Looking back at my short life, the few pleasures that I've found.

AWESOME. LIKE. WHOA.

...

LIKE WHOA!

I'm so chock full of smutty adrenaline, thanks to Weasel. Yesterday I was feeling so exhausted and down-in-the-dumps due to this rot we call 2010 (R.I.P. Stella...I only met you once last Halloween but you were super snazzy and will be missed by your many friends, I'm sure). But he turned my frown upside down in BIG ways. Feeling 16 again is the cat's pajamas!!

Seeing him this morning, naive and vulnerable looking, I left like this:

I was pretty much ready to rip him to shreds with my tiny, ineffectual fists and eat him alive! I felt like a hormonal teenager, all VA-VOOM, acting first and thinking later. It's hard to concentrate today and I'm blushing quite frequently, to be honest. But I have a smile plastered on my mug and that's what counts. Gotta grab onto the awesome moments of this backwards year and run for the door!

AWOOOOOOOOGAH!

Two of a billion stars. It means so much to me.

Come on and get here, Halloween!!

Since I'm done with our costumes (in ADVANCE, I can't believe it), I offered some help to Sharon who is also going to a Halloween wedding. She was getting frustrated about her costume and I know what a bummer that can be. But with a little brainstorming, I think we pulled off something better than she had initially planned. She's excited again which makes me excited. I'm glad I could help out.

One of my pals is having a rough time getting into the Halloween spirit. Boo.

It's been a rough year for a lot of people, as I've previously blather. I hope that all changes soon because I hate seeing people with their sad faces on. A friend of some friends is in the hospital on life support. She someone's wife and so young, it's heart breaking. 2010 is GARBAGE. It's almost over, y'all. Fresh start in 2011. Drama-free is the way to be. After all the garbage that's gone on recently, my mom says she more thankful for the blah, boring days where nothing happens. I'm agreeing 100%.

I haven't ended a blog with "LIFE IS GOOD" in awhile...since August 19th! Ouch. But there are a plthora of fun things coming up which will hopefully set the world right. Spontaneous Japanese dinner, Halloween wedding, Trick-or-Treating, engagement bonfire, baby shower for Vincent & Todd's birthday, tattoo cover-up featuring cakes and pies, something special (I'll talk about it later) for my little family, the Fabulous Food Show, hanging with various pals, our traditional Cookie Day...it's all good. It's all great. It's all going to start counter-balancing the junk going on.

Life is on it's way back to good.

Or I'll grab it by the balls and show it whose BOSS!

I'm leaving on that midnight train tomorrow and I know just where I'm going.

I'm ultra, mega bummed which is not a good start to my work week. Lisa (henceforth known as "The Captain") invited me to Guam for a week of beach resort fun if I could swing the plane ticket. For years, I've always used "the rocky beaches of Guam" as my destination when I threatened to run away. But plane tickets to Guam are way spendy. Now someone else will be having beachy fun with The Captain instead of me. Grrrrrr.

I woke up grouchy and will continue to be so for the duration.

Let's see...what's awesome that I can talk about?

I went to the circus with Bizzle on Thursday night and it was flat out rad, both the circus itself and hanging with that awesome broad. I'll be going again next year, fo' sho. I would make an excellent circus performer. I would also make an awesome owner to a miniature misfit pony that looked that a cupcake. It was great to see Phoebe so super psyched. It was not great to see a little kid in sweatpants and no shoes laying on the stairs eating a sno-cone with a spoon he kept dragging on the ground. Hate that kid.

So the bright lights, sequins and shenanigans of the circus were an excellent distraction until Friday came and I had an appointment I wasn't looking forward to. Luckily, I had a husband who bailed out of work early to accompany me. I'll talk more about the appointment another time. I'll just say that it was uncomfortable but the results were exactly what we wanted to hear. After getting the good news, we celebrated with a 64 ounce German boot and some laughs.

Yesterday, we went to visit my cousin who is in the hospital after a total fluke skateboarding accident. The improvement in his condition from last Monday was mind-blowing and I hope he can ditch that place soon and get back to his family. Post-that, we went to PJ McIntyre's to support a bartender pal who was attacked there back in July. A portion of the bar sales were going to his medical bills so eating and drinking was the least we could do. And the Browns beat the Super Bowl champs for the 3rd year in a row! I only care about that because Todd cares. Cheering for his team is like wearing his letter sweater.

