Friday, November 30, 2012

What I Learned About Dinosaurs

Dinosaurs are pretty universally known and loved. We learn about them as a kid even before school most of the time. Through the compulsory courses of science we expand our knowledge further until the fun is almost taken away and put into such a deep science we forget the initial spark we felt as a kid.

Life continues and we procreate, or know someone else who has. The new children, wide eyed and full of rawrs, continue the dinosaur legacy. We want to share with the little rugrats what we know.

Brian Russell has illustrated and written a very fun book that combines the initial childlike wonder meshed with bouts of science. The book is mixed with humor and science, and has a personal touch of his experience  in learning about them (which is very likely to be on target with your experience too.)

Give the book a read if you get the chance. I think you will enjoy it. It will be for sale at a later date. If you don't have kids, find nieces and nephews or grandkids or godkids. It will make a good Christmas/birthday present.

Rawr,
DJ

P.S. Kickstarter has brought a few fun things into my life and this is no exception. If you haven't ever toured the site, you should. You can help make dreams come true.

Tuesday, November 13, 2012

My son, the Buddhist

Trey: You Only Live A Few Times  
Drew: You mean You Only Live Once  
Trey: Nope, I'm Buddhist.

Friday, November 9, 2012

me at the moment

My emotions are all over the place right now. I can't even sort them out. Happiness, sorrow, excitement, fear, anticipation.. and just.. so much. I am too overwhelmed from so many angles. I am not complaining in the least. I am just scattered more than usual. Soooo if I jump from mood to mood or thought to thought, just hang in there.

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Amoral without god?

In my philosophy class we had to answer whether or not belief in god is reasonable. No use of religious texts could be used, this was strictly an opinion piece. I wish I were as eloquent as Lance. He speaks so clearly and so well. I tend to get jumbled up.

Additionally, there was a girl who had the argument that if god was not real then we would have no moral codes because without fear of the creator we would all be amoral. I was floored. I am not amoral. I might not be a saint but I am far from amoral. The thought that we can't control ourselves without fear of burning for eternity made me sad. Has she no faith in people at all? Does she think I will murder people at my own whim because I do not fear the flames? It made me very sad. Being without a belief in god does not make someone without a conscious or a sense of decency. I know beautifully kind atheists and I know very cruel Christians. People are people regardless of which side of the god line they are on. You have good and bad apples on both sides. How very very sad she made me.

Sunday, October 28, 2012

A cultural fixation on female thinness is not an obsession about female beauty but an obsession about female obedience. -Naomi Wolf

If you are a thin lady I celebrate you. If you are a curvy lady I celebrate you. If you are an athletic lady I celebrate you. If you are just round all over I celebrate you. Be who YOU are, not who society thinks you should be. You are your own master. Obey yourself, your desires, your dreams. 



Kisses,
DJ


(cross posted across all my blogs/journals)

Saturday, October 6, 2012

Connections


Science is something I am a fan of. Honestly though, sometimes I think things are just bigger than science. Connections are. The human connection is grand and I am not sure there is a math formula for that. I believe in connections. I believe in science. Maybe there IS an explanation I just don't know about, but maybe, just maybe, there is no explanation other that famous Tumblr phrase "because reasons". 

Saturday, September 29, 2012

Be Like Spike


Spike is almost 5 years old. He is part hound dog, part wienie dog, part bull mastif.. and possibly a little beagle in there too. Whatever he is, he is unique. 
He is very long and so when he is sitting you expect a massive dog. However, when he stands you actually see that  he has very short legs, and that one of them is at a 90 degree angle the wrong way. 
Spike does not see this. Spike only knows that he is smart and inquisitive (Lazy too but we will get there later.) He doesn’t even bother with the little dogs. They can bark and yap all day and he doesn’t pay them any attention at all. The big dogs though, he notices them. The dogs can be twice his height and he stands his ground without fear. Spike sees himself differently than we see him. 
Shouldn’t we all be like Spike? We should stand fearless, or at least seem to stand that way, against the things we think might try and take what is ours (happiness). We should barely notice the little things that are trivial and really don’t deserve our energy. 
Spike is a happy dog. Of course we take good care of him, he is a pampered puppy. But still, Spike never frets over his gimpy paw, he doesn’t realize that he had the potential to be twice his size.. all he sees is who he is. And with who he is, he is king. 
Be like Spike.

