I know I have laxed a bit in the posting but I really didn't feel I had anything important to say. Well...that isn't true. I always think I have important things to say but when I review them...they all come up sounding trite. Blech on all that junk. But I do have something I have been pondering the last few weeks and feel a need to confess: I'm a lurker.
Yes, I am a lurker. I read news stories daily and I always span through the comments. I Google things and I read the reviews. I look through forums for tid bits of information but really there are two areas of the Internet that draw me in. It is comments on news articles/postings and its Craiglist's Rants & Raves.
News articles/postings can sometimes make me shake my head. I've posted things on Facebook before that were purely sarcastic and humorous (at least to me and that's all I fucking worry about) but there have been some commenter's that completely missed it. Now before jumping my shit and arguing please bear in mind that I'm a sarcastic bitch of the 9th degree. I haven't attained level 10 yet but I'm working on it. Some argue that sarcasm is the last bastion of the simple minded in response to a verbal or mental attack. Horseshit! Do you know how hard it is to find the right appropriate sarcastic response to any given situation?? It takes years of dedicated practice, a thorough knowledge of pop culture, memes and other retarded monkey fodder. It takes patience and delivery. Not every comment is sarcastic otherwise you'll have burn out. You have to wait for the right moment and it has to be flawlessly delivered. A cough, sneeze or hiccup can ruin it and leave you looking like a moron. And you have to tailor the intelligence level to the audience. It's hard fucking work.
Now back to what I was blathering about. News articles really have let me down. I realize true journalism is dead. There is NO such thing as an unbiased article...especially on the web. It is not possible. If you can find me ONE completely unbiased article that is factual, not inducing the public to lean any way but to make up their own minds (ha fucking ha) then I'll post a picture of Dave naked in a tutu. (Note: My husband doesn't read my blogs or I'd be center of Hiroshima if he caught wind of this so let's just keep that between you and I. We're all friends here :)) Okay so on second thought no naked pictures of Dave because I value my life and fear reprisal. Instead I'll post a picture of Meeka and Suki reenacting the Lion King.
But regardless of the biased nature of news stories...it is the comments that leave me shaking my head and rejoicing that I sent in my resignation letter to humanity more than five years ago. Being part of talking monkeys is not my idea of impressive and if you read enough news commenter's...you'll join me. Hell we can book a ticket off the planet for the poo slingers. Granted there are some that are logical, polite and grasped the meaning of the article. The other 98% are trolls who invariably get off topic and somehow race, sexual orientation, economics and politics are brought up. It could be an article on slugs invading England and some idiot poo slinger will miss the point of the article.
I went to a very small school but I rejoice every single day for the quality of my education. Yes...my grammar sucks but that is why I have editors. :) They help me all the time. I write and they polish. But my wonderful teachers through elementary and high school taught me how to read something and understand it. My college professors helped that skill along further. Sadly that is a skill that some have not learned.
Now for Craigslist Rants and Raves...that is one jacked up website. I don't care what city you pick it is nothing but trolls of the worst kind. It is either far left or far right politics that are as close to factually based as I am to walking to the moon. That website teaches me that people who hide behind an anonymous posting have no input. Otherwise they would put their name behind it and stand behind their convictions. It also reminds me which people will make my zombie survival team and which ones will be used as cannon fodder/ bait.
The only people I find more detestable are the Internet Grammar Nazi's. Really? I mean REALLY? Does it matter that fucking much if someone used "its" instead of "it's?" That is the one type of person I have to physically restrain myself from punching them in the face. Correcting someone to their face is a bit bolder but it certainly is not safer. If you happen to be a Grammar Nazi do yourself and your face a favor and just don't be a douche bag. It's pretty much on par with reprimanding someone for using the wrong fucking fork. It does not make you look more intelligent but it does help those party invitations from arriving because the reality is no one likes a giant grammar correcting douche.
Okay so there is my rant and rave. There were other things going on in my life the last couple of weeks that could have made the blog (i.e. psycho, meth whore) but that lasted about .02 nano seconds of my time and effort. :)
Thursday, May 24, 2012
Monday, May 7, 2012
Mondays are universally loathed in my household and for good reason. They suck. Now normally I do not have a problem with Mondays. They afford me some peace and quiet after the long weekend. Since technically there really is not a "start" and an "end" day to my workweek...I just float along. Today the dreaded Monday has hit in full force. You'll have to pardon any mistakes you find in this blog but I really don't give a flying fuck. It is all Mondays' fault.
