Thursday, December 10, 2009

Treading Water

So, I had a long moment of personal panic the other evening.  And it was VERY un-fun.  But it proved to be helpful and a bit enlightening once I managed to shut-up my inner-howler-monkey-freak-out-voice (not to be confused with outer-howler-monkey-super-excited-voice) and really think about my little dilemma.  

I've been cast in the production of "Postmortem" by Ken Ludwig at our local community theatre (insert outer-howler-monkey-super-excited-voice here____) and I'm loving every minute of it because I haven't been in a play since high school and I looooooooove theatre.  *side bar... if you are familiar with the play, I'm playing Louise!!  If you aren't familiar with it...you simply must get your hands on a copy!  Wonderful play.....witty, hysterical, dramatic, mysterious.  Simply wonderful!*  Now then, with theatre acting comes the need for a biography for the program so the audience can get to know the actors a little bit in their natural habitat.  This theatre is great because the cast just had to fill out a short questionnaire about the who, what, where, when, whys, and hows of our lives and the director will write the bios for us. 

This is where my moment of panic came in.  One of the questions was, "What are your goals or aspirations?"

....uhhhhhh.......well, I, ah......maybe....no......I guess...umm....no


HOLY SHIT!...I'm a 27 year-old college graduate and I have no CLUE what I want to do with my life!!!!

WHAT does that SAY about me!?!?!?  (don't answer that)

My degree is a BA in communication with double emphases in broadcasting and public relations.  I was a news and sports reporter for 2 years before I moved to Florida to be with my husband.  I would be willing to get back into news but...meh.  I live in Panama City Beach which has no PR companies that I know of (and the news stations aren't hiring at the moment). Plus, I'm sorta toying with the idea of starting my own wedding planning company.

Soooooooo,  yeah.

Whilst I am performing the great job hunt (like everyone else in the nation) I've decided to dip my toesies into the freelance writing pool just to see what kinda cash where that gets me.  So far I've only submitted one essay to Skirt magazine for their upcoming January issue...and I haven't heard anything back...yet; but I have lots of drafts in the works for a couple other publications that hire out freelance work.  Anyone know of any??  I'm also still working on our book...but that project is a long way off from being finished and submitted for publication.  I don't blog nearly as much as I would like to but I'm sure that will come with time, and practice in self-discipline.  Any advice on turning my blog into a meal ticket?  I'm pretty sure THAT would be great motivation!  I know I can place ads in my sidebar but how exactly does that work and does it really work??

I'm sure you're dying to know how I answered that looming question on the bio.  Well, as far as the audience members are concerned my goals and aspirations can be summed up in one statement....  "to be a wildly successful published author/writer."

At least it sounds like I have a life or that I'm gloriously delusional.  Either way, it's more interesting than "idunno".

Thursday, November 12, 2009

My Grand-dad the Veteran

This may be a day late but I'm o.k. with that because, as far as I'm concerned, everyday is Veterans Day.  I want to say a great big "THANKS!!" to the Diva-licious mom and family over at Mom In High Heels for not only her husband's service in the U.S. Army, but for inspiring me to reminisce about my Grand-dad, the Army Veteran who served in the Korean War...

 

I lived with my maternal Grandparents until I was 12.  I loved both of them DEARLY, looking past the fact that my Grand-dad was a bit of a grumpy.  As a small child, I knew that he had been in the Army and I knew that he had fought in the Korean war.  I personally don't remember him ever talking about his experiences but I do know that, of our family members, he would discuss that time in his life with his son.  My Grandmother said they would sit together in the room we called "the library" (floor to ceiling built-in, crammed full with books, appropriately named I'd say) for hours upon end.  My Uncle inherited the majority of the memories of my Grand-dad's war experience and how it affected our family; and he cherishes those memories to this day.

BUT, dear Uncle wasn't the only one that made it out with memories...I managed to snag a couple of my own; one not so happy and one simply wonderful. 

The not-so-happy memory revolves around an ice-cream bowl and spoon.  You see, Grand-dad not only fought in the war; he was shot in the knee, listed as MIA, then presumed dead and later discovered as a POW.  During his imprisonment one of the ways his captors tortured him was to enclose him in a metal box that was just large enough for him to sit with his knees to his chest and bang and scrape on the metal box for hours upon hours at a time.  When this story was told to me in my teenage years it made me realize, for the first time, that I had always eaten my dessert in another room when I was little.  You see, I was a child VERY dedicated to ice-cream and I refused to leave even the tiniest melted bit in the bowl.  My overzealous scraping of the ice-cream bowl was a trigger for my Grandfather, understandably so.  Though I can't recall him ever reacting to my dessert mutilation, there was obviously one evening that I was gently banished to another part of the house whenever the time came for me and my ice-cream to have a tete-a-tete.  As a child, I didn't think anything of it, in fact, I thought it was an extra treat because I got to watch t.v. while enjoying my sweet.  The reasoning behind the ice-cream routine coming full circle caused me to view and respect my Grand-dad's service and sacrifice in a whole new way.  Growing up, I respected his Soldier/Veteran status because I was told to.  I didn't grasp WHAT it meant to be a Veteran...until I understood the reasoning behind my ice-cream isolation.

