Fully Caffeinated Since 1982
7.30.2004
Now I'm *Really* Annoyed!
I have no idea what I've done, but now I can't make new posts on the new blog! I've been toying around with it on Blogger, and although I've kept the same template (I told you I didn't really like change) for some reason I can't make any posts other than the one I've already made. I've fixed the image hosting problem, but the free ad is still there, and now I can't make any posts!!
Urgh...I need to go to bed.
Posted by: Stacey / 7/30/2004 09:39:00 PM
I Am Debating
And no, it's not in one of the threads of the doomed TW JPC forum, although I see that things are going hot and heavy. I roll my eyes in that general direction, because one of the reason's JPC is closing is that people just do not let *go*. Sometimes people feel like they have to have the last word, and when more than one person feels this way debate goes out the window and the real heat begins. That usually causes ill feelings, maybe a little name calling, and then a controversial thread gets nasty.
But I digress from why I came here this morning.:)
I am seriously thinking of leaving Perle Moon and embarking on a new journal. I'm coming up on my one year anniversary, and I would like to make the move before then. I love this blog, but I am seriously considering a name change and a new format. I would leave all the archives here and create new ones for the newer entries. I am looking for something a little simpler, and something that represents me a little better.
Here is a sneak peak of what I would use as a title page logo:
What do you all think? I'm not completely sold out to do this, but if you've been around me for more than five minutes you know I get rabbit feet when it comes to sig lines, templates, and logos. It's the one thing that makes me a walking contradiction; you'd think as a woman who hates change I would not be so prone to it in regards to where my blogging is concerned, but there you have it.
I figured with the big change going on at the TWBB board it might be nice to start August out with a totally new name and look. Ah well, we'll see...I am, after all, open to suggestions.:)
EDIT: I've just e-mailed Blogger and asked if I can keep the same "ad free" format for 'Fully Caffeinated' if I'm able to stay with Blogger. It would be so much easier to do it that way! We'll see what they have to say.:)
Posted by: Stacey / 7/30/2004 12:34:00 PM
7.29.2004
L'Amore Doo Coffee
You know, I just realized that I have developed an insatiable love for coffee, a love so deep it's almost unnatural.
I've always appreciated coffee. My enjoyment of it began in 1982, when I would sit on the floor with my Mom and play Rummy while guzzling huge quantities of General Foods International Coffee in Irish Creme or Cafe' Vienna. As I began to extensively travel around the globe, my love for it grew as I sampled some of the most wonderful blends in the world (and some of the strongest, let me assure you). I've always preferred caffeinated coffee, even if I did go through a brief stint of de-caffeinated brews (a time that I try to forget).
Lately, however, my passion for the bean has become so great that I'm even wanting to dedicate an entire room to this chicory concoction. My vision for my kitchen currently includes milk chocolate walls, creamy white trim, and some sort of border sprouting a coffee theme. I plan on hitting up my local Garden Ridge for a coffee/cafe' style art piece, or for that matter I could just paint one myself. I want to capture the flavor (if you pardon the pun) of Starbucks and transport it to my comfy, galley kitchen and surround myself in the fragrant aromatic of coffee-dom.
Hmm. Methinks I need to go make a pot. Hazelnut Folgers, fully caffeinated, two scoops of creamer and three packets of Splenda...
I'm there! See you all later.:)
Mah mood:
caffeinated
Posted by: Stacey / 7/29/2004 05:01:00 AM
7.28.2004
Just When You Think Your Day Couldn't Get Any Worse...
...you are met with Teacher Has Kids Tasting Flavored Condoms
Can I just freakin' vomit here? "Education" my big fat foot. Not in a MILLION years, jack, not in a million years.
Okay, I just have to do a dissertation on this. Before I begin, however, let me just state that I don't have a problem with your basic biological sex education under the proper circumstance (i.e. split sessions). This situation, however, is so fried that it goes beyond the pale. There is absolutely zero educational value in a kid sucking on a condom whose flavor resembles a Jolly Rancer.
That said, let's begin:
"The New Mexico Health Department is standing behind a sex-education teacher in Santa Fe who encouraged ninth-graders to taste flavored condoms.
According to a report in the Santa Fe New Mexican, parent Lisa Gallegos said that when her 15-year-old daughter balked at putting a condom in her mouth, instructor Tony Escudero told her, "Come on, sweetie, have a little fun." "
Okay, STOP. First of all, what in the samhill of all that is good and decent is this teacher doing? This is not sex-education, this is sex-eploitation. This has nothing to do with the biology of what goes where, or how a woman gets pregnant, or anything else that resembles scientific sex education. This is letting children test taste condoms. And the, "Come on, sweetie, have a little fun" comment? Hello?? I'd be down there so fast and in that man's face he wouldn't even know when Mama came in the room.
