Random Musings To Close 2018

I’ve been doing a lot of reading lately. Inhaling article after article after article. I read to a point of oblivion. I read until I start confusing things because the stories overlap. So weird how life imitates art or vice versa.

My choice of topic is typically that of self-improvement. I am forever looking for ways to get through the day. And being an introspective soul, of course I feel the answer lies within. And when I look inside myself, I am empty. Not in a bad way. Just in the lack of creativity way. Hence the reading. My search for answers. Something bigger than myself.

Today I read Jason (David Wong). He’s been re-publishing the same article about resolutions (with yearly updates) for the last six years. I’m not linking because within his article is a video I’d rather you find on your own. Irreverent and hilarious. No redeeming qualities except one point.

You see I didn’t necessarily agree with all that he said. But there was this one thing struck a chord. Get a thong and cape and find your stage. Because it’s fact that saying some thing doesn’t do anything. We need to do a crazy dance.

We can talk blah blah blah till we’re blue in the face. Another mass shooting we say we’re sorry or pray. We send well wishes “but if wishes were horses then beggars would ride”. Nothing changes. Just like “if ifs and buts were candy and nuts, everyday would be Christmas” I don’t need more excuses.

For me, it’s time for less talk and more action. I’m going to make 2019 my year of doing. I know I can’t solve the world’s woes but “charity begins at home”. Dang I’m full of it today. Lol.

Don’t cry for me bloglandia. The truth is I’ve never been better. I’ve learned from my wild days of tribulation. I’ll keep my promises aka resolutions.

Happiest New Year y’all 🎆🥳🎉😎

Haiku – Seek & Find

Searching for meaning

Looking deep within yourself

Finding lost treasure

Written for http://ronovanwrites.com/2018/12/31/ronovanwrites-weekly-haiku-poetry-prompt-challenge-234-seekfind/

Resolutions Suck. (Make them anyway.)

via Resolutions Suck. (Make them anyway.)

For 12/30/18 ~ “Brave New World”

I had a hard time deciding.  Nothing came to mind immediately.  When I searched everything was New York.  I wanted new … just new. I finally landed on “Brave New World” by Iron Maiden.

Disclaimer: I have no copyrights to the song and/or video and/or hyperlinks to songs and/or videos and/or gifs above. No copyright infringement intended.

Dying swans twisted wings, beauty not needed here
Lost my love, lost my life, in this garden of fear
I have seen many things, in a lifetime alone
Mother love is no more, bring this savage back home

Wilderness house of pain, makes no sense of it all
Close this mind dull this brain, Messiah before his fall
What you see is not real, those who know will not tell
All is lost sold your souls to this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dragon kings dying queens, where is salvation now
Lost my life lost my dreams, rip the bones from my flesh
Silent screams laughing here, dying to tell you the truth
You are planned and you are damned in this brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

A brave new world, in a brave new world
A brave new world, in a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world
In a brave new world, a brave new world

Dying swans twisted wings, bring this savage back home

Writer(s): HARRIS STEPHEN PERCY, MURRAY DAVID MICHAEL, DICKINSON PAUL BRUCE

Rules and Ping Back

#SoCS for 12/29/18

I’m late!

I’m late!

For a VERY important date.  

Time for #SoCS.  As I open Reader, click manage, and find the site with gold at the end of the rainbow, I see this waiting for moi:

Your Friday prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday is “ask someone else.” Either ask someone for a prompt word or, if you can’t, turn on a TV or a radio and choose a word from the first sentence you hear. Enjoy!

So clever!  That Linda G Hill!  Our hostess with the mostest.  Even when life is throwing her curve balls, she takes care of us.  Me likey! But not that expression.  Gross Claire, so gross!!

That prompt is genius – Wile E Coyote Genius!  We’re gonna get a bonanza today folks.  I can hardly wait to see all the offerings.  If you’d like to take a peek or join in yourself, here are the rules and ping back.  But y’all come back now ya hear :).  I’m leaving the light on.

Shut the front door!

Because you weren’t raised in a barn.

Don’t call me late for supper!

And don’t call me Shirley!

As in Airplane! God rest your hilarious soul Leslie Nielsen.

My goodness, this might be a post about nothing as in a show about nothing as in Seinfeld.  Where the heck did ole Jerry go? I hear he’s a philanthropist.  Warms the heart if that’s true.  I won’t re-watch any of the Senfeld episodes for fear magic memories might be broken.  Does that happen to you?

We were just chatting about stuff and somehow the movie Porky’s came up.  I remember seeing the movie with my friend Joseph.  It was rated R and I was not allowed to see rated R movies.  Anyhow, the movie had been out a while.  The theater at the now defunct Windsor Park Mall was almost empty.  Neither of us were 17 but we got in due to the low crowds and all.  Back then I was 15 going on 16 but looked 12.

Anyhow, we laughed our asses off.  Giggles bouncing off the walls, irritating the two or three other patrons.  Hysterical, that one scene, you know it doncha?  Then many years later I watched the movie again and nothing.  Barely broke a smile.   Kinda weird.  Funny strange, not funny haha.