Okay so maybe it is not Mondays. It could be the realization that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I'm not into the twilight years...THANK JEEBUS...but I'm past that first fanciful blush of youth. As I get older I realize there are just certain things that happen as the body begins that long, downward spiral into senility and frailty.
Sleep
This is the first thing to desert you as you get older. I love sleep. I truly do and I miss it so. In high school I would have listed sleeping as my favorite hobby. I'm sure my parents could attest to many wasted days of me just sleeping.
As I've gotten older that trusted friend has stabbed me in the back! I can't sleep in past 7am. Most days I begin to wake up around 5:30. And I have to go to bed around 9 p.m. but I don't fall asleep until after 10 p.m. It sucks. Naps are great but you know that a nap will completely jack your sleep schedule. I made that mistake yesterday and as a result didn't get to sleep till 4am and was up at 7 am. I'm pretty much a zombie today.
Your Body Betrays You
I never quite understood why older people groaned and moaned all the time. I do now. I also never understood back problems until now. Where the hell did my body go wrong? I don't have wrinkles...I have canyons. And motherfucker...if I find the piece of crap who told me that I'd grow out of acne and pimples I would beat him/her into the ground. Lying sack of garbage! Isn't it bad enough that I have wrinkles but to add insult to injury I still get acne!
The Miscellaneous Insults
And here is another thing about getting older that I just had to shake my head at the other day. When you are young you worry about how your bedroom smells. You want it to be fresh and clean. You don't want it to smell like sex, dirty socks, dust or have any funk. Wanna know what my bedroom smells like? Lavender and Icy Hot. Yep - not an appealing fragrance I know. Lavender is because I'm addicted to it and I think it helps me try to gain more precious hours of sleep. Icy Hot because I'm pretty sure Dave tried to kill me a few weeks ago when he stepped on my back. That bastard! I'm just teasing baby!!
I could go on and on about the myriad small things that mark the beginning of the end but I won't. You already know them and if you don't then...bless your lil dumb heart..you'll know in ten years or so.
Okay so maybe it is not Mondays. It could be the realization that I'm no spring chicken anymore. I'm not into the twilight years...THANK JEEBUS...but I'm past that first fanciful blush of youth. As I get older I realize there are just certain things that happen as the body begins that long, downward spiral into senility and frailty.
Sleep
This is the first thing to desert you as you get older. I love sleep. I truly do and I miss it so. In high school I would have listed sleeping as my favorite hobby. I'm sure my parents could attest to many wasted days of me just sleeping.
As I've gotten older that trusted friend has stabbed me in the back! I can't sleep in past 7am. Most days I begin to wake up around 5:30. And I have to go to bed around 9 p.m. but I don't fall asleep until after 10 p.m. It sucks. Naps are great but you know that a nap will completely jack your sleep schedule. I made that mistake yesterday and as a result didn't get to sleep till 4am and was up at 7 am. I'm pretty much a zombie today.
Your Body Betrays You
I never quite understood why older people groaned and moaned all the time. I do now. I also never understood back problems until now. Where the hell did my body go wrong? I don't have wrinkles...I have canyons. And motherfucker...if I find the piece of crap who told me that I'd grow out of acne and pimples I would beat him/her into the ground. Lying sack of garbage! Isn't it bad enough that I have wrinkles but to add insult to injury I still get acne!
The Miscellaneous Insults
And here is another thing about getting older that I just had to shake my head at the other day. When you are young you worry about how your bedroom smells. You want it to be fresh and clean. You don't want it to smell like sex, dirty socks, dust or have any funk. Wanna know what my bedroom smells like? Lavender and Icy Hot. Yep - not an appealing fragrance I know. Lavender is because I'm addicted to it and I think it helps me try to gain more precious hours of sleep. Icy Hot because I'm pretty sure Dave tried to kill me a few weeks ago when he stepped on my back. That bastard! I'm just teasing baby!!
