3 weeks gone

Nope-haven't fallen off the planet yet. I've just kept myself insanely busy with my jobs. My essay tutor job is on hiatus until summer break. I could pick up shifts, but I don't want to just yet. I will though. I got my evaluation for this semester and it was quite positive. A lot of growth apparently, so I don't want to get too rusty before my regular summer shift picks up in July.

funnyjunk.com

I'm the best!

My article writing gig gives me a great boost. I get paid precisely squat mind you, but I have built up enough of a nest egg to buy my own gaming computer. I will also be getting the latest MS Office for my work mind you, but this summer my hubby and I can game together or separately, which is beyond awesome. I have achieved Inferno level in Diablo III with my monk, so I need a serious machine to reflect my prowess. Not really, but the laptop I've had for seven years is taking far more upkeep and its MS Office is simply not prepared for the gauntlet I shall throw down this summer.

thomasumstattud.com

I'll use it for work, too. Geez.

A new computer will also open up the voice over work I've been toying with for a year. My excuse not to explore this avenue has been the lack of adequate technology. This upgrade will remove my excuses and hopefully propel me into yet another money making possibility. I know; I'm too busy already, but my regular gig ends in two weeks, so summer is mine to explore new opportunities.

crazy4teachers.com

Nope--not gonna do it!

Why do I do all of this? Because it has become abundantly clear to me that I cannot speak of my regular gig without ranting. One must choose the rant audience wisely. It's not like I am George Carlin, a master of the rant in my opinion, and people will pay to listen to me rant. In fact, most of the time I am apparently considered unflappable. No, really. Those are someone else's words not mine.Therefore, when I rant, it tends to make people nervous. Consequently, I must be highly selective about who I rant to. So far I have squarely one person to rant to. Thankfully he loves me too much to have me committed just yet.

panicked-chick.blogspot.com

It's a wonder he hasn't. Really.

A close friend asked me about my job last weekend. I started to discuss it. I had every intention of being calm and logical. My Goat was prepared to thoughtfully engage the topic, but then I could feel this ball of frustration churning in my gut as I tried to explain about how it is May and I still don't have all of my supplies. These are supplies that are required for the job I do at the command of my bosses and they are materials that I can't just pop over to Walmartia and grab. They are pricey and must be ordered through the head office.
They haven't been because the grant ran out and there's no more money.
It's also copyrighted material so I cannot make photocopies.
Like I said, churning in my belly.

cartoonstock.com

I hate how it feels.

Then my mom asked me about work Friday night. Mind you, she used to do this job. She did it for 30 years. She got out at the right time. Anyway, she asked me and again, the rant began to build. Since I was with family and I had a little shiraz in me, I let fly the angst. Oops. Wrong audience. I think I shocked her. I did however make it plain that I have every intention of leaving this profession. My sister has left the profession. She is a librarian now and she believes strongly that she wouldn't have been able to retire if she had not moved to the library.
I don't want to be a librarian.

cartoonstock.com

Totally me in the library.

I also don't want to have this overwhelming boiling point of rantiness every time someone innocently asks me about my job. It saddens me beyond belief, yet I know that there does not appear to be another road for me. The one I've been on for twelve years seems to be at an end.
Interestingly, when someone asks about my side gigs that pay squat, I beam. I don't care that for an article I typically get less than minimum wage. I love it. I research topics and then I get to write my perspective on the topic given a 2-3 word focus from the client. I wrote articles on everything from freezing vodka to bigfoot to why soap is a base not an acid this week. It totally rocks! It just pays exactly nothing compared to my regular job. I'm sure there's a writing union out there somewhere that I can join and get medical coverage like actors have. Freelance writers have to have insurance, right? Insurance is my next big hurdle to freedom. Must find a way to maintain medical coverage after I leave my profession.

cartoonstock.com

That would be about it.

