire alarm?); specifics about hairstyles and grooming (would my curly hair not be accepted? or need to be 'tamed'?); earrings vs. no earrings vs. multiple earrings vs. dangling earrings...

The way I see it - the higher being that one chooses to believe in probably doesn't give a crap about how many earrings you have and whether or not they dangle. I would like to believe that as long as I have faith and am a good person - that other stuff doesn't matter in the eyes of God, Allah or whoever the person 'worships'. As a side note, I would also like to believe that God wouldn't give us the ability to paint, or dance or make music - things that we all can find so beautiful - unless He or She also believed in it's beauty.

So - my beloved Bradford, now belongs to a religious community that I hope will grow to love the buildings and the beauty of the entire campus, they way I did (do?). From the crazy squirrels, to the cranky ghosts; the crunch of the leaves in fall or the snow in winter - it can truly be a wondrous place. I hope that THIS will become our common ground.

Always in my heart - the REAL Bradford, where Daring to be Different was praised and embraced.

AI Pics

AI pics are on my MySpace page as of today. Again, only people on my friends list can see them (email me if you want to see them and aren't on MySpace). Friends - feel free to tag the photos, or copy them to your own folders, but please do not edit them. That would just be rude.

THANKS and Enjoy!!!

Tek

OK - so someone once told me that they had it on pretty good authority that Jason Varitek is a 'switch hitter'. And not in the baseball sense of the term. People always said, 'no, no, no - he's married, yadda, yadda, blah, blah'.

Tek and his wife filed for divorce about 2 weeks ago. Hmm.

My Idols Story

So... Those of you who know me, know how addicted to this show I am. Well, from Hollywood week on... I refuse to watch the first rounds of auditions, merely on principle. I think it is awful that the producers feel the need to show the ridiculous auditions. I don't think it is funny, it actually just makes me really anxious to watch them... Anyway - I digress.

On Saturday, I made the trek to Wistah to the DCU Center to see the AI tour. (Laugh all you want, I went last year too!) Overall the concert was what I expected - the people that were good on the show were good in concert; the people that sucked - still suck. Here's what stood out:

Michael Johns and David Cook are the only TRUE rock stars on this tour. BOTH of them rocked the house. Michael Johns performed We Will Rock You/We Are the Champions, It's All Wrong, But It's All Right and Dream On. David Cook did Hello, Time of My Life, My Hero, Billy Jean and Don't Wanna Miss A Thing. Carly Smithson held her own with Bring Me to Life, Crazy On You and Drove All Night - and would round out my top three performers of the night... Also, the only ones I took pictures with...

Yeah. That's right. Went to the after show meet and greet. But Jen, what's the difference? That would be no barriers, no lines and only about 40 other people to compete with when trying to meet and greet the Idols. I know that they also did M&G's before the shows - but this one seemed much more personal, you could actually walk around - talk to whomever you wanted, take pics with them, etc.

(Before I go on - I have to thank Kara, had it not been for her - I wouldn't have gotten this opportunity!! LOVE YOU K.G.!!)

Continuing... Kara and I scoped and worked the room pretty much together. First stop - Michael Johns. Funny guy. Seemed to really enjoy doing pics and talking to people and as I have said - as long as he is talking, he is fine by me. Got a pic of me and MJ and one of Kara and MJ. Mission #1. Complete.

Mission #2. David Cook. (FYI - the only reason he wasn't Mission #1 is because MJ had less people around him when we got into the room). So, David Cook... I took Kara's pic with him first, then we swapped. Before she took the pic, Kara says to him, "I just have to let you know, she is your BIGGEST fan." (Somewhat embarassing but totally worth it because...) DC then says, "Well in THAT case," and sticks his Sharpie Marker in his left nostril, and puts his arm around me. The picture is PRICELESS. Then we took a normal one. DC and I talked a few more times as we were working the room, and though he declined my request to photograph his tattoo (really, I was just being an artsy fartsy photographer) - he was super nice and super honest about it. Whatever - it was still SO great to talk to him...

Mission #3. Pic of me and Carly for Frank. Kara went to talk to the AI drummer (who is apparently the SHIZ-NIT in the drumming world) and I waited to do the pic with Carly. Again, she was super nice and I was totally mesmerized by her eyes. Some random guy and I traded off cameras - I took his pic, he took mine and done. After he took the pic, he looked at the back to see how it came out - but OHHHH, Jen's bitching camera is not a digital (only because the digital version would be about $1200) - so when I said that, Carly said - ahh, it's better anyway (in her super cool Irish accent). So - she was VERY sweet and not really as tall as I thought she was...

In fact, NONE of them really were - Archuleta looked like a midget, Brooke was only a few inches taller than me, and Ramiele was shorter than Kara (trust me, there is a pic to prove it!).

Other happenings... No one was talking to Jason Castro when we walked in the room - and we still went and waited for MJ. Not that I didn't like him, I just had missions to tackle first. By the time we were done - he was gone... as was Chikeze (kind of bummed about that one) and Kristy Lee Cook - whatever. She's cute and will do well in the country world - but I was not that interested. So - I didn't get any pics of KL Cook, Chikeze, Castro, Syesha or Brooke - though Kara did tell her that her fly was down... Kind of funny. Took some at a distance candids of MJ, DC and Archuleta... Another funny - David Archuleta was sigining stuff and Kara and I were like, 'where's his Dad?' And as if those were magic words - Daddy appeared out of nowhere. Yeah - I totally got a pic of him too.

