My friend Kat from Give Cheerfully has started a new blog in answer to a question that Chris Brogan asked on Twitter: “What will you do with your next 40 days? How will it help the world?”

Kat posted a challege on 28 November to: “Tell someone dear to you that you haven’t spoken to in a while you love them.”

I have a friend from high school that lives in town … kindda. She lives in Sandestin, which to me is another universe, since I live in Fort Walton Beach. We are separated by two bridges (at least) and several miles of beach-lined road … no matter which way we would choose to travel to one another. All in all, about 45 minutes of driving. It does not seem like much, but when we are both struggling to stay afloat and we both had recent tragedies in our lives to deal with, it appears that it was too much effort for either of us to close this gap. We *did* do pretty well at keeping in touch via email for a while, but even that has lessened.

So, in answer to Kat’s challenge of the day, I contacted L and let her know I love her. I told her that I would be contacting her again when I get back from my Mommy Vaca and that I am going to stay on her til we get together for lunch or coffee.

Thanks, Kat … I loved this challenge. Hopefully L did too.

xo

In my own heart, Thanksgiving has always been about expressing the things that I am grateful for having in my life.

As such, I will list a few of those things here … and encourage you to add your own via comments or a blog post (and link-back so I know to go read!).

I AM THANKFUL FOR:

My daughter, siblings parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins … and every other family member I have. We may not always get along, we may not always stay in touch … but we always know that when it comes down to what we love, we all have each other included in our lists.

My friends - especially C - both in-world and online. I have a habit of retaining friendships for years and years … I am not always good at staying in touch, but I think about people I love often, and I try to reach out once in a while to let them know I care. I have made incredible friendships online - two of my social-network friends (Twitterhubby and OBFF) I have DM’d, text-messaged, IM’d, emailed … but not once spoken to on the phone. The lack of voice communication has not lessened my friendship with them … and only serves to give me hope of such communication in the future.

My shipmates … and our comrades in the other branches of service. Without them willing to lay their lives on the line, we would not have the strength and ability as a country to succeed. We may be faltering in the now, but we will grow strong again … and I hope that it is with lessened violence and a continuance of the lack of war-violence on our home-front.

My job … in a time when so many have no employment, or un-settled employment, I have a job that (for the most part) I love. It may not be spectacular, it may not be saving the world … but it is employment, and it is helping to keep me from falling too far behind. As the economy strengthens, I believe my paycheck will see the results.

My home … because while crowded and noisy and filled with people I love but do not always like, it is a home - a roof over my head, a house where I have my own space to relax and unwind, a gathering place for people I love and enjoy.

I am thankful for text messaging, social networks, computers, the Internet, healthy cat food for Mr. Rascal Lee Kitten, comfortable clothes, beautiful clothes, warm bedding, brownies, mashed potatoes and gravy, sweet tea, the ability to walk/talk/see/feel/hear/sing(badly)/read/write/count/add/reason/express myself/type/love/laugh/learn/live. I am thankful for the knowledge that has been passed onto me, and the knowledge that I pass on to others. I am thankful for the sun and moon rising daily (nightly), the weather (both good and bad), the beautiful state I live in, and the beautiful country I call home. I am thankful for the white sand and emerald waters of my local beaches, the highway that is a straight shot to my friends on the other coast, and the two highways that connect to lead me home. I am thankful for telephone service - both landline and cellular.

I am thankful for @MarkDavidson and Shift+OneMedia, for hosting my blog and always being there to walk me through things whenever I try something new (or lose control by EXCEEDING MY BANDWIDTH!!). Mark also hosts the blog TwitterStars. You should browse it sometime!

I am thankful for the love and joy and happiness of people far and wide, and I am thankful for the opportunities that many of us have, and many others provide. I am thankful for doctors, nurses, police, firefighters, counselors, and the many others who dedicate their lives to helping and healing the people in their communities (and often, the people beyond their communities). I am thankful for the many ways people are choosing to ‘go green,’ and lessen their footprint on the environment. I am thankful for the insight and wisdom of my elders, and the innocence and purity of the children around me.

I am thankful for the artists who entertain me through books, films, television shows, music, and visual pieces.

I am thankful that Baby S has been blessed TWICE with what appear to be successful fights in removing the cancer from her body (she is still undergoing post-chemo surgery, so we will know more next year).

There are many more things I am thankful for, but I think I have given you more than enough to chew on for now … I hope you add to, reiterate, and expand on the list I have started here.

