Six Word Saturday

it's never quite what you thought

A bit of mystery never hurt...

Note: I'm aware word verification is appearing before the comments. I have it disabled. It appears that if you leave the field blank, you can still enter a comment. I tried to figure it out when it first started but had no luck. I'll try again when I have some time.

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Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does with their entries.

Each week (probably on Sunday or Monday), I use random.org to select a bunch of entries to visit.  Or I visit everyone. Or even numbered entries. Or odd numbered entries. Or multiples of three. Depends on what's going on that week.  In addition, please visit the person ahead of you on the list (or visit everyone if you like!). That way everyone receives at least one visit!

If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!). Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the 6WS post. Links to blogs that do not contain a 6WS entry will be removed (sorry, just the button in the sidebar doesn't count as participating).

Six Word Saturday

not even fun to dislike her

This book I'm reading right now... I don't mind when a book is long if it doesn't feel long. And I don't mind if a character isn't likable as long as it's fun to dislike him/her. At the moment, I'm too stubborn to put the book down (300+ pages into a 600+ page book) but I can't wait until it's over. What do YOU do with a book/movie/tv series like that? (Nope, not telling you what book it is so don't ask.)

Question: I'm aware word verification is appearing before the comments. I have it disabled. It appears that if you leave the field blank, you can still enter a comment. I tried to figure it out when it first started but had no luck. I'll try again when I have some time.

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Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does with their entries.

Each week (probably on Sunday or Monday), I use random.org to select a bunch of entries to visit.  Or I visit everyone. Or even numbered entries. Or odd numbered entries. Or multiples of three. Depends on what's going on that week.  In addition, please visit the person ahead of you on the list (or visit everyone if you like!). That way everyone receives at least one visit!

If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!). Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the 6WS post. Links to blogs that do not contain a 6WS entry will be removed (sorry, just the button in the sidebar doesn't count as participating).

Six Word Saturday

off to nom the new niece

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Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does with their entries.

Each week (probably on Sunday or Monday), I use random.org to select a bunch of entries to visit.  Or I visit everyone. Or even numbered entries. Or odd numbered entries. Or multiples of three. Depends on what's going on that week.  In addition, please visit the person ahead of you on the list (or visit everyone if you like!). That way everyone receives at least one visit!

If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!). Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the 6WS post. Links to blogs that do not contain a 6WS entry will be removed (sorry, just the button in the sidebar doesn't count as participating).

<a href="http://www.showmyface.com/search/label/6WS"><img src="http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp35/showmyface/guts/6wsButton.jpg" ></a>

On Self-Help Books and Advice and My Dad

I also said in that post last week that I'd address how I tackle self-help books/instructional guides/how-tos.

The short version is that I treat them as speed limits - they're just suggestions and you have to figure out what works for you. Ha! But, really, in most cases, the material you're reading or listening to is describing a method that works for someone. Maybe for many someones. You've got to adapt that to your situation. If a program says you have to journal every morning but you find you do better at night? Do it at night. If a recipe calls for pecans but you prefer walnuts? Use the walnuts. There are times when it's appropriate to follow a method exactly (brain surgery or working with electricity maybe) but that's not what we're talking about here.

My dad has shared with me two really great bits of wisdom. First, it's a good idea to ask many people for their advice - and then you think about it all and do what you want. Second, just because a decision seems wrong to you doesn't mean it's wrong for someone else. Pretty good stuff, huh? My dad's a good guy. He also told me to never travel without TUMS but that's not as relevant here.

I don't take every bit of advice I'm given. But it's great to seek answers and new ideas and other viewpoints. So many times, someone has pointed out an issue or possible solution that hadn't occurred to me. Then we assimilate that information into our own little world and do with it what we may.

So really this post is mostly about nothing but since I said I'd write about it and then I took the trouble to draft it, I figured I'd go ahead and publish it. And since it's my blog, that's what I'm going to do.

Six Word Saturday

it's not quitting if it's over

This has nothing to do with Joe.