I could go on and on about the myriad small things that mark the beginning of the end but I won't. You already know them and if you don't then...bless your lil dumb heart..you'll know in ten years or so.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
F*CK You Cosmo!
I have a deep, dark confession to make. I read self-help books, magazines and websites frequently. I do and I cannot help myself. Somehow each time I am fooled into thinking that this is going to be the one that actually works! This article is the key to my entire life! This website is going to make me better, stronger, faster etc. Each time I walk away saddened. Much like I'm sure Newt Gingrich feels after a run at the presidential election. It just doesn't seem to work.
The problem, I believe, is that all self-help books, magazines and websites treat us like we are 5 years old and that every problem is black and white. We aren't and it isn't. Your man isn't doing the dishes? Talk to him and explain what the problem is and how you feel. Ya...right fucker. You want to know the outcome of THAT conversation? He looks at you like you are a complete moron, you two have a fight over some freaking dishes and you spend the next few days miserable. The real world answer to that particular issue is pretty simple: either you do them or you don't. If he wants a clean dish he will eventually get he point or you will eventually cave in. The best case scenario is one where he hires a cleaning service but don't get your hopes up.
This leads me to what I believe to be the source of all discontentment in women's lives...magazines such as Cosmopolitan. Yep, you read that right - Cosmo is the bane of your existence and mine. If you are over the age of 30 you already know I am right and you know why. If you are younger than 30 you may still be blinded by the light. So allow me to bring you into the darkness of reality.
The US population, a quick figure, is roughly at 311,591,917. Roughly over half of that is female giving us a female population of 155, 795,958 women. From there you could estimate the ages and races but I don't give enough of a crap to warrant that kind of math. So let's just go with 155 million women.
How many of those 155 million women are below a size 6, live in New York City, and are single? No guess? I don't know. That's why I asked you. There are no real statistics on that question. I guess I could make one up - so let's go with 1 million and I'm being EXTREMELY generous. Cosmo reports that it has a monthly subscription of 3,021,720.
WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL IS CAUSING 2,021,720 WOMEN TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS RAG WHEN IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM?
Let's forget about the readers who pick up a copy at the checkout stand and instead focus on the subscribers. The cost is not much. It is roughly about 12.00 a year. 1.00 an issue at the cheapest online magazine subscription company. But that is 1.00 to make you feel less than you are. Send me 1.00 and I will guarantee that I will write a blog each month focusing on clothing that you aren't going to actually wear in Seattle, Washington or Little Rock, Arkansas. I'll write in a paragraph about the sex positions you already know about but gained a kink in your back trying simply because someone told you that it would increase your power with men.
Here is the truth no matter how many women and men chime in on how Cosmo can improve your relationship/life/bedroom circus antics etc: Men flinch when you open that magazine. Why? Because it will instantly fill your head full of doubt. You will not become empowered. You will try out the sex positions and then wonder why he is looking scared. You will think about buying some of the products and clothing they are shilling but in the end will decide that your own personal style is what you prefer. But only after you've spent money. Mmm...think that is what Cosmo is after? Money? Perhaps by making you and me feel inferior Cosmo understands that you will continue to buy the magazine in hopes of a quick fix.
Cosmo, Dr. Phil, The Five Love Languages and Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus aren't going to tell you anything you didn't already know. Men and Women are two completely separate creatures that have zero communication ability between us. We are just hardwired differently and I don't give a rats ass about Nature vs Nurture debates on this one. Come to think of it...maybe there really isn't anything truly different about men and women but instead there are just differences in person to person.
Cosmo is going to make your life miserable by telling you everything you should already know but don't. Except you already know it. If you can't fit into a size 2...I don't need to tell you that. You already know it. Cosmo would not be popular if it applied to the other 154 million women because it would not have anything new to sell.
I have learned to not pick up Cosmo unless I want to read the horoscope or the blunders portions. I like hearing about others' embarrassing moments. I can relate to many of those. Yet I still read self-help books and websites. Mainly because I think they are going to give me some insight into my psyche. They don't but they give me the illusion that I can fix all of the problems in my own mind. Honestly the only real solution is that I am me. I'm all that I can ever be just as you are all you can ever be. And that is pretty good when it comes down to it.
