There are times in my life when I feel so overwhelmed with whatever happens to overwhelm me at the moment, that I frantically start searching for ways to express my frustration Healthy ways. Mostly.
I have yet to come across a piece of literature, with which I have found immediate connection; that upon reading it I felt that awesome revelation that "yeah, finally, I have found someone who gets it, who feels exactly like I do only with significantly superior writing skills!" Maybe I did as a teen and forgot, but I think experience that groundbreaking would be something to remember. Music, on the other hand, is totally different. I find that it speaks directly to the soul, especially the hurting soul.
Normally, my tastes in music are pretty old fashioned: classic rock and classical music. Wailing damsels in distress are not my cup of tea (Yes, I am speaking to you, Norah Jones. (And a side note within a side note - I am totally taking the page out of the Bloggess' book and attempting a blog war with a celebrity. Yes, Norah Jones, I am still talking to you. And I am also breaking all the rules by putting parenthesis within parenthesis, for which I will get an eternity of grammar lessons with a Jesuit professor in my afterlife. Wolverines!!!)
BACK FROM THE SIDE NOTE: Neither am I fond of screaming till they are hoarse male performers. Yet in the times of my own distress I found myself drawn to Janis Joplin, Amy Winehouse, Meatloaf and some other, rather uncharacteristic musical choices for me. Listening to THE SONG that for some inexplicable reason speaks to me NOW, I feel as if I am becoming one with the song, and somehow this feeling makes things better, if only for a few hours.
Today was one of those days - not terrible, but frustrating - when I found myself frantically searching YouTube for the perfect expression of my mood. (I am sure that this disorder will soon by identified by AMA, and I humbly request that it is named after me.) I failed to found one. My beloved Queen's "I want to break free" and "Going Slightly Mad" seemed to lack frustration. Meatloaf was not loud enough. P.O.D. just too full of life. "Comfortably Numb" made me want to get drunk, and so full of promise "Dazed and Confused" still didn't do the trick. Have I reached the time of my life when rock just doesn't do it?
On the bright side, I haven't listen to so much music in a long, long time. And discovered in the process that I am not so desperate that I would give Norah Jones a try.
Monday, September 5, 2011
Sunday, September 4, 2011
You might never look at my gefilte fish the same.
With great sorrow I must inform you of the passing of our beloved Goldie Sub. She was a good goldfish. We took good care of her, but she lasted only a day longer than last year's goldfish. She passed away three days before the kids noticed that she was gone. Yes, she was that precious. DD burst into tears upon discovering of Goldie's untimely demise, to be quickly joined by her brother, who I, quite honestly, thought was doing it just to keep his sister company. Later on, over HoneyNut Cheerios, those two had the following conversation:
DD: But we took such good care of Goldie. Why would she die?
DS: Yeah, why would she die?
DD: How could she do this to us?
DS: I know!
DD: I had to work so hard and win so many games to get her!
The kids have progressed to the anger stage. Though I still think that DS is angry just to keep DD company. But overall I think they'll be fine.
I, on the other hand, am wondering: who are these cruel people distributing goldfish - without any care instructions - to preschoolers, knowing perfectly well that 95% of those fish will die within a week. I am afraid that my anger stage might last much longer than my kids'. Seriously, camp folks, can't you just stuff those kids with painted sugar instead? Or at least send along some goldfish recipe?
DD: But we took such good care of Goldie. Why would she die?
DS: Yeah, why would she die?
DD: How could she do this to us?
DS: I know!
DD: I had to work so hard and win so many games to get her!
The kids have progressed to the anger stage. Though I still think that DS is angry just to keep DD company. But overall I think they'll be fine.
I, on the other hand, am wondering: who are these cruel people distributing goldfish - without any care instructions - to preschoolers, knowing perfectly well that 95% of those fish will die within a week. I am afraid that my anger stage might last much longer than my kids'. Seriously, camp folks, can't you just stuff those kids with painted sugar instead? Or at least send along some goldfish recipe?
Sunday, June 26, 2011
Where I manage to spoil more than one movie ending
Spoiler Alert! As the title suggests, I will spoil the ending to Gosford Park. Also, as one might deduce from the title of the post, there will be other spoilers. If you are a fan of criminal investigation series, you should consider yourself warned.
On a friendly suggestion, I embarked upon watching Gosford Park. All in all, not bad. The problem? Absolutely predictable ending. Not because of the overused plot line, bad acting or any movie-making fault. Simply because of the casting. One MUST know that if Helen Mirren (or any other actress of her caliber) is cast in the seemingly secondary role, there will be a big revelation about her character, which would explain why Helen Mirren would agree to play it. The longer the movie goes, the more shocking the revelation. In the case of a mystery movie, the longer this "something" is not revealed, the more likely Helen Mirren's character is the murderer.
The same goes for criminal investigation series. The more famous the guest star is, unless he is quickly killed off, the more likely he is involved in the murder. For example, the minute I saw Sheryl Lee in Lie to Me, I knew she would be the evil wife of a nice and honest politician. Otherwise, they would cast a complete unknown.