If you are still looking for the point to all of this, it is the rant is an artform. You must choose your audience wisely. You cannot simply rant to anyone and I do not feel free to rant online via social media. I cannot rant to my bosses in any way shape or form. They get wacky notions that making me spend the day with a different age population will solve everything.
They are wrong.
I love a good rant. I enjoy watching Carlin and other comedians just go to town with their righteous indignation. They can make us laugh with their brutal honesty. Rants come from a place of passion. When we care so deeply about a topic or a situation, we get personally involved and it becomes who we are. It is one way we define ourselves. Unfortunately, there will always be someone who tries to take that from you. They will make changes to things. They will make commandments. They will not listen. They will not offer useful counsel. When these become the norm, then the rant bubbles over. When you can no longer suffer your own rant, it's time to break free and find that happiness again no matter how heartbreaking or devastating the consequence.
I will grieve what I lose, but I will celebrate what I gain.

nabz-iran.com

Copy to be written later.

Great Rite Indeed

I love Beltane. I love any holiday that celebrates love and sex as the beautiful, honest and amazing expression of nature that it is. Sex has this tendency to make people uncomfortable and weird. I admit, I had hang ups about sex, too. I still do not understand some elements of what gets people in the mood. Just watch TLC's {strange} SEX some time if you don't know what I mean. It's not for me to get and that isn't the point anyway.
The point being that Beltane freed me from some of those hang ups. It helped me to see sexuality as something to be honored and explored and respected. I find that a far healthier understanding of sex than telling a teenager that he or she should not masturbate because it is a sin. If that's true--if it's a sin--then animals like monkeys and dolphins are sinful creatures doomed to hell. Satan can open a zoo for the world's sinful masturbators and they can all sit around getting off together. Quite the image right? Makes no sense to me whatsoever.
What does make sense to me is the fact that humans like sex. It feels good. It makes us all warm and tingly in  really exciting places. It is a basic drive that we share with the living world around us. It doesn't matter what kind of sex you are into. I don't think so anyway provided that no one is harmed. If the parties involved are consenting adults, it's not my business who wants to get busy with whom and how they get the deed done is even less of my business.
I may not understand everyone's sex drive, but I can say to each his or her own path on this one. I think what is important is not being ashamed about sex. Too many people feel shame for their sex life or choices whether due to religion, family or other psychological issue. I know I did for a long time. Between religion and being coerced into sex acts before I understood what they were, I had some stuff to clean out of my psyche. I found my boundaries on sex, too. I'm not all open and out there indulging with no limits; privacy and decorum I think are valuable. However, I am much more expressive and accepting of my libido. I can see the sexual side of myself as something beautiful, sacred, and holy rather than sinful, dirty and offensive.
Studying paganism brought me that understanding. Finding the true intention of Beltane helped me heal. It helped me accept. It helped me.
Merry Beltane wishes.

Two join as one,

The moon and the sun.

On this night,

Of Beltane delight,

One in spirit,

One in body.

Merry be the union.

Blessed be the rite.

Top 10 Signs I Am a Workaholic

10. I neglect my blog for more than a week despite two half done blog postings and several ideas for postings running around in my head.

john-adcock@blogspot.com

Really. I have a couple that I just haven't finished.

9.  I realize at 3pm that I haven't had anything but coffee...and I want more coffee.

pilateslogic.com

If only it was like that.

8. My cats follow me around the house and Poof gets nominated to give the Big Eyes of Guilt until I stop what I am doing and play for a while.

condenaststore.com

I just thought this cartoon was clever. That is all.

7. I stay in my robe all day long on Sunday because I work from my sofa and what's the point in getting dressed if I am not going out.

everydaypeoplecartoons.com

Dude. What's the point? Seriously?

6.  Instead of going to see how my friends are doing, I email.

christian-maurer@blogspot.com

Really. Live in the same town, have a mode of transportation, but then there's email which saves that whole finding a bra thing.

5. It took me almost two weeks to finish a book...and it wasn't even 350 pages.

hartlandhighschool.us

I got this. I can totally own this novel with one more pass.

4.  I've stayed inside on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon in spring.

thepoliticalcarnival.net

It's spring and there's no snow. Why am I not digging in the dirt?

3. I know I have a dance performance for class and I am just too stinking tired to prepare.

blackunigryphon.deviantart.com

I don't even have a song chosen. Oy!

