Wanna win something?

Donate $10.00 or more to my  Susan G. Koman Race For The Cure  page and you have a chance to win THIS from me and Eden Fantasys!  It'll make a really nice Valentine's Day present and it'll do your heart some good to donate to a great cause.

PLEASE! Thank you!

 

This will end 01/31/2012. Winner has to be willing to share their address with me so I can send you your fabulous prize!

A Woman Should ...

A WOMAN SHOULD  HAVE..one old loveshe can imaginegoing back to..and one who remindsher how far she has come...

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...enough money within hercontrol to move out andrent a place of her owneven if she never wantsto or needs to...  

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVEsomething perfect to wear ifthe employer or date of her dreamswants to see her in an hour...  

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE..a youth she's content to leave behind...  

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...a past juicy enough thatshe's looking forward toretelling it in her old age... 

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a set of screwdrivers, cordless drill, and a black lace bra...  

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ..one friend who always makes her laugh... and one who lets her cry... 

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...a good piece of furniture not  previously owned by anyone else in her family.. 

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE ...eight matching plates, wineglasses with stems, and a recipefor a meal that will make herguests feel honored.. 

A  WOMAN SHOULD HAVE...a feeling of control overher  destiny... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...how to fall in love withoutlosing herself... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW.....how to quit a job,break up with a lover,and confront a friendwithout ruining the friendship...and  how to change a tire!!!!!!! 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW... when to try harder... andwhen to walk away...

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that she can't change thelength of her calves, the widthof her hips, or the nature of herparents... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...that her childhood may nothave been perfect...but itsover... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she would and wouldn'tdo for love or more... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW..how to live alone... even ifshe  doesn't like it... 

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...whom she can trust,whom she can't,and why she shouldn'ttake it personally...   

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...where to go...be it to her best friend's kitchen table..or a  charming inn in the woods...when her soul needs soothing...   

EVERY WOMAN SHOULD KNOW...what she can and can'taccomplish in a day..a month...and a year...

It's that time again ...

I like to support businesses that alsopromote breast cancer awareness. Eden Fantasys promotes awareness ona regular basis. I ♥ that.

In their online magazine SEXIS, lastOctober, they had great articles about breast cancer awareness. TheScar Project by Liz Langley and I booby by Cherry Trifle, were two Iparticularly liked. SEXIS has an entire section devoted to health -womens AND mens health issues. The articles are well written andinformative. Some are humorous but all are interesting. Eden Fantasysalso sponsored a video contest to promote breast cancer awareness. You can find the winning videos HERE. Supporting not only the sexualhealth of it's customers but their overall health and well-being. EFis a company truly cares for their customers.

You're probably wondering why I'mtalking about breast-cancer-awareness in January. Well, I live inFlorida. It's always hot in Florida. In January it's a wee bit lesshot than in June, July, August, etc. when most of the country holdstheir Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure. January is when SouthFlorida has it's race. On January 28, 2012 the 21^stannual race will be held in West Palm Beach. It's also to remind everyone that being aware of breast/prostate/testicular cancer, shouldn't just be something we're aware of for only one month. Do your self-exams EVERY month, get your mammogram and prostate exams when necessary.  

If you've been reading my blog, youknow about my daughter's cancer and what she went through. If not,you can read about it HERE. Every January, we (my family andfriends) take part in the South Florida Susan G. Komen Race for theCure. We walk 5K course for my daughter, for all survivors and forall those who didn't survive. We donate what we can because we knowthat a cure needs to be found and it needs to be found NOW!

The reason I've written about EdenFantasys in my annual post about the race is because they help makeothers aware. They care. EF will also give me a gift card fortelling you about them and how they support breast-cancer-awareness. I in turn, will use that gift card to purchase something sweet forthe person on my daughter's team who raised the most money for TheSusan G. Komen Foundation to find a cure for breast cancer. If you'dlike to donate to the team, you can click on that widget I've gotover there on my side bar. Thank you and thanks to Eden Fantasys!

I'd also like to send a big THANK YOU to those who've donated already! 

Manners, Music and The South

In September, me and Mulder drove up to Fayetteville, North Carolina for a concert. One of my most favorite things in the world is going to rock concerts. I just love the whole experience. Normally, I loathe being near people and abhor crowds but put me in an arena in front of a stage with hot young guys beating drums, ripping guitars and booming rock & roll and I'm in heaven. I can't explain it but the feeling of freedom and exhilaration I get is just amazing like the worlds best orgasm

Mark Tremonti - ALTER BRIDGE

I've been to many concerts over the past several years – festival concerts, small club concerts, arena/stadium concerts – you name it, I've been to it. Usually I don't travel out of state for a show but because one of my favorite bands, Alter Bridge, was going to Europe and then taking some time off, I HAD to go to North Carolina to see them. My concert experience in Fayetteville was … um, fucking nuts unique, to say the least.