OH! One more … it may be last, but it definitely not the least:

I am thankful for everyone who takes the time to read my random thoughts and ramblings on this blog …. I know I often rant and rave, ramble on endlessly, and sometimes do not make sense … but I appreciate the time you spend reading and replying. Apparently there are more of you than I thought, because I exceeded my bandwidth today. Please, comment when you read, even if it is just to say hi! I’d love to know who is here reading along!!

I hope everyone celebrating Thanksgiving has a wonderful experience sharing with people they love, whether it be friends, family, strangers … or all three.

With much love …

I have a (social network) friend, Kat, who came up with an excellent idea to advantageously utilize social networking for the greater good.

I am sorry to admit that I, myself, have not yet donated to this cause … but I have pimped it out a couple of times on my various social networks. I want to take a moment to do so again, now.

Recently, Kat had to cancel a charity dinner she had been organizing, due to lack of participation. It made me sad to think I myself had not taken part in promoting the event other than one message sent out to all of my social networks. I know that had more of my friends (and their friends, and their friends … ) been aware of the event, the goal would have not only been met … but most likely exceeded.

Givecheerfully is the social media website that appeals to your social conscience. Our goal is to revolutionize the way people give using the awesome opportunities provided by the internet. This website will link people and businesses with charities, causes, churches and nonprofits all over the world. Givecheerfully will run strictly on the pledges and donations of those who feel called to give, so that 100% of every dollar will go directly to your chosen nonprofit. Charities and nonprofits will have the chance to be heard on a global platform. The average person can connect with the cause that touches them most. Nonprofit volunteers can post blogs, images, even video to advance awareness. Givecheerfully is the website that will connect all these people because we believe together we can change the world.

To find out more about Givecheerfully’s plans for this website, please check out our blog, specifically the First Seed post; or email us at info@givecheerfully.com.

I am entered in a Holiday Blog Contest that several of my friends from Plurk are hosting!

Starting today (for the next 3 days), you can leave a comment on their daily blog posts, and your name will be entered into a drawing for their Holiday Give-Away!

Yes, they are giving two - count ‘em, ONE … TWO!!! - readers a gift to help cushion the cost of the Holiday Season for you and your family!

You one entry/blog per day by commenting today (Sunday) through Wednesday.

They will select a winner from all the entries on “Black Friday,” by randomly selecting a name.

If YOUR NAME is chose, you will need to provide some pertinent information about yourself and your family so they can tailor their gifts accordingly.

Here are the links, so go forth and enter!

Not A Mean Girl

Alana’s Passion

The PQ Nation

Middle Aged Suburban Diva

Popping Bubbles

Sucomments

Random Ramblings of a Stay at home Mom

I Read Banned Books

Daily Douz

Puntiglio

Three Ring “Surf”ace

Andrea Daigle

Southern Connections

You’re still here? GO, GO, GO!!!

So, a few of you have been pestering begging asking me nonstop repeatedly nicely to get back to you with the results of the Personality by Dessert? blog I posted five days ago (see, not even a whole week, peeps!!).

Without further ado, here are the results!

1. ANGEL FOOD CAKE (Kikolani was the lone ranger here!!)

Sweet, loving, cuddly. You love all warm and fuzzy items. A little nutty at times. Sometimes you need an ice cream cone at the end of the day. Others perceive you as being childlike and immature at times.

2. BROWNIES (super moist and chocolatey - no cake brownies around here!!!) (Miss Attitude, Shooting Asterisk, Beav, r_wolfcastle, badseedjenn, ShuTian, and fgirl)

You are adventurous, love new ideas, and are a champion of underdogs and a slayer of dragons. When tempers flare up you whip out your saber. You are always the oddball with a unique sense of humor and direction. You tend to be very loyal.

3. LEMON MERINGUE (Nethead, NotAMeanGirl, footpad)

Smooth, sexy, & articulate with your hands, you are an excellent caregiver and a good teacher. But don’t try to walk and chew gum at the same time. A bit of a diva at times, you set your own style because you do your own thing. You shine when it comes to helping others and have many friends.

4. WHITE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING (Nobody on my list chose this one.)

Fun-loving, sassy,humorous, lacking motivation. Everyone enjoys being around you, but you are a practical joker. Others should be cautious in making you mad. However, you are a friend for life.

5. STRAWBERRY SHORTCAKE (perpstu, Jordayn)

Romantic, warm, loving. You care about other people, can be counted on in a pinch and expect the same in return. Intuitively keen. You can be very emotional at times but a true person in every way. You like to do things for yourself and help others learn about themselves.

