Since When is it O.K. to be Rude?

I've noticed lately that people think it's o.k. to be rude. I've seen children talk back to their parents. I've heard sales people giving attitude to customers. I've been flipped off while driving for NOT running a red light. When we went to the O.C. Fair last weekend to see a concert. There were 3 tall teenage boys with I think was their dad (who was enjoying his beer and high fiving everyone who walked by) in the seats in front of us. Our seats were pretty decent and no one was really standing when the concert started and they were quite tall so they could see the stage from a sitting position. They continued to stand, blocking everyone behind them, a wall of teenage boys. The ladies in front of me were not happy campers but would not do anything about it. Me, I'm a squeaky wheel. I reached over, tapped the 3 boys and asked if they could please sit down because we can't see. He proceeded to tell me, "Why don't you stand up?". I so wanted to backhand his cocky little teenage face, but I said, "Why do you have to be so rude? I'm asking nicely" and he continued to say, "Why don't we all stand up?" and I asked, "Were you raised to be rude?" Finally I gave up and was not happy. The other ladies ended up finding other seats. It's not like I was asking for anything unreasonable! They stood the whole time. I really felt like asking them to name 5 songs from each band that played to see how big of fans they were.

A similar incident happened when I took my daughter and friend to see Michelle Branch at the Grove. It was a teensy patch of grass for us to stand on, then the stage for the performer. Tall people cut in the crowd and stood in front of me. I am a huge Michelle Branch fan and I wanted to see her. They stood there texting the whole time, I doubt they even knew who she was. I proceeded to lean on them heavily until they moved. I figured, if they were going to be rude, then I will too.

I have gone to plays and movies where people brought their babies and they screamed through the whole performance and they never got up to leave even when we were glaring and shhhing them. That is really rude!

Today I got scolded by a woman in the accounts payable department of one of our customers. She told me that she wasn't going to pay my invoice because it wasn't signed and didn't have an approval code on it and after trying to explain why it was sent in that way, she proceeded to tell me that I need to handle it with the salesman and that she's not paying until it's right. She pretty much tore my head off over the phone for something I had no control over. Talk about killing the messenger.

I think that we're so used to being rude and to being treated rudely that we've be as a society have become desensitized to it. I am in shock when someone is nice or helpful or agreeable to my terms. When I started in the work force, I was a waitress and I had to be nice and take all the attitude in order to get good tips. Although sometimes the rude people wouldn't leave a tip anyway. Then I started working in retail where customer service was key. I guess that's not such a big deal these days (See my blog on customer service) and it's a sad thing.

I'm going to try to do or say two nice things everytime someone is rude to me. Maybe if I pay it forward with random acts of kindness, it'll come back around and the world will be less rude. I know I have lofty dreams, but it can happen! Lets at least try!

Fun Food Time!

We are going to the O.C. Fair on Sunday to see a concert. We are going to see aging hair bands from the 80's Ratt and Dokken. Before the concert, we're hanging out at the fair because the ticket covers both

Why is it that when you are in a certain atmosphere, your mind and inhibitions go crazy and you eat stuff you wouldn't normally eat in the comfort of your own home?

You may never eat popcorn at home but when you're at the movies, you get the urge for buttered popcorn and Goobers and willing to pay a fortune for them. The last time we were at the fair, we had a funnel cake with the works, hubby had a Krispy Kreme chicken sandwich (It was surprisingly good!) and I had to try the deep fried Twinkie (Not worth the money). I even took a picture of some guy's deep fried frog legs he ordered (We were NOT that bold). I heard on the radio that they have deep fried pizza, ice cream and even butter! How the heck do you eat deep fried butter, that's just gross. I guess anything that can be battered and fried is fair game.

At Disneyland I've walked around with a giant turkey leg, you MUST have the Dodger dogs at the game and of course you can't forget the churros that always smell so good. Novelty foods make your experience more enhanced. Where else can you get cotton candy as big as your head?

Next time you are at an amusement park, festival, or game, go ahead and get that giant corn dog. It'll be the only one you'll have all year, so enjoy it!

Hopeless Romantic

I FINALLY went and saw Eclipse last week and I loved it. It was my favorite book in the "Twilight" series because of the love triangle between Bella, Jacob and Edward. I kept sighing through most of the movie and it's a good thing my daughter wasn't sitting next to me, or she would've been irritated with me.

I've always been a hopeless romantic. I believed in the "Happily Ever After" and love at first sight. I love the feeling of being in love. I dig chick flicks and fairy tales. I had an ex who would leave me flowers and cards on the doorstep or on my car windshield in the morning when I woke up. He was very romantic!

I always felt like I had a past life in the 1800's. I love the Victorian Era where you were courted by your "beau" and the women took time to look beautiful. The poems were romantic and the styles were feminine. I love everything about that era.

