A Deserving Round of Applause

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I HATE WORDPRESS!!!!   I  DOUBLE  HATE WORDPRESS, AND YES, I’M SCREAMING RIGHT NOW.

See the title of this post?  It belongs to a well thought out and time consuming post that I worked on for several hours because I had to copy and paste and link a bunch. It was all finished and just sitting around drumming my fingers waiting for one straggler bloggess to complete their assignment.  She finally did and I came here to my WordPress piece of crap site to add that one last touch to this post and ……poof.  Gone.

Don’t tell me to look down below for all the past saves and revisions or I might have to smack you.  I did that already and there is nothing but a big blank spot staring back at me in a really rude and mocking fashion.  Nada.  Zilch.  All that’s left is the title and there’s something very wrong about using this particular title with this particular post now unless I say I applaud your incompetence, WordPress, and your post eating blog software.    Not.

It’s friday and I’m functioning on about 3 hours of nightmare filled sleep and a pot of coffee but a person’s gotta do what a person’s gotta do.  I’m starting over and if it makes no sense, just use your imagination and pretend it does.  *sigh*

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A Deserving Round of Applause *take 2*

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I did a MeMe back in January, where I answered some random personal question.  I thought of it more as an interview, rather than a MeMe, but maybe that’s one in the same.   It’s all about me, right?    So I asked for suckers volunteers who were willing to let me ask them anything I wanted and I got a few takers.

I think I asked some pretty tough questions and I got some well thought out answers.   I was darn sure impressed and thought this would be a good place to gather them all together and give you a few examples of the questions I gave and the answers I got.

More Than An Electrician was the first one to raise his hand and sacrifice himself up to my curiosity.  One of the questions I ask him was:

If you were the one being sworn in as President of the United States, what is the first thing you’d change?

“I would push very hard to change the lack of term limits for Congress.   I believe that career politicians are the one thing that is causing this country the greatest strife.    Politics have turned into such big business that it is sickening.  The whole process is doomed until we can rid this country of CAREER politicians.”

I thought that was a great answer and I agree that career politicians are bad for an ever changing world and changes should be made.

Next one to step up to the plate was Midlife Mama who bravely took the challenge.  One of the questions I asked her was:

If you had the choice to age forward (like we are now) or aging backwards (think Benjamin Buttons) which would you choose and why?

“I’ve always said youth was wasted on the young. Wouldn’t it be cool if we could live our lives backwards, and enjoy youthful energy and youthful bodies with ageful wisdom? Wow. That would be quite a concept. But I’d want that only if everyone else aged the same way. But can you imagine spending the last few years of your life as a teenager??? Yikes. lol”

This was an excellent answer, in my opinion.  “….youthful energy and youthful bodies with ageful wisdom…”  I thought about how I’d answer each question I gave out and I’d never have thought of something so insightful as this answer that MM gave.

Moving right along, the next interview went to Tessa of Nuts and Mutton.   One of the questions I asked her was:

What is the one thing in your life you’d go back and change and why?
“Not one damn’ thing. Because I am what I am, and my life is what it is, due to everything that has happened   so far.”

Even though Tessa called me a “toe-nail puller” and made me laugh so hard I  spit coffee all over my moniter, I LOVED this answer and it’s exactly how I feel.  Oh, and I’m feeling a little hurt by the toe-nail remark, but I’ll get over it.  *wink*

Next victim…uh er I mean person to answer the call was Ms. Lo thang of Slap Happy Musings.  One of the questions I asked and she answered was:

What is the one thing you most hope to achieve in your lifetime?

“i think i would like to THINK that what i would want to leave this world with when i’m gone is kindness. i want to help people. (vague, huh?) i feel this deep, inner yearning to do something to help others. it’s why i’ve always wanted to go into law enforcement. (plus i like to be badass. just sayin. although most of the time i’m super duper shy and introverted and not anywhere near badass.) ever since i was young i thought i KNEW i’d be a gun-tottin’ badass girl who didn’t take no gum from nobody. but.    situations and life and etc etc have changed me. i’m not the same to-hell-with-it person i USED to be when i was younger.   jeeeez louise girl! you sound OLD. ahem.   so, i am left with this weird, mushy feeling that i’m supposed to do something along those lines, but… no idea where to go. (didn’t i mention a big life change in May? yeah, welcome to part of it, friends.) so. what was i talkin bout again? jeez. i do this A LOT i think. what do i want to accomplish……    i want to be able to wake up at 54 and look around me and say, damn girl, you done did it. you done did it good.”