2. I have an old tube sock full of rice around my neck or on my lower back at all times in the house.

saturnphoenix.deviantart.com

It wards off Zorak. "I am the Lone Locust of the apocalypse. Think of me when you look to the night sky.."~Zorak

1. I look forward to the weekend because of all that free time I can spend working my side jobs.

readwrite.com

At least one of the jobs is at an end for a few weeks. *Whew

onlinedatingmagazine.com

Love you, Babe!

I'm Not Ashamed to Admit This

I want the John Denver tribute album.
If you don't know, John Denver is awesome. I grew up in the late 70's early 80's and John Denver was popular. Some people apparently think he's too vanilla, but guess what? Vanilla is still the most popular ice cream flavor. So...

abcs-of-art.blogspot.com

Anyway, when I think of John Denver I remember being a kid. My sister and I would ride in the camper on back of the old black and white Ford when the family went camping. We'd be back there with our beagle, Pumpkin, and we'd crank the portable 8 track player. That's right. 8 track baby. We'd pop in John Denver's Greatest Hits and we'd sing at the top of our lungs. We loved that 8 track. How could you not? This song was one we'd take turns and then we'd harmonize. It was wonderful.

Neither of us had ever been to West Virginia, but we could see it when we sang.

I think John Denver captured what I always felt about being in the woods and away from the city. This song in particular just sends me to my happy place:

The serenity of this song still makes me immediately at peace.

Why John Denver? Well this weekend I heard a story on NPR. Dave Matthews, another of my favorites, participated in the tribute album project and NPR interviewed him. You can listen here. As I listened to the interview, I kept smiling and thinking back to all those memories. It's been years since I intentionally listened to a song of his, but I can still sing along-or cry along as is the case with this one:

Seriously, it makes me weep. It is so beautiful

He could also just make you happy. I can't tell you the number of times I danced around the living room to this song:

This just wants you to swing your partner round and round while you stomp your feet in rhythm to the beat.

How can you not respect a man who appears on The Muppets?

I can not even tell you how my little kindegarten self sqealed in delight when John Denver hosted.

I have so many fond memories of John Denver and his music. He and his music are part of my childhood and its happy innocence.  I love that even today I can sway to the lyrical melody or hoedown to the fiddle. At this point I really don't care if it's "cool" to like John Denver. Listen to the NPR interview to get that reference. I like him. I always have. His music matched the inspiration and joy I felt as a young person running through the forest and the wildflowers of Montana.  This song is about Colorado, but we have Rockies here, too.

How can you not just smile?

May the Geek be with You

Sorry for my absence, gentle readers.  I have no excuse other than I have been very busy writing essay reviews and articles.  I’ve been writing so much that frankly, once I am done writing those two items, the last thing I want to do is write more.  My eyes can take only so much textual gandering a day and eventually I just need a break.  On the upside, the two bonus jobs have been going well. 

wildliferanger.co.uk

Yup.  That about sums it up right there.

They changed the rules on me with the essay reviews and now I have some work to do to get back on track with my compliance there.  Luckily, the new critique style will not go in my permanent file, but it was enlightening to see the new rules.  I also continue to get minimal revisions back from my editor.  My revisions were itty-bitty for most of them.  Minute details like change smart quotations to straight quotations or change italics to quotations and the like.  I did have a wee bit more overhaul action for my article on Windows Live.  Honestly, I can’t stand writing about troubleshooting computer problems.  It’s terrible boring.  This past week I got to write about weight loss and calorie counting, which was less mind-numbing and faster to create the articles. Much easier.  I could get those babies done in 30-45 minutes.

toonzone.net

I think he found the droids he was looking for.

Yesterday, after crunching through the last of my articles, I finally had some much needed free time.  I sat and reread a Stephanie Plum novel.  I really enjoy Janet Evanovich’s Plum series. My sister introduced me to them and if you have not read her stuff, you should check it out.  Fast reads.  I can plow through one of her books in an afternoon.  The repetition of how Stephanie comes to be a bond enforcement agent can get tedious for someone who reads all of the series, but it is needed in case you read Ten Big Ones and then read the rest of the novels I suppose.  It was fun to go back to the beginning and reread the very first novel. 

condenaststore.com

It was inevitable.