My favorite book is "Wuthering Heights" and one of my favorite romantic movies is "Untamed Heart". Yes, I love the Notebook, Titanic, Grease and the typical ones, but Untamed Heart is an unusual love story, but it makes you believe that love is possible in any circumstance. If you haven't seen it, check it out and make sure you have kleenex next to you.

I always wished to grow old with the one I loved. Two little old people holding hands and walking through the park. Having grandchildren to spoil and a cute little cottage house with a garden and a fat dog.

Romance is what you make of it. It doesn't have to be flowers and candlelight. It could be something as small as your honey picking something up at the market just because he thought you'd like it. Or putting gas in your car when you're driving on fumes (Thanks sweetie!)

I love the photo I posted. Whenever I see it, I often wonder if they stayed together and grew old and lived happily ever after. Take a minute today to do something special for the one you love. Let them know you're thinking of them or that you still appreciate them. It'll make you both feel good!

Hi I'm Weird, Nice to Meet You!

It seems I've been having problems putting my Freedom Friday confessions up on Fridays. Sorry for those of you who await my posts with bated breath.

I follow different blogs and most of them are from moms or artists and I came across this post from A Magical Childhood which was amazing. I loved the spirit of her daughter and made my teenage daughter read the post. Afterwards I asked my kidling what she got from the post. She said, "To not care what other people think". Then I asked her, is that how she feels? She answered, "Sometimes".

I wanted her to read it because she has issues with me embarrassing her. She thinks I'm too loud, that I talk with my hands too much, I'm too enthusiastic and that I'm a squeaky wheel because I will complain if I feel wronged. She also thinks that when me and my husband are together, we are weird. We tell her she is weird too, being our offspring, but she denies it. I have evidence of her weirdness, but I am kind enough not to post it because she's in her sensitive teen years, but if she doesn't watch herself, things will be discovered!

I had a great imagination in Elementary School and tried to be normal in Jr. High. I started being really weird in High School. I was in Musical Theatre and we were always singing and dancing and hugging each other. We didn't care what people thought, we were the "Weird Theatre Kids". I had lots of friends who liked to be weird with me and we spent many hours blowing bubbles, bowling in our pajamas and taking crazy photos.

After High School, I got into the work force where I had to contain my weirdness, although I did work at a shop called "Freudian Slip" which was a very strange shop offering strange items. I felt I fit right in. My then boyfriend and I were very compatible because we loved to be silly and spontaneous. Everyday was a fun adventure and there was never a dull moment.

When I met my now husband, it took him awhile to figure me out. He was a more serious type but I was able to get him out of his shell and come over to the "Silly Side". 24 years later, we still enjoy being silly together and we have jokes that only we know and things that can make us crack up so much we can't breathe. Who says you have to be serious all the time? Levity makes the world go round. So go ahead and wear that wild and crazy hat out in public and let your Freak Flag Fly!

High School Reunions-Good Idea?

Tonight my hubby and I are going to his 30th High School Reunion. He was initially excited, but now he's stressed out. He is the class historian and for the 20th, he made a website with links to classmates and it was fancy for the time. Now he's working on a streaming live video chat room and he's hoping it's going to work.

He was also obsessed about looking up classmates to see how they aged. I think my hubby has aged pretty well. It's the Asian blood in him. But he's shown me pictures of others that have not fared as well. This should make him feel better, but it worries him. I think he's expecting that all his hair is going to fall out by tonight. He wasn't that popular in High School, but in this age of technology, he has been able to catch up through social networking. This gives him info to start up conversations.

My hubby doesn't think he's accomplished anything since the last reunion. I agree with the comic above (Click it to make it larger). When we went to his 20th and my 10th, we had no children yet, so we showed everyone pictures of our dog, which was our baby at the time. They gave us pointers on how to have kids, which was hilarious. And of course a few years later we had our kidling. It was strange because at the reunion, people had 2, 3, even 7 kids already. We didn't win any contests, that's for sure. We may win for longest married, but who knows.

I'm just going to go with him tonight and observe. I'll take pictures and socialize and be supportive to the hubby. It helps that I know some people, but I can hold my own in these situations. I'm no wallflower!

The bottom line is this, if you want to go to your High School Reunion, go for it. Don't pretend to be something you aren't. Who cares if you gained a few pounds or losing your hair, just exude confidence and happiness and that will make you a success. Go Gondos!

Chickenpox Anyone?

Happy 4th of July everyone! Sorry I missed Friday, but I got busy and had to take care of some stuff.

I was reading a blog that I follow called The Meanest Mom, and was amused and horrified at the madness that ensued after she posted an entry that said there was a case of chickenpox at her home and showed pictures of the Barbies and dolls with pink spots all over them.

She proceeded to be stalked by people wanting to bring their children to be exposed to the disease and were willing to travel to her for the opportunity!! People, are you kidding me?? First of all, it was a joke! Second of all, what kind of parents want to expose their kids to the agony of chicken pox?