Now to understand her answer, you need your handy dandy Lo Speak translator for which I just so happen to have right here in my pocket.  She basically said……she wants to help people and carry a big gun and she thinks 54 is old.  *wink*  O.k. maybe not but you read it and you decide.  I think she’s a pretty good girl with a great big heart.

Nothing Fancy timidly raised her hand and accepted the challenge, as well.    Here’s one of the questions I asked and she answered:

If you were given the gift of being able to read other people’s thoughts, would you take it and why or why not?

“Absolutely not!  I’m a very sensitive person.  If I could read other people’s thoughts, I would spend most of my life crying.  Naturally, people would at times be thinking something unflattering about me.  And naturally, that would make me cry.  No thanks.”

I beg to differ with Ms. Fancy on her answer.  I think if she could read people’s thoughts her head would swell up so big she couldn’t fit through a doorway.  She certainly would float away, out of that hot tub with all the hot football players.

Isn’t this fun getting to know how these people think??  Next in line is Tricia from Shout.  One question I asked, that she answered was:

Is it more important to love or to be loved and why?

“It’s more important to love. I’ve always believed it’s more important to give than to receive. Our ability to love someone else, like our children, is what makes our hearts soar and keeps our souls grounded. I also believe that when we provide love, express love and revel in the power of love, it comes back to us undefined and magnified, and in the end we’re loved in spite of ourselves. There’ll come a day for all of us when we’re remembered, not by what we’ve received, but by what we’ve given.”

Now more than just this answer, made me tear up.  Don’t ask me why.  I don’t have PMS anymore so I think it was because it was so obvious that this answer came from deep inside her heart and it’s really who she is.  Now thanks to Tricia and her words…..I’m going to tear up a second time over this!!

Last and most certainly not least, of the volunteers is Ms. Thistle of Thistles and Maple Leaves.

Thistle actually tried very politely to get out of this interview, but I sent her the questions anyway.  I’m bad like that, sometimes.  She’s such a good sport that she played along and one of the questions I asked Thistle, that she so graciously answered was:

What 2 or 3 things stir your creative juices?

“sunny days- nothing gets me motivated and moving like good weather, i always feel like i’m capable of anything when the sun shines

colour-whenever i see colour, whether its fresh pencil crayons…a display stand full of threads or beads…or bolts of fabric…i just need to do something with them….

a need-i love problem solving and generating new ideas for things, whether it’s exciting stuff like new community programs, mundane things like communication issues at work or dog training strategies…OK maybe not dog training, really i just want the dergs to read the books while I’m away at work and then show me what they’ve learned when i get home…”

Thistle is quite creative.  She raises and shows her beloved “dergs”, makes jewelry, and takes lovely photos so something must be stirring her creative juices all the time.

Last but most certainly the late one not least is Jan, sole proprietor of  Jan’s Sushi Bar where she serves up a variety of everything imaginable including some great food with more than 4 ingredients that causes my eyes to cross adds 5 more pounds to my backside from just reading the recipes.  One of the questions I asked Jan was:

If you could choose one person in your life who is now deceased and ask them one question, what would that question be and why?

“My mother, and the question would be, “Are you proud of me yet?”  Mother and I were not on good terms when she died.  I also spent a lot of time when I was growing up trying to please her, and rarely felt that I lived up to her expectations of me.  I’d like to think that she would be proud of me and my life presently, but even now I wonder if the reasons she would approve of me are the reasons I’d want her to, if that makes any sense.