What strength and iron will Veterans must posses to recover from the experience of war.  They ones that are blessed with the ability to come home return a different person.  A changed individual working every moment in the following days to return to their life and the person they were before their deployment.  They must jump from fighting a war within another country to fighting a war within themselves.  Those of us that remain safe and secure back home, reaping the benefit of freedom ONLY attained through the sacrifice of Veterans and Soldiers, have a job as well.  Our job is to respect, support, appreciate and cherish this GIFT our nation's Veterans are protecting for us.  We must support them and be compassionate and considerate of their road to recovery; remembering that all of their strength required to try and re-enter their pre-war life can be momentarily broken by something as harmless as a child with a bowl of ice-cream.

Yet, on the flip side, Grand-dad found some healing by using his battle wounds for a bit of humor while engaging the imagination of a small girl.  Grand-dad always used to say to me, "See ya later alligator" and I would, of course, come right back with, "After while crocodile."  He loved it!  Well, his bullet wounds left him with 2 round scars side by side, on either side of his knee and at night, when he would walk around in his jammies (a.k.a undershirt and boxer shorts with a bathrobe) he would point to his knee and say, "Miranda, ya know what happened here??"  Though I was fully aware that they were bullet scars from his time serving our country, I couldn't help but giggle as I knew what was coming. This was a regular and beloved exchange between just the two of us.  He would look at me with that mischievous grin I am convinced only grandfathers (even grumpy ones) are able to create, and say, "An alligator bit me!"  and I would respond with an overly-dramatic, "GASP!!"  Overjoyed with our silly game, we would share a hearty laugh over our cleverness, then Grand-dad would gently chuck my chin and wink before walking away whistling with a twinkle in his eye and a bounce in his step. And that is exactly how I choose to remember my grumpy Grand-dad; the Korean War Veteran.


To ALL United States Military past, present and future:  GOD BLESS YOU!  THANK you for your time, your dedication, your strength, service and sacrifice.  My prayers are for you, my thoughts are with you and my respect is eternally yours.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Dear So and So - Guest appearance by Hubby

Dear So and So...


Dear Training Meetings,

Why do you suck to much?  I mean really, you take time away from my family and friends just so we can learn things we already know.  When you walk into these trainings you sit down and wait for everyone to show up.  After an hour of sitting there and introducing everyone you get started on the actual power point presentation.  Someone tell me why trainers have you read the bullet points word for word on these presentations?  Should you not be able to read them yourself and maybe the trainer has some sort of other input on what the bullet point is trying to make?  (wow this whole blogging to vent thing really works, I feel better already).

For three days i sat in a room with other managers thinking the same thing over and over, "LET ME OUT OF HERE!!!!!"  We get this book that has activities and follows the presentation, while a trainer reviewes the presentation and keeps everyone on track.  I dont understand why we cant just work the questions in the book, have the trainer there to ask questions, and maybe the three day course will take 1 day...


I understand that there were some very good questions asked at this training class, but the trainer is a person we call and have conference calls with on a regular basis.  Give us a reference guide and have us look up our own damn answers.  Everything in the corporate world is black and white anyways, why not give us the guide, let us make our own mistakes, learn from them and move on with our lives.


I am very tired of the retail environment and I am ready to move on from it.  So, training meetings, I would like to throw up a big middle finger to you since you are worthless and pointless...but the paid mileage is good.

Dear So and So- Hmmm

I love Dear So and So. Normally, I don't have an issue finding things to vent about. Yet, today, I'm rather chipper. International Delight Pumpkin Spice seasonal coffee creamer is BACK BABY, it's a GORGEOUS sunny day outside, hubby is going to WILLINGLY help me with chores and I live on the water at the beach. It's a good day. So I think all I have to vent about today are daily inconveniences.

Want to rant??? Grab the button and let us have it!!

Dear So and So...

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear dishes,

I clean you and put you away and you pile right back up again.  I. clean. you. and. put. you. away. and. you. pile. RIGHT. BACK. UP. AGAIN.  Mucho inconvenient.

Please figure out how to clean yourselves....I'll still put you away.  I don't mind that part...it's quick.

Thanks,
Lady of the House

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Laundry,

We really need to come to a compromise.  I have no problem sorting you, putting you in the washer and then putting you in the dryer.  Don't you think we could come to a happy medium where you fold yourself and put yourself away?? 

I don't think that's too  much to ask.

Get on it,
Lady of the House

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Judah-Man,

We get it.  You're fluffy.  You're adorable.  You look like a miniature lion.  You're king of the freakin' world.  Your little furry face is the highlight of my day and you have more personality than Bill Cosby, Katt Williams and Dane Cook....COMBINED.

