The Future !!!

(suddenly I want to read Tom Swift...)

Anyhoo, someone emailed me today and jogged something. They said, (and who doesn't say this) "who knows what the future holds".

Amen.

If I told myself 5 yrs ago where I would be today, I would laugh hysterically. And likewise had I told myself 5 years before that where I'd be in 5 yrs or what would be happening in my life, I'd tell myself to shut up. So where will I be in five years from now?!

A long time ago I read something about time capsules and future selves etc. Meaning you write yourself a letter and put it away. Or you can get with the times and email your future self if you really want to be nerdy. It's an actual lesson in goal setting for some people, writing on New Year's (or another significant date like a birthday) to yourself the following year or later what you want for yourself or where you'd like to be, have, know, experience or learn.

Some people write themselves in MUCH later stages of life, such as You at retirement. Or You at 80 or older. Can you imagine?! How wild would that be. Hey old lady, I'm on my laptop writing you listening to music online on my headphones. My future self will erupt in laughter at the old feeble technology used and what I did with my time at this point in my life =)

Plus with new year's almost here I always like to contemplate new beginnings and fresh starts, plans and goals. If I can, I like to get a head start on some resolutions. I have a pretty clear image of 3 specific things I'd like, all of which I'm already working on in varying stages of progress.

Pretty confident next year will be better than this. Positive, actually. And holymother, is it time !

Flashback night. Creative. What is an artist? Listening to my old Sinead O'Connor songs from her Emperor Has No Clothes CD. Dunno why. Poetic. Tragic. I think I owned her cd almost 20 yrs ago now. Great cd though- I recall every song, remember singing along with every one of them. I guess I love that artistic, passionate style. Like Bjork. But shhh, it's oh so quiet. You're all alone. And so peaceful until... (*screams*) possibly maybe something happens. Artists are awesome people. They describe themselves through their work. Their mental space. Their angst. Their thoughts, What an amazing capacity we have.
Starve we may- financially perhaps. Mentally, never. Always well fed in that respect. Sobeit.

It's so weird. The things I miss most from home. The places I'd go to, the spots I can picture so clearly no matter how much time passes. Today I kept thinking about how I'd love to be able to go sit in the Wildcat Grill and just soak in the view of the surrounding, majestic and huge mountains. I could see that mountain as clear as day in my mind's eye. God, I miss them. There's something so comforting about mountains. Humbling being next to them. Feeling so small and human next to this profoundly large peak of granite, limestone and whatever else runs through it's literal veins. I so love Agassiz. It's such a phenomenal place. No matter what direction you stand, you see huge mountains. Just a few minutes down the road you can enjoy Harrison, which has great shops, a cozy small town feel but literally everyone goes there. Visitors are there ALL the time. In the summer at peak visitor season you can just as easily overhear an English conversation, as an Asian or European one. Ah, I miss it =( I guess it becomes more and more real to me the more the tmperature drops here! That's when it hits me.
And having had someone here from home recently reminds me too. She gets to return; I stay. Kind of sad. So I told her to go visit places I would like to for me. I said go to Elisabeth's Chalet in Cloverdale for me. 100% THE BEST service I have ever experienced in my life, I told her. The owners (who must be in their 70s or 80s, no lie) are fantastic hosts. Amazing service. And I note things like that when I go out (sadly lol!!) I watch how people work, I evaluate them (nerd). Anyhoo, these people used to own a few popular eateries in Langley and Abbotsford. They've been in the business for years. The Olde Country Inn in Langley, Josef's in Abbotsford- they have had (and sold) successful restaurants. Elisabeth's is amazing though. Costs the same as The Keg, but in an intimate (some say cramped) Austrian chalet retaurant with polka music (*grins*). Servers are well dressed in bow ties, cummerbund and suits; tables are suited with linens and china. It's just plan NICE. And staff are ATTENTIVE. If the owners are there you are literally welcomed in as though you were a relative. They thank you for coming; they FIND you a seat. Oh yeah, the food- they have food =) It's good. Very good. Anyways I'm done gushing.
Besides I have other places to mention like Lou's Grill in Abbotsford, The Rendezvous ( best Greek food EVER) and the Bedford House.
Okay, whatever, sometimes I'd just rather be home.
And then I think, well- I'm not. And I'm not going to be there for a while. Probably years. And something that has become increasingly clear to me is that there are people here who need me. People that feel I'm making a difference for them. Today I had someone have a moment and in that moment they called for me. They specifically needed MY help. I had two other people tell me I was special and that they appreciated me. Yesterday I had someone say hey you matter and it would suck if you went somewhere. Sometimes I lose sight of the fact that I am that person to other people.
It's a good thing. And it's important.

FULL MOON IN GEMINI

December 1-2...
(from Astro Dispatch)

"There is a lot of energy packed into this Full Moon in Gemini!

When the Moon is full, the Sun and Moon are opposite each other from our perspective on earth, and the lunar light is allowed to shine without being hidden from the Sun’s light which is usually more powerful. Because the Moon represents the dark and the unknown- the mysterious emotional depths that are often hidden even from ourselves - the time of the Full Moon illuminates our inner hearts in a way that is not otherwise often experienced.

This Full Moon is in Gemini, the sign of communication, changeability, short trips, and anything of a mercurial nature, and Mercury, the planet of communication and the mind that is the ruler of Gemini, is very active in the chart of this Full Moon. Mercury is in a challenging square to Uranus, the planet of radical thinking and change, so there is a tendency towards impulsive thinking and hasty speech as well as a heightened sensitivity of the nervous system. Don’t be surprised by emotional outbursts of all kinds, and those of us with anxious natures may find ourselves with a case of the jitters.

