Da Goddess

Okey dokey.

I’ve been at this blogging thing for 23 years as of today. I originally began blathering on about Zach Galifianakis, nursing, illness, politics, and kids. I haven’t blogged about 3/5 of those in a long time. I also used to do a lot more creative writing*.

LD is off living in the middle of the country. A manager at a specialized footwear company. Mojo is in the process of yet another move because military life requires it. Both kids are safe and happy and that’s everything I could ever want for my babies.

Nursing hasn’t been a subject because it’s been such a long time since I’ve actually been a nurse. I still miss it. I read my articles. I take the free CEU courses just to keep my mind active. I was a caregiver for GmaB and that was a wonderful experience that filled my heart and soul in ways I didn’t know I needed. But actual nursing in a hospital setting was a lifetime ago. And I miss it.

Zach. Wow. He’s been a busy man over the years! His turn Chip Baskets alone was enough to cement him in some acting hall of fame.

Politics have been mostly focused on the current climate, which is disappointing on every front. I’ve stated in previous posts how this regime has used its power to dismantle much of what has always truly made America great and how it’s turning America into the laughing stock of the world, complete with backing Russia (c’mon, it’s hard to ignore trump’s attempts to curry favor with all the wrong people for all the wrong reasons) and other despotic countries. Even today, we watch as a former reality star seeks ways to enrich himself as the reelected president while simultaneously stripping everyone who isn’t a millionaire or billionaire of the services for which we’ve paid taxes. He’s currently striking deals in the Middle East that will earn him and his family’s businesses unlimited returns in financial form. He previously spoke of Qatar in less than flattering terms:

U.S. relations with Doha have come a long way since 2017, when Trump accused Qatar of harboring terrorism: “The nation of Qatar, unfortunately, has historically been a funder of terrorism at a very high level,” Trump said at the time. — via Fox News

The only thing that’s changed for trump since then, frankly, is the money. Qatar wants to buy a ton of jets, and they’ve offered to gift a jet in their current fleet to trump. No quid pro quo there, right? The whole thing reeks of it.

Okay, I’m done talking about the orange pretender. This is supposed to be a celebratory post.

Health is healthing as per usual. Ever since the middle of March, my left shoulder has been growing progressively more painful, has decreased range of motion, and has increasing weakness. Putting on or taking off my bra is impossible unless I sling it around my waist, do up the clasps in front, spin the bra around to the back, gingerly thread my arm into it, and then sliding up the straps. If only I could do that with my shirts! As well, shampooing my hair is so painful, I do my best to cry in the shower and hope hot water loosens up the joint enough to help me dry off and get dressed. The rest of the time, I just hope and pray for the best. What else can you do?

So, here it is, twenty-three years after I started this thing. I’m still here in some capacity. Each year, I vow (at least to myself) to try harder to post more. I don’t feel bad when I fall short. Not anymore. Life is too full of other things.

If you’re reading this, thank you. <3 <3 <3

I hate coconut and refuse to ingest it voluntarily. The texture and taste are off-putting. I don’t mind the smell most of the time. That said, if I read 728 peer reviewed studies touting coconut’s health benefits, I would understand the information, synthesize it, share it with others in my own fashion, and continue to eschew it for myself. That’s part of my experience throughout the k-12 educational system. I also learned how to read studies in their most technical aspects as a nurse. I can share the information whilst knowing it’s still not something I can ingest personally unless the taste and texture are completely masked.

The Coke v Pepsi argument? One is sweeter than the other. One is more carbonated than the other. I prefer one, but would not turn down the other if it was the only option available. Or, I would go without. I could easily spend 20 minutes discussing the pros and cons with someone, although I choose to spend that time discussing topics of much greater interest to me and the person with whom I’m conversing.

If I’m talking with someone who has greater knowledge and experience about a topic, I’ll listen, ask questions, and then research more on my own time to educate myself further. I may or may not reach the same conclusions as my conversation partner, but I will have sought to educate myself further. That’s what learning is all about!

One of the greatest advantages of being human is the gift of obtaining knowledge, processing it through the complex computer network we call the brain, and being able to use that information to improve our lives and the lives of those around us. Unfortunately, there are entire swaths of people who opt out of the onboarding of information, choosing to merely parrot the words of others because they feel someone else has already done the hard work for them. They have denied themselves, their families, their friends, and their communities of the opportunity to grow. They’ll choose to amplify misinformation, regardless of how insane it sounds. They’ll prop up the ignorant. And they’ll worship at the feet of the inept, corrupt, and the cruel. That’s why it’s imperative for us to seek out a wiiiide range of sources, find studies that are backed by peer review, and take the time to think critically for ourselves. Otherwise we’re all just chanting the same nonsense before we drink the special Kool-Aid.

Critical thinking is essential to growth. Read from a variety of sources, including those with views that challenge what you have learned thus far. Compare and contrast the information you’ve gathered. Seek out the source material. Dig into the peer reviews. Challenge yourself to get to the basis of the information you’ve found. And THEN formulate your opinion.

