Friday, September 30, 2011
Funny Friday is on vacation
Due to the Jewish fall holiday season, Funny Friday will be taking a break until late October. Thank you. Happy New Year to those of you who celebrate Rosh Hashanah!
Thursday, September 29, 2011
Hey Jealousy!
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Talk about someone you are jealous of and why.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This is a tricky topic for me. We're commanded to not covet our neighbor's property. So jealousy is seen as immoral in that way. However, it's hard not to envy someone. Having said that, I don't think I'm jealous of a specific person. I used to be jealous of specific people in the past. It inspired me to want to do more with my life. These days, I envy certain types of people.
1. People who can successfully write novels. I so wish I could publish a novel, but I can't seem to get the motivation up and am supporting those who can do it instead. I've met some AMAZING writers and I only wish I could possess their talent for putting books together time after time. I'd love to go on a book tour and say what inspired me to write a bestseller.
2. People who get to go on vacation whenever they want. There's no denying it...I want to go on a real vacation. The only traveling I do is to visit family and friends (people could visit me too, hint hint). The last vacation I went on was to Las Vegas in 2006. My first child was 6 months old. Yes....5 1/2 years and two kids later and no sign of Disney World anywhere in sight yet. I hear my friends and other acquaintances talk about going on vacation and I just crave it even more!
3. People who are younger than me but in a higher position of power at their jobs. I've been in the job force for 12 years now. I started as an administrative assistant and am still an administrative assistant. I LOVE where I work, but I don't want to know that someone is in their 20's and a manager already (or in the corner office). I'm sure they're great at what they do and well deserving of the role, but it's also weird for me, honestly. I do get to assert myself as a "boss" for my book blog, but that's a different story. I'm glad to be appreciated for the work that I do at my job, but I sometimes still feel like I'm fresh out of college in the roles I've held over the years. I only hope to work in a more managerial role over time, if I can find the right fit at my organization.
4. People who can afford to send their kids to a private Jewish school without batting an eyelash. That's something very prevalent in our community. Thing is, even if we didn't need a school program for hearing loss, we'd probably still go the public school route. Otherwise, college is out of the question unless the kids earn a major scholarship. It's just annoying to get questioning looks about the choices we've made for our kids' schooling. We're in the middle between people who think private Jewish school is the end-all-be-all and people who think we'd be crazy to squander all our money on such an expenditure. I don't even know if the schooling matters in the end. We know people who went to private Jewish school and aren't observant now and people who went to public school and are more observant now than ever before. It would just be nice if the choice were easy (like the private schools were free or everyone in the neighborhood decided to go to public school instead). However, if sending your kids on the private school route is something that comes as easy and as natural for you as tying your shoes, then don't judge people who have harder decisions to make when it comes to their kids' schooling.
5. Women who go back to their pre-pregnancy weight by three months after they delivered a baby. I've been working out and (trying to) eat healthier (I have the occasional slip-up, I'm only human...) and I still can't shed those last 10 pregnancy pounds. I still wear maternity clothes. I have a lot of regular clothes and they're still too tight or look horrible on me. This makes getting dressed very stressful every morning.
6. People who have gotten within touching distance of my favorite celebrities. Enough said!
I am happy with a lot of things in my life, but it's hard not to envy people sometimes. Oddly enough, as I was working on this post, I found out that the husband of a close friend of mine won a HUGE amount of money (and a vacation, I believe) on a well-known game show. I'm very happy for them, but it's hard not to be the teensiest bit jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous of someone who struck it big on a game show or in the lottery?!?
All in all, jealousy is a vicious circle. Someone may be jealous of me for all I know, but I'm jealous of other people and those people are probably jealous of another group of people for various reasons. It's like a jealousy food-chain! I'm guessing the person at the top of that chain is the one who doesn't have anything to be jealous of. I'm also guessing that they're a higher power if that's the case!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: Talk about someone you are jealous of and why.
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This is a tricky topic for me. We're commanded to not covet our neighbor's property. So jealousy is seen as immoral in that way. However, it's hard not to envy someone. Having said that, I don't think I'm jealous of a specific person. I used to be jealous of specific people in the past. It inspired me to want to do more with my life. These days, I envy certain types of people.
1. People who can successfully write novels. I so wish I could publish a novel, but I can't seem to get the motivation up and am supporting those who can do it instead. I've met some AMAZING writers and I only wish I could possess their talent for putting books together time after time. I'd love to go on a book tour and say what inspired me to write a bestseller.