Uranus has just changed direction, so it’s influence is stronger than usual. Uranus inspires innovation and change, and can bring about sudden and surprising events that turn our world around. There is also the danger of accidents and equipment failures under this influence.

At the Gemini Full Moon, the Sun is in the opposite sign of Sagittarius and there is a necessity to balance the search for the one Truth (Sagittarius) with an embrace of many ideas (Gemini). During this period we have a unique opportunity to create change and become more adaptable to new ideas and new ways of living our life; to learn the inner strength that an increase in flexibility can offer us.

Because Gemini is so oriented towards communication and the sharing of experiences, this is a wonderful time to bring people together to share new ideas and to learn more about each other."

SOAPBOX MOMENT ...yup, i knew orientated was the wrong word. Saw it used recently and thought it might not be right. Apparently only Brits and Aussies use them interchangably. In North America we say oriented. Thank you. That is all.

Over the years I've read soooo many books and blogs and magazines about investing. I think I started around 2001 ish. I actually read Louise Hay How To Heal Your Life AND the Rich Dad books at the same time which is interesting. I say that because so MUCH of how we PERCEIVE money or abundance is RELATED to how we FEEL and the beliefs we create. If we're in a crappy space or depressed or feel limited in some way, then so we are. You know that old saying, "you get what you give". Fully applicable to income. While recently completing the Prosperity Experiment in September- October the whole PREMISE of the program was to recognize how participants FELT when confronted with various statements about money and income. Brought out some really clarifying realizations for people that they themselves are not seeing the opportunities and abundance around them (*points at self* knows she isn't innocent here*) or seeing the big picture or causing or allowing self limiting beliefs.

Must've been around 2004 or 05 that I found franchise websites like Be The Boss.ca and Canada Franchise Opportunities.com. So exciting to find out you can purchase a Subway franchise for a nominal investment of $50-100,000. Oh, don't think that's expensive- what do they generate? Depending on location and demand (um, open next to a highschool, hellooo?!) you're looking at good coin. I see locally that a WOK BOX just opened in our area- another franchise requiring more capital (200-500K to get in) I think whatever you get in to you need to know your neighbourhood, the shopping trends, their habits, their likes and dislikes. You need to know your audience, have a realistic expectation of profit and invest your time doing your homework before you get into it.


Personally I'm starting with real estate but long term I'd like to expand into other venues. I was just talking to someone the other day about getting into an investment club with other like minded people. The best advice you can get is from others who have been there, done that. I know some investment clubs that also POOL their financial resources (*not me, too scary at this point*) to invest in larger transactions. Having said the whole "not me, not now" thing, in the FUTURE when I have financial legs to stand on, I would WELCOME the opportunity to work with others. I think it would be stupid to turn away opportunity. Yes, of COURSE you would need a lawyer on tap when monies are co-mingling, but hey- with 3 established investors you could own a McDonalds franchise. No small fries there (sorry, couldn't resist...) Costs a pretty penny to open those with 300K in CASH required plus further equity and financing...

Whatever you DO get into you must believe in it, have passion for it, and talk about it like it's one of your own kids. You have to invest in something that you are passionate about. Something you LOVE to talk about. A place you LOVE to eat. A thing you LOVE to do. A product you CANNOT live without.
That is the holy grail.
Doing something with purpose that you love, for life, that rewards you.

Pretty big day today, but I waded through it. And the nice part of the day was not one, but two meaningful conversations that I found myself in and thoroughly enjoying. And totally unrelated...!
Yno what interests me and keeps me continually looking forward? Not what I do during the day. It's what I do and who I am outside of that space. The "outside of the box" places; the parts of my day that speak to those other parts of my brain. That's where I like to live and explore.
Over everything else, I value my interactions with people most. And the best ones are the one on one hey who are you and what matters to you talks. Those are my favorites. I hate isolation. I hate stale, mundane, mechanical, sterile routine. Hate it.
I considered momentarily quite a few years ago continuing with my education. Just another 4 years full time to complete the 2 yrs left on my degree and take a 2 yr post graduate art therapy program. Just 4 years, full time. And the thought of that was too much for me. How does anyone ditch life and hit school full time?! So I shelved it and went with the flow. I ended up instead learning early childhood education, and qualified myself to run a daycare (no word of a lie). Which came in handy in soooooo many ways =) none dealing with children, other than those that were grown.
But that education was in line with my interests.
I like to know what makes people tick.
I like to know why Big Kids act how they act.
I want to know who they are, why they are what they are.
And where they are.
What is their story?
Those are things I want to know.
=)

My name is Holymotherofgod and I am addicted to online contests, sweepstakes and prize giveaways...!!

I'm probably asking for marketing phonecalls, junk mail in mass amounts and email spam. But I'm prepared to take that in exchange for the CHANCE to win things. I figure you don't win unless you ENTER. And if you enter MORE things, then your chances also improve, right? The Universe won't GIVE you things unless you GET IT OUT THERE so let's go for it.

I've entered to win little things like jackets and hair care products to a $50,000 kitchen makeover or $10,000 pay off your MasterCard sweepstakes. I'd be good with winning anything!!

If you are into this stuff, I'd encourage you to wander through the pages and pages and pages of contests at regflagdeals (which has a pile of other good stuff on the site like various FREEBIES you can get, coupons, forums about low interest credit cards and such) Redflag is much like smartcanucks which is another great site for stuff like this. Check it out if you feel inclined; and good luck to you if you do =)

Sears Granting Wishes

So I go to my sister's blog this morning and she tags for for an award for HONEST BLOGGING!

THANK YOU !!!!

I go to reply to her post, and what is the word verification?!