The problem, I believe, is that all self-help books, magazines and websites treat us like we are 5 years old and that every problem is black and white. We aren't and it isn't. Your man isn't doing the dishes? Talk to him and explain what the problem is and how you feel. Ya...right fucker. You want to know the outcome of THAT conversation? He looks at you like you are a complete moron, you two have a fight over some freaking dishes and you spend the next few days miserable. The real world answer to that particular issue is pretty simple: either you do them or you don't. If he wants a clean dish he will eventually get he point or you will eventually cave in. The best case scenario is one where he hires a cleaning service but don't get your hopes up.
This leads me to what I believe to be the source of all discontentment in women's lives...magazines such as Cosmopolitan. Yep, you read that right - Cosmo is the bane of your existence and mine. If you are over the age of 30 you already know I am right and you know why. If you are younger than 30 you may still be blinded by the light. So allow me to bring you into the darkness of reality.
The US population, a quick figure, is roughly at 311,591,917. Roughly over half of that is female giving us a female population of 155, 795,958 women. From there you could estimate the ages and races but I don't give enough of a crap to warrant that kind of math. So let's just go with 155 million women.
How many of those 155 million women are below a size 6, live in New York City, and are single? No guess? I don't know. That's why I asked you. There are no real statistics on that question. I guess I could make one up - so let's go with 1 million and I'm being EXTREMELY generous. Cosmo reports that it has a monthly subscription of 3,021,720.
WHAT IN THE HOLY HELL IS CAUSING 2,021,720 WOMEN TO SUBSCRIBE TO THIS RAG WHEN IT DOES NOT APPLY TO THEM?
Let's forget about the readers who pick up a copy at the checkout stand and instead focus on the subscribers. The cost is not much. It is roughly about 12.00 a year. 1.00 an issue at the cheapest online magazine subscription company. But that is 1.00 to make you feel less than you are. Send me 1.00 and I will guarantee that I will write a blog each month focusing on clothing that you aren't going to actually wear in Seattle, Washington or Little Rock, Arkansas. I'll write in a paragraph about the sex positions you already know about but gained a kink in your back trying simply because someone told you that it would increase your power with men.
Here is the truth no matter how many women and men chime in on how Cosmo can improve your relationship/life/bedroom circus antics etc: Men flinch when you open that magazine. Why? Because it will instantly fill your head full of doubt. You will not become empowered. You will try out the sex positions and then wonder why he is looking scared. You will think about buying some of the products and clothing they are shilling but in the end will decide that your own personal style is what you prefer. But only after you've spent money. Mmm...think that is what Cosmo is after? Money? Perhaps by making you and me feel inferior Cosmo understands that you will continue to buy the magazine in hopes of a quick fix.
Cosmo, Dr. Phil, The Five Love Languages and Men are from Mars/Women are from Venus aren't going to tell you anything you didn't already know. Men and Women are two completely separate creatures that have zero communication ability between us. We are just hardwired differently and I don't give a rats ass about Nature vs Nurture debates on this one. Come to think of it...maybe there really isn't anything truly different about men and women but instead there are just differences in person to person.
Cosmo is going to make your life miserable by telling you everything you should already know but don't. Except you already know it. If you can't fit into a size 2...I don't need to tell you that. You already know it. Cosmo would not be popular if it applied to the other 154 million women because it would not have anything new to sell.
I have learned to not pick up Cosmo unless I want to read the horoscope or the blunders portions. I like hearing about others' embarrassing moments. I can relate to many of those. Yet I still read self-help books and websites. Mainly because I think they are going to give me some insight into my psyche. They don't but they give me the illusion that I can fix all of the problems in my own mind. Honestly the only real solution is that I am me. I'm all that I can ever be just as you are all you can ever be. And that is pretty good when it comes down to it.
Monday, April 30, 2012
What Women REALLY Need to Know About Life and Relationships
I'll confess to that I've been married 4 times. While that may not seem like a terribly big number...it is a number that frightens me and plenty of others. Everyone knows that 3rd times the charm but it seems that I moved past that charmed event and went into marriage number 4.
I love my husband dearly. I truly do and whats more important...I like him. That is saying quite a bit and I don't think he appreciates it or sees the sincerity when I make that claim. It is truly saying something. Far too often we find ourselves in situations where we love someone but we truly do not like them. We wouldn't voluntarily "hang" with them or be associated with them if there wasn't love in place. Strange thing but if you think about it for a while it will make sense.
