What's your greatest wish?

The Bucket List is a great film. I laughed and I cried and I agreed with the entire premise. I, too, have a "bucket list", a list of things to do before I kick the bucket. I think maybe subconsciously we all do. How many times have you said, "One day I'll do..." or "I'd like to try that someday..."?

I've actually been able to cross a few things off my list, and my hope is to keep adding and crossing things off my list until my time finally comes. I believe if I live my life like that then I can honestly say that I've lived my life. What's the point in making plans if you'll never follow through with them? And what's the point in dreaming if you don't get to fulfil your dreams?

So here's my list:

1.Tour Italy
2.Visit Ireland
3.Have a daughter
4.Own horses
5.Be financially secure
6.Own my own house
7.Buy a car that I love
8.See the Mona Lisa
9.Start a book club
10.Go on a treasure hunt
11.Learn to let go of grudges
12.Read the entire works of Stephen King
13.See all of the castles of Europe
14.Climb to the top of the Eiffel Tower
15.Climb to the top of the Statue of Liberty
16.See the Grand Canyon
17.Research my family tree
18.Conquer my fears
19.See Linkin Park in concert~~Marked off the list as of July 27, 2007



20.Sing on a stage
21.Write a novel
22.Have a novel published
23.Win the lottery
24.Go to Oktoberfest in Munich
25.Have my palm read
26.See a meteor shower
27.See my son get married
28.Have grandchildren
29.Host an elegant dinner party
30.Find a four leaf clover
31.Marry the man of my dreams
32.See my siblings achieve their dreams
33.Learn to scuba dive
34.Learn to play the piano
35.Swim in the Atlantic Ocean
36.Swim with dolphins
37.Go whale watching
38.Spend the night on a boat in the middle of the ocean
39.Learn to dance
40.Paint a picture
41.See a Giant Panda up close and get to pet it
42.Design a piece of jewelry
43.Wear ballet slippers to my wedding
44.Pierce my tongue~~Marked off the list as of April 7, 2009



45.Get more tattoos
46.Learn a sport
47.Go an entire week without swearing
48.Get a St. Bernard
49.Learn how to do a cartwheel
50.Learn to whistle

It's a long list, and then again it could be longer. Some things will be easier than others to achieve, and still others will simply have to wait as I can't rush them :) Maybe your list will be longer..or maybe it'll be shorter. If you don't think you have one, sit down and really think about it. I'm willing to bet you have at least 1 or 2 things for your list :)

"If you *really* wanted to screw me up, you should've gotten to me earlier."

I just love it when inspiration just jumps up and hits me square in the face! I was previously having a very relaxing evening watching "High Fidelity" and laughing at how I make my own "top 5" lists, when BAM! inspiration hits me. By the way, if you haven't seen the movie, first kick yourself for your lack of insight. Second, go out and rent it...right now. And actually watch it. It's classic. You'll thank me later.

I've been making "top 5" lists for as long as I can remember. It's actually one of my favorite ways to get to know a new person, asking what their top 5 favorite _____ (fill in the blank) are. Think about it though, it's really a great way to get to know someone. Not just what kind of movies they like, but actual movie titles so that you can compare and debate. Not just what bands or artists someone favors, but songs and lyrics or musical pieces that speak to them or bring back a special memory.

You can make a list for anything:
Food
Movies
Music
Bands/Artists
Actors/Actresses
Colors
Or take a page from the movie. List your "Top 5 All-time Worst Break-ups Ever". The possibilities are endless. You could really let your imagination run away with you...ask your friends random things like "Name your top 5 worst kissers ever" or "List the top 5 worst celebrity hair-styles". I'm actually kinda wishing it wasn't so late, I'd start texting friends and asking for lists :)

Speaking of the time..I believe it's about time for this meow-meow to get to bed for some much needed beauty sleep. Take a few and think it over...and watch the movie. Right. Now. :)

"You. Complete. Me."