BLESS

Seriously, I had to alt print screen it so I could PROVE that it happened! WHOA!!!
Again with the synchro action !! I'm going to try to play this award out and pass it on to other bloggers. Here's the rules:

“When you receive the prize you must write a post showing it, together with the name of who has given it to you, and link them back. Choose blogs that you find brilliant in their content or design. Show their names and links and leave them a comment informing they were prized with ‘Honest Blog’. List [if you can and/or dare] at least ten honest things about yourself. And then, pass it on.”

Oh, I'm normally more honest than I ever need to be. All the time. People know I'm sure far more than they wanted. I'm that lady on the bus that turns to the person next to them and shares life experiences with strangers for no apparent reason LOL....!! Just ten things you say?!!

Alrighty :

1. I'm so emotional it's retarded. (Some of you know this!) I cry at some tv commercials.

2. I am still trying to wean myself off the "IF IT'S FREE THEN IT'S FOR ME" mantra or keeping things for "that time I need it". I hate it when useful things get thrown out. You never know when you might need that scrap piece of wood which might become a shelf, extra cable wire or 300 feet of garden hose. Dammit, just STORE it somewhere!!

3. I am the oldest of 3 and like my sister said for the past 3 generations it's been girl girl boy in our family on mom's side which according to science is a fluke. My sister and brother have not completed the trend; so far, sister has boy girl and brother has boy boy.

4. I stress out REALLY easily. I get Chicken Little over stupid things, and as much as I know it, I have a hard time chilling out. My active synapses mull over, review, contemplate, factor in, revisit, rehash, chew up and spit out every bloody thing that could or might go wrong JUST in case it does so that our delicate balance of a psyche is prepared for the sky to fall. Rarely does though. Just low lying cloud cover at times that APPEARS as a fallen sky =)

5. I love classical music and choral ensembles. Most nights I come home, turn on the laptop, put on the headphones and listen to it while I read some blogs. It's my decompression time. Sometimes I listen to weird meditation music to get in the zone. If I'm really bothered by something I journal it out, mostly so i can go back later and read what I said and see that what I thought might happen did or didn't manifest the way I figured.

6. I paint and draw but only when I feel like doing it. I had a hard time with this talent growing up. It pissed me off every time people asked me to DO something for them with it, like it was theirs to borrow from me. Like my abilities were at everyone's disposal. All the time people would ask me "can you draw this for me", "can you just make a card for me..." "can you draw me a cat"... oh EFF OFF! So now I just do it when it strikes me, because I want to do it, for me.

7. I love love love humor. I can't imagine being unable to see humor in things. I find way too many things hilarious. Things that ought not BE hilarious really, REALLY are =) I find ways every day to amuse myself. If I didn't I would have to throw myself under a bus because what the hell would be the point of all of this?!

8. I am a huge nature lover and omg my eyeballs miss the ocean, the mountains and the trees. Yeah, there are trees here. Little elms everywhere. Not towering pines or douglas fir. Yeah there's water here. No, it isn't the Pacific. I love beach combing, sand dollars, feet in the sand in the summer, seaweed, air mattresses, fishing and picnics. Thems good times.

9. I try, whenever I can, to give back. I used to have a small community of charities I gave to but had to cut back to afford my own life. But I truly believe in the whole give and receive philosophy. You cannot and will not receive until you give. If this makes sense, I like to give in the way that I would like to receive. And there are times you will be on either side of that fence- either the giver or the receiver. This yr's been hard being the receiver; I'd much prefer to be the giver, especially when you're in a position that you have to receive. I much prefer being able to give. It makes me feel good to give money, clothes and donations to organizations that need them. I always wanted to have a semi retirement plan of running sort of a second hand store but selling reclaimed, artistically re-created items. I think it would marry all of my ideals.

10. Lastly, I am blessed. I live in the most affluent part of the world where our biggest concerns are rather ridiculous, compared to when the next meal is coming or where to live safely. I am well fed, well dressed, in a great home, with great people around me, lovely things, I am healthy, safe and sometimes well-balanced. I lose sight of these things sometimes as I'm sure we all do. Which is why this is a good thing to do, this 10 things.

I will now pass on the torch to some peeps that represent. And the award goes to, in no particular order... :

1. SPIRITUAL BUSINESS
2. HAYLEE
3. SUSANNE
4. The Spiritual Goddess (to encourage her to blog, ahem)
5. Fickle in Pink
6. NINE PEAS
7. ALEESHA
8. KRISTI MUMBY MUCK

Good luck everyone!

I absolutely have to share this with you.

I got an email tonight from MARION PECK (well, actually from Sloan Fine Art) with an offer to purchase one of these 40 limited giclee prints signed and numbered by the artist. I so wish I had the money to purchase one !

I first found Marion's works via a book called WONDERTOONEL - a compilation of artworks by fellow artist Mark Ryden. He does amazing, amazing, amazing work also and I strongly encourage you to explore these artists and their links.

And if you have 500 bucks burning a hole in your pocket, pick up this limited edition print and hang it in your front foyer to welcome guests. It creates an immediate mood and impression =)

Saturday I received a gift.

A friend emailed and said hey, I'm getting back in touch with this certain kind of reflexology. While I'm "re-learning" it, I'll practice on you for free. If you're interested, email me.

I've never, ever had reflexology done. And free is GOOD !

So I said ABSOLUTELY.

It was a great experience. I felt things in my feet I didn't know I would or COULD feel. My arms went numb at one point! It was two hours of good time, spent "undoing" which was sooo healthy.