Like all of us, I have had my share of experiences where I’ve allowed others to think for me. I have chosen to go along with what I’ve heard without bothering to look into it. That was always to my detriment. I made a concerted effort to break myself of employing that shortcut because I no longer wished to perpetuate the spread of misinformation. It’s still tempting to want to take that route, but I look at the note I’ve saved to my welcome message on my phone: “Did you verify it?”*

That simple question is part of a process. There are other questions I ask along the way: “Does it make sense when you examine it from every angle? Is there any information that you could receive that would change your perspective? Is this something you feel comfortable standing by 100%? How does this sound when you speak it out loud? Does it ring true?”

If I have even one piece of information that doesn’t fit, I go back to the drawing board. I have to. I do it because there are some topics that are far too important to allow incorrect and/or incomplete information to be shared.

Critical thinking is a specialized skill that we humans need to use.

Thank you for coming to my TEDtalk. There will be no further questions at this time. (Yes, there will. But be specific, and be prepared for a well-researched response.)

* Verifying, for me, requires at least three unrelated sources. Peer reviewed. Published by respected medical, technical, academic, industrial journals. Everything needs to be based on the latest studies. I don’t want white papers, either. I don’t want white paper “experts” using their limited scope in a subject (they’re considered an “expert” while lacking the license and actual experience in a particular field) clouding or biasing their position. I want full studies from the people who ran the experiments, have used the methods, and have verified the results are repeatable. I’m a picky bitch, but I know how easy it is to get caught in the excitement of a solution, a cure, a revolutionary new way to do something, or a new product that will change lives forever. It’s little things like these that keep me feeling more confident in the future. And so now you know.

Every year, this is how I celebrate.

Merry Christmas, friends! May you always remember the best moments of life and love today. You are loved. You are valued. You are seen. Merry Christmas.

Here’s Justin Hines.

I’m pretty sure I post these videos every Christmas Eve and I love each of them more with each passing year.

One of my favorite songs for this time of year.

Not that I come close to baby Jesus or even the Great and Holy Theotokos, but a manger has been found and I am thrilled.

It’s good to have the search finally over.

Now, I can focus on getting healthy again. We’ve all been sick here. This is round two. It’s kicked our asses. I’m at the blowing my nose and getting grayish-brownish-greenish goo or blood. The sore throat is abating. The body aches are barely existent. All signs that I’m going in the right direction. Small wins are still wins.

I was going to post a video for Away in a Manger, but I couldn’t find a version I liked. Instead, I bring you The Season’s Upon Us from the Dropkick Murphys.

May you be warm, cozy, and comfortable as Christmas Eve Eve progresses.

I’ve been MIA for a long time, obviously. My excuse? Dealing with crazy ass people, moving (three times in less than three months), dealing with nice people, trying to get some semblance of normalcy (quit laughing!) in my life, dealing with grief throughout all of this insanity, etc., etc., etc.

Currently looking for a new place to live and actually call home for at least a year. At this point, I don’t care where it is. I just want to be somewhere drama-free, affordable, and comfortable.

Adventures in house hunting: -30/10. Do NOT recommend. Ever. Particularly, and this is the least crazy, the man who showed me around the place (it was nice) and offered to knock off $300 if I would fuck him whenever he wanted. Oh, and it might not always be him. He might send a friend to have some fun. As I slowly backed out of the house, I thanked him, told him I wasn’t interested, and, as I closed the door, said he was fucking insane.

My head feels all ‘splodey. Good times.

I have until the 1st to find somewhere. I’m trying to find someplace sooner because I’m living with three other people (one of whom requires total care), two dogs, and four cats. It’s a two bedroom house. (Quit laughing!) I actually don’t mind most of it, except for the dogs jumping all over me while I’m trying to sleep, the cats fighting as they try to work out the rules (one human, one dog, two cats are recent additions), and sweeping up enough enough fur to assemble another giant dog every six hours. Today? We added two kids to the mix. Chaos. Good chaos. But, honestly, I would like a little quiet. A little. Just a smidgen.

I would also like to sleep for approximately three weeks. Sigh.

Other than that, life is bordering on Dullsville. What’s up with you?

It’s that time of year again! I’m commemorating the years I’ve been blogging while also celebrating my years on this planet.

These are not insignificant numbers. 22: how many people do you know who are still involved with something they started on a whim over twenty years ago? 58: there are people who predicted I’d never see this age. My, but I bet they’re surprised! Well, not all of them are still living. Hey, I had absolutely NOTHING TO DO WITH THEIR DEPARTURES!!! Life (and death) happens. No spells or curses were utter, purchased, or distributed. Not by me.

It feels a little funny to continue blogging despite no longer having a large readership. Hell, I’d be stretching to call what I have a small readership. Micro. I have a micro readership. And that’s all thanks to Pam. Love you, girlfriend! The thing is, I stopped writing for anyone else years ago. I write for me. If I bother to write, that is. This is just one of the places I call home. (Ah, yes. The pretense of having multiple homes. It’s my fantasy, I can have as many homes as I like. That’s my story and I’m sticking to it.)

