Tuesday, January 20, 2009

immature giggle..

Sorry, I saw this ad and started cracking up. It reminds me of the time we received promotional condom can koozies and hats from Trojan when I was working in the Kent Stater office. Unsupressable childish giggles. :-)

Monday, January 12, 2009

Reflections on my youth, part 1.

Current mood: nostalgic
Category: Life

A conversation on Friday has sparked a whole steaming heap of fresh blog post ideas, so you're all in big trouble now.

For this one, I've busted out good old "dear diary" and some of it's friends as reference. For a visual on Dear Diary, picture a sad little lockable mint green diary with a unicorn on the cover, so full of ticket stubs and little white strips of paper fortune cookie fortunes that the binding is streched to the hilt and the lock will never again function. It looks more like a fanned out paper doorstop than a journal, and it's only four inches high. Every entry was started in the usual fasion "Dear Diary..." It was the first (and probably the tackiest) of many notebooks that have littered my life and been filled with my thoughts, hopes, dreams and desires since I was about 10 years old. If you truly wanted to see the progression of a person from child to woman, the box of these little treasures would be the perfect place to start your study.

I sadly haven't always posessed the same eloquent way with words. My first cursive missives are barely legibile and it pains me to read some of the subject matter that was important to me back then.

Let's take a look at who I was as a reflection after reading some of this fine literary fodder.

I was never a girlie girl. I was tom boy who liked to play rough, get dirty and never wore pink willingly. Because of this, I was a bit of a late bloomer when it came to seeing boys as anything more interesting than sparring partners in imaginary battles with space aliens and ninjas. My best friend since kindergarten is a boy. I believe we met because he made me eat sand during inside recess one day. We grew up with only 6 houses in between us. We used to ride our bikes everywhere. I had this awful pink bike with a flowered basket strapped to the front and he always had some cool boy BMX bike thing. In the summers, he'd deliver newspapers and I'd always tag along as company. When we stopped at the local bar, the New Milford Cafe they'd give us PayDay candy bars as a tip and after we were done delivering, we'd go a quarter mile down the road to a little mom and pop gas station called Girton's and load my basket up with Orange Crush in glass bottles, nacho cheese Doritos and stacks of Garbage Pail Kids. I'm sure when they autopsy my body when I die, that most of my innards will be dyed an unnatural shade of orange thanks to this.

He taught me how to play chess and a variety of card games, cheat at Trivial Pursuit, and we used to have marathon phone "conversations" that were mostly him, giving me the play by play on a video game he was beating as I listened and laughed.

I still remember one moment around 4th grade. I was one of the first people in my class to get boobs. Most girl's would be ecstatic. To say i was pissed was an understatement. During one extra rambunctious wrestling match in the middle of my livingroom, he accidentally pinned of of the girls under his elbow and I squealed like a stuck pig. When he asked what was wrong and I told him, he told me to send them back and proceeded to try and kick them back into my chest. (Funny, I think I am the first girl to ever have a guy tell her to send her boobs back LoL) This was the first time I think we truly acknowledged we were different in that way and there was no hiding it.

Even though we don't talk as much nowadays as we did back then, he's one of the people who know me best and probably always will. Eventually kids are cruel to a twosome like ours. They assume you can't just be friends and spend that much time together and not have any hanky panky going on. Because of this, we had a huge blowout and didn't speak for almosty all of our 3-year long middle school career. No offense to him, but kissing him would've been like kissing a toad... Not because he's not a good looking guy, just because he's him, he's like the brother I never had. Yuck! As I once told his mom in the grocery store "I will always love him, just not 'that' way." LoL God, I was melodromatic even as a kid!

Since much of the first installment of the Herbie Diary collection includes info on stupid fights we had and goofy things we did, I thought it best to start with a story about the two of us. This is only one of many....Let's hope he doesn't kill me for it. He's not on blogs, but his sister is. Maybe I can talk her into not telling him. Afterall, she was willing to trade him for a goldfish sometimes just as much as I was. Guess it's good we never found a buyer and there was no eBay back then. ;-)

More to come soon. I'm on a roll...

trying this out...

Current mood: cold
Category: Life

Haven't tried to use the iPhone to post a blog yet, but thought I'd give it a try.