Few hours later and boy, was I congested. And the next day? Holymother... I .... could... not... breathe. Almost at all, I was so congested. It was like a major head cold came one instantaneously. Monday morning I even felt a little nauseous as well. I got to work and saw my friend who quizzically asked when this cold came on? I said well no offense, but right after I saw you !!

Apparently reflexology can stimulate your body; if you have any underlying issues, they will come to the surface. You'll detox. It'll all come out. I can now personally attest that she is GOOD at what she does and I got rid of what was in me!!! Still congested actually but not nearly like on the weekend.

Speaking of getting things out, I for sure felt the new moon on Monday and early part of this week. Had some sharp discussions that were brutally honest but words that needed to be said. I was reading Spiritual Business and oddly find myself in synchro with her synchro... for whatever that means! She writes something and it's either something I did or experienced that day or something I thought or dreamt that day. But I find signs like that affirming. The more, the better.

I feel like things are heading into a more positive direction, or they will. From here the only way is up up up!!!

New Moon in Scorpio in about oh.... five minutes or so (just kidding; but it's here PDW) Scorpio itself, like any sign, has it's good points and it's uh.... it's challenges, yeah. (I'm taking a new approach trying to be tactful since I work in close proximity to a small herd of Scorpios. I've read a few blogs about this new moon and I get the sense that this is a BIG ONE. The Scorpio new moon is serious; here's Cafe Astrology's take on it:

A New Moon occurs in the sign of Scorpio tomorrow (Monday) at 2:15 PM EST. This is a time during which we can focus on some of the constructive traits of the sign of the Scorpion--passionate, resourceful, focused, probing, deep, and perceptive--and consider how to positively incorporate these qualities into our lives. Scorpio New Moons are generally good for working on our self-mastery skills. We may want to pinpoint the things in our lives that make us feel out of control, such as addictions and debts, and work on freeing ourselves of these emotional burdens. This New Moon cycle is also an opportune one in which to explore what is missing in our lives that leads us to engage in these self-destructive behaviors. This cycle represents an opportunity to rid ourselves of the "junk" in our lives--material and spiritual. With this potent Scorpio energy, we have the chance to make important changes in our lives. Tomorrow the Moon occupies the intense sign of Scorpio all day. A sextile between Mercury and Saturn comes exact minutes after the day begins tomorrow, and its energies are with us this evening. Finally, it's a good time to get organized, to do detail work, and to prepare for the future. Decisions made now tend to be practical and well thought out. Work done now is more likely to beget tangible results in the future.

8:12am

/cell phone rings

/eyes flutter open- looks at clock. Wtf, are you serious? Who the eff...

/ignores phone

8:34am

/lies there thinking who is dead

/lies there thinking who won the lottery

/can't sleep, DAMMIT! Who WAS that jerk!?

/smoke pours from ears; gets up and goes downstairs to cell phone

"PRIVATE NUMBER"

Hmmm. I see. Someone savvy enough to block their number from appearing when they make random 8am phonecalls to people on weekend mornings because they are inherently EVIL. Who could this be. I know nobody who would dare call me this early on a weekend for no apparent reason. Except one, but Mom would normally leave a message and I *think* knows at this stage in the game that pre-9am? No calls. Thems the rules. Phonecalls are only received in our residence between the 9-9 window. It's universal; it's THE LAW!!!!!!!

8:40am

/feeds herd of cats and lies back down on couch

/contemplates who it may have been that phoned?

/recalls how envious I was of my cousins growing up, in who's home Sunday mornings were religiously sacred and reserved for sleeping in until noon. My mother was always confused about this. I thought it was amazing and good.

8:43am

/cellphone rings again

/leaps up and runs to the phone, catches 2nd ring

"Hello?"

/ladies voice answers me

"Oh, sorry, I must have the wrong number..."

/me, steaming on other end of phone...

"Well, I guess you do."

/slaps phone shut

/back to couch to stew about jerks that phone early for no effing reason. To phone numbers they apparently aren't sure are CORRECT in the first place...?!!

/looking for reasons to STAY UP now that my valuable morning sleepytime has been so rudely interrupted.

I hope that woman had some good important news to tell someone, like how she won the lottery or something. Let's hope. I'd prefer that she have something positive to share with someone at this hour than something negative.

Good luck, Rude Lady! Hope you win!!

...stop the presses, water on the moon?!!

Um, am I missing something?!

Why is there no BREAKING NEWS and sudden newsflashes about how they discovered water on the moon?! Does not all life as we know it stem from the primordial abiogenesis protobiontic soupy water that covered our planet back at The Beginning?! Does not water on the MOON indicate a POTENTIAL for LIFE FORMS then as we know them to have existed (or exist??!!) in some form on the moon then?! ISN'T ANYONE FREAKING OUT OVER THIS?!?!

/pants like Grover when he freaks out (speaking of soup)

One would think you would find bacteria, single cell organisms, things that float in water that turn things into newts... very small rocks. Stuff like that. I guess if the moon weighs the same amount as a duck it could be made of wood, and therefore is a witch and thus holds water and the potential for life.

Absolutely. Yes.

/runs away banging coconuts together with my trusty servant Patsy

YAY, IT'S FRIDAY THE 13th !!

I love these days. I feel like all things good come with the number 13. It's just BETTER and therefore MORE and GOOD than a dozen. It's like the Universe saying wait- if a full load is 12, let me give you just one more so you have MORE than enough! I like that energy =) It's also a dyslexic 31, which is my birthday (inserts halo) which MUST be good. It's the mirror image of that day so even more proof that today is good. There are 13 lunar/moon cycles each year. Oddly just reading Wikipedia and LESS accidents, LESS thefts occur on Friday the 13ths. How interesting!

