Anyone living north of Florida has felt the pain and anguish this winter. The blistey winds, the piles and piles of snow being dumped on us every day during Feb & March and the dirty, greyish-coloured stain the salt leaves behind on your newly dry cleaned trousers.
I haven't seen a winter with this much snow since I was a child. However, when you're a child you can handle it better. When you're a child, you don't have to dig your car out of the snow plows aftermath every morning. The snow is a pain in the butt. And it's still falling as I write this. Global Warming my ass!
In about four months, I'm going to be complaining about the heat, lol.
Employment update:
I'm still unemployed and I'm still happy. I'm living in the now. I highly recommend it.
Warning: I'm about to gloat about my Idol so to those (really weird) folks that don't like Madonna, stop reading.
On March 10, 2008 My Idol was inducted to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame. Can you believe that this woman has been around for 25 years? And I've been a fan since day one. I was a fan (and just a wide-eyed little girl) the very first time I saw the Lucky Star video. I actually did a danse to that song in a talent show when I was in the 4th grade--LOL. It was a disaster.
Congratulations Madge!
Love your oldest (?) fan!
xoxoxoxo
Another Oscar Night has gone by without the glitz and the glamour. There was something missing last night. I don't know if it was the big names (Leo DiCaprio, Brangelina, Kate Winslet, Matt Damon, Jude Law, etc., etc.) missing from the Red Carpet or the lackluster fashion choices. Or could it just be that the movies nominated were not seen by most people?
I like to consider myself a movie buff, but there were more than a few movies I didn't see. For instance, There Will Be Blood: it only grossed 35 million while Fool's Gold has grossed 52 million. But don't even get me started on that.
I think a lot of people will have some serious questions after last night. Here are the top five:
1. Javier Bardem is this sexy? Good lord! Can hair really make that much of a difference?
http://www.variety.com/graphics/awardcentral2007/javier.jpghttp://www.fest21.com/files/images/NO%20COUNTRY%20FOR%20OLD%20MEN.JPG
2. Tilda Swinton: who is it, what is it and what kind of dumbass speech is that?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XE8aHxrcvGk
3. Even Daniel Day-Lewis wants to kiss George Clooney? Can someone please explain the appeal?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoQhqBSNVos
4. Why is Collin Ferrel still invited to the Oscars? Remember Alexander? I do! I'll never get those two excruciating hours back.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_c40EdLFE
5. Where the hell is Billy Crystal????
This year I have only seen a handful of the movies nominated:
La Vie en Rose : one of my new favourite movies, btw. It was simply fantastic and I'm so glad Marion won
Juno: cute movie but hardly worth all the Oscar buzz
Elizabeth: The Golden Age: the first one was better. Great costume's though and my Cate was amazing, as usual
Eastern Promises: fantastic movie. Viggo really did deserve the nomination although I'm surprised it was the only nom for this movie
Atonement: a simply gorgeous film. It was a bit boring at times for me but that's just because I dislike war scenes.
Ratatouille: I LOVED this movie. The win for best animated film was a no-brainer.
American Gangster: your typical Denzel film. Well-acted and worth the $11.95.
I have to mention my favourite moment last night. It was the winner for best song. Let me set the stage for those of you that missed it:
Enchanted was a cute movie. It's a Disney movie. It's a musical. It was nominated for best song three times over this year. The other two nominees; a song from August Rush (a movie most people did not see or even hear of) and a song from the movie Once, even fewer people saw or heard of Once.
These two little films were up against an entertainment conglomerate. An entertainment empire, if you will. The odds were stacked against them. But guess what; Once won the Best Song Oscar for Falling Slowly!
Below is the speech one of the musicians made after Jon Stewart let her come back out to say something as the orchestra cut her off! This is one of the best speeches in Oscar history, imho. Her name is Marketa Irglova.
“Hi everyone. I just want to thank you so much. This is such a big deal, not only for us, but for all other independent musicians and artists that spend most of their time struggling, and this, the fact that we’re standing here tonight, the fact that we’re able to hold this, it’s just to prove no matter how far out your dreams are, it’s possible. And, you know, fair play to those who dare to dream and don’t give up. And this song was written from a perspective of hope, and hope at the end of the day connects us all, no matter how different we are. And so thank you so much, who helped us along way. Thank you.”