I'm glad it finally stopped snowing. I was beginning to think they'd never plow my road. Living right on the edge of town certainly makes you feel like the forgotten child road-service wise. Stupid snowblower is still evil. Tried getting it to start with no luck, so I gave up and shoveled the drive and sidewalk. I think my arm was sore more from yanking that damn cord than the actual shoveling.

Glad I didn't park in the garage cause the drift in front of it was nasty! It would gave taken quite a lot longer to clean up than the hour It already took. Blah!

The weather also made me wish I had the stack up for the fireplace. Was perfect fireside cuddling weather. Even if I'd only have been cuddling the cats, it still would've been nice. LOL

As much as I'm not a huge fan of the snow, part of me really wants to go sled riding and build a goofy snowman. Figures, perfect powder for skiing and crap for packing on this one. Oh well. I would probably freeze my ass off anyways. This whole older you get, the faster you get cold thing is sucks. I still don't like big puffy winter jackets, but I'd be a Herbcicle without my trusty leather or pea coat. (did i mention my love of scarves? Good thing i knit) And yes, I still occasionally wear flip flops, just not as often. LOL

Hope everyone was safe and warm this weekend.

Thursday, January 08, 2009

Tradition...

Current mood: talkative
Category: Life

Was cleaning photos off the iPhone and almost forgot to share. This is the traditional Herb family New Year's Day meal: homemade sauerkraut (we shred the cabbage and ferment it and can it all by ourselves), pork and mashed potatoes. Stinky, but yum!



Oh, and this movie looks like a fun girls nite out in the making! http://www.mybestfriendsgirlmovie.com/ Love the line, "What are you, a mini-wheat?" LoL Yay for the occasional guilty-pleasure chick flick!

Before I’m 30...

Current mood: vibrant
Category: Goals, Plans, Hopes


I am a list maker. I make lists when I pack for a trip, lists of what I need to do at work, shopping lists, lists of career goal stuff, lists of letters I need to write and places I need to see. You name it, I would probably make a list for it.

I once had a friend who had lists of things they wanted to do before they would hit each decade mark in their life. I thought this was a great idea, so I've kidnapped it. I kinda veered away from my "life list-making" in my early 20s. Guess I just thought it seemed a bit fuddy-duddy. But about two years ago I decided 30 was on the horizon and I needed to get cracking on a list, no matter how short.

I won't lie. This list has changed a little bit. A few things were added and a few removed, but I am in general happy with the result. It's not long because I procrastinated, but I've already started the list of things to do before 40! LoL I do wish I had started sooner and given it more thought though...

Here's what I decided to accomplish before Feb. 24 of this year:

1. Buy a house - Done....This was always on my list of things to do in my head, and I did it before I even wrote the official list. Sadly, now all I wanna do is sell the house and find a new one. LoL Go figure.
2. Learn to twirl fire poi - Done.... I may not be great at it, but I haven't set myself on fire yet! (knock on wood)
3. Breathe fire - In progress....I have been practicing the spitting of the water, the flammable liquid and have made the wick stick. I've consulted with flair bartenders on safety issues and taken an online training course, but I still have yet to do this. I need a calm day with absolutely no breeze, a few friends with safety equipment and I have to get up my nerve. I'm kinda partial to my face, hair, eyebrows and the lining of my lungs. I will do this soon, but only once! I admit, I am afraid I'll get all excited when I actually do it and suck back air, which is a big no-no.
4. Learn a new craft - Done.... I started fiddling with polymer clay when I first made the list and I've gotten pretty good at make useless crap with it.
5. Get a tattoo - In progress....My grandmother remembered me saying that I wanted to do this and has gifted me with one for Christmas. I'll be going to get it this month! (Did I mention I hate needles?) When it's all done I'll take a pic and post it, otherwise you'll never see it as it'll be well hidden and corporate-appropriate.
6. Support a new charity every month for a year - Done.... Last year I picked a different organization each month and did something for them. Donated money, time, supplies, attended events)
7. Kiss someone new - Done.... please don't judge me too much. This was a late addition. Admittedly after being with the same person for 6 years, and getting cheated on in spectacular, Jerry-Springeresque fashion, I decided I needed to take action and do something and after all that this seemed about as rebellious as I was ready to go for the moment. I think it just reminded me there are other fish in the sea and hello? kissing is fun! Kinda cheesy and lame, but whatever. Did I mention kissing is fun? (see past post with mention of how I spent my 29th birthday and you'll know how I scratched this one off the list LoL) I think it should be a rule you get kisses on every birthday! LoL I woulda left this off the list and not told you, but I am trying to be full-disclosure so that wouldn't be quite fair.
8. Find and buy knee-high leather boots - Done... I love, love, love knee high boots. I think they are super duper hot and I've always wanted a pair. But, since I am blessed with giant calves and they tend to be kind of expensive, I thought I'd never get a pair. I actually bought two pair - one in brown and one in black. And they were on sale. Go me!
9. Learn to play guitar - Postponed.... I decided to hold this one off till the 40th list as I was lazy and didn't do much of anything towards accomplishing it, other than having Dan re-string and tune my guitar for me. It's just a crappy little acoustic, but it's my crappy little acoustic! (Thanks, Dan!)
10. Figure out who my dad was - Doubtful to ever happen......This will probably never get crossed off my list, but I'm stubborn. I'm putting it on every list till I die. It was what I asked for on my 18th birthday, as a graduation gift from college and as a wedding present if I ever get married. Maybe at some point my mother will give in and give me his last name. I doubt it though. Sigh.... I'll tell this story another day. Just not in the mood to elaborate right now.