6. CHOCOLATE CAKE WITH CHOCOLATE ICING (topsurf, me)

Sexy; always ready to give and receive. Very creative, adventurous, ambitious,and passionate. You can appear to have a cold exterior but are warm on the inside. Not afraid to take chances. Will not settle for anything average in life. Love to laugh.

7. ICE CREAM (WesAlvaro, Bryan J, g)

You like sports, whether it be baseball, football, basketball, or soccer. If you could, you would like to participate, but you enjoy watching sports. You don’t like to give up the remote control. You tend to be self-centered and high maintenance.

8. CARROT CAKE (with cream cheese icing for Tara) (Tara R, MissRiss)

You are a very fun loving person, who likes to laugh. You are fun to be with. People like to hang out with you. You are a very warm hearted person and a little quirky at times. You have many loyal friends. You were meant to lead and teach others. A wonderful role model.

Now, because I own this blog page and I can, I have added 3 more categories:

9. CRÈME BRULÉE (Kat, perpstu)

You are complicated, with many layers, the most prominent of which is the sweet and delicious outer shell that protects the moist center waiting to be discovered inside. The masses flock to you, and you enjoy the company and attention, but your heart remains with your tight circle of loved ones. You spread sunshine in the world around you, and find the little things especially enchanting.

10. LEMON CAKE WITH LEMON ICING (r_wolfcastle)

You appear to be a curmudgeon who likes making life difficult, though people cannot help but be drawn to your ornery snarkiness. Those you love look easily past the outer shell of grumpy you have erected because they know you’re a great big teddy bear with a sweet (though off-color) center.

11. CHEESECAKE (footpad, ShuTian)

Slightly removed from society, you tend to observe more than you other dessert-loving friends. Your inner need to take care of others sometimes leads you to st aside your own needs and wants to the point of giving up a part of yourself. Once you get a handle on how to hold onto your own soul and help the people you care about, you lead an extremely happy and comfortable life.

Please note:

1-8 have been pretty much the same for years, making their way to all corners of the internet via email/blogs/webpages. 9-11, however, are the results of my own boring avid imagination, tyvm!

xoxo

The Rules are simple:

Step #1 - Link to the person who tagged you:

My sweet friend Justene tagged me this time … she is always incredibly full of love and support for the people around her, and can see the beauty in almost any situation. I have enjoyed getting to know her, and think you should too! Go check her out.

Step #2 - Write Five Fun/Interesting Facts about yourself:

5 INTERESTING AND FUN FACTS ABOUT Angeles:

1.  I do not like fancy desserts. If you add nuts, coconut, or froth … I will not eat it. Plain super-moist brownies and cakes, plump and juicy pies, and soft cookies for me, please!!

2.  I love sappy movies, sappy love songs. If they make me cry, BONUS!! 

3.  I can go through a full spectrum of emotions faster than most people can switch from happy to not. I think I have proven this to my houseguest this week. Poor guy. He doesn’t seem to be skeered off yet …. but I would not be surprised to get to the airport in December and find my plane tickets had been CANCELED! *L*

4.  I like being taken care of … but I hate being taken care of. How’s that for contradictory? I guess I only like it at certain times, but not even *I* know when those times are! Oh, this contradictory nature? Happens with EVERYTHING. One day, if I am in a good mood, my opinion on something could be this. The next day, when I am in a so-so mood, my opinion on the very same matter could be that. Yet another day, when I am in a pissy mood, my opinion could be waythefcukoverthere.

5.  Despite all of the above, I am very easy to make happy. Just do what I ask, when I ask, without asking too many questions or making me repeat myself. Oh, and do things without having to make me ask you to do them. Except when I do not want you to, then do not do it unless I ask. Otherwise, Mystress Bytch Devyl comes out and all hell breaks loose. Yes, it really *is* that simple!!

Now, aren’t you glad you wasted the last 45 seconds reading this? I know you are. C’mon … comment and tell me how much you enjoyed it!!

*Giggles quietly*

Step #3 - Tag Six Other People and link to their blogs. Then let them know you’ve tagged them by Twittering/Plurking them or leaving a comment on their blog:

I dug deep to find these friends … in other words, I went to profiles that I have not viewed in a long time, and discovered a few blogs I did not know where there. The people are interesting, and I would bet their blogs are too!

The first link is to their blog, and the second to the place where I know them from. Check them out!

