New Years Eve Dreams or Nightmares?

    New Years Eve the night where the whole world breaks out in celebration, and those that are alone feel it most. Much like being the few that have no dates for prom or homecoming, there is a sigma that if you are alone you are an outsider, and those that are not alone feel they have to do something, even if they don't want to.
     I am one of the lucky ones that have many invitations, and either has to choose one, or go to all not to hurt any one's feelings. Yes it's a time when friends get together and ring in the New Year. It's also a time for people to act a fool and partake in too much of the holidays spirits. By the end of the night rarely is it an epic evening.
   I have seen everything go wonderfully until after the clock strikes midnight. That is when the asshole comes out in at least a few. For me it's a crap shoot on the road to either be pulled over, or get hit by one of those assholes. So as the clock strikes the big twelve I say my good-byes, give out my yearly hugs and kisses and run for the door.
    The only wonderful New Years I remember was in the days of new love. When the New Year is rung in you get your first meaningful kiss. I remember those days fondly, and the many loves when you are young and every year is a new possibility, and understand those alone on this night. My heart goes out to them, but for me waking up the next day alive and not licking my wounds from a hang over is a successful night.
     Just remember every day is a new day full of possibilities, and true love can be around any corner.  Use this night to dream of the perfect relationship, and strive to have that, and not a fly by night evening that usually ends up in a nightmare. Somewhere out there someone else is alone dreaming of you.

Always treat the one you love with the utmost respect

     When one of my son's was just the tender age of twelve he had the misfortune to think he was in love. The girl, a game player and a simple minded creature, liked to play games with him. She would call out of the blue, telling him all the boys who had an interest in her, and how she should not be "tied down" to one boy. (Twelve, rolls eyes) These calls really hurt my son terribly, and it angered me because I thought I had given my son's the tools to avoid such silliness.
    After one of these calls I sat down with my son and explained the rules of "the game" this girl was playing. Her power was that he cared enough to think her words were true. He could have that power, and take away what ever hold she had on him if he answered correctly the next time she played this game.
     It wasn't but that very afternoon she called again with her hurtful words, and her girlfriends gathered around to listen to my son's anguish. My son followed my instructions to a "T". She said it was time she moved on as so many boys wanted to be with her. My son answered, you are right and I have girls waiting, I think we should break up right now, and he hung up.
    As some of you have guessed my phone blew up with her begging him not to break up with her, and lots of tears. Ahh, but as I predicted once he understood her game, she lost her charm. The spell was broken, and the power was now all in my son's hands, just as it should be. When you love someone you give them the utmost respect. Respect yourself, love yourself, and true love will find you.

The Stars So Bright, How small am I?

Tonight in the middle of the chaos, kids screaming, people laughing, TV blaring, I took myself outside on this Christmas Eve. It was brittle cold and crisp, and the sky was clear. I looked up and noticed the stars that were as bright as I have ever seen them.

I remembered years ago looking at those same stars, picking out the dippers and other constellations and the wishes I had made. I don't know which ones came true there were so many. But I do remember the girl that made those wishes when her life was still ahead of her.

I am not the girl I used to be on the outside, but in the inside she stirs still, and has dreams. The stars are still the same, and will be long after I am gone. Will they remember the girl with the big eyes, and wild dreams? The girl that believed that every day was full of magic and wonder? Will they have  a place for me when my time is done?

Today's lesson on Christmas

What I learned about Christmas today
                 I don't really like making cookies
                 Yes, there are people who wait for the stop sign to turn green
                 It kills brain cells and driving skills
                 After a month, Christmas music makes my ass twitch
                 Elf on a shelf gives me shivers clean down my back
                 I have six months and 11 days until my next vacation
                 My faith in humanity does not go up until it's over.
                 I am thinking about alcohol more than I should
                 
                
                

Demonology of Cells Phones

I am not a huge cell phone fan. When I received one for Christmas a few years back my mouth dropped open. Why would I want a Mommy homing device? I mean between sports, school, and all the other domestic Goddess duties, when I do something else I don't want to be found so easily. The scary part? That was exactly the point wasn't it?