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Want to play along? All that's necessary to participate is to describe your life (or something) in a phrase using just six words. For more information, try clicking here. Feel free to explain or not explain. Add an image, a video, a song, nothing. I love seeing what everyone does with their entries.

Each week (probably on Sunday or Monday), I use random.org to select a bunch of entries to visit.  Or I visit everyone. Or even numbered entries. Or odd numbered entries. Or multiples of three. Depends on what's going on that week.  In addition, please visit the person ahead of you on the list (or visit everyone if you like!). That way everyone receives at least one visit!

If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. I appreciate a link back (shiny code below if you like!). Otherwise, you're welcome to leave your six words in this post as a comment.

Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the 6WS post. Links to blogs that do not contain a 6WS entry will be removed (sorry, just the button in the sidebar doesn't count as participating).

<a href="http://www.showmyface.com/search/label/6WS"><img src="http://i395.photobucket.com/albums/pp35/showmyface/guts/6wsButton.jpg" /></a>

Where's Cate?

I'm here, I'm here! But I've been there. And over there. And just a bit of everywhere.

I mean all of this in terms of my mental state as opposed to physical state (though I did spend last weekend in Baltimore, which is in Maryland state). The good news is that opposed to the funk that took hold a month or so ago, I'm here and there and everywhere in a more positive manner.

It would be a lie to say I'm 100% happy happy joy joy. I'm not quite sure that's something I'll ever attain, but it's good to have goals. I'm still feeling a bit disjointed and directionless. Joe's work situation is still what it is, which means I continue in this weird limbo. My contract with ex-work ended last week so now I'm not bringing in regular cash and feeling a bit of pressure about that.

But even with all of that, I'm starting to feel a bit inspired again. I've been feeding off the creative energy of people around me. My Twitter friends are constantly posting their photography, paintings, and other projects. Our #jhbc has resulted in a great clan for discussing not only reading but also writing. I'm completely immersed in Pinterest and collecting so many amazing beautiful ideas there. The trip to Baltimore last weekend involved a family "reunion" with family I've never met on Joe's side (it's a bit complicated) and they are a gifted, eclectic, talented and diverse group of artists, musicians and people doing their own thing, often a bit off the beaten path.

They say like attracts like and that we should surround ourselves with people and things that we aspire to be/do. I feel like I've had some serious exposure to great energy lately. I've been crafting, painting, taking online drawing lessons, signing up for a sewing machine class and also signing up for two online writing courses to prepare me for a book idea (!!!) that's been starting to solidify in my mind.

Unfortunately, I'm still struggling to find my way back to blogging. I realize this isn't by any means a great post but I really felt inclined to post something today. And this is what's on my mind, so there ya go. A bit of an update to ease back in, hopefully. Nicely timed because today begins a new month.

Hoping some of you are still out there - I've been missing you guys!

What's on Draft? (Link-up Day)

A week or so ago, I mentioned doing a link-up to share what's in our draft folders if enough people were interested. Since a few of you replied, I'm going to go ahead. Today's the day!

My own draft folder currently holds 37 posts. I'm just sharing a screenshot of the first 25.



I have no idea what some of these were supposed to be about. Some have actually been posted under other names (like Snakes on a Plane in San Francisco). There's an emergency "Six Word Saturday" post, just in case I completely forget to set it up the night before. And a post about "boobs".

I don't know if any of these will ever be blessed with the "publish" button. Probably a lot of them need the "delete" button instead.

Now it's your turn, because I know some of you have much more interesting draft folders. Just take a screenshot or type out what's in your draft folder. You can either share it in the comments or post it on your own blog. If you play along in your blog, please add a link to the Mr. Linky. Please be sure to link either to your main page or (preferably) directly to the appropriate post. Links back to this post are appreciated!

What's on Draft? A Link-Up

I'll start by confessing that for years I asked what beers a bar had on draft. Thank goodness for homophones so they didn't realize I'm a moron. But when I saw "draught", I thought that was pronounced drought.