Somewhere there is written, or if they're unwritten, I'm writing them now - etiquette guidelines for rock concerts. Now, I know that there will always be exceptions to the rule but in beautiful downtown Fayetteville, the exceptions were the rule. Sweet Jesus, Mary and Don Kirshner! , these people must have never seen a rock &roll band EVER! I'm now going to tell y'all every rule of rock concert etiquette broken in North Carolina, USA.

Keith Wallen - ADELITA'S WAY

#1 ~ Arrive at the venue before the doors open. If you want your butt hanging on the rail smack dab in front of band, you need to get into the venue BEFORE the first band even thinks of walking on stage. Just because you only want to see the third band of a five band show doesn't mean you can come late and drunk. It doesn't mean that your late, drunk ass is going to just saunter up and try to squeeze my sober, early ass off the rail. Show some respect to ALL the artists as well as the concert attendees that have stood in line in the heat outside for 45 minutes while you were sucking down Bud Lights in the bar next door.

#2 ~ If you have arrived early, gotten your spot on the rail, but only want to see the third band of a five band show, at least look like you're enjoying the performances the other four bands are putting on. Standing in the front row like a damn corpse is just plain rude. If you don't clap, scream, sing and generally rock your face (and ass) off, go see Michael Buble.

John Lawhon  - BLACK STONE CHERRY

#3 ~ After you've arrived late and drunk, DO NOT expect to push my early ass off the rail because you want to see the third band of a five band show. This repeats what I said in #1, it 's worth repeating. The reason I always wear either boots or thick soled shoes and keep my elbows bent at a concert, is because of people like you.

#4 ~ Ladies, regardless of the fact that you've put on your best Victoria's Secret push-up-demi-balconette-wonder bra, your finest J.C. Penney semi-sheer, off-the-shoulder top, your brand-new pajama jeans and your peep-toe-sling-back-fuck-me-pumps, the lead singer of the third band of a five band show is NOT going to leap off the stage and boink your brains out in the audience. He won't get paid and you just might get an elbow in your pushed-up, fiberfill enhanced tit because you keep smacking me in the face with it.

#5 ~ Full body contact from random strangers can be enjoyable on occasion, but I prefer that they:

• Not be drunk 
• Not be chewing tobacco 
• Not be wearing a gimme cap from the local plumbing supply company 



Dean Back - TOAD

• Not be raising their arms, wildly waving rock horns whilst screaming, “YAAAAAAH, Rock & Roll”, having not taken a shower after working at the local slaughterhouse. 

This behavior will definitely get you a good stomp on the foot and an elbow to the chest.

Lance Dowdle - EMPHATIC

It's not that concert goers in Florida are perfect, they're not. But these folks in North Carolina were just out of hand. The five bands that played this concert were all excellent. I've seen Alter Bridge seven times, Theory of a Deadman four times and Adelita's Way twice – great musicians and they all can rock the fucking house down. Emphatic was new to me and they were great. Apparently Black Stone Cherry, who was fantastic, was the only band familiar to the denizens of Fayetteville. They were the third band of the five band Carnival of Madness. I don't know how things went in the other cities this tour went through but my guess is that whoever organized the Fayetteville stop might be out of a job. The arena was only about 1/3 filled. I'm thinkin' Rock & Roll just isn't this towns thing.

It was my thing, though and I rocked my face AND ass right off.

Valentine''s Day Suggestions

Christmas is over. Everything has been unwrapped, returned, played with orpacked away for re-gifting. You might think your finished for awhilebut don't relax yet. Valentine's Day is just a little over a monthaway. Yup, time to shop again. I've got something from BABELANDthat's going to make it so easy for you, you'll want to kiss me!(I'll let you, too!)

The folks at Babeland sent me three of their BABELAND BODY MASSAGE CANDLES to review for you. These massage oil candles are delicious! I seriously cannot pick a favorite scent. I was given Rice Flower,Pashmina and Mango Vanilla. The fragrances are rich without beingoverpowering. While burning, they perfume the air beautifully.

I asked my partner which scent he liked the best. He chose RiceFlower, it's probably the most unisex of the three. The MangoVanilla is strongest and in my opinion the most feminine. I'mpartial to Pashmina but he thought it smelled to medicinal.

After burning the candle for a little while, I blew out the flame, waited acouple of minutes then dribbled the melted soy wax & shea butteronto his back. The warmth and smell is instantly relaxing. Workingthe “wax” around with my hand, I noticed how smoothly it glidedon and that it wasn't terribly greasy. Silky, is the best way todescribe it. I had my Jimmyjane Contour M Massage Stone ready togive a really nice massage. Since I tested these over New Year'sweekend and had some house guests, the back massage didn't go anyfurther but I can tell you between the lovely texture and smell ofthe Babeland Body Massage Candles and the gliding pressure of theContour M, my partner is waiting (not very patiently) for a real“massage”.