"Also, Gallegos quotes her daughter as saying when a male student expressed his disgust with homosexual activity, Escudero said, "Never say never, because you never know. Someday you might like it that way." "
Slap upside the head, I tell you! We are not even out of the third paragraph and already this guy comes across as a total sleaze. Keep in mind we are talking about 9th graders here, with the average age being 13-14 years old.
It sound to me like this dude is thinking 30 degress south of his waistline rather than with his mind, but I digress.
""I agree with sex ed 100 percent," Gallegos, whose daughter attends Santa Fe High School, told the paper. "I also teach it here at my home. But I think that was inappropriate and wrong 100 percent." "
Scha! You think?
"According to the report, Dorothy Danfelser, deputy director for the public-health division of the state Health Department, said she wrote Gallegos last week to say Escudero did nothing wrong.
"It had been investigated," Danfelser told the New Mexican. "There was no wrongdoing. I have no more comment. ... (Gallegos) may or may not agree with that, but that's her prerogative."
Both Danfelser and Escudero claim this was the first complaint he has received about his presentation, which he has been doing for years."
Okay, we don't have to think too hard about this one. We are talking about young teens...do you remember what *you* were like when you were a young teen? This kind of stuff is *fascinating* to someone with hormones raging from every corner of the earth, so do you really think, in general, the kids are going to complain? And all that aside, how many kids are going to rat on their teacher? This woman's daughter is, frankly, a very rare gem. I pray my daughter has as much guts (and good sense) as this kid.
""He didn't really tell them to just put (condoms) in their mouth," Danfelser said. "What he does, basically, in his classes, depending on the age appropriateness of the class, is to try to get them ... used to condoms and kind of destigmatize them."
To destigmatize them from what? What is the stigma, here? And why should a 9th grader have to be destigmatized from what is, basically, a sexual tool? How does licking flavored condoms enhance a child's education of the birds and the bees, hmm?
Jeeze. Moving right along...
""He tells them, if they're comfortable, they can open up the packages, they can touch them, they can stretch them out and those kind of things. And he has told them, if they're the flavored kind, they can go ahead and taste them if they want to. But it's generally to desensitize the whole stigma of 'Oh my God, it's a condom.'" "
Okay, I'm sorry, but I have to ask...what flavors are we talking here? Regular ol' cherry and grape, or something a bit more exotic? Razzle-dazzle, perhaps, or Privates Parfait? What about Lick'Em'Lime, or maybe Bursting Banana-Berry? As far as 'Oh my God, it's a condom!', do these teachers really think a 9th grader has absolutely no clue what a condom is? When societal sex is in your face nearly every minute of the day, how can one not know what a condom is?? Don't get me wrong: I hope there are kids out there whose sexual innocence has still been preserved, but we are talking about 21st century public American schools, here. Thanks to this fine institution in conjunction with Planned Parenthood (and yes, I have been to their website for teens, thankyouverymuch), there are probably some kids out there that could teach an adult a thing or two. I mean, does anyone else find this whole article as gross as I do, or am I living in bush in some remote outback somewhere? Harumph. I doubt even the remote little bushmen are safe from the far reaches of "flavored condoms" nowadays.
Can me and my kids say "private school"? Yes, I thought we could. If I have to give up the internet, stash, and our second car you bet it's private school.
Lord Jesus, come quickly...
Posted by: Stacey / 7/28/2004 04:35:00 PM
Stressed
After the past few days I've had, I can officially say I am stressed to the MAX.
Details coming later. Right now I just need a good laugh.
Here it is
Boy, you really can find everything on the internet, can't you?
Mah mood:
stressed
Posted by: Stacey / 7/28/2004 08:53:00 AM
7.26.2004
My Deepest Condolences
Tomorrow I will post about the frivolity and fun regarding my vacation, but today I want to extend my deepest sympathy to Misty, who lost her mother suddenly this weekend to a stomach aneurysm.
Misty, my prayers go out to you and your family.
Posted by: Stacey / 7/26/2004 07:42:00 AM
7.17.2004
The Big Four-Oh
It's my husband's birthday and we are on vacation...see you guys Tuesday!:)
Mah mood:
party time! (Diet Coke, please)
Posted by: Stacey / 7/17/2004 09:10:00 AM
7.14.2004
Preach It, Suz!
Okay, so that's why I've been so blank! Something has been niggling the back of my mind the past two days, and Suz has hit the nail on the head for me.
