Dude, listen to your witch doctor

Photo by Me copyright hcvp 2010

The other day, as I was coming out of the movie, I bumped into Sophia the Wannabe Socialite. She was on her way to work.

She shoved her arm in my face pointing to it. She was wearing a strapless outfit that really did not look good on her at all, but it was 30c here (I believe that equals close to 80 f in the US )

What she was showing me was the horrible case of Eczema that she's got suddenly. All she said was the creams her doctor gave her are not working and did I know of anything to help.

I'm not a herbalist it's not my strong suite. But I knew what the cause of it was, she works in a soap shop. We have a Lush at the mall, which is a great store, only it's the size of a closet. She's always had ultra sensitive skin, and the fact that place does not have proper air vents, it's doing a number on her skin.

Only she wouldn't listen to me tell her that. So, I said I'd check my books. Now, other then the obvious, which is Aloe Vera, the only other thing I could tell her was to use lavender or yarrow. Only thing is my books don't always say how to use the herbs, just a list of what to use. I'm guessing for a skin issue, a cold compress of the herbs.

But, my first advice to her would be to wear long sleeves when at work and to get outside of the shop as often as possible.

Sex and the City 2 -review

This is the same post I just did on my Domestic and Damned blog, so if you are following both, you only need to read this once.



I got up, got ready and flew out of this apartment to catch a bus to get to the cinema for when the doors opened, thinking what if I'm wrong about the crowds and the place is jammed.... only to get to the ticket counter and have the lady ask me if I wanted my ticket for the 2 pm showing.
What? Why would I be standing here at 11:15am with an 11:45am showing of the film if I wanted a later ticket. Where they sold out too?
No, she was just not aware there was an 11:45am showing.
Hang on! You work here and you didn't even realize there was an early showing?


Now, how to do this without spoilers....

Plot: Samantha is offered a job in Abu Dhabi doing press for a new hotel. Which is just in time, as Charlotte is having a minor breakdown over being a mom, Miranda just quit her job and Carrie is having issues with Big. While there, the ladies fall pray to the cultural differences and even end up getting arrested.

I wish they had used more of the flashback scene. It was more of a tease then a full scene. I'm hoping the directors cut of the dvd will put that to better use.
All our familiar men are back with little roles this time, and we start off with a massive plot point that almost feels like it was edited down to nothing. The Wedding. For anyone who is avoiding spoilers, I'll tell you this much on the wedding, it had one of my favourite scenes Liza Minnelli singing and dancing to the song "Single Ladies". (Which by the way at her age she still made Beyonce's little video look like kindergarden paste) I was not a fan of this song, but her performance is wicked.
The plot in this one was thin at best. It just seemed to lack something.

I walked out of the cinema just disappointed. The jokes didn't get any response from the rest of the audience around me (yes I was laughing alone out loud) the subplot was lost somewhere in translation, and it just felt unfinished. I think the underlining tone was "when you choose one life, are you sure?" but to be honest, I can't tell you if that was it or not. The film flashed past me in a blur.

Will I buy the dvd? Of course I will because have the whole series and the last movie and the books.

Here's hoping #3 is better planned out and does something to give us the feel that we're watching SATC.

Who's line is it anyway?

A year ago I posted something on my old blog about my lack of life. Within days of me writing it, Mr. S. cut a promo on the show that referenced the very topics I had ranted about.

Two days ago, I revisited the topic on my new blog with links to the old post on the old blog. Yesterday evening, Mr. S. blogged and revisited the same material from that promo he'd done last year.

Yes, I'm believing I'm back in his good graces. Or at lest, he's reading me again.

This was the first time in the last year that I have brought up those topics again. It is also the first time in the last year that Mr. S. has brought up those topics again.

Mel tonight in a chat asked me how much more proof do I need?

Mr. S. has me dumbfounded. He really does.

Sold Out

"What do you mean it's sold out?  It can't be sold out? "

That's what I was saying this morning to my mom when I was chatting on the phone with her.   The Goddess my sister, as I mentioned the other week on here,  is going to the movie with friends of hers.  They were going tomorrow night, opening night, but when they went to order their tickets online, it's sold out.  
In fact, both opening night here and Friday are both sold out.   Here I was thinking I would go Friday night, but I guess I'm not getting there till the weekend after all.

