Uh-oh, looks like someone's got a case of the Mondays!!

So yes, I don't really have a case of the Mondays, but I love that movie so much I had to put it in there!

Today was a big internet search/work day, and I discovered something so absolutely, fantastically wonderful that I must share it!! I found out that the Romance Writers of America has online groups/networking as well as in person groups!! Aaaannnddd they have a networking group specifically for Fantasy, Futuristic, and Paranormal writers!! Woohoo!! It's almost magical!! Check it out: http://www.romance-ffp.com/

Ok, so this might only be wondrous to me bc just about every story I come up with is FF&P somehow...that probably makes me the rare uber-nerd, but I don't care. At least I can keep myself entertained ;D

Today's cultural find is an AFV video, just bc I felt like it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y3dgqyLABjM

Hmm. Just, hmm.

Mood: literally, just hmm. Music: see below

My mother and I implemented this rule when I moved back: we won't talk about serious issues, like money or health, right before bed. This was to prevent anxiety provoked, sleepless nights.

Last night that rule was WAYYYYY breached and we ended up having this 2-3 hour "talk" about all things serious. My mother also believes that I don't have faith anymore, in anything really. She just kept repeating that things will all work out and that I need to just have faith that they will and not get frustrated.

I understand where she's coming from, but how can she possibly ask me to just not worry about everything?? Nothing, literally, nothing is decided or feels like it's working out. I'm just so sick of fighting and fighting to make anything happen, and then to be stonewalled, and then to have people telling me to just not worry about it. It's easy for other people to tell me not to worry about money (or my lack thereof) or my health issues because they don't have to deal with it themselves!!

Ugh, ok, I'm done bitching and moaning. I swear! Just needed to let it out before I spent another night tossing, turning and crying.

Today's cultural finds (yes, there's actually 2!!) are kinda in line with my emo post theme from today. They're two videos by the South African band Seether, "Breakdown": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhBQTpPfUAc and "Rise Above This": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qP6JDLQF23g .

So let's here from you!! What's frustrating you right now??

"Obstacle...oh looming obstacle!!"

Mood: good Music: The Noisettes "Don't Upset the Rhythm"

Quote of the Day: check out my neato new widget from BrainyQuotes which does this for me!!

Very weird day. I was waylaid from my writing plan by a power outage, caused by one of the many, many rainstorms we're supposed to have this week. Apparently, "writing" is now on the top of my to-do list for tomorrow!!

In the meantime, I want some answers from you!!

What is your favorite quote and why?

If you could have any two people to dinner, living or dead, who would you pick and why??

And the saga begins...

Mood: sore, sore, SORE Music: Emigrate "My World"

Quote of the Day: "I think you should take your job seriously, but not yourself--that is the best combination." ~Dame Judi Dench~

So today I started writing my book again, yayhoo!! There's a scene that's been bouncing around in my head lately, but I forced myself to finish another scene that I've been putting off. I didn't actually finish the scene, but I came really, really close!! Tomorrow it shouldn't take too long to finish it, and I've already edited the scene following it so as of tomorrow I should have quite a few chapters from the middle of the book already done!!

The really fun news is that tomorrow I get to write the dirty scene that's been bouncing around in my head. I can't wait to get that sucker down on paper finally!!

Anyway, today's cultural find was an interview Judi Dench did last month on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson. She's an absolute treasure!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Hc5FWbJyvc

A fork in the road

I know I already posted once today but I just had to post again...

Do you ever have one of those moments in your life where you're at a complete crossroads in what seems like almost every single part of your life??

I'm at one of those, the problem is that I can't seem to figure out which way to go/what to do. I think about all the time, especially now that big bills are lurking in my imminent future (car insurance, student loans, etc.).

