Thoughts # 2 - Randomness

Painting by Lykke Steenback Josephsen, Denmark, "No title"

Goodness gracious.  I'm terrible at keeping up with this blog.  So inconsistent.  Random.

Hmmmmm...."random" makes me think of the only blogger that I actually read on a consistent basis.  She has a regular feature called the "random quarter".  I don't know her method.  Does she have an outline?  Does she make random notes, then compile them?  Or, does she sit down and randomly write whatever pops up in her head?  I don't know, but I know I enjoy them.  So....here's my own installment of the "random quarter" (idea stolen from here)....

one. I voted for the People's Choice Awards a week or two ago.  I've never done it, but it popped up on my facebook feed, so I took a look.  It was a joke.  I voted, but it was still a joke.  I had to remind myself it was a popularity contest and not really an award that held any true merit.  I can't even remember who or what I voted for except I voted for P!nk for something.  I like P!nk.

two.  I gave up on True Blood.  I've been watching every season.  This year, I hadn't found the time.  I only bothered to watch the first three episodes, and they didn't suck me in (pun intended).  The other episodes were filling up my recorded allotment, so I erased them.  Pam is still my favorite True Blood character though.  She has fabulous hair, a fabulous wardrobe, and fabulously bitchy remarks.

three. There is a radio ad campaign for Nichol's auto parts or Nichol's air conditioning...I don't even remember. What I do know is they use one of those really annoying, overly exuberant spokesperson, and this one happens to speak in an exaggerated Southern (American) drawl.  Why?  In Australia?  Because there is a US coin called a nickel?  It's dumb.

 four.  I adore the Big Bang Theory.  I think the characters are so well written, and the cast is superb.  Modern Family too.  These are two sitcoms that deserve the praise and viewership that they have.  I think they are the only two current sitcoms that I watch. 


 five. I don't think the general customer realizes how tough the world of retail can be for those of us who work in it and truly attempt to provide quality customer service.  There are some days that are great; customers are nice, the stories they tell are fun, and I sell some things.  Other days are not so great; people are rude, expect the impossible, and spend a lot of time asking a lot of questions with no real intention to buy anything.  I prefer the nice customers.

six. I have gained a lot of weight in recent years and my self-confidence has suffered.  Not that I was ever overly self-confident, but I was comfortable with my looks.  Now, I am terribly self-critical about myself.

 seven. I had a Steigl last night...an Austrian beer...it was good...it reminded me of the first time I traveled to Europe and drank in the beer gardens of Innsbruck and Munich.

eight. As far as full blood siblings, I have a brother.  I never really wanted a sister.  As I've gotten older, I respect the relationship that my mom has with her two sisters and the relationship my dad's three sisters have.  Fortunately, I have some really great cousins who are like my little sisters.

 nine. In 1988, I was quoted in the ORHS yearbook saying that I respect my brother.  I did then, and I do even more now. 

ten. Today is Melbourne Cup day in Australia.  "The race that stops the nation", or something like that.  I've happily enjoyed many Aussie traditions, but this isn't one of them.  It's a horse race.  It lasts 3 minutes.  I didn't care about the Kentucky Derby, and I'm not ever gonna care much about the Melbourne Cup.  To each their own. 

eleven. "i don't understand why people have to fake kindness. it's not kind when it's phony."  (this is Jenn's, but I couldn't bring myself to erase it because I couldn't agree more)

twelve.  Songs that are played in public places like restaurants or stores try to generally be harmless and unoffensive.  The last two songs to play in our store were Neil Diamond's "Cherry, Cherry" and Phil Collins' "Against All Odds".  I'm sure I've harmed myself by dancing to the first one, and I'm sure I'm offended someone by singing the latter.

thirteen. These are the highest-grossing films of the year to date. Of the first hundred listed, I have seen only five of them.  Terrible.  I need to get out more.  I did see several listed that I'm interested in seeing.....
Let's look at last year's list.  I've seen 18 of them.  That's better!  I've got three more recorded to see which is my usual movie viewing habit these days.  I know it got a lot of hype, but I quite enjoyed Silver Linings Playbook.  I saw it on an airplane, so I want to see it again in my own viewing space. 

fourteen. Places in America that I want to visit that I've never been to before: New York City, The Grand Canyon, San Francisco, Lake Tahoe, and the only cruise I'm interested in -> an Alaskan Cruise.

fifteen. International destinations on my wish list that I've never been to before: island hopping in Greece; Tokyo, Japan; the border region of Switzerland and Italy: Banff, Canada; Edinburgh, Scotland; the Maldives; Dubai; Buenos Aires, Argentina; Croatia; Norway; Mallorca, Spain; Prague, Czech Republic; Queenstown, New Zealand........oh, I want to go everywhere!

sixteen. Seven things I'd buy (for myself): a) a trip to Texas for Neil, his kids, and me; b) home furnishings - we're moving from a one bedroom, tiny urban apartment to a 5 bedroom house, and if money was no issue, I'd have a dandy ol' time furnishing it ; c) a new convertible VW Beetle; d) an American muscle car from the '60s - a Corvette Stingray or a Mustang would do; e) a 10 day relaxation getaway for Neil and I that included spa packages, massages, a super comfortable bed, and a pretty view; f) shoes - I always want shoes; g) a year's supply of diet pills - I know that's a terribly unhealthy response, but it's the truth.

seventeen. I'm stranded on a desert island and can bring one person, one book and one food item (that never goes bad and is in constant supply) or plant. They are: Neil; The Book Thief by Markus Zusak; potatoes.

eighteen. If I didn't have to work, I would volunteer with underprivileged or less fortunate or sick or abused kids.  I know it sounds altruistic, but it's true.  Although, I'd only do it part-time.  The rest of my time would be spent shopping, traveling, and eating.


nineteen. Source of inspiration: the fact that there are other people in this world whose struggles are far more difficult than my own.

twenty. I want a drink in my hand and my toes in the sand.

twenty-one. I've truly never put much thought into having superpowers, but I wish for better hair, prettier nails, and a lack of an appetite all the time.  Can I turn those into superpowers?

twenty-two. If I had amnesty for a twenty-four hour period and could break any law, I'd burn down the Westboro Baptist Church site, kidnap them all, and take them to a deserted island (not the one where I'd be living from seventeen). 

twenty-three. If I could have a candid conversation with anyone dead or alive - wow - this one's got me.  I've come up with several candidates, and I might be over-thinking this.  I'm totally going to cheat and pick three people.  I'd want to tell my grandfather Buddy, my grandmother Rosemary, and my Memaw Virginia how important each one of them were to me and soak up some of their stories they had to share. 

twenty-four. Five favorite desserts: Blue Bell ice cream; red velvet cheesecake from The Cheesecake Factory, bananas foster, Neiman Marcus cake, a cookie cake from the Great American Cookie Co.

twenty-five. I don't like Abba.