As it turns out I was completely and utterly correct. Every once in a while I get to do something with my cousin, or sister, or a friend, and the demon in my purse is always freaking out. I'll be sitting there having a girl conversation, and it rings. Everyone can hear one of my boys loudly demanding to know where I am, when I'll be home, and what's for dinner.


This is where I'm lost. I wasn't always a stay at home Mom, I only quit working to take care of my Mother, giving me time to play PTA Mom. I was a logistic manager for twelve years! It's not generally a "woman's" job, so I'm no typical Mom anyway. I taught my boy's to be independent. They knew how to cook, clean and do their own darn laundry, so where does this come from? Heck even my husband knows when I'm with the girls to leave me alone unless I'm needed. (because I don't get to do it very often, and I will bite off the protruding parts of this body.)


It's embarrassing to say at the least. My friends are shocked that me of all people have boys like this! This is why I know cell phones are technological demons, invented to suck you of your identity, and steal your privacy. It's that damned demon in my purse that sidelined my direction!


Years later, I still hate them. Now it's the thing to not even talk to a person, but to text them in the most impersonal way. It's horrible! There are even people my age that text instead of talking, even when it's something delicate. In my opinion it's a killer of proper etiquette, and just plain bad manners.


Of course it doesn't help that I haven't even tried to master the art of texting, but I really hate it. If you don't have time to talk to me, wait until you do have the time because I refuse to have a lengthy conversation via texting so get over it.


I fully expect to get a more text friendly phone from my husband soon because of my refusal to text. Now this isn't his problem because he doesn't text at all. As a matter of fact he won't even upgrade his cheap thirty dollar phone. No one is complaining about him not getting with the program!!


One of my son's complained to me about this. Mom you know how to fix computers, build websites, type 80 WPM, but you won't learn the basics of a phone? Well hell no!


Does it ever occur to the said texter that maybe I don't have time to mess with a phone, that maybe I was busy? Guess not. Does it occur to anyone how disconnected we all look as we walk, and type, drive and talk? I poop you not, I was in my own kitchen with two of my boys and their friends, and all of them were texting not even having a conversation amongst themselves! Am I the only one that thinks this is very "Twilight zonish'?


I sat at the red light this morning. As people passed me, eight out of ten of these people had a cell phone glued to their ears! This is seriously whacked!! Go ahead and call me when I'm driving and leave a message, I won't answer. Hey I have a darn good reason, and one everyone should think about...If eight out of ten people are using their cell phones what are the odds of getting home in one piece. Why shorten the odds?


To make things fade even more into the world of science fiction, our culture is becoming more like Pod People every day. You can't tear yourself away from Facebook? Take the darned thing with you. I mean are you serious? I'm talking to someone at a table that is laughing about a post on Facebook they are reading on their phone!. Am I even here? Did you hear one freaking word I said? Yup, Pod People. I'm on the outside of some kind of messed up sub-culture looking in!


Yes when I go to my private place to read, or to watch a chick flick I do not have my phone with me. It doesn't follow me to the bathroom, or my bedroom, and I can not hear it when I have my music playing. When I'm away from the computer Facebook goes on without me. So burn me at the stake, flog me, I don't care. There are just some times, and places in a persons life they should be alone! The demon is in my purse, leave a message at the beep, and maybe I'll get back with you.

My Love of Myth

I have an entire bookcase dedicated to myth.I love fiction but I am addicted to books about myth from all over the world. It began of course with Roman and Greek myth, then I picked up Joseph Campbell's The Hero with a Thousand Faces. What struck about myths around the world was the similarities, even a good portion of it mirroring stories in the Bible. Fact or fiction is up to the person, but to me it made these stories more possible. Maybe not to the extreme of Thor and his weapon of lightening, but parts of it having some truth.

