Tuesday, November 29, 2016

No more living a lie


I feel like I’ve been living a lie for a little over a month now, but I did it for my own sanity. I also did it in hopes that my current reality would change, but it doesn’t look like that’s going to happen.

After a long time and having built a family of people I love so much, my relationship has come to an end.

Break ups can be emotionally filled and, on my end, this one has been. I feel like I have failed so many people that I care about and there’s nothing I can do to change any of it. I know what I would do differently in the future, but that doesn’t change anything from the past.

There’s no right way to have a break up when there are kids involved, so we did it the best we knew how. I hope that it was easier for them than it has been me.

Being my age and living in your parents spare bedroom is a tough pill to swallow. But we do what we have to in hopes that it turns out for the best, right?

There could be fingers pointed and stuff said, but it’s not worth the hurt. Why would I intentionally damage the people who have been my world for almost three years? I take plenty of the blame myself. Hindsight really is 20/20, but looking in reverse doesn’t do much when you’re trying to move forward.

I am still crazy about the people I have loved so much and I am truly grateful to have had what I did. It taught me love that I didn’t know I was capable of. It has also dealt a loss that I cannot begin to describe.

So, if you see me around and my face is pink and puffy, chances are you caught me right after a meltdown. We do the best we can, but sometimes it seems like we fall short, right? I know that I’m dreading anyone asking where my GF is at the company Christmas party on Saturday. I’ve tried my hardest to keep things to myself in an effort to preserve hope. Hope that maybe time and distance would allow some healing to happen. Hope that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I guess that one’s not always true.

Now I write this in the interest of self-preservation. For everyone who has heard stories about my kids and my family and would usually ask how everyone is doing, please don’t. Please don’t say any unkind words about anyone involved, either, because I care very deeply for them and no unkind words are needed. Sometimes the best journeys take unexpected turns and it’s hard to get back on course. Sometimes you get lost and you don’t find your way back. It sucks, but that’s just how it goes.

I don’t know how long this feeling is going to last. I do know that it’s gotten harder and harder as the time has passed. Losing the four people you saw every single day and kissed, hugged, and covered up every night is painful beyond words. My hope at this point is that the kids all know how much I love them and that know that my failures as a grown up don’t reflect them at all. IT doesn’t change the fact that I love them dearly. They deserve the world and if I couldn’t be a part of their completed puzzle, I hope that it all comes together soon.

So, now what? I honestly have no idea. Thank goodness my mom and dad have a twin-sized bed in the spare room. And thank goodness my nephew moved out the week before I moved in. I keep hoping that I will wake up to see that this was just a bad dream, but I guess I must be in a sleep coma.

That’s really all I’m willing to say about that. Now I need to go and wash my face again.

Wednesday, November 16, 2016

I hope you're not sick of my music talk

Daya- “Talk”

“They’re all gonna say what they wanna say, anyway…so might as well give ‘em something to talk about.”


I posted about this song over the weekend because I had it on repeat in my car. This whole album is full of songs that are worth putting on repeat and exhausting. Daya is one of those people who is easily one of my favorites, but if you were to ask me my faves, I would manage to totally blank and leave her off the list. I don’t remember what she looks like, but I see a less rebellious Halsey in my head. I know I could Google image the name, but I don’t care to. Do yourself a favor and BUY THIS ALBUM. No I’m not getting paid or free stuff for saying this. I just love the album that much.



Charlie Puth- “Does It Feel”


Another artist who can do no wrong. Everything he does is something I love. It makes me wonder, though…how much heartache has this guy gone through? And how does he take a broken heart and turn it into this? You want to feel awful for him, but your head just bobs up and down instead. It’s almost confusing.



Zara Larsson- “I Would Like”


I love Zara Larsson. I sent an artist request for her before her song “Never Forget You” made it big on the radio. I didn’t get a response, but I tried. She’s got another song called “Ain’t My Fault” that’s pretty great, too.



The Chainsmokers ft. XYLO- “Setting Fires”


The Chainsmokers must be the biggest group of the year. Think about being an upcoming artist and being asked to be on one of their songs! It makes me wonder about their live show, though. It would be pure awesome if all of their guest singers were there with them. I don’t like a lot of electronic music, but come on. The Chainsmokers are above and beyond anyone else in the business.



