Travel Tech Frustrations

I don't like it, but I am coming to terms with it.  As prepared, and as tech savvy, and as much as I spend on trying to stay connected while traveling... it is out of my control.  Hotel says "Wifi" -- that doesn't mean it is fast or even decent for that matter.  I swear, I have been trying to post for 4 days now,

 and "better late than never" is my mantra as of late.  :/

Fun weekend with the son and daughter-in-love.  Quite a distance to travel, but hey, we found some parking perks along the way!

We went to Kansas City to watch the NFL football game against my current team, the Cleveland Browns.  I told someone the other day, I am a Weeden fan, so I cheer for the Browns.  Kansas City is a great place, and it's hard to cheer against them -- so I told the fans in front of us, I hoped we both won.  Making friends wherever I go...

Here are the kids with our fun host, Fred.  A season ticket holder for many years, he was kind enough to ask us along.  We have an OSU connection with him, 

and so we all are on the same page there.

From left, new friends, Kenzey and Clay, and our hosts, Lu and Fred.  

What a great time we had!

Now this was the reason we were going to the game.  I said I was a Brandon Weeden fan.  Knowing he wasn't going to start, we also knew he wasn't hurt, so there was still the possibility he would play.  Well, that didn't happen.  

But we have another acquaintance on the Browns team, D'Qwell Jackson.  Pretty sure he is one of the captains, and his cute girlfriend is the one that bought that round of Chocolate Cake shots after our last Cleveland game.  Do I have to tell you they won?  And how nice of him to be in a picture with me when I was wearing a Weeden jersey! 

(I tried so hard to get rid of the red eyes.)

This guy is a rock star in the defensive backfield.  Watching this game from the end zone, I got to see him so clearly, and he is mighty scrappy.  All over the place.

Have I made it crystal clear how much I love football?  

I almost hate the fact that it is nearly November.  

Playoffs are right around the corner...

Okay, so the tears are fake, but I do believe that we put the fear of something into the Chiefs with their 7-0 record on the line.  My son assures me that the Broncos will take care of business in a couple of weeks.  Just show me a good game.  

This one was really good.

Travel Tech Frustrations

It's What's Up

No big news here.  Move on to MSN.com, or Perez Hilton, or some other exciting source of information if that's what you are looking for...

Still find myself on the road from time to time.  Just so happens that this time, I have a suitcase in my closet that isn't unpacked from the last time I left town.  Problem being -- it is time to pack again.  Is that bad or good?  Bad that I didn't fully unpack from last time, but definitely good to be going somewhere fun.  Football, anyone?

Still finding cool pink things for Breast Cancer Awareness in October...  Just this last week, I saw this new Origins Drink Up Hydrating Lip Balm.  Love. It.!!!

And this little beauty was one of those Good Morning America steals and deals at the first of the month, but I just got it a couple of days ago.  Super cute monogrammed cuff, I chose pink, made by Rustic Cuff, which is in Tulsa.  They come in several sizes, even XS.

(Insert here -- picture of fire in the fireplace.  Lily didn't proofread this very well.)

I have been begging for one of these...  hasn't happened yet.  We don't have any firewood.  I've never done it, but I always threaten to go to the grocery store and buy one of those bundles of 5 tiny logs for like $12.  He knows I won't really do that. 

Oh!  And I LOVE Katy Perry's new album, Prism.  Been listening to it non-stop since it dropped yesterday.  (I couldn't resist saying "dropped" -- trying to sound hip.)

It's What's Up

Falling Behind Randomness

Just can’t catch up.  Laundry, #fail.  Closet and cabinet organization, #fail.  Even the slow cars and stop lights haven’t been falling in my favor.

Recently we had a group of people over to the house, and I was out of town for about three days before the event.  Chill was the name of the game before I left, but when I got home less than 24 hours prior, panic was the new name of the game.  I was piling things up and putting them in cabinets.  Things were getting shoved into drawers and closets.  What a disaster.  These are things that need attention.  Some stacks of mail and bills were the first thing I went to when unearthing my messes.  Christmas gifts bought early were laying around on counters and shelves, not in the Christmas-gift-hiding-place.  Stacks of magazines, that I haven’t had time to read or look at yet, seem to be reproducing themselves.