Marriage, and well any relationship, is tough work. There are things that can make it even tougher. Little pitfalls that you take for granted when single can become a landmine in a relationship. You may be having a tough week or two with work, quitting smoking, or just life and your partner takes the brunt of it all. It is easy to think that we are not the wrong-doers but rather the victims of a bitchy spouse or significant other. Even something as simple as confiding in a parent or best friend can wreck untold havoc and devastation on a relationship.
Something like text messaging or calling an ex can be epic. The principle behind it may be innocent. The messages may be innocent but it really can be that trip wire that leads to insecurity, fighting, jealousy and more. It's a hazardous course. But I had a lot of time to think while driving and there are some things I have learned that I will willingly pass on to you, my friends. These are your tips and informative blurbs that you truly need to know about life and relationships.
Namaste my friends.
I love my husband dearly. I truly do and whats more important...I like him. That is saying quite a bit and I don't think he appreciates it or sees the sincerity when I make that claim. It is truly saying something. Far too often we find ourselves in situations where we love someone but we truly do not like them. We wouldn't voluntarily "hang" with them or be associated with them if there wasn't love in place. Strange thing but if you think about it for a while it will make sense.
Marriage, and well any relationship, is tough work. There are things that can make it even tougher. Little pitfalls that you take for granted when single can become a landmine in a relationship. You may be having a tough week or two with work, quitting smoking, or just life and your partner takes the brunt of it all. It is easy to think that we are not the wrong-doers but rather the victims of a bitchy spouse or significant other. Even something as simple as confiding in a parent or best friend can wreck untold havoc and devastation on a relationship.
Something like text messaging or calling an ex can be epic. The principle behind it may be innocent. The messages may be innocent but it really can be that trip wire that leads to insecurity, fighting, jealousy and more. It's a hazardous course. But I had a lot of time to think while driving and there are some things I have learned that I will willingly pass on to you, my friends. These are your tips and informative blurbs that you truly need to know about life and relationships.
- No matter where you go, what you do or how close you are in your relationship: have outside interests. Every woman should have something that is hers alone. Maybe it is time walking the neighborhood. It could be Tae Kwon Do or a Creme Brulee fro-yo once a week. It does not matter. But it does need to be yours alone. Don't do it with a friend. Don't do it with your significant other. Do it by yourself.
- Have 1 friend of the opposite sex that does not have a single sexual interest in you and is not afraid to tell you that you are a moron at times. Don't discuss the bad details of a fight that happened between you and your s.o. but do occasionally ask this person if you are guilty of being a douche bag and/or a bitch.
- Always have 1 friend that takes your side no matter what. Even when I'm a douch bag and a bitch my best friend Kat always takes my side. I know there are times when she rolls her eyes and wonders where my head is but she loves me for me. She would drive 3000 miles in a second just to comfort me or come get me if I needed her. Every woman needs a friend like that in her life.
- At least one time in your life take a chance. Move to another state or country far from anyone you know and just take a chance. You may fail and move back home. You may succeed but unless you take that chance you will never know if you are really your own person. Staying in the same small town or even big city your entire life is no way to live. It never hurts to just go for the sake of going.
- When relationships have you down and you are ready to give up on the human race entirely...make a list of all the douche bags you know. Every bad date. Every bad encounter. Every horrible sexcapade. Write those bitches down and you will quickly be reminded that life isn't that bad. Your husband or boyfriend really isn't horrible or hey...he may be and he may wind up on the list.
- Never do something just because you felt you were obligated. If you don't want kids...don't have them. If you don't want to get married...don't get married. If you don't want to have sex...don't have sex. But at the same time as you are making up your mind to say "no" also consider why the other person is asking you to do it. Sometimes when we slow down and think about things...we become more open to it.
- Take each day as such...it is just a day. We all have good days and we all have bad days. The trick is to even them out. If the bad outweigh the good and there is nothing you can do about them then you need to walk away from the situation. If it all balances out in the end it is called life and we each have one.
Namaste my friends.
Monday, April 16, 2012
Why Freelance Writing Can Suck!