1. Chris - Darker_Artic from Twitter. He left Twitter once upon a time, but then decided he couldn’t live without us … which is good, because a few of us tried hard to track him down and bring him home
2. Jack Lhasa - jacklhasa from Twitter, Plurk and just about everywhere else He and a friend went on a mission to try and travel around the US while working and raising money along the way. They actually made it across country, but then were slammed back down by the economy and other issues. They are going to try again, as far as I know, and I am looking forward to that happening.
3. Sarai - chunkyrican from Twitter. She is a real sweetheart, and I love talking to her. We do not catch up enough, but whenever we do it is always fun and heartwarming!
4. Paul Steadman - Steaders from Twitter. I chose him for two reasons: 1) I need to remember to hit his blog once in a while and 2) he was nice enough to reply to me today. *grins* Aren’t you glad now, darlin? I’m sure you’ll LOVE doing this *giggles*
5. Devil Blue Dress - of the same name on Twitter. There are times that she and I talk and our conversation is sexy and outrageous. Other times it is serious, or lighthearted. I always enjoy her though. Check her out!
6. Jnez - thirtydaes on Twitter. He is a prime example of how social networks allow you to meet people you would not meet in-world. Not only do we live in different states, but even if we lived in the same state, we would be in completely different circles. And yet, I always look forward to the little snippets of conversation we have. His blog opens his whole life to the world. In the words of one of my best friends, “It ain’t always purty, but it sho is real.”

Okay, so there it is … some of my favorite Tweeps! I do not think they typically participate in MeMes like this … but hopefully they will play along with me this time.

xoxo

I cannot think of anything nearly as cool as what Perpstu blogged about herself. Therefore, you will get whatever five random facts float through my brain. You may want to stop reading nao.

Step #1 - Link to the person who tagged you. Perpstu from Popping Bubbles

Step #2 - Write Five Fun/Interesting Facts about yourself. This gives fellow bloggers (and your readership) a chance to actually get to know you better.

1. My moods change like the wind. If you don’t like this one, wait five minutes. If you can go with the flow, you’ll get a kick out of all of them!
2. I am late for everything. I can start out early and STILL be late. I can rush when I’m starting out early and STILL be late. I can be with someone who is ALWAYS on time, and I will STILL BE LATE. Dammit.
3. I am perfectly capable of absolutely despising someone, and loving them all the same. The second part comes into play if they did something for me at some point in my life that made an impact. My stepfather is the prime example. I was abused in nearly every way possible (sexual is the only one I was spared), and he still gives me no good reason to like him. Love him, I do. He raised me, provided me a home, taught me things I know, and loved me to the best of his ability.
4. I believe in Vampires, Ghosts, Faeries, Unicorns, and Leprechauns. I know you do not, and that is okay. I do not have proof in the physical sense, but they have been with me ever since I can remember, so I cannot honestly say they are not real.
5. Tim McGraw’s music always puts me or keeps me in whatever mood I want to be in … no matter what the mood. Bon Jovi’s voice (when he sings ballads) makes my lips quiver. And not the ones on my face.

You’ve been tagged, Guys and Gyrls!! Do me proud

xoxo

There are plenty of things on my mind at any given time.  Sometimes it helps to verbalize them (okay, those of you that know me realize that I nearly ALWAYS verbalize them). Sometimes, though, it really helps me focus on the important things in life when I start to list the thoughts that are floating through. Lucky you, getting to be my audience today!