Wednesday, September 12, 2012

How Families Flourish

Dr Daniel Trussell has (finally!) released his highly anticipated new book, How Families Flourish. It is available for FREE to Kindle readers until Sunday 9/16. If you have children over the age of 8, or children who will eventually be over the age of 8, then you should definitely download this. It's full of positive things to help your child grow as a person.

Side note: If you do not have a Kindle that's okay! You can also download it to your iPad, PC, Android phone, etc..

Tuesday, September 11, 2012

Theace and butterflies..

So in Takka City I have a character (I love you Theace!) who is deathly afraid of butterflies (long story). I saw this on Hank Greens blog and instantly I heard Theace in my head, screaming out in sheer terror and basically dying on the spot of a heart attack. Yep.


Saturday, September 8, 2012

Treymistphah

Today we are having a 13th birthday party for my son who turns 13 on Monday. Wow.. time really flies. I still remember finding out I was pregnant, and here we are almost 14 years later. Amazing.

The party is being thrown at our local BBQ place that has pretty much watched him grow up. They love that kid almost as much as I do.

On Trey's 12th birthday this discussion happened:
"Mom, can we have a Bah Mitzvah when I turn 13?"
"Nope. We aren't Jewish."
"Can we have a Treymistpha then? I'm Treyish."

How could I say no to that? So we have put together our own little party.

I bought Trey some Dr Who gifts, Lana got him a video game he wanted, Mom got him an amazing Buddha, and I think his dad got him a moving Vader bank. I know it isn't all about the gifts but come on, gifts are awesome.

Trey picked out a cake with a mustache on it. He said that's "A manly cake."

I'll share pics when I have some.

Monday, August 27, 2012

Early morning incoherent ramblings

I can't sleep. All I can think about is how the essential plot twist to the novel I have spent four years on is ruined because I just read that exact twist (plus so much more that's alike) in another novel! I am just so sad. I can't tell hardly anyone because they are all going to be reading that novel. They know my novel already so they will probably see that other story plot twist coming a mile away like I did. Once they read it maybe I can cry on their shoulder. Until then I wait silently so as not to ruin their reading experience. But I'm sad. So so so so so sad. Takka City...what do I do? I can't see a way around that twist. That twist is everything. I'm feeling devastated and defeated.

Monday, July 16, 2012

50 Shades of Grey, or as I like to call it, 50 Shades of Abuse.


I understand not all writers are Hemingway or Rowling. I get that. I am not blogging to trash the writing style, horrible as it may be. And I know authors are not obligated to be morally upstanding. But there is also a level of blatant irresponsibility as a writer and EL James found that level.

The man, Christian Grey is absolutely 100% not okay. What terrifies me is how many women think he is romantic. There is NOTHING romantic about the way he treats Ana.

The media also plays up this book and I can't help but wonder if this is not neglect on their part. They call it "hot", "racy" and a slew of other adjectives. DO THEY KNOW WHAT THIS BOOK IS ABOUT?!

I am publicly on record as saying Edward Cullen is a bad example of how to treat a woman - I tell you this, he is far better than Christian. I am on record as saying Bella is a horrible excuse for a woman.. Ana makes Bella look strong and smart. Yep, you read it here folks, I now say Bella and Edward are not the worst couple I have read about.

I would like to note that I am not mad about Christian being into BDSM. More power to you, we all have our kinks, right? If he wants to spank his lover, spank away! I won't ever be mad if she is in agreement.. ... But I am mad that he blows up her phone for not calling him when he thought she should. Pushy incessant needy demands is NOT ROMANTIC! I am mad that he keeps showing up EVERYWHERE she is. Stalking is NOT ROMANTIC! I am super duper pissed that he threatens her constantly when she says something he doesn't like. Threatening someone is NOT ROMANTIC!

I suppose the appeal of the book is the sex they have because a lot of people have not been exposed to that world. Okay, cool, you can like the sex parts of the book.. but I swear I do NOT understand how Christian is considered romantic AT ALL!

I promise you if that bastard was the last man on Earth I would be alone (well maybe some lusty Sundays here and there, but after that he has got to GO and never speak to me until the next lusty Sunday 3 months from now.)