Which kind of sucks. Because these actors end up being the victims of their own fame. Too bad. Because their acting would never give the ending away.
On a friendly suggestion, I embarked upon watching Gosford Park. All in all, not bad. The problem? Absolutely predictable ending. Not because of the overused plot line, bad acting or any movie-making fault. Simply because of the casting. One MUST know that if Helen Mirren (or any other actress of her caliber) is cast in the seemingly secondary role, there will be a big revelation about her character, which would explain why Helen Mirren would agree to play it. The longer the movie goes, the more shocking the revelation. In the case of a mystery movie, the longer this "something" is not revealed, the more likely Helen Mirren's character is the murderer.
The same goes for criminal investigation series. The more famous the guest star is, unless he is quickly killed off, the more likely he is involved in the murder. For example, the minute I saw Sheryl Lee in Lie to Me, I knew she would be the evil wife of a nice and honest politician. Otherwise, they would cast a complete unknown.
Which kind of sucks. Because these actors end up being the victims of their own fame. Too bad. Because their acting would never give the ending away.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Go to sleep, sweet little baby, go to sleep....
Yes, yes, I do remember posting something about posting more often. Right around that same time my youngest decided that sleeping is for suckers and now refuses to do it. Seriously, it seems that this child is never going to sleep normally again.
She has been going to sleep relatively easy for months. There were weekly or sometimes twice-weekly occurences of not falling asleep until 10.30-11. (I normally do not let them cry it out and would take the kid out of the crib after about 5-10 minutes of crying.) There were also episodes of her waking up in the middle of the night - fully alert - and not going back to sleep until 2-3 hours later, which usually meant climbing all over me and demanding attention.
But I believe - and don't quote me on that since after having three kids my memory is gone - it hasn't ever been as bad as it is now, with any of my kids. Take today, she had gone to bed at 3 a.m. And only because hubby went to bed at around 2 and that's when she finally broke down and settled for the (keeping my fingers crossed) night. I had attempted to put her to bed three or four times prior; all of these attempts ending in her very loud screaming.
We have tried various things. We tried to let her cry it out, which I personally hate. After several hour and a half screaming sessions, with screaming getting progressively louder and louder every ten minutes, we had to take pity on our neighbors, our nerves and our child and end the sessions. Seemed like all that screaming didn't make her tired even one bit. Eliminating daytime napping did nothing. Once, after sleeping for only 6.5 hours the night before and no daytime nap, this child still wouldn't go to bed at night until 12.
It is now at a point where she would only go to bed if at least one of us is in bed, preferably both, and even that is no guarantee of success as I usually conk out before my head hits the pillows and she climbs out soon after. If we do manage to put her to sleep before us, she wakes up in the middle of the night and climbs all over me, saying "Mommy, mommy," which could mean anything from being thirsty to requesting my hand over her body to being bored. Yes, sweetie, I am aware that entertainment options for toddlers at 4 a.m. on a weeknight are very limited.
Needless to say, the nighttime sleeping battles leave little time for blogging or simply unwinding. It could all be a mental handicap, but I simply cannot do chores effectively or relax at night with the little one still on the loose. So I end up begging her to go to sleep.
So what was the point of this post? Getting this off my chest? Posting something? Getting HELP?!!
She has been going to sleep relatively easy for months. There were weekly or sometimes twice-weekly occurences of not falling asleep until 10.30-11. (I normally do not let them cry it out and would take the kid out of the crib after about 5-10 minutes of crying.) There were also episodes of her waking up in the middle of the night - fully alert - and not going back to sleep until 2-3 hours later, which usually meant climbing all over me and demanding attention.
But I believe - and don't quote me on that since after having three kids my memory is gone - it hasn't ever been as bad as it is now, with any of my kids. Take today, she had gone to bed at 3 a.m. And only because hubby went to bed at around 2 and that's when she finally broke down and settled for the (keeping my fingers crossed) night. I had attempted to put her to bed three or four times prior; all of these attempts ending in her very loud screaming.
We have tried various things. We tried to let her cry it out, which I personally hate. After several hour and a half screaming sessions, with screaming getting progressively louder and louder every ten minutes, we had to take pity on our neighbors, our nerves and our child and end the sessions. Seemed like all that screaming didn't make her tired even one bit. Eliminating daytime napping did nothing. Once, after sleeping for only 6.5 hours the night before and no daytime nap, this child still wouldn't go to bed at night until 12.
It is now at a point where she would only go to bed if at least one of us is in bed, preferably both, and even that is no guarantee of success as I usually conk out before my head hits the pillows and she climbs out soon after. If we do manage to put her to sleep before us, she wakes up in the middle of the night and climbs all over me, saying "Mommy, mommy," which could mean anything from being thirsty to requesting my hand over her body to being bored. Yes, sweetie, I am aware that entertainment options for toddlers at 4 a.m. on a weeknight are very limited.
Needless to say, the nighttime sleeping battles leave little time for blogging or simply unwinding. It could all be a mental handicap, but I simply cannot do chores effectively or relax at night with the little one still on the loose. So I end up begging her to go to sleep.
So what was the point of this post? Getting this off my chest? Posting something? Getting HELP?!!
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