1. Most of my thoughts are with my friend who had a death in the family. Not anything in particular, even. I think about him, then I think about the stories he’s told of this family member, then I think about how everyone in the family got together recently, then I think about his immediate family, and then I’m back to thinking about him. Vicious cycle, since 1) I don’t know him well enough to truly do anything for him and 2) He’s super independent and wouldn’t likely say if he wanted or needed anything (which is highly unlikely anyway) and 3) I live several hundreds of miles and several states away. See … vicious cycle.
2. Some of my friends (especially two very important Gyrlies) have been sick this week. I worry about them taking care of themselves, because they tend to spend a lot of time taking care of others. I know at least one is probably pretty well being taken care of by her sweet hubby. The other has a hubby that tends to be …. needy. And she’s too sweet to speak up and tell him to behave.
3. This leads me to think about another very important Gyrlie who has been having health problems for a long time, and who is trying to get treated for them, but who has not had a lot of luck with finding the true source. I worry that has to put up with so much from her health, and then since she is home, her family all relies on her to run their errands, help with miscellaneous household tasks, etc etc etc. I do not think she will ever get well if her stress levels are not brought down!
4. Once again this leads me to another friend who has not been on Plurk lately … I know many of my friends have also been thinking of her. I worry about her, even though I know her absence is not due to her health issues, I still wonder if she is feeling okay, if she is having any flareups, or if anything else is going wrong. Once in a while I text her, and sometimes I get a reply … but it is not the same as having her every day, cheering us all on thorughout our difficulties, and letting us cheer her on, too.
5. Pretty high on my list for the last two days has been the fact that my social-nephew was chosen for the All-Stars in his city football (7-9 yr olds, I believe) league. I watched him struggle through last year … so to have him become an All-Star this year is PHENOMENAL. I am so very proud of him, and I hope he enjoys the All-Star games!
6. The same nephew has his playoffs for the league championship tonight. And, what is especially great, is that the championships are being played on the football field of my old H.S.  He knows his Mom, Aunt, Uncles, and I all went to that school, so he looks forward to attending one day, and is THRILLED he gets to play on that particular field! Plus, we’re going to have HelenBack pizza afterwards - talk about heaven in a pie!
7. Baby S … who is ALWAYS on my mind - went in for the second part (of three) of her first (of four) post-surgery chemotherapy treatments. Each part of each round weakens her little body more and more. So while she looks absolutely fantastic right now … in a few weeks she’ll look weak and sickly again. It breaks my heart, and I cannot wait til she is healthy and whole again!
8. Family “strife” that recently popped up … I’ll try to put a short synopsis of the story here: My brother (St, 16yrs old) died in 2000. Prior to his death, all of my family (Grandparents Mema & Pepa, Mom/Stepdad, us 3 kids; Uncle S & Aunt B, their 2 kids; Uncle A & Aunt S; Uncle R & Aunt A, 1 kid) were all pretty close. After his death, my sister and I tried to keep up communications between our cousins and ourself. It didn’t work so well - we did not receive replies from our cousins. Our Aunt B has always been a bit of a busy body, and she seemed to put a lot of distance between her immediate family & ours. Then she decided to stop visiting my grandparents too. Now, even when she goes down to South FL to visit her sister, who lives 45 minutes from my parents, she doesn’t bother to call. So, this past weekend, her daughter Steph got married. Steph decided to hold a dedication to my brother as a surprise part of her wedding. My Aunt told me about it, because I couldn’t come to the wedding, and wanted me to keep it a secret. I could not do so in good conscience, because my parents were planning to go to the wedding, and I could not let them be blindsided. I told my sister, who was angry (irrationally so, in some respects), who then told my parents. My parents then decided not to go to the wedding (which upset me - they had already sent their promises to attend). So … now the rift between the two families is even greater …. I emailed my Uncle S, Aunt B, and both my cousins this week to send my congratulations and to tell them I look forward to seeing video and photos of the wedding. My Uncle wrote back … and said that only ONE our family members showed up for the wedding with his wife & child. I am so ashamed of my family … I could not attend due to financial strain … but most of the rest of the family *could* but *did not* attend by choice. This makes me very sad … for my grandparents, my Mom (who I feel is being controlled by my over-bearing, egotistical, racist, domineering, bigot of a stepfather), my Uncles, my Sister, and myself.  I feel like this is irrepairable in some respects, and I do not know how to fix it. Okay, too long of a description, but I’ll leave it here anyway.
9. My coworker was recently arrested for something that was on his record 6 years ago. He was pulled over for a traffic ticket, and suddenly they told him there were warrants out for his arrest from 2002. Now, he has had a ticket or two since then, but none of this came to light before. He was pretty freaked out, and is extremely worried about his wife, who has health problems, and daughter. On the positive side of things, he is very responsible in caring for his family and all the bills are already paid for the month, so they have a little bit of time to recover from this. In the meantime, he’s in jail and there is not anything we can really do to help him right now. That is hard on all of us, because my employer is a small family-run company, and we do treat each other like family. He is like my pesky younger brother who makes it his mission in life to irritate me daily (and succeeds rather well, the lil brat!).
10. My grandparents. I miss them, terribly. I no longer have the financial freedom to visit, and my parents have moved farther south so they do not visit properly anymore either. I hate that my grandparents are all the way in NM, with no family nearby. My friend losing his family member has made it even scarier that I have not been to visit my grandparents in a full year now. My grandfather has had several heart attacks and sundry health problems. My grandmother has had numerous health problems since she was a young woman (brought to light by the 5 stillborn babies/miscarriages she had in her 20’s and 30’s).
11. I have a friend who has had issues with her weight, as well as various other health problems, for as long as I have known her. Granted, we met on message boards, and we have not yet met in person, but I love her dearly. She suffers (I think) from depression of a pretty great magnitude. She has wonderful plans, brilliant ideas, and is always great at STARTING to put them in motion … but she does not quite follow through. Something always comes up that sets her back. On top of her physical and mental health difficulties, she ALSO keeps setting herself up for emotional pain by constantly searching out a mate. She wants a man in her life to make her feel good, happy, strong. The problem is, these men never pan out. She gets emotionally attached rather easily and will spiral down in depression when it does not work out for the relationship. THEN she reverts back to eating, gaining weight … and starting over. I personally think she needs to find happiness within herself before she tries finding anyone to be happy with, but she doesn’t think that will work.
12. My stepfather is sick. He is having stomach problems that cause him to be out of commission for days at a time. This is not like him - he’s a stubborn coot … and when he is sick, he usually plows through it. I am worried. I may not like him, I may be angry at him for the way I grew up … but I still love him, cherish him, and respect him for the good things in him.
13. One thought for myself: I am worried about having a job next week. The economy is bad … if I lose my job, I will be homeless. I am already behind in rent, despite the loan I received from a friend a couple of months ago. I had to fix my car, and then I had to take Tween to the emergency room, and now my rent is unpaid. Another month like this, and I may not have rent to pay. I am seriously freaking out.

