Tid-Bits

Random things I learned in the last 72 hours:

Sticky ear wax in women is an indicator that you might get breast cancer.

Lips shrink as you get older! I knew your ears and nose still grew, but I didn't know your lips shrunk! And what happens to those Muppet Mouthed types with no lips to begin with? Do they get full on face innies?

Angelina Jolie might play Catwoman in the next Batman movie! (Not really a surprise)

There is a thing called the 3-day novel contest and I'm thinking about doing it this year! Why not? I have loads of story sketches in my head and I wasn't planning on going to Bumbershoot anyhow!

Cute pics from Ollie's birthday

Top 3 favorite pics I took yesterday:

In color!

Here is my new hair.
I like it. I feel like it suits me. I think I might stick with this one for a while.

SWOON!

OK, I will admit, whenever I come across this video I get a little weak in the knees. It is Jon from the purple hair era, when we first met. I LOVED the purple hair and have so many amazing memories from when we first met, 13 years ago, that all come flooding back when I see this video.
I just came across it by chance on youtube and I swear I made a little happy "EEP!" sound while watching it. (For my relatives who have not really met Jon, he is the one singing in this video.) There is a shot at the end where he has his hair back. I will admit, if I were not such a lady, I may have licked my monitor.

My weekend looked a lot like this.

I got my hair dyed back to a very dark brown. No more roots! :


I watched this movie (Which I really loved and agree with everyone about the Joker. AMAZING! and heartbreakingly sad.):


I read this book and loved it:


So, of course, I started reading this book, but I don't know if I love it as much. It has too many Werewolves so far. I really like books with Vampires, not so much down with the Werewolves. (I don't have any real logic behind this. It just is what it is.):



But even though I don't LOVE the 2nd book yet, I'm still SUPER excited to see this move in December:

It is like looking in a mirror! (Tongue firmly planted in cheek)

What do these ladies have in common? Well, these are all ladies that I have been compared to with regularity pretty much every time I go to a place with a large group of people.
I'm flattered, I really am. I just find it amusing which people get brought up the most. I mean, you name any star with big almond eyes, high cheekbones and full lips, and some drunktard has probably told me I look "Just like her" while I've been out at a club. It is amazing how beer goggles can morph anyone into somebody else!

But these particular women come up with such regularity in alcoholic and non-alcoholic situations, so there has got to be something there. What I find most interesting is that they come up more depending on what age I was/am.

From 1992-1998 I got Geena Davis and/or Robin Wright-Penn ALL of the time:
















































When I had a brief stint of orange/blond/red hair I heard Toni Collette:



























Then right around 2004-now I started hearing Rachel McAdams:




















Hey! At least I am getting younger!!!

Words.

There is so much that I don't remember that I wish I did and so much that I remember clearly that I wish I did not.

I'm glad I've been keeping journals for so long. Going through old notebooks, I wish I was better at putting dates on things. I thought it was charming that I used to journal by just flipping it open and writing whatever on the first empty page. Now, some 20 years later, I don't think it is charming, it looks like a load of random thoughts written by a person with really bad A.D.D. Haha!

Some of the stuff is very good, but it is written in a way that, back then, I thought I would recall every reference and secret nod. Now, I remember well enough to know some of it was written in code, just not well enough to have any idea what any of it means!

Is life like that? Are we forgotten after we die as quickly as we forget our own life while we were alive? That is a scary thought.



PS- Speaking of words, did I mention that my dad has a blog now!!! Check it out! That means both of my parents, my favorite Auntie, a cousin or two, and my older brother are all blogging. Now, if we could just get my youngest brother on a computer, it would be the whole gang!

The strangest dream.

I just woke up. I am in the process of getting ready to go to work, but I can't get the crazy dream I had last night out of my head.

I dreamt that every stuffed animal, porcelain animal figurine, and animal shaped toy I've ever owned came to life last night and they were all following me around looking for attention and food. It was so weird. I had curio cabinets all over the house with things scratching on the doors begging to be let out.

