Adena, A Retrospective...

Okay, let me preface this by saying that up until a few days ago, I had NO pictures of myself from my youth. None. This is mostly due to the fact that my parents and I don't really see each other all that often, and when I was a kid my dad was BIG into a film slide stage....so, no print pics, other than school ones.

So, the other day, my daughter brings home a folder that my mom gave her...filled w/ pics of me from grade/middle school. Nothing of high school, which is sad, because my senior photos? Smokin'!!

Anyhow...after I giggled and snorted for a while, a post idea emerged in my head.

So, behold...a small Adena retrospective:

Now this is me in 2nd grade. I think I'm laughing at the fact that I'm wearing a velvet dress w/ a lace bib. LACE!! ME??

*laughter interlude*

Apparently, I was in a "mood" that day, because the class photo shows me flashing the photographer some knee:


Now, on to 4th Grade, shall we?


What. The. Hell. am I wearing?? Holy hell! Let's forget that ever happened.

On to 5th grade. Did I mention I was a skater kid? Behold the bi-level haircut, and the homage to "Pretty in Pink", which I freaking love(d).


On to 6th Grade. Still a skater, but deep into the mid-80's clothing, apparently. Yes, that IS an Izod shirt....COVERED WITH A FISHNET VEST!! Go ahead, laugh. I understand.


Ahem. On to 8th Grade. This may be the worst yet. Note the fluffy hair and bangs. The mock turtleneck and V-neck sweater...and THE BOW IN MY FOOFY HAIR!!! I'm tempted to burn this one....seriously.


That's it for school photos. BUT, to redeem myself, here is a pic of me at 18. Why I didn't bask in my hotness, I don't know. I'd kill to look like this again.

Olympic Walking

So, I've suddenly become somewhat motivated to DO stuff...which doesn't happen very often with me...at least not for a while now.

I took stock of myself the other day, and realized that maybe I don't really like myself sometimes. So, I am going to try to change that.

First step? Get my body back in shape!

So, my bff and I decided to start going for walks a few times a weeks. And by WALKS, I'm not talking just a trip to the store. We are both tallish girls, and we don't get winded, so we are a good match for that sort of thing.

Last night was the first time I've done anything like that in a VERY long time, and I, of course, approached it kind-of insanely.

3 hours later, we were done walking. THREE HOURS! In this town? Yeah..um...we covered a lot of ground. Amazingly? I have blisters, because my uber-cute camouflage sneakers aren't the best for long walks, apparently...but, that's it. I'm not sore at all. So, that's a great sign.

Anyhow...funny story. We were walking down one residential street, and we passed an elderly couple and one of their friends sitting out on their driveway...throwing a ball to their VERY blind dog. Which was funny in and of itself. But, after we waved, and got a little past them, we heard one of the ladies call out "Girls? Girls?"

We turned around, and she said "We just wanted to give you a rating!" We were SOOO confused...up until the point she held up this GIANT placard w/ "9.9" written on it.

It was so random. We laughed for a while.

Funniest Thing Ever!

Yeah, going to work that day was TOTALLY worth it, don't you think??

These Music Meme's Kill Me EVERY Time!

Yet another one....but, a bit different.
(Thanks, Hilly. It's past midnight, and I'm doing this!)

Anyway the rules are as follows: (So Sayeth Hilly)

1. Put your mp3 player or music player on your computer on random.
2. Post the first four lines from the first 20 songs that play, no matter how embarrassing the song (Skip repeat artists).
3. Post and let everyone you know guess what song and artist the lines come from.
4. Don’t fucking cheat, you Google whores!

MY SONGS!

1. Steal my heart, and hold my tongue.
I feel my time, my time has come.
Let me in, unlock the door.
I've never felt this way before.
(Coldplay- 'Til Kingdom Comes)

2. Today I am dirty
I want to be pretty
Tomorrow,
I know I'm just dirt
(Marilyn Manson- The Nobodies)

3. You were once my one companion . . .
you were all that mattered . .
You were once a friend and father -
then my world was shattered . . .
(Phantom of the Opera- Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again)

4. And so she woke up,
Woke up from where she was lying still.
Said “I gotta do something
About where we’re going.”
(U2- Running To Stand Still)

5. These moments are brief
When you can truly say you know yourself
You must lose your mind in order for you to find it
And sometimes you've just got to fall
(Cloud Cult- I Guess This Dream Is For Me)