Rest assured, I am counting the days to my favorite day of the year….  this year, November 2^nd – the end of daylight savings time.  My body just likes that setting better.

Funny thing.  Over the past week or so, I have seen and met people who are so nice.  Usually I notice that people are rude or abrupt, but I feel like I have been around sweet, compassionate and authentic people.  Just an observation.

Then I am clicking through my day, and all of a sudden, I remember…  we are going to be grandparents!  Whaaaa?????

I’m off to try and start getting some things done.  Happy Wednesday!  

Falling Behind Randomness

Grown Ups - deeper than it sounds

Who are the grown ups?  I've never been sure.  Not sure if I am one, although technically, I know I am.  Not sure about high school kids.  Some are close to being grown up, some are not.  People approaching 30 sometimes like to think they aren't really grown ups.  And then I have known older people than me, who have started to act not very grown up.

I am one of those people who tries super hard to think before she speaks, I mean, I try really hard.  My dad is so good at it.  But after almost 50 years under my belt of being verbal, I still say the wrong things at the wrong times.  In fact, I feel like I do it more often than most.  The worst thing is when you hurt someone that you love.  Usually, I can come up with a reason that the incorrect words have flown out of my mouth.  I am exhausted, I am uptight, I am unhappy about something -- call me the queen of excuses.  But words can't be taken back.  

Even if it was my opinion on any given day, it doesn't mean I meant it from the depth of my soul.  It doesn't matter, words can't be taken back.  I am old enough to know better.  People have spoken wrongly of me, and it made me mad.  People have spoken their mind, and it has hurt my feelings.  Have you heard that saying, "Be kind to everyone, because everyone is battling something"?  I'm pretty sure I have done it again.  I didn't think long enough before I spoke.

Knowing that I have this tendency, I try to make forgiveness one of the things I do best.  It is a priority for me to try and give people every chance in the world to play nice.  My fear of knowing how much forgiveness I need and will always need, is what fuels me to forgive others.  I don't do it expecting them to forgive me, although I hope they will, but I do it because I believe it is right and moral.  I am somewhat forgetful.  I believe that is God helping me with my forgiveness-ness, so I don't harbor ill will or cruel thoughts.  Another thing that I believe is that if I want and need forgiveness, I have to show it to others.  Although I am kind of paying it forward, I can't go back and fix the mess I made.  I was abrupt, and I spoke out of turn.  No one asked me what I thought, but I regurgitated my thoughts of the moment, and I deeply regret it.  Fixable?  I hope so.

Grown Ups - deeper than it sounds

Off The Grid

Everyone is busy.  I know that.  My week turned out in an unexpected way, but I am back to the blog, and it's late, but I had 5 minutes to spare while my Crest White Strips do their thing.

Tomorrow is an exciting day at my house.  Lots going on.  People coming and going, food with my favorite caterer, and I'm looking at a kind of messy house with no real plan of attack.  I must be getting old, because I am in no panic or worried state.  It is what it is.  We live here.  

I was able to see some people in the last couple of days that I haven't seen in a long time, and it was so great.  One of my friends and I talk about "perfect days" and how you know when you have had one.  I had one on Friday.  An unusual combination of sleeping in, seeing a friend with a new baby and a friend with a happy-birthday-3-year-old made for one of my perfect days.  They are few and far between but when you have a special one -- well, I can count mine on one hand.

We will catch up.  Just checking in....

Off The Grid

Job Interview

I have two really fancy, pretty high profile jobs.  Not. 

After consideration, maybe more.

Okay, they are probably kind of important, but I try to lay low.

Hey, no snide remarks about the possible dinosaur rolodex on my desk.  I use it.  

Don't judge.

Well, today I was at one of my jobs, and my dad came into my office, and he told me how he woke up this morning.  He apparently opened his eyes, sat up, and just started laughing.  My mom said, "What's so funny?"  (He got tickled just telling me the story.)  And he said, "remember when we went for that job interview,"' -- it was his first and last -- "and we traveled about two hours from home, and when we got there, L threw up all over you?"  I was only a few months old.  Obviously, she remembered, because they both got a good laugh out of it.  My mom would crack you up, she took full responsibility for the incident saying she 'overfed' me, she really shouldn't have done that, it was silly that she 'let' that happen.  My mom is pollyanna.