There is no real point to this other than the fact that it was really funny and maybe even a little terrifying but it was so unusual I had to post it. I always have vivid dreams, but this one was a bit stranger than most.

Take me out to the ball game...

This is another one I got from my dad. I think it is so cute.


My dad is the tall guy with glasses on the end, all the way to the left, my Grandfather is the coach. This was in Muskegon, MI in the 60's.

Jack J Price, Sr - April 28, 1932 – July 15, 2003

*Originally posted 7/15/04


His empty chair...
Nothing has ever looked quite as empty
As that chair
Sitting there in the morning light
With his impression still outlined in his blanket
Tossed across the back
Like it was waiting for him to return from the other room
and pick up from where he left off


I stand in front of it
Like I am waiting for him to appear
As if I am somehow seeing through him
but he is really there


This empty shrine
To how things used to be
And will never be again
shows that everything changes in an instant
but nothing ever moves


I sit down in his chair
And I am immediately surrounded by the smell of his aftershave
And body chemistry
That has become a part of the chair
The thing that gives it life
And hangs on to who he was


I remember all of the times I climbed in his lap in this very chair
when I was small and young
and he was here
How it always seemed safe there with him
How he was stronger than anyone

No one would dare to try and hurt you when you were with him


And how years later
I saw the same dance performed for me
with my own daughter taking my place


He was a man who knew who he was
Lived his life the way he wanted to
And didn't take any grief from anyone


He was a man who would speak his mind
And stand up for the people he loved without hesitation
He was as fierce as he was forgiving
Stubborn as he was gentle
Flawed but fearless when it came to facing the world

He may not have been perfect
But he was ours and we were of him

He was the right cocktail of love, respect, grit and fear....
And when I watched the light leave his face
Saw him take his final breath
I knew the world was never going to be the same.

He was my grandfather and I love him.

My dad invented the indy rock look!

My dad's birthday is coming up and we were talking today about how cool I think he looked when he was a teen. He doesn't think the look was cool back then, but he is ultra hip by today's standards. Just look at these photos! Isn't he adorable?!

FOUR (going on thirteen)

Four years ago today....

So, that makes this our Linen/Silk anniversary.

Put the lime in the coconut... (or don't)

My latest food passion is actually a beverage, and it is awesome!
I purchased my first box of Vita Coco on a fluke. Sometimes, while I am on my lunch break, on days when it is not so nice outdoors, I wander through the nearby QFC. I walk up and down the isles looking for new and interesting products. I generally end up purchasing some kind of beverage. Our neighborhood QFC seems to have an unusually large variety of strange beverages. They have a whole isle of chilled goodness.
On one rather dull afternoon my eyes found their way to a box of Vita Coco.
For those of you not in the know, I am a coconut freak. I love all things related to coconuts. I love the taste and the smell equally. If I am handed a box of candy, I always look for the coconut flavor first. If I am purchasing shampoo I always go for the one with the strongest coconut scent. As a child I used to eat shredded coconut as a snack.
I picked up the little juice box looking package and flipped it over to check out the label. It said it was only 60 calories. That is good, then I looked at the ingredients for the dreaded High Fructose that I try very hard not to drink. Under ingredients it reads: NATURAL COCONUT WATER.
That is it. Period.
Then I read the description on the side.
The part that caught my eye reads:

This 100% pure life enhancing beverage has also been proven
to increase vitality, ease digestion, cure hangovers, and literally save people's lives.

