Love is in the air!

"...I need you like a heart needs a beat..."





I have decided that I love, love, LOVE when the boyfriend has his 2-day weekend in the middle of the week. What started as a potentially shitty Thursday with a plumbing snafu (Pun intended!) turned surprisingly sweet with a peaceful drive and dinner at one of my favorite places EVER. Yesterday was more of the same with me baking and decorating cookies for the upcoming holiday and spoiling the boyfriend with one of his favorite meals. (It helped that it's one of my favorites too...)

And with all this love and smooshiness in the air, you all can probably guess what this weekend's list will be. Or maybe not. See, I could get super sickly sweet on you and name the Top 9 reasons I'm truly, madly, deeply in love with the boyfriend. But I'm trying to keep readers, not scare them away. So I'll restrain myself. But only slightly.

Instead I shall share with you my favorite peoples. The wonderful loves that I could not live my life without. Each person has such a vital place in my heart and my life that I would be cold, lonely and lost if even one of them were missing. And because my loves each hold their own place, I cannot list them in any order of importance. All of them together make up the pieces of the puzzle that is my heart.


My 9 Loves

The Boyfriend aka My Lucky Charms



You guys get to read about the boyfriend more often than not. So you already know that he's a kick-butt guitar player and that he spoils me rotten. What you maybe don't know is that the boyfriend and his love gave me the strength to move on with my life and make it into something of which I can be proud. His support and encouragement helped me to realize my dream of writing and gave birth to this blog. His overflowing heart reminds me everyday how very lucky I am...and continue to be. "Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine are the same." -Emily Brontë

Nubs



If you've been following along, you may have already guessed that the grotesque picture is THE Elephino. Personally, I think I'm better looking... I could go into some spiel about how I've always been able to make better friends with men than women, but really, it's irrelevant. I would be drawn to Nubs even if I didn't believe that men and women can be strictly platonic friends. I could swear that we are twins that were separated at birth except for two glaring facts: 1) He's a few years younger than I am. 2) He's the much better looking one. (Of course, I could be biased...but I'm probably not.) Nubs gets me. Probably more than most people will ever be able to imagine. He is the brother of my heart and I would fight to the death to protect him...if he would only let me. "Love is much like a wild rose, beautiful and calm, but willing to draw blood in its defense." -Mark Overby

Lil Sis aka Mick



If I were just a little more tan, people would probably believe that Mick and I are actually sisters. Cursed with the same curly mass of craziness that some call hair and both of us a tad on the fluffy side of things, we could pull it off visually. Listen to us talk or read some of our text convos and there is no doubt. Mick and I both suffered similar personal tragedies mere months apart. At nearly a decade younger than me, her strength fueled mine and her love helped me to survive the loss of my sweet baby girl. Even if I had never met Mick in person, I would know her in any crowded room. "We picture love as heart-shaped because we do not know the shape of the soul." -Robert Brault

Lovely Yellow Sunshine



It's an interesting twist of our equally confusing minds to explain our nicknames for each other. Suffice it to say the picture is an adequate explanation to us. Lovely is exactly that...lovely. She has a heart of gold that always sees the good in people, even when I'm sure there's none to be found. And once she has you confirmed in her heart, her impression of you is nearly set in stone. As I've said before, she's the only person alive who's met me and still considers me a lady. Our friendship is confined to chatting online, texting or crazed phone calls while one or both of us is toiling over a stove because, sadly, she insists on living hours away from me. But I am a stubborn lady, and I will get her to move closer, I will. Until then, we shall share our recipes online and inspire each other to follow our dreams. "Who, being loved, is poor?" -Oscar Wilde

Miss J



Oh lord, where would I be without this woman? Having her in my life is often times crazy, harried and borderline insane. I also know, without a doubt, that not having her in my life, I would be crazy, harried and definitely insane. She and Miss B are probably the only people I know who know exactly how I feel each night the boyfriend heads off to practice or another gig. Although the band is how we met and what forged our first bond, I know that I would still have Miss J if (GOD FORBID!) the band were to disband (so to speak). Our Sunday night Game Nights are something to look forward to all week and I'll never say no to a cup of coffee and a day of yard-saling with her. "Loving is never a waste of time." -Astrid Alauda