Whew! I hate it when something is bothering me and I can't figure out exactly what it is. I'm glad other people can do it for me.
This whole concept that the TWBB (yes, back to that subject again!) is closing as a community pretty much irks me. I understand that it will be weird not to have the Just Plain Chat and Comfort and Advice forums, but this gloom and doom attitude that it is the "death of a community" kind of boggles my mind. My relashionships with stitchers has grown out of more than just these two forums, and the TW board is greater than the sum of its parts. Yes, if someone feels there will be no more community after the loss of these forums and chooses to leave, then they are in essence *choosing* not to have a community anymore. The board will be what you make it. I'm not going anywhere, because all the friends I've made there I made *waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay* before I even started frolicking in JPC.
Let me share with you some of the memories that stick out in my mind:
1) The time (way back when I was still stitching dragons) that I was going to "defect" from Celestial Dragon to Lady of Shalott and Suz actually came into the LOS forum and, after giving me a hearty 'AHEM!' proceeded to tell everyone that CD was better suited for me and I needed to get back to where I belonged! It was a hoot.
2) The huge Storyteller race where Mindy beat the pants off of everyone, finishing ST in record time. The rest of us were happily shamed.
3) The original La Technique De La TKDchick thread (started by yours truly) that spawned every type of stitching under the sun: Lorchenites, Stashinites, Celebites, you name it.
4) Sending the "elves" (my version of the frogs) to Annette and Claire, at a time when I barely even knew them but I thought they were so cute I wanted to get to know them better.
5) My very first color conversion
6) Holiday cookies and punch (non-spiked, thank you very much) in the stitching forums
7) Taneya stitching the ezboard logo that Lorchen had charted for the "Thingy" thread
8) The friendships of so many that were birthed from something as simple as a commonality of a project.
These are only scratching the surface. There are so many wonderful memories stemming from "just stitching". I would hang out in forum even when I wasn't stitching that design, because we all knew how to have fun. I appreciate there are those who feel a sense of loss at losing the non-stitching forums (hey, I've felt it too) but that is not what drew me there in the first place and that is not what was going to keep me.
It's this simple: if you feel the community is dying because of the loss of these forums, then for you it will die. It all depends on your attitude and perspective. I admit, I've gone to frolic on the new board, but it's just a new playground to me. It's not my new "home". My permanent home is Perle Moon. My getaway condos are the stitching boards. I administrate and dearly love the Mirabilia board, but the TWBB will always be at the helm because that is what started it all.
Mah mood:
reflective
Posted by: Stacey / 7/14/2004 06:08:00 AM
7.13.2004
Ummm...
Well. I am blank. I have absolutely nothing to say, and that in itself leaves me at a loss of words.
Give me a topic. Seriously, anything you want. Thrill me, chill me, whatever. Surprise me.
EDIT:Alright, folks, we have some players! Cool.
Valerie asks: "What is the oldest item of clothing you own and why can you not bring yourself to part with it?"
I have a quasi-sweater that is tan and heather gray stripes that is the softest, snuggliest, most wonderful piece of comfort clothing I own. If Georgia summers were not so blasted hot I would wear it all year long. I don't care how much weight I lose, that sweater will always be mine mine mine!.
Cat asks: "How about your thoughts on..... hamburger toppings and what that says about you?"
My thoughts on hamburger toppings are pretty severe. You cannot have a burger without cheese, for to do so upsets the balance of said burger and takes something that could be extraordinary to the palette and reduces it to merely "just so". The layering of each topping, to achieve complete burger-y balance, must go as follows:
Cheese, American or Cheddar, aged and mellowed
Meat, cooked to charbroiled perfection
Mayonnaise, not too tart and not to sweet, with just the right amount of "zip"
Ketchup, with the right balance of tomato-y fruitiness
Mustard, plain and yellow - *never* Dijon!
Lettuce, shredded and crisp, never wilted
Pickles, lightly dilled with perky crispness
Important note: Tomatoes are not required and onions on burgers are positively indecent.
Now, what does this all say about me? Hmm. Probably that I spent too much time seriously crafting this answer and that I really do need to get a life.
Wow. I am still blank, but now I'm ravenously hungry.
Keep 'em comin'...
WhizGidget asked several, so let's start with this one: "Your thoughts on the idea that dragons do exist and are being kept in basements and aquariums against their will?"
Well, I do believe dragons exist, but they are not necessarily kept in basements and aquariums. They are found in Komodo dragons, alligators, and crocodiles, all of which are our current existing dinosaurs (at least, that is what the blue dragon locked in my basement told me to say).
"For a more serious topic: what are your feelings about tapioca with raisins, vs tapioca plain, or do you not like the stuff at all (I, personally, cannot stand the stuff)."
