2013/05/31

Ooh! Pretty, Pretty!

Da Goddess @ 09:36

One of my favorite e-newsletters sends me design/creative links from around the web. usually gets an email or two from me when I find the more fabulous things. Occasionally, I actually remember I could post the links on the blog, too. (Color me super blonde at times.)

Today, colorful paper art caught my eye and I thought it was time to share.

I hope y’all enjoy the pretty find.

Morning Tea

Da Goddess @ 08:43

A couple days before my birthday, King Arthur took me up to see Craig Ferguson’s Late Late Show tape. (We got to do two tapings – first with Paul Reiser, second with William Shatner [whose hysterical first story was edited out of the broadcast]!) Whilst waiting in line to get in, we met a lovely woman who was in town specifically to see Craig. Naturally, she and I hit it off right away; we’re both Craigophiles to the nth degree. As we were talking, it came up that we were there as part of my birthday celebration, so after King Arthur had gone to buy me a souvenir (a LLW t-shirt), she went to the gift store as well and then surprised me with a coffee mug. What a sweet thing to do!

My awesome Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson mug

So now this is how I enjoy my morning beverage and relive some wonderful memories all at the same time. How cool is that?

2013/05/24

Slowly I Turned…

Da Goddess @ 01:07

…and managed to get into the chair to edit a few photos from the end of April.

Ren Faire

Ren Faire

I have a few more photos in the works, but I’ve been a bit distracted as King Arthur and I prepare the house for the arrival of Little Dude. He’ll be here for the entire three day weekend. YAY!

2013/05/20

More Bacon!

Da Goddess @ 18:00

It seems I mumble in my sleep. And I dream of bacon. More bacon, to be exact. I don’t remember that particular dream, but the man says it’s so and I guess I have to believe him. It does sound like something I’d say, though. I love bacon.

Bonus bacon today: we had the guy out here to work on the internet and tv connection. Everything’s working really well now and I actually have wi-fi! Ahhhh, yes! It’s like Christmas morning for a 5-year old. For the first time in 7 or 8 months, I’m writing from my laptop. No more juggling flash drives with photos or waiting for a connection (while the other person grumbles about no tv). We be back in business!

As for my birthday weekend, it was absolutely delightful. I had a wonderful time and have spent the last two days recovering. Lots of rest and relaxation after doing a lot of walking and sweating (it wasn’t particularly warm on Saturday, but Ren Faire garb tends not to be super light or airy).

Thanks to everyone for the birthday greetings! Big love going back to all of you.

P.S. Don’t forget: whatever else you do, always ask for more bacon.

2013/05/18

Happy Birthday to Me!

Da Goddess @ 00:01

Ah, yes. That time of year again. First it’s a blogiversary and then this.

My drink of choice:

Beam Black

Please take a few moments today to celebrate with me. Sit down in a quiet place with a cool beverage in hand and join me as I thank my lucky stars for the many blessings life has brought my way. Know that I thank you all for your love and kindness over the years. Know that my birthday wishes include only the best for all of you.

Now, let’s get to the cake! (Flavor: anything your heart desires)

Happy birthday to me

2013/05/17

In Poor Taste: American Idol’s Finale

Da Goddess @ 00:50

Let me preface this by saying: I am not an American Idol fan. It’s not a show that’s really in my wheelhouse at all. So, why am I writing about the show now? Because King Arthur loves it and I love him. He watches, so I watch alongside him. I don’t have to pay attention to anything going on. I can play Sudoku on my cell phone or text friends while it’s going on. He wants to be with me, I endure. The one thing that I can do and do enjoy is that I can tell you what kind of reaction the judges will have and who is the next to go home. You know me and my love for music! I’ve known for the last four weeks who’d be going home and who would win, simply because I know my music, I know what a singer should bring to a performance, and who has the reach to gain a bigger audience once they’re through with the show. So, for the first time in my life, I’m regularly watching Idol and I’m now officially pissed off at one of their stunts.