After my birthday, I'll post the list for 40. It'll be kinda fun giving online play-by-plays on the status I think. Till then, I'm still tweaking.

Anyone else make lists? Humor me - let me know 3 things you want to accomplish before you hit your next decade mark! Yes, this means ALL of you! No fair reading and not sharing. :-P

I didn’t grow up there, but I went to school there.

Current mood: nostalgic


I saw this list and it made me chuckle, so I had to share. My edits are in bold. Fun times in Kent, fun times...

You know you are from Kent, OH when...

- seeing a black squirrel is an everyday occurence (and they eat chicken wings from the garbage. I am almost ashamed to admit it, and disturbed that they are still online, but read more on this from one of my Opinion columns from the Kent Stater. yes, they actually allowed me to write and it was published. I even was nominated for a Hearst Journalism Award! Not for this story though. I was more fluff than substance, trust me. LoL )

- there is nothing to do downtown unless you're at least 18

- there are more tatoo/piercing parlors and bars downtown than actual shops

- you will never go more than a month into the summer without seeing 3/4 of your school's population because the entire town goes to Kent Fest.

- you won't drink water from the tap outside of the city limits because you know Kent has the best water on the planet (I don't agree with this. I am a well water girl. City water makes me gag. This is why I have a fridge with a water filter/dispenser)

-someone asks you where the rec center is and you direct them to the one on Franklin Ave. because what they're really thinking of (on the KSU campus) is more commonly known as the wellness center

- you mourned the loss of the Loft

- you have visited 'the tower' (he he he......)

- you know where half of your teachers live

- ravens are for burning (Or kangaroos)

- you're on a first-name basis with your high school principal

- you are praying for the day that Steak n Shake is actually in Kent (not really)

-Brimtucky is a real place (This is true of Rootstown folk as well)

-You are offended if someone says you're from Ravenna (So wrong, but so true!)

-You skipped a class to go to Swenson's

-FU Bob is a family friend (Actually, I insulted him in the newspaper, too. I'm not proud of that one so I am not linking to it. A careful googler could find it though. I was a freshman, what did you expect?)

-by "the beach", you mean a tiny man made patch of sand on Twin Lakes

-You know the Kent State campus better than most of the college students (I was a college student. Hello?)

-popcorn coming in 32 flavors is normal

-Katie's Korner does not involve prostitution, only ice cream (That's some serious yumminess)

-Guido's does not just deal pizza... (I only know of pizza, chicken and jo jo's. Did I miss something??)

-You have attended either a Sweetheart, Farsight, Annabel, or Starcrossed show.

-You remember when Starbucks used to be Brady's Cafe (I prefered Brady's. Cheap breakfast, open after I got off my 3rd shift job at Kinko's across the street and they didn't care if you loitered for hours gabbing)


-You can quote graffitti under the bridge at River Front Park

-you can't walk from one side of Kent's campus to the other without knowing somebody, be it a student, a teacher, a staff worker, or some random "townie". (I can't enter portage County without running into someone I know!)