Halloween festivities are approaching. I. AM. AMPED.

But I'm still so bummed about Guam. I lost 2.9 pounds on my new workout plan so I wouldn't have looked half bad in a bikini with an umbrella drink. Plus, I miss The Captain. Le sigh...

Tonight we'll put all other things aside.

Once I order my creepy contacts, our costumes will be COMPLETE!

Maybe we spent a little more dough than we should have but you know what? It's Halloween. Go big or go home, that's what I say! Since everything is coming together (without me having to stitch, glue, purchase or construct anything at the last second), I am predicting nothing but uber-fun at the Hissem wedding next weekend. I'm so glad I have a husband who loves Halloween and dressing up as much as me. There will be pictures. And they will be priceless.

Tomorrow I'm going to the circus with Phee-Bizzle and Todd thinks I'm going to runaway without so much as a text message. This was all prompted by dreams Phoebe had last year about me being a trapeze artist. I'd be damn good at that. I've already added "will break a rib to fit into a tight, sequined costume" and "easily persuaded into acts of danger and stupidity" to my resume (and my Facebook page, which is the resume of my life).

I haven't been to the circus since 3rd grade and like many people, I totally hate clowns...yet suddenly have an urge to paint them. But I'm jazzed to go because Phoebe is coo-coo over the circus and I think it will be cool to take it all in as an adult. And I like spontaneity. Going to the circus was not on my agenda until I got a very eager and excited text message last night. Of course I was in. I'm up for pretty much anything, especially last minute awesomeness. And who knows...maybe I'll get my big break as Madame Fifi von Glitter Pants.

What else?

Todd and I have reverted back into teenagers and I like it. I think our weekend plan involves nothing but cocktails, movies, and friskies. We both have doctor's appointments this week that neither of us are looking forward to so our time off needs to be pure chillaxation. Chillaxation followed by a fundraiser for our bartender pal, James, who was attacked and got 84 stitches in his mug. WHY ARE PEOPLE SUCH RIDICULOUS JERKOFFS???

Two people in my life call me 'Ace'. It amuses me. And with that...

And when one little bump leads to shock, miss a beat, you run for cover so discreet.

2010 needs to be over. We need to fast forward and start fresh.

It seems that everywhere I look, bad things are happening to good people. And even typing that feels like dejavu because general suckage has happened so frequently this year. Awesome people have gone through complete garbage. It's never-ending. And ending this year might not actually improve peoples situations, but I'm going to pretend that it will.

I utterly despise when people I care about are hurting, no matter the degree. So many people have passed away in the last few months, gotten sick, gotten injured, gotten hurt, physically and emotionally. I just want to punch 2010 in the junk for being so lousy at times! Not that there haven't been rad moments...I just need to put the rotten ones in their place.

Someone in my extended family needs good vibes sent their way. Stat.

We could use some good vibes ourselves. Especially me. Especially Friday.

I didn't get any painting done this weekend but I DID buy an office chair and a composition notebook so I'm getting organized before I jump in. We have another wide open weekend coming up with the only thing on the agenda being Halloween costume prep. That's going to be arts-n-crafty on its own! So stay tuned to CANNIBALICIOUS! Good things are coming.

And we need some good things. Am I right?

You can speak your mind but not on my time.

As I quickly blathered earlier this week, I am diving head first...and awkwardly, no doubt, because I cannot dive...back into painting. Not just PAINTING. I'm throwing myself back into art and I have every intention of trying some new things. I have a RAD art room at Castle Grayskull and I need to take advantage of it. And I plan to go ballllllls out this weekend.

So OF COURSE, I started a blog dedicated specifically to my art. Every finished piece that will be for sale will end up there. And there will be some other fun schtuff related to my hobby on the page. Besides my husband and my pals, art is my favorite thing on the planet! I may not be talented, I may not even be creative, but it makes me HAP-PY.

Become a follower for updates. You don't need to belong to Blogger to do so.

CANNIBALICIOUS!