I had the chickenpox when I was a teenager and it was one of the most traumatic times of my life. I had it during the summer which made it extra terrible. I felt like the "Elephant Girl" hiding my calamine lotion face from the world. The neighborhood kids would tap on my window to try and see me and yes, some parents asked to expose their kids to the germs and my mom obliged them. Remember, we did not have a vaccine for the chickenpox back then. I was miserable and itchy and hot. The highlight of that time was when our Palm tree caught on fire and cute firemen came to my house to put it out. I ventured out to see "what happened" and forgot that I was covered with calamine lotion polka dots until I saw the amused looks on the firemen and neighbor's faces. I ran back into the house humiliated and vowed that if ever there was a chickenpox vaccine, my kids would get it.

Now, I can't tell parents what to do and I know there's drama about vaccines and what can possibly happen to children. I feel for the parents that had issues with vaccines and their children. But enough people vaccinate to show that there is more good than harm to have it done. I'm sure that in the future, chickenpox will be a thing of the past and we can tell the stories of the "good ole' days" when we use to expose the whole neighborhood to chickenpox to get it over with.

Meanwhile, those who are still considering exposure, take a look at this picture and this one.

We All Just Wanna Be Big Rockstars

Circa 1984, I was a Rockstar for a brief shining moment. I was asked to front my then boyfriend, now husband's band Ariasonic, after their long haired, screaming singer quit the band. Click the link if you want a good laugh. You can listen to our music and see our music video that hubby recently edited together. We even have an album! Remember those? Round vinyl things that play music when a needle on it goes around and around? My hubby/guitarist was determined to make an album. It was actually an EP with only 5 songs on it, but it happened and he designed it from the logo, to the album cover. We considered ourselves high energy rock. It was the 80's, the time for music, we even had t-shirts made! A funny story, I was at the bus stop and saw this guy wearing our t-shirt. I didn't recognize him, so I asked where he got it. He looked at me strangely and I said I'm the lead singer of that band (Which if he was a fan, he would've known) and he answered that he got it from his cousin (Which was our bass player). Who knows if he even heard our music, hey free t-shirt! Our stardom was short lived as after we made the album, we tried to make a video and everyone slowly dropped out of the band.

I may not rock the mic anymore, but I still love to sing and perform whenever I can. Watch out karaoke night! I will always remember my AquaNet days fondly and my daughter loves to crack up at our old pictures! Dad is wearing eyeliner! I've always loved music and loved to sing. I want to remember my glory days like the ladies from "Mamma Mia" and Rock Out, not rock in the rocking chair!

High School Musicals, Keep Em Coming!

I'm a sucker for musicals. I love them in any way, shape or form. Musicals are my secret escape to a world of singing, dancing, romance and joy. I like them on television, on the movie screen and on stage.

I just finished a tour of musicals from our local High Schools. My daughter's school's spring musical was "The Pajama Game". Not as well known as most, but a fun romp through the workings of a pajama factory, where the employees and management have issues with each other. This one was dear to my heart because I was in this musical in High School. The songs are fun and catchy and my daughter was dismayed when she caught me singing along. Her show choir group performed a medley from "Guys and Dolls". This is one of my favorites. We also performed this at my school, but the year before I joined Musical Theatre. Another fun show, with great music.

Last week, I went to 3 musicals at 3 different High Schools. Here's a quick explanation as to why. My daughter went to a Performing Arts Middle School and now she goes to a Performing Arts High School. When she culminated, all her friends went to different schools. A small amount of them continued on to perform, so this is our way of supporting everyone and see what each school has to offer.

First stop, Peter Pan at Central High School of the Visual and Performing Arts. This school is brand spanking new and is visually interesting. Made of concrete and steel, it's strange that it's so blank considering it's an arts school. Hopefully we'll see some murals on the sterile gray walls one day. For their first production, they did a terrific job. The girl who played Peter Pan went to my daughter's middle school and she was amazing. She and the cast actually flew! There was even a girl who climbed up sheets hung from the ceiling ala Cirque du Soleil! It was pretty amazing. Their sets were colorful and whimsical and the costumes were great, considering the students made most of them. It was a bit long, but they did a great job! I'm glad I was able to witness their first performance.

Next stop Hollywood High School for their rendition of "Rent". This is another one of my favorite shows and seeing a great job done last year by another High School, I was interested in comparing notes. The sets were pretty similar to the other High School's, but the talent was amazing. My daughter was going to go here this year, but we found another school closer, but her best friend goes here and we have to support her. The cool thing about Hollywood High is that you never know who is going to be in the audience. The kids were thrilled that some Broadway cast members were in the audience and one even joined them at their wrap party. The kids were dedicated to the show. The girl who played Mimi fell backstage and broke her wrist, but she finished the show and then came back to perform the final two shows with a camouflaged cast, even though she had an understudy. Again, we were so happy that we could be a part of such a wonderful production.