6. Karma police, arrest this man, he talks in maths
He buzzes like a fridge, hes like a detuned radio
Karma police, arrest this girl, her hitler hairdo, is making me feel ill
And we have crashed her party
(Radiohead- Karma Police)

7. In this farewell
There's no blood
There's no alibi
Cause I've drawn regret
(Linkin Park- What I've Done)

8. In the light, In the daylight it's all wrong
To revel in your memory
The smell of your body
And the seconds that it kept me warm
(Matt Nathanson- Bare)

9. Come the day
You see the sun
Hit the arch
A history song
(The Good, The Bad & The Queen- History Song)

10. I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played,
and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
(Hallelujah- Rufus Wainwright )

11. Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it's just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
(The Fray- How To Save A Life)

12. Many times I've tried to tell you, many times I've cried alone
Always I'm surprised how well you cut my feelings to the bone
Don't wanna leave you really, I've invested too much time
To give you up that easy, to the doubts that complicate your mind
(We Belong To The Night- Pat Benetar)

13. You think that we connect
That the chemistry's correct
Your words walk right through my ears
Presuming I like what I hear
(No Doubt- Spiderwebs)

14. And so it is
Just like you said it would be
Life goes easy on me
Most of the time
(Damien Rice- The Blower's Daughter)

15. Must be your skin that I'm sinkin in
Must be for real, cause now I can feel
I didn't mind, It's not my kind
It’s not my time to wonder why
(Bush- Glycerine)

16. Pain from pearls-hey little girl-
How much have you grown?
Pain from pearls-hey little girl-
Flower for the ones you've known.
(Indigo Girls- Kid Fears)

17. These back steps are steeper to the ground
The brightest stars are falling down
I'm walking the edge
I'm walking the tightest rope
(Mat Kearney- Falling Down)

18. Well you must be a girl with shoes like that
She said you know me well
I seen you and little Steven and Joanna
Round the back of my hotel oh yeah
(The Fratellis- Chelsea Dagger)

19. Even on a day like this when you're crawling on the floor
Reaching for the phone to ring anyone who knows you anymore
It's all right to make mistakes, you're only human
Inside everybody's hiding something
(Dido- Slide)

20. Something always brings me back to you.
It never takes too long.
No matter what I say or do,
I still feel you here 'till the moment I'm gone.
(Sara Bareilles- Gravity)

What's Been Going On?

Answer- Not much.

I got laid off (for the most part) last week, because the sector of business I currently work in is doing pretty badly because of the economy. There's simply not enough work to keep me busy. I have been working half days, or like 3 days a week for a while now, just to do the stuff that did come up...but, it's tapered down so much that there's no point in that, anymore.

Which is actually okay, because working so few hours a week was actually costing me money to work. So...yeah...unemployment is looking better. I'm actually making more staying at home than I was working. Go figure.

I guess I should be blogging more, but...well...I haven't. I need to be publicly flogged, I know.

At any rate, the tattoo idea I had a few posts down came into fruition over the weekend. My friend finally told me to come over for my free b-day tattoo, and so I had him do that one. I pretty much told him the idea, and he free-handed it, so it's not exactly like my drawing, but I think it turned out pretty cool, regardless: (click pic to make larger)


It's pretty symbolic for me, and not everyone will understand what the hell it's about, but that's okay. I know.

None of my other tats have any sort of meaning other than I liked them. I have 2 Celtic ones...because...well...look at me. But, other than that, I pretty much saw designs, and thought "Oh, I like that!"

This? Entirely to do with my writing.

Maybe nothing will ever come of it, and I don't even know if I'm any good. But, it's something that I've always loved to do, and I'm really doing it now. I've completely finished one novel, am 3/4 done with another, halfway done w/ yet another, and have about the first 3 chapters written on 2 more. I honestly don't know where all the ideas are coming from, but I'm going with them when they pop into my head.

I'm not terribly happy with the one novel that's actually done, but I think I needed to fully finish it...just so I could prove to my brain that it could be done. I'm so much happier with the other ones, and I've been spending most of my spare time working on them. I haven't really been posting here, because I think all my creativity is being sucked up by the novels. (And, for the record, how I write in this blog is NOT indicative of how I write stories...thank god.)

I'm not going to be all pretentious and say I'm a writer...because nothing has ever been published. I will say that I'm trying to be one, and I guess that is something. It means a lot to me, even if no one else ever gets to read what I've written.

I dunno...hard to explain. But, the tattoo...an open book w/ blank pages, and the word "write" in Tibetan Sanskrit. It may not be perfect, but then...neither is my writing. So, it all works out in the end.