I think my cup is empty again

Photo by Me

I can't get back into the heads of my characters.  Been stuck with my novel for the last few days.
Ever since changing the ending, the story has shifted and the focus is now on one of the smaller characters. 
I need to bring it back to my hero, and I can't seem to. 
It's like I spent way too much time away from him and lost his voice.  I don't feel that I should be ripping him out and starting him over, but at the moment, I don't what to do.

What is he doing?

I posted stuff on my Facebook. My profile, my stuff. I got a notice from there in my emails last night saying that Darius had tagged people in my photos.

What? He could do that?

When I went in and looked at the photo and the tag in question. When I hit the tag it took me to someone else's photo album. He took a copy of my photo used it on his own profile and gave a copy to his buddy.

I got mad and deleted the tag. Then sent an email to him asking what was up? I don't know the guy he tagged.

I had been chatting with Mel and Joshua last night when this all went down. Both feel that Darius is getting creepy.
Joshua's reaction was "That's something a boyfriend does."
Joshua did not know about the wrestling text messages so I filled him in on it. Joshua was not happy. (for those who haven't been filled in on me and Joshua, we have an on again off again internet thing)

And why is it just when things sort out with one of my male friends, crap starts up with another?

Interview with Kathleen Grissom

The interview I did with author Kathleen Grissom is up on my book blog

What are you Wearing to the show

No I have not abandoned this blog.  Just been busy building up Domestic and Damned  and believe it or not, hanging out on Facebook.

Yeah, I know I know.  And one of the big questions posed by the SATC2 fan "group is what are you wearing to the movie?"

I had an outfit picked out.  But, the weather has been a roller coaster. Freezing, then +29 c, then rain and cold then + 25c like it can't make up it's mind.
I'm not able to go opening night, so  dressing up for it is pointless.
Last time around, I did dress up, and wouldn't you know it, freezing here that day.  Not too mention I had water marks on my shirt from crying.   
Since I just got myself a fabulous tee shirt with the logo for my Mr. S. , I'm thinking jeans and tee.  That way, if I have tear stains no big deal.

If I even make it opening weekend.   I have been getting a sore throat and today sound like I'm garbbling gravel.  This week is not just SATC week it's also first official book club so I can not afford to get full on sick. 

But, hey, for those of you who are going to the movie, are you dressing up for it?  Are you making it girls' night?

Shutting the door on your EXfiles

I was sitting here just now, having a coffee and watching an old episode of Sex and the City.
It was the one where Carrie has to deal with Berger's reaction to his ex calling.
It got me thinking. I started what was my main blog right after my last break up that was three years ago. 90% of that blog was about my two biggest relationships, and every one night stand.

I have done maybe 2 posts on my new blog since about that time in my life. I think moving from my old blog to the new one was really really needed.

Anyone who's been reading this blog for the last few months, know that I was in a panic about what was happening with being cyber stalked by a former friend. I felt sick from the idea of them spending more time on that blog then I was.
Now, maybe it was a good thing. As I would never have moved on from that blog, and I would have kept going on and on and on about those relationships.

So this is me, shutting the door on my EXfiles. Here's to a clean start.

The Invitation I did not want

Two things.

1) I got an internet invite to link up anything I had done in regards to the wrestling the other night. The invite was a group one from the guy who was promoting the show. So I did. Hey, I'm trying to network my wrestling blog so what better way right? Right. Now, I'm getting a lot of hits locally from that group to my main blog and not the wrestling one. Why? Because I did a review of the show on my new wrestling blog and I did a personal post on my Domestic and Damned blog that was more my buddies and I goofing around, but I linked them both. What I didn't know is that the link to the personal blog was put higher in the ranks because there is more posts on it. So everyone is bypassing the wrestling blog and missing the reviews.
That sucks.

2) I had gotten a text the night of the event from my buddy Darius. He was acting odd. This was near the end of the night, so far to that point he'd been... not his self. But then again, he was hanging around with a group of his bar buddies so you know men when they are in a pack.
The text I got from him went like this

"All this wrestling making me horny. Let's f**k in the bathroom"

WHAT? Um WHAT?
I texted back that he was a goof. I didn't take him serious, why would I? Few minutes later, he texted me again asking for a Blow job. You have got to be kidding me!
I texted back saying "You're Not Mr. S.!"
That seemed to shut him up for the moment.