What is a soulmate?

I imagine it means something different to every person. Whether it's your "one and only" someone, the yin to your yang, your perfect other half; or it's a person who just happens to complement you very well, a friend, spouse or family member.

I don't truly believe in the first definition. It's hard for me to swallow that there's only one person out there who is made to be with me, a twin that I am doomed to spend my life searching for. I do, however, think we all have soulmates.

I know I have them in my life. Friends who match me on different levels, who balance me out, smooth my rough edges and introduce me to new sides of myself. People who seem to know me better than I know myself so that I can always trust their advice because I know they truly know me. And I like to envision that I offer the same to them, that I see them as they really are, see past the masks that we all show the world.

I think it's really important to have people like that in your life, people that look past your masks, that know you so well that you don't have to pretend at anything. I know we'd all like to say that we don't pretend, we don't wear any masks; we're real, we don't hide from the world. I beg to differ. No matter how "real" you are, how original you claim to be, EVERYONE has something that they keep from the rest of us, it's just human nature.

So take a close look at your friends, your partner, your family. And take an even closer look at yourselves. What is it that you keep hidden? And who in your life sees it? If you don't think you have anyone who sees the true you, I suggest finding your soulmate. You'll be pleasantly surprised at the impact they have in your life.

And to my soulmates, I hope you all know what you mean to me and how much you impact me and my life each and every day. Thank you for keeping me "real".

I challenge you...

“If there is no passion in your life, then have you really lived? Find your passion, whatever it may be. Become it, and let it become you and you will find great things happen FOR you, TO you and BECAUSE of you.” -T. Alan Armstrong


Passion: The state of the mind when it is powerfully acted upon and influenced by something external to itself; the state of any particular faculty which, under such conditions, becomes extremely sensitive or uncontrollably excited; any emotion or sentiment (specifically, love or anger) in a state of abnormal or controlling activity; an extreme or inordinate desire; also, the capacity or susceptibility of being so affected; as, to be in a passion; the passions of love, hate, jealously, wrath, ambition, avarice, fear, etc.; a passion for war, or for drink; an orator should have passion as well as rhetorical skill.

When most people hear "passion" they think of sultry romance novels and, undoubtedly, sex. But, like the definition above states, passion can refer to any strong emotion. When I think of passion, I think of the things that bring me the most joy, the things that I'm passionate about. For instance, I love music, movies, books, reading, writing, the color blue (all shades and variations), singing, panda bears, cartoons and cooking. I could probably come up with more but, for the sake of space, we'll stop the list there :p

Take cooking, for example. I love to do it, it doesn't particularly matter if there's anyone to eat it or not, I'd still cook. I do prefer to cook for others though, whether it's recipes I've hi-jacked from Food Network chefs and put my own little twist on or it's something I've come up with in a mad moment of craving. I adore it all!

Or books. I think I'm a little obsessive about books. I'd have my own library if I could afford it. I like certain authors and strive to collect their complete works as well as exploring new writers and adding to my growing stacks of books. One day I'd like to add a copy of my own novel to that pile...just need to finish writing it first.

Or music. I KNOW I'm obsessive about music. In my perfect little world, music would play constantly, a random variation of new and old rock with a little country thrown in to catch you off guard.

These are just some of my greatest loves, the things, or hobbies, that I thoroughly enjoy and attempt to learn more about at every opportunity. I can always find a new recipe to try out or a new author to read. I can discover little known facts about a band that I love or even stumble across a new artist that tickles my fancy. And that's part of what makes a "passion" so exciting.

What are some of your fascinations? I'd like to hear from you all. Maybe it's collecting sports memorabilia. Or music. Or poetry. Or entertaining. Do you love gardening? Or blogging, even? If you don't think you have a passion, I challenge you to go out and find one...and live life a little more passionately :)

Oh spaghetti arms!