I honestly think I wouldn't be so fired up about this if I didn't see people saying how amazing and romantic Christian is. I saw something on Pinterest that read "Men say they wish women came with a manual. Here you go." and it was a picture of 50 Shades. I nearly died. Another read "I keep hoping my boyfriend will find my book and go Christian Grey on me." Which part? The obsessive jealousy when another guy talks to you?  The part where he receives your breakup letter and shows up at your house to screw you into taking him back even though you JUST SAID you were done with him?

I know people come with baggage. I get that. I understand that. And I know that nobody is perfect.. but Christian Grey is just... ...

How about this.. if you think he is romantic read this article in the link I am posting. It will take you less than 3 minutes. Please. Just..read it.

Stay safe,
DJ

Wednesday, July 4, 2012

The Amazing Spiderman


I have been a fan of Spiderman for … more years than I want to confess (The birthdays seem to come so quickly lately!)… and I have watched the movies nervously. Toby did a good job with the script he was given.. 
Andrew Garfield NAILED the role and the script was brilliant. With those two things combined it was damn perfect. I mean seriously I am blown the eff away. 
I could say so much about this movie.. so much.. but I feel like that takes away from it. It is THAT GOOD.
If you hated the Toby franchise, see the Andrew franchise. If you loved the Toby franchise, still see the Andrew franchise. 

Saturday, June 30, 2012

Blood Of A Saiyan

After about a year of reflecting I have made a decision to let BloodOfASaiyan.com go. I have been running this website since I was pregnant with my son (He is almost 13!!) and it has brought me so much happiness. It started in 99 on a free service that sucked but was all I could do at the time. Then, I formally bought a dot-com and relaunched in 2003. SO much joy! It also brings me so much work. Work that I have not had time for in 2+ years (almost 3!). I was one of the first English Dragonball Z websites. I was the first female English webmaster for Dragonball Z. After so many years of sleepness nights to fix code (I was running this before there was all this fancy website software), keeping my content fresh and relevant so that I was (during my peak) hitting over a thousand unique hits a day (without paying for advertising! That was word of mouth.), and meeting with people all over the country who were fans of my site, I just have to let it go.

I feel a loss because it has been something I have worked so hard on and been so proud of for so long. I also feel this relief because I am constantly haunted by the fact that the site sits there unattended to. It breaks my heart to let it go but it breaks my heart to neglect it.

I still own the rights to the dot-com and don't plan to give it away. Perhaps in a few years when my life is less busy I will restart the site. Perhaps I will not.

DBZ is still in my heart. Bulma and Vegeta are still one of my fav love stories. Future Trunks is still one of the people I want to hug the most.

still searching for Dragonball #4,
DJ aka Bulma of BloodOfASaiyan.com

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Character drop..

I made a decision recently regarding Keepers. One of my fav characters has to be sidelined. I love her, I love her story, I love every tragic thing about her.. but.. honestly she is taking up space. The story can 100% proceed without her (so far). Because of that I am going to stream her scenes and remove her (for now). This is totally subject to change if she ends up serving a real purpose. It breaks my heart to make it sound like she is useless, because I don't believe her to be.. but for now it is not her time. So, Kariya, I hope you will forgive me. Your time will come, I believe that.. but for now you need to leave the pages until you can return with a shining purpose.

Masters bound..


With the last semester of my Bachelors degree approaching I have been doing a lot of soul searching. What to Master in?

I considered furthering myself in Psychology (my Bachelors focus) but not to be a therapist. Honestly I could never do that job. I don't think I have the patience (compassion?) to listen to people whine incessantly about First World Problems. Don't misunderstand me, there are people who have genuine problems and I am so glad there are therapists to help them. If I DID continue my Psychology degree I would want to be a Life Coach. I feel like I already do that in so many ways at my present job.

I considered an MBA. I have an Associates in Business with a focus on Small Business. MBA's are hot in demand and expected to remain so. I would have to have Masters level Accounting and Masters level Economics. No thanks. I know, I know, I always tell people to face fear and conquer it.. but this is not just average fear, I know my capabilities and I barely got out of Economics and Accounting (1 and 2!) at the undergrad level - Grad level will slay me. So I find this a logical decision.

I love my job. With a passion. I have never in my life loved a job the way I love this one. I have a purpose. I make a difference (at least I think I do!) I am hands on with college students. I feel (Cue the corny music) like I found my calling. So what can I do with my educational future to support my current job? Well it just so happens that there are such things as Masters programs in Student Affairs (Student Services, depending on the college). A Masters degree that ties into my job?! It's perfect.