I have to warn you in advance that this is going to be a whining, wailing, gnashing of teeth type of post. I'm bummed out and discouraged right now. Why? I wrote an article for a client and turned it in with the note that it was a very rough draft due to the fact that the instructions were vague and I did not have a clear idea on what the client wanted to accomplish. Today I checked and the client rejected it citing a LOOONG list of reasons ranging from grammar to the fact that it was a fluff piece.
HELLO! I tried getting in touch with the client to get guidance. Okay so the topic was crapola. 5 reasons why dental sealants work? I researched for several hours and found 3 vague reasons. Now to be fair this client has already rejected 8 other writers so I'm not terribly surprised. I've found that clients with a high rejection rate tend to keep that trend going and can always cite reasons. The most humorous rejection reason is: overall tone. You have got to be kidding me. I do like when the client try to defend their reason on rejection. It's always the same: you, as a writer, suck and they know more and are far more talented. They may not be able to write clear instructions but it is obvious, at least to them, that they are far superior. This is especially true considering they were going to pay you the whopping rate of 1.4 cents per word. Bask in that lost 2.40! Yeah!
Okay I'm done whining about that but I does make me think about why I write. It obviously is not for accolades. It is hard work being a freelance writer. You often have long days trying to get an average hourly rate that is laughable to most. You take constant knocks. If you are not getting slammed by a client, rejected by a client or cheated by a client....you are facing scrutiny from family and friends. My husband says he understands that this is a real job but he always follows it up with a comment about the pay.
The simple fact is that writing, anything, takes dedication and a very thick skin. The critics are many and always have a vicious tongue ready to slash your work apart. Rejections happen frequently and sometimes for no real reason. The worst part is that the overall experience makes you feel less than you are. You feel like a talentless hack trying to imitate a writer. A good day can go to pot very quickly and you learn to dread Mondays with a fervent passion that borders on maniacal.
Freelance writing, or writing in general, is comparable to dealing with your bipolar, schizophrenic aunt who lives in a one bedroom apartment with thousands of hairless rats. She has plenty of time to bring you down while pointing out how great her life is when compared to yours.
But there are times when good clients make you feel great. They applaud your work and the dedication it takes to meet deadlines. Friends compliment you on writing. Family finally realizes that you are making a contribution other than laundry and cooking. That you have a meaningful job. Those days are golden for a writer. That realization that maybe you aren't as bad as you think. You've managed to brush your teeth, take a shower and write a pretty nice article.
HELLO! I tried getting in touch with the client to get guidance. Okay so the topic was crapola. 5 reasons why dental sealants work? I researched for several hours and found 3 vague reasons. Now to be fair this client has already rejected 8 other writers so I'm not terribly surprised. I've found that clients with a high rejection rate tend to keep that trend going and can always cite reasons. The most humorous rejection reason is: overall tone. You have got to be kidding me. I do like when the client try to defend their reason on rejection. It's always the same: you, as a writer, suck and they know more and are far more talented. They may not be able to write clear instructions but it is obvious, at least to them, that they are far superior. This is especially true considering they were going to pay you the whopping rate of 1.4 cents per word. Bask in that lost 2.40! Yeah!
Okay I'm done whining about that but I does make me think about why I write. It obviously is not for accolades. It is hard work being a freelance writer. You often have long days trying to get an average hourly rate that is laughable to most. You take constant knocks. If you are not getting slammed by a client, rejected by a client or cheated by a client....you are facing scrutiny from family and friends. My husband says he understands that this is a real job but he always follows it up with a comment about the pay.
The simple fact is that writing, anything, takes dedication and a very thick skin. The critics are many and always have a vicious tongue ready to slash your work apart. Rejections happen frequently and sometimes for no real reason. The worst part is that the overall experience makes you feel less than you are. You feel like a talentless hack trying to imitate a writer. A good day can go to pot very quickly and you learn to dread Mondays with a fervent passion that borders on maniacal.
Freelance writing, or writing in general, is comparable to dealing with your bipolar, schizophrenic aunt who lives in a one bedroom apartment with thousands of hairless rats. She has plenty of time to bring you down while pointing out how great her life is when compared to yours.