But this post isn't really about beer. At least, it wasn't supposed to be. It's supposed to be about the infamous draft folder we all have tucked away in our blogs. That place where great ideas never quite got off the ground. A holding cell for the posts we aren't brave enough to publish. Every so often I like to go through and remove a bunch that I don't think are worth keeping. Like recently, this happened:



No, I have no idea what I was thinking when I punched "new post" and typed that in. There wasn't even any content beyond the title. It's like when you scribble yourself a really important note but then when you find it again later you can't remember what it was about.

I was thinking how fun it might be to take a sneak peak into your draft folders. If a million people anyone is interested, I can set this up as a linky in a few days - just let me know in the comments.

Regardless, I'll post my draft folder soon. It's an interesting place sometimes, inside my head.

The What's on Draft? link-up will happen on May 20th! Come back that day to share and poke around some draft folders!

P.S.And now I see that both draught AND draft are acceptable when referring to beers. So I've confessed to being stupid with no real purpose.
P.P.S. And also Joe has informed me that it makes more sense all around to ask what's on tap. Brilliant.
P.P.P.S I swear I was sober when I wrote this post.

I Should Shush

Trying something new today. Some heavy things on my mind so I'm just going to let them flow in hopes that it will be therapeutic.

Sometimes I talk too much. I share too much. I'm the kind of person who holds things in for far too long and then it all comes whooshing out - including all related issues or non-related issues. Sometimes it's because I just can't hold it in anymore. Sometimes it's because I feel like the right thing to do is to share myself.

Often, the more you don't talk, the more I do talk. "We each fill the silence with our own insecurities." (That's from a short-lived but brilliant show called Keen Eddie.) I certainly fill the silence with mine.

I keep talking, hoping something will trigger a response. Some reassurance. Questions. Even an objection.

Silence.

When it's over, instead of feeling good for opening up and making myself vulnerable, I worry that you now see me as a burden. Weak. Worse yet, crazy.

And that's why I stay so locked up inside my own head. Because every time I start to feel a bit of self-confidence and I want to own who I am, I regret it later. Rather than feeling empowered, I feel ashamed and wish I could take it all back.

I don't know how to change the way I feel about that. I don't know if it's ME that needs to change how I feel about that. But the one thing I do know is that I'm doing the right things now for me, and I'm going to keep doing them.

P.S. Alanis Morissette might consider this post ironic - free flow babble about how I talk too much. I've been told though that most of the things she calls ironic aren't actually ironic. Also? I don't think Alanis Morissette cares about this post.

Not Amused

This morning, I find myself aggravated about something that has nothing to do with me. But, hey, it's my blog so why not?

Charlie Sheen has been all over the news lately. People are flocking to follow his Twitter account - as of this writing, he has 782,001 followers even though his account is less than 24 hours old. He's the topic of water cooler discussion and countless jokes.

Know what? I don't find Charlie Sheen funny. And here's why:

In addition to one adult daughter, he has four children under the age of seven. This man clearly has on-going issues with substance abuse. I saw someone tweet earlier that "I'm so glad the police came and took his twins away." Really? That's something to be glad about? Babies who aren't yet two years old being taken by police?

If Charlie Sheen was your uncle or your neighbor, you wouldn't be laughing and joking. You'd be praying he would get some real help and be well for the sake of those children.

Most of us get to have our meltdowns in private. While celebrities choose to be in the spotlight, that doesn't mean they aren't also real people with real issues. These aren't scripts and characters they are acting out for our entertainment. Maybe rather than parading them around on 20/20 or making them the top entertainment headline of every "news" show we should leave them to deal with their demons in peace. If your drunk uncle grabbed the microphone at a wedding and started spouting off the things that are coming from Charlie Sheen, you'd cut power to the mic and drag him off the stage. You wouldn't continue to enable him by signing him up for an encore performance.

This morning, I just find myself rubbed the wrong way by all of the people that choose to point and laugh at what is obviously a very sick man. Maybe instead of making a spectacle of him, we could go for a bit of compassion and think some kind thoughts for him and his family that he finally receives the help he needs to conquer these issues for good.

Maybe some of you disagree. Maybe you think I'm taking it too seriously. Or maybe we could all try for a bit of humanity.