Will I be as marketable as I will be with an MBA? Nope. Will I be happier continuing this path of fulfilled happiness than I would be if I ventured off into another one of material paychecks? Yep.

I'm not trying to say I don't like a good paycheck. I like things. And I love conventions. So yes, please pay me! But I will absolutely get work in the Student Services field with this degree and the experience I already have. I really think I will be a happy person with this decision.

A load is off my shoulders now. I see the path before me. It isn't full of golden leaves and diamond sidewalks, but it is full of joy and fulfillment. I choose happiness. I hope you will choose your path of happy, (even if for you it's the material stuffs.. be happy!)

keep smiling,
DJ

P.S. If the universe chooses to reward me with happiness AND money I will certainly not complain! Just sayin.

Tuesday, June 5, 2012

How to meet and woo a nerd girl.

Here is something I shared with the world about 3 years ago. I DID NOT WRITE  ANYTHING EXCEPT WHAT IS IN BOLD. Can anyone tip me back to the source? I cannot find it in my notes. Again, I did not write this wonderful article! Though I must say I agree with a huge majority of it! 
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'


I stumbled across this on the net.  I think all men (and women!) should take notice.  My personal favs are 4, 6, 10, 11 and for the love of all that is holy, numbers 7 and 9.  Seriously.. numbers 7 and 9.  

Wednesday, June 24, 2009
How to Meet and Woo a Nerdy Girl
Recently, I’ve noticed a lot of folks coming to The Park Bench after Googling “how do I meet a nerdy girl?” Hopefully, this is not the manifestation of some creepy new human trafficking trend but instead is the result of more people wanting to find and date the nerdy woman of their dreams. With that in mind, I offer the following tips:

Tip #1: Know where to look.

The number one thing to know about nerdy girls -- they're probably not going to be doing body shots at the local sports bar on a Friday night. If they're out partying, it's over a micro-brewed pale ale in the quiet corner of their local hole-in-the-wall watering hole. Other good places to spot nerdy women: libraries, bookstores, used bookstores, any other place with books you can think of, comic book stores, knitting stores, craft stores, sitting in the park...reading a book, the local cat fanciers convention, at a midnight showing of "Alien" or in their living rooms, watching "Firefly" again.

Tip #2: It helps to look like this guy: ((these are clearly dead links. I don't even recall who the guys were in the pic.))

On the other hand, it helps to look like this guy too:

You're pretty much good either way.

Tip #3: Read lots of books.

Here’s the brutal truth: the nerd girl of your dreams is a brainiac. She’s going to know a lot of stuff about a lot of stuff. You’re going to need to study up -- none of that sitting at the coffee shop with an unread copy of “The Waste Land” in your hand, trying to impress the shallow ladies. Your nerd girl will check to make sure that the spine on the book is cracked and cracked good. She likely also will ask you to compare “The Waste Land” to “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock.” If you have to resort to Cliff's Notes, do it surreptitiously. It’s like getting a butt implant – the nerd girls will know you’re faking it.

Tip #4: Don’t slack off on your video game skills.

One of the prime perks of dating a nerdy woman is that she will not yell at you for playing video games rather than, say, going shoe shopping with her. In fact, she likely will sit down next to you and pick up a controller. Here’s the thing though: she’s probably good at whatever game you’re playing so you better be good at it too. Whether it’s Mario Kart or Tiger Woods Golf or the bloody carnage of Grand Theft Auto, she will show no mercy. Practice, practice, practice!

Tip #5: Listen to NPR. (debatable)

Nerd girls like to stay up to date on their current events…and they like to do it with the dulcet, sometimes somnolent tones of NPR broadcasters. Beware, though, of the onset of NPR depression which stems from listening to so much news and sad stories about flooding in Nova Scotia or the inequities facing migrant workers that you become convinced the world is doomed and there’s no use leaving your house in the morning. This will put a damper on your dating. However, this prevalent disease also will give you an out if you've had to slack off on your NPR duties – just say, “I had to take an NPR break. Sometimes it makes me sad.” This serves two purposes: it gets you off the hook AND it makes you look sensitive. Bonus!

Tip #6: Be interesting.