Let's explore the myth of the number 13 some more... Italy considers 13 a lucky number. In Hindi the number 13 is the word TERAH which means YOURS, connecting to giving and connecting to others through "the Universe", "Source" or "God". Jews say boys become men at 13 and The Torah (most sacred book in the Jewish religion) has 13 Attributes of Mercy. North American culture (and many other areas of the world) see 13 yr olds as teens (the first number to end in -teen) and entering the transition to puberty and adulthood.

Thirteen is good, so there!!

Open Head Brain Surgery

Been doing some work lately on my brain.

A friend of mine steered me a whole ago to a few places. One being The Prosperity Game, which opened a few "Thought Doors". I ended up exploring BYRON KATIE (The Work) which I quite apparently need further "work" on. The epiphany she had in the 80s was that our thoughts create our reality. In her own words ""I discovered that when I believed my thoughts, I suffered, but that when I didn’t believe them, I didn’t suffer, and that this is true for every human being. Freedom is as simple as that. I found that suffering is optional. I found a joy within me that has never disappeared, not for a single moment." If you have a chance to watch her Google videos I found them very, very good and inspiring. Definitely will be an ongoing process for me and I'm sure it is for everyone who chooses to undo their tangled wires.

The full moon is passing overhead; can you feel it? Oy, with the Taurus Moon and money drama! Holymother. Time for a Corona and contemplation =) Beer is such good food. Seriously. AND as long as you accommodate for the 90 calories each beverage contains, you can justify it by... by saying it's full of vitamin B and .... and ... it's like a liquid fiber or something. And it's... made from growing things which must be good... so... whatever, it's mentally fulfilling. SO THERE. I'm hanging steadily at my weight anyways, so have a frickin beer already. I think minus 40 pounds deserves one or four.

Anyhoo, reading my astrology on Susan Miller's Astrology Zone and good Christ I think she checked my bank account when she wrote about it, for real!

Quote for Aries: A shortfall of cash may make you tense as the month opens. At the full moon November 2 you will need to write a large check, and as a result, you may have to delay spending in other areas".

Um, ya think? Well some'll get paid now, some later, waddyado. Tell American Express that it's planetary and I could do nothing about it =) Hopefully I'll get a customer service rep that follows astrology =) Riiiiiight.

Over at stage left, I still manage to pull rags out of a hat and make it work in some way shape or form. I'll be so glad when this year ends though, holymotherofgod alright already. Trauma, drama, call yo' mama, it's SUCKED in the worst effing ways. I keep *trying* to learn that Pollyanna "so many things to be grateful for" thing. Maybe I should try trepanation. Get myself another hole in my head; you can never have too many.

Rather than list what's wrong I'll tell you what I'd LIKE to have happen. Lately as an exercise in daydreaming, I've entered into loads of contests. Trips to New York to meet Michael Buble, trips to Disneyland, vacations for a year- that kind of thing. I'd love to win one of these. Or anything at all right now- I'd take winning a free coffee at Tim Horton's!

I'll take anything. Think I'll start with another beer....

I blame it on the planets.

Ever feel like you're pulling a large rock over your shoulder? With a thread? And you need to pull it, oh- a mile down the road somehow? Seems to be where I'm at some days. I feel like that. A mile away things look GREAT, if I can just get there... to THAT place. Which isn't HERE. And 'that place' feels somewhat unattainable or at least extremely delayed from this perspective. It's not just one particular thing that has me feeling like this, either- it seems to permeate through everything in my life right now. I manage to keep myself motivated with the whole "oooh, that is SO going to kick ASS when we get that boulder moved down the road" thing. I hear that next year is "so going to be my year" and good god, let's hope it is. Let's hope all those planets align and Jupiter showers me freely with gifts and goodies to my hearts content.

Today I figured maybe if I wore a bright color I would feel better, and it did work actually. Bright pink is elevating. I figure tomorrow I'll wear clown shoes and see if that does anything for me. I hate being 'this way' where everything feels so gloomy all the time. I ENJOY feeling good. I LIKE to be up, positive- happy!

In fact I was just discussing with sister the other day about people who have that BIZARRE ability to almost have this naive, stupid-happy attitude in their lives regardless of WHAT goes on in it! And at the risk of stereotyping, we pulled a few examples from our childhood up of women we knew who were Christian (like dedicated believers). They had that total trust that everything would just work out, no matter what. Life was ALWAYS amazing and blessed and wonderful! Shit could be POURING DOWN on them and they would stop and say wow, what a wonderful shit storm this is- I bet EVERYTHING will be fertilized and grow even better! Isn't god amazing?! And I would want to stab them in their eye sockets with something sharp. And punch them in the face. =) But how do you GET to BE like that!?!? Like what are they ON?!? How do you TRUST the process of life THAT MUCH to know, to accept, to LOVE everything that happens, regardless of how much it totally blows?!

/summons Yoda up

Learn this I must! Weird they are, but good the lessons they teach...!

Trick or Treat, Smell my feet

Give Me Something Good To Eat!...(that's lowfat, low sodium, low calorie but tastes like it's high fat, high sodium and high calorie... THERE'S a trick!!!) Fell off the diet wagon on my days off, I will confess. Into a plate of spaghetti and bowl of ice cream with delicious butterscotch sauce. And then pizza and beer. So we were way, waaaaay off the diet. But waddyado, when it gets gray and cold outside and you're reminded daily that you live in Siberia, eh? Plus my gym (pool) membership just expired this week, so I really have to watch what I consume until I renew it... whenever that happens.

Fall Back Daylight Savings is TONIGHT omg YAY! SO GOOD to gain an hour of much needed sleep...!! I bet the ghosts and goblins out there trick or treating are loving that aspect too!