Last night? I plugged my ears during Mariah’s performance and largely ignored the majority of everything else. Except! Except when they had a little sketch dealing with the males’ eliminations. They called it “Sabotage”. During this skit, they showed the girls talking the guys into telling jokes during their time on stage, wearing crazy clothing, dropping drugs into one contestant’s drink, stealing another contestant’s “lunch money”, and…SCREEEEEEEEEEEECH!

What? Since when did slippin’ a couple mickeys into a drink become okay (as done by the youngest contestant this season)? Since when did “bullying” become okay? Even only in jest. Let’s think about this for a moment: millions of kids watch this show. They’re impressionable. They aren’t all old enough to know that this is just pretend and supposed to be silly. And they observe their favorites doping one another and then holding another one upside down as they shake all the money from his person.

Bad idea, AI writers! Really. Bad. Idea. Colossally bad idea. ENORMOUSLY HUGE BAD IDEA!

Earlier yesterday, a Los Angeles high school was shut down after one girl stabbed another in the bathroom. At another LA area school had graffiti sprayed all over it targeting black students, saying, “Ni@@ers gotta die!” And a couple college campuses were shut down because someone called in a threat of an attack. Tell me again how bullying of any sort is “all in fun”. It’s not. It’s a fact of life for far too many young kids and here is one of the most watched shows in the country treating it as a joke.

And the whole dropping a couple pills into a drink thing? Excuse the hell outta me! That’s just so OBVIOUSLY wrong and in poor taste. Poor JUDGMENT! Ya feel me here on this one, folks?

A couple years back, in San Diego, someone spiked a teacher’s drink with hallucinogens. Funny? No. Teacher got very ill. I’ve heard it’s happened elsewhere as well. Plus we know this happens frequently in pick-up bars and at parties. It’s NOT COOL! It’s NOT FUNNY!

So I feel American Idol‘s writers and entire team of producers and directors, and even the participants in the skit, should apologize out the ass to the entire nation and they should have to run endless PSAs about how none of these “funny” actions are really funny and that they are, in fact, inappropriate joke material for a show with a rather large young audience. Drugging someone is ILLEGAL. Drugging someone to win a contest is also illegal and downright immoral. If you need to cheat to win, then guess what? Give up and go home, practice your craft more. But play fair.

I wonder if any of the contestants who had to participate in this charming sketch had any reservations about doing it. I hope they did. I hope they at least talked someone out of showing the girls ganging up on the boys and killing them one by one.

Shame on you, AI!

I’m so seriously ticked off about this that I had to get out of bed to write this little screed.

A television show aimed at families, aimed at young people, should never make light of such serious topics.

All in fun, my ass.

The American Idol team responsible for greenlighting that bit of insanity has some ‘splainin’ to do if you as me.

If you’re a fan of the show, what did YOU think about? (I didn’t care who won, even though I knew it could ONLY be Candice, but that’s not the question I’m asking. So focus on the “all for a laugh” horror show they gave us and let me know what you thought. Also tell FOX.

2013/05/16

11 Years?

Da Goddess @ 00:01

I’ve been blogging for 11 years at this point. It’s a rather curious thing to me to still be at it after all this time.

I’m certain I’m no better a writer than I was when I started, but I know I’m a better editor for it. I’m no better a person than I was when I started, but I’m far more enriched by the friends I’ve made along the way. I hope in some way I’m a better friend as the result — not from blogging, but from the lessons of their friendship. I’m happier now than I was when I began. Sure, there have been many changes in my life along the way, but I am finally content to be who I am, proud of the two children who inhabit my heart, loving the right man, being loved by the right man, living in the right home, and just…to be.

There is no guarantee of where I’ll be tomorrow or the next day, week, month, or year. There is no guarantee of anything in this life (except death, no?). Yet, because of this blog, because of the wonderful friends and discoveries I’ve made along the way, I’m okay without any guarantees.