Whereas a lot of ladies want you to be rich, nerdy women just want you to be interesting. Do you have a comic book collection that spans decades and rests in a vault somewhere untouched by human hands? That’s kinda cool. Are you learning how to do animation so you can one day post the adventures of a hobo cat online? That’s kinda cool too. Maybe you build houses for the poor on weekends or spend an afternoon teaching creative writing to high school kids? Awesome and more awesome. It doesn't matter what you do, just do it well.

Tip #7: Know your pop culture references.

Know the complete works of the Nerd Holy Trinity: Joss Whedon, J.J. Abrams and Peter Jackson. Know that Nathan Fillion will always be on your girl’s “freebie” list. When she goes to church and thanks God that Robert Downey Jr. survived the 1980s so he could play Iron Man, say “Amen” right alongside her. And for the love of all that is sacred and holy, do not EVER get “Star Wars” and “Star Trek” confused: one has Wookiees, one has Shatner, it’s not that hard.

Tip #8: Compliment her by saying, “You remind me so much of Liz Lemon.”

This is truly the highest form of flattery for just about any nerdy woman. Liz Lemon is our patron saint. Her inability to wear high heels, keep food off her face or refrain from making penis jokes while holding a tower made of Legos in her hands makes us reflect fondly on our own quirks. We love her…and you should too.

Tip #9: Embrace her collectibles.

That is not a euphemism for something pervy. It’s just a fact. When you walk into her apartment for the first time and notice a glass cabinet filled with a miniature TARDIS, a sombrero-wearing Giles, a 17-inch Han Solo and a two-foot long replica of the Enterprise NCC-1701-D, do not say, “What the hell is all this stuff?” Instead say, “What the hell? Why don’t you have MORE of this stuff? And may I mail order something for you?”

Tip #10: Be willing to go to conventions.

It’s just a thing we do. Relax and embrace it…and know that nine times out of ten, you’ll catch a glimpse of some nubile young woman dressed as a Princess Leia slave girl. It’s what the universe does to reward patience of our significant others.

Tip #11: Know what to do in a zombie attack.

We've been practicing for this one for a long time. We don't want to have to leave you behind.

Well, that about covers it. Congratulations on taking your first steps on the road to nerd girl nirvana. Know that you have selected the finest kind of woman possible. Way to go, champ!

Sunday, May 27, 2012

Books..

I just finished Divergent and let me go on record as saying I loved it! I cannot wait to read book 2 in the trilogy. I will wait though, until after lunch.

I find myself typically liking what the majority of my reader friends like. I'd like to think it is not a sheep mentality, but rather having a set of friends with similar tastes - that is something that makes people friends right? Similar tastes?

One of the books I am struggling with right now is City of Bones from the Mortal Instruments series. I really want to like it! I have been reading it for months now. It just can't hold me. I read it when I have nothing else to read. When there is something else, City of Bones gets put on the back burner. I really want to feel more engaged with the characters. I like some of the City of Bones characters well enough but just.. I don't know - I feel like it is lacking something. What though? How can I get more engaged with the characters so I WANT to keep reading it?

Let me back track a little. Sometimes love stories drive books. And if done right it is totally okay. Matched (from the trilogy that I cannot wait for book 3 to arrive already!)  is a story that shows us the love story is key to the plot, BUT it is not a desperate set of characters who control and manipulate each other. They are strong independent people who love each other in healthy ways. Passionate and strong characters drive the story in a way that you don't feel trapped in a 12 year olds warped fairytale. Does that make more sense?

Anyhow, I just had some thoughts to share. I know we all read differently (and I know some of my friends really like Twilight - and you guys know where I stand so this is no surprise to anyone.) and I am glad we are not clones of each other. But.. what can I do about City of Bones? Any tips? Do they get more exciting as they go because let's be honest - Goblet of Fire was WAY MORE exciting than Sorcerers Stone.

Edit: I take back everything I said! I am SO ENGAGED NOW! So glad I stuck it out because I am completely and totally addicted now. And can we please talk about how awesome Magnus is? Holy cow!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

A New Hope (I'm not so good with the puns.. but you will understand soon)

So you know how much I love charity thingees. You may also recall that for about 3(ish) years I have been screaming "Save the Lars Homestead!" all over Twitter and my old journal -  and then when the project came to fruition I donated to that amazing cause. Now those 2 worlds collide.