Bruno Mars- “Versace On The Floor”


Maybe I’m crazy, but I think I hear a little bit of “It Will Rain” in this song. I was hoping for a new “Gorilla” type song, but it’s not. Still great, though. I’m pumped about Bruno Mars going on tour next year. Can you even imagine how an arena show for his headlining tour would be? He puts on a show!



Justin Timberlake, Gwen Stefani, and another person- “Hair Up”


How in the world does a song about Troll hair sound cool like this? I don’t get it. Justin Timberlake and Gwen Stefani together is like the ultimate in coolness. I actually want to see this movie and I never had a Troll doll or liked Trolls. I just love Anna Kendrick and J.T.



Drake White- “Livin’ The Dream”
This song is one you hear on country radio all the time and I’ll admit this. I turn it up every time I hear it still and I’ve probably heard it about 100 times. I bought the song on iTunes, so that’s usually where I hear it. I don’t want to have a space on the wall for last year’s deer, but the general idea is one that I love.

Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Another political rant, but this one is special because it's MINE

WOW. I fell asleep last night before they announced the winner of the election. I woke up and saw it first thing, though. I. AM. SHOCKED.

I voted for Hillary. It was a no brainer in my mind. I know she had her issues, however, she was the best choice for me. I voted Republican for several local offices. I cannot understand how anyone could feel good about a vote for Donald Trump. He is a man who has been able to buy his way out of any troubles he’s ever had. I can’t even afford to make two car payments in a month. How will Donald Trump ever truly relate to the common man? He hasn’t lived the life of a normal person. This isn’t an episode of Undercover Boss. This is the reality we have made for ourselves.

Let’s hope that he looks at his wife and sees that she emigrated to the U.S. from Slovenia before he decides to come down too hard on other immigrants. I know that being here illegally is wrong, but here’s something else I know. I drove by a day labor pickup spot yesterday and it had men standing and waiting for their chance to work. To earn money and support themselves. That’s more than I can say for a lot of citizens who sit back and live off of their check from the government. I understand and support those who truly need and deserve assistance. I’m talking about the people who feel no responsibility to step up and take care of themselves.

My mind is going a million miles an hour. It’s hard to get it all down.

How can anyone with a son watch this man and feel like he’s the right choice? Wouldn’t you want to just slap your son in the mouth if he made some of the comments that Trump has made? If your son was accused of taking advantage of his power and thinking he’s God’s gift to women, would you support him? I sure wouldn’t. I would love him, but I wouldn’t be OK with it. I’m certainly not OK with the most powerful leader in the free world being that way.

They have been LOOKING HARD for any excuse to indict Hillary. You better believe that if she had done something…anything…big enough to justify it, they would’ve brought her down. They didn’t though. FOX News even had to apologize for reporting that she was in trouble for more scandal when she wasn’t. Irresponsible and sickening.

I am offended at the highest level by any comment of Hillary being “just as bad” as Trump. Donald Trump allegedly violated people while he looked them in the eyes. He criticized people who made lots of money for him. He has few human morals. I wish I could say that no one gets insanely rich by valuing the people who helped them get there, but then I see people like Mark Cuban who make me think otherwise.

I didn’t vote for Hillary because she’s a woman. I voted for her because she holds many of the same values I do. I said MANY…not all. You don’t treat people like they are lesser than you. How can anyone go on the web and see montage after montage of Trump’s lies and smug looks and lack of a case and be OK with him? He is like a third grade boy. When something anti-Trump would arise in a debate or whatever, I was pretty much waiting for “I know you are, but what am I?” as a response.
If he can cheat on his wives, he can cheat on anything else. And he can hide behind his money when he does it. Money that he has made…I promise you this…by employing immigrant workers. The same people he will condemn once he takes office.

I can’t even think about what this means for equal marriage rights. I don’t understand how anyone could be against two people who love each other wanting the same rights as everybody else. There’s nothing wrong with me as a person. I am capable of just as much as any heterosexual person I know. I am capable and even more worthy of a marriage than most heterosexual people I know. It’s a shame that I might never get to exercise that right.

After this, would anyone be surprised if Snooki and J-Woww won the next election? I would honestly feel better about them being our elected leaders than I do Trump. At least they didn’t get off on telling people that they’re fired.

