::cinemagic

Once in awhile, I wish my life could be magically transformed into a movie.

Naturally I'm well aware that our daily drudgery is not supposed to mirror the manipulated images we absorb in cinema, but a girl can dream.

When I'm really struggling with implementing change or newness into my daily routine, I wish that, instead of actually having to trudge through all the complicated awkwardness, I could just watch a short montage of myself, failing a few times and laughing at myself, then ultimately easing into the change with a seamless grace.

When confronted with a difficult conversation, I want a screenwriter to compose the perfect monologue I could deliver with just the right diction and emotive effects.

When my thoughts feel too convoluted to streamline into words, I want a voice-over to pluck out the most important ones and speak them aloud.

When my spirit is elevated to an unusual level of elation, I want the perfect jubilant symphony to accompany me as a personal soundtrack.




Perhaps these wishes indicate that I am a true "dreamer."
Or maybe I've just seen too many movies.

::a polite request

Dear Creepy Strangers,

Please stop following me on Twitter.

Thank you,
Management

::I just got 'tatered

Many websites that captivate me are the ones introduced to me by my brother Joel.
Wooster Collective is one such example.

Today, while browsing there, I found this:

Potato portraits.

The artist, a Lebanese woman named Ginou Choueiri, explains her work thusly:

I chose the potato to portray human faces because of the many striking parallels. Not only is their skin porous like ours, but their skin texture and color is very similar, and like us, they come in different sizes, shapes and forms. Potatoes grow, live, and then decay, mirroring the ephemeral existence and fragility of our own human nature.

Fascinating.
Find more here.

::pinky tuscadero

I'm not a particularly avid fan of pink, or of Hummers, but I must admit, I'm jealous of whoever drives this:




'Twas a lovely jewel of eye candy in the Wal*Mart parking lot.

::wishes

Emma, 5-8-09

May God bless and keep you always,
May your wishes all come true,
May you always do for others
and let others do for you.
May you build a ladder to the stars
and climb on every rung.
May you stay forever young

~Bob Dylan

::txt me plz

I'm going to blatantly copy from Stephanie and transcribe a Conversation of the Day.
(I'm sorry, Steph, but imitation is the most sincere form of flattery ;] )

My brother Josh now has unlimited texting.
As noted on Twitter last evening, this translates to me falling out of my chair laughing on a much more frequent basis.

The following exchange took place last evening, after Danny Gokey's departure from American Idol.

JOSH: Danny got hosed!
ME: Haha! Totally! I think he'll be fine though
JOSH: I'd buy his record
ME: Me too! Plus, I may have a little crush on him. Just sayin'.
JOSH: Oh alright
ME: You have a mancrush on him. Admit it.
JOSH: I prefer the term "bromance"
ME: HAHAHA! Okay, Spencer Pratt
JOSH: Spencer Pratt is the hairiest turd on earth how dare you
ME: I apologize. If anyone called me Heidi Montag, I'd be gravely insulted. Although Spencer is worse because of his "creepy flesh-colored beard." (~Joel McHale)
JOSH: That's what happens when turds grow hair




(I'm still laughing.
Yes, I thoroughly enjoy the sophomoric scatological humor.
Who doesn't?)

::lessons

I hate to sound so clichéd, but since my diabetes diagnosis, I have learned so many valuable lessons.

I suppose the proverbial "swift kick in the ass" is perhaps one of the most educational events one can experience.

Here is what has meant the most to me, though:

I don't need to beat myself up about this.

I've had a lifelong struggle with self-hatred and self-defeating thoughts and behaviors, but I'm learning so very much about the ultimate futility of such unhealthy habits.
If I view these recent events from the most basic level, I see this: an area of my life was careening out of control, and I needed a wake-up call to take the reins and learn to care for myself.

And I've realized that allowing issues in our lives to spiral out of control, well, that seems to be the human condition.
I am not any "worse" than anyone else.
We're all trying to keep our lives "manageable" in all nooks and crannies; our health, our relationships, our vices, our jobs, our families, our emotions...and we all fail on a regular basis.

In my endeavors to become more physically healthy, I've learned that mostly everyone I know, heavy or thin or somewhere in between, is fighting this battle as well.

The fact is, it's difficult to eat healthily and to exercise regularly, and from what I've found, it's difficult for most people.
Temptation is everywhere - especially in America where we seem to worship convenience and instant gratification - and "fat" people like me (although I prefer the word "thick" ;) ) aren't the only ones who struggle with it.

I feel so soothed and comforted by the fact that I'm far from alone on this strenous pilgrimage.

::my mom, the Grandmom

I have always known, on one level or another, that my mother is an exceptionally nurturing person.
But over the course of these past nine months, watching her with her first grandchild - my niece Emma - has transported me to an entirely fresh dimension of appreciation.
Whether it's a lazy spring afternoon on the porch or a long ride to Myrtle Beach in a mini-van, Mom's compassion and concern for Emma are ever-present and beautiful.


I remember hearing once,
If you ever feel curious about how your parents cared for you, watch them with your children.
Watching my mother's abundant joy and uninhibited adoration of Emma has become one of my favorite pastimes.

::huit choses

When I'm devoid of fodder for a good narrative, I must resort to lists.
I apologize.
But they're kind of fun.

8 Things I look forward to:
1. My week at Lake Louise in July
2. The dvd release of Curb Your Enthusiasm, Season 7
3. Getting a job
4. Annie's visit this summer
5. Meeting Rowan Oliver Holmes, my friends' new baby
6. Making my niece's 1st birthday present
7. "Around the House" nights @ Trinity House Theatre
8. Finishing my new poem

8 Things I did yesterday:
1. Went to my brother's house to baby-sit my niece
2. Bought a sugar-free iced vanilla latte
3. Watched Jeopardy!
4. Ate dinner at Red Devil
5. Read The Flint Journal
6. Texted a few Twitters
7. Bought new windshield wipers (thank God!)
8. Received a text - complete w/ newborn baby picture - from a wrong number

8 things I wish I could do:
1. Enjoy exercise
2. Visit Europe
3. Play the guitar
4. Travel often
5. Go to Target without buying anything
6. Hate all unhealthy food
7. Live in an exciting city
8. Own a Newfoundland

8 Shows I watch:
1. The Office
2. 30 Rock
3. Rob Dyrdek's Fantasy Factory
4. CSI: New York
5. Gilmore Girls
6. Seinfeld
7. The Mentalist
8. Ellen