A gentleman who I have seen around the Lars Homestead group is getting together funds to have a C-3PO costume. With this he plans to visit children in hospitals. I want you to imagine a sick child getting a visit by 3PO. Yeah, I got misty eyed too. And I got paid this week and decided to skip a trip to Wasabi and donate to this. I think things like this are important. Even a Pound (Did I mention that he is in Europe?) makes a difference. Skip a latte and drop $5 his way. Some day the kids will benefit.

Here is his blog. Check him out.


Tee-Threepio: Human Cyborg Relations: "Oh, yes, that's very good, I like that... Oh! ": Tonight's update ends the weekend on a positive note, which is great because I was getting worried that no donations would come in this week...

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Help?

Interwebz: What is the safest (freeist!) "cloud" place to (digitally) store my editing so I can access anywhere I have internet?

Saturday, March 31, 2012

It's raining sideways...

But I think I will head out anyway. We have a new yogurt shop in town (that is HUGE news in this place) called Mochi. My friends from around the globe who have a Mochi say it is really good. The grand opening is today so I think it's a good day.

I've all sorts of things I want to blog about - deep, shallow, and stuff inbetween.. but my mind is too scattered. Even my March Favs for The Lipstuff Blog is very very slow writing today. Maybe I just need to pop in Dance Central and get my groove on. After Mochi of course.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

3 little words...

I think most of us live in reverse. Do. Have. Be. but we should actually  Be. Do. Have. I have felt this way for a while but wasn't sure how to put it into such simple words.. A seminar/workshop I attended Thursday night gave me the words. 

See, we do things so we can have things so we can be things. 

Shouldn't we be the things we want to be so we can do the things we want to do so we can have the things that are far greater things than anything we imagined?

Maybe if we transcend the Do. Have. Be. and become the Be. Do. Have. people, then maybe things will make more sense. Even if it doesn't make more sense, I have a feeling we will be much happier. 

I put Be. first many years ago (almost a decade now!) and I have just never been a happier person. I am certainly not the person I ever imagined I would be.. but I am happy. That means everything. 

I was trying to do Be. Have. Do. but I think I am gonna rearrange to Be. Do. Have. I bet everything else falls into place. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

I'm sorry it's over, I celebrate the beauty while it lasted.

Why do we say that an 11 year marriage that is now ending is a failure? Why is it? Shouldn’t we celebrate the 11 years of love? Eleven years of making smiles and laughter. Eleven years of making love. Eleven years of sharing your dreams and fears with someone else. Eleven years of raising children to be the best people they can be. Christmas’s, birthdays, trips to Disney.. these things are not failures. These things are wonderful! So it’s over now.. it was amazing while it lasted. Your cake will be gone in 6 bites. Should you not even take a bite at all? Of course not! You eat those bites, savor them, and be grateful you had the experience. So when people get divorced (or separated if they were never married) quit judging the entire time as a failure or a waste of time. A 72 hour marriage is a failure. Hell a 72 day marriage is a failure.. but 11 years? I say that was a success. The pressure to be in it for life (or else you fail) is too much pressure. What is that expression? “Just because you know the song will end doesn’t mean you shouldn’t dance.” An eleven year dance is a beautiful thing.

(Note: of course you are allowed to grieve for the couple and they are fully allowed to grieve the end of a beautiful thing. But it is NOT a failure. They are not failures. That is all.) 

Where do you see yourself in 5 years?

“Where do you see yourself in 5 years?” I always answer with the same thing – a published author. That is where I see myself. Well, at least part of where I see myself. Oh sure, I want the big house, the dreamy vacations, and all those other fun things.. but I have an ever bigger idea.

But first - Where do I see myself today? I could talk about how we have more people than bedrooms in the house. How my son has outgrown the backseat of my tiny truck. My son gets allergies so bad he is nearly bedridden twice a year. Or how I’m still struggling through full time University while working full time and running a blog and editing my novel, etc etc etc. but that’s not how I see myself at all. I see myself with a house, a good house. I see myself with a truck that I know will run when I turn it on in the morning. It even has reverse (yep, drove a car without reverse for 6 months when I was 27!) My kids are healthy, save for seasonal allergies (which are not life threatening). I am lucky enough to have a job, a good job that I absolutely love (with a desk and a lamp!) I am very lucky enough to be one semester away from my bachelor’s degree.  My novels never leave me, even when I don’t have time to devote to them..they never leave me.