Speaking of strange, we watched the Avengers Infinity Wars this week.  Dr. Strange was back.  Hubba Hubba Benedict Cumberbatch.  Short-hair Thor was no bueno.  I am sure cutting his hair made his super powers dim.

We’ve been on comic books made into movies kick.  Spanning both DC and Marvel universes.  First up, Aquaman at the theater on Christmas Day.  Then Black Panther.  LOVED this movie all over again.  Then Ant Man and the Wasp.  What’s not to love?  And closing with the aforementioned Infinity Wars.  Look at me hoity-toity – aforementioned.  Who do I think I am?  The Queen.  Maybe I can get a part in the next movie.  Lol.  I slay me.

And FIN.

As always, more to come.

So, … Ya Got Any Royal Purple

Background:  B’s truck, a 2008 Chevy with over 200,000 miles is about to go belly up. He tried to fix it himself.  First a new battery, then a new alternator.  But then, the trouble outgrew his own tenacity.  I wrote a snippet which touched on the saga of Bertha but now I will elaborate.  Aka Ramble.  Aka get the swirling words out of my head.

That day not too long ago, I picked B up from the repair shop.  He borrowed my car to get to the carpool lane while his truck was in queue for diagnosis.  Turns out he needed a new crankshaft.  Temple Hill did the deed.  However, on the day he got his vehicle back, driving off the lot, it died again.

Doh! and Sacrebleu!!  This meant more borrowing my car … which was A-Okay … seeing as I can work from home.  #LuckyassthatIam #TakeNothingForGranted

Two or three days later, he got the truck back for good.  Apparently a wire connecting the crankshaft to whatever a crankshaft attaches to was loose and or corrupted.  Temple Hill fixed the wire which fixed the issue.  Sort of …

Because the truck coded again.  Ya see the computer on the vehicle sends off error codes.  No need for mechanical aptitude mi amigos.  Instead, we need people who can read computer codes and follow instructions.  Ain’t this amazing.  And no that is NOT sarcasm.  Though I’m a bit sad the what my daddy did for a living is a lost art.  Ah the good ole days of shady tree mechanics.  Brains were the computers.  But I digress.  Onward through the fog.

Okay, now to explain the title of this tale.  B is looking for a vehicle but until he finds the perfect specimen, he is keeping Bertha going come hell or high water.  He did not take her back for round three.  Twice was enuf doncha think?  Part of keeping her going is adding oil after each code. And only the best for Bertha – Royal Purple 5 W 30. He asked Lulu and me to pick up a couple of quarts, when we were last at Wally World.  The conversation went like this …

Me: Oh good, they have it.

Lulu: Not 5 W 30, that’s 20.

Me: Well, I am gonna ask if they have any in the shop where they do the oil changes.

We walk around the corner to a nice young gentleman wearing more earrings than I presently own.  (Not judging, just observation).

Me: Do you have any Royal Purple 5 W 30 in the back, only 20 is out on the shelf.

Clerk: Well that’s the best oil.  It’s expensive too.  Not a big seller at this store so we only have it once in a while.

Lulu: Great! more perpetuating the stereotype that we live in da hood.

Why I never!  Or I outta!  Peeps around here … well some are millionaires but then again I guess millionaires aren’t at Wally World asking for a quart or two of Royal Purple. They’re on their yachts drinking champagne and eating caviar.

As always, more to come.

 

 

 

The Way To Grow Your Power Is To Give It Away

A sponsor.  That’s what Carla Harris calls someone who can help you get ahead at work.  Even more than a mentor or an advocate.  You need a sponsor.

Click on the link to listen to the Carla_Harris TedWomen 2018 Talk

Go on.  I’ll wait.

So, … what’d you think?  Carla is amazing. Yes!  Well I agree.

In February, I celebrate 35 years of gainful employment with the same company.  A boatload of different jobs within said company but the only place besides daycare and ice cream parlor that I ever worked.  I had a sponsor before I even knew I needed one.  And guess what?!??  I hit the lottery because I have been fortunate to have more than one.

I would not be anywhere near where I am today without the support of my sponsors.  One has “retired” but I will never forget that she was my multiplier manager.  She’d tell me to go forth and conquer and she’d always have my back. I was in charge of training under her watch.  A special position that she created just for me.

The other is still working.  I see him every once in a blue moon.  I missed the good ole days on his team.  I am a card carrying member of his former employees club.  He is an individual contributor which I think is a shame because he was by far one of the best people managers who I have had the fortunate  privilege to work. He cut me slack when I was scared and needed it but when push came to shove, he said “you are not turning down this opportunity”.  Boom, I became a manager!  And while my stint in management lasted only six years, I am better for the experience.

Back to Carla’s talk, I like the idea of building currency.  Performance currency and relationship currency.  I cornered the market on performance currency.  I do not know how else to be.  Just like the Energizer Bunny.  To the point of stressing myself out.  Deliver what you promise.