And now back to our regularly scheduled program.

xoxo

(This is one of my personal photos, on tripadvisor.com. Go here to see the others.)

Is it possible to get into a habit of something after only doing it twice? If so, this is a **hard** habit to break. In more ways than one!

For the last two years, during the 2nd weekend of November, I have gone (with friends) to Jamaica for four or five days.  We went to an all-inclusive resort, adults-only. Clothing-optional (clothing discouraged, in fact ). Hedo II, for those in the know.

The first time I went, I was very hesitant. I thought I would be miserable and uncomfortable there. I thought I would have a hard time letting loose. I thought I would be too worried about “life” to really have a good time.

Boy, was I wrong!

I didn’t even bother putting on a bathing suit when I went to my room to “change.” I just put on a bathing suit wrap, wore it as a dress-type shift. I slipped into my flip flops, grabbed a towel, and headed for the beach with my friend (her husband had already disappeared to explore the resort). Once we crossed the (invisible) line from the “prude” to the “nude” beach, we dropped our wraps. No questions, no hesitations … it just … happened.

We stopped at the beach first, dropped our stuff on the sand, and went out into the water. It was beautiful, warm, delicious on the skin. We’d been hot for the last couple of hours, traveling through customs in the airport, then to the resort from the airport on the shuttle “bus.”

After a little while at the beach on one of the provided floats, we grabbed our stuff and headed towards the nude pool. It has a swim-up bar, and a couple of tables and benches in the water. We met up with our other friends, grabbed some drinks, and sank into the blissful awareness that we did not have to worry about a THING! Anytime anyone went towards the bar, we could call out our drinks and they would magically appear. It is amazing how much you can remember when you don’t have to worry about anything else!

Not too long after we got into the pool, we realized we were hungry … but were told if we just held out for half an hour, the jerk chicken would be arriving (4:00 on the dot every afternoon!). When we heard the call, two of us took orders and went to grab our portions. Yes, it really is better in Jamaica. In the pool. Naked. Yes, really.

The whole vacation runs pretty much like this … you move from pool to hot tub to beach to pool to someone’s room to pool to beach to hot tub to pool … oh, with stops in the dining room during meal times! The dance club is awesome at night, the water slide runs during the day, there are activities you can (and will, believe it or not) participate in each evening. There are three restaurants on-site: Jamaican, Italian, and Hibachi. The Hibachi and Italian restaurants have a Jamaican flair, and are incredibly delicious.

The drinks flow freely, but since they are there all the time, most of us don’t feel the need to drink much. There are no other stresses - there is no need to *force* yourself to relax with alcohol! The only “appointments” you have to make are for dinner reservations in the restaurants (if you choose to eat in one) or massages/waxes/manicures in the spa (spa activities are not free, sadly. But they are no more than if you pay for them at home).

One of the things that makes you feel great from the moment you step into the resort is when the staff looks at you and says, “Welcome home!” in their beautiful Jamaican lilt. I miss Jamaica this year … I wonder if it misses me?