I have looked through Facebook and a lot of people are worried about how to explain this terror to their kids. I saw this link to a Huffington Post article addressing that. You should look at the entire site, though, to get a feel for things. I am horrified.


On the up side, the Trump win does give us the power to unite. We as a country can band together and keep it together. We have to have confidence in our other elected officials to keep this man in check. Instead of not liking each other because of who we voted for, we can see each other as people who have rights. Rights than generations before us fought hard to ensure for us. Let’s not allow this one bigot to come in and deny anything.

Let’s not act like this is the apocalypse because it’s not. Teach your kids the same things you taught them yesterday. Teach them to value people as people regardless of what you see on the outside. This man cannot take the gays and put us all on a farm in the middle of Nevada. He can’t just decide to get rid of NAFTA. He can teach hate, though, if we allow it. SO DON’T.


I voted, though, so I feel like I have a right to be bothered by these results. If you didn’t find the time to exercise your right to vote yesterday or in early voting, you really have no room to say a word. Inaction is just as powerful as action at times. Your vote counted and if you didn’t recognize that power, you shouldn’t say a word.

Monday, October 31, 2016

Halloween! My heart is pounding and here's why. MUSIC!

More music you should know! I might as well serve some purpose in this world, so I’ve decided that it’s to keep you posted on the music I love. I’m stealing a lot of this from that soundtrack I posted about earlier. There’s some other stuff, too, though.

Melanie Martinez- Soap
She’s a little different, but for a lot of non-judgmental people out there, there’s nothing wrong with that. For those of you who do have a problem with people who might think a little differently, I guess you can suck it.


Halsey- Gasoline
There is a bad word or two in this one. My nephew sent me the link to this song yesterday and I LOVE it. I like most of Halsey’s stuff, but this is one of my new favorites. Listen to this line. “I think there’s a flaw in my code.” Who doesn’t feel like that at some point or another? Listen to this one loud in the car while you’re alone.


Basenji- Can’t Get Enough
I feel like I shouldn’t like this for some reason, but whatever. I do. I don’t know how to explain this song. It’s just cool and light and…not moist. But I wanted to say moist for some reason. There aren’t a lot of lyrics to this song, but you can hum along to it.


JoJo- No Apologies
YES! The same JoJo that did that “Leave” song way back when is all grown up. And she’s better this time around. Seriously.

Here’s a live link- She sounds so fantastically great


Here’s the studio version



JoJo- F.A.B.

This one has bad words in it, too. This song title is short for Fake A** B**ch. Who doesn’t know one of those, right? This is what you might send in an email to someone who just sucks at life. “When they eatin’ off your plate but don’t do dishes.” How brilliant is that line?


Mike Perry- The Ocean

On the total opposite end of the spectrum is this song. It’s a dance-ish song with sweet lyrics. All about touching someone under their skin and taking someone to a place they’ve never been. Yea love, right?


Andy Grammer- Fresh Eyes

And another sweet one that maybe I don’t get. I thought it was about seeing the person you’ve loved for a while in a whole new light. But then the music video is making over homeless people. It’s cool that Andy did that for the video, but it makes me question whether or not I understand what he’s singing about. Hmmm.


Kiiara- Feels
This one has the bad language in it, too. I LOVE Kiiara. This one is different than “Gold” and hooking up with your brother in the basement since you weren’t around. This one is the sweeter side of her. Seriously. If you haven’t done it already, go to her Vevo channel and listen to her songs. So great! OK now that I mention the basement, she does mention it again in this song. But it’s not about anything even semi-incestuous.


Rihanna- Close to You

We all know how amazing Rihanna is, but sometimes her talent gets a little lost in her message. This song is Rihanna stripped down with just a piano and a couple of other sounds. The vulnerable side of Rihanna is one we can all appreciate, right?


Peter Gabriel- In your Eyes

This is a throwback song. It’s the song that I have called the best song ever for years now. I still believe it. This song fits any mood you could be in. Except maybe unless you get in a mood to go dance with glow sticks and take your shirt off. Then this one doesn’t fit. Please. Just listen to it all the way through.