Babeland offers the candles in two sizes, 1 oz and 3 oz. They're glasscontainers packaged in a really nice round gift box that will alsokeep the candle dust/dirt free when not in use. The candles are madewith soy wax, skin loving shea butter and fragrance. The wick is ano-lead one, always a plus.

My shopping suggestion to you is buy all 3 in the 1 oz size, get the Lovers Massage, A Soothing Touch for Two book  by Darrin Zeer , the Jimmyjane Contour M Massage Stone (all available fromBabeland), make some dinner reservations then get set to receive YOURValentine's Day present! Or, you can get a whole Romance Kit fromBabeland that includes one of the candles and some other awesomegoodies for both of you.

; 

(Take care when using the candle. Do not pour liquid when the flame isburning, don't pour it on anyone’s face or delicate bits. Neverleave the candle burning while unattended.) 

Babeland is having a SALE! 25% off top pick until January 10, 2012!

Thank you, George R.R. Martin

People that love to read want to passthat love along when they become parents. I know I did. When I waspregnant with my daughter, I unboxed all my childhood favorites –Charlotte's Web, Stuart Little, A Wrinkle In Time, The Little Prince,The Real Mother Goose, Grimm's Fairy Tales, among others. I also gotThe Cat in The Hat, One Fish, Two Fish, Horton Hears A Who. Well,all Dr. Seuss and a crap load of Little Golden Books. I kept allthese and added more when my son came along.

I read to my kids nightly before theywere able to read. I nagged encouraged them to read more than whatwas required when they were learning and once they'd mastered it. Basically, I cast my pearls before swine because neither one wouldread one word more than necessary when is school. My daughter didenjoy the occasional Archie comic and my son would pour over videogame manuals, but that was about it. I was sad that they didn't wantto get lost in an amazing novel or learn about historical figuresand/or places, but at least they were reading something!

Fast forward several years to when mydaughter found Wuthering Heights. She began to actually read theclassics that were assigned in high school. The real books, notCliffs Notes or a movie. She now reads and reads and reads. I feelas though I did my job. It took awhile but it did take. She likes tovary her reading like I do. She may read Rebecca then something bythe Dali Lama then onto Laurell K. Hamilton or Diana Gabaldon. Herlove of reading makes me very happy.

My son, I felt was hopeless. I triedto get him interested in J.K Rowling when he was a bit younger. Hefelt Harry Potter was, “stupid.” The next attempt was books onthe Vietnam war, something he had become interested in. Why botherwith books when you have The History Channel was his response. I'dtry again and again over the last few years with no luck. Well, oneoutta two ain't bad, right? Then came a video game, Skyrim.

Skyrim is one of those unfathomablethings that the uncoordinated, chaos-brained, can't understand. Thetype of game my son plays with ease and skill. He tends to discussgames like this with anyone who still has a heartbeat, one of thembeing me. During one of these discussions, I mentioned that Skyrimsounded like George R.R. Martin's seven kingdoms in the Fire and Iceseries of books. I casually tossed him the first book. Not hopingfor much can you imagine my total delight and joy when he beganreading it! WOOHOO! Winter is coming ... 

I handed him that book two weeks ago,he is now on the third book. He is going to be inconsolable to findout he may have to wait 5 years for ol' George to get the sixth bookpublished. But my plan is to give him Gabaldon's first Outlanderbook. I can overlook a few dishes in the sink and crumbs on thecounter because he's engrossed with the words, the world of Mr.Martin. There's something to be said for delayed gratification and along ago job well done. 

Happy New Year

May y'all have a very Happy, Healthy, Sexy, Safe, Rockin' New Year!

Merry Christmas, y'all!

"Ghost of the Future," he exclaimed, "I fear you more than any spectre I have seen. But as I know your purpose is to do me good, and as I hope to live to be another man from what I was, I am prepared to bear you company, and do it with a thankful heart. Will you not speak to me?" 

~ Ebenezer Scrooge

Painting by ~ Dennis Matson

Last Minute Gift - SLEEPER'S RUN

Readinga first novel by a first time author is a crap-shoot.  You getthose that are real stinkers but you keep plowing through becausehope springs eternal that something, anything will make the book morethan just a sleep-aid.  Sleeper's Run by Henry Mosquera isn'tone of those.  It will make you call in sick to work and keepyou riveted well into the wee hours because you can't wait to seewhat is going to happen to the hero Eric Caine next!

Ericis an Air Force Special Operations Command veteran, suffering fromPTSD. He's brilliant, a trained killer, multilingual, a technicalgeek and handsome! When a casual meeting leads to internationalcatastrophe, Eric is off on a whirlwind race from the United Statesto South America to Europe fraught with danger effort to clear hisname.