After the interview, which my mom and I did not attend any part of, (can you imagine?) we went to eat at a diner downtown.  Dad told me that a guy who was cooking in the kitchen came out into the restaurant because they weren't particularly busy.  Yes, a relentless thumb-sucker, I had it on lockdown in my mouth.  This total stranger, walked by, looked at me on my mom's lap, took my thumb out of my mouth, and dipped it straight into a bowl of sugar.  Not sure how I reacted to that, but I am sure it wasn't bad. Of course, that wet-dipped thumb went straight back to my mouth.  Word was, my eyes were as big as saucers.  Smart Baby Lily would have redipped her thumb again and repeated.  My guess is it happened one time.  But that dang thumb-sucking might have quite possibly be the end of me.  If you haven't read about my orthodontic, periodontic and swallowing therapy lessons and issues, then you know that thumb sucking was not very helpful in my situation.

If I could post an ancient picture of myself, it would totally lay you down laughing.  No doubt, I was quite possibly the most enormous baby ever.  I wasn't born huge.  I just grew to be that way.  It has been said that if I was hungry, I got to eat.  No rules.  No pediatrician dictating vegetables first, blah, blah, blah.  I would like to think that I turned out to be a normal sized adult.  But that was back in the day.  The day of germs, no anti-bacterial wipes in the car, and certainly we didn't have disposable diapers. Pretty sure they gave me all my immunizations.  Kidding.

Meanwhile, I'm off to look for a baby picture for a later post...  You're gonna get a real kick out of it!

Job Interview

Countdown

Finally, I can start counting down the days.  One of my favorite days of the year is approaching.  Not fast enough, but the autumnal equinox has come and gone, and I look forward to the end of Daylight Savings Time.  It's on November 3rd, this year.  

©iStockphoto.com/karen roach

The sooner the sun sets, the sooner my feet can come up off of the floor.  It gives me permission to stop and end the day.  Don't ask me why I allow a clock to dictate how my day is run.  Sometimes I just tend to be a follower.

I recently learned that this time change, falling back, is different in many places in the world.  For instance in Brazil, it is on Sunday, October 20th.  In Libya, it is on Friday, October 25th.  Greenland is on October 26th, and Lebanon is on the 27th.  There are different days for many of the European countries.  I never knew that.   Yes, it does appear that ours, on November 3rd, is the latest of them all.  Wonder who we can thank for that.

Who thought DST was a good idea anyway?  Apparently, Ben Franklin first suggested it in 1784, but it wasn't first adopted or used by any country until the early 1900's.  The idea is that it could increase tourism, and it cuts down on electricity use (lights, maybe -- but seems to me air conditioning would counteract that).  We could safely assume there was no modern air conditioning in 1916, during World War I.  But, as is usually the case, no one asked me.  But it could quite possibly be the "most wonderful time of the year."  Too bad they shortened it again in 2007.  Frankly, I would be happy with them leaving it alone.  Let it be one way or the other.  We can deal.

Countdown

Set The Tatas Free!

( . Y . )

Set The Tatas Free!

Not sure who came up with this or where it originated, but it will bring awareness, whether it offends you or not.  In keeping with my Breast Cancer Awareness month posts, I loved the fact that today, October 13th, has been declared "No Bra Day!"  

Oh.  My.  Goodness.  

We could really have a lot of fun with this.

Wish I had been in Paris to participate in this picture.  Click on the picture to read the blog I borrowed it from.

Here's the deal.  It is Sunday.  I go to church on Sunday.  Obviously, this morning wasn't the appropriate time for me to begin my participation in this much anticipated event.  We arrived home, and I set them free.  All the while, I was thinking of Martin Luther King, and doing a little impersonation in my head, "free at last, free at last, Thank God almighty, we are free at last."  I crack myself up sometimes.  Next, I kind of rolled my eyes, and thought, this really isn't a very good idea.  I need to go to Walmart in little while.  What have I gotten myself into?  Maybe I will just fit in, at least I'm not wearing pajamas.  Guess I'll wear a big sweatshirt.