Well, to borrow a quote from "Benny and Joon", raisins are nothing more than humiliated grapes. I do not condone anything with raisins, except maybe a fat slice of cinnamon bread oozing with artery-hardening frosting, but I would pick out the raisins so it wouldn't be an issue anyway. Tapicoa's texture, despite it's intriguing flavor, weirds me out tremendously. Couple that with my husband's ominous, "You do know where tapioca comes from, don't you?" and I tend to steer clear of it the majority of the time.
"...and as to the onions on burgers - what if they're sauteed with mushrooms and white wine, and then put on the burger - or is that only for topping good cuts of steak?"
I view mushrooms as big of an evil as I do onions (much to my husband's chagrin). As far as I'm concerned, mushrooms and onions deserve each other. May they delight in their disgusting union for all eternity. But, since you asked concerning the nature of mushrooms and onions in regards to burgers, I think if someone's heart is set on such a mess then there should be no reason not to slop it over a burger. Not my cup of tea, but so what. I'd save the white wine for a glass on the table, but since I don't drink let's not and say we did. Make mine a Shirley Temple.
Belinda asks: "Being as how you're in Atlanta - how do you feel about driving on the Perimeter?"
Traffic is getting worse everyday, although as a SAHM I am spared the insanity of it all. Our current Spaghetti Junction was supposed to be modeled after the highway system in Dallas, and anyone who has ever driven in Dallas can understand the massive repercussions of this decision. I have worked in Ashwoody, Alpharetta, Kennesaw, Cumberland, and off of La Vista, so you know I have seen my fair share of rush hour traffic from the Perimeter and beyond. When I worked at Perimeter Mall, it would take me 45-no-kidding-minutes to go from mall parking lot to express way, normally a five minute drive. It would take another hour or two just to get down to Northlake, with all cars and the stop-start stop-start 'dontyoulookatmelikethatcantyouseeImtryingtogetoverohnoyoudidNOTflipthatfingeratme'
stuff that goes on during the daily commutes. Once I passed La Vista, however, I could cruise homeward bound while the Perimeter ate my dust behind me. I'm convinced the insanity of it all is what drives some people to road rage, although if you can't control yourself do NOT get on the Perimeter during rush hour traffic. You'll burst a blood vessel for sure.
Great questions so far! My brain is beginning to un-blank...
Mah mood:
blank
Posted by: Stacey / 7/13/2004 07:43:00 AM
7.12.2004
Changes on the Horizon
"Change, indeed, is painful, yet ever needful; and if memory have its force and worth, so also has hope." - Carlyle.
When things change, we can either make the best of the situation or make the worst. It's those that choose to make the best are the ones who create newness and life; these are the ones who thrive.
Of course, one would think I'm referring to a life or death situation; I'm not, although some may indeed see it that way. I'm referring to the recent decision Teresa Wentzler made to convert her bulletin board to an all-stitching board, canning the current forums of Just Plain Chat, Recipe's, Comfort/Advice, Polls, and Jokes (and modifying the Question of the Week forum). This has a lot of people very upset, and while I am not jumping for joy at the prospect I am trying to keep things in perspective. Teresa is, after all, a cross stitch designer, so it makes a lot of sense for her board to reflect stitching.
Blow ups happen, controversies happen, junk happens--fine. When we cause it and it happens to you and me, we deal with it and move on. When we cause it and things happen to Teresa, you bet your sweet bippy she is going to have to address it in a way that protects herself. I don't blame her for one minute. Cutting out venues that contribute to these things is sure a lot better than killing the board altogether, at least from my vantage point. I'd rather have her board the way she wants it to be rather than not at all.
The real problem arises in the fact that many of these forums (two in particular) have become a place of refuge for many stitchers; stay-at-home-moms with no or little stimulation, computer-bound career people waiting for their day to move forward, enterprising spirits with joys and heartaches to share, or simply the person who thrives in an on-line community. Many are angry that they were not given a choice at having something so dear to them taken away, while others are confused at why such a big deal is being made over this in the first place. I suppose one could call us all over-emotional, hysterical women (with the occasional man thrown in for good measure), and perhaps that would be fairly accurate if the element of community was left out of the equation. The Teresa Wentzler Bulletin Board is indeed an amazing community, and the Just Plain Chat and Comfort/Advice Forum have for many contributed to that in a huge way. When something has been part of your life for so long, you don't take too kindly to it being removed. At least, you don't if you lose your perspective.