Below is the actual speech thanks to YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ck_c40EdLFE
Have you ever known a backstabber? Chances are, you probably have no idea as backstabbers (aka Traitors like Mr. Arnold) are notorious manipulators. They gain your trust and indulge you with their great ability to listen and understand your plight, whatever it may be. They are everyone's best friend.
While out in the real world, I think most of us are aware of these beings. Most people (with even a small amount of street smarts) can detect a phony a mile away, especially in a social setting. These backstabbers are not as harmful, imo. However, be aware of the corporate backstabber for they are the most cunning backstabbers of all.
I recently left a company that was both horrendous and hedonistic. Yes, I just wrote hedonistic.
I had two great assistants that I treated very well. I am not a micromanager. I am not a stickler for minute details like coming in late once in awhile. I think I'm pretty lenient. All I expect of people that report to me is to do their job to the best of their abilities. Finish their projects on time and avoid gossiping with other departments. I don't know, maybe that doesn't make for good manager material but I respect every single person that I have ever worked with and for.
Anyway, one of my former assistants has been talking smack about me since I left. This was the same woman that was encouraging me to quit because she witnessed first hand the abuse my VP placed upon me. She was kind, sweet, empathetic and a very good worker. She is the ultimate backstabber.
Since learning of her betrayal, I started to think about how it must feel to live life as a backstabber. Are they able to sleep at night? Are they able to look at themselves in the mirror? Do they even have close friends? Are they straight up with anyone in their lives?
The only positive thing that has come out of all of this is that I will be more aware of the corporate backstabber in the future. You can usually spot them at the water cooler gossiping about the person they just had lunch with.
Benedict Arnold
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Benedict Arnold V (January 14, 1741 [O.S. January 3, 1740][1][2] – June 14, 1801) originally fought for American independence from the British Empire as a general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War until he obtained command of the American fort at West Point, New York and, switching sides, plotted unsuccessfully to surrender it to the British.
Arnold was considered by many to be the best general and most accomplished leader in the Continental Army. In fact, without Arnold's earlier contributions to the American cause, the American Revolution might well have been lost; but after he switched sides, his name, like those of several other prominent traitors throughout history, has become a byword for treason in the United States.[3][4]
Another Christmas and New Year's have passed and I'm left wondering what's it all for. When I say 'all' I mean the entire holiday season. Are we still under the impression that we are celebrating the birth of Jesus Christ? Are we still living under the illusion that as soon as the year goes up, things in our life will get a whole lot better?
The great thing about New Year's resolutions is that most people know they will fail at them so they don't look down on others when they fail at theirs. ;)
My New Year's resolution is to lose weight. Original, right?
Just before Christmas I had my yearly physical. I knew I would get a lecture from my Doc about my weight but I wasn't prepared to hear what she had to say. She used the 'O' word on me. Yes, obese. There! I wrote it! Not only did she use the 'O' word, she also politely handed me a voucher for a Weight Watchers membership. Oh, did I mention that my Doc is about 110 pounds? I pictured myself shoving donuts down her throat. That was fun.
Anyway, I know I'm fat but I didn't think I was obese. Afterall, isn't obese a word to describe those fat people that are at least 100 pounds overweight living naked in their beds? Well, I'm wrong.
According to our BMI (a simple and widely used method for estimating body fat which calculates your weight by your height) below are the classifactions of 'fatism':
A BMI less than 18.5 is underweight
A BMI of 18.5–24.9 is normal weight
A BMI of 25.0–29.9 is overweight (this is where I am but I'm creeping up to the next level!)
A BMI of 30.0–39.9 is obese
A BMI of 40.0 or higher is severely (or morbidly) obese
A BMI of 35.0 or higher in the presence of at least one other significant comorbidity is also classified by some bodies as morbid obesity (this is where the naked people living in their beds fit)
It's funny how some people (like me) struggle with food their whole lives while others couldn't care less about food. They are the morons that stay thin forever without having to workout or cut out the good stuff. I'm sure we all have had a friend or family member in our lives that are like one of these skinny assholes.