After I gobbled up all Campbell's books I had to have as many of Sir James George Frazer's books as I could get (I try for first editions, but that is a whole other story) Finding stories that were not similar became a challenge, but I found more than my share. Then I got lucky and moderated a metaphysical site and made a very nice friend across the pond, we talked about myth daily and he sent me several books, and I sent him my doubles of Frazer. He had books I could not get here and I was off to the races again. 

By now there was very little I was reading that was not redundant, so I played a game, mixing myths to make my own mythical creatures. I have a note book put aside just for these guys and the story they will tell. Then along came a TV show, oh save me from Ancient Aliens LOL, but I can not help myself. 

Okay before I hear how far fetched or silly it is, it's packed full of information! You can go with the alien thing or leave it, but the origins of their findings are in my books, they tell me things I did not find in my books.. (also backing up my belief you can never have enough books) They also link the different myths that are similar. My notebook grew. Because I love research, I would back up what they said on different web sites, taking notes like a crazy woman.

Never in my wildest dreams did I think these notes, and my own creations would come in handy until I began to write again. I know many love vampires, and so do I, but I am sorry that subject is about done to death. If you want to make a story but don't know where to begin, start with the origins of myth, it will never let you down.

Our Changing Times

 Guessing by the direction Television is taking these days, I am not the majority anymore. We have TV's all over the house, as I live in a house full of males. It's sports or reality TV. I can get glued for my football team, but the rest is just noise.  At least I can say the reality TV we have on here isn't on the brain dead direction. It's Deadly Catch, Myth Busters, shows of that nature. For me there is little to entertain.
I remember when AMC or the "All Man Channel" as I call it, changed it's format. First with repeating  B movies all week of, then to commercials. Now it's either blood and guts, or trying to act like HBO with their original series. I don't know why they call it American Movie Classics at all. I see no classic, or class in slasher movies, or how many people Rambo can kill in one movie. But alas this is the direction most are going.
Now we have "reality TV" So we can all sit around and watch how we as a people have become dysfunctional, and how "normal" it is. Being in a locker room myself with three boys I'm hardly June Clever but it's distressing all the same. Today with the right surgery you can marry a millionaire, or try your hand at switching wives, or date a rapper!  These people thrown into the spot light don't become movie stars, but headline on Nancy Grace. At some point someone is going to say, "this is not such a good idea".
  Ever since my boys were little I had them watch old movies with me, They at least have some idea of what the art of making movies is. Also they had Nick at Night, a show I am happy is around. To this day when the right movie is on they will sit and watch it with me. I can proudly say they pick the new movies well, and can sit though movies like Elizabeth with real interest. To me this is why TMC is so important. It's the only place that is preserving the real classics. They are not just a bit of history, they are imagination, romance, and humor that will translate well no matter how many years pass. What ever it takes we need to make sure TCM stays just the way it is. We owe it those that come after us. Light, shadow, direction, and art, these things we want to keep no matter how much things around us fall apart.