So, tonight when I finally fall asleep, I will be dreaming of where I *should* be this weekend: in the pool in Jamaica, cuddled up to my friends, floating around and drinking a Purple Rain.

xoxo

“The Johari Window was invented by Joseph Luft and Harrington Ingham in the 1950s as a model for mapping personality awareness. By describing yourself from a fixed list of adjectives, then asking your friends and colleagues to describe you from the same list, a grid of overlap and difference can be built up.”

~ The Interactive Johari Window, http://kevan.org/johari (2006)

So, since a lot of my Plurk friends were doing this on the board, I thought it would be fun to put mine in a blog. I have done both the “Johari” and “Nohari” links (positive, and negative). Have at me!

Positive

Negative

xoxox

1. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
Are there people that don’t? That’s insane! I look for them!! We’ve even tried to follow a few to the pot of gold

2. If you could have a dream come true, what would it be?
The one where the whole world began helping one another, saving one another, supporting one another, and finding ways to save what Mother Nature has given us.

3. Do you believe in eternity love?
Absolutely

4. What feeling do you love most?
The one I get when someone I love (Daughter, mother, father, sister, brother, friend…) hugs me.

5. What feeling do you hate the most?
Two are equally painful: Knowing my dream will not likely come true in my lifetime, and leaving someone I love … whether for a moment or an undetermined amount of time.

6. Do you cherish every single friendship of yours?
Friendships, yes. Acquaintances, no. And I likely will not tell the person the difference unless there is a good reason.

7. Do you believe in God?
Yes.

8. Who cares for you most?
My daughter.

9. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
My daughter, my family, my friends.

10. What emotion do you like to show?
Love, happiness, excitement.

11. If you have something troubling you, what do you do?
Vent and get it out of my system.

12. Who do you admire most?
People who give more of themselves than they receive from others.

13. Who did you last chat with in a chat room?
NotAMeanGirl

14. What kind of person do you think the one you stole this meme from is?
An amazing woman with a beautiful mind and spirit.

15. What color did you use to dye your hair?
Red. Still do.

16. Why are you doing this meme?
Because they are fun!

17. What do you do when you’re moody?
Vent. Snuggle up with a book. Sleep.

18. At which age do you wish to or did you, get married?
I got married at age 20.

19. If today is the last day of your life, what will you do?
Write a letter to everyone who is not currently within arm’s reach, have a luncheon with everyone that is here, then snuggle up with my daughter to relax, talk, and tell her how much I love her.

20. Who is the person you trust the most?
My best friend.

21. Last time you smiled?
A few moments ago when Tween hugged me.

22. What are you listening to right now?
Tween doing the dishes, roommate fixing the broken door, the cat outside chattering to another cat, and the “beep” of my IMs from NotAMeanGirl and Anne Eliot

23. Who was the last person you saw in your dream?
Baby S.

24. Are you talking to someone while doing this?
Yes - two of my roommates, my daughter, my social-nephew, and the previously mentioned gyrlies.

25. Do you walk with your eyes open or closed?
Open! Are there people that walk with their eyes habitually closed?

26. Is there a quote you live by?
Not any one quote, no. The basis is the blurb that is on my email signature, Twitter, and Plurk:
Choose happiness.
“A truly happy person is happy without anything, and equally happy with everything”
~Chris Walker

27. Do you want someone you cannot have?
No.

28. Who always makes you laugh?
My daughter.

29. What was the worst idea you’ve had this week?
Coming home so late last night!

30. Do you speak another language other than English?
No.

I’m looking forward to all of your responses as well!! Happy Monday.
Oh, and if you are an American in the US, and have not yet done so - GET OUT AND VOTE!

xoxo

Anyone who has been around me for any length of time knows

1) I hate politics

2) I avoid discussing politics with people because I fear the ugliness that comes out during said discussions

3) I have been more “vocal” about politics this year than in any of my past 33 years (I blame my Plurk & Twitter friends!)

So, now I will say what (I hope) will be my last political nod this year.

Get your ass out there, and vote. If you do NOT vote in this election, keep your effin mouth SHUT when the shit hits the fan over the next few months. Because, either way it flies (And I’m hoping the Obama-way), there WILL be backlash.

But if you do not get out there and make your voice official, you have NO DAMN ROOM to bitch and complain if things don’t go your way. If you DO vote and they don’t go your way, I’ll even give you a shoulder to cry on.

That is all.