Enjoy your ghostly visitors, peeps- when I get home from work I'll be googling the Giant Pumpkin for a snippet of Charlie Brown. Him and me have live with a similar mindset... Good grief!

I'm a fire sign.

It's why I go through life with a box of matches in my hand lighting things on fire. It's just how I roll. Probably explains the hostility levels to a point =P

Having said this, I get this weekly horoscope emailed to me each week and if I wasn't so thrilled to read THIS :

Every two years, fiery Mars is in Leo for six weeks; however, we have begun a stretch where it will be in Leo for eight months! (In 1994-95, Mars was in Leo for six months; but the last time it was in Leo this long was 1962-63. Do these dates ring a bell, Pavlov?) This week, the Sun and Mercury are in Scorpio, shortly followed by Venus. This is like a reunion of the Hatfields and the McCoys. Not good! The energy of Leo and Scorpio is like mustard and ice cream. In the month ahead, we will be tested! We can be snarky and impatient, or we can flash a Scorpio Julia Roberts' smile or the pearly whites of Leo George Hamilton. (Their teeth must have put their dentists' kids through university.) As an Aries, your ruler is Mars, and you're a Fire Sign. Leo is a Fire Sign. Therefore, while Mars is in Leo for the next 8 months, you'll be magnificently energized! This will also heighten romance, love affairs, vacations, sports, children, and anything to do with the arts. Mars will move forward and backward during this time, which means the energy will change in its style. Nevertheless, it will continue to stir the pot in those areas of your life. But lo! What fist in yonder window shakes? Expect disputes with others about shared property, insurance matters, and inheritances during the next month, while three planets hover in Scorpio. Oh well. With your rising sign in Gemini, During this eight-month sojourn of Mars in Leo, you'll be more assertive, aggressive, and even argumentative because you so strongly identify with your ideas. If others disagree with you, you'll take it personally. The upside is it makes your speech vigorous and convincing. (You'll be irresistible if you're in sales.) It's great news for actors, teachers, writers, salespeople, and even those who drive for a living. You're PowerPoint on steroids! Nevertheless, in the next month, while all this action is going on in Scorpio, expect dissension and disputes in your job, and with lovers, sports activities, and children. You have to pull in your reins a bit. Gently, gently. (At least, for the next month.)

I am so screwed.

Hopelessly hooked on Sons of Anarchy- what an amazing, amazing show. The premise of the show (which airs on FX Networks ) follows a vigilante motorcycle gang in SoCal in a small town. The gang was created years ago by the father of the central character JAX. Dad died leaving his best friend (Clay) in charge of the renegade group. Clay also married the leader's widow, Jax's mother (Katy Sagal of Married with Children fame). At the risk of over simplifying, I liken the show to the Lion King, in that Clay (much like Scar) is the leader of the pack and Simba (son of deceased "good" leader Mufassa) is growing up, seeing what is wrong with the leadership and positions himself over time to assume his rightful position as leader. So this is the motorcycle, grown up, rougher version for adults of the Lion King. And hey, it also takes place in a jungle of sorts =P

Pretty darn popular show, too-
The FX biker drama has been averaging around 4 million viewers all season, but Tuesday's episode — which pulled in 3.7 million viewers to handily win the night among cable channels — was competitive with the major networks in the adults 18-49 demographic. More significantly, Sons' 2.2 rating outperformed both The Jay Leno Show (1.8) and ABC's The Forgotten (2.0) in the demo.

/inserts hearty hand clapping applause for their success!!!***

Gotta tell you who is IN this show, though. Clay is played by Hellboy actor Ron Perlman. (apparently no relation to Rhea Perlman from Cheers by the way but both Aries woot woot). Gemma (Jax's mother) is as mentioned Katey Sagal. Jax is played by Charlie Hunnam, who I actually didn't realize I'd watched before in movies such as Nicholas Nickleby and Green Street Hooligans. Maggie Siff (Jax's love interest) has been seen on Law and Order, Nip & Tuck, Grey's Anatomy and more. I recognized a few of the "gang members" like Kim Coates from Prison Break, CSI & other shows and Tommy Flanagan from his role in Bravehart. Truthfully as someone who really DOESN'T watch many movies I was impressed that I was like, hey I know that guy, and that guy, and her and him... !!! Pretty great collection of professionals. And really great show if you get the chance to watch it, check it out.

It's completing filling my void while I wait for LOST to return and doesn't hurt that sexy Jax and bad boy Sawyer could possibly be related lol!!