And while I do not have the power or seat that the round table that Carla mentions, I am struck by her saying “The way to grow your power, is to give it away”  Even in small gestures, for all of us, just think how great that would be.

 

 

 

#1linerWeds. 12/26/18

Morris Bird III: “Sure was funny.  Peculiar and haha both, he supposed.”

Taken from the book “The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread: A Novel” by Don Robertson

The expression ’round these parts was always “funny strange, not funny haha”.  I guess that’s close enough.

We finally got that rain they’ve been predicting.  But at 8 am when we left the house it was still humid.  When we stopped to get gas before returning home @ 11 am, the wind had picked up and man did it feel 10 degrees colder. While refueling, we got Ant-Man & the Wasp from Red Box for this evening’s entertainment.

Dang, what a bargain.  I remembered the Blockbuster days where I thought that was a sweet deal but I never imagined we’d come to this.  Boggles the mind. In a good way.

Oh and hey I just found out, “The Greatest Thing Since Sliced Bread: A Novel” is part of a trilogy. Yay!  Going to check out the other two one of these days.  In the lap right now is “The Death of Mrs. Westaway” by Ruth Ware.  I just finished “Where the Crawdads Sing” by Delia Owens and will review it shortly.

This is perfect reading weather so I am gonna get while the getting is good.  Happy Wednesday folks.  To join in, here are the Rules and Ping Back

J-Dub’s Review of “Aquaman”

The tradition continues. And this year was a banner year in the Dub household. We picked better than we have in a long time.

Whatcha talking about Jilly ?!? The Christmas Day movie 🎥 of course.

Like I said before, pickings were slim. No Oscar nominees in the bunch that I’m aware of. Even “Welcome to Marwen” only got 26% on rotten tomatoes. I was so holding out hope for that one.

“Mary Poppins Returns” was a no for B. “Bumblebee” was a hard pass for me. “Holmes and Watson” was going to be our 2013 “Anchorman 2” esque reprisal but after we watched the trailers a few times, we realized “no shit Sherlock” and “I’m a doctor, would you like some heroin” were likely the two most funny lines of the show. The latter being not that funny considering there’s a opioid crisis.

Doh!

Then B says why not “Aquaman”? Women ❤️ him and men want to be him. Lol. He really did NOT say that last part. Lulu reluctantly agreed. Why? Because DC is not Marvel. She has sworn allegiance to Marvel and DC is usually not as strong. Still we decided to give hubba hubba I mean Aquaman a try.

The outcome: OMG delightful. Great storyline of love between opposites … his parents. Of common stereotypes of what makes a king. Of sibling rivalry. Of loyalty. Tons of CGI action. Left open a nice path to another movie 🍿… “when you’re ready to talk come find me”.

I may have even cried. I can cry at the stop of a hat as it is but darn it those reunions with their mommy. Nic Kidman aka “she who never ages”. And that’s not a spoiler. Those parts were predictable even to me who is ALWAYS clueless.

Case in point …

Me on the car ride home … hey did y’all get the reference? His name was Arthur and he was the 👑 and he pulled the trident 🔱 from the original king of Atlantis who was petrified/stone.

B … duh 🙄 captain obvious.

Lol! And here I thought I’d uncovered a great mystery. Any who, landing the plane, solid offering. I give the movie 4.321 out of 5 stars ✨

A Rose 🌹 by Any Other Name is a Crystal, Lilac, and an Arrow

Background: We were having a conversation at Element Tattoo.  Wise was explaining something to S about something B said or did.

Follow me?

Nope.  Okay more elaboration.

Wise is my daughter-in-love.  She was telling Lulu’s friend S about something involving B but she blanked on his name.  I helped her out by telling S that Wise meant B.

Wise says “I forget his real name.  I never call him by it.  He’s just DAD”.

I am one verklempt momma.

Reminds me of a time when Pony told me his mother-in-law had taken to calling him son.  He said it felt nice but he worried I would mind.  Whadda you think folks?  I cried!  Happy tears though because my boy was accepted as part of the family.  I am big enough to share.  A guy should be so lucky as to have two fantastic moms.   Am I right?!?!?!

Not everyone gets that.  I was told immediately by my mother-in-law when B and I announced our plans to wed,  “Don’t start calling me mom, you already have one of those”  Iced out from the start.  Of course, PoPo was always dad before he was PoPo.  He never minded.

Boils down to what one is comfortable doing.  Addressing the in-laws by Mr and Mrs seems a bit formal.  First names were hard for me because growing up, that was not considered respectful.  I never called any adult by their first name.  Well not without Aunt or Uncle in front of it.  I just assumed B’s parents would be mom and dad to me too.  I got over it though with some practice.

Just know how you address someone is important.  Family is more than blood or at least it can be.  Open your hearts, embrace who is brought into your lives.   I did and now I am that much better for it.

The following is the outcome of our time at Element tattoo.  T’was a banner day in the Dub household.  We are three December birthday angels.  Next year is my turn 🙂

Lulu’s B-Day gift

As always, more to come.