Set The Tatas Free!

Still Waiting....

A couple of days ago I mentioned a girlfriend, much younger than me, that I had heard from after my mammogram/ultrasound post.  She found a lump and hadn't had it checked out yet.  She was upset and scared.

During this past week, she has had her first appointment, then another was scheduled, and I think yesterday, a third.  If that wasn't exactly the way it played out, then it is safe to say that she was in and out of doctors' offices and clinics almost all week.  Her initial news isn't great.  Wow.  To think that last week, she hadn't made the appointment, and this week she has already received scary news is a lot to process.  It is my understanding that nothing is definitive, but I haven't heard from her in over 24 hours, and I know she saw a surgeon yesterday.

Upsetting isn't a strong enough word.  Scared with and for her aren't strong enough words.  The only thing that comes out of my mouth is, "What can I do?  I mean it, what can I do?"  She has a supportive husband, a close-knit family; but her mother is far away, and her family has suffered a significant loss in the past year.

This road is familiar to me.  I haven't been the patient with the diagnosis, but I have been the friend.  The thing is, it always turns out different.  Sometimes it is over in an instant, and everything is back to normal before you know it.  Sometimes it is a longer journey, and as hard as it is on everyone, it can still turn out well.  Sometimes it ends in a way that no one wants.

A couple of days ago, I mentioned how you have to be your own best advocate.  If you aren't the one with the health problem, you can certainly back up the one who is.  If you are the patient, and you are busy being your own best advocate, you have to let people help you.  It is hard to ask for help.  When someone says, "how can I help?" -- the general thing that flies out of my mouth is, "I have no idea, I'll let you know."  But picking up that phone and asking someone to do something that you think sounds out of the ordinary or is way out of bounds, is pretty dang hard.  Surround yourself with people who love you, and let them help.  

That is the same advice I would give to a new mother.  There is a major upheaval in your life.  Everything changes very fast and all at once.  You are loved.  Sometimes people don't know how to help, and sometimes they do.  Let them help, and don't be afraid to ask if they don't volunteer.  As Ellen says at the end of every show, "Be kind to one another."

XOXO

Still Waiting....

Food & Drink Photography

If you have had dinner out with me, you know it is nothing unusual for me to whip out my camera and start clicking away if something is photo-worthy.  I am definitely a gastropub kinda girl, so there are plenty of opportunities to take pics during meals.

Can't even remember where I was.  I can assure you this was an appetizer, not my meal.

Now this dish I can recall every detail.  This butterfish is quite possibly the best preparation of fish I have ever tasted.  It is flaky, probably made with 3 sticks of butter, no kidding -- just melts in your mouth.  Okay.  The sushi.  I am not a big fan, but I am sure it is because I don't know what I am doing. These California roll portions were fabulous, and being all vegetables and rice, I can see that there is nothing unknown to be afraid of...  Suggestions welcome on how to enjoy and learn to like sushi.

Very common combination for me.  You know how much I love my unsweetened iced tea, so I order it with nearly everything -- even other drinks.  

It kind of doubles as a safety measure.  

Well, look there.  I must like this combination.  I ordered it again somewhere else...

Looks like I got the camera out a little late on this one.

There is no one more boring in the food and drink intake department than me.  If I have had it, and I like it, I want to have it again.  Even if it is just a different preparation.  Don't make me risk getting something I won't enjoy.  I'll try yours, and maybe get it next time, but when I am hangry (hungry + angry) and cranky, I need to eat.

This is just still water in a pretty bottle.  We couldn't quit talking about all the cool things we could do with this bottle, or a collection of these bottles...

Note:  the water glass is empty.

This was a berry beer in Amsterdam.  Surprisingly good.  I would have never guessed.

Just a Coke.  If I had to tell you I had a habit, it would be this one.  I drink a Coke every day.  Practically every single day.  You just have to be careful how you say it.  Don't say, "She has a Coke habit."  And don't say, "She's addicted to Coke."  Thanks.