But regarding THIS blog, someone found it by searching "morning breath fetish". Yelp. What have I been talking about for the past 5 years???

And regarding my life, I've been sick for a week now. It's just a sniffling, sneezing, coughing cold but it's annoying. It didn't hold me back from going to see Bouncing Souls open for Bad Religion. Bouncing Souls were relatively boring. Good but dull. Then Bad Religion blew my miiiiind! It was everything I hoped it would be. Until some broad with a mohawk started shit with me...after I casually called her the C word, which is reserved for total trash bags.

By the end of the verbal spar, she was apologizing and telling me I was right. Fucking fool.

I'm beginning to think I'm too old for this shit, especially when it gets you invited to the back for a fist fight, but that's OK. Because what's fun about being stuffed into a small space like sardines and dealing with drunk bums and trash who think they own the world? The next day, we spent time with the Shoelanes, talking, drinking, laughing and THAT was where I was comfortable. That was a good time for me...for us. But Bad Religion WAS amazing. Next time, I need to hang in the back rather than getting in the thick of it.

The thickness is where fisticuffs happen.

So tonight is Deadbolt...which is a totally different situation. Different people, different crowd. I want to go and support my twin, Alex, since COTPF is opening. And I know Weasel really wants to give Deadbolt a second chance as far as their live show goes. But my nose is currently a faucet. I need to try and get some shut-eye and she if I can self-repair. Though a night at home sounds pretty rad...

I'll tear down the buildings just to pass through the door.

This is my 666th post.

Subject: Bad Religion!

The Bad Religion / Bouncing Souls show is tonight at the House of Blues. I've been sick as a dog (Do dogs frequently get ill? Where did this expression come from??) since Friday but going to tough it out. I'm certainly not flushing $50 down the drain. And Bad Religion makes my bleeding, black heart-go-throb! So many memories of my youth. "Recipe For Hate" was the album that probably started to mold me into who I am a little. Oh so philosophical!

For the record, I hope they play: Do What You Want, Skyscraper (actually, anything off Recipe For Hate), Don't Sell Me Short, The Handshake, Bad Religion, Frogger...and I hope they have really great t-shirts for sale. And I hope the place isn't jam-packed full of hooch girls and chach guys for as far as the eye can see.

Regardless, I'll be happy just to see them for the first time in 10 years.

On the flipside, I'm pumped to See Bouncing Souls as I've loved them for years and I hope they play: K8 is Great, Eastside Mags, Here We Go, Lamar Vanoy, Kid, Born To Lose...and I hope they cover Hybrid Moments again.

I hope they DON'T play Hopeless Romantic or cover Lean On Sheena.

So that's pretty much all I've got to say about that. I'm psyched about the show even if it's be the second time in a ROW that I was the walking dead when going to see Bouncing Souls. And the weekend was solid even if buckets of sticky green nastiness was pouring out of my head. I slept a lot. Todd and my dad built a "rumpus room" for the pups in the yard. We went to my sister's and cooked boatloads of bacon in honor of my grandma. Like I said, solid.

And we finally decided on costumes for the Hissem Halloween wedding! Bought some of the supplies already and have the rest in motion. And we can also rock these costumes at an upcoming Halloween party AND at my mom's for the actually holiday!  Makes all the effort worth it. And Jen May is going to help out with part of it so you KNOW it's going to be rad. Because she's rad and radness just radiates from her.

SO PUMPED! About EVERYTHING.

Especially about my reign as a red head being over. Dark hair, purrrr!

See my body, it's nothing to get hung about.
I'm nobody except genetic runaround.
Spiritual era's gone, it ain't comin' back.
BAD RELIGION, a copout, that is all that's left!

You know the shape my breath will take before I let it out.

"In Germany, you say once your reputation is ruined, you can live, like, quite freely" - wise words of wisdom from a German guy drinking in a Berlin Biergarten. Another thing I'll be adding to my list of words to live by. Viva Deutschland!!!

Happy 70th Birthday, John Lennon. You were my least favorite Beatle.

It's a beautiful day outside. Probably one of the last we'll have this year. I guess this is Indian Summer. I'm trying to enjoy it all despite having a gnarly and impairing cold. One minute, I feel like I have to bury myself in bed and the next I feel fairly OK. Dealing with the ebb and flow. And the drainage.

