Monthly Archives: February 2015

You win some and you lose some while blogging and drinking lattes at Starbucks:) (First World Problems)

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So, I am here to do around 4 hours of math with my daughter for her home school studies because she goes to an actual online school it can be quite demanding like going to a physical school. They are having a super fun day where there are props to take pics with and post to social media for employee appreciation. Walking in the door after my morning job to this cheery atmosphere made me smile and feel that today would be a good day.

The coffee is smelling good. It is not freezing cold in here today. The atmosphere is quiet, but there is this one ANNOYING random guy speaking as loudly and quickly as possible in his native tongue. Native tongue is fine. But I don’t care what you language is, I don’t want to hear what you have to say on your cell phone. Starbucks is not an office. I mean, it is okay to treat it like an office, but if you are “hosting conference calls”, host them from your Hyundai or whatever it is you are driving. Please!

I know, I know. First World Problems. Or, what my brother often says: White People Problems. Not because he is racist, but because ummm, we are white.:) Anyway, there are wars and famine and hunger issues and I am complaining about this. Ridiculous, I know, I know. But if I can’t talk about it on my blog then where can I except to perhaps God? Even God would probably say: “Ain’t nobody got time for that”. So thanks for listening (reading).

It probably seems like I am in a bad mood because I was tired last night and I am tired today, but I find it obnoxious to hear every detail of someone’s conversation on the phone or if they are at a table nearby speaking to a friend. I talk loud because I am originally from the south. My daughter even thinks I am yelling at her sometimes when I am not. But, I know how to tone it down when at the movies, or at a restaurant or other public place. Is it a trend, or do I feel that people are always yelling to the top of their lungs when having a conversation?

Am I the only person that is annoyed with this uncouth behavior? Am I TOO old skool? Am I easily aggravated? Am I too high-strung? Well, I can tell you a few things: I am super fun, super exact, super silly, super serious, majorly organized, majorly loyal, rule follower, and rule breaker all in one. Within all of these qualities, there is something about me that can’t stand nonsensical, obnoxious or rude behavior. But we can win ’em all now can we?

P.S. The guy has gone from his super loud over the top convo to listening to a cartoon on his laptop.Go figure…

Simply~

Dee

Are so many awards shows narcissistic, or well-deserved?

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I know that I grew up in the 80’s, but I do not wear mom jeans. I am actually pretty hip. I know the latest songs and trends, but I am not a fan of them per se. I would say out of all of the popular singers right now, Taylor and John Legend would be at the top along with Sam Smith.And, I cannot forget Bruno Mars and his sometimes afro. But I digress (as usual), I have not been into the Grammy’s for probably 10 years. I just don’t think that many of the singers are special. I feel like anyone can put a hit on iTunes or Youtube and become an instant star. It seems to easy to become “famous” now and I am just not interested or impressed. At all. I watched my guilty pleasure Bravo tonight instead and because I forgot Downton Abbey was on.

I know that I am not a part of the majority of people who I know, but I feel that I have taste. Having taste does not always mean status quo. Actually, it rarely means status quo. I have always been the type of person that if everyone else likes something, unless I already liked it, I will totally be against it or not about it. I buy Samsung products because I like them and people say: “Why don’t you buy Apple?” In this super condescending tone like how could I stoop to have an S5 instead of an iPhone? I will probably never buy an iPhone because so many people are so impressed with themselves and others for having that phone. I have an iPad because I bought it for a lame job that I had last year and had to do presentations on it. But I think that besides Facetime, it does about the same thing that my other tablet does.

I was not into Friends and Seinfeld when they came out either. First off, I had a life because I was young. It took me a few years after they were out to get into the shows, and it is funny, I am probably one of the biggest fans of the shows now. But because everyone I knew was so gaga about them, it turned me off. It’s like I am anti-bandwagon times 100 or something. I like Starbucks and Target and other popular things, so it’s not like I am Amish or something.:)

But I really feel like now there are more awards shows than there are good performers. Of course the Oscar’s and Tony’s are not for the general populace, so I love them:) And the Grammy’s have been around a long time, I will give that to them. But then there are NAACP Image Awards, MTV Awards, BET Awards, Country Music Awards, Golden Globes, Kennedy Center Awards, Sag Awards-you get the point. How many times do these entertainers need to be thanked or celebrated? I enjoy movies and music, but I don’t need to think about or praise these people more than I do my God. It’s like they are God’s unto themselves or something.