A friend I met in the South likes to tell this story about her friend, Jenny (or something like that). Everyone thinks that Jenny is one of the luckiest people in the world because she's attractive, smart, has a wonderful family, and money/opportunities always seem to just fall in her lap. She's even so relaxed that she's never had a sleepless night, ever!! One day my friend remarked to a mutual acquaintance that Jenny was so lucky because things always just seemed to work out for her. The mutual acquaintance looked at my friend quizzically and said, "Jenny's not lucky, at least not luckier than you or I. Things always work out one way or another, for everyone not just Jenny. Jenny has just figured out that something will happen no matter what she does, so she just doesn't waste time worrying that things won't work out." Needless to say my friend was flabbergasted (triple word score), but after she thought about it for a while, she realized that this was a very valid point. Once Jenny chose a path, she stuck with it and didn't worry about the end result. She also never worries about everything working and landing on her feet because she knows it'll happen...she just doesn't know how yet.

I know that no matter what happens every will work itself out somehow, so I shouldn't spend hour after forehead-creasing hour worrying...but I just can't seem to help it.

Do you ever feel this way?? I can't imagine everyone doesn't worry uselessly about their future (except Jenny of course). How do you work through these periods of intense worry and self-doubt??

Sleepyhead

Mood: again, unsure...it's been a weird week Music: see below

I have the weirdest sleeping patterns, especially when I'm sleeping in my parents' home. Since I'm living with them until I figure-out what to do with my life, I have to take Nyquil at night to help me sleep and I still wake-up all hours of the night. I woke up this morning at 6:30am while they were getting ready for work, then I must have fallen back asleep at some point in time, just to reawaken when my "time to take the Pill" alarm went off at 9:30am...then I fell asleep again after 10, to wake up around 11am in a complete stupor which caused me to lay in bed until 1:30pm when I was finally able to shake it off.

Does anyone else have bizarro sleeping patterns?? Especially in certain places or during certain times?? Are you able to pull all nighters (I can, but only with lots of fun times or with lots of caffeine and snacks)??

Today's cultural find is a song which is quickly becoming one of my favorites, Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead"!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4zherMkcXdo

Never Forget You

Mood: I'm not sure... Music: see below

Quote of the Day: "There's a rumbly in my tumbly!" ~Winnie the Pooh~

Printing-out and filling-out paperwork for the potential teaching job...yippee hooray.

Today's cultural find is a song I've fallen in love with recently, "Never Forget You" by the London-based band The Noisettes...their album, Wild Young Hearts, is pretty awesome so far!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRFHiBW9RE8

Back in the Saddle!!

Mood: happy and industrious!! Music: see below

Quote of the Day: "In social matters, pointless conversations are not merely the bee sting of etiquette, but the snake bite of moral order." ~Florence King~

So I realized over the weekend that I've been hopelessly remiss in updating this blog since I've moved. Since there are only two people who read this blog, this doesn't worry me so much (shout-out to Laura and Suzanne!!); but I'm determined not to have one of those blogs that just peters-out one day.

So, with this in mind, here's the first update of the new year!! I found myself organizing and and completing random odds-and-ends today, which has just concluded in me finally adding all of my music from Xmas to my Itunes. This got to me thinking about my stories again...I've been ill with various problems for quite some time now and the fatigue from that combined with the craziness of moving (which still hasn't abated yet) really zapped any creative juices I had flowing. It's also been dragging down my overall attitude and making me feel depressed again (well that among many other stressors)...

...but I've felt this happening (and since I'm not going to work until I get my AHCCCS and therefore can finally see the doctors I need to see) I've decided I need to start-up my writing career again!! I've started exercising again (to the best of my current abilities), I've started meditating (it's amazing so far!!), and I got my Phoenix library card finally so I can start research again, and I've started daydreaming and reading inspiring books again.

No worries world, I'll get back on my game!! I also found an opening for a psychology professor at a local community college that I would love to fill, but that requires me a. not moving to Portland until at least summer 2011 and b. I still have to find and maintain another job until August when that job would start. I already promised a friend that I would move with her to Portland in the summer, but now I don't know what to do...

Ugh, well, that's it for the career development/"finding yourself" section of the blog. Now, for the cultural find of the day:

This is a youtube video of Josephine Baker (whom I just LOVE!) singing "Haiti", one of her most famous songs: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2AQYCSIns5g.