Not Quite Piano Man

Of course, after what has happened today, my prayers are with all the people who were in Boston. It's been an emotionally difficult day once that happened. However, with trying to keep it a bit happier, Briana and I decided to "rewrite" "Piano Man" with misheard lyrics. We replaced the real lyrics with misheard ones and this is the song we now have: It's five o'clock on a Saturday Irregular crowd shuffles in There's an old man sitting next to me Makin' love to his erotic Aunt Jen. He says, "Son, can you play me a melody I'm not really sure how it goes But it's sad and it's sweet and I knew it complete When I wore a young woman's clothes." La la la, did dee da-a La la, did dee da-a da dum Sing us a song, of the Yellow Man Sing us a song tonight Well, we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got us feelin' alright Now John at the bar is a friend of mine He gets me my drinks for free And he's quick with a joke or to light up your smoke But there's someplace that he'd rather be He says, "Bill, I believe this is killing me." As the smile ran away from his face "Well I'm sure that I could be a movie star If I could get out of this place" La la la, did dee da-a La la, did dee da-a da dum And the waitress is practicing politics As the businessmen slowly explode Yes, they're sharing a drink they call loneliness But it's better than being alone Sing us a song from the Meadow Lands Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you got a spirit, that's right. Now Paul is a realistic novelist Who never had time for a wife And he's talkin' with Davy, who's still in the Navy And probably will be polite It's a pretty good crowd for a Saturday And the manager gives me a smile 'Cause he knows that it's me they've been comin' to see To forget about life for a while And the piano, it sounds like a carnivore And the night owl sounds like a beer And they play the guitar and put bread in my jar And say, "Man, what a hue to one ear!" La la la, did dee da-a La la, did dee da-a da dum Sing us a song you're a Chinese man Sing us a song tonight Well we're all in the mood for a melody And you've got a spinet, all right.

Rankin/Bass Plotholes

I watched P. Cottontail tonight. It is one of the Rankin/Bass holiday specials (like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer). While it is cute, there is definitely a huge plot hole in the show (despite all the other odd things that aren't explained – which really don't matter).

Anyway, the Colonel who is the Chief Easter Bunny is going to be retiring and he picks Peter Cottontail to be the next Chief Easter Bunny. A rabbit named Irontail (because a kid once ran over his tail and now he wears a fake tail that is made of iron [one of the many odd things that don't really matter for the show]) brings the April Valley (it's where the rabbits live) constitution where it says that the next Chief Easter Bunny is the one that delivers the most eggs.

Since Peter Cottontail isn't responsible, he holds a party and he doesn't go to bed on time. He had set his alarm clock, but Ironside sabotages it (there's a chicken on it and he gives the chicken magic corn flavored bubble gum that keeps it from making any noise).

Peter sleeps all day. Irontail is only able to give away one egg as almost nobody wanted an egg from him. However, Irontail wins because Peter didn't deliver any eggs due to sleeping all day.

So, Peter finds Sassafrass (who I guess plants all of April Valley) and he has this vehicle that is basically a time machine and it goes to the different holidays. Peter travels with a caterpillar named Antoine. Somehow Irontail sabotaged the time machine.

It skips over Easter and it first lands on Mother's Day. Nobody wants eggs on Mother's Day.

It then goes to the Fourth of July. Peter repaints the eggs. He lies to two boys and tells them that they are egg shaped grenades. The boys take the entire basket. They bring the basket back complaining that the eggs aren't grenades. However, they couldn't have known this without throwing one down on the hard ground. Thus, Peter had to give away one egg. This would make Peter and Irontail tied.

The next holiday is Halloween. Irontail tries to send a witch to scare Peter, but he isn't scared. Instead, he gives her an egg. That means that Peter has no successfully given away two eggs. He should win. However, the special keeps going. It goes through Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, Valentine's Day, and St. Patrick's Day.

Of course, there was a way Peter gave away the eggs. It goes back to Easter. Still, there was no reasons that he had to give away the entire basket of eggs. The show easily could've ended after Halloween because Peter should've won by then.

Bad Dreams, Bad Thoughts, and Good Reminders

Last night, I had this dream that my mom was standing behind me as I slept in bed.  She was insisting that she was still "here."  I was praying that I wouldn't have more dreams like that, but that's another one of them.