The pups, who are shockingly calm today, and I are lounging while my husband and my dad are building a "rumpus room" outside. That's just a fancy way of saying they're fencing in a section of the yard just for the dogs so they have room to cruise and spend their energy. While they're waiting for construction to be done (it just started), we're watching episodes of No Reservations. They don't seem to get as annoyed by Anthony Bourdain as Todd does.

I'm researching schools in Ohio with culinary programs. Can I handle butchery? I'd like to think I could. Or I could pretend.

Anyway, it's a damn near perfect day. I'm going to get some vitamin D and crunch the leaves under my feet before I start making an Italian mini-feast for the fellas. Tonight, we'll be holed up at home, which is where I love to be. Husband, dogs, good food, a good blanket and some movies. That's all I need. That's what I love.

And speaking of what I love...

I am so sorry about your mom, Carol. I love you more than you know.

Will you take the pain I will give to you again and again, and will you return it?

I got some weird and confusing news yesterday evening. I don't really know what to think about it yet. I need more information and I need things to be made just a little bit clearer. I woke up in such a good mood Monday morning, had such high hopes for the week. Now I'm just in limbo and that's not at all where I want to be.

Again, I'm glad I have people to blather at. You chicks are boss.

Despite my off-balance state of being, I had a nice evening at Castle Grayskull with Phoebe and Todd. It was Bizzle's first visit there and she brought me some awesome artwork and leftover "diamonds" from our wedding. We shot the breeze about a plethora of things and it was good and comforting to see her face. I needed some of that yesterday. She even toughed out an episode of Adventure Time. That's solid, right there.

Then I had to hit the sheets early because I'm back to working ten hour days. Don't get me wrong, I l-l-l-l-loved having Fridays off. Todd and I can reinstate Thursday date night, which I also loved. And the traffic at 5:30am is cake, virtually non-existent. But ten hour days and getting up so early can be rough on someone who is chronically tired. I'm not bitching. Not a lot, anyway.

Oh!  Ben leaves for like 7 months of Asian adventures tomorrow. I want to wish him nothing but safe travels and rockin' good times. But please don't get arrested. I've seen far too many movies involving foreign prisons and punishment. I don't think I'd get away with smuggling you contraband items in a bra, Drink. But have fun and kiss that beautiful wife of yours for me. Make it a public and inappropriate kiss!  And tell her a care package will be on it's way sooooooon!!!

Back to wondering and worrying.

I'm right behind you, win or lose.

Post Secret is getting worse and worse as the weeks go by. It is officially no longer on my list of time-sucking entertainment options. I guess I don't find the revelations of strangers very interesting any more.

Or maybe I'm just edgey because I have a frozen core.

...

That wasn't any sort of wishy-washy psychological commentary on my life. I'm actually physically freezing to the point where my skin hurts. We camped out this weekend and despite 24 hours of rain, it was a good time. The rain was light and misty most of the time so it felt very Fall. Very Halloween. And I was physically fine the entire time...slept like a baby zombie in my new sleeping bag.

It was nice to see this before departing...

When we returned to Castle Grayskull, it all hit. We were cold, wet, and filthy. I took the best shower of my life and pajamas never felt so good. I made cheese soup, crawled back in my bag (on top of my bed...far better than on the ground), and tried to warm myself from the inside out. I think I'm still thawing out.

Fall is here. October is here. It's time to get my paint on.

I haven't used my new art room at all and it's my favorite room in the house. I've got paints, brushes, canvas, and an on-going list of things to paint: Stephanie's stomach-eating girl (no longer a uterus since we found out they're useful!), bacon & eggs to send to California, a ginourmous Castle Grayskull, Hissem's Linda Von, a shark eating a cupcake for my neice, and who can remember what else?? What do I want to do just to DO??

Oooh, Alphabastards!!!

And I keep thinking about black on stripes. Need to take that from head to canvas.

I can't wait to be slathered in acrylics, and not just because that's when Todd finds me most attractive! Plus, I think I'm going to give water colors a whirl. I've never been super awesome at them but it's time to step out of my comfort zone and learn something new. And I'll get on that just as soon as I'm done being uber-chilly.