Monday, October 24, 2016

Music I love and want to share

I’ve realized that I can’t put a dozen links to YouTube in a Facebook post, so I’m gonna tell you about my favorite songs right now here in this post.

Have you ever noticed that pop music sort-of goes in cycles? It has either a bunch of rock-ish songs that are big at the time or it leans more rhythmic. I prefer the rhythmic spurts, but bands like Twenty One Pilots make me appreciate the rock ones, too.

Anyway, there are some great full on pop songs out right now and I feel that it’s my duty (yes. I said duty) to make sure you know about them. You can thank me in your head the next time you’ve got your iPhone playing these songs while you clean the house or workout or whatever.

I won’t bore you with info about the band or singer…let’s get to the music.

Hailee Steinfeld ft. Zedd- Starving
“Don’t need no butterflies when you give me the whole damn zoo…” Who doesn’t want that? Who doesn’t picture that person who gives them the whole damn zoo while this song is on? I love it!

DNCE- Body Moves
“What’s on your mind…cuz what’s on mine, a dirty mind, why so serious?”
Joe Jonas is all grown up! And while I love Nick Jonas as a solo act, I love Joe Jonas in this band. Try not to bob your head when you hear the bassline on this song.

Speaking of Nick Jonas-
Nick Jonas- Bacon
I don’t really like bacon, but I love the idea of this song. They add bacon to everything that’s great and then it’s even greater! There is a clean version of this song and the dirty one. I prefer the dirty one, which is what I’m posting.

Nick Jonas- VooDoo
Why not throw in the new song from Nick Jonas? This whole album is great!

Tegan and Sara- Stop Desire
I’m not crazy about the music videos they’re doing for this new album, but I do love this song. It’s kind of got an 80’s sound to it. I can’t handle a lot of the sound anymore, but I love the way they integrate it into their sound.

Machine Gun Kelly ft. Camila Cabello- Bad Things
This one samples an old song by Fastball and makes it cool again. I’m not crazy about the MGK part of this song yet, but overall, I love the song.

Miguel ft. Kasey Musgraves- Waves
Kasey mentioned working with Miguel when she came in our studio, but I didn’t hear this song until last week. Maybe I’m slow. I dunno. It’s Miguel’s song “Waves” with Kasey Musgraves in it. I LOVE Miguel. Seriously. I had to listen to this song a few times before I liked it, but I officially like it now. It’s a grower.

Jon Bellion- All Time Low (acoustic)
I posted this somewhere last week, but I’m posting it again. This is just talent.

Justin Bieber ft. Halsey- The Feeling
This song just sounds cool to me. It’s almost a year old, but I’ve not heard it on the radio or anything, so maybe you haven’t either. So I thought I would share. I don’t know who these people in the video are, but good for them.

Josh Abbott Band- Amnesia
JAB is one of my all time favorite bands. I have an autographed guitar from Josh that was given to me after a kid met him as part of Make a Wish. For whatever reason, the kid remembered me talking about JAB when we met before and was kind enough to get this guitar for me. I love it and this song. In fact, the album is pretty great as a whole.

That’s all I’ve got for now. This is a pretty good start for a playlist, in my opinion. I hope you don’t hate my choices. If you do, at least be kind in the way you tell me, please.

Have a great day!


Shanon

Thursday, June 9, 2016

Prayers for Micah



Micah Ahern went on the Kidd's Kids trip with us last year. I went to the Ahern home to chat with them before the trip and they made me feel right at home. Before I left, little Eden was running around in her undies. I'm pretty sure there was an argument over queso. Nolan told me that he wanted to make sure to take his "little friends" to WDW with him. He loves reptiles. Linda and Maurice just brought Micah home from five days of isolation in the hospital and they were telling me about the restrictions he had to follow. He couldn't share food or drinks with others in the house. He couldn't use the same restroom or snuggle with mommy or daddy if he had a bad dream. But the treatment he was doing seemed to be working, so it was worth the sacrifice.


Micah went in for scans the other day and it turns out that his treatments aren't working anymore. He's going to be put on hospice soon. His family is forced to face the likely possibility that they will lose their little boy to cancer.


It's always been in the back of their minds. Linda works in health care and isn’t naïve enough to think that Micah is invincible. But he’s been doing so well. This just sucks.