I miss my real Mama.  It's sad because Nancy (the pastor's wife from St. Michael's) knew her when we first started coming to St. Michael's.  She was nothing like what she was in the few months before she passed.  What Nancy didn't know is that she still wasn't healthy then.  She hadn't started aspirating her food and water when we first started coming.  I don't know when that started.  However, she was doing it lots because she would be in the car and I'd tell her that it's not normal to have water drip from your nose after drinking water.  However, my Mama wouldn't go do the doctor for that.

Al-Anon helps me to remember that I did not have any control over my Mama or over the doctors.  The doctors should've listened to me, but they didn't.  I couldn't control that.  I definitely couldn't control what my Mama chose to do, even though much of it was not good for her.

For some reason, while sitting in the Sowela library while waiting for a fiction reading (and being Briana's extra credit - yes, seriously, I was her extra credit for her "bringing" me), I suddenly had the feeling of how strange it is to come home and not have my Mama in the house, even though I've come through the house doors many times since she has passed.

We got some frozen yogurt from Sweet Frog today because they have a special that if you wear green (yesterday, today, tomorrow), you can fill up a 12oz cup with as much as you'd like and only pay $4 for it.  While I was eating my frozen yogurt with all kinds of chocolate candy and magic shell on it (I didn't need it, but it was fun to do), I happened to look over at the register when some people were buying their yogurt.  It was some numbers that have seemed quite significant in my life lately.  I know that God and Jesus are there when these things happen. It's not just a coincidence like some people say.

I had to write myself some reminders tonight.  Even though I know these things, I often have to remind myself of them and writing them helps.

The first things I wrote:
I continuously pray for my back to get better, too. I believe God still works in healings and miracles. However, I don't doubt Him if my back is not healed. After all, God says that there are strengths in weaknesses. God's plans is bigger than what I'd like . . . and I don't know God's plan. It could coincide with what I'd like, too.

The second thing I wrote:
Sometimes I feel really bad that I don't feel called to go on mission trips to other countries. However, God reminds me that if everybody were called to do such a thing that those things would never get done because nobody would be back home organizing the trips and helping get things done. I've always loved behind the scenes in theater, so it is certainly something that I love for helping others get to go on mission trips. I have to remind myself that God values every single person and a behind-the-scenes person is just as important as those out front. Just like a theater production would never get produced without set builder, stage managers, assistants, and directors, God needs those people for His missions, too.

Closure

Everybody needs closure.  However, how do you have closure when you never truly could have closure?  Besides missing my Mama at times (as I don't really know how many times I "lost" her before officially finally and truly losing her).

Closure is one of the hardest things for me right now.

When Mama was alive, I was having to look into an interdiction.  I didn't want to look into an interdiction.  The reason for doing this was to protect her.   However, she never saw that.  She only thought that I was trying to be mean to her.  Of course, that wasn't true.  I didn't want my Mama to hurt herself or to hurt others.

I had only talked about putting the house and car and annuity all in my name because if she had lived, it would've taken five years for her to get medicaid.  Then she could've received more help than she was currently getting with her medicare and office of group of benefits.

How can I have closure when I can't talk to my Mama in a rational way?  I never could talk to her in a rational way for many months before she passed.  She didn't make sense.  Her speech didn't make sense.  Her words didn't make sense.  Perhaps it was even years before she passed that she didn't make sense.

I know that even when my Daddy was alive that she was getting dumber.  It was awful.  She couldn't remember "shaved ice" and kept saying that it was ice that was "whirred up."  Sadly, Daddy said "whirred up," too.

She would say words for things that just didn't make sense.  I could never figure out how she still managed to do crossword puzzles and other puzzles in GAMES.  However, as I am typing this, Briana is telling me that she is the one who would often correct them.  Mama made a bunch of mistakes.

Mama would keep the really old GAMES magazines, which was crazy, however, I can remember looking at them and seeing that she was smart before she was on those antidepressants.

I tried to teach her how to do logic puzzles, but she never seemed to actually get the concept.  I think I found one or two of them done correctly for a little bit, but then things didn't make sense.

I wish I could talk to her again.  I wish I could find a way to just tell her how much I love and loved her.  I wish she could've known that I wanted her to be safe.