Damn, Gina! That is a lot of big talk for a little box of coconut juice.
I cracked it open and took a big swig. First, it isn't really sweet. If you are going into it with the mind-set you are going to get that candied coconut flavor many of us have become accustomed to, you are not going to like it. But it has a strange addictive quality. By the time the juice box was empty I was still wanting more and feeling quite refreshed and hydrated. I went back and purchased every box that they had at the local market since it is the only place I've ever seen it. (Every box was only six boxes, BTW) And went on a search for more. I mentioned it to my co-worker who has been in the know about this product for some time and she gave me the hot tip that the best place to get it is at Whole Foods because it comes in much larger boxes and is more cost effective! So I had Jon run down and load up the cupboards and I have been drinking one every day since. It is my late afternoon treat that I find myself looking forward to. I don't know if it has "Saved my life" but it sure has improved the quality of my afternoons! And it's packaging is sure way more convenient than poking a hole in a coconut every time you want a drink! (I'm guessing it is probably cheaper as well.)
I'd be curious if it actually cures hangovers. Since I don't really drink, I don't know. Any of my drinking friends want to give it a whirl and report back on how it goes? I could see the benefits of drinking it after a workout. I've done that and I do feel quite refreshed. It is GREAT over ice on a really hot day.

As I post this I am cracking open a box and raising it to you. Cheers!

This American Life

I was catching up with This American Life on Showtime. I had only seen one episode, that came as an extra on some DVD I rented ages ago, but I really enjoyed it.
One of the episodes that Jon and I watched was about a man named Michael Phillips. He was born with a medical condition that has left him immobile and dependent on machines. His mind is sharp though. He is wicked smart! Right now, he communicates with his computer.
As we watched the show, and listened to his words (Delivered by Johnny Depp, no less!) I found myself really impressed with his love of life. I found him to be very inspiring. I also felt kind of ashamed of a lot of the things we all take for granted on a regular basis.
Don't get me wrong, I don't think he has set out to be some kind of inspiration, in fact, I get the impression that all he wants is to have a life of his own. To have the same sense of independence that we all take for granted. My impression is that he does the best he can to stay positive and to make the best of his situation.
He is the best kind of hero, the reluctant hero. The person who is a fountain of inspiration just by how they live, not because they set out to be one.
I found his blog after we watched the episode, and saw very little complaining . I probably bitch more on my blog than he does on his. He is a really good writer and I love how he expresses himself and the way he finds inspiration in so many things. He is full of insight and low on BS. We could all learn a thing or two from him. I highly recommend checking out his episode of This American Life and his blog. I've added him to my links as I'm looking forward to following his adventures for many years to come...





And being caught in between all you wish for and all you seen
And trying to find anything you can feel that you can believe in
-Joseph Arthur

Amazing Gracie

This weekend I spent a good chunk of time playing with Gracie.
Gracie is my beautiful quilted maple guitar. She is a Tacoma. I hate the fact she is named after such an ugly city, but they make a damn fine guitar.
She was a gift given to me by a dear friend. The only stipulation was that I had to promise I would play her a lot. She is quite possibly the most expensive thing I own. I would have never been able to afford her, so I feel very blessed that she made her way to me.
Jon says she is one of the best sounding acoustic guitars he's ever played. He used her all over his last record. I play living room concerts for my cats with her on a regular basis.
Whenever I'm feeling down, I can pick up that guitar and play a song and I immediately feel 20xs better.



(In the photo, Gracie is peering from around the corner while Rose is on my lap. Rose is my 1969 custom SG. Another dear friend had her customized for me. He owned a guitar shop and thought that I needed a pink SG. She doesn't get played as often as she should, but she sings when she does get played! Darian has been playing guitar for about a year now. I hope to give her Rose someday, if she chooses to stick with playing. She should! She picked it up really fast and is quite good already!)



I don't think I fit into his Indie world
Guided By Voices and Velocity Girl
Eric's Trip and Rocket Ship, Rancid and Rocket from The Crypt
Bikini Kill and Built to Spill, it's plain to see that I don't fit
He says my songs are too deep and gloomy
He wishes that I could be more like Jenny Toomey
Just give me my Joni my Nick Neil and Bob
You can keep your Tsunami, your Slant 6 and Smog
-Mary Lou Lord

Truth in advertising.