Over the last few days, some of us have become increasingly concerned about one of our friends, @greytfriend … a very sweet lady who always brings a ray of sunshine into OUR lives.

I myself had been more absent than present over the last couple of weeks, so I figured I was just missing out on her updates, and that I would catch up when we were both online one day soon. I am so glad that another of our friends, @MadGoatLady put out an all-call on @greytfriend, because I had no idea it had been over a week since her last update! I promised @MadGoatLady to call @greytfriend, then post an update in her timeline.

Now, for some people it is not unusual to disappear. We all get busy and disappear for a time being. We all have things that we have to do that take us away from our online lives longer than we realize. However, for this particular friend, it is very unusual. Not only was she not posting online, but then I realized she was not answering my text messages either!

Since @greytfriend has been very concerned about Baby S since Baby S was first diagnosed with cancer, and she has always made a point of texting whenever I send out updates, I was suddenly not only mildly concerned, but worried … bordering on fear.

I took it upon myself to put out another all-call on my own timeline, update in @MadGoatLady’s all-call to see if anyone had received an update, but ALSO post in @greytfriend’s last update, which had been 11 days ago!!

Then, I followed through on my promise to call (albeit a day later than intended, since Baby S took a mild turn for the worse and I was busy worrying over B & C and Baby S and the kids). I called her cell, I called her home phone. Then, I started doing a little digging to try and find her father’s phone number. Another of @greytfriend’s contacts happened to know which street her Dad lives on, so I was able to take the list I compiled of people with the same last name in the same city determine which of the numbers I had dug up was the correct one.

I called her father, who promptly assured me that she is fine, and not to worry … and that he would pass on my concerns to @greytfriend. All is well … for now. I still do not know why she has been out of contact so long, or why she’s not answering my texts at the very least. Her father had a telephone call he had to take immediately, and was anxious to end our call quickly (though he was rushed, he made a point of saying
“She’s fine, I’ll see her later. What’s your name? Ok, I’ll tell her you called!”) I hope to call her father back later to see if he’ll share any other information that I can pass on to you all.

So, the point of this whole diatribe?

I would like to implore anyone and everyone who considers ME a friend to please send me a private message on whichever social network we use … send a contact method (email, cell phone, home telephone) for yourself … and one for an emergency point of contact. That way, if you are gone, and it is long enough for people to stand up and take notice, I can quietly contact you or your EPOC and find out if you are okay. I will not publish any personal or private information to our social networking sites, but will share with them as much as you’re willing to let me share. That way, everyone knows if you are okay, and if you need love and support.

I promise if you share this information with me, I will lock it away in an “Emergency Contact List” file, and I will not add it to my phone for when I send regular text messages and updates. I will also not abuse it by sharing it in any way with anyone else. I will ONLY use it if you disappear and there is no explanation.

For those of you reading this who do NOT consider me a friend … I beg of you, please give someone who frequents the places you frequent a way to update your contacts if something goes wrong! We may only know each other online, and not everyone wants people nosing around in their personal lives … I understand! However, most of us build a pretty strong friendship with at least a few people online. And while you think it may not matter, or nothing will ever happen … it MIGHT. If it does, we want to know you’re okay … or that you need love and prayer. Or whatever!

For the record, several people who frequent both Plurk and Twitter have MY personal information, but I will make a point of giving a couple of you my BFF’s phone number too, so that you can contact her should I drop off the face of the earth and NOT respond to either a DM from Twitter or a regular text message.

xoxo

Poverty is something that most Americans know nothing about. Poverty is something we *think* we have lived through … but have not, really. Poverty is having nothing, as in … no shoes on your feet … no clear water to drink … no roof over your head … no soap to wash with … no brush to run through your hair … no food … no hope.

Poverty is bigger, more horrendous, than many people would like to believe. It is so horrible that people ignore it, pretend it is not there, and go on with their lives. The poverty-stricken usually do not have a voice of their own: they rely on us to speak for them. Why? Because it is easier to ignore them than to reach out and help them.

Do not ignore the poverty in the world. I am not asking you to go out and save the world. I believe in starting locally and working your way out … because the healthier, the wealthier, you are at home … the better care you can provide to those outside of your home.

So start small. Find a local shelter, a local subsidy group, a local homeless person … and contribute something that you have available. Do you hit Starbucks every day on your way to work? Give up your latte for a week and donate that money. Do you eat out every other day? Make a sandwich, and donate the money you would have spent. Find some way to give to those less fortunate. It will not *hurt* you … but it will help someone else.