She wanted to get out of the nursing home and I can understand that.  It is sad and gray in that place.  I would've loved to bring her to church.  However, I couldn't physically handle her.  She would've fallen all over.  I couldn't have put her in the car.  I couldn't have taken her out of the car.  I don't know how I could've done anything.

I feel bad now that I didn't go up to the ER when she was taken there.  Briana was there, but I wasn't.  I know I needed to take care of myself because so tired and needed rest.  However, I didn't know it would've been the last time that she may have actually been able to talk to me.

I do remember the last time that she talked to me.  She wasn't making sense.  Billie (I think that was the worker's name) was in her room with me.  Mama was going on and on about the house and the car and talking about me trying to take them away from her.  This was right after she took communion because Pastor Cook came and gave it to her.

Orphaned . . .

In a way, I am now an orphan. My mom passed away on Saturday, September 15, 2012. It wasn't as sudden as my Daddy's death, but I expected my Mama to be around at least a few days longer. I know that none of it is what I hoped, but in a way, I had been expecting her to not be well, too. I had seen her sick and suffering for many months. Sometimes I feel bad because I have no written here for a few days. However, I then look and see that I am dealing with a lot of stuff. Before my mom passed, it was taking care of her, taking care of Briana, doing the jobs I had, looking for a better job, taking care of the dogs, taking care of the car, and many more things. Now, I still have to take care of things including Briana. I am trying to let her be as independent as she can be. I want her to learn tasks and chores so that if she wants, she can learn to live on her own. She talks to me about dreams she has and I want her to be able to pursue them. However, she can't pursue them if she doesn't have the skills she needs to live. Obviously, I am also dealing with Mama's memorial service and getting that all planned now. My mom never wanted a viewing of her body or a funeral. She wanted to be cremated, have a memorial service, and not have people wear black. It still hurts that she's gone. It doesn't seem real sometimes. I drive home and think that maybe I'd find her in the bedroom. Perhaps I'd visit her in the nursing home. There are plenty of times that I just don't know what to feel.

Poetry, Prose, and Popcorn Recommends

I know that I have not written a blog in a long time. My life has become increasingly difficult and I have not had the time to write a blog. I can't write much at the moment, either. However, I did want to let people know that this blog has a store where you can look to buy stuff. This blog will also have products recommended at times. You should try to buy them if you are interested in the products. It will include a link where to buy the product. For now, you can see the basic store at Poetry, Prose, and Popcorn Recommendations.

Why can't she be an introvert?

Of course, my sister has to be one of the stranger people with Asperger's.  Instead of being an introvert like many of them are, she is an extrovert.  She seems to think I should be like her, too.  I'm not an extrovert.  I'm an introvert.  She drains my energy by always buzzing around me, doing things that I don't want her to be doing.

I was hoping to have a good night of late writing tonight.  I got myself energized to do this by sitting up in the McNeese library and reading.

I came home and cuddling with Woofles for a little bit.  I was then ready to go to my computer once my phone told me that it needed more battery power, so I should connect my charger.

The minute I planned on doing work, my sister decides that she has to go into what is usually my mom's bedroom.  Then she decides to start looking at things.  Sure, I'm happy that she found the battery charger to the fancy camera that my mom bought, which is now mine (mom can't handle having a fancy camera like that because she falls, she'll drop it, and she can't even keep it OFF when not in use).

So, then we had to go through getting that all set and getting the pictures off of it.

What I realized is that my mom always takes TERRIBLE pictures of me.  Why can't she take a picture with me SMILING?  Every picture that I am in that she took, I look like I'm making an awful face of some sort.  I look terrible in those pictures.  Of course, not having a flattering hair cut did not help, either.  I like my hair longer, like about shoulder length, usually.  It can look okay tied back, but I usually don't wear it that way, either.

Anyway, this got off track. It's all about being an introvert and how being alone and doing things alone or in small groups (often with other introverts) is what is energizing.  The constant buzzing and movement of an extrovert is NOT comforting in any way.

I wrote what it is like to be an INFP.  However, all the times that it says "shy" in the article should read "introverted."