Maybe I am just tired and cranky. Maybe I am justified in my opinions. Or, maybe a little both. Whether you love the Grammy’s, hate them, or can just take them or leave them, everyone has something that irks them and this is one of those things for me. But, if I had a chance to win a trip to one of these venues with some of my favorite stars like Meryl Streep or DeNiro, I am not going to lie, I would be there!:)  Have a positive and happy Monday and work week. Thanks for reading my opinions on the state of celebrity in America.

Simply~

Dee

So, I am blogging about my usual-EVERYTHING:)

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Tonight was decent. I was actually babysitting, and fell asleep for 2 hours. But hey, in my defense, the kid is almost 10 and my kid was building a fort with her in the next room. So all was good. I am just so fatigued because I have that early morning gig for 2 hours Monday-Friday and I am always so afraid that I am going to miss it that I wake up literally off and on all night looking at my cell. I am just not an early morning person. My ideal life? Go to bed at 3 and wake up at 10 or 11-true story.

So, I was just writing to a friend who is a decade older about how sad it is that she is moving soon and I haven’t hung out with her pretty much the whole time I have known her. Back story, I used to babysit her kids after school and one of those “kids” is soon to be 21, and I have a much younger kid. So, we have been in each other’s lives, but not really in each other’s close circle of friends because we are at just such different life stages. As I type this I truly cannot believe we met 10 years ago. I did not take her for granted because we were really connected by her kids, but it’s kind of like I knew she was in the D.C. area and did not think that she would leave. Well, she got a cash offer on her house, which is amazing because houses are super expensive here. And, she is out of here in a few weeks!! So much for her living across town, but her new digs down south will be fab so I see a road trip in the future:).

Tomorrow, we are going tubing. Not river tubing, but snow tubing! Yay! I am taking my kid out of obligation. Not that I do not like going. Not because I do not enjoy doing activities with her, but because I just want to lie in bed and hibernate. I am sure that once we get there it will be fun. I bought food to take including a salad for me because I am eating healthy again, I will have to talk about that next post. Anyway, I just don’t want to do the three-hour round trip of driving after doing an out-of-state trip last week. I am not even sure that I will participate with her because we are taking another kid. But more than likely I will because it really is loads of fun. Right now, I can envision sitting in the lodge and just watching from the windows:)

This week has FLOWN by. We did not get to go ice skating, because today and yesterday were super cold days. A day that was a nice day, got wrecked because my kid’s bff got hurt in a ski accident and we went and played board games with her. So, the next month we are going to conquer all of the outdoor skating venues in D.C. area because I am wondering where did winter go? Spring is next month!

I am super stoked right now for a few reasons. For one, my daughter tried out for another muscial this week and got it! The director told her and call backs aren’t even until next week. Another thing, we are going to NYC in a month for a whole weekend to hang with my brother, the 21-year-old girl that I mentioned above, and for an acting thing for my daughter. Lastly, my friend gave me her Hulu password info tonight because I canceled Hulu and I get to watch Scandal because I missed it last night. I do not know if my heart can take it! Last week was INTENSE.

I hope that whatever you guys do with your weekend, it is what you want to do. At least after coming back from tubing, I get a free dinner from the girl’s parents for taking her kid tubing. So, score! Enjoy the weather whatever it may be, because remember, any time that we are live to see the sun rise and set is a good day!

Simply~

Dee

So, I came back on my trip from visiting a friend on Sunday and haven’t been blogging…

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It’s not that I haven’t blogged because I haven’t wanted to. I have literally been tied up since Friday. We stayed an extra night out-of-state over the weekend because my very sick friend has begun to be very depressed. I can’t blame her. To go from a 6 figure income to being unemployed, to being almost on her death-bed and then to be on disability. Wow, that was so much to type in one sentence. But imagine having to go through it. Good news came yesterday that she would be getting a lump sum of back pay from early retirement or something like that, and she can buy a car to take herself to the doctor or to the grocery store. I was so afraid to leave her Sunday morning, but I had to get back to my life and my animal and then on Monday-work.

So here I am on Tuesday, hanging at a local Starbucks, typing on here and doing my devotional. My kid is reading for her class so that we can finish Literature for the school year because she and I together have read and completed 99 percent of the lessons. We just finished reading Pollyanna before she went on to the next classic and I will have to say that it was a lovely story. I am going to have to go back and read some classics, and then read some for the first time that I never got around to. In addition to typing on here, reading my Bible, writing in my devotional, and exercising, I am going to read more and watch less of my weakness-Bravo.