See, I have lived on all ends of the luxury spectrum. I have lived in a homeless shelter with a 2 month old baby. I have eaten nothing but biscuits for more time than I can count. Then again, I have had cash to toss out and take a vacation without saving. I have bought grand gifts for Christmas. I have also been too poor to afford Christmas cards, let alone any gifts. I have had the most amazing friends a woman could dream of. I have lost friends to the cancer beast. I have lost friends because of other reasons I won’t get into. I have fallen in love so hard I got dizzy. I have had my heart shattered into so many fragments I was sure I would never recover. I have barely passed my way through high school. I have excelled my way through college.

The thing I have learned is that life happens to us no matter how hard we plan. 17 year old me would be shocked at what all we haven’t accomplished yet. 17 year old me would also be shocked at what all we have accomplished so far. Life is going to happen whether you plan for the good or the bad. You don’t get to choose those things. What you do get to choose is appreciating the daily things that you have. You have every right to relish the things you have right this minute. Sure, you can wish for more things and bigger things – but don’t forget to appreciate the things of today because tomorrow you could have so much less.

So where do I see myself in 5 years? Wherever the universe wants me to be.  Each day has a purpose and I won’t waste today trying to get to tomorrow. Tomorrow will come regardless. 

Monday, March 12, 2012

Bloglovin

I'm adding my personal blog, as well as The Lipstuff Blog, to Bloglovin. It's a convenient place to get the blogs you follow (from all over the web!) into one convenient place. I've only been using it today but I am a fan so far!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Saturday, March 10, 2012

I PASSED!!!!

No more sweating Statistics and Research II. I passed! I even passed with a C+. I never thought I'd be so stoked about a C but I totally am. Now I can relax a little. I have 6 more classes to go but they aren't Statistics and Research!

Monday, March 5, 2012

To pass or not to pass... that is the question..

The semester ended yesterday. I am stressing hard about Statistics and Research. I got a B in Statistics and Research 1, but I don’t know if I will be so lucky in Statistics and Research 2. Honestly I am hoping I pull out a C. That will be a damn miracle. Grades come out Wednesday. I will be super stressed until then.

I know I shouldn’t stress about it. It is what it is. I cannot change the grade at this point in the game. Why stress? Stress does me no good at all. None. But I am not so stressed about the grade itself – the grade is just the factor. I am stressed about knowing whether or not I have to repeat it. Of course I am really hoping I passed with a C and can continue moving along. But if I didn’t get atleast a C.. I will have to retake it. It is taught once a year. That means next year. Ugh. It would so delay my graduation. That is why I am stressed. I need to know the gameplan.

Anywho.. that’s my current issue. 

Wednesday, February 15, 2012

Megacon!!!!!

Megacon is this weekend. I am stoked. I love conventions!!! This will be a little different for me. I will not be costuming. I know, I know, shocking! The reality is that costuming can take anywhere from 45 minutes (simple Jedi, or Narcissa) to 2 hours (Atris) to get ready. That doesn’t include time to get out of character as well (make up removal, shower, then getting dressed up as yourself!) I have a paper due, a test due, etc. I wish I could tell you I was the person who can get those things done a week or two ahead of time but I’d be lying.

No fears! I wil have tons-o-fun. I love running around in my cool t-shirts too. Some celebs I want to meet will be there (Hello Chris Sabet!!!!) and some I want to see again (Tom Felton, I’m looking at you.) In addition to all that I have 14 students coming along! Most of the Anime Club is able to make this trip and that makes me happy. We are gonna have so much fun. Did I mention we are staying at the Peabody Orlando?

I’ll be taking my new book Oath of Office as well so I can read myself to sleep. I'll also be seeing old friends I only see at conventions (Hi Lupin! Hi Steve! Hi Maya-chan! Hi everyone else who is too many to mention!)  And missing friends who used to come but have sense moved away (I miss you Celine!!)

I’ll be tweeting and Facebooking pics, have no worries there. It’ll almost be like you guys are with me! Speaking of which, will any of you ACTUALLY be there with me? If so, find me and say hello!! 

Don't Forget To Be Awesome, and Be Excellent To Each Other, and May The Force Be With You!
DJ/ Darth (now Jedi!) Yume/Cissy/Bulma/WhateverelseYouKnowMeBy

Sunday, February 5, 2012

Michael Palmer has a new book coming! (And there is a CONTEST people!!!!)