BUT

Contrary to popular belief, your Daddy and I canNOT pet you EVERY WAKING MOMENT.  Your loyal subjects have other, not equally important but important never-the-less, things to do during our day.  Plus, our hands start to cramp after a while.

Please accept this for the hard truth that it is.

Wuvs,

Da Mommy and Da Daddy

          ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dear Roxie-Baby,

You are an absolute JOY.  Your Daddy and I couldn't ask for a sweeter, better behaved, more beautiful, more loving and more loyal pound puppy.  The day we adopted you was one of the best days of both our lives.

I'm just wondering if you could maybe get a grip on the Roxie-hair tumbleweeds that are attempting to take over the house.  I vacuumed 2 days ago and there's already one bigger than Judah in the corner.  You're just too pretty to shave.  Figure it out.  Mkthanks.

Love,
Mommy

Wednesday, September 23, 2009

The Story Of Us...And Our Two Weddings

As promised in my previous post, ...Through My Recent God Pause, I've been working on the VERY beginning stages of a book my husband and I are attempting to write.  We have no idea what this will bring.  We have no idea where this will take us.  At the moment, we would like to have it published one day but we may change our minds in the future.

This book is a tribute to my father.  Dad is suffering from a neurological disease believed to be CJD and we have been told we will lose him by the end of the year.  Mr. Galloping and I are putting in writing what we've experienced, what we've learned and how we've survived my father's HORRID illness, our shotgun engagement, one shotgun wedding and planning a second, formal wedding.

I hope to shine some light on a disease that, in a year's time, only affects about 200 people in the United States.

I'm writing this post to pimp out our blog dedicated to documenting the journey of writing our book.  Go and check it out, if you like what you see...please let me know, follow along and grab the button for your sidebar!!  Please help us share our story!

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

My First Random Tuesday

This should be interesting. I've enjoyed reading other's Random Tuesdays but wasn't so quick to jump on the bandwagon. As an ex-news reporter random writing just didn't cut it! You see, I'm going against 5 years of college education and 2 years of career training and experience here kids!! Its appearing to be painful, liberating and oh-so-necessary all at the same time. Kinda like a brazilian bikini wax!

There are dishes in the sink that are BEGGING to be put in the dishwasher. I wish they would quit complaining and do it themselves. I'll never understand why dishes can't just leap into the dishwasher...it would make MY life so much easier.

I've come to really enjoy my ritual of sharing an apple with our Pomeranian Judah...
In case you didn't know...hes king of beasties. He gets SO excited when I pull an apple out of the fridge! I'll cut little pieces off as I'm eating it and he is such a little gentleman when he eats them. Roxie, our golden retriever mix waits patiently for the core of the apple....


I really should be working on the book my husband and I are writing. I've slacked off the past couple of weeks. My muse is napping I think. Bitch.

I hope my family in Atlanta isn't floating away. Mother Nature obviously has a bone to pick with the ATL. I can't imagine why.

On the flip side, its been mighty sunny and humid here at Panama City Beach. That, added to our neighborhood's FAB pool overlooking the bay has me looking like a Mediterranean girl rather than the white bread I am. And yes, I wear sunscreen. Maybe I'll change it up today and go to the beach. Maybe that's where my muse is. Bitch.

Well, dishes are calling, as is laundry, not as loudly as the beach though. And I'm supposed to be writing. I need to find my muse and kick her in the bitch bum.

Tuesdays are good. I think I'll be back next week. TTFN!

Saturday, September 19, 2009

Dear So and So - Enough is Enough

Dear Husband,

I love you DEARLY. You mean the absolute world to me and you know there is no one else on this planet I would want to share this adventure with.....BUT.....enough is enough. Because I am your wife and I love you so much, I will cheerfully and gratefully keep our BEAUTIFUL home (that you work VERY hard to provide us) neat, tidy and healthy. Yet, remember darling husband that I'm your WIFE, YOUR PARTNER, YOUR SOURCE OF PEACE AND CALM....I'm not your mother, I'm not your babysitter, I'm not your maid. The laundry hamper is VERY CONVENIENTLY located behind the bedroom door. Has been SINCE WE MOVED IN 5 MONTHS AGO. I will happily draw up a map if necessary. If your clothes can't find their way to the hamper VIA YOUR PERFECTLY FUNCTIONING HANDS......they aren't getting washed. Period, the end.

If you wanna wear smelly, rumpled clothes, fine. But a smelly husband does NOT a frisky wife make.

Any questions??? Do NOT make me call your mother....crap, she's the one that created this monster....do NOT make me call MY MOTHER.


LOVE,
Your wife at the end of her rope.


P.S. What I don't understand is why you are so attentive (hamper, washing, ironing YOURSELF) about your work clothes and not your regular clothes.