Sunday, flew by on the 2 hour plus drive back to D.C., I had a meeting at church, we grabbed food to eat for Super Bowl night, we watched the game until the bitter end. Ughhhh. Seahawks really screwed up. And then, I can’t believe that this is already mid-afternoon on a Tuesday. I am still trying to determine if once one gets older if time flies, or if we just have more minutiae taking up our days, that this is the reason that days turn into weeks and months before we know it.

Though I love all of the seasons, and respect the reasoning and purpose for all of them, I was not happy to hear the cute and fat groundhog said 6 more weeks of winter were to come. For one, I am cold. All of the time. I am not cold-natured, but it has been a bitter type of cold this winter. Secondly, I am just sick of looking outside and it being too cold to be out in nature. At least if it is going to be cold, it would be nice to have snow to accompany it. This major winter that we were supposed to have in D.C. has been a disappointment because I want to see more of the white stuff. So, Saturday we are going to trek to PA to take in some snow tubing and though some of the snow may be “man-made”, there will be some of the real stuff there too.

I don’t have a meaningful message today. Not really. But I do want to say to whomever may not feel that they have hope or a lot to be happy about, that life is fleeting. It is a speck in time. Just appreciate and enjoy what you have. Whether it be your children, your spouse, your job, your tiny apartment, you are alive and are well off enough to have computer access and electricity to run it.

Simply~

Dee

Picture courtesy of fb/livinglife2thefull

“Swinging” – Spray Paint on Canvas by Me….

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Worthy cause and awesome art.

urbanwallart's avatarRay Ferrer - Emotion on Canvas

“Swinging” – Spray Paint on Canvas by Me

Ferrer - Swingset Small

In spite of my situation, as many of you have been reading, I am painting to keep my spirits up and stay motivated.
This original piece has sold but I have been given the OK to make prints.

Prints of this are limited and available if you would like to purchase in our continued effort to raise funds for upcoming treatments and surgeries regarding my brain tumor.

Everything in my Etsy shop is available at 50% off with coupon code ART50 in order to assist my family and I.

Here is the link for the shop:  https://www.etsy.com/shop/UrbanWallArt

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Friends are sometimes people who you least expect

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I love coming to see this older friend of mine (who could practically be my mother because she is almost 20 years older) more than I enjoy people my own age. Why is that? I have always had this penchant with getting along with people younger than myself, or older. What is that about?

Is it because there is no possible competition? I think with older people, they are just more sensible. Less drama. More common sense. Lots of wisdom to share. I also think that older folks get a real kick of listening and laughing to younger people. It gives the a chance to think about what they did at that age, or they are probably secretly thinking how dumb some of the decisions that the younger generation are making.

Whatever it is, it works out nicely for me. We have such a good time with my older friend, even if she goes to bed early or doesn’t feel good, when we are with her we feel like we are at home. We fix meals and clean up and she never complains and is just so selfless. It is refreshing

Younger friends can be fun too. I have a younger girlfriend whom I call to do lounges with when my daughter is at a sleepover. She is fun and girly and we both dress to the nines and turn heads when we are out together. I enjoy listening to her dramatic stories of love and the dating scene. She hasn’t knocked on 30’s door yet, though she will be soon. I am not tons older than her, but just old enough to feel protective of her and to offer her wise words. But I am young enough to have fun hanging out with her from time to time.

When I thought I was going to be into the dating scene last year before I decided hell no, she was who I wanted to hang with or talk to as much as I could. She was the fun time friend. But when it comes to serious matters, she would not be on the top of my list of people to turn to.

though I of course have friends my age, they have kids too that are near my age. This keeps us busy, often times they are stressed and busy. But honestly nit is the competitive aspect that bugs me the most. A lot of people that we know are jealous of all that my kid can do. They are not overtly so, but it is obvious when my kid has accomplished something huge like almost getting signed with an agent. I don’t brag about it, and sometimes do not mention these things on social media so that people do not think that I am bragging or something. Of course I have friends who know the real deal and are supportive. I am the same way with their kids. I think that is the biggest reason that I prefer to hang around people from different generations of my own, the whole one upping regarding each other’s children.

So, if you are noticing that people in your social circle are not your cup of tea, reach out to friends that are maybe not in your age range or core group of friends. Go for tea with a kind older neighbor and learn about her younger years. If you have an older kid, go meet with a young mom with a new baby and impart some wisdom for them while showing empathy to her lack of sleep. My whole point is, that friends come in all forms and it really is nice to open up your heart mind to different people. You may find that their friendship is exactly what you have been searching for.