My bad!
I must be back at work after vacation; I'm not posting as religiously as I was last week !!!
I have, however, returned to both blogging and the gym... (one hobby having much less aftermath than the other, she says knowingly). Started back on the weights on Sunday night. I did a 45 minute cardio slash weight circuit and knowing I hadn't worked out in oh... five weeks, I worked hard but didn't kill myself. And I'll tell you, on Monday I didn't feel AS BAD as I thought. My pecs were noticably raw feeling, but otherwise my lower body was pretty residual, which surprised me. So of course, this must mean we can do MORE !! (Yes, this is where the story gets ugly...) I spend Monday just doing weany workouts at home- you know, some abs on the floor, some pliat squats- a weany workout. Next day still not much trauma to the lower body, so smart girl says hey, let's go to the gym after work. Wednesday night I hit the gym running on the elliptical. Woo! Look at 'er go! Fifteen minutes later, I transfer over to Station One and put some plates on the leg press and pump it out. Then the hamstrings. Then hey let's walk around the track and do WALKING LUNGES every 50 steps or so while we're walking around! WOO! Then we'll finish with upper body, some abs and we're on our way home. Oh, but wait there chickie. Let's just get through those lunges first. I did two sets of 15 and when I ATTEMPTED the third set?! Oh, well, that's a not go' happen kinda moment. I go halfway down for one lunge and I feel that stiff little tweak in the quad. The feeling of holy crap something is so not good right now hits me. Bad scene! Abort! ABORT!! ABORT MISSION!!! I start jogging feably back to the weight room, stiff legs carrying me the last 20 feet there and I gingerly hop back on the elliptical. Must get blood flow to the area!! Go, go, go!
*sigh*
Anyhoo, it worked and I didn't end up in the emerg after all. But by jezus can I just ONCE do ANYTHING with ANY sort of semblance of MODERATION???!!! Oh, nooooo. Not me. Once I limbered back up & completed the rest of the workout I headed home. Wednesday feelin' it a little but not bad overall. ALMOST opted to take the day off but at 10pm I felt like I needed to do SOMETHING (ok plus I snuck a piece of banana bread at 9pm and knew that would sit there until morning otherwise) so I went for a 50 min walk. At minus 4. Outside. Because I'm hardcore like that. Thursday I could so feel it. Chairs were unkind and unrelenting pieces of furniture to get in and out of. Thursday was a day off FOR SURE!!
=)
On the plus side I feel WAY more energetic, hovering on that damn scale all week at the same weight give or take one measly pound. But it WILL move. And I DO feel better. And that IS the point...!

Woke up with George Michael Kissing a Fool in my head. Total loungey music, but I so love it =) Makes me go all Michael Buble. But as much as I respect Buble's voice, I find his musical choices rather simplistic although this might be at the direction of his agent or label. Likely they want him to sing songs that fans can sing or do karaoke to. More likely to sell his tunes....

New Moon tonight in Libra (hence the picture). New Moons are the beginning of the lunar cycle. This means the moon is completely in line with the sun and the earth. We see a dark sky with no visible moon- this is why it's considered a time of newness and rejuvenation. The new moon is the three days after the new face of the moon and also includes the day of the new face of the moon. Because it's the beginning of a lunar cycle it's energy is thought to assist with new beginnings of any sort, like beauty, health or personal improvement regime or starting new employment. Good timing for my other half. And for me; I need to get back on the horse and hit the gym. ROUTINE, people, I need ROUTINE.. and motivation !!! I'll google some reasons why to work out.

Oh yeah, now I remember. =P

Ha! Twice today I heard SOMETHING about Disneyland. On the radio today there was a commentary about Disneyland and on the computer at work, outta nowhere, there was a Disneyland reference which NEVER happens. So I tell you people, Disneyland and or a vacation of some sort (this or something better) is COMING, ah tell yooo whut!!! Oooh, how EXCITING! Course I promptly came home and entered about 500 online entries for sweepstakes vacations. I look forward to my mailman now sending me POUNDS of junkmail for MORE contests and giveaways, and hey- bring it! I feel POPULAR when this happens! Gosh darn it, people LIKE me !! ... And they're all marketers...!!! Hey, like attracts like... =)

Little bit of tension going around today, I noticed. Seemed to be everywhere and I wasn't the only one that made mention of it. Got home and the littlest cat found herself enjoying a wrestling match with a plastic grocery bag, which was all fun and games until it attacked her back, wrapping itself around her neck and arm which freaked her RIGHT out. We didn't quite know what was going on when an inflated grocery bag ran down the hallway and past our office door. And then flung itself down the stairs. And ran through the living room. And down the basement stairs at which point I was in full action chasing this poor, trapped and startled animal (and her plastic parachute) down 2 flights of stairs. Managed to catch her as she came back up for Round Two running back UP the stairs in an effort to free herself. Clutching her mid air, I unravelled her from her apparently dire situation. As she clung to me for dear life, panting and heaving with her eyes wide open for the next 10 minutes I assured her the plastic monster was dead and its carcass now discarded.

Not 20 minutes later the neighbour, outside in the dark, apparently needed to hose something off. He rather miscalculated where the hose was pointing and noisily hosed down our back windows by accident. Well, if every feline inside our house didn't then scatter under some piece of furniture wondering what the hell THAT was, is it coming inside and does it bite?! Because by Jesus that was LOUD and SCARY! I had to resort to shaking the bag of Temptations to see where everyone was hiding and count paws to make sure they were all still here. One was so scared that even the Temptations didn't bring him out. I had to FIND him, take him to the window and SHOW him nothing was there. He's not impressed.

=)

Only 70 days left until my next holidays....

Yno what I'd really like to do for vacation? I'd like to actually GO ON ONE. As in leave this place and GO to Disneyland. That would be excellent... EXCELLENNNNNT! Last time I was there was 1991. That was a long, long time ago- feels like it was in another life. But THE greatest themepark ever- I loved loved LOVED it! My favorite place there (at that time, there must be so many new things now) was the Haunted Mansion. That was the BEST ever; I bet I could visit it a hundred times and see something new that I missed the last time. Okay, and space mtn rocked. And Thunder Mountain. And Splash Mountain. And and and... well, actually the whole experience was AWESOME !!

I'ma put it on my Wish List. After all Disneyland is where dreams come true (insert trademark here) =)

Happy Thxgvg peeps!

I think I'm being summoned.