-you go downtown on Sunday nights for the anti-war protest...and everyone there looks ripped straight out of 1969.

-it can be 70 degrees and sunny one day, then 30 and snowing the next and you don't think anything of it

-you know what "Moon Glo" is and no it's nothing like "Moon Shine"

-you know who "Stow Hoes" are and where "Silver Ghettos" is

-90% of your senior class went to Kent State

-you show your friends from out of town it usually ends with them saying "that was it?"

-If your own parent(s) don't work at KSU, you know at least 5 people whose parents do.

-you drive by that building on 43 and wonder what buisness will fail there next, joining the likes of Hills, Ames, and Tops. (LMAO You forgot Gold Circle and I think Big Wheel and Woolworth's, too. That building is cursed, I swear.)

-you take 15 minutes to go down Main Street because you hit EVERY RED LIGHT.

-You actually believe Silver Meadows is a ghetto.

-People on Campus think it was cool that you went to school in Kent all your life, and you think the exact opposite.

-when people say they don't know where Kent is when you tell them where you are from you reply "the city where Kent State is" and are annoyed when they then understand...you are even more annoyed when they ask you one of two questions "The place where the shootings happened in the 70's?" or "why didnt you go to Kent State?" - if you go to school out of town... (Ok, I went to school in Germany and even THEY know it as the school where there were shootings.)

-when you've almost run over Wheelchair George (always rockin the cowboy boots) while crossing the Main Street Bridge despite his rotating "handicapped" sign sticking out of his ride.

-You remember Mrs. B from the Kent Free Library.

-you remember when the Taco Bell drive thru had a PHONE!! (So gross... If only we'd had Purell back then!)

-the line at Chipotle is significantly shorter during Christmas vacation and summer (because the KSU students have gone home

-expressing yourself on large rocks is perfectly normal (I painted the rock twice in my college career. Did you get to paint a rock? Didn't think so!)

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Your help needed: I am DESPERATE for a song....

Current mood: frustrated


I love music. For most of my life I had this notion that someday what I would be when I grew up would somehow involve it. Sadly, this is not the case. To make up for this, I listen to music like it is my crack. Sweet, sweet audio crack. I will give almost anything a listen at least once. My tastes are eclectic enough to freak out anyone who's borrowed my iPod and placed it on shuffle. Not many people mix redneck country, Christian contemporary, classical, jazz, pop, 70s/80s/90s and today, a little rap and hardcore rock in one place.

Because I get tunes stuck in my head, I get cranky when I hear something on a TV show, fall in love with it and then cannot find out what it is or who sings it. The internet has helped a lot with this and my iPhone has the Shazam song recognition app (Which rocks my socks off and makes me extremely giddy) But I have now found one that stumps them both and it's driving me crazy! Alas, my technology has let me down...

So, I am placing a bounty on a specific MP3. I am in dire need of a song that's been stuck in my head since I watched a recent episode of Skins on BBC. (Series 2, episode 9 - end of show where Cassie is crying and runs through NY - fabulous show if you haven't seen it yet. Typical edgy Brit humor and content) From what I've found online looks like the name of the song is "My Town, My City" but I still have no clue who wrote or performs it. Just know it's stuck in my head and I want to find it!

It is not Adele's "Hometown" as is incorrectly noted online. That was the song used when the show originally aired on BBC. The BBC America DVD version uses this new mystery song.

I am willing to award the finder of this song an edible reward. Dinner out as thanks! Help!?!?!?!?

I found a clip of it on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6tgu5rRvHDg (the images have nothing to do with it, it's not Amy or Evanescence)

LYRICS:

Turning my memories
Hoping to find out
where all the loyalty's gone
The friends that I had then
Turned into strangers
Thinking of you all alone
If you see me know
You won't see me alone
If you see me
I'll be heading home
Cos this is my town
This is my city
Through my eyes it looks so pretty
This is my town, this is my city now
These are my people, this is my song
Dirty streets where I belong
This is my town, this is my city now
This is my city now
This is my city
Through my eyes it looks so pretty
This is my town ,this is my city now
These are my people , this is my song
Dirty streets where I belong
This is my town, this is my city now
This is my city now
My City

Since I have over 2,000 views....