Don’t know about you, but I’m looking forward to the next adventure lying around the next corner. And, I hope you’ll still be around the campfire for the tales as they arise.

2013/05/13

Worst Bands of the 90s

Da Goddess @ 00:39

According to Rock Magazine the worst bands of the nineties shakes out to look a little something like this:

1. Creed
2. Nickelback
3. Limp Bizkit
4. Hanson
5. Nirvana
6. Hootie and the Blowfish
7. Bush
8. Spin Doctors
9. Ace of Base
10. Dave Matthews Band

Only thing missing from the list is all the rap/hip hop crap and Beck. I can deal with Hanson. I can deal with Hootie. I can deal with Spin Doctors and Nirvana. Still and all, I’m thrilled to see my two least favorite bands at the top of the list. Makes a girl happy to know there are others with as much disdain for mediocrity as I.

2013/05/10

The (e)X Factor

Da Goddess @ 16:39

“You’ve seen the monster, now I invite you to quit stalking me,” I said, as coolly as I could muster. “Do you have any other business to take care of with him?”

“I’m not stalking you,” she said.

“Then why are you suddenly following me on Facebook? Are you done with all business between the two of you?”

A look of panic crossed her face and she sputtered a bit before replying, “I’m not! I’m not following you anywhere.”

“I get notifications when someone follows me on Facebook. So, if you’re done with him you should be DONE with him. No stalking allowed.”

“Oh, uh, well, I…uh…I was just curious.”

I did my best to keep it together. It wasn’t easy. I’ve been there, done that enough in the past to know I don’t want to play these games with anyone ever again. “Be curious no more. You’ve been blocked and now it’s truly over.”

I watched her drive away and walked back to the car. I waited for King Arthur to finish up in the bank. He finally showed up at the car and I asked if he was okay.

“Not really. I didn’t want to have to deal with her and I don’t like what’s been going on,” he replied.

“I know, babe. But it’s done now. Let’s go take care of our business and shake off the crap.”

He looked at me and I knew it was going to be okay. No more of this ex-girlfriend shit to deal with. No more of her games. If she tries anything else, she’s the one who’ll have trouble on her hands. She was the one who went around bragging (to his friends…and WHO DOES THAT??) how she stole money from him and she’s the one who’ll have to answer for it should she continue to mess with him.

The road to happiness isn’t always easy, but once you get over the really big potholes, it sure is worth it.

And yes, I did call myself the monster.

2013/05/01

Hello, handsome. Is that a ten-gallon hat or are you just enjoying the show?

Da Goddess @ 19:33

I’m on a weird sort of merry-go-round of exhaustion. Barely made it through Monday. Was dead dog tired yesterday. Today? I’m just sore and fatigued, and yet, I’m unable to nap.

Since it’s evening, I will just stay up until it’s time to go to bed and then hope to hell I can somehow sleep well enough that this weekend isn’t ruined.

Speaking of this weekend, one of the best things to come of this new relationship is the Ren faire guild and their amazing reading program. They believe in creating readers as soon as possible — children who read do better in school, and in life, than non-readers. Of course, I know any of you following the blog are fans of reading, too, so it’s we’re all cool on that front. But, to band together with a bunch of other like-minded folks and actively promote reading is just such a blessing!

While faire is all fun and games for the adults, the fact that we get to do something very positive for the children is just aces in my book.

Yeah. I punned. That’s how tired I am. I can’t be helped.

God, please get me through the next 24 hours with lots of rest!

Wish Fulfillment

Da Goddess @ 06:00

Four and a half years ago I posted of a wish:

If I’m ever to be a pirate or a pirate’s lady, this, for certain, is how I wish to appear. I know not her name nor from where she hails, but I gazed upon her with admiration. This is how I want to look. Fearless, bold — in a word, audacious; even a little bawdy if I desire. I want to be a pirate’s dream and charm the serpents of the seas. Someday I shall.

(more…)