A few times in my life, someone has shown up with a glass of champagne and just handed it to me.  I don't love champagne, but under circumstances like that, "no, thanks," just doesn't seem like the appropriate answer.  

"Thank you very much," is the thing to do.

Okay, from time to time I try something new, and I like it.  You never know.

Seems like this one wasn't quite as delicious as it looked, 

but it reminds me of a perfect day.

When I am at home, I am lazy.  No time for mixing.  Pulling a cork is fast and easy.  The choice is the hard part.  

Hope you don't think I am a lush.  I just had these pictures of drinks from the last few months that make me crack up when I look at them.  I mean, who takes pictures of their drinks and food?

Food & Drink Photography

Still October....

That means it is still Breast Cancer Awareness month.  I had an unbelievable response to my mammogram/ultrasound post last week.  My hopes were that one person would be moved to get checked or at least schedule a mammogram.  Well, I had a few that came back with that good news.  But one in particular has been on my heart for over a week now.  A young girl, with kids, one particularly young, had found a lump about a month or 6 weeks ago, and she didn't do anything about it.  She said, because of my post, she got an appointment and went in...  She said I made it sound like it was no big deal.  #littlevictory  She is waiting on her results. 

I didn't mean to play it down.  It is important to get screened.  And if you are young and your insurance balks, your doctor can help you.  One thing you always have to remember is that you are your own best advocate.  No one will ever stand up for you like you will.  No one will do all the same kind of research and ask the questions that you will ask.  This isn't only applicable in dealing with cancer.  It applies if you break a bone, if you have allergies, if you have heart problems, -- any medical condition, really.  So stand up for yourself. 

You have to schedule the yearly appointment and get yourself there.  You have to call the dentist and schedule those appointments twice a year.  You have to be ready and aggressive when that doctor comes in your exam room and acts like they have 500 people waiting, so they're in a super big hurry.  Don't back down.  Take your list of questions.  Don't talk fast because the doctor is.  Don't be afraid to get a second opinion -- about anything.  Living in a remote part of the country has made me the kind of patient that I am today.  If I have to drive two hours to see a specialist for one thing or another, by golly, I better get to ask every question I have.  If I have to wait an hour or even 30 minutes to see any doctor, I better get to ask every question I have.  (I could totally go off right here on waiting -- like your and my time isn't important, too?  But I will refrain.)

The reason I can say these things is because I am old.  Older.  Whatever.  When I was young, I was easily intimidated, especially by a doctor.  I could barely speak.  I thought I was bothering them because they "were so busy."  At age 21, after a surgery, I had a surgeon who was so abrupt, I couldn't even do the talking when he came in the room.  Mike had to do it for me.  He was gruff, acted irritable, and he appeared annoyed that he had to come in and check on me.  A young doctor was training under him, and he stayed behind one day and told us that this guy was the very best at what he did.  He apologized and agreed that his bedside manner was one of the worst, but we all decided, who would you rather have work on you, a doctor that is good with a horrible bedside manner, or a doctor who is horrible with a good bedside manner?  Easy decision.  I made a little progress during that hospital stay by forcing myself to ask questions, by making him take more than 45 seconds to look at the stupid ugly staples he put 10 inches across my abdomen instead of stitching it up so the scar might be less noticeable.  I was 21.  Seriously.  Huge scar.  Not very considerate.  Pretty sure my life wasn't in danger, so you would think he could take the time to charge me 3 million more dollars and hide the scar.  We had insurance.  *eyeroll*  I have another scar totally hidden--lesson learned, it can be done.  

Heck, you can be intimidated by a nurse, or the receptionist!  Ridiculous, huh?  I have a special voice that I use in those situations.  I lower it, speak a little slower, and use as few words as possible, while looking them straight in the eye.  It's firm, but polite.

This topic wasn't where I was headed today, but it's where we went.  Lily is a loose cannon.

Still October....

Couldn't Wait For Winter

First of October came and went.  I know winter is right around the corner.  The time change, truly my favorite day of the year, will not come soon enough. 