And a Pirate without a Treasure Is Like a Monkey without a Spatula

I'll spin you a yarn - or at least some juicy information.  I was being silly with that because of "Blackbeard, Bluebeard, & Redbeard" by Eric Herman.

Anyway, most of you know that I make my money by writing and monetizing websites and such.

So, I write for Yahoo! Voices, which is in the Yahoo! Contributor Network.

If you'd like to write for them, you can do that by clicking here.

I also write for Bukisa, but something seems to be wrong with the site.  It says that I don't have any articles there.  Then, I write for List My Five, TextBroker, oDesk, and ContentCurrent.

If these have referral links, I will update with them later.  I am trying to relax tonight and looking at the computer screen all the time and searching for links is not exactly relaxing.

Cash Crate

My mom is not doing well.  I am trying to get my life, for me, started more right now.  Of course I worry about my mother and want her to have the best care she can get.  However, this is not the time or the place to write about it at the moment.  It can be the place later, but not now.

Anyway, with trying to get my life started and get money, I joined Cash Crate.

It would be good for both me and you for you to join Cash Crate, too!

You can join Cash Crate by clicking on the link in this sentence.

Art and Entertainment

Ricci Milan, one of the founders of Feet Don't Fail Me Now, has me thinking today. This required a serious blog post. He asked, "What is the difference between art and entertainment?"

I can take this at face value.

If I go to Merriam-Webster, art, as a noun, has six distinct definitions.

1) skill acquired by experience, study, or observation
2) a branch of learning; one of the humanities
3) an occupation requiring knowledge or skill
4) the conscious use of skill and creative imagination especially in the production of aesthetic objects; also works so produced; ibe of the fine arts; a graphic art
5) a skillful plan; the quality or state of being artful
6) decorative or illustrative elements in printed manner


Then, entertainment has three distinct definitions.

1) The act of entertaining
2) maintenance; provision; employment
3) amusement or diversion provided especially by performers; something diverting or engaging as a public performance or a usually light comic or adventure novel.

It seems that, if trying to take the question literally, it only causes more confusion.

Ricci is a tap dancer. Is tap dancing an art? Is tap dancing entertainment?

I love tap dancing. I don't know how to do it, but I love it. I love watching tappers perform, what I consider, to be an art. Is is entertainment? The fact that I enjoy watching it would make it entertainment to me. However, it is not entertainment to somebody that does not enjoy tap dancing.

I still haven't answered the original question and I don't know if I'd ever be able to answer the original question.
v I enjoy writing. Writing is known as an art. It is somebody creating something for an enjoyment and usually for others to enjoy. However, is writing entertainment? The fact that I enjoy writing does make it entertainment for myself. Sure, it is not fun for people to sit and watch me write. However, my writing is an art. Is my writing "a performance?"

My first answer would be that it is not. Then, I could expand my thinking to the fact that people read my writing. If I included the act of reading in my writing, perhaps it could be a performance because my work was created for others to enjoy.

So, overall, I guess art is the action of creating and entertainment is the result of art. Yet, it still leaves large gaping hole of confusion because it may not be exactly those things. The definitions seem to overlap. How do we decided what is art and what is entertainment?

Discuss.

Medical and Finanacial Problems

I'm sorry about this, but this blog is going to have to be on a hiatus until my sister and I can work out the financial and medical problems with our mother.  She is still being obstinate and she NEEDS help and we NEED financial help!  I'm at my wits end with her, so if you know ANYTHING, any help is appreciated!

This Blog is Still Alive

This blog is still alive.  However, due to having a few family emergencies this week, I need to focus on writing for profit.  Hopefully by next Monday this blog will be back in normal function to have entries appearing no more than with two days between them and preferably entries every day.

I need to make money, though, and this blog doesn't do it.  Therefore, hopefully, a week on hiatus.

For Want of a Fridge

Our refrigerator badly needed replacing.  This might not have been an issue if the electricity had not gone out while we were in the hotels waiting for our air conditioner to be fixed.  It may have been an issue, but I don't know.

The old refrigerator currently has maggots and gnats in it.  Of course, it is not plugged in right now.  However, we had those when it was plugged in, too.

My sister and I suspect that gnats were flying up the ice maker and water dispenser.  It was a more expensive fridge and we got it when we had a bit of money that we had to spend from my Daddy's insurance as some of it was supposed to be spent to take care of us right off and then the rest needed to be invested.