No matter how much time you have to prep for it, losing someone you love isn’t easy. Losing a child, though. The Ahern’s have four kids total, so there are three other kids that have to wrap their heads around the idea of losing a sibling. How does a parent possibly come to terms with any of this? I don’t know.

Here’s my thought. Maybe as quickly as Micah’s scans turned bad, maybe they can turn good again. Maybe through the power of a LOT of prayer things can change again. Miracles happen every day, don’t they? Why not make one happen for Micah? It’s worth a try.

Would you please take a minute and post this link to your page. Prayers for Micah. Keep a strong little boy keepin’ on. Send some love his way and maybe the power of love and prayer can prove to be stronger than the power of medicine. Maybe?



Tuesday, June 7, 2016

I shouldn't have gotten started


How long does it take to pull the trigger on a gun? Like two seconds? What about stab someone in the throat? Possibly ten seconds? The people on the receiving end of the actions that took a second or ten seconds might die. How long did it take for Stanford rapist’s dad to knock up the mom? Probably about 10 minutes on the occasion that it happened? And the dad thinks his kid is beyond punishment for 20 minutes of action. It's this kind of attitude that is ruining people. Seriously. We put them on a pedestal as though their action isn’t as bad as it would be had someone else done it. It’s not ok!

Do you ever take a second and ask yourself what in the world is wrong with people today? Why do we accept the things that we do from people? We truly live in a world where apathy has become acceptable and it’s awful.

You can’t get on the Internet right now without seeing something about the Stanford sexual assault kid. He got six months in jail along with two years probation. The judge said that anything more would have too big of an impact on him and that he’s not a danger to others.

This guy assaulted another person. She was unconscious and he took advantage of her in the most intrusive way possible. The victim now has to live knowing that this happened and that people get in more trouble for stealing a TV (in some states). Can you imagine how dehumanizing and devaluing this is to her? How this impacts her life? She was being raped behind a dumpster for God’s sake.

For anyone to say that their child should catch a break from the law because they can tell that they’re being punished enough because there are still snacks in the house should be on a watch list themselves. Something isn’t OK there. I’ve got VERY strong opinions about enabling people and it’s at the point that I’m probably about to say something I’m going to regret.

When you sit back and defend a bad person or allow them to do what they do, you’re just as bad as they are. They have no motivation to become a better person when they’ve always got someone there to hold them up. Think about potty training a puppy. Why do they learn to poop outside? Positive and negative reinforcement. You don’t give a puppy a treat when it poops in the house. Just like you shouldn’t stand by a horrible person when they do a horrible thing. You should have the back of the people who need you.

What’s this girl going to do if she ends up being pregnant after this guys 20 minutes of action? She has to deal with the consequences of her decision at that point. And the baby. Meanwhile, swimmer boy can dye his hair and go on about his business because he’s really good at a sport. Funny how that works, isn’t it?

I kind of laugh it off when people say that they would move to Canada if Trump or Clinton gets elected President, but after reading the comments from the public officials of the county this all happened in, I would probably feel inclined to move if I lived there. It’s crazy to me. Rape is rape. No question! Assault is assault! No question! Who cares about the effects it would have on the guy who did it! What about the victim? Let’s sympathize with a rapist and spread a message that absolutely should never be formed in the first place. What a complete disgrace.

What’s even worse is that given this ridiculously light sentence for a crime he’s been convicted of and was caught doing, this kid is appealing the sentence. I pray to God that Layla and Peyton learn to spot a bad man when they see him. I pray that Jacob follows his heart in life and chooses to follow the example of those who want the best for him. I’m curious where the victim’s father is? I’ve not even seen anything written anonymously from him. Or her mother. You better believe that my kid would have my support as loud as I could possibly give it.

I have so many things I would love to say about parenting and about things I don’t understand. Turning a blind eye just seems to be ok and blaming everyone else for your flaws seems to be the way to go. How is this even acceptable?

There are people in this world that are simply disgusting. I was watching Teen Mom last night and Janelle was on. My heart breaks for her kids because they are just screwed. There’s Janelle who says she wants to see Jace, but she does nothing to make it happen. It’s just a show that she puts on and it’s nauseating. I’m going to say that I want him and argue about drop off and pick up, but then I’m going to spend all my time with David and say that maybe he’s better with Barb because school has already started. I’m gonna use him as a tool to get revenge when mommy makes me mad. That’s all her son is to her. A tool.