The end of the event and the lights came up and I got a chance to get a photo of one of the wrestlers. When I caught up with Darius few minutes later, I was still swooning from the small chat/photo opt of the wrestler, and having been flirting with my hair stylist who had been sitting beside me all night.
Darius leaned over and said "You look happy what's up?" when I showed him the photo I'd just taken his attitude changed and his voice got loud. "Well, maybe HE'LL have some bathroom time with you"

I hit Darius. Hit him hard too. One of his boys turned and invited me to go for drinks with them which I turned down the offer. Sadly, they ended up bumping into the wrestlers at that pub and all got to hang with them. But, that pub was clear cross the other end of town from my place. Had I gone with them I would have missed the last bus to my end of town and I did not have any cab fare.

I had no idea Darius was even slightly interested in me. We've been friends for a year, but after that exchange, I'm not so sure anymore.

The fan

T. is a guy I went to grade school and high school with. 
I always see him at the wrestling events. Usually with a bunch of guys.  I always thought T. was gay.
This is what happens when you hang with gay and bi-sexual men all the time, it tosses your gay-dar out the window with straight men. 

Last night I spotted him at the event with who I found out is his wife.  T. always makes it a point to cross my path at events, literally.  Everytime I go to a live wrestling here in town, T. makes it a point to walk in front of me even when he doesn't need to, to stand around talking with his buddies a few feet from me (always just out of ear shot) when the sports center is massive and he could stand anywhere, and hold up the shinny collector's belts he buys every single time that he gets autographed as if it's the real thing.

Last night, I caught him looking in my direction then proceeded to promptly grab his wife for a make out session.  You could tell by the look on his wife's face she was wondering what got into him.
I was wondering that too.   Who was he doing that for? What was he trying to prove? 

Author Catherine McKenzie Would Like

Ladies of SITS, of BlogFrog, and whom ever googles this.
Catherine McKenzie author of Spin, is in the process of doing an experiment. She is trying to see if we the general reading public can in fact make a book a bestseller just by blogging about it.
I love this idea! here is the link to the Goodreads group. I hope the link works as it is a group.
If you are on Goodreads I encourage you to join, if not, it's a great place for bookworms.

I had the chance to do an interview with her few months back and she's a lovely lady, just a sweetheart. Which you can read here on my book blog

So who is your target?

Was watching Sex and the City, the episode where Carrie is picking the columns and book cover for her first book, and has to figure out who her target audience is. 
I have seen on blog discussions this question.  And up until a hour ago, I always thought I knew mine.

Figured my target audience were Sex and the City fans, gay men and wrestling fans/wrestlers.  Ends up that might not be the whole story.

I asked Mel what he thought (yeah I know, I'm an emotional cutter) and his answer  " 18-30"
Um yeah, that doesn't help me bud.  

Makes me wonder though if that is a good thing or a bad thing, not really having a solid readership.
Am I accessible to a wide range of readers (good thing)   or am I just not what people need, like the self help section of the local book store (bad thing)

Mel believes and this is a direct quote.  "Good thing. That way it never gets stale and you reach a broader range of people and age groups"


How do you know you've reached who you thought you were reaching with your writing?

I tell you I bumped into Brenda

Brenda used to be the supervisor for the building. She moved out when the new landlord took over and raised the rent.
I bumped into her at the grocery the other day. Right off she asked me the same set of questions she always does "you still living there? And do they still own it?" I get the feeling that if my answers were ever any different she might move back. But my answers are always the same.
"For now, and yes they do."

Brenda : " I was talking to the neighbour the other day, and he tells me that Landlord lives in one part and the wife lives in the other. You living in a building of crazies"

Me : " Landlord lives downstairs, his daughter lives in your old apartment."

Brenda: "Wasn't the wife living there too? Aren't they divorced?"

Me: "They are always filing for divorce but not going through with it. Daughter and her kid moved in, the Landlord's wife moved out, Landlord moved in. Wife and Daughter do not get along."

Brenda: "The place is a dump. How do you live there still?"

Me : " Painfully. I have been on a wait list for over a year with city housing to move."

Brenda: "Well, let's hope they move you soon, cause from what the neighbour told me, that building has been called about."

The Sex and the City Countdown

I've started doing a few posts on the Domestic and Damned blog that are SATC themed.

I'm going to try to get at lest one done a day leading up to the release of SATC2.

The poached egg scene

You know in the film when Julie says she's never eaten an egg and then the next few minutes of the film is about the poached eggs.

It's the dinner table chat in the next scene that I'm on today. 
Where she asks "What does it mean if you don't like your friends?"   and the other girl says it's normal.

That's how I am feeling.
As I posted few days ago, I've decided to re-issue my vampire themed review blog.  All vampire movies/books, and stupidly asked the opinion of my buddy Mel.  It might seem like a silly thing to anyone reading but the whole thing got me thinking.