Teacher, I finished my assignment!

So, there was this writing meme making the circuit. Well, it didn't start out as a writing meme, but Vahid turned it into something fabulous, and then Hilly quickly followed.

I thought about doing it myself, because I'd like to fancy myself a writer, after all. But, I was worried. What if my contribution sucked? But, today, I bit the bullet, and sat down and quickly wrote something out.

Here's my attempt.

So, the idea is, take these five questions and answer them...creatively!

1.What were you doing 10 years ago?
2. What five things are on your to-do list for today?
3. Snacks I enjoy…
4. Things I would do if I was a billionaire…
5. Places I have lived…

And here I go. Be gentle with my delicate writer's soul....

1.
She stared at the bleak landscape surrounding her, and watched quietly as the tumbleweed bounced along, pacing the truck. Had she really gotten up enough courage to leave everything she had ever known?

Leaving an abusive relationship had been hard enough…there had been all the drama that surrounded that sort of thing. The fear, the loss of everything she owned, the court proceedings that had been there to protect her…but, she hadn’t been entirely sure that they would be enough. She didn’t trust her ex, and when she found out he had conveniently moved 2 blocks away from her new place, she knew it was time to leave.

But, this? Packing up and moving to a state she’d never even been to before? This was reckless! She turned and gazed at the boy driving the truck. He’d been her best friend through all of the craziness of the last year, and somehow that friendship had turned to something more. She was still kind-of amazed about that.

He had known she was scared and unhappy about the situation with her ex, so one day he took her to the park, set her down on the grass, and pulled out a map of the United States.
“Close your eyes and point.” He’d said.

“Why?” she’d asked, but did it anyways. She opened her eyes, and her finger was resting on Colorado.

“How do you feel about the mountains?” he grinned.

So, now, a few weeks later, they were on their way…off to a new state, a new life…something entirely different.
She closed her eyes and breathed.

2.
She stared at the computer screen. She’d never been one for lists, but she read somewhere they were supposed to make things easier.

She quickly typed. #1- “Clean the house.” She looked around at the disaster surrounding her, and quickly erased it.

Let’s try this again. #1- “Write.” She opened Word, and stared at the manuscript. She sighed. Not today…the damn muse was hiding again. She closed down Word, and erased that suggestion.

Okay…think…. #1- “Eat something.” That was easy enough. A few minutes later, she was back at the list. Did that really count? Probably not. She sighed, and hit delete.

#1- “Do some laundry.” Fuck. That would involve organizing clothes. She quickly erased it, thought a moment, and then smiled.

#1- “Go to best friend’s house, drink and watch movies.” She stared at the list and nodded. Well, at least she could accomplish one thing today! Lists were stupid, anyhow.

3.
She downed the Dr. Pepper, and grabbed a few pieces of hard candy. The junk food expo was great, and she was having a grand time gaining a million pounds.

She’d already eaten some Smartfood popcorn, washed it down with a slurpee, and then followed that with some Hostessy goodness. She took another swig of her soda, and listened to her stomach make accusing noises at her.

Maybe she’d go to the veggie convention next week, after all.

4.
She stared at the mountains surrounding her. Was she really in Scotland? It seemed like only yesterday she’d sold the film rights to her first mega-successful novel for the unheard of sum of 1 billion dollars, and now here she was! Glencoe was as beautiful as everyone promised!

Next on the itinerary was Ireland, because she was Irish, after all. She always believed that if she stepped foot on the soil there, something magical would happen. She wanted to go there first, really, but she realized she had to wait. Something in her had somehow always missed a place she’d never even been to before, and that feeling had always thrown her off a bit. But, she’d wanted to see Scotland, too…so, she went there first…leaving Ireland’s magic until last.

She was glad she’d been able to make sure her closest friends never had to worry about money again, and she’d already bought a house. That was quickly followed by the purchase of a new car that actually ran, she sent her kids off to have fun at various camps, and then she went on this vacation of a lifetime…by herself. She breathed in the fresh air, and watched the mists roll over the mountains, and smiled. Life was good.

5.
She gazed out at the ocean. There was nothing like the Oregon Coast. It was the most beautiful place she’d ever been, thus far, and she wondered how she had ever managed to live away from the Ocean. There was something about the water that instantly put her at ease, and made everything calm inside of her.

Colorado had been beautiful, but she missed the ocean so much when she was there. The lakes were gorgeous, yes, but they weren’t the same. They couldn’t compete with the ocean.