Theauthor has filled this book with fascinating covert forcesinformation as well as some truly intriguing computer hacker tricks. I don't normally read espionage novels but I think Sleeper's Run haschanged that.

Ifound Eric Caine to be a likeable and believable character. He'stormented by villains that are equally unlikeable yet equallybelievable. It seems to me that Mr. Mosquera has done extensiveresearch to make his characters seem real. His authors note saysthat he also likes to get first-hand knowledge of some of hischaracters skills. If Henry Mosquera continues to write books asfilled with computer geekery and martial arts, he'll be a force to bereckoned with at the keyboard and away from it!

 I was given a free copy of Sleeper's Run in exchange for an honest review.

Hysterical!

 

ANIMALS TALKING IN ALL CAPS

Go visit, NOW!

Loser/Winner

Last Saturday, I attended The Buzz Bake Sale. The Bake Sale has been the premier festival concert event in South Florida for the past 16 years. It was something I looked forward to each year. 103.1 The Buzz was the only rock station in my area. The concert was out of control! Seether, Chevelle, Hinder, Everlast, Adelita's Way, Art of Dying, Middle Class Rut, Falling in Reverse, One and for the canceled due to illness Staind, AWOLNation. From 12 noon to 11:00 pm, my son's girlfriend and I rocked our asses off. We drank beer, ate arepas, talked to the very attractive band, Art of Dying, said “Hi!” to favorite DJ's, and just generally had a great time. The Buzz Bake Sale was exactly that, for 16 years – ROCK & ROLL & MAD, CRAZY FUN. Damn, it was good!

On Monday, December 5, I got in my car after work, the radio was tuned to 103.1 as usual. Instead of hearing Disturbed or Korn, my ears are assaulted by Party Rock Anthem by LMFAO and then something by Taylor Swift. And then (somebody kill me!) Lady GaGa! I was confused, angry, reeling! When the station announcement came on it said the station was NOW 103! Seriously, WHAT. THE. FUCK!!!! On Monday, December 5, 2011 at 3:00 pm, CBS Radio killed The Buzz. The Palm Beach Post has an article if you'd like to read it.

I was bereft. I had trouble sleeping that night, waking up at random times feeling great anger but also a sense of tremendous loss. My son, ever sensitive, thought teasing me about my reaction and the always compassionate Mulder, telling me to, “Rub some dirt on it and get over it.” Would be the perfect way to snap me out of the red funk I was in. Yeah, those things always work.

Tuesday wasn't much better. Can I just tell you that the anger/rage of a financially ruined, post-menopausal, white woman is EPIC! It also is repressed, under pressure like a seemingly dormant volcano. On Wednesday, Mt. Nitebyrd erupted.

A patient at work pissed me off because of his pompous, ass-hat attitude and I lost it. Because of the irrationality of this, “college educated, senior citizen”, demands, my anger bubbled right up to the edge and then spilled over. I don't get ass-ripping rude with patients often but this person was so totally out of line that I went up one side of him and down the other. Gods! It felt good! It was a totally shitty week and because of a total dick, I finally got to release some of my pent-up aggression. I still felt anger and sadness but it was a bit less.

Thursday, I wasn't really feeling much hope for the week getting any better. So, you can imagine my surprise when I checked my email and found out that I won, YES! WON! the InThe Powder Room's give-away of an original Alex Roberts artwork! I don't win a whole lot, I'm not lucky. If I was, I wouldn't be broke and have horrendous anger issues, am I right? This really perked me up. I think between the anger and happiness, a little brain bubble exploded and I started to self-analyze. Yeah, I know, incredibly dangerous!

Driving home on Thursday, I realized that Monday, December 5, 2011, the day The Buzz was ripped off the air, was also the same day my father died. It was also his birthday. He would have been 111 years old. Now, I know that you're saying the death of a parent and the loss of a radio station cannot be the same. Apples to oranges and all that. Yes, you're right. But my father has been dead 51 years, even though there is sadness and pain, it has lessened greatly over the years. It will never go away. I was a child when he died, the sadness, anger and the question, “Why my daddy?”, was profound.

I think that the strength of the emotion caused by the radio station being taken away was mixed-up with the deep loss I still carry over the death of my father and that the day, his date of death/birthday and that I once again lost something I cared about and had no control over losing, was why I was so irrationally upset. Understanding that allowed me to let the inner volcano to settle down. For awhile.

(One of my favorite blogger, A Daft Scots Lass, has a picture of me at the concert up on her site.  I won her photo caption contest awhile ago.  She sent me her temporary tattoos and I wore it to The Bake Sale.)

Gimme Some Lovin'

Megan over at MEGAN'S CREATIVE BLOG is showing me some love today. Please go on over and show her some, too!  Thanks!