The next day was our final stop of our Musical Tour. We went to the final performance of "Grease" at Verdugo Hills High School. Since it was the Broadway version, there were parts and songs different from the movie, which was nice because it was unexpected. The two leads were fantastic, considering the male lead (Danny) had strep throat with 102 fever and the female lead (Sandy) blew out her knee again. The cast complemented each other and although the sets were simple, they were colorful. They had several surprises, the first was a full marching band that played down the aisles and onstage and the other, the vocal teacher/producer played guitar and sang during the dance scene. The performance was fun and bittersweet for the students because it was the drama teacher's last show. Due to stupid school politics, he has to leave. I'm not sure what that means for drama next year, but it's truly a loss.

We are planning on seeing the Will Rogers Follies and In The Heights Broadway tours this summer. And there is a movie coming out called "Standing Ovation". which showcases 5 Middle School friends who have a dream to perform. I am proud to say I'm a "Gleek" and will willingly check out any musical that is showing, good or bad.

I hope that people on the School Board realize how important the arts are in schools. Most of these performers wouldn't have considered it if they didn't have an outlet for their talent. My daughter had dreams of being on Broadway, but for now I think she's happy just performing. I'm happy just watching all this talent. If you're interested in seeing the pictures I have taken at all these shows, feel free to check out my Facebook Photo Album.

I will always love musicals and the Theatre. I will continue to support the arts as long as I have a song in my heart!

V for Victory, not Violence!

Before I start my confession, can I just vent?? I live in L.A. and the Lakers are pretty much heroes in our town. Whenever we have the playoffs and finals, you can see the purple and gold wearing, flags flying, sports bar hanging people around, which is fine and dandy until you mix the alcohol and violence. Last year we had a riot outside the Staples center for a victory at an away game. This year, we had a home game and the cops were ready with the riot squad whether we won or lost, but the fools still set stuff on fire, injured people and damaged property. I was watching the news last night after the game and saw bloody innocent bystanders, cars being vandalized and set on fire and bottles thrown at cops. Can you imagine if any celebrities were injured, how this would impact the way things are handled? The fans suffer and the ones doing the foolishness are not true fans, just troublemakers looking to be on the news. Is this any way to spread the joy of the win??? So in my book, Laker wins are bittersweet. Enthusiasm is good, vandalism is not. Lets see what happens at the parade on Monday!

I Heart Free Stuff!

Last week I talked about my 99 Only shopping addiction. This week I'm going to talk about something better. What could be better than getting stuff for 99 cents you ask? Getting something for nothing, nada, absolutely FREE!

Every day I get something free in my mailbox. I get samples, coupons, offers, magazines and other assorted sundries. How do I do it? Networking, subscribing to blogs and e-newsletters, calling or emailing companys, signing up for offers and joining clubs. On my birthday I ate free at restaurants for the whole week, breakfast, lunch and dinner and got dessert as well. This past month I've received coupons for getting 6 items from Kraft and 3 bread items from Thomas and Orowheat for free! Sign up with Vocalpoint and Kraft First Taste and get the opportunity to try new items for FREE!

I subscribe to some great newsletters that help you save money with offers and coupon combining to get free items. Hip2Save is a great blog and Collin is really funny. She shares videos, tips and has great giveaways. Mommies With Cents is another blog that shares fun stuff.

My hubby finds a lot of free stuff via Craigslist and recently I've started exploring my local Freecycle. Freecyle is cool because you can ask for stuff or you can take stuff being offered. It's localized so you don't have to go to Timbuktu to pick up things. You never know if someone has the exact thing you need unless you ask!

I have a history of winning contests. Unfortunately, I never win money (darn!) but I win STUFF! A few years ago, we won a contest put on by Panasonic called Living in HD. You told Panasonic why your family was technologically challenged and the prize was over $50,000 worth of HD products. They chose families from across the US and was going to have 100 winners for the whole year. We were the first of 10 families to win and it was such a great experience. We won a 50" plasma television with home theatre system, 2 digital cameras,laptop computer and other great hd stuff and plus we were in a commercial! We had a challenge every week to use our equipment and had a movie crew set up in our house for 4 weekends filming our every move. One of our challenges was doing a PSA. You can check it out here. Panasonic is still being lovely to us and offering us chances to try items and then we get to keep them! We received a Leather massage chair with ottoman, last week received the Instyler, pedicure helper and facial pore cleanser. I can't wait to see what they offer next!

Just yesterday my hubby came home with a perfectly good shredder that he found on the side of the road. We were just talking about needing one! We have no issue with taking other people's castaways. I'd rather have someone take it and enjoy it than letting it sit in a landfill for years.

Getting free stuff is like Christmas all year long. You never know what treasures await you when the mailman comes! Although he probably hates me with all the free magazines I've been getting! Check out my links and join in on the fun!