I've pointed out positive and negative advertising before on this blog. Maybe it is because I work in advertising that I notice these things like I do? Personally, I blame my college advertising 101 teacher who made us sit through commercials and write about them. Once you have been forced to deconstruct a few hundred Super Bowl ads, you will never watch television the same way again.
I've seen a commercial on television several times recently that I really like. I think it's a perfect example of how advertising can send a positive message.
I looked all over the 'Net but could not find a video for this ad. I did find a screen shot, so if you have seen it, you might recognize the photo. From what I can tell, this ad came out in 2003, but I've only seen it recently. It is from Canada, and it has won quite a few awards.
I love it's simplicity. As simple as it seems, it really packs a punch! The ad focuses on mental/controlling/verbal abuse in relationships, an issue that I've always had very strong feelings about. I've seen several lovely women get caught and sadly, lost in the quicksand of domestic abuse.
So many women assume that because they are not being physically abused, it isn't as bad, when in fact, it is in many ways worse.
Verbal abuse seems to last a lot longer and seems to be easier for otherwise intelligent women to make excuses for it. For those women it seems to take years for it to finally escalate to a point of physical violence and then they are forced to do something about it, but by that point the damage is permanent. They are mentally broken, any children they have are internally scarred, and a lot of their personal and familial relationships are long gone and destroyed because they wasted so many years making excuses for their abuses and finally people had to walk away because they could not take the pain of knowing them any longer. People who live in these situations are constantly surrounded by fall out. To try to be close to a person in this situation is nearly as difficult as being in the situation, because you can't speak reason to them and if you put your foot down and make tough choices to try to help them, they inevitably think you have somehow turned on them and they lash out on you with all of their pent up fury that should be directed at their abuser, but they don't feel safe directing it that direction. It is one of the worst kinds of tragedy.
For those of you who have not seen the commercial, it goes something like this. You enter a wedding in progress. For a minute you think you are watching a David's Bridal commercial, or some kind of jewelry commercial, anything along those lines. Then you get closer and you can hear what the bride is saying. She is looking at her husband to be and vowing to make excuses for him when he treats her badly, when he isolates her from her friends and family, when their children are hurt by their constant fighting, hide the bruises when he eventually starts to physically abuse her, etc.
I think it is so powerful because it is so simple and catches you off guard. I will post it on here if I ever find an online version of it. I think it is a perfect example of a strong campaign for something like this.
I like it better than the overly obvious campaigns with the bruises and black eyes, or the secretly crying children. Not that those things are not effective, but because I've seen women in the deep throws of denial in these situations and I firmly believe they would never think that their situation is that bad. In fact, I feel those kinds of images would have the opposite effect. Those women would think, "Well at least my situation is that bad." and use it as just another way to make excuses to themselves for the abusers they think they are in love with.

Noticing a theme...

I think it is evident that I have always been an "animal person".











Maybe I should have been a veterinarian after all?

My beautiful Auntie

I was showing a friend of mine my online photo album and he came across this photo and said, "Holy cow! She is beautiful! We know who you look like in your family!"
I told him that this photo is of my beautiful Aunt Mel. I've always thought she is very striking, so this was a major compliment. I know she reads my blog, so I thought she would get a kick out of hearing that someone thought we looked so much alike. (I am the baby hamming it up for the camera, BTW.)

Then I showed him this photo of my parents and he thought I looked a lot like my mom as well. They are sisters after all. It was kind of funny hearing someone refer to my mom as a "Smokin' retro babe" But hey, that's fine by me! He also said my Dad looks like Crispin Glover. People ALWAYS tell me that.
Loves to you Mom and Aunt Mel! Thanks for the great Genes!!

*Teehee*

Who's your daddy?

The show of the summer, quite possibly, the show of the year!


It's the time of the season
When the love runs high
In this time, give it to me easy
And let me try
With pleasured hands

To take you and the sun to
Promised lands
To show you every one
It's the time of the season for loving...