Anyway, now, we didn't have the money for a fancy fridge, but we didn't really want one, either.

My mother insisted on first trying to go to C and C Audio, Video, and Appliance.  It was not open an dis not open on Sundays.  She then went to Home Depot.  I said that it was a place that might have refrigerators.  They reneged on their promise of delivery and haul away service if a fridge was bought in store.

I looked online at some of their stuff in their store and there was nothing that was as good as the fridge we had found.  I was ready to pay, even for a warranty, if they would deliver and haul away the fridge.

They had promised to do this, but the guy who had "placed" the order was an idiot.  He wasn't supposed to even "place" the order on their website.  Then, they said that the model was discontinued!  I finally got them to cancel the order.

I suggested going to Lowe's, but my mother refused to go there.  I told her that I just wanted to go home.  I have no idea what her problem was, but she wanted to stay out longer (she had been gone since 8:45am and it was now past 3pm).  She finally dropped me off at home and Briana came in the house with me to look at refrigerators.

I later checked on the Internet to find prices and a lot were not great.

I finally found one that said it was at Lowe's.  It turns out that this model was not at Lowe's, but the guy on the phone was extremely helpful.  He said that he didn't have that type of refrigerator, but he had a similar model. I asked the price, and he told me.   I asked if they would still do the delivery and haul away service, and he said that he had to check.  However, he came back, and in a reasonable amount of time, and told me they would do it.

Briana and I headed off to Lowe's and we bought that model fridge.  I even got the four year extended warranty that starts after one year warranty.  I know that American Home Shield is supposed to cover refrigerators (as far as I know), but why bother taking the chance that they won't when we can have good coverage from Whirlpool and Lowe's?

I think the fridge was a 9.7 cubic feet and is considered "an apartment fridge,"  However, being we are all 5r' or under, we needed a smaller fridge.  We can easily reach the top of this fridge by standing on a step stool.

It also doesn't have any external ice dispenser or water dispenser. This means that no gnats or other bugs can fly into the fridge or freezer unless the door has been opened.  There may be some bugs, but there shouldn't be that many  bugs.  They should be easily cleaned from the fridge if it they get into it.

I have no idea what my mom and Briana refused to go to Lowe's in the first place.  I told them that Lowe's was nice.

I am happy that the fridge will come on Thursday afternoon.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "In the 1970s, a certain type of shoe was a fad.   Consumer Reports rated them as a health hazard, but that did not keep them from being a fad and being worn by people who were young during the 1970s.  What was the type of shoe?"

Nobody answered.

The correct answer is "Platform" or "Platform Shoes."

Trivia

In the 1970s, a certain type of shoe was a fad.   Consumer Reports rated them as a health hazard, but that did not keep them from being a fad and being worn by people who were young during the 1970s.  What was the type of shoe?

The Future

I am 30 years old. I did not think this is where I would be when I was 30.  For a bit, I thought maybe I didn't belong in Lake Charles. I love Youth Ministry and did tons of interviews where they flew me to different places.  None of them were much to my liking, other than Edmond, OK.  It seemed a lot like Lake Charles, minus the really good food.  However, there were still the main restaurant chains there.

I really do like Lake Charles.  I don't like the heat in the summers and I don't like when the winters are gray, but the cooking and the friendly people can't be beat.  If I went anywhere else, I'd definitely want to be in the south or up in Minneapolis where there are tons of Lutherans.  However, I think I'll take the south as I couldn't handle shoveling snow.

I am a freelance writer, and I know there is nothing wrong with that.  However, I would definitely like to do more with my life.  There's a few things that I can do now by bracing down and writing enough to have time to work on my children's books that I want to write myself and write with Briana - and then create my webpage to sell them.  I also need to make designs to put on my SpreadShirt shop so I can try to sell T-shirts.

Anyway, there are a few things I'd really like to do.

1) The MFA at McNeese. 
2) Teach English (at Sowela is fine and at McNeese would be awesome).
3) Write for Coastal Living (they are lacking in the area where I want to write).