I do love my football -- but there are several football-less days during the week.  Additionally, Dexter had its finale and ended forever, as did Breaking Bad.  Just a complete travesty that I will never watch those shows again.  The two critical football and finale items, coupled with the fact that I'm not worth much of a flying flip after my exercise torture delivered by the local drill sergeant -- after 6:30 PM, means I need to be seated when I get home... if not horizontal.  So I delivered an ultimatum to the rest of my family.  (Did you remember I have an empty nest?)  That's right, so I tell the Mister that I will be retreating to the man cave to start watching my new series -- he can join me, or ... not.  I have been dying to start the Showtime series, Homeland.  Yes, I am late to the party, but better late than never.

Oh.  My.  Goodness.

I knew it was going to be good, but this story is clicking right along.  We are on episode 7, and I can't decide which is more incredible -- the actors, or the writing.  I love plots and themes that have to do with our federal government.  CIA and FBI strategy stories, that may be based on some form of reality, have always intrigued me.  I understand that certain branches of the government and its agencies don't exactly "play well together."  It is also my opinion that I don't need to know every statistic and detail of what my government protectors know, because that would compromise all of the safety that they are providing to me.  But by watching shows that have characters in the all these government agencies, you can glean bits of information that are startling revelations.  Forever I have watched James Bond movies, I love the Bourne series of films, and Argo was based on true events.  I've been looking for my second career, and I think I may have found it.  I'm not superb with a weapon, but working as part of a team is right up my alley.  Too bad there aren't many covert operations going down daily in my area.  Kidding.  But I am a new Homeland fan -- as long as there is no football.....  Or basketball.

Couldn't Wait For Winter

Finding Humor In Everyday Things

Rolling through my pictures, I found some riotous things.  Maybe they are only funny to me, but if you know any of my peeps or family members, they might make you laugh, too.

My brother was recently in town with his family to attend a high school reunion.  His kids are teenagers, and being driving age, he threw them a $20, and told them to go get some dinner.  It was an unusual situation where my folks, and me and the rancher all had previous plans.  So his kids go out on the town.  They end up at Walmart.  They buy macaroni and cheese, and this tie-dyed cat t-shirt his son is wearing.  They come back home, cook the mac and cheese, and happily spend the evening at the grandparents' house.  Really?  Buy mac and cheese and come back and cook it when you could easily pick something up?  We couldn't stop laughing.  And look at this...

We also got quite a charge out of the tie-dyed cat shirt.  My nephew unknowingly positioned himself right behind my brother, so I was able to crop this little gem for all the world to see.  Again, maybe only hilarious to me, but a good chuckle was had by all.  I am going to strongly suggest he change it to his profile picture.

Can't decide.  Is this ridiculous, embarrassing or funny?  It was like a limo, so I know they were serious, but clearly, you still have to laugh.

Some of my favorite pictures are those in which people are jumping.  The pictures can be so funny when people, especially a group, are in the air.  Well, I swear to you, I am completely incapable of jumping for a picture...  Over the years this has been tried many, many times, and the picture you see above is the normal result.  I don't know why.  Another part of the problem is that as I have aged, I find it more and more difficult to jump with any measurable amount of air under my feet.  Weird, I know.  So this picture cracks me up because it reminds me of my lack of vertical leaping ability.

 The kids have no problem getting some air under themselves.

Look at me.  Seriously, I am trying.  I am not trying to be funny, but the kids are dying laughing because I just cannot do it!  A true dork.

This, this... piece of art, or whatever it is, was hanging in the elevator waiting area in the Amsterdam hotel where we stayed for almost three weeks.  Kind of an inside joke.  Not much imagination is needed.  Maybe you had to be there, but it was Amsterdam 

-- just sayin'.

This is silly.  I like to photograph my drinks.  And sometimes my food.  This one was great.  If you know what it is, you know it was good.  Never had one yet that wasn't delish!  #SOTB

 It's become somewhat of a family tradition in our family to photobomb everyone else's pictures all the time.  I know we're not the only ones, but we crack ourselves up doing it.

Here's that cute couple that likes to photobomb, and they are going to make us grandparents, too.  I am still not totally used to the idea yet.  Sometimes I will be driving down the street, and I think, "oh yeah!  We are having a baby!  I almost forgot!"  Is that normal?  Has anyone else ever done that?  Somedays, I will go for a couple of hours, before I think, "oh right!  grandparents!"  Yep, they're old enough to be parents, and we are for sure old enough to be grandparents.