We are still a community. The death of a few forums does not equate death for this community, or at least it doesn't have to. People can still choose to be part of a community or not. There has been concern expressed about the democratic processes being lost in the shuffle; well, the TW board is not a democray. It's Teresa Wentzler's board that belongs to her. Paying into the Community Chest each year does not give us carte-blanche ruling or decision making priviledges. It keeps us ad-free, and that's all. Any major decisions are made by Teresa.
Look...I'll still be there. Whether or not I stitch a TW has no bearing on my participating on the TW board. When I found it I wasn't stitching a TW, nor at the time did I participate in any non-stitching forums. I made friends, I increased my stash, and I got to know a wonderful group of people. That does not in any way have to change just because the board changes.
And I'm convinced if we make the best of it then everything will be fine. Quite frankly, it will be what people make it.
Autumn has graciously created a board dedicated to just chat, titled (appropriately) Just Plain Chat. I think seperating JPC from the TW board is a great move. With both boards we will have the best of both worlds.
Changes on Another Kind
It's 10:10 PM Eastern time, and I just got done exercising. I feel like a raw meatball sandwich that has been smooshed flat by a rabid SUV.
The only change I want to see next is the demise of three stubborn pounds. I'm trying to get to a 30 pound loss, and when you have 75 more pounds to go three shouldn't be a whole lot to ask for.
Mah mood:
thoughtful
Posted by: Stacey / 7/12/2004 05:27:00 PM
Monday Moonings and Other Useless Things
Good morning, my freaky dahlings. I am doing much better today. I will a little later on about my weekend, but for now I just want to post meaningless things and exercise my brain with bonafide time-wasters.
WARNING! If you are sorely lacking in a sense of humor DO NOT click on the link below! You have been warned!
Well, I think THIS just about says it all, but all of what I'll let you figure out for yourself.;)
Kudos to Susan for the laugh. I guffawed so much I thought I was going to bust a gut. The images of all the candidates doing the repetitive two-step shuffle will remain with me always.
Now, on to Monday Moonings, which is basically a summary of random thoughts I've had over the weekend or this morning. Some of it belongs to my sweet, frosted side and others come straight from the crunchy side with all the fiber.
Off we go:
1) With all the money Paris Hilton has, you'd think she could buy some good old-fashioned morality. Or, at the very least, a decent wardrobe.
2) Modern Lovebirds: I'm wondering when Demi will grow up and Ashton will wise up.
3) A true friend doesn't tell you what you want to hear, but tells you what you need to hear.
4) Making a warrior princess out of Guinivere is about as cheesy as Kevin Costner's retelling of Robin Hood where we get to see Maid Marion wield her martial arts. Hey, just call me a purist (and no, the elves shouldn't have been at Helms Deep, but I'll let PJ slide on that one, although I'll never forgive him for Haldir's death. I could only imagine Tolkien rolling in his grave).
5) Ah, now I know where my daughter's chiffon baby blanket went.
The more I see of our pop culture the more I crave old episodes of Andy Griffith. Of course, if it was remade today we might see Aunt May back flipping over couches, wielding feather dusters like numbchucks, lace collar flying out behind her. Barney would be the Goofy Sidekick in tight's to Andy's six-pack and ripply Sheriff DooGoode, with Opie coming in as the Brilliant Boy Wonder.
Hmm. Maybe I'll take my chances with a buff Guinivere after all.
Mah mood:
amused
Posted by: Stacey / 7/12/2004 10:21:00 AM
7.09.2004
And Now For Something Political
I know, I know, I try not to talk politics. So sue me. I needed the laugh.
Posted by: Stacey / 7/09/2004 09:43:00 AM
Excuse Me, Can I Stop This Day And Get Off?
This morning started crummy. Crummy is actually an understatement, but as a Christian it would be inappropriate to use the term I really want to use. It's bad enough that I'm even thinking it.
I'm tired. I'm weary. My mind is so blurry this morning that I can't even think of an appropriate quote to start this entry.
I feel...lost. Unappreciated. Frazzled. I love my children, but this week all I've been is nothing more than a permanent baby-sitter. I'm a twelve-year-old stuck in an adult's body, never aging and never maturing. I have absolutely no clue what I'm doing, and I'm tired of stumbling through the days wearing a blindfold.
Is this a pity party? Yes it is. It's mine to have right now, and I'm going to take it.
I need a break. I need a change. And I know that is not going to happen. Grind in, grind out, same old same old. What is even wierder is that I love my life, so I don't exactly know what I need a break from. Perhaps it's just the monotony of routine pressing in on me. I try so hard to be a positive voice for others, but I can't do it for myself. Not today. I even know some of the things I can do to make things better, but right now I don't even have the energy to give it a go. I'm doing all I can just to be.