Ever press that NEXT BLOG button on the Blogger toolbar? Sometimes it takes you to some crazy places, sometimes it takes you to things you apparently need to see. First link that came up for me? A life coach site. What the...! Wasn't I just discussing that?! Next site after that? An artist that sells their work online, creating their own prosperity and abundance. Wh...wha...?! After that? I get a blog post in which someone says YAY, cool weather is here, I love how brisk it is ! GAHHHHH!!! Okay, alright already, FINE, is this like Ebeneezer Scrooge and the three ghosts or WHAT?! Like hey Holymotherofgod, see what life coaches can do? And hey holy, you nay sayer that creative people and artists starve and can't make money selling their wild and wacky wares online. Why not?! And oh wait one more- are you bitching about it being cold?! Because other people who are CAPABLE of celebrating CHANGE are posting about how GREAT the seasons are instead of posting about S***, so do you GET IT YET?!?!

/runs screaming from the internets....

Oh good, one more forward and now I see musicians that also celebrate their talents like I could if I'd invested in mine instead of letting my musicality die a slow death in the closet with ALL MY OTHER SKELETONS !!! AHHHHHHhh! I'm so slitting my wrists- just as soon as I'm done blogging and stuff....
=)

Okay, and did I mention I should've taken drama? Because I totally should have; I would've so been good in soap operas...=)

Seriously though, sometimes coincidence can be freaky with the timing. I got a few examples here at this link. I'll choose this example, for no particular reason :

While on a business trip sometime in the late 1950s, Mr. George D. Bryson stopped and registered at the Brown Hotel in Louisville, Kentucky. After signing the register and being given his key to room 307, he stopped by the mail desk to see if any letters had arrived for him. Indeed there was a letter, the mail girl told him, and handed him an envelope addressed to Mr. George D. Bryson, room 307. This wouldn't be so odd, except the letter was not for him, but for room 307's just-previous occupant - another man named George D. Bryson. (Source: Incredible Coincidence, Alan Vaughan)

WEIRD !! I wonder if I should've been a police sketch artist?! After checking those sketches I'm feeling quite inspired...

Gee, that looks like a spade

Calling a spade a spade today. Or perhaps I should say seeing things for what they really are. No harm in this- in fact, recognizing what something is instead of perhaps what you wish it to be (or thought it was) is a good thing. Maybe something to do with Mercury wandering into Libra in the last 24 hours, although today Mercury is squaring Pluto (meaning at 90 degrees, or causing friction). We could expect "deep concentration, penetrating logic, uncovering what's hidden, revealing secrets. Words exchanged may cut deeply. Also Libra-Sun and Jupiter are trine (this is good), offering hope or opportunities despite what may be uncovered today. Mercury and Pluto were previously linked in the same manner on August 25 & 26. Perhaps, a resolution to events/issues from that period will be in store today."
Yesterday for instance I found out sadly that I AM on the hook for the $1500 bill for the condo flood repairs from last year, despite my repeated, insistent arguments to the contrary. However the company is open to allowing me to make payments to them which I am thankful for, seeing as this is how it has to be. Sucks though; that's a big bill and I worked so, so hard on fighting it. Evidently I should have submitted some documentation about a year ago that may have changed the outcome. I guess the silver lining is this will be a write off next yr when I submit for taxes since I paid for upgrades to the rental unit, so let's look at it that way =)

Otherwise I've been looking up with some curiosity what life coaching is. Just who is a life coach? What credentials must they have? Who would invest in this (as opposed to using a psychiatrist, psychologist, counsellor, or talking to coworkers, peers and their social circle)? It's rather a recent phenomenon, this "coaching" business- sort of blossoming over the past decade or so. The word itself has sort of been reinvented in the PC movement, as many terms we previously used have been. You know how it is; you're not so much FAT as you may be gravitationally challenged. Or not so much a panhandler as you may be an unaffiliated applicant for private sector funding. =) Seriously though, there are so many types of coaches- career or business coaches (mentorship, leadership.. ps is this now another name for Manager?!), life coaches, fitness & weight loss coaches, dating & relationship coaches, conflict and mediation coaches, grief and loss... I can see the merits of many of these specific areas of "coaching" but am curious honestly WHAT makes coaching so different than other existing traditional professions, other accreditations and degrees? AND just who uses a coach and why when these other professions exist? Do tell, I am curious to know.... Personally were I to need direction myself I would contact my benefits administrator (looks at self), go through my workplace benefits and make use of a counsellor. It's a paid for benefit and I would like to think that many benefits plans make this option available to them. Maybe my workplace is special.
Arguably if I were to need business direction, or assistance starting up a new company I may contemplate contacting a career coach or business advisor (probably after researching, investigating, reading books, joining an investment club, seeking professional opinions and talking to people already in that industry). And truth be told I have hired a personal trainer before (which you could label a fitness coach) when I wanted personal direction at the gym years ago. Can't say I would use the dating coach or any of the other above listed niche market coaching options. Again- all covered using certified counsellors or psychologists, and investing in self care, self development and self awareness programs.
Interesting, nonetheless -and very specific, tailored to the needs of the client. Some clients I am sure need more one on one, customized assistance where they can pick up the phone and contact their coach when they need it (?) I think I need to understand this a bit more. Do tell people, do tell ..??

I'm such a sucker for talent shows and just watching in awe these amazing, amazing people. People with dreams. Ordinary people with amazing gifts. People we should celebrate. People who are fine representatives of the human spirit. If only each and every one of us would find inside of us what we are gifted with and show it willingly, with pride.

I'll begin with the youngest and work my way up:

6-year old Emily Bear playing piano at the white house

Elizabeth Barrett reading at 17 months old

Natalie Okri age 10, wants to be a diva like Beyonce, thank you very much.

Shaheen, Welsh singer

Greg Pritchard a hotel waiter with a hidden talent.

Shaun Smith, I know I know I know I know this guy's good

Eugene, the librarian- sad and funny at the same time

Paul, the mobile phone salesman- and opera singer

And lastly- Dream a Dream, so says Susan Boyle