It's a Guy Thang

Whenever I bring up Bogart, the men always say The Treasure of the Sierra Madre! There is no doubt it was one of Huston, and Bogart's best. But the end! It's such a guy thang!  I remember when I was little, dad called movies like these "Russian Movies" I don't know where the phrase came from, but I always knew what dad meant. It's where you go all the way through a movie just to watch everyone die! With us "chicks" we like to see Boggie as the hero, and love interest of a beautiful woman, and they live happily ever after. (For all you ladies I use the word "chick" because  "chick flick", is the phrase used here in my on going battle of the sexes.) I'll watch these guy movies sometimes, but they are not on my favorite list. These differences make me wonder how we ever manage to watch the same movie together!
I love the movie "You've Got Mail" (As we know a re-make of The shop Around the Corner) What I love, and reminds me of a guy thang is, when all the men know what "Go to the mattresses" means in this movie. Or in Sleepless in Seattle, where the men just don't get "An Affair to Remember". That scene explains it all in the difference between men, and women and what they watch. Being in a house full of men, there is hardly ever an evening when we all sit down and watch something together. So it's a guy thang, or GAWD mom another chick flick?
When I was little I found out the hard way about chick flicks, and guy movies. Oh the men just loved to see John Wayne fight, and die. Whatever! I was totally in love with him, and it broke my heart! To this day I will not watch John Wayne die, and as many of you know many of these were John at his best. Sorry but I will stick with McClintock, or the Angel and the Badman. I see nothing romantic is croaking for a cause, as men seem to do. Is there a middle ground in this battle of sexes? Sometimes I wonder when my family will watch over, and over again movies like "Point Break", and "Scarface".
Then I look back at some we all still love. The Lethal Weapon movies. Why is this? Well for me, it's Mel Gibson of course, but it's also the humor, and of course there some romance. Even before Mel finds true love, we all wish we were that woman (snorts) Indiana Jones movies. once again we have the humor that breaks up the violence, and no doubt a good story. Heck I even like Arnold Schwarzenegger movies if the humor is right. Forget Conan, but most of the rest had the humor to make us forget the blood! Of course Conan is another favorite here, along with that Rambo (rolls eyes) There are movies that transcend the divide. Movies like "The Third Man, Citizen Kane, The Green Berets (I know one hero dies, and I cry),The Manchurian Candidate, (the original) A well made movie with a good plot. Movies that we all enjoy is a good comedy. The one thing we all agree on, something that make us laugh for an hour or so, is something we all love.
Oh I guess there are women out there that love blood and guts, but I'm betting the percentage isn't that high. When I was younger, and I thought I was never going to die, and didn't have children, I could handle some blood and guts, and just rolled in Stephen Kings more gory stories. As I get older I find I do not re-visit these stories.  I even liked the first Halloween, the start of the big slasher flicks to follow. Hey, nothing scared me more then when that body fell out of the closet, but watching people being hacked up isn't scary, it's down right gross. The first Exorcist, yuck, (even though I liked the book) the third, done very well. After having kids, death takes on a different view for us chicks. We don't see John Wayne fighting for his country, we see our children. Times have changed as well. Many movies don't try to please us all. Back in the day men would watch "Gone with the Wind" haha Well those days are over. I think my boys watched it once, and my husband younger then me, refuses. Too much romance. Back then there was just enough War, and history to make the guys happy. Hey but give them The Patriot, yum, cutting off heads.
Another things that separates as chicks from the men. I can't stand watching a movie where the woman is weak, and brain dead. I know some men like to think of us as the "weaker" sex, but I think most of us like to think of ourselves as strong where it matters. When I see a movie the boys are watching, and the woman is a stupid sponge, that falls down just in time to get killed, it erks me. Some of the older classics that still don't do well are movies like this. Sometimes us "chicks' like to see a woman like Joan Crawford playing Saddie Thompson, in "Rain", showing we are smarter then the average bear.
I'm sure there are men out there that will watch a totally romantic movie. My kids will even watch some great classics, or new movies with history. But they watch it on HBO, very rarely they run to pay for it. I was shocked when my son begged me to watch Apocalypto, where you had to read sub-titles, I can't get him to read a book! He paid to see it twice!  But hey the blood was great! (giggles) I certainly don't want to stereotype, I'm talking the percentage here. As a matter of fact I'm in the small percentage of women, that avoids at all costs crying at a movie. I hate to cry.
So when you guys want to watch a movie that your wife, or girlfriend will enjoy too...Keep these things in mind. Us "chicks" are nesters for the most part. When we see blood and guts, we take it to heart, and think about our loved ones. A hero should live, a woman wins her man, and even in the worst of times we can find humor. We also like to sympathize with the characters, so we understand a tragic ending, and why it was necessary.  Okay I don't think any of us expect you to sit through Pride and Prejudice, or An Affair to Remember, but don't expect us to get Rambo, it's such a guy thang!