I need to go pray. I need to get in touch with God, because no one else can help me. There were a lot of tears on my knees as I cried out to Him this morning, and I felt a little more balanced. I need to know I'm cherished, and while humans fail each other all the time God never fails us. We want to blame Him for things we bring on ourselves, and then we want to cry at His feet when we are hurting; such is the color of human nature. The true beauty lies in His loving mercy and understanding, both things I need so desperately right now.
I know that sooner or later things will get better. I just hope it's sooner and not later.
EDIT: I really feel like I need to share a comment I left in someone's box this morning:
None of us are perfect...I came to that realization this morning.
I think the decision you made was the best for you. Whenever we start acting in ways that are uncharictaristic to us, that usually fortells of deep stress and in times like that it's best to remove ourselves from the stress.
I've thought long and hard about this, and I know it takes a lot of courage to admit when we are wrong (or mean, to use the words you've used). We can learn from stupid mistakes or we can let them rule us: the choice is ultimately ours.
I know you've left the room, I just hope you don't leave the building. I would miss you too much.
FWIW, I'm having a crappy day as well. I guess that makes us all a little more "pliable".
I don't excuse bad behavoir. But I do forgive it. And I know (from the examples in my own life) that when people are loaded with stress they freak out and do things they would not ordinarily do. It doesn't keep me from being shocked when it happens (whether the wierd behavoir is my own or someone else's), but at least sometimes I can clean the mirror and see things a little more clearly.
Geez. Life is messy. That's why God created paper-towels.
Mah mood:
emotionally raw
Posted by: Stacey / 7/09/2004 07:00:00 AM
7.08.2004
And the Red Flags Continue
You know, this poor girl needs someone full of good old fashioned common sense in her corner to give her a helping hand. Might as well be me.
According to this story (yes, you have to scroll past the lovebirds Paris and Nick, which is fodder itself for the Common-Sense Challenged), our girl has chose not to sign a prenuptial agreement because their "love is so pure".
Riiiight. I wonder whose idea this was, Brittney's or hubby-to-be?
Let us examine this further:
"Given Britney's marital track record, that means a good chunk of her estimated $100 million fortune could one day end up in the pockets of her future hubby's uber-baggy pants -- plenty of dough to keep him in trucker hats and Slim Jims for life."
So, she's worth $100 million bukeroonies...that's an awful lot of money. Yes, I'd say that if I was to marry someone with that kind of money I'd do anything I could to convince them that our love was 'pure' aka 'not worthy of something as trivial as a prenuptial agreement' as well. Besides, with the rising prices of Slim Jims, she has to keep her man happy.
"The mag claims Spears' parents have implored her to reconsider her decision, but their pleas have so far fallen on deaf ears. "This is my life, let me live it," Britney reportedly screamed at her mother, Lynne."
Ah, there is that "This is my life, let me live it" again. Brittney is starting to sound a bit like a broken record. Thank God her parents are trying to talk some sense into their little girl. And just why is it that children think their parents never know anything? I think that more than a few of us might be a little better off if we had followed more of our parent's adivce.
"The singer, purportedly still recovering from knee surgery, is said to have shelled out $40,000 for the 5-carat engagement ring she shows off in People."
Wait wait wait...hold on...did I read this right? She paid for her own engagement ring?? Call me old fashioned, but isn't that supposed to be the guy's job? I mean, come on, there are at least two things minimum a husband should do: buy your rings and take out the trash. If she has to buy her own ring, then maybe she ought to look at that prenup a little more seriously.
"As she tells the magazine, "I wake up in the morning, look at that ring and think, 'Very cool.'""
Sigh... 'Very cool', huh? What.Ever.
"In Touch believes the nuptials could take place as early as next month, with Spears leaning towards a traditional white wedding. Insert snark here."
Insert snark, indeed.
Well, it seems she's all set to go through with it. If she were standing right here, I would say, "Brittney, grab hold of your Evian because we are going to sit down and have a little chat." Of course, it probably would not do much good, for the curse of so many young seems to be a case of know-it-all-itis in regards to stuffy old codgers such as myself.
Oh well. Some mistakes are meant to be made, but it's all the more tragic when they are at the repeat willfulness of our own hands; and that is no laughing matter.
What's Next, Low-Carb Drugs?
Here is Ambra's contribution to the low-carb craze.
Needless to say, I am amused (and I am in dire need of a little amusement this morning).
Mah mood:
blah
Posted by: Stacey / 7/08/2004 05:45:00 AM
7.07.2004
Words Mean Things
"Words are the counters of wise men, and the money of fools". - Hobbes
I just witnessed a thread where a poster from another stitching board is the sole topic of conversation. It is three pages going strong of nothing but how much this person is disliked and how everyone wishes her and her silliness should go away.