Tom-Tom



Ah :) My own personal GPS system. If only, right? But it's true. Tom-Tom has been the little voice guiding me for years...ever since I was a floundering college student fresh from a divorce. He was the one who kept me company watching Food Network in the wee hours of the morning when my anxiety caused horrible bouts of insomnia. And he was there when I was diagnosed with Diabetes and quit soda cold turkey to make me green tea and listen to my rambling. He taught me how to be a true friend, never judging, always supportive...simply by being that way himself. He's the guidance I may not always need, but is only a phone call or text away. He has a way of showing you the decisions that need to be made without making them for you. "Love is not singular except in syllable." -Marvin Taylor

Goober aka Bubba



There was a point in time that I used this friendly nickname for any number of people I cared about. That was until it became Bubba's nickname. When you break it down, it's really pretty accurate. A complete nut wrapped in a sweet outer coating. Goober is as crazy as I am, which is saying quite a lot when you think about it. But without having known him, I would be so much crazier. His sarcastic sense of humor matches mine in a way that I know that there will always be at least one person who gets my jokes. He's also a giant teddy bear, always there for a hug when you've had your heart broken or a hand up when you've fallen on your ass yet one more time. He's my football buddy, his team the arch nemesis of mine, which always keeps things interesting. But most of all, he's my friend. And at the end of the day, that's all that matters. "Love is being stupid together." -Paul Valery

D and Ames



These girls share this spot in my heart for one major reason. There is nary a memory from my pre-teen and teen years that does not include one of them. My girls shared my early heart breaks, crushes and social awkwardness. We grew up together, shaping the women we wanted to be together, planning our lives together. And while things may have not turned out like we planned (When does life ever?) and we might not be the models, actresses or all-star musicians we dreamed about, we will always have those memories. I had my first cigarette with Ames, shared my first true loss with D. We may not be as close today as we were when we were 15, but I would not be who I am today without having known these lovely ladies. And for that, they will always hold a place in my heart. "Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness there is in our lives." -C. S. Lewis

My Lil Man (Last, but most definitely not least!)



Oh he that is the light of my life! I never dreamed or planned to be a mother at 18 but I wouldn't change my son for all of King Midas's gold. His unconditional love keeps me going when I would otherwise give up. He started life as this little bundle of blue that I was so unsure of. So I held him and rocked him. And now, at 10, he's growing into such an intelligent, handsome young man that I am once again terrified of the future. His smile is infectious, his laughter is music to my ears. And his love is a sign that maybe, just maybe...I've done something right. "Love me and the world is mine." -David Reed


Oh now I feel all verklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I'll give you a topic: A pineapple is neither a pine nor an apple. Discuss.

Happy early Valentine's Day, loves. I hope you all have a great weekend. I'm going to enjoy a rare Saturday night off with the boyfriend by having dinner and a movie in. Snuggles and cookies for dessert... It's gonna be a good night, tater!

Toodle, my dears! And tell the people in your life how much they mean to you :)

Why doesn't Theraflu taste as good as Dimetapp?

Ugh...have I mentioned how much I hate being sick? Probably I have. Instead of being all whiney though, I'm really trying to be upbeat today. Mostly because I'm not the only one sick and I seriously don't know how much the boyfriend (who's still ill...) can take before he duct tapes my mouth shut and leaves me to my own devices. (Which would effectively be him committing murder since I can only breath through my mouth...)

So in my nice, upbeat (and completely fake) mood, I've decided to give you yet another peek into my childhood. Now I don't know about any of you, but in my house, if you stayed home sick from school, you stayed in bed. This was probably because our parents were usually sure we were faking it. Most times, we were. But on days where we really WERE sick, as in Mom-had-taken-us-to-the-doctor-and-had-it-confirmed-and-now-she-was-feeling-guilty-for-not-having-believed-us-in-the-first-place-sick, we were allowed to curl up on the couch with our "blankie" and pillow to be nursed with medicine and soothed with the wonderful device known as the T.V.

The best part about this was that I would have the T.V. all to myself. It was very rare that my sisters and I were all sick on the same day and Mom would be off doing whatever it is mom's do during the day. And so I would get to lay there and watch all of my favorite shows with minimal interruption. (When you have two younger sisters, this is VERY rare indeed...) As I got older, I was more likely to stay in bed and curl up with a book or magazine. But when I grew up and had my little man, I tried to remember all the good things about my youth. And so when he had the flu he got to curl up with his over-sized Sponge-Bob character pillows and watch Bob the Builder. When he had a double ear infection he was wrapped in Mama's arms watching Finding Nemo over and over. (Repitition is good when you're little.)