Don't You Understand the Concept of Merge, People?

It's soapbox time! To quote Popeye, "That's all I can stands and I can't stands no more!" Everyday I take 2 freeways to work. Within these freeways there are multiple merges into lanes. Everyday stupid people think it's o.k. to drive on the sliver of shoulder on the right side where the merge begins just to get in front of everyone who is merging correctly. Arrrgh! Whenever I see these "buttinskys" driving up, I put my rather large SUV in the middle of the lane so they won't have room to get in front. Unfortunately tiny cars like Mini Coopers and the Prius can still squeeze rudely through and then I give them "The Glare". I'm sure most of these people drive these freeways on a regular basis and they KNOW that the merge is coming, but to shave off a few seconds, they'd rather try and squeeze and get into a potential accident than waiting politely like everyone else.

I live in California and yes, you can believe all the stories about traffic. But another thing they love to do is Road Construction! So daily, you will find a street with orange cones that say "Right Lane Closed Ahead", or "Slow for Construction". You can see the signs a mile away, but do people anticipate and go into the left lane or slow down? Noooo! They zoom faster to get in front of people trying to get into the left lane, or they are stuck in the right lane expecting US to let them in. I'm sorry, but it's not my fault you can't follow directions, so why do I have to be nice to you? Did you let me merge when we were on the freeway? I think not!

Since my daughter will be able to drive soon, I've been trying to teach her about rude drivers and trying not to use unsightly language and gestures. I often mutter things and she always says, "Mom, they can't hear you." I know this, but somehow it makes me feel better calling them names out loud.

Some days I am in a good mood and let them merge in front of me, even though they were behind me, but my mood changes if they don't do "The Wave". I believe there was a Seinfeld episode about this very thing! If you are being nice, it's just wrong not to acknowledge that you were being nice. And another thing when someone cuts you off and they don't do the "Sorry" wave and they speed up and act like they didn't do anything. Then I drive up next to them and give them "The Glare", but usually they don't make eye contact.

Yes, I'm a defensive driver and have the potential to break out in road rage, but I always signal, I turn my head to look behind me, I wave if someone lets me in and I do a sorry wave if I cut someone off accidentally. I believe that we will have World Peace before we achieve driving with manners.

So a word of warning, Californians do not like bad drivers, but yet they are bad drivers themselves, so beware if you are from somewhere else and are on the road. And if you merge into a big, red SUV, then be afraid, be very afraid!

It's Only 99 Cents!

My confession for today is something that I kind of have under control now. It used to be a little overboard, but now I've reeled it in somewhat. I've always been a shopaholic, ever since I had babysitting money to spend. Although I liked to shop, I always shopped sales and bargains. I wasn't a "designer" girl. I liked getting more bang for my buck, so I always shopped at discount stores and places like Pic N Save (now Big Lots).

Then the beautiful era of the dollar stores emerged and it was joyful! When the first dollar stores came out, they had cutesy resin statue things, generic food, utensils, party supplies, etc. and they weren't that much fun. They wised up and started carrying name brand closeouts, fresh produce, refrigerated and frozen foods and STUFF! They had make up, toys, accessories, books and other goodies that were name brand but were closed out in one way or another. My hubby sells close out food and he says sometimes when they change the packaging or size or have a contest, they have to get rid of the old and make room for the new. That's when 99 only, The Dollar Tree, Dollar General, Big Lots, etc. get the deals and resell.

Some examples of the amazing things gotten for .99 organic mixed green salad 2lbs, Littlest Pet Shop play sets, Harry Potter 20 questions game, first 3 series of Friends DVDs, Fiber one yogurt, Sara Lee bread and bagels and the list goes on. My hubby even got 2 leather jackets for Christmas gifts for .99 each! I get very excited when I come home with a treasure. My hubby works right next to a 99 only and sometimes we are on the same wavelength and buy the same things. Now we call each other first before we shop.

It's great that I'm getting all these deals, but going and scouting every other day and picking up goodies at .99 a pop sure adds up. I also have an issue with getting two of everything when I find good stuff. Yes, I am getting a bargain, but at the end of the month, I've spent a good chunk of change, .99 at a time. My hubby is always warning me that I am nickel and dimeing the bank account, so I am trying not to visit as often as I used to.

While looking for the 99 only logo, I came across this interesting blog entry from last year about having 99 Only sponsor your wedding. I would've liked to see photos from the weddings and see how it turned out.

I always joke that if I ever win the lottery, I will still be shopping at dollar stores, just buying more stuff! There used to be a stigma attached to shopping at dollar and close out stores, but now they are so mainstream, you can see all walks of life shopping and saving. I'm sure I'll continue shopping frugally as long as these stores are around and getting excited when I find special things. I'll proudly wear my crown as the Queen of the 99 Store!