I've heard about how catty the stitching industry can be, but I thought that was contained just to the designing ilk. This seems not so.
Geez. You know, it's one thing to bring up a dicey situation from another board, but to openly slam a stitcher makes me really disheartened. Call it old fashioned code of ethics, but I don't care how unpopular a person may be this kind of thing seems a little off kilter. It makes me uneasy. And, truth be told, it also makes me wonder what people are saying about me on other boards behind my back...
Hopefully there is more to this story than meets the eye.
BWT, I got to speak to Angi a little bit today on Yahoo! Messenger. I miss her and I hope she gets back from vacation soon.
Mah mood:
sad
A Little Monday Frivolity
"The winds grow high; Impending tempests charge the sky; The lightning flies, the thunder roars; And big waves lash the frightened shores". - Matthew Prior
You are Storm!
You are very strong and very protective of those
you love. You are in tune with nature and are
very concerned with justice and humanity.
Unfortunately, certain apprehensions and fears
are very hard for you to overcome, and can
often inhibit you when most need to be strong.
Which X-Men character are you most like?
brought to you by quickly
I KNEW it! She couldn't be my favorite X-Men for nothing!:)
Now, if only I had Halle Barry's gorgeous complexion...
Mah mood:
amused mutant
Posted by: Stacey / 7/07/2004 12:39:00 PM
7.02.2004
Artistic Stick-Men? Inconceivable!
"Never judge a work of art by its defects". - Washington Allston
Through some friends, I have just discovered the joys of Yahoo! Instant Messanger. For the past two days, my husband and I have been glued to our computers, him at work and me at our inner sanctum. We have spent the hours sending each other sweet nothings and giggling at the responses.
Until we found the Doodle Pad IMviornment.
After a game of Tic Tac Toe and random doodles, we began to entertain ourselves with the long succession of the game "Guess Who I Am" via stick figures. We have sketched the linknesses of several LOTR characters, along with a lovely stick rendition of Jack Sparrow atop his sinking
I now present to you the sketch that will one day shock art critics everywhere and send them slobbering to my door:
Isn't is nice? Doodle Pad even framed it for me!
Well...okay, so Larry Elmore it ain't, but at least Robert could tell who they were. I think it was the "left hand" hint that finally gave it away. What's funny is that I really *can* draw people, but stick figures are a whole different animal.
It now proudly resides on my freezer door in all its stick-men glory for everyone to behold. Westley and Inigo would be proud.
Mah mood:
artistic
Posted by: Stacey / 7/02/2004 09:32:00 AM
7.01.2004
Brittney's Gettin' Married (Again)
"Wedlock's like wine, not properly judged of till the second glass." - Jerrold.
It seems like celeberties of our pop culture have been doing an awful lot of drinking lately.
Take Jennifer Lopez, for instance. I have no doubt in my mind that Elizabeth Taylor is her heartfound idol and she's doing all she can to emmulate the world's most famous Divorcee'. We have Drew Barrymore, who was to her first husband for five months and her second 11 months (not to mention there were rumours of a third), and Julia Roberts, who seems at least to be going the distance a little better with Hubby No. 2 than her stint with at-least-we-made-it-to-two-years ex-hubby Lyle Lovett.
Now enter: Brittney.
When I first read this story (courtesy of Christine via the TWBB), I felt it was really no different from any other heathenistic young Hollywood-er (but wait, she's no heathen, Brittney says she's a religious woman! Riiiiiiight. I'm sure
Let us begin:
This time, she's marrying for love, Britney Spears said of her recent engagement to dancer Kevin Federline.
True, the first time she just married while on a drunken dare. Somehow, if I were her that would make me step back and question my maturity and attitude towards marriage to begin with. It seems if she was so willing to marry (so short a time ago, I might add) under such less-than-loving conditions I don't know if she should be so quick to judge if it's love or not that's leading her to the altar this time. Lust, perhaps? Hmm...
"Marrying Kevin was the last thing I was thinking about doing," Spears tells People magazine in its July 12 issue. "But then I said, `You know what? This is my life and I don't care what people think. I'm going to get married. I'm in love with him.'"
Hmm. If marrying Kevin was the last thing you were thinking about doing, then perhaps it would be wise to keep on thinking that way, m'girl, at least until you get a little bit of stability in that noggin' where the concept of marriage is concerned.
Red Flag no. 1 - Anyone who throws "It's my life and I don't care what people think" up in people's faces usually have a bone to pick and are doing things to prove a point.