Current mood: thoughtful
Category: Quiz/Survey

I need to get back into the habit of blogging. It makes me a better writer and I think it's my own little version of therapy. LoL And I kinda like the attention! (2002 views and counting, oh yeah!) I'm starting 2009 off slow with one of those cheesy surveys. Then on to some of the items discussed in my previous blog. :-)

Come on people, I loooove comments! Let me know how you rang in the New Year after you read this!

2008 IS OVER, WHAT HAVE YOU DONE?

Lost a friend?
Not because they died, but yes.

Stayed single almost the whole year?
Umm.... kinda? Does dating count as not single? It's kinda 50/50 I guess.

Kissed someone new?
Yes someone brand new and someone from the past that's new to this decade. (as far back in my kissing past as I can go, actually) LoL

Had your heart broken?
Not this year!

Had a stalker?
I had an ex leave love notes at my house, send roses to my work (Which I refused delivery of - I am such a beotch!) and various other creepy and unwanted things... It sure felt uncomfortable for a while, but hardly stalker-ish. Glad it's over though.

Done something you've regretted?
Maybe

Were involved in something you'll never forget?
I think and hope so.

Visited a different country?
No. (need to change that)

Lost something/someone important to you?
Does my mind count?

Got a gift you adore?
Yep! (it's my faithful companion, the iPhone! I can admit to being swayed by shiny gadgets)

Dyed your hair?
Hell, I've done that every year since 8th grade.

Did you break up with anyone?
Kinda, if you consider what we did dating.

Did you get anything for Valentine's day?
No.

Did you meet anyone special?
Re-met them, actually. There are a few of these cool kinda people back in my life! Facebook and MySpace ROCK!

Did you meet any new friends this year?
Yes, some very cool people I kinda knew and just had never talked to much before and a few brand-new people.

Did you dislike anyone?
I can't lie, I'm only human. Hell yes. And if thoughts could kill, they'd be pushing daisies.

Did you make any new enemies?
I like to think I'm not the kind of person who incites hate or anger in people. Hello? Have you met me? ;-)

Did you resolve any fights?
Maybe...?

Who are your closest friends?
My mom (don't laugh, she is!), JDub, Tater Tot, my bowling girls, Daniel

Did you grow apart from anyone?
Yeah, but we can grow back again, too.

Do you have any regrets when it comes to your friendships?
I wish we had more time together. We all need time management classes (and internet connections! LoL)

How was your birthday?
Crazy. I think they whole turning 29 thing freaked me out more than I wanted to admit, so I went a little crazy with the shots, the dorky behavior and the sucking face with inappropriate boys. Not my proudest moment, but it was fun at the time. I guess I was making up for the fact that my 21st was so calm.

Did you have a cake?
I had delicious cupcakes made by Tater Tot.

Did you have a party?
A bunch of crazy people crashed my cousin's house for a night of debauchery, glow sticks, Polaroid pics, drunken board games and movies. (And anatomically correct play dough sculptures, if my mind serves me correctly) I think I need to burn some of the Polaroids as part of the 30th festivities. LoL

Did you get any presents?
Yep. :-)

Did you change at all this year?
I think I finally got some of the wildness outta my system that I'd been bottling up. I also learned a lot about myself and think I grew up a bit. I've always considered myself mature, but I think I needed to act like an ass for a bit to remind myself that normal me is pretty damn fun and ok. I don't need to try so hard. being a nerd who's happy with herself is a-ok.

Did you get your hair cut?
My usual layers

Did you change your style?
trying to dress more my age.

Were you in school?
No classes this year.

Did you go on any vacations?
Nope. Stayed at home and was a bum on my day's off. LoL

Would you change anything about yourself now?
I might get rid of a few of the scars of the past if I could. I still have a bit of growing and changing and becoming more self-confident and patient to work on. And maybe I need to worry a little less and live a little more. (but in more sensible ways LoL)

Was 2008 a good year?
Not too bad...

Do you think 2009 will top 2008?
Sure, no reason not to be optimistic!

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