I Can Quit Anytime!

O.K. it's Friday again and it's time for another confession. I was watching a re-run of Dr. Phil recently and he was scolding a mom who was addicted to Farmville on Facebook. Her family complained that she was on the computer night and day, she would tend to her "crops" and not make dinner or let the kids go on the computer to do school work. The family had gotten to the point that they would unplug the router so she wouldn't have internet to get online. Dr. Phil asked her why the game was more important than her family. She said she felt needed, taking care of her farm. He then asked her why didn't she grow a "real" garden and share the time with the family and actually have something to show for it instead of wasted time. She didn't have an answer. That lady has issues!

O.K. onto my confession. I am addicted to taking care of my virtual pets. I have 2 frogs like the picture shown above on Superpoke Pets. I also take care of my daughter's monkey and husband's various pets he started so I could get more coins for my Frogs and buy more stuff. After reading the previous sentence, I do sound a little crazy. Let me explain. Everytime you play, feed, take care of or decorate for your pet you get virtual coins. Every time you play with your friend's pets you get coins. You can also plant a garden and harvest it and get coins. There is a shop where at midnight on Wednesday, you can shop and buy things, usually with a theme for your pets. Now, I admit, I would stay up till midnight most shopping days so I can get stuff for my pet and the other pets. But, since SPP is based on the west coast, the east coasters and people around the world got it worse because it's waaay later there. Starting this week, they changed the shopping time to 7:00 pm pacific time, which is more managable but I forget because it's so early.

I usually play with my pets early in the a.m. or late at night, but lately have been playing with them at work as well..shh. My family thinks it's a joke and my daughter has posted quotes of me saying that "Her monkey would be sitting in filth if I didn't take care of it". I enjoy playing with my pets and decorating their habitat. If you look at my scrapbook, you can tell what kind of mood I'm in by the decorating.

I have to say that I am not to the "EXTREME" when it comes to my pet. I do not actually use REAL MONEY to buy virtual stuff for my virtual pet. In the shop, they have GOLD items which are purchased with real money. Of course the stuff is amazing and animated and oh so cute, but I haven't crossed that line yet. I have been awarded gold items and kind people have gifted me stuff, but I have not purchased anything, nor do I plan to. I guess on that note, I'm not totally obsessed.

I also have 2 aquariums on Facebook. The Happy Aquarium and Fish World are my virtual tanks. You clean them, feed them, get them props and play with the other fish. In the Happy Aquarium, the fish are sad when they are dirty and not fed. In Fish World, the fish die and float around the tank. You can choose to flush them or have a friend revive them. I started an account for my daughter so she can revive my fish, I know it's sad.

So now you know my secret, but I do not let my pets rule my life. Check out Superpoke and maybe adopt your own bunny or pig, or dragon. Fish tanks make you happy, they also have soothing music that plays. Talk to my husband about Rock Star and Dead or Alive if you want to see someone obsessed! He can't judge me, I'm just sayin!

To All Girls Out There-You Are Beautiful!

I was listening to the radio this week and a mother called in, very distressed about her daughter. Her daughter was graduating High School and her parents were planning to buy her a car as a graduation gift. The daughter approached the parents and told them she didn't want a car, but she wanted to use the money for breast implants. She is 18 years old, her mother thinks she is beautiful and has never noticed any issues with her daughter's self esteem about her breasts before. She wanted the DJ's opinion on what she should do. The male thought she should wait till she gets older to decide and have the parents give her the car anyway and try to find out why this sudden need for the implants. The female has implants herself, but also thought she should wait a few years.

The photo above, shows Heidi Montag, a sad, insecure girl who chose to go through drastic plastic surgery to be the "perfect" woman. Instead, she went from a naturally beautiful girl, to a silicone monster! Her own mother didn't recognize her after her 10 surgeries at the tender age of 23. Here is a quote from Heidi's Playboy interview with her irritating husband Spencer Pratt, "If women aren't jealous of you, talking about you and cutting you down, then you're the nerd and I never want to be that." That is some message she is sending out. I really hope that "real" girls aren't looking at her as a role model.

Frankly, I never watched "The Hills" and never knew who she and Spencer was until all their shenanigans were showcased on tabloid television. I think if all these reality freaks were no longer put in the spotlight, it will kill their careers and they'll crawl back to their "normal" lives. I don't care about Lindsay Lohan and her problems. My daughter can't believe this was the same freckle faced girl in the Parent Trap, oh so less drama ago.

Thank goodness I've raised my daughter to have good self esteem and she is surrounded by people who love her exactly as she is. She is not very well endowed due to our Asian heritage, but she looks at the "plastics" and thinks it looks abnormal, so I guess I won't have to worry about having that graduation talk with her. She and her friends know that these larger than life people on television are an exception to the rule. They may want to emulate their fashion, or their movie/tv characters, but none of them are so blinded by the glitter that they believe the hype. And why is that you ask? Because of us, the parents. We don't tolerate society talking down to our children and do everything in our power to make sure our kids are alright. Yes, they are teenagers and they are going through the toughest time of their young lives right now, but in the end, you can only hope that you've done the best you can and be proud when your child shines on their own!