And so, in honor of what I (and I hope, most of you) really want to do when we're sick, here's your list for the weekend. The favorite shows of my youth, the friends I turned to for comfort when I had another pesky ear infection or had caught yet another cold. A reminder though, these shows are from a large span of my childhood so don't think that my parents were letting my 6-year-old self watch all of these.


Top 9 T.V. Shows From My Youth

Fraggle Rock



"Dance your cares away, worry's for another day! Let the music play, down at Fraggle Rock!" Really, how can you not like a show with a theme song like that?

Bosom Buddies



The original slapstick comedy for me. It was like Laverne and Shirley and The 3 Stooges had a love child and it was Tom Hanks in a dress.

Perfect Strangers



One word. Balki. That is all.

Kids Incorporated



I wanted to be one of these kids. I used to watch, enraptured. When I wasn't "sick" I would try to dance and sing along with the characters, just knowing that someday I'd get my big break and get to be on stage right next to them. Alas, it never happened. I wonder if my mom still has my stone-washed jean jacket? I was going to wear that to my audition. It was my "cool" jacket.

Star Search



Come on! Who didn't want to be up on that stage singing their little hearts out? I can honestly say I didn't have a ruffle-dress already picked out for my performance. I guess I just thought if my parents ever figured it out and submitted a tape of me (or whatever they had to do to get me on the show...) that they would promptly go out and buy me an appropriate amount of taffeta to impress Mr. McMahon and the judges.

Saturday Night Live



I can't remember how old I was when I was finally deemed old enough to watch SNL but I'm sure it was sometime after my parents' divorce when J became more slack about pesky things like bedtimes and appropriate television shows. I can't knock him though, because I didn't really mind. I fell in love with all of the characters and laughed until I thought I would pee myself.

Smurfs



As an adult I find numerous things wrong with this cartoon. But as a child, I loved it! I'm pretty sure the reason I won't actually own a cat (A little incongruous, I know...) is due to the fact that deep down I think all cats are exactly like Azrael. It probably doesn't help that my mother once owned a cat that would have given Azrael and Gargamel both a run for their money.

Rocky and Bullwinkle



"Hey Rocky, watch me pull a rabbit outta this hat!" I actually preferred the Mr. Peabody and Dudley Do-right bits but who's keeping tabs? Natasha was my first depiction of the "bad girl" and I blame her for me dying my hair pitch black my senior year.

Punky Brewster



I wanted to have her fabulous sense of style. Instead I wore whatever my mother picked out for me. I am lame.


Alas, there it is folks. There were many who didn't make this list and it makes me a little sad when I think about it. If only the list could be a little longer to encompass shows like The Jetsons or ALF. But then it wouldn't be my nine lives and it wouldn't make much sense. Not that much of what I do makes sense but still, I have to have my standards, guys. I hope you all enjoyed my trip down memory lane. I'm going to go make something comforting for dinner and get ready to curl up with the boyfriend. (The band is off this weekend.) Maybe Netflix has some old episodes of Looney Toons we can watch ;)

Until next time, Toodles my dears!

Where exactly is the funny bone located?

Well hello again Friday. I could remark upon your sneakiness but you didn't catch me unawares this week. I knew you were coming, I just didn't plan accordingly. Quite simply put, I procrastinated, like I do best.

Today's list was a struggle for me and I'm not entirely sure why. It could be that my mind is consumed with upcoming plans or potential changes on the horizon...but it could also be that my mind is just a little befuddled with the remnants of Moscato from last night. I'm choosing to let you all decide what my problem may be. I'm very generous like that.

However, after trying on and discarding numerous ideas for today's list, I have finally come to a decision and I have to give a nod to my girl Violet for the help ;) Hopefully she reads this and smiles, if not...well, I tried, didn't I?

Violet and I briefly discussed comedy this morning and our little conversation sparked the idea for today's list. So, Miss Violet, here's my list of favorite comedians. I hope you enjoy!