For those of you who don't know, the title for tonight is a line from one of my all time favorite movies, Dirty Dancing. It's also a great lead-in for my little rambling :)



Do you have a personal bubble? You know, that space around you that's a "no-no" zone...where only a few are allowed to penetrate and only once they've earned your trust. Well, I do have a bubble. And I really get kinda cranky when someone invades it. As a rule, I'm usually pretty open. I rarely censor myself in company and it takes a lot to offend me...but stepping into my "no-no" zone is a sure fire way to do that. Going so far as to "pop" said bubble by actually touching me (unwanted hugs, unwelcome poking or tickling, etc.) is usually enough for a mean tongue lashing.
Now I'm enough of a realist to step back and take a good look at myself and ask if maybe it's just me. But after a chat with some friends, today in which I discovered that they also had bubbles, I decided to do a little research. Wikipedia happened to have a very interesting article (see link below) and that was all I needed to take this topic and run with it :)
My bubble is very elastic. It can expand out to keep away the crazies that seem to flood public transportation. It also can shrink back to allow for close dancing and flirting (usually there's a bar and alcohol involved.) It's one of the areas in my life that is completely ruled by my instincts and to hell with logic.
Now I'm curious about other peoples' bubbles. Are they also elastic? Is it more of a feminine thing or do guys have them too? How about you reader, do you have a bubble? What happens if someone breaches it? What if they pop it? I know they say that curiosity killed the cat...but my grandma always said satisfaction brought him (or in this case, her) back.
So please, comment and share. And if you don't have a bubble, maybe you'll check out your boundaries the next time you're out in public :) Hey, anything I can do to help out my fellow man ;)

Wikipedia Personal Space

It's not procrastination if you make a plan!

I think maybe I should start a support group for procrastinators...but I'll do that tomorrow. I've actually started writing multiple times yesterday and today, each time with a different topic in mind, but just as quickly discarded them all.
Here's the bottom line, instead of my mind being blank, I actually have lots on my mind. It's just not blog-worthy lol. I really didn't (and still don't) want this blog to be overly personal, instead, I'd like it to be my observations and ramblings.
So here's a few random things, feel free to elaborate at will :)

* Do you ever notice that it doesn't start raining out until you go outside unprepared?



* Can you believe The Simpson's have been on TV for 20 years?! I'm seriously feeling old tonight!



* Who do you like better for Late Night? Conan O'Brien or Jay Leno?




I'm truly sorry I don't have more for you guys tonight...keep your fingers crossed that tomorrow goes well and I'll have something entertaining for you :)

"Come on baby, light my fire..."

What would you do if you had a time machine? If you had unlimited uses and funds weren't an issue? Would you go back and change history by trying to prevent wars and helping with sickness? Or would you go into the future and try to gain insight to your life?
I'm only slightly ashamed to admit my goals wouldn't be nearly so lofty.
I would so totally go back to different periods of time and see all of my favorite bands and artists live in their prime :)

November 18, 1993, Sony Music Studios in NYC
Nirvana's MTV Unplugged performance
I've seen the version of this performance that aired on MTV. It is powerful and raw emotion, the way music should always feel. I can only dream about what it must have felt like to be a part of the audience that night.



January 14, 1973, International Convention Center Arena in Honolulu
Elvis' Aloha from Hawaii
I've always regretted that Elvis was before my time. This was one of his biggest accomplishments, and to be able to go back and be a part of it would be nearly orgasmic for me!



July 13, 1985, JFK Stadium, Philadelphia
Queen's performance at Live Aid
Every kid from the 80-90's has seen Wayne's World and has head-banged to Bohemian Rhapsody. I have loved Queen from the first time I heard "Another One Bites The Dust." How awesome would it be to see them perform at their peak?



August 15 to August 18, 1969, Max Yasgur's 600-acre dairy farm near Bethel, NY
Creedence Clearwater Revival's performance at Woodstock
Who hasn't sang along to "The Night Time is the Right Time" and "Suzie Q"? The bonus to seeing them at this venue would be that I would be at WOODSTOCK! Hi...for any die-hard music fan, that's like finding gold!