In a real "time to evaluate my life"   thinking.
I had to ask myself, what am I getting from my current friendships other then headaches?  I came up with zero, nothing, zip-a-dee-doo-da. 

When do you know it's time to move on? 

This past Sunday was mother's day, and I ended up having to go to my sister's for a bit because they were doing lunch for mom there.   If you've been reading this blog at all, you know my Sister the Goddess has moved in with her boyfriend the Married Man (yes he's FINALLY after 2 years asked his wife for a divorce) so this was more to show off the new digs then anything else.   Great coffee though, I have to hand that to them. He has it imported from Vancouver and grinds it himself. Fancy.  Oh yeah, he's loaded.  I see why my sister is with him. Yeah that visit was painful for a few reasons, one being the "and then we got this it's $700 and this painting was $200"  the other reason I messed up my back last week and can barely stand up right.  Fun times.

Her and I started to talk about books which is the one thing no matter what we're both passionate about.  This little light hearted giggle fest lead me to ask what night we were going to Sex and the City 2.   At that point my sister the Goddess, diverted her eyes and said she was going opening night with a friend from work.

Why the hell didn't she tell me this before?  She could have texted me and said that her friends wanted her to go, but she let me think for the last month we were going together . 

Well, I am thinking this might be a good day to try to make poached eggs.  I've never tried yet.

You're such a mark

"You're wearing Mr. S's logo shirt on Saturday aren't you?"  Darius asked, laughing. 

"That was always the plan.  I'm like the only one in town who has it... I think"

"No doubt." he was still laughing at me.  "So let me get this straight. You have front row and you are going to be wearing the logo for Mr. S."

"Yeah. Why?" 

Darius was still laughing hard. "You are going to be total fodder. Total fodder. Nash just started a feud with Mr. S. this week. If he shows on the card like he's suppose to, you know he'll single you out in that shirt and use you as promo material. " 

"That was the whole point of the shirt.  To get noticed at the show."  I replied litter more giddy then I should of.  

So we shall see what happens this coming weekend.  I know a bunch of the wrestlers are already in town for radio and news stuff, my mom happily reports these advents AFTER they happen and happily adds that they were open to the public. {oh by the way I heard yesterday that Vampiro was scheduled for a meet and greet. You missed it. I forgot to tell you} 

This is why he has no friends

I decided to work on a new version of an old blog.   I have been for the last few years, doing a vampire themed blog where I post movie and book reviews. 
All vampires.    I want to branch out and start fresh with a new blog for the theme.  

I made the mistake of asking Mel what he thought on it. Why did I ask his opinion ?   Well, I'm stupid it would seem.   I have this distaste for the overly processed goth scene that's sprung up in the last few years. 
It makes me cringe, it really does.   Don't even get me started on why I dislike Twilight, that's a day's worth of ranting right there.   

Anyway, Mel suggested I add some well, ads for goth clothing stores and clubs and gothic themed online dating etc.   I simply said No.   He got snotty and told me not to ask him anything.  Okay, fine I won't.
This whole conversation had started with me asking him how he was feeling as he'd been sick the last week.  He said he wanted to die.  There's that goth-kid attitude again.  He bitches about how he can't keep friends, well not with an attitude like that. 

I'm the first to admit I'm not the rainbows and kittens type, but I don't sit there and declare to people that I want to cut myself either. 
Seriously, if he keeps this up much longer; I just won't be able to stay friends with him.  It's too exhausting.

Okay, and that was my rant on the topic

Just a note

http://theyearilivedoffoframennoodles.blogspot.com/2010/05/i-twisted-my-knee.html

This is very cool. I mentioned a movie in that post about an actress who has O.I.
The director/writer/producer stumbled on the blog and left links and information in the comments. I hope everyone checks out the links he left.

Eat Pray Love -Book

I just finished reading this. Took me about a week.
I should have started this post few days ago as things and thoughts were coming to me while reading, but I wasn't that smart.

This was part emotional roller coaster, part spiritual guide book for me.
Everyone I've talked to have been split right down the middle on this book, either loving it or hating it.
I loved it.

I found the first section, the EAT, section heavy. No pun intended.  I realize that it happened at a dark time in her life, and therefore was heavy.  It was her coming out of her depression. Yes, I did identify with it.  It had me asking myself some of the same questions and nodding my head saying "you're totally right babe"

I zipped through the second section, the PRAY, section in under two days.  I connected with it the most.  There was one spot where I wanted to start a blog post (really wish I had now) about the truth of FAITH. But I chickened out. 