But there are times when good clients make you feel great. They applaud your work and the dedication it takes to meet deadlines. Friends compliment you on writing. Family finally realizes that you are making a contribution other than laundry and cooking. That you have a meaningful job. Those days are golden for a writer. That realization that maybe you aren't as bad as you think. You've managed to brush your teeth, take a shower and write a pretty nice article.
Tuesday, January 3, 2012
2012 and a Brand New Year
I have to say that starting a blog is not new to me. I've done it plenty of times on Facebook, Myspace and even Blogspot. But I wanted to narrow my focus down to a common theme rather than just post rants and raves. I'm not saying that this will not happen here...it will given time...but I want to focus on a broader subject than just myself.
I'm a transplanted Southern woman through and through. Being Southern in the South is not unique. Being in the Pacific Northwest as a Southern woman is not unique. I've met a few ladies that originally hail from south of the Mason Dixon line. But me being here is unique. You being where you are is unique. And so it is with that thought that I want to begin documenting my introduction and integration into Bend, Oregon.
I moved to Bend from Maumelle, Arkansas. I was born and raised in Calico Rock, Arkansas which is located roughly 2 hours north of Maumelle/Little Rock. It is a town of less than a thousand and I had the wonderful, and at times limiting, experiences of growing up in such a unique environment.
When I moved to Bend in August 2011 it was with great trepidation. I had never been west of Las Vegas. The farthest west I had actually resided for a time was in Mesquite, Texas. This was a brand new experience. Seeing the country as we slowly made our way in the UHaul and my truck was something that I both recommend to everyone and I also highly advise against doing. It is a LONG journey of little over 2000 miles.
The culture and sights here in Bend are unlike anything I have ever encountered before. The most obvious difference is the mountains. What an incredible sight! Living in the high desert is an experience unlike any other. It is much drier here. The sky is so clear at night and the stars shine with an incredible ferocity that is unparalled. I live in town and still have a view of the night sky that easily rivals that of my parent's front yard back in Arkansas.
Another quick oddity that has forever won me over? I don't have to pump my own gas! Yes...I do pay much more a gallon but man - I HATE pumping gas. I used to wait until the very last drop to stop and fill up, or I'd have my husband do it. Now I have gas station attendants that are just darlings.
I could go on and on about all the differences but I'll just stretch it out rather than pile it on all at once. I want to talk about the things I discover here as I make my Grand New Adventure. Some will be cultural differences. Some will be food differences and some will just be new things to my family and myself. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!
I'm a transplanted Southern woman through and through. Being Southern in the South is not unique. Being in the Pacific Northwest as a Southern woman is not unique. I've met a few ladies that originally hail from south of the Mason Dixon line. But me being here is unique. You being where you are is unique. And so it is with that thought that I want to begin documenting my introduction and integration into Bend, Oregon.
I moved to Bend from Maumelle, Arkansas. I was born and raised in Calico Rock, Arkansas which is located roughly 2 hours north of Maumelle/Little Rock. It is a town of less than a thousand and I had the wonderful, and at times limiting, experiences of growing up in such a unique environment.
When I moved to Bend in August 2011 it was with great trepidation. I had never been west of Las Vegas. The farthest west I had actually resided for a time was in Mesquite, Texas. This was a brand new experience. Seeing the country as we slowly made our way in the UHaul and my truck was something that I both recommend to everyone and I also highly advise against doing. It is a LONG journey of little over 2000 miles.
The culture and sights here in Bend are unlike anything I have ever encountered before. The most obvious difference is the mountains. What an incredible sight! Living in the high desert is an experience unlike any other. It is much drier here. The sky is so clear at night and the stars shine with an incredible ferocity that is unparalled. I live in town and still have a view of the night sky that easily rivals that of my parent's front yard back in Arkansas.
Another quick oddity that has forever won me over? I don't have to pump my own gas! Yes...I do pay much more a gallon but man - I HATE pumping gas. I used to wait until the very last drop to stop and fill up, or I'd have my husband do it. Now I have gas station attendants that are just darlings.
I could go on and on about all the differences but I'll just stretch it out rather than pile it on all at once. I want to talk about the things I discover here as I make my Grand New Adventure. Some will be cultural differences. Some will be food differences and some will just be new things to my family and myself. So buckle up and enjoy the ride!
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