Doodle Dee Doo

I've decided that I was going to make Friday's blog entries, "Freedom Fridays" where I would confess something and then try to explain. Today's confession is that I'm a compulsive doodler! I draw little pictures on my pad at work, junk mail and any paper that happens to be lying around. I usually doodle vines and flowers and swirls, but I've been known to put a spiderweb in a corner or draw a repetive pattern. I like to draw fancy hearts and stars and usually add polka dots to everything.

When I was younger, I use to decorate all my letters to penpals and notes that I passed in class with doodles that covered most of the paper. I had a 5 color Bic Click pen so you could be colorful. I was also obsessed with fonts (I still am) and checked out fancy books from the library to try and copy the lettering.

My daughter and her friends have decided that receiving mail is pretty cool. I looked at a recent letter she received and her friend had drawn things on it and it made me smile. I'm glad that the art of writing on paper is not dead.

I found some sites that interpret your doodles. In the U.K. next year, they even have a National Doodle Day.

The next time you mindlessly draw something, take a look at it and try to remember what you were feeling or thinking about when you drew it. The subconcious is a magical thing!

Don't Fly Away Too Soon

In two weeks, my daughter is going to be 15 1/2 years old. She will be able to get her driving permit. In another 6 months, she will be able to get a job. Soon there will be boyfriends and dances and trips away with friends. Then High School graduation, college and moving away from home. My husband and I often threaten her that when she turns 18, her suitcase will be on the porch and we will be waving goodbye. But really that will be the first day of my heartbreak.

Having only one child, I am very possessive of her. She was always independent and free and never suffered any separation anxiety when she left us. In a way, that hurt my feelings but at the same time, made me proud. I want her to need me. She is needing me less and less during her teen years. I guess these are the years that parents don't feel appreciated. I know what kind of girl she is and I believe I am the reason for it. But I want to protect her from the big, bad world.

My family never protected me when I was young, I had to fend for myself. I did my best, but have many scars. I know that she needs to overcome obstacles on her own, but it will be hard for me to let her. I hope she knows that I only want the best for her and that she is my joy and my reason to live. I heard this song by Ingrid Michaelson called A Bird's Song. Click the link and you can watch a poignant slideshow to the song. I hope I can keep my bird close by but not locked up in a cage. Don't fly away too soon or too far from me!

Dancing and Singing at 84!

On Mother's Day, my daughter's Show Choir performed at the CVHOC High School Benefit Show called "Give My Regards to Broadway", starring Dick Van Dyke. Our show choir performed a medley from the Broadway Show "Guys and Dolls" and they were awesome! Dick Van Dyke was the MC and he had so much energy! He danced, he sang, he messed around with the kids during their performances. When one High School performed a "Phantom of the Opera" medley, he came out with a cape, mask and a rose and gave it to one of the singers, then slinked off stage. When another High School did a "Chorus Line" medley, he came out and danced the choreography and then high kicked Rockette style! It's so inspirational to see such talent, and youthfulness at the ripe age of 84.

He really cares about the Arts in Schools and even took time out before they performed and visited the kids at their High Schools. This benefit brings in needed funds to keep the Arts and this was the 10th Year they've been supporting the schools. I'm so happy that I got to spend my Mother's Day, watching my beautiful, talented daughter and her friends, joyfully dancing and singing. Thanks Mr. Van Dyke and I hope to attend another 10 shows!!

The Lost Art of Customer Service

I feel a little cranky today, so I thought I'd touch on a subject that is near and dear to my heart, customer service! A long time ago in the 80's I worked in retail. Customer service was really the priority in every job I had. It didn't matter if the customer wore the item, if we didn't even HAVE the item, if the customer yelled and screamed, we gave them what they wanted. It was MANDATORY! We greeted everyone, asked if they needed help, was there to actually help them when they needed it and we rang them up with a smile and said have a nice day.

Now you can walk into a store, no one even looks at you. You can stand at the register for an hour before someone bothers to ring you up. If you ask them a question, they say they don't know or we don't have anymore, because they're too lazy to look it up for you, or call somewhere else. I know I'm pigeonholing, but 89% of the time, this is the case!

Another thing is that people don't listen. Today, I went to Taco Bell for lunch. I told him what I wanted and told him the order was for here and I needed a cup for water. He then proceeded to ask me what kind of burrito I wanted, after I had said chicken and I told him I didn't want sauce in it. He asked me you didn't want sauce right? And after I said again, chicken burrito with no sauce, he said what kind of burrito? Now, I do not have an accent, I didn't have a cold that day, I'm pretty sure I enunciated correctly, why couldn't he understand my order??? Then he asked me was it for here or to go, after I had told him when I first ordered. Yes, I get grumpy and sarcastic when I encounter these people because I remember the good old days of customer service. Oh, and if they really wrong me, everyone and anyone will hear about it. I even review places on Yelp and post complaints. My husband calls me the squeaky wheel, and boy do I squeak!!