I can’t begin to answer for her mother but I can honestly say that anyone who couldn’t be proud of Jan for the obstacles and hardships she’s overcome to become the woman/mother/wife/friend she is today is just plain blind to the truth.   Jan……..you done good, girl…..and for what it’s worth…..I’m very proud of you. Uhm…I do have one though, about the title of your post.  Am I the “Vamp” or would that be you?

Well readers, lurkers and fellow bloggers………I’ve only given you a small sample of the questions and answers given to and by each of these wonderful blogosphere friends, but if you’ll click on their names (in bold blue) you can go read all 5 of their questions and answers.

I hope they had as much fun answering these questions as I did asking and reading their responses.  If you’re sad or regretful for missing the first round, just speak up and I’ll send you 5 very hard easy questions, but be prepared to put your thinking cap on and buckle it down tightly.   Also, if you’d like to ask me something.  Anything.  Go ahead.  Give it your best shot and I’ll do my best to answer.

HAPPY TRAILS, Y’ALL

Frozen Nightmares

Yes, I combined two subjects of this post to get the title.  Original, huh?   meh……

I don’t know what’s wrong with me lately, but every single night I’m having nightmares.  Not just unpleasant dreams, but full blown damn glad I finally woke up nightmares.  And not just one a night.  Several.   It’s to the point I don’t want to go to sleep because I know I’ll have nightmares.  I’ve got bags under my eyes.  I’m cranky.  I’m sleepy.  I’M TIRED!

I’m not eating weird food *most of the time* and I’m not drinking much, if any, alcohol.  I don’t take drugs unless you count an Advil occasionally so I don’t know what is happening to me.

For instance, here’s one of the dreams I had last night.   It was nighttime, I was outside on the back patio and several other people were there with me just sort of standing around talking.  All the sudden all these big bright balls started streaking all around us  and across the sky, then suddenly this man/ghost walked right through the middle of us and it felt so real to me.   I just stood there frozen, watching this ghost who resembled Abe Lincoln,  walk right by me and across the deck and down the other side and disappear into the night.  I was terrified and finally woke up and it was one of those times when you are so relieved to wake up and realize it was all a dream but your heart is racing and you lay there thinking how real it was and feeling completely out of sorts.    Any dream interpreters out there?

That obviously was the “nightmare” part and now for the frozen part.    It seems the whole middle and eastern United States is frozen right now.  The ice allowed me to stay in Texas for 3 days longer than I had planned, which was a good thing.  Today I had my housekeeper scheduled for one of the approximately 6 times a year I schedule her to come and I couldn’t leave the house before she got there because the key pad to get into the gate was iced solid so I had to wait so I could let her inside.

All the outdoor furniture had a half inch of ice.

The trees were covered in ice and seemed to twinkle and the ground was frozen solid.

HBL locked himself out of his office and made several laps around one of the warehouses *to keep warm* while waiting for someone with a key, to come let him inside.  *poor man*   My neighbor across the pasture thinks I’m an idiot.  She was out messing with her horses and saw me drive out of the gate,  then I realized the key pad was frozen and T couldn’t get in so I drove back in and called HBL about whether to leave it open or not.  Then I drove back out to take a picture  of the ice, then back in to wait at the house for the housekeeper, then HBL called and said “bring my spare keys and hurry because I’m standing outside in the cold” so I jumped in the SUV and drove out of the gate, just about the time he called me and said someone else had let him in, so I back up and drove back in, waited 30 minutes and drove out again to head to town.   Oh well, she should be use to my weirdness by now and that’s what she gets for watching…….if she was.

This is most certainly an incoherant and rambling post and I’m blaming it on lack of sleep, freezing cold, and the fact that I have to drive back to Oklahoma tomorrow and I’m always sad to leave HBL.  Forgive me and I hope to be better soon.

HAPPY TRAILS, Y’ALL

It’s a FREEBIE You Don’t Want To Miss

In honor of Valentine’s Day, Midlife Mama is giving away a fabulous free gift package that will make some lucky person very happy.   Stop by her place and leave a comment and you are entered!

Apparently you can leave more than one but if not, just don’t say I said so.  What could be easier than that?

HAPPY TRAILS, Y’ALL……