Some of you who have known me a long time know I love this man. Some of you new to my life will take pause and wonder, because I don't talk about him much lately. See, I had a passionate love for his novels for a long time and have read almost all of them.. until ... ... one book came along that I despised. I tried. I tried SO HARD to love it. But I didn't. I wanted to. I couldn't. So I gave up about 1/3 of the way in and walked away from it, broken hearted. And for some reason I let it get to me far more than it should have. I was not being a very good fan. Sometimes we get disappointed, but if we are always, otherwise, thrilled with the author, why would we turn our backs? I have no excuse. And now I feel so bad for it. But he has a new book coming and I AM EXCITED!!! I mean, like super excited!!! It's almost like falling in love again. I haven't even read the book yet and I am bouncing off the walls!

Confession: One of his characters stays with me so hard that every single time I write a new character of my own, I recall something about Jessie. Jessie, a neurosurgeon, always kept a gameboy in her labcoat pocket. She would get stressed, go hide somewhere, whip it out, and play. I remember thinking that A) made her super cool, B) it was a great quirk while really helped bring her to life. And I always think of her when I see someone playing Tetris. I (almost) always think of her when I am writing.

But really almost everything by him is really good. Don't let my first paragraph deter you. HE IS AWESOME!

In related news, the awesome book blogger Ems is having a contest to give away a SIGNED COPY of the new novel! OH EMM GEE! If you want to enter, you totally should. This is huge. And amazing. And it's MICHAEL FREAKING PALMER!

Tuesday, January 24, 2012

My baby sister...

My baby sister turned 40 today. I went to Atlanta (technically a suburb, but you get the point) over the weekend to celebrate. I gave her a Spock cookie jar. (The detail is amazing!) I meant to write a lot of little notes about childhood memories but I a) Didn't have time b) didn't want to take him out of the shipping box for fear he might break in transit. Still, looking at my baby sister I see the woman she is now, but I also see the little girl who ran around in her Garfield night shirt and pretended to be Dyna Girl to my Electro Woman.

I love her.

1976 with Mom

1987 Halloween

1988 Debbies graduation


Early 2000's
2004 cruise

2009

2010
2011 pirates on the Disney Cruise

Tuesday, January 10, 2012

John Green did something I hope I never forget..

He spent 12 hours a day, 7 days a week, for a month signing pages to go into his new novel The Fault In Our Stars. I sort of wondered why he did this. I watched his progress through his vlogs, tweets, blogs, and other social media venues. John even got his brother Hank involved. Hank is basically as popular as John in the social media. Hank took some of the sheets John autographed and drew little angler fish on them and dubbed them Hanklerfish. I digress.

So recently I found out why John went to the trouble of pre-signing all these papers for so long. I mean seriously - imagine how many Sharpies he went through! How many hand cramps he had! How many times his eyes must have crossed. I am glad his name is short John Green and not long like Rumpleclothesfromnosleep Vegetabletsandwichdude.

Anyhow.. John Green did this because he knows he can't go on tour everywhere. He only tours to major cities usually. And even if he toured to small cities, he can't hit every single one. And John Green wanted people to have the chance to get an autographed copy. He wanted ~everyone~ to have a chance. That includes me, here, in my town that doesn't even have a book store.

Thank you John Green. I hope when I become famous like you that I will remember to give everyone a chance too. People in small towns don't get book tours. People in small towns without book stores are drowning in desperate need of connections to the world of literature.

Side note: I really would love to get a Hanklerfish. But if another Nerdfighter needs it more than I do, I'll sacrifice my fish.



Edit @ 7:02 p.m.: My book arrived! I did not get the Hanklerfish but I did John Greens signature in a green sharpie! Ya know what? That is a score! I am happy. I'm also putting my current read on hold so I can go through this book. I've been waiting a long time to read it! DFTBA!!

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

2012 is going to be amazing. I can feel it in my bones!

2011 was a year of transition for a lot of people I know. Professionally, emotionally, relationshipy. 2012 is the year things will happen. We (as a collective whole) will live up to the dreams we talk about. We will reach out for those goals. We will find peace in ourselves that nobody else can give us. We will connect as people and build each other up instead of tearing each other down. This is gonna happen in my world. I hope you'll be a part of it.