I always like to reward GOOD customer service. Whenever I get good service, I always make it a point to tell the manager and/or employee that I enjoyed their service, or thanks for being efficient, or understanding my order/situation, etc. I'm hoping that if enough people get the good customer service bug, then there will be less cranky people in the world and we can all walk around smiling, with butterflies and rainbows following us wherever we go. Hey, a girl can dream can't she?

Where is the Art??

I just came home from a wonderful day of celebrating Art and Volunteerism at an elementary school which is named after the author/illustrator of one of my favorite books, Maurice Sendak. Usually when I volunteer at festivals I encounter what I call "free loaders" who go there to grab anything that isn't nailed down, have poor manners, bad attitudes and let their children run amok. I was worried that I was going to deal with these people today, since the school is in a low income part of North Hollywood, but I was pleasantly surprised. The children were in the most part, well behaved. The parents were grateful and the event was nicely organized. The school was promoting Big Sunday which is a weekend where people give back to the community. In addition to the art projects that were being offered, people helped plant gardens at the school, cleaned up and Girl Scouts helped serve lunch that was free to the participants.

It was such a nice feeling to see that people still care about their school, their kid's education and art. The lovely projects I saw being done were so inspiring that it saddened me to think that possibly in the future, these children may not be able to express their creativity because the budget cuts always chop Art and Music first. As an elementary school student a long time ago, art and music were part of the curriculum and much to my mom's dismay, I was always bringing home my "creations" from school for her to display and/or keep. In fact she still has a lot of the christmas ornaments, frames and flower pots that me and my siblings made as children. To me, that's a good mom. I suppose I got my keepsake gene from her, because I SAVE EVERYTHING! Yes, I have all my daughter's artwork from kindergarten on. Luckily I only have the one child.

The school system is so caught up right now with test scores. There is a battle between schools on who can bring in the highest scores. Yes, it's prestige and a way to get more students as parents are convinced that higher test scores make for a better school. But what about the children who express themselves more creatively and not as much academically? Are they destined to fail because they can't pass algebra, but no one bothers to see that they can paint beautifully, compose symphonies, or express themselves with dance? And when we finally get schools who are specifically for these children, they are the first to be on the chopping block.

I'm worried about the future of my grandchildren and great grandchildren (I can dream!) that they will have to paint, compose and dance in secret because society will only acknowledge the academics and not the poets, dreamers and creators. I hope I will be long gone by then, because if not, it will break my heart!

Imagination...

Yesterday was a very blustery day where I live. Things were blowing around and you suddenly saw many things that didn't belong where they landed. Parts of billboard advertisements flapping in the wind, a child's sock on a car hood, plastic bags as ornaments on trees.

While driving home, I was fascinated with watching this black plastic bag swirling and dancing in the wind. Yes, I said dancing. It swooped so gracefully, soared and then pirouetted as if it was dancing with the wind as its partner. I was mesmerized until the car behind me honked and brought me back to reality.

I'm told that I have a great imagination. As a child I use to create storybook lands on the playground with my friend Inger. We used to ride on horses through a magical forest, live in a cave on the 4 square court and hunt for food at the lunch tables. She was an excellent artist and we would put our stories down on paper then she would illustrate them. I wish I still had them to show to my daughter.

I have another friend from High School whom I really had nothing in common with except the fact that we both loved whimsical things. We would write notes to each other in invisible ink, she would doodle frogs, fairies and unicorns on the outside of the notes. We would have picnics in the park, blow bubbles and name our goldfish crackers before we ate them. We would bake massive amounts of cut out sugar cookies in silly shapes like roosters and horses, decorate them and give them away. We are still friends, but she now does silly things with her little one but now and then a wave of silly would pass over one of us and something would be delivered to our mailboxes.

I like my imagination. I like that I can visualize creations and want to make them happen. I like seeing pictures in the clouds. I like being able to make up silly songs on the spur of the moment. I often see faces in tree branches, ceiling tiles and splotches on the ground. I've had friends who couldn't see what I see and guess what...we are no longer friends. The ones I keep are the ones with open minds, wide eyes and endless possibilities, who aren't afraid of jumping in rain puddles and coloring in coloring books. My hubby sometimes think I should put my feet on the ground and be more grown up, yes I should I suppose, But instead I stick my tongue out at him and chase the ice cream truck.

Excuse me now, so I can go pick up my kidling and embarrass her in front of her friends. I may just show up wearing my Superman Cape and roller skates!