Then there’s Adam who has every opportunity to see Aubrey, but he won’t do it. She has someone who wants her in his life and she wants to call daddy, but when that reality hits him, he rears his ugly head. Otherwise, he’s absent.

Disgusting.

What’s even more interesting to me is how these people find other people who want to be with them. Disgusting times two.

Why is it ever ok to allow someone feel like they hold little value? Especially when they’re supposed to be one of the most important people in your life? Who are you to take that feeling of value away from them due to your own selfishness? In the end, there’s no one to blame but yourself.

I can’t change the way that the world works. It’s my hope that when I die, someone feels like there’s a loss because I made this a better place while I was here. It’s so dumb, but I get angry when I’m flipping through the stations and I hear that Luke Bryan song “Huntin, Lovin, and Fishin.” All I can think about is, “That’s ALL you’re going to contribute to the world?” Seriously? Then I come up with this dialogue in my head about who would want someone who comes home sweaty, smelling like dead animal and fish everyday, broke as a joke, and probably drunk because they drink beer in the heat all day long. I get SO MAD! I hope that they would dump his or her ass.

Anyway, sorry about that. Somehow it all goes together in my brain. I hope that the Stanford swimmer douche goes back to court with a different judge and gets prison. Let’s see what that does to his preppy boy appetite and what daddy has to say about it then.

Wednesday, May 18, 2016

If you care about my thoughts on the bathroom situation

Hi there. It’s been a while, but there’s something on my brain and I need to just get it out and I saw this blog from a mom today and I was like THANK YOU!!! Let me preface this by first saying that I’m not one to call another person ignorant because they believe something different than me. The world would suck if we all thought the same stuff. However, I do believe that a person is ignorant if they’re unwilling to open their eyes to other people’s opinions or feelings or beliefs. I don’t have a tolerance for ignorance, either. It’s probably one of my biggest flaws, but we all have them, right?

This whole bathroom argument is seriously too much. People boycotting Target over it is crazy to me. Just to be sure I have my thoughts in order, I’ve done my research and yes. As always, we need to protect the people we love- just like we did every day before Target said that their bathrooms were open to anyone. Guess what? At no point have I eve seen a security guard outside of a bathroom door ANYWHERE keeping tabs on who went in what bathroom. So if you think that this is a huge issue all of the sudden, you’re wrong. If a bad person has their mind set on doing wrong, they’re going to do it. And here’s another fact. Most of this sexual stuff people are so scared about with kids is done in residences. Are people boycotting their homes? According to the stats I read, 69% of assaults reported with kids under 12 were in their home and a stranger committed only 25% of them. Should you boycott friends and family, too? Now that I mention it, yes. I know some people who should.

Here’s my thought. Our view on the Transgender community is based on Kaitlyn Jenner and that’s a really unfair portrayal. I think that she is a terrible excuse of a human being. I know that every Kardashian uses their lifestyle as a moneymaking opportunity, but Bruce had a huge opportunity to show the world how normal he could still be after his transition. Maybe it’s the hormones she has to take with the transition. I don’t know the reason behind the drama. I do know that IN MY OPINION he made a mockery of the whole process and it’s shameful.

With that being said, it’s also shameful for us to take a whole community and base our opinion on things that we don’t know. With everything else going on in the world, is the bathroom situation at Target really what we need to focus our energy on? I mean really? I’ve figured out that we cast the biggest judgment on things that we are most ignorant about. I’ve also found that some people are just flat out hateful. What can you do, right?

I can’t now nor will I ever understand how those who preach that we are all Gods children can say that someone who identifies as they do but was born otherwise makes them feel unsafe. I can’t understand how people who go to Klan meetings on Saturday night or goes out and gets wasted at the club and sleeps around and has love babies all over the place can go to church on Sunday mornings can claim that they are better than me on Sunday mornings. Being a worthy person goes further than an hour and a half once a week or tweeting a Bible verse or checking in at a fundraiser. It’s the whole package.

Maybe a lot of us should be working on our package instead of posting and picketing about the bathroom at Target.

