Archive for November, 2007

The End

by athena714 Friday, 30 November, 2007

Here we are on the last day of NaBloPoMo. What did I learn? I learned that making myself post for thirty days straight makes me really really boring. I have to say I got less and less interesting as the month progressed. So from now on I think I will only post when I’ve got something I really want to share, a thought I really need to process, a picture I just really want you to see. There were some people who did this beautifully all month long, and to them I take off my hat, as well as thank them from the bottom of my heart for sharing themselves with all of us.

I am so glad I participated this year, because I found some new daily reads that I really enjoy, and made a new internet friend or two, which is awesome.

Congrats to all of you who made it through the whole month and also to those of you who may not have posted everyday but gave it your best. Thank you for opening your world to me for thirty days, sharing your laughter, tears and words of support.

Let’s do it again next year!

in Bloggy Stuff. 5 Comments

7 Random Things

by athena714 Thursday, 29 November, 2007

I got tagged for a meme by secretleaves that requires me to post seven random things about myself, so heregoes.

1. I have six tattoos.

2. I hate bananas, but like banana flavored things.

3. Owls are my favorite bird.

4. When I was a little girl, all my dolls were named Judy.

5. When I was in high school, I spend an inordinate amount of time with my friends in the creek behind the school catching frogs. We would catch them at lunchtime, then put them in plastic water bottles for the rest of the school day and take them home. My favorite frog was named Pudge. He was named Pudge because he was fat. I kept him for a few weeks and then I took him back to the creek and let him go.

6. I still have my baby blanket. Every so often I’ll take it out of my hope chest and nuzzle my favorite part of it.

7. My favorite song to sing for karaoke is “I Love Rock N’ Roll” by Joan Jett.

(Since I am the last person on earth (it seems) to do this meme, I’m not going to tag anybody else.)

in Bloggy Stuff. 2 Comments

Bah Humbug

by athena714 Wednesday, 28 November, 2007

I was telling my husband the other night that I am having trouble getting into the Christmas spirit this year. We’re not going anywhere to visit family this time around, we’re staying home just the two of us, so it will be very low key. We’re having our annual Christmas party in a couple weeks, which will be fun, as always. The lovely Stacie will be catering (her goodies were a huge hit at my birthday party). My folks will be coming to town that same weekend to visit, so there are things to look forward to, but I’m feeling kind of Grinch-y. I’m not really excited about getting our tree, not excited to put Christmas lights up.

It’s not because I’m feeling depressed at all, I’m not. I’m feeling pretty good. Except I’m feeling guilty for not feeling more Christmas-y.

I think one of the huge factors is the fact that it seems like Christmas has come really early this year. Stores started advertising for Christmas before HALLOWEEN. Decorations started going up around town in late October. ABC played A Charlie Brown Christmas last night. On November 27. It’s. Not. Even. December. Yet. Maybe I’m just not feeling Christmas-y yet because it’s still freaking November. Quit trying to shove Christmas down my throat so early, people!

Time just seems to be going so fast. I can’t believe it’s almost Christmas. Can’t believe another year has gone by. This is usually my favorite time of year and I want it to last, but before I know it, it will be gone, and I’m afraid I won’t have enjoyed it as much as I should have.

It also doesn’t help that it’s been like 75 degrees and sunny most every day here in L.A. Not the most festive winter weather. What I wouldn’t give for some rain and temps in the 50s. Sigh.

in Day to Day. 5 Comments

Pay It Forward

by athena714 Tuesday, 27 November, 2007

For her birthday, the lovely Darlene (all the way up there in the Great White North) decided that she would like to “pay it forward” and give the first three commenters on her site a little gift. Luckily, I was one of them, so I have a surprise zipping its way to me right now. Fun!

The one “condition” of this is that I also have to “pay it forward”, so I am doing the same. The first three commenters on this post who agree to play along on their own blogs will get a gift of their very own from me.

Ready, set. go!

in Bloggy Stuff. 2 Comments

A Jenny Flip Book

by athena714 Monday, 26 November, 2007

Jennyrun1
Jennyrun2
Jennyrun3
Jennyrun4
Jennyrun5
Jennyrun6

in Critters and Photography. 1 Comment

Disturbing

by athena714 Sunday, 25 November, 2007

I had a dream last night in which I was able to tell George Bush and Dick Cheney exactly what I think of them to their faces. To my surprise, they actually felt really bad and tried to make it up to me by bringing me flowers.

in Who Knows. 3 Comments

Date Night

by athena714 Saturday, 24 November, 2007

My wonderful hubby and I went out on a date tonight. We started out at the movies, went to see No Country For Old Men. Great flick. Bleak as fuck, but wonderfully acted and beautifully shot.

We went to dinner out in Pasadena, then took a drive up the Angeles Crest Highway. It is so beautiful up there. There was a full moon tonight, so you could see just about everything even though it was dark. And so so quiet. We stopped at the top, with the convertible top down, and turned off the engine and just sat for a few minutes. It’s amazing that just thirty minutes outside Los Angeles, up the mountain, you can reach a place where you can’t hear another soul, just the wind in the trees.

And! We saw a fox. He was very cute. He had big ears. I wanted to take him home with us, but I don’t think he really wanted to.

in My Love. 3 Comments

Oof

by athena714 Friday, 23 November, 2007

I think I’m still full from dinner last night. Today was nothing but lazing around on the couch with my husband. Perfect.

in Day to Day. 1 Comment

Happy Thanksgiving!

by athena714 Thursday, 22 November, 2007

I am grateful for so many things this year. This year was particularly difficult for so many reasons, but I have an amazing (not to mention handsome, sexy, brilliant…I could keep going) husband who stood by my side through all of it. I also have wonderfully supportive parents and friends, so above all else I am thankful for having that love in my life.

But here are a few other things I am thankful for that aren’t so - for lack of a better word - obvious:

I am thankful for the gift that was Maggie. I am thankful that I got to spend almost five years with her as part of our family. I learned so much from her, her love of life, the joyfulness with which she approached everything. Her loyalty and unconditional love and affection, her tenacity.

I am thankful for the gift that is my job, or more specifically, the gift that is the amazing women I work with. I’ve worked there during the most difficult time of my life thus far, and they have taught me how to be strong and compassionate through adversity. I would not be the woman I am today without the four of them in my life.

Finally, I am thankful for the gift that is my blog, because it has given me an outlet for my feelings surrounding everything that has happened this year that I would not have had otherwise, given me a space to process my thoughts, and it has led some amazing people my way who have renewed my faith in humanity with their willingness to reach out to a perfect stranger. I am thankful for all of you who are my “internet friends”, who I have never met but who share a little bit of yourselves on your own blogs, that make me feel not quite so alone in this big, scary, messy, wonderful world of ours.

Happy Thanksgiving, all of you. I hope today finds you warm, safe, and loved.

in Bloggy Stuff, Critters, Deep Thoughts, Family and Friends. 4 Comments

Jellyfish Attack!

by athena714 Wednesday, 21 November, 2007

A swarm (herd? flock? clutter?) of billions of jellyfish attacked a salmon farm in Northern Ireland last week, wiping out the entire population of over 100,000 fish. The pack of “mauve stinger” jellyfish was 10 SQUARE MILES LONG and 35 FEET DEEP. That’s a lot of fucking jellyfhish.

This particular species of jellyfish is native to the Mediterranean. Hmmm, I wonder what they were doing in the NORTH ATLANTIC??

Global warming, much?

in Current Affairs.  Comment?