Finding Humor In Everyday Things

Pop Music Opinion

Usually, I don't dwell or chat about specific celebrities, but this whole Miley Cyrus thing has started to pique my interest.  I never watched Hannah Montana, but I have seen clips and feel like I understand a little bit about what the premise was.  From 2006-2011, she played this character on the Disney channel who lived a double life as an average teenager by day and a rock star by night.  In a nutshell.

Most of the publicity surrounding Miley as of late, is negative.  She confesses, she is "so messed up" right now -- and who knows what that means.

In sticking with my "life is a journey" mantra, I feel like this young woman is reinventing herself.  People do it everyday, all the time.  And they aren't just teenagers.  Adults, young and old, have reasons to have to "start over" and change everything up in their lives.  Usually for the best.

I have seen a lot of the Miley-antics lately that have caused the somewhat downward spiral, but I am hopeful that this girl can make it.  Due to the fact that she somewhat grew up on television, believe it or not, she is probably a little more mature than some kids her age.  You can't tell it from her recent stunts, but maybe she can find her way.  She does have family and friends that love her.  They appear to have issues, as well.  But as a teenage actress who played a teenager on television, she will never be able to move forward or be taken seriously as a performer or actress unless she separates herself from that.  Having said that, Lily does not agree with her methods.  The hair?  Yikes.  Some of her music wardrobe worn as of late, very confusing.  Her stage performances, scary.

I was unable to catch the Saturday Night Live episode last weekend, but the tailored suit looked like an attempt at class.  As far as prime-time performances, like what happened on the Video Music Awards, I think she needs to play by the same rules, even if they are unspoken ones, as everyone else does during that time slot.

But there is this part of me that kind of 'gets' it.  Yes, she needs to change some things up, but the help she needs should probably come from somewhere other than where she is getting it.  Hollywood should have a niche for management of this genre of performers.  There are always going to be acting or singing kids growing up into acting or singing adults.

I am not a Miley Cyrus fan.  Like I said, I never watched Hannah Montana.  Her latest performances give me no reason to follow her.  But she must have some redeeming qualities and talents...  I wonder if it is more of a problem to the parents of the Hannah-Montana-watchers to see her grow up and try to transform herself into an adult.  I almost feel like she is skipping the 'young' part of young adult.  She isn't even 21 yet.  There is hope.  It is my own opinion that everyone just needs to step back, see where she decides to focus, and let the chips fall where they may.

Notice how I wrote that whole post and never once used the term "twerking"?

Pop Music Opinion

How???

How would I forget to blog?  I have no explanation or excuse.  I flat out forgot.  Maybe no idea popped into my head to write about, therefore, it just didn't happen.

Well, today, I am going to share some of my favorite blogs, and I would love to hear about yours, too!

This is kind of a crafty blog, but I like the antique look of all their projects.

sevengypsies.blogspot.com

Or you can click the picture above which links to them as well.

Big Mama is a long time favorite of mine -- and I have yet to pinpoint what I like the most about her.  She always makes me laugh, she likes sports, she is a busy mother, and she tells the best stories.  Sometimes her stories are about nothing, so I kind of relate that to Seinfeld...  because she can make it all enjoyable, and you're not sure what just happened.

Then there is my D.I.L.'s blog, which is so great in helping us keep up with our kids while they are on the other side of the world.  Her blog is called, Ellee, and it's the equivalent of sending letters 30 years ago.  We didn't have this fabulous "blog" option.  She keeps me up to date on all things fashionable and trendy, too.

Kyle writes about one of my teams I follow, and he also writes about things relating to them.  He's not a one trick pony, and he must have people on the inside, because he shares a lot of perspective and details that usually turn out to be accurate.  I follow him on Twitter, too.  @pistolsguy 

http://www.pistolsfiringblog.com

I would sit and read blogs all day if I could, and by the looks of my house, perhaps I do.  But I am always game for a new one.  Seriously, share your favorite blogs with me.  It makes me happy to hear from readers!

How???