Man. I feel so much better now that I’ve gotten that off my chest. It’s so irritating when I know that the people who pass the harshest judgment are the ones who have lived lives filled with shame.

This is the blog I read that made me want to share my thoughts on all of this. It has some seriously vulgar terms in it, so don’t read it if you can’t handle those. It’s written by the mom of a 6-year old and she’s talking about the reality of raising a little girl and the things that girls actually grow up doing and questions why we are so fearful of this bathroom mess and not the real dangers of the world.


Monday, February 8, 2016

I might be a business GENIUS!


I went to church with Meagan yesterday and I learned a few things totally unrelated to the Bible. Did you know that a lot of states have their own way of finding out how long winter will last? They don’t depend on the groundhog in Pennsylvania. One state has a woodchuck they count on. His name is Chuck. I had no clue!

I also learned that the word tabernacle means place of worship. I guess I kind of already knew this, but now I know it for sure.

I have a GENIUS idea for a kid’s game. Seriously. I don’t know what to do with it, though. It’s not an original idea, but another idea rebranded for a completely different age group. So, what now? Parents will thank me for this if I figure it out. So, if you know what I can do, let me know. FOR REAL.

This weekend I’m going to be the DJ and emcee at Cupid’s Chase Dallas. It’s a 5K at Bachman Lake and the money benefits people with disabilities. I can’t do the run while I’m being all fun and stuff at the tent, nut if you care to run it, you can still sign up. Or if you want to just donate to the cause and come hang out and stuff, you can also do that. Here’s the link.


I made a tough decision a few weekends ago. I might have already told you this, so if I’m repeating myself, I’m sorry. If I haven’t, then I’m excited to announce this HUGE news. I’ve decided on my favorite packaged condiment. Jack In The Box Taco Sauce. It’s delicious on everything. Seriously. It’s also instant heartburn.

I have something to admit about church yesterday. I took a picture of one of the worship leaders because I thought Kellie would think he was cute. I’m pretty sure he’s married. I don’t want them to hook up or anything. I was just like, Hey! He’s cute! Kellie would think he’s cute AND he likes Jesus. I should take his picture! So I did, but I guess God didn’t approve because it wasn’t even a good enough picture to show.

We learned about Hebrew in the Bible yesterday in church. What about it? I will tell you. Not to let your heart harden. That’s what I got from it. It was hard to focus because the kid in front of us was drawing and he tried to put a pencil in his eye. And there was a guy in the crowd who would answer all of the questions the minister would rhetorically ask. I have to admit that had we been anywhere else, I would have answered in the opposite way just to spite that guy. He was like the howling guy on the Super Bowl last night. But in church. He was nonstop and I couldn’t let it go.

It was cool, though. I like the music they play.

You want to know what’s funny? There’s these neighbor people on the street that call code compliance for EVERYTHING. If we leave the recycle bin out too long on accident, we have code compliance sitting outside the first minute possible. It’s a stay at home mom and I know she’s busy with a little boy running around, so I don’t know how she has time to bother with sitting on the phone with the city. However, she does.

They just got new neighbors and I’m wondering how it’s working for them. These neighbors are less than ideal for nightmares like them. They were outside having an all nighter the day after MLK Day. They have a fire pit outside and play classic rock songs loud enough that I can hear them a couple houses down. They’re not rude about their noise, it just carries. And these neighbors are incapable of minding their business, so I’m almost surprised the cops haven’t been called yet. How do you deal with the neighbor that has seriously NOTHING BETTER TO DO than find reasons to complain about you? It’s seriously insane. Is there a law that says they can’t have their Christmas lights up anymore? They do. I need to look that up in the code handbook today.

Do you ever want to ask someone “Why do you do these things?” Except you can’t because then things will just get even worse? So you want someone else to ask that person why they do those things for you? Is there someone you want to ask that question to? I can ask for you. Maybe. Unless it’s really awkward. Like if someone is stealing your sandwich at work and you want help asking them WHY… or if they keep using the last bit of toilet paper and REFUSE to replace it…WHY? Lemme know! Maybe I can help!

Oh! I have another idea! But this isn’t a product. It’s a business idea. So if you know how to get this one up and running, let me know. Thanks.

And I do still DJ.

Tuesday, January 12, 2016

New Year, New Blog!