California had the ocean, too…but, it was different. Too glitzy, too perfect…it didn’t have the rugged, wild beauty that the Oregon beaches did.
She sat down on the cold sand, and watched the crashing waves roll towards her…reveling in the feel of the water tickling her toes.

Murder: In Two Parts

Scene One-

Setting- Pristine, clean house...quiet before bedtime.

Woman- Hey can you make sure the house stays clean before you come to bed? I worked all day cleaning it, and I know how you are.

Man- No problem. I doubt I'll move off of this couch, anyhow.


Scene Two-

*Five Hours Later* Woman wakes up and goes downstairs to find house DESTROYED. Clothes strewn everywhere, food on floor in both living room AND kitchen, plates and bowls on furniture and floor, food and utensils and gunk all over kitchen, trail of popcorn leading from kitchen to living room, Hansel and Gretel style...etc, etc...

Woman spends 20 minutes cleaning at 3 am, and then stomps upstairs, where man is awake and looking suspiciously like he "wants" something.

Woman- DON'T even think about it!! If you think you're getting anything after I had to clean up a giant mess that you were SUPPOSED to contain, then you're sadly mistaken.

Man- *looking GENUINELY affronted* B-but....I DID contain it!!

*stunned silence*

Woman- To what?? The INSIDE of the house??

fin

Stealing Mosaics.

Stealing this from Karl, who stole it from someone else, who stole it from someone else...(Lather, Rinse, Repeat.)

The concept:
1. Type your answer to each of the questions below into Flickr Search.
2. Using only the first page of results, pick one image.
3. Copy and paste each of the URLs for the images into Big Huge Lab’s Mosaic Maker to create a mosaic of the picture answers.

The questions:
1. What is your first name?
2. What is your favorite food? right now?
3. What high school did you go to?
4. What is your favorite color?
5. Who is your celebrity crush?
6. What is your favorite drink?
7. What is your dream vacation?
8. What is your favorite dessert?
9. What do you want to be when you grow up?
10. What do you love most in life?
11. What is one word that describes you?
12. What is your flickr name?

And my resulting mosaic? Click on it for a bigger view.

1. Adena Mound, 2. The famous Fly Mushroom, 3. T&E General Store, 4. Greener Pastures, 5. 264319~Gerard-Butler-Posters, 6. Drink Dr. Pepper!, 7. Glencoe, 8. Candy, 9. The Writer, 10. Snowmen family in TX, 11. Dork., 12. Dominoes

I've Just Discovered a New Psychiatric Problem!!

So, today I'm at the counter at a gov't agency, talking to the lady behind the desk.

Another lady, who had been sitting, filling out paperwork at a table, got up and hesitantly walked towards us. Once she reached us, she asked "Do you have a dictionary?"

The girl behind the counter said no, so English nerd me asked her what she was trying to spell.

She said "Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome."

So, I started to spell it, but judging from the panicked look I was getting I decided to ask her "Well, let me see what you have written, and I'll tell you if it's right."

She shows me her paperwork, and it says...

"Post Dramatic Stress Syndrome."

O.M.G.

I'm seriously patting myself on the back for not busting out laughing, because I SOOOO wanted to! Instead, I just managed to say "Um...It's not DRAMATIC....it's TRAUMATIC."

She looked at me completely blankly, so I just told her to write down the letters as I said them.

Whooo Boy.

Sometimes people scare me.

ambivalence.

I don't know why I've been neglecting this blog so much.

It used to be that it was my writing outlet, because I was too lazy to sit and actually write something more than a 4 minute blurb about something. I've always had to have some sort of creative outlet in my life to keep me (semi) sane...whether it be writing, art, music...whatever. Just something that I'm actually CREATING.

And for a while there, this blog was that.

But, now I've been actually, really, honest-to-God writing (Like in WORD! OMFG, amazing!!) and I haven't really needed this outlet that bad. What I've been doing probably isn't that great, but it's still mine, and I'm still creating...even if it's horrible.

I also used to blog to keep track of all my friends I've made in bloggy-land, but now Twitter has pretty much taken over THAT little necessity! (Because, honestly, what BETTER way to keep track of people than 140 character blurbs??) Ha.

I used to post photos here, but now I have Flickr to do that.

My poor blog has been outsourced. Which is really, really ironic, actually.

So, here I sit in my darkened living room, listening to the sound of the washing machine playing behind Mat Kearney playing through my earbuds....staring at a half finished manuscript on my computer, and neglecting my poor, pathetic blog.

I honestly don't know how I feel about that.