My Top 9 Favorite Funny Guys (no, I am not sexist...okay, maybe I am)


Adam Sandler



I know I've mentioned Mr. Sandler a time or two before, but that should only go to show you that I hold him in high regards. (NOT that I repeat myself...) Adam has some of that "good-ole-boy" humor mixed in with a charming smile that reminds you of the class clown that you secretly had a crush on in high school. Billy Madison,The Waterboy, Happy Gilmore or his characters from Saturday Night Live, it doesn't matter to me, they all make me laugh and smile.

Robin Williams



Ah...Mr. Williams, how you tickle my funny bone. I would have to say, though, that I much prefer Robin's stand-up to his movies. I do love his movies...but they don't make me fall over laughing like his stand-up does. Ever seen his bit about Viagra? Or the invention of golf?

Gabriel Iglesias



OMG! This guy will make me snort liquid! I don't know what exactly it is about him, but I've loved him from the start. Maybe it's because I sense a kindred spirit. I won't give you my life story (that's for another blog) but I used to be super (ridiculously so) skinny and now...well, not so much. I don't know if I'd call myself fat, or even chubby...but I'm definitely a part of the fluffy crowd now. Gabriel finds a way to make it funny and accepted...without really making it the butt of the joke. And his voices are hilarious!

Chris Rock



I know some people think he's a bit too brash or don't like that he swears...a lot. And, yeah, he kinda yells instead of talking. But he's funny. He does sarcasm better than most comics out there and since I happen to be a bit of a sarcastic brat myself, (You don't say?!) I like him.

Jim Carrey



Who doesn't love Ace? Or Lloyd for that matter? And if you don't, maybe you should not be reading this...we probably will have many more differences of opinion. I love humor that involves world happenings or current events, that has adult context or is even just plain vulgar. But sometimes, SOMETIMES, you just need some childish, immature humor. And that's where comics like Jim Carrey (and the aforementioned Adam Sandler) come in. "Tell the fat lady she's on in five."

Jeff Dunham



Who'd-a-thunk I would ever like a ventriloquist? Seriously, before Jeff, the whole idea just kinda struck me as creepy. You know, grown men, playing with dolls? Or worse, it brought to mind Lambchop and then I would get that annoying song stuck in my head and I would be miserable. But then Mr. Dun-ham-dot-com came along and blew all of my assumptions out of the water. I don't know if I would wish schizophrenia on anyone, but his different personalities are fantastic!

Ron White



Actually...I like all of the Blue Collar Comedy guys. The name really says it all, it's the working man's type of humor. They talk about everyday stuff that the average person can relate to. And if that's not the golden ticket right there...well then someone should probably alert Mr. Wonka. However, the difference when it comes to Ron White is that he brings a bit of that vulgar, adult content to the table that makes it less family comedy and more...well, you know.

Lewis Black



Mr. Black is the voice that chimes in the recesses of my mind, ruthlessly commenting on the underbelly of society so that I am forced to contemplate the inadequacies of humanity. The fact that he also makes a living from his perceptions of the human race is just another point in his favor in my book. If only I could follow in his divine footsteps...

Chris Farley



Last, but most certainly not least, we have Mr. Farley. Chris was one of those guys that worked better feeding off of others. His stint on Saturday Night Live was one of my favorite periods of the show. Of course, it didn't hurt that Adam Sandler was on during those years either ;) I'm always sad when I hear of a celebrity's death but I was truly heartbroken over Chris's departure. Who now will dance for us in his little coat?

There it is folks...my favorite guys who make me laugh. Well...besides the boyfriend, because we all know that him making me laugh is so much more important :) And on that note, I should probably get my booty in gear and get ready for his gig tonight. It wouldn't do him justice at all to show up in my pajamas.

I hope you all have a fantastical weekend, full of sunshine and good times. Mine promises to be crazy busy as always but I wouldn't trade it for anything! Until Monday...

Now that's what I call pillow talk!

I've got just one thing to say to you all:

If you don't have the kind of friends that you can have random semi-serious conversations with, you need new friends.


During one of said random semi-serious conversations and some half-assed research for a future Top 9 list, my someone special and I stumbled across this:



Please tell me that is pretty much the funniest parody EVER! Okay, maybe not the funniest, but it's pretty great and we both cracked up watching it. Which, of course, spawned another random semi-serious conversation. I realize I may be making myself out to be older than I claim. I've always been told I'm an old soul, so *shrug* I'm okay with it, really.