Of course, I could never completely give up writing for Yahoo! Voices.  I do like putting writing there, having people be able to find my writing on the web, and then also the community of people that I've found from there.  I wouldn't know a lot of my friends if it wasn't for Voices (formerly Associated Content).  I know some people look at it as a "content mill," but I've seen ones that really are content mills, and they never were truly one since the time I found them.

Teaching English doesn't have to be completely an "English" class, either.  I'm not an SEO expert, but with my degree in Mass Communications from McNeese and writing for Yahoo! Voices (AC) for years, I've certainly learned about formatting, fonts, SEO, and web writing.

I'd love to teach a beginner class on that stuff.  I'm definitely not versed enough for anything advanced, but it would be really cool to teach that type of stuff at Sowela or McNeese.  My HTML class at McNeese was a joke.  The only thing I did in that class that I didn't know how to do was make a stupid pop up window, and really, who wants those?

So, I'm sure that my class would not be a joke.  I'd want people to learn and learn what tools are available to be used.

Trivia Answers

Yesterday I asked, "I am not a fan of soap operas.  However, I do like the show Hot in Cleveland.  Because of this, I know about Susan Lucci.  What was the name of the character Susan Lucci played on All My Children?"

Nobody answered.

The correct answer is, "Erica Kane."

Trivia

I am not a fan of soap operas.  However, I do like the show Hot in Cleveland.  Because of this, I know about Susan Lucci.  What was the name of the character Susan Lucci played on All My Children?

Hamburgers

I was trying to think of a topic for my next blog post, so I was also looking on the Internet for ideas.  I saw one that said "hamburgers."  I'm pretty sure that it meant for a whole blog, but why not write a post about hamburgers?  Specifically, I think I'll write about the hamburgers I can get at restaurants in Lake Charles.

Of course, there's always the fast food hamburgers.  There's McDonald's, Burger King, Wendy's, Checker's, and more.  My favorite fast food hamburger is from Checker's.  I like the Cheese Champ, plain.   However, the best part of going to Checker's is the french fries.

I love Cotten's Famous Hamburgers.  When I want a good, thin, hamburger, I'll go get a cheeseburger, plain, from there.  Sometimes I'll get the bacon cheeseburger or an eggburger, but just the cheeseburger is good, though I like to put salt on it.

Of course, there's the hamburger at MacFarlane's Celtic Pub.  I like to get just a plain cheeseburger with the provolone.  Sometimes I'll get the Swiss (I think that's one of the other two cheese they have) when I want a hamburger.  That burger is very good and it is difficult for me to eat in one sitting!  I often have to bring half of it home or I'll bring part of it home for my mom to eat.   I love to get it on the sourdough bun.

There's a restaurant that is actually in Sulphur called "You Don't Know Jack" and the cheeseburger there is delicious.  Once again, I get it plain.

I get everything plain because I have an issue with cellulose intolerance and I'll admit that I can be picky.  However, lettuce is definitely one thing that I wish my stomach would tolerate.  I feel really bad and am running for the bathroom after I eat it, so it's better not to eat it.

The best places to get a hamburger in Lake Charles have changed since this article was written, but all of these places still have good hamburgers and good food.   That is, except for Backyard Burgers, because that place no longer exists in Lake Charles.  However, we now have a Five Guys.

The Best Places to Get a Hamburger in Lake Charles.

Trivia Answer

Yesterday I asked, "Jim Morrison was the front man for which band?"

Nobody answered the question.

The answer to this question is "The Doors."

Then, I also wrote, "Extra trivia: When this band performed on the Ed Sullivan show, what song was performed and what word were they not supposed to sing but sang anyway?"

I'll break it down.

When The Doors performed on the Ed Sullivan show, what song did they perform?

The Doors performed, "Light My Fire."

So , when The Doors performed "Light My Fire" on the Ed Sullivan show, they were not supposed to sing one of the words in the song.  Jim Morrison promised that he would not sing the word, but he sang it anyway.  What was the word?

That word was "higher."

The reason he was not supposed to sing "higher" is because the producers said that it referenced drug use.

Jim Morrison gave the excuse that they had performed the song that way so many times that it slipped his mind.  However, he and The Doors still got in trouble and were banned from the Ed Sullivan show and told that they would never perform on the show again.  At that, he said, "So, we've already performed on The Ed Sullivan Show."