Spears, 22, and Federline, 26, began dating a few months ago, after her Las Vegas wedding to childhood friend Jason Alexander in January. That marriage was annulled 55 hours later.
Red Flag no. 2 - They have been only been dating a few months. According to most of the Hollywood startlets track records for "a few months" dating, marriages do not bode well. Ever heard of a traditional year-long engagement? Probably not. Of course, even if she had, Ms. "I'ts My Life I Don't Care What People Think" Spears wouldn't care anyway.
Red Flag no. 3 - After having had probably the shortest marriagein American history, her honey ought to be thinking twice about signing pre-nuptials with this chick. Of course, his attitude towards marriage is probably as loose as hers is, so I guess that's a moot point.
Of the quickie Vegas ceremony, "That thing was a total ugh," she says. "I was not in love at all."
Well, Brittney, we wouldn't want you to stay in something that was "total ugh". Glad to see you recognize it when you see it.
This is different, says Spears, who's wearing a five-carat diamond set atop two slender platinum, diamond-encrusted bands on her left finger.
Ah! Now maybe we are getting someplace! Perhaps love = big fat diamond rock perched saucily on pop-princess's finger. They say money can't buy love, but obviously diamonds can.
Federline popped the question on an airplane while flying with Spears from Ireland to New York after the European leg of her tour. "I'd known for a while that she's the one," he says.
Yes, that was probably the most elated 5 minuets of his life. Oh, I'm sorry, I meant to say months, yes, that's right.
"I kissed a bunch of frogs and finally found my prince," says Spears. "I feel like I've found my happily ever after."
Rolling.Eyes.Want.To.Hurl.
Federline, who performed as a backup dancer for Justin Timberlake, Spears' former boyfriend, previously was involved with Shar Jackson, star of TV's "Moesha." They have a 2-year-old daughter and are expecting another baby.
Okay, Major Red Flags here, people, Red Flags all over the place!! In fact, there are so many I've lost count. He has been involved with Shar Jackson, has a two year old, and they are expecting another baby??? Does anyone else find this whole prospect as totally gross as I? Is Brittney going to be in the delivery room, helping a poor sister out, waiting to celebrate the blessed event? It seems all three of them need a serious reality check, not to mention a serious shift in attitudes regarding healthy relashionships.
Moving right along...
"I plan to meet his daughter," Spears says. "I love little ones. I think the situation is good."
Can we spot the Red Flag here? She has not even met his daughter. Of course not, that would probably have been too much to ask, considering the
The singer says she wants children of her own someday. "I'm not pregnant. (But) I definitely want to have some kids. I see myself with four or five."
She adds: "We're starting with a dog. I just got a Maltese named Lacy."
I am afraid. I am very afraid. I thought I might be relieved at the fact that Miz Spears was not pregnant, but you know? nothing about this story gives me any relief at all. If this is truly the attitudes of the young today in regards to marriage, then we are probably doomed.
Well, I suppose not all of the young are so glib about the matrimonial state. It seems to me that perhaps Brittney should take some pointers from Jessica Simpson.
On second thought, that in itself is a scary thing.
Posted by: Stacey / 7/01/2004 11:22:00 AM
Recording the Journey
"I would sooner call myself a journalist than an author, for a journalist is a journeyman." - Gilbert K. Chersterton
I never really thought about it that way, but that sure makes sense.
I've been thinking a lot this morning about the events of my past, and the journeys I have taken. My life has been extremely full, to the point that I wish I had taken better care to record it through more photographs, more journaling, etc. I was a teenager when I did the majority of my traveling, and as most teenagers of my day I didn't bother with such boring things as writing about my travels. Eww, I would have thought the idea positively gross. I look back now with great regret that I did not have the foresight to think I would want to read about those experiences, but I guess since I've actually lived them there is nothing really lost.
Maybe I put too much emphasis on the written word, being the bibliophile that I am. Perhaps that is one of the things that drives me to keep a blog, that and my exibitionist within. Sometimes I wonder if I record my life and thoughts just because I can, or because I know someone is reading. I like to think I keep this journal as a way to decompress from stress or express my celebrations, but somehow there is more to it for me than just that. I don't even think it's entirely accurate to say it's all because I want attention, although I admit I enjoy knowing that I have dedicated readers. I believe I find communication through the written word extremely powerful. I want to share in that power of communication, and this journal is one small way that I can. I have found, however, that sometimes this is a tool that enables me to communicate with myself rather than just my readers, helping me clarify what I'm feeling or thinking.
That, in itself, is a powerful thing indeed.
Mah mood:
reflective
Posted by: Stacey / 7/01/2004 10:02:00 AM