September 17 1967, CBS-TV Studio 50 in NYC
The Doors' performance on The Ed Sullivan Show
My all-time favorite Doors song is "Light My Fire." What I wouldn't give to have been in the audience watching a furious Ed Sullivan powerless to stop Jim Morrison from singing his original lyrics on live television. It's even reported that Mr. Sullivan was so upset about the incident that he refused to shake hands with the band members.




These are just a few, I could list bands and concerts all night...but alas, I have a bed to get to...and I'm sure my readers all have lives to return to :) So why don't you put on a little music and rewind time...you might be amazed where you end up :)

I swear, I'm not stupid!

"Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe." -Albert Einstein

So I was procrastinating again...(are we noticing a pattern here?) and I ran across the above quote by Albert Einstein. It couldn't have been more apt, considering the day I had, than if it had been a bumper sticker proudly proclaiming "I hate stupid people!"
Now contrary to how it might sound, I do not walk through life claiming to be smarter than everyone...but when the majority of the population acts the way they do, one has to stop and wonder.
Take skinny jeans for example: in what acid trip did some coked out designer decide that these were a good idea? And who decided that they were perfect for teenage boys? Has anyone paid any attention to how teenage boys dress? One brief trip past the mall today and I saw more chicken legs than my last dinner from KFC. And they wear them sagged low (which seems like a ridiculous oxymoron to me) so that, in addition to their chicken legs, I can also see what color and size boxers they wear. Cuz that's what I look for in a man...scrawny chicken legs and getting to see their underwear before it winds up on my bedroom floor.



Example #2: The stupid teeny-boppers working at Subway. I swear, on all that I hold dear, that I know for a fact that I was NOT that obnoxious and rude when I was their age. From their attitudes you would have thought making a couple of sandwiches was the equivalent of asking them to scrub toilets. They slapped our subs together and barely remembered to ask us if we wanted them toasted or what toppings we wanted. And then they overcharged us! I can't remember the last time I was so annoyed with a fast-food restaurant. You would think it was hard or something...
I could actually go on for hours...this is one of those topics for me. Whatever happened to common courtesy? Or common sense for that matter?



I'm gonna stop there for now...I don't wanna scare away my readers already :) But I do invite all of my readers to post your comments and let me know what you think so far. Or post any opinions you might have on the topics :) They would all be greatly appreciated!
I'm out for now folks. Enjoy!

The Angst of Youth...or something like that :p

I thought maybe for my first posting that I would do something like "Hi folks! This is my blog, welcome to all of my witty remarks, blah, blah, blah..." But whilst I was waiting for a grand spark of inspiration to hit me, [read: while I was procrastinating] I decided to sit and play a little Super Mario Bros. 3 for the Wii.



Now I have played the original game, once upon a sweet time, as a competitive little brat along with my siblings; namely one VERY competitive, slightly older sister. And as I sat here with all my 27 years of knowledge behind me, I think to myself "I've got this, it'll be cake. I used to beat this game all the time!"
Hello Reality Check!
I got spanked! I spent 3 lives just trying to beat the first level in the first damn world! And within minutes I was spewing all sorts of foul curses at the TV screen where the little toadstools and evil duck/turtle things are easily knocking me off left and right.
And then it hits me, as I die (yet again) and am sent back to the beginning (again). How did I beat this game as a kid?! And then, as a mother of a 9 year old boy who loves video games, I wonder aloud "What kind of things are we letting our kids play with?" Toadstools? Distorted crossbreeds of turtle/ducks? Venus flytraps that pop up and shoot fireballs out of their mouths? So I turned the game off...I figured being sent back to the beginning 3 separate times was punishment aplenty for my procrastination. And here I am.
So...
Welcome to my blog folks! I hope you enjoy all of my witty remarks and clever ramblings :) Blah, blah, blah...