That was pretty much it... It was a ton of fun! My only regret, not thinking to tell David Cook how much I love his Analog Heart CD, especially The Truth. Oh well. Oh and for the record - I didn't turn red. At all. So there.

Catch you all soon...
(Pics to be added to http://www.myspace.com/dancergirl278 in the next few days... If you aren't my friend on there - you won't be able to see the pics... Sorry!!!)

Things That Matter

So - here's my latest rant...

I was at Shopper's World, waiting to pull into a spot marked, "Compact Cars Only" - when a Mercedes SUV cut me off and took the spot. I was there first. They are not a compact car. Does anyone else see why I was annoyed? I just don't get it. So - I told the driver that I was pretty sure that she wasn't driving a compact car. Some OTHER person chimed in and said, "didn't you know that SUV drivers have their own rules?" THEN. The driver says, "Jealous?" Umm, what? So my response was, "Did you see my car??? And besides, I wouldn't EVER be jealous of an inconsiderate bitch who drives a gas guzzler." Then I walked into Old Navy to engage in some retail therapy...

Brithdays. I love them. I do my best to remember everyone's bday. Mostly, I try to send an email, a card or a small gift. Others get one BIG gift. Some may even get a myriad of gifts that I couldn't resist getting because they screamed that person's name. Clearly, I love giving presents and IMO, bdays are the best reason.

What I don't love is people who don't say "Thank You". That's it. Two words. It doesn't need to be anything else. Tell me thank you. AND MEAN IT. Don't just say the words to say them. Whenever someone goes out of their way for me - birthday, Christmas, any day - I ALWAYS say thank you. (For the record, I don't do things to be thanked - I just think it is how one should respond to niceties and generosities).

Forgetfullness... I am not sure what to say about this. It bugs me. So in short, if someone matters to you - you shouldn't forget them... or important things about them. Plans that are made, birthdays, things that matter to them... And if you have a bad memory - buy a planner, or a diary or something that will help you remember these things. Something that matters to me, follow through.

Follow through kind of ties into the last thing - if you say you'll call... then CALL. If you promise to love them forever - then do it. If you swear that you are BFF - then BE BFF. So many people don't realize that THEY have the ability to control THEIR actions - in fact, it is truly the ONLY thing we all have REAL control over. Use it.

OK - I think I am done for today... Hope that you are all well. Hugs and love...

One More Year

So it's been another year (sorry for the delay, Jeff). As one would expect - a lot has happened... Here are some updates:

Frank and I celebrated our '1st' anniversary this year. Ok - really it's 4, but if you know us, you understand the 'joke'. We took our first, and my last, cruise. Just so you know, you CAN get seasick on a big boat.

Travelling, travelling... Been to Cali (6 times), Vegas, Florida, Cincinnati and Chicago (by default).
Erin and Harvey HAD a little girl, born in January, named Madelyn Kelly Maki. She is adorable and gets even more so every time I see her.

Bri and Pat are having a little girl - I'm going to be a Godmother!!! Tamar and Eric are having a..... stay tuned!!!

My sister has announced that she is getting married. Apparently, it will be next June in WAY upstate NY. I'm not kidding, the closest airport is in Ottawa. Yeah, the one in Canada.

Matt and Olivia & Sara and Jim got married!! They are all SOOO in love and I am expecting the calls about a pending deliveries - anytime now...

Sandy and Heather are both in love, too... Jason is great (Heather's beau) and I have yet to meet Dave, but the more I hear - the more fabulous he sounds.

Kara returned from her 'hiatus' in California. I am so happy she is back. Love will find you soon, my friend - just be patient. Remember the best things come when you least expect it.

Other people moved too - Ali and Brian, Shane and Lisa. Melissa and Jeff - probably wished they could have moved with what they went through this past year. You two have nerves of steel.

There are new friends in my life that I can't imagine not knowing:

Andy - Thanks to you, I know how to kick ass at Beer Pong and who 'The Dude' is...
Lisa and Dan - I never expected work to bring good friends, too...
To all three of you - As time rolls on, I am looking forward to more movies, baseball games, dinners and most especially - random chats about everything and nothing...

Speaking of new(ish) friends... Kim's "little" brother A.J. started at Genzyme earlier this year and now sits about 50 feet from me. It's awesome how siblings of your friends can grow up and become YOUR friends too.

The Bruins went to the playoffs... Damn Canadiens!! The Pats had a perfect season and lost in the Superbowl... Damn Giants!! The Celtics are NBA Champions for the first time in about 20 years!! Haha - sucks to be you, Kobe. And my beloved Red Sox won the WS - AGAIN!! (Sorry you have missed all these sports moments, Pepe!!)

On a sadder note - my grandmother and grandfather were reunited in March, after 15+ years of being on different plains of life. I am sure that they are playing cards and bickering in French again. I miss you both, SO MUCH.

I think that is it for now - if something major happened to you - and I neglected to include it, feel free to post a comment and tell everyone. I mean no offense or disrespect - these are just the things that came to my head as I was typing.

Hoping to blog more frequently...
Until then -
J