I’ve said for a long time that all of my people love ranch dressing and I do still stand by that statement. I made a bold decision over the weekend, though. The kids wanted Jack in the Box for lunch on Saturday, so we went. I don’t eat there often, but I realized that when I do, I ALWAYS do one thing. It doesn’t matter what I get. A hamburger, fries, tacos…anything. I always put their taco sauce on it. Therefore I am hereby proclaiming that Jack in the Box taco sauce is my favorite pre-packaged and sealed condiment.

After making that known I feel such relief. Whew.

It’s sort of sad, but I got a new phone and I lost a lot of great thoughts. Most of them were pointless, but they were great, too. I will think of something and make a note of it in my phone. I had to replace my iPhone after many years and when I went to back it up before replacing it, I did it all wrong. I lost every contact I had. I don’t know where I backed up what content I did save. It’s OK, I guess. I should think of new thoughts. Or learn how to do things right sometimes.

I did get to kick off 2016 as the official DJ for the Kellie Rasberry New Years Eve party. I earned my money at that party. It was a tough crowd! The station hosting it is 106.1 KISS FM, so we play top 40 music. You know, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, Drake, and that kind of modern stuff. I worked hard before the party and put together 19 hours of music that included a ton of Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Nicki Minaj, and Drake. I was less than prepared when people came up to me after the dinner portion of the party and said, and I quote, “My wife and I are worried that we might break a hip dancing to this. Can you play some disco or some polka, please?”

I wasn’t prepared for disco hits or polka.

Well, maybe some disco. Not polka. So, it was time to regroup. Thank goodness I had some old school hits in my pocket that everyone loves. I don’t think any hips were broken or even dislocated. Kellie did give a veteran in a wheelchair and his service dog a lap dance. She also stopped a line dance for a VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT. She needed to tell the women right then that it’s ok to be WT. Take your shoes off like she did. (I love Kellie). She insisted that I play the Electric Slide and I swear to you that is the second time in my life that anyone has ever requested that song. I don’t think she finished the dance, BTW. It’s OK, though, as long as everyone had fun.

That was how 2016 kicked off. It was with a kiss, which made me very happy. I am very lucky, which also makes me very happy.

Do I have resolutions? I suppose so.
-       I have decided that I don’t like enough people, so I’m the problem. Instead of thinking about why I don’t like them, I’m trying to start thinking of the reasons why people might like or dislike me. I still need to respect a person, so if there’s no respect, there’s no chance of me liking them EVER.
-       I want my arms to be defined again. My left arm cramps up a lot, so I want to work on that one a lot.
-       I would like to and have been asked to blog more often. It feels good to do this, so I don’t know why I have stopped putting in the effort. I’m going and going so much more now days, it’s hard to sit down and think and type sometimes. I need to just do it. I will.
-       I’m going to shave my cat once a month. He’s too hairy and I don’t pet him enough because of it. I’m going to give him cool hairstyles, too. It’s been resolved.
-       I’m going to learn to let things go better than I do, be more patient, and pick my battles. I have to.
-       I’m going to learn common core math. It’s a must at this point in my life! Layla is in 4th grade, Jacob is in 2nd, and Peyton is in kindergarten. It’s like going through elementary school all over again!
-       I am going to learn balance and keep it. I have to.

Those are the big ones. I’ve got others, like less guilt if I buy myself a new pair of shoes or something. I think I drive myself crazy a lot and I need to work on that.

I need to replace my car battery. It just dies the other day and so I charged it with my portable jump starter and it’s been OK mostly. I googled it and it says that batteries last about 4 years. My car is a 2013 that I got in June or July 2012, so it’s almost 4 years old. If I can jump my car battery, I can probably replace the thing, too, right?

Wanna know how much I’ve saved with the Cartwheel app this year? $143.87! That’s a lot, huh?

I guess that’s all the blogging I have in me for the moment. My nose is so runny today and it’s just stupid. The kids had strep throat and an ear infection last week, but they’re better this week. Poor Peyton was the only kid who wasn’t complaining, but she was the one with the highest fever. I guess Meagan and I are immune to the strep, though, because we seem to be OK. (knocking on wood).


I will see you soon. Making new notes in the iPhone. Happy 2016.