Anywho...rewind to late last night. I have successfully wrangled the boyfriend into helping me with my so-called research for future lists. By research I, of course, mean writing out lists and asking for his opinions. Yeah, I know, real analysis going on right there. {insert me rolling my eyes}

Right. So I've wrangled him into helping me with the lists and we're discussing our favorite comedians. And he brings up Stan Freberg. I know, I know, you're all thinking exactly what I was thinking..."Who?"

Turns out, I've lived a very sheltered life when it comes to comedy. (Other things too, but that's a whole other blog.) Stan Freberg was a pioneer in the frontier that is comedy. After doing some real research, I've found that A) I've missed out on A LOT! and B) Mr. Freberg was, and is, a genius. So I invite you all to look him up and take a listen. And while you're listening and laughing, ask yourselves this:

Without Stan Freburg to forge the way for satire and parody, would we have Weird Al or Saturday Night Live? Richard Pryor or Robin Williams? Just a thought...

Who wants to be traditional anyway? That's so last week...

Ok...so I know what you're all thinking...she starts a new tradition, and breaks it the very next week, HOW RUDE!!

I could stand around and give you tons of excuses, but I won't. I'll simply say, life intervened. However, I did have a post planned and I shall not deprive you of the goodness that is one of my lists. Please read on and enjoy!


My Top 9...Things That Give Me the Heebie Jeebies


Snakes, Lizards and any other slimy, reptilian-like creatures



I don't care if they're non-poisonous or if they help keep bugs away or if they're not actually slimy. I. DON'T. LIKE. THEM. I never have and I don't see a sudden change in my disposition so I'm pretty sure I never will. End of story.

Muffin-Tops and Camel Toes (AKA people who wear clothes that obviously don't fit them)



Seriously. Does no one look in a mirror before they leave their house anymore? I don't want to see your chub hanging over your pants. I don't want to see people in pants that are so tight I can see nearly as much as your OB-GYN. I'm a curvy girl. I have a little bit of extra on the love handles, so trust me, I'm not judging the fluffy people. I just know what I can, and can't, wear. If your clothing is creating additional folds of skin, you should probably change. Just a tip.

Bugs (not Mr. Bunny, I happen to like him very much)



I realize that I'm totally blowing my cover here and making myself out to really be a chick. But I just can't tolerate insects. Any of them. At all. Ever. Okay, that's a lie, ladybugs are cute...as long as they don't crawl on me. EW.

Taxidermy



I so could not make it as a hunting enthusiast. I don't like guns and I hate stuffed dead animals. They're so creepy-looking! Those beady glass eyes just staring at you, begging for justice. And it's even worse when they're posed in attack mode. You walk around a corner and all of a sudden there's a cougar in mid-pounce. {insert girly scream here}

Rats/Mice (there really isn't a difference between the two in my book)



I don't think I should really have to explain this one. They are gross. Moving on.

Dirty Feet



Now I know you already know about my aversion to feet. However, I have an even bigger aversion to dirty feet. Or more accurately, my dirty feet. I can't stand having dirt on my feet, walking across a floor and stepping on crumbs or God knows what and feeling stuff stick to my feet. I will seriously sweep a stranger's floor, it bugs me so badly. Oddly enough, I love to walk barefoot on the beach. I'm weird, but it's okay, I've accepted it and moved on. You should too.

Ferrets



AKA Snakes with fur. I don't care that they supposedly have legs and feet and what-not. Have you ever watched them? They are snakes with fur. And they STINK!! I'm just sayin...

Deja Vu



The thing about deja vu is that for someone like myself who believes that our thoughts and dreams all have power and a deeper meaning, deja vu isn't really just an odd moment of confusion. Deja vu, for me, is like that chill you get sometimes that runs down your spine and makes you shiver. It always leaves me feeling like I'm forgetting something important. And I don't like that. It's like someone is playing mind-games with me...

Hairless Cats



I know, I know, how can I dislike one of my own? But they're just so...creepy. Like Chihuahuas. You know what they're supposed to be...but they just don't look right. Think about it. You'll see my point.

And there you have it folks, the latest installment of the Top 9 lists. I hope everyone had a great weekend. And if you didn't catch Saturday Night Live, Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers debuted their new single "I Should Have Known It." Check it out!