The last section, the LOVE, section that had me staggering.  It took the longest for me to read.  Pure and simple, I'm not anywhere near that part of my own life. I'm still back in the border of the EAT and the PRAY parts. 

This is one of those books that has you in awe that it's a true story. Elizabeth Gilbert is a very brave and inspiring woman. To look Faith in the eye and basically say "come to me I believe in you" without flinching, to except that divinity is an all consuming idea. 
I could go on for a very long ramble on my views of Faith (which I encompass as ALL religions/spiritual paths) but I don't feel the need right now.  Maybe later. 

I will say this,  EAT PRAY LOVE is a book that you do not go looking for, it comes looking for you. 

From the bottom of my coffee cup

Photo by ME copyright hcvp'09

Scuff scuff scuff that's the sound of me going to the kitchen to make coffee.

I have new downstairs neighbours. Or neighbour. Not too sure if it's one guy or not. He's/They are quiet so that's good.
The last ones to live below me was a teenaged couple. I feel sorry for that guy. So noisy with the music and the video games and the animalistic sex. I was blaming the guy for all the music and video games at 3 in the morning. Ends up it was the girlfriend. I was complaining about the noise the other week to Mel, and when I got up to make a coffee, I saw the guy's car was gone. Remembered he was out of town. Stopped, still leaning on the counter waiting for my coffee to finish and saw the door open to the building. The girl came out with some other guy who was not her boyfriend and was making out with him in the parking lot till a taxi came for him. They broke up and moved out last week. I feel sorry for the guy, I really do.

Mom has an appointment this morning for x-rays. If we can figure out what bus to take we might make it on time.

And the Starbucks instant coffee... I had this sample and well, it just did not stack up to even the grocery store brand.

I twisted my knee

I don't know how, got out of bed this morning and my left knee just doesn't seem to be in the best condition.   This unfortunately is something that happens when you have O.I.
You go to bed fine and wake up with bruises or something off kilter.  These things happen. Thank god I only have Type 1.  I've had conversations with people who have Type 3 who can't even lift a teacup because it will shatter their arm. 

There was a movie released the other week called  Broken Dreams (I think that was the title)  that has an actress who has O.I.  Now, I have no idea if she is playing a person with it or if her character has something else in the movie.  I am just kind of interested in hearing that there is an actress out there who has it.  A book was just released too in Canada by a woman who has O.I. Type 4.  As soon as I get a copy, I'll post more on it.  From what I am told, the book is a biography of her life dealing with the disease.

For those who have been following my rants about the wrestling blog and the Blog Partner,  I have gone ahead a created a new wrestling blog.  Just left the old one as is.  Which is a shame given it's got a nice chunk of followers and it was my blog.  It's still under my old account, but the drama with the BP and her boyfriend/husband (I don't even know what to call him)  was twisting my guts and giving me a headache.  Either they will take over the blog completely (which I am still the only one with admin rights and the comments have to be approved by me)  or they will leave it when they see I'm no longer putting the 17 hours a week into it.  Which in time,  I'll post a link on it to the new one here

Oh and over here  I posted a silly video of myself yesterday.

Lynn Redgrave -RIP

One of my all time favourite films is the horror comedy Midnight where Lynn Redgrave played a late night horror hostess.  One of the many reasons I tried my hand at being a horror hostess back in college.  Her portrayal of the hippy mom in the movie version of Jane Austen Book Club was a show stealer.    I'm sad by the news that she died at age 67.

Sofa Logic/Kitchen Logic

I always have a stack of books on the go.

At the moment, reading Jane Slayre for book club,
trying to finish off Cleaving Meat Marriage Obsession, and have started Eat Pray Love.
Three very different books, for three very different reasons.
I've been reading Cleaving off and on for over a month, and since it's a hardcover book, been keeping it in the kitchen where I can sit at the table and read it open faced. You can tell it's been living in the kitchen as it's sleeve is covered in splatters of tea, coffee, hot chocolate and I think even the broth from the ramen noodles.
The other two, being softcover, I have been able to keep in the living room so that I can curl up on the sofa with them.  Not that the Jane Slayre is light.  If you have seen the original classic this monster-lit is based on, you know it's a large volume.
Eat Pray Love,  has me wanting to curl up on my Yoga mat with.  Must be subliminal.