I once had a roomate that was tall, skinny, blonde and stupid--the guys loved her. She could eat and eat and eat and didn't gain an ounce. She wasn't bulimic either. Trust me, I watched her closely as I was completely mesmerized by her eating (not to mention drinking) habits. Now, that was a skinny asshole.
Below is a photo of us (circa 1996) from the Sears portrait studio.
Since Labour Day weekend, work has been complete mayhem.
I work for a boss that gives me zero direction, too many responsibilities and only two assistants. The amount of work piled on me could fill the day of at least three managers. I'm starting to feel the pain. I'm starting to come to the scary conclusion that I am inviting these kinds of people into my life. Why am I like a magnet for any job that requires I give my life over to complete a work week? It's stupid and I feel stupid, too.
I'm sure there are more than a few of you out there that knows how it feels to have work piled on you because you're a hard worker and you just get things done. Therefore, most managers will treat you like a donkey while the person sitting next to you (the moron with the big degree) has fewer responsibilities with a bigger salary. Sound familiar? Welcome to the corporate world. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
I'm still trying my best to figure out why I work so hard. Why do I care so much? Why can't I be like Dick or Jane and leave the office promptly at 5pm everyday--regardless of unfinished projects sitting on my desk?
I always come back to the Only Child Sydrome. I'm an only child and always felt the need to be the best--at anything and everything. I felt that my parents only had one chance to be proud of their child. I couldn't screw things up and just wait until a younger sibling came along to make them happy. I couldn't sit back and relax because an older sibling was a Noble Prize Winner or a star athlete. Nope--all the pressure to perform was on me at all times.
I wish I new more only children--there should be a support group for us!
It's now August 21st and I just want to know where the time went.
I've been so busy this past month, I can barely think straight--too much going on in my head.
Work is going well, for the most part. Things are quite hectic as we are opening new stores all over the place with not a lot of turnaround time.
Being in retail means I must wear ten different hats everyday--something I dislike but not enough to get out of the industry entirely. I guess I'm a masochist.
I haven't done much writing lately which makes me feel anxious and guilty. I feel like I'm neglecting my child or something. The good news is I gave some of my work to my 'uber editor' and friend, Peter to take a look at. I told him to be brutally honest and I know he will as that's why I chose him in the first place.
Actually, out of all my friends, he's the only one that can understand what it means to feel the need to write.
I think it's important to surround yourself with friends that have similar interests, even if it's only one friend--that's better than nothing. Writing has a tendency to make you feel isolated and misunderstood as a lot of time is spent alone with your thoughts.
When I lived in New York, my friend Daniel was my art gallery/museum friend, Mark was my writing friend, Marianna was my getting wasted friend, Judy and Cara were my concert-going friends, etc., etc....
In my opinion, this is the best way to live a balanced life. Oh, and coffee...can't forget the coffee--and it goes so well with friends!!!
Motivation has never been easy for me.
I'm one of those people that require instant gratification--I hate waiting for anything therefore I lack the motivation gene. If there is such a thing.
Since I've started working again (it's been four months already!) I find that I am losing my motivation to write. Truth be told, I haven't worked on my novel in about three months. It's bugging me. I can't seem to set aside the time to write. The problem is I feel so close to finishing the damn thing yet so far. When I think about all the editing it's going to need, I cringe. See what I mean? It's all about instant gratification. I want it all now. It's alarming.
It's so hard to focus on what you really love to do when all you can think about is work. My job is taking over my life again and I don't know how to stop it. I don't want to become my career again. I want to be me.
I love what I'm doing now but I have to admit that it is pretty stressfull. Not only am I managing categories and a sixty million dollar budget, I am also managing people. Yes, people. The most difficult 'things' to manage.
I guess the key to happiness really is balance. Too much work and not enough play will make you miserable. Too little work and too much play doesn't pay the bills therefore, you're miserable again.
Ok, I've gotten that all off my chest. Now, I'll go listen to Madonna. She always knows what to say.