After that, I had some time to release my Geek.  The new computer that my husband built is phenomenal.  I love it.  It flies at record speed to download from the net.  Its best use though is for geeking.  I finally get to play Diablo III.  My hubby got it for my birthday last year and I just now get to play.  My monk toon rocks.  I kind of flew through normal mode without much difficulty.  I think I died three times maybe.  I’ve died way more than that in nightmare mode and I’m not even through act 2 of the game.  It’s difficult to explain to people why I love playing Diablo or World of Warcraft if they don’t play.  There is something deeply satisfying about annihilating demons and zombies and sorceresses in the quest for achievements and rewards.  Pavlov would love to watch people geek to these games. Who needs a bell and kibble when you can get a two socketed pair of rare pants that adds over a thousand life to your toon just by slaying a mid-level boss?  So yes, I have spent a lot of free time rolling through New Tristram with my monk, Tigerlilly.  She’s hardcore.

She's hot right? Hardcore hot!

 

Once I get her through nightmare mode, it’s on to hell mode.  After that, I think it’ll be closer to summer, so I can go back into WoW and see how Lupie, my frost mage, is doing.  I think WoW will need to wait for summer.  I have so much to catch up on in that game that it’ll take awhile to get back on track.  Besides, I like to run with my hubby’s toon and we can’t both game just yet.  We need to do something about the laptop in order to do that.  Maybe we could just replace the motherboard in the old desktop and get a new monitor for it…Maybe I should ask for Amazon cards to do that.  I swear I won’t disappear from the blogosphere.  I may just get shorter or less frequent with my postings…seriously.  Laying out a host of demons with one ring of my bell of doom feels really good some days.  Seriously.  Really good.

toonpool.com
I can still play Diablo III without thumbs.

An Appreciation for the Pun

I've never been one for puns unless they were Shakespearean or some other literary witticism.  However, I must say that I have developed a new found use for them...two actually.
I start each session at work with a pun.  The session's agenda is posted, and at the top I place a pun.  They are frequently groaners, but I enjoy them anyway and they get the people I work with to think.  Some of them even laugh at them.  For example, today I had "A horse is a very stable animal."  Go ahead.  Groan.  I'll wait.

weknowmemes.com

It's a great way to break the ice and the monotony and it makes people snicker.  It's one of the few bright spots in my day to watch and see who giggles and who rolls their eyes.
I also have developed a terrible habit of exchanging puns with a friend of mine.  She's not on the book of face anymore, but we still email or text each other awful puns like this one:

themetapicture.com

I believe this was my first retaliation for her pun offensive.

It slid from there.

Now it's not really a weekend until I send her a pun and vice versa.  We send them randomly during the week as well.  

meme-pictures.feedio.net

It's just one of those things friends do to keep one another entertained.

Science Cat is one of my favorites.

George Takei is a wonderful source for all things punny.  I love ones that make people look up things, too.

Thanks George Takei!

I have a deep and abiding crush on James Spader, so I must include a Spader pun:

weknowmemes.com

I guess the point is this: sometimes embracing the thing that makes you cringe can lead to something entertaining.  Other times you just flop around on the floor and hope to recover without wetting yourself.  I love our little Pun War.  It's one of those things that I look forward to.  Especially when she sends me this:

fodrizzle.com

I hope some of these made you smile.

I Love Spring!

I want to shout it from the rooftops!
I.
Love.
Spring!
I rode my bike to work and it was glorious.  It was warm and blue skies.  The sun over the eastern mountains this morning was an electric tangerine and it caught my breath.  Riding home I was almost too warm in my lightweight windbreaker.  I loved it!
I have seen bunnies in the yard.  I have seen the robins.  I opened my window at work and listened to the sparrows chittering in the nearby tree.
My husband started the sprouts for the garden and they are already awakening and bursting through soil.  I cannot wait. We still have monster spaghetti squash from last harvest and I cannot wait to see what our garden provides this year.
A jade plant that a friend gave into my care when she moved has taken over its new pot and started fresh sprouts.  It is an amazing plant to behold.
I have several new ventures to nurture and cultivate into thriving life.  I am blessed.
Happy Ostara everyone.  May the revitalized season find you, warm you, and foster you into life.
Blessed be.