So, here I am. Pretty much writing to myself and one or two others. I’m surprisingly okay with it. It’s a far cry from where I was twenty years ago, but things change. Funny how age can either drive you nuts or make you contented. Sometimes all in the same hour. That’s just life.

The truth is, I really like my life right now. I like where I am. I like where I live. I like who I live with (GmaB is truly an amazing lady who exudes goodness and love). I like who I am here. I like all the things I do. I’m taking care of someone. I’m in a home that was built with lots of love. If it weren’t for the major heat in the summer, it would be perfect. Actually, it is perfect. I don’t have to go outside in the heat except to take out the trash. There’s good air conditioning. See? I can’t even complain about the weather. Who am I anymore?

Having found this new wonderful state of mind, I feel like an idiot for not finding it sooner. It was always there for the taking. I just couldn’t see it. Now, I do.

And with that, I’ll bid you adieu for now and go have a birthday donut. Raspberry filled.

Here’s to whatever adventures come next!

Every year, this is how I celebrate Christmas.

Merry Christmas, friends! May you always remember the best moments of life and love today.

(more…)

One of my favorite songs for this time of year.

It’s pretty much the same for me every Christmas Eve. Well, musically. Mostly.

Here’s Justin Hines.

Epenthesis and Anaptyxis walked into a bar and confused the hell out of everyone.

This week’s new words are wonderful. Simply wonderful. Or should I say they’re “wonderaful”?

Epenthesis (eh-penth-e-sis) is the adding of a vowel or sound to a word in order to facilitate pronunciation. Like “es-top” or “stop-e(h)”. Or “bu-lue”.

More spectacularly, the addition of the vowel in epenthesis has a specific name: (you guessed it!) anaptyxis (an-app-tu-sis). Think of Yogi Bear telling BooBoo he’s going to get that “pic-a-nic” basket. That’s epenthesis and anaptyxis in action.

What’s even more fun is when Epenthesis and Anaptyxis are out drinking and they run into and are mesmerized by Paragoge. Paragoge also goes by the name Proparalepsis. (Can you tell I love this stuff?)

Paragoge/Proparalepsis “refers to the annexing of an expletive syllable”. In some cases, you can think of it as a nickname for words and, (ed: er…um…) names. Like “Johnny, for John;” “deary, for dear;” “withouten, for without.” (ed: Or my personal favorite “broughten, for brought.”)

When someone asks me “what kind of weirdo are you?” I’m the kind of weirdo who loves this shit. And that’s the honest to God truth. I’m also just a huge ol’ word nerd.

Stay tuned for more words I’ve encountered which have charmed and enchanted me. I have a list. Yeah, an actual list.

Feel free to share words of your own in the comments section.

I finally got a pic uploaded to the site, but I can’t post it. The file info is weird. The code I used to add it to the post is weird. When I save the post, the code duplicates itself and does funky shit to the code.

What I’m saying is this: WordPress, in its current configuration, sucks balls. Big ass dirty donkey balls.

This may well be the straw to end my blogging — after 21 years. I hate it. Hate it. Hate it. Hate. It. HATE IT. HATE. IT. HATE. HATE!!!

That is all.

End of transmission.

I’m 57 today. Fifty-fucking-seven. I know time goes to Cleveland*, so, then, can you explain how I ended up HERE?

I’ve also been blogging 21 years**. Twenty-fucking-one years. In this time I’ve had a career I loved, endured an attack on my career and my family by bloggers I had once thought of as friends, went to work at a new job, lost my career due to an on-the-job injury, lived in at least 16 different homes***, lost dear friends, gained a significant amount of weight, almost lost my sister TWICE, almost died myself when I developed sepsis, lost both parents, was diagnosed with diabetes, had a complete emotional breakdown, lost a not-so-insignificant amount of weight, developed a cataract that’s essentially blinded me in one eye, and I’m still fucking here.

During this time, I’ve also been privileged to watch my children become lovely adults. I’ve formed some truly beautiful friendships with people who are more like family. I’ve had amazing experiences. I’ve met legends. I’ve achieved some of my loftiest goals. I’ve lived, I’ve laughed, and, yes, I’ve even eaten, prayed, and loved.

Are there things I wished were different? Hell, yes! At the same time, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss out on what came next. You, know, the whole rainbow after the rain thing.

I believe we experience the worst of times to understand and appreciate the best of times. The roller coaster is only fun because of the ups and downs. Otherwise, it’s just a trolley ride across a flat town.

For those of you who are still around and commenting (Pam) or just blurking, thank you. I’m truly grateful. For those who have turned away, I wish you well (or, in one instance, have wished you hell [or at the very least, karmic comeuppance]). Mostly, I wish for the good stuff. Mostly. And that’s what I spend my time praying for. I can’t help myself; I’m a kind of a marshmallow deep down.

Here’s to another trip around the sun!

* ME: Where does the time go? LD: Cleveland.

** As of May 16.

*** It may be more, but I’m too exhausted by the thought of all that moving to list each place on paper and properly get the actual total.

Hope your blessings are too numerous to count.

Note: I’m having major issues with the site and only just now was able to sign in. I’m working on it.