End of rant.

P.S. In the time it took me to write this post, he added another 12,000 followers on Twitter. How sick.

Let It Out or Let It Go?

My six words this past Saturday referenced my recent lack of bloggy mojo but if I'm honest with myself, it's a lot more than that.

I sit down to blog and the words stick. I debate how much to share and about what topics. I abandon posts in draft because I feel some obligation to my readers and some deep desire within myself to be funny or entertaining or at least light-hearted and I'm just not feeling it.

I've got a lot of stuff in my head right now and I'm wondering how best to deal with it all. Hmm, can the crazy dreams be that much of a coincidence? (Meditation before bed, btw, is helping a lot.) Sometimes I think that it's best not to give these fears and issues a voice; not ignoring them, exactly, but also not putting them down in black and white. Or is it a better idea to write them out, acknowledge, and then (hopefully) move on? Let it out or let it go?

Screw it. I started this blog over two years ago as a place I could be honest and voice those thoughts and fears openly. Anonymous in name but authentic in all else. And right now, I'm going through a lot of stuff. It's not big stuff in the scheme of the world. I have enough food, I have enough money, I have enough things. But I don't have enough peace or love or direction.

So, dear reader - and I mean that, because some of you have become amazing friends - I'm going to let it out, in hopes that it will facilitate letting it go. Also, maybe by letting some of these words out, I'll also be able to find some of that light-hearted face-punching first-fursdaying fun. Because I miss that, a lot.

I hope some of you will stick by me while I try to get back not only my blogging mojo but my life mojo. It's overdue but I feel like I've come as close to hitting bottom as I dare allow and I'm ready to fight my way back up.

Here goes nothing everything!

How I Measure Christmas Success

Today is December 26th, safely the day AFTER Christmas. Looking back (all the way to yesterday), I thought I'd weigh the pros and cons to see if Christmas was a success.

What unit of measurement did I choose? Dollars spent? Cards mailed? Smiles on gift recipients? Laughs shared?

No. The best measurement of Christmas success is dependent on only one thing:

That damn song about the shoes. You know the one. I've mentioned it before.

And no, I didn't hear it. I was afraid the few times I went into stores where I was at the mercy of their mood music but they spared me the horror. I didn't even hear it on the radio.

So by my standards, Christmas was a huge success. Yay!

Murdering Cats

I can't believe how strongly some of you feel about murdering cats. Everyone's so sure to clarify that they, personally, have NEVER murdered a cat.

Obviously, none of you have tried to work at home in the company of Tonya.

As previously reported on this here blog, I've been working my tushie off both on classes and on this ridiculous project for the office. The work project is so insane that the boss has actually allowed me to work from home additional days each week to decrease the number of interruptions that he insists on causing.

Instead, I have the distraction of one not-so-small fluffy cat named Tonya. As I work downstairs, I hear her throughout the day jumping on and off the dresser upstairs. It sounds a bit like the world is ending and meteors are bursting through the ceiling. Then, there's the meowing. She's in mourning (I'll let her fill you in on that next week) and cries constantly. Meowwwwwwwww. MEOwwwwwwwwwww. MEOWWWWW!!!

Because I came into the office yesterday and she wasn't able to stalk me during my waking hours, she made sure to get revenge by barfing on the (new) bedroom carpet around 4am. I don't think it's a coincidence that she chose my side of the bed.

So, yes, while on first glance "murdering cats" may seem like a harsh action, you must understand where I was coming from when the words spilled forth from my fingers. I invite any of you to spend a day at House O' Cate, Location Undisclosed with this particular cat and tell me the idea wouldn't at least cross your mind.

P.S. I never wanted this to be a cat blog.

P.P.S. Thought cornering the market on a "murdering cat" blog might be kind of cool.

P.P.P.S. No, she's not mourning the passing of Rusty. He's fine. It's just that he spends his days curled up either on the sofa or the back porch being good.

PETA.P.S Back off. No cats were harmed in the writing of this post (or any other). No cats will EVER be harmed on my watch. However, meat will be eaten. Not cat meat.