2. People who get to go on vacation whenever they want. There's no denying it...I want to go on a real vacation. The only traveling I do is to visit family and friends (people could visit me too, hint hint). The last vacation I went on was to Las Vegas in 2006. My first child was 6 months old. Yes....5 1/2 years and two kids later and no sign of Disney World anywhere in sight yet. I hear my friends and other acquaintances talk about going on vacation and I just crave it even more!
3. People who are younger than me but in a higher position of power at their jobs. I've been in the job force for 12 years now. I started as an administrative assistant and am still an administrative assistant. I LOVE where I work, but I don't want to know that someone is in their 20's and a manager already (or in the corner office). I'm sure they're great at what they do and well deserving of the role, but it's also weird for me, honestly. I do get to assert myself as a "boss" for my book blog, but that's a different story. I'm glad to be appreciated for the work that I do at my job, but I sometimes still feel like I'm fresh out of college in the roles I've held over the years. I only hope to work in a more managerial role over time, if I can find the right fit at my organization.
4. People who can afford to send their kids to a private Jewish school without batting an eyelash. That's something very prevalent in our community. Thing is, even if we didn't need a school program for hearing loss, we'd probably still go the public school route. Otherwise, college is out of the question unless the kids earn a major scholarship. It's just annoying to get questioning looks about the choices we've made for our kids' schooling. We're in the middle between people who think private Jewish school is the end-all-be-all and people who think we'd be crazy to squander all our money on such an expenditure. I don't even know if the schooling matters in the end. We know people who went to private Jewish school and aren't observant now and people who went to public school and are more observant now than ever before. It would just be nice if the choice were easy (like the private schools were free or everyone in the neighborhood decided to go to public school instead). However, if sending your kids on the private school route is something that comes as easy and as natural for you as tying your shoes, then don't judge people who have harder decisions to make when it comes to their kids' schooling.
5. Women who go back to their pre-pregnancy weight by three months after they delivered a baby. I've been working out and (trying to) eat healthier (I have the occasional slip-up, I'm only human...) and I still can't shed those last 10 pregnancy pounds. I still wear maternity clothes. I have a lot of regular clothes and they're still too tight or look horrible on me. This makes getting dressed very stressful every morning.
6. People who have gotten within touching distance of my favorite celebrities. Enough said!
I am happy with a lot of things in my life, but it's hard not to envy people sometimes. Oddly enough, as I was working on this post, I found out that the husband of a close friend of mine won a HUGE amount of money (and a vacation, I believe) on a well-known game show. I'm very happy for them, but it's hard not to be the teensiest bit jealous. Who wouldn't be jealous of someone who struck it big on a game show or in the lottery?!?
All in all, jealousy is a vicious circle. Someone may be jealous of me for all I know, but I'm jealous of other people and those people are probably jealous of another group of people for various reasons. It's like a jealousy food-chain! I'm guessing the person at the top of that chain is the one who doesn't have anything to be jealous of. I'm also guessing that they're a higher power if that's the case!
Friday, September 23, 2011
Funny Friday-9/23-Trick?....or TREAT....
While I don't do AS much for Halloween these days, I'm still a fan of the holiday. It's hard to give up something I had as a favorite pastime while growing up. However, it's more apparent these days how costumes aren't that innocent. I have always found it amusing how anything can be a costume if you add the word "sexy" to it, at least for women. I thought about this concept again when I read about an older woman whose nickname was "Naughty Granny." (I'm not even joking here.) I thought, "Hey, Nick would sell that costume at his store." That made me think of the "commercial" for Nick's Girls's Costumes, which features a stereotypical New Jersey guy who looks like a younger version of Ed O'Neill (a.k.a. Al Bundy), trying to sell all sorts of costumes by adding the word "sexy" to them. It's so funny and you can see it right here! I think my favorite one was "sexy Abraham Lincoln."
My subject line make me think of when my friend and I performed at Showcase '92 (talent show at our high school) together. She was dressed as a cat and did an interpretive dance with a real cat to a T.S. Eliot poem I was reading....about cats, of course. While we were waiting to go on, she would say "trick?...or treat...." while twirling her tail during the "treat" part.
I know Halloween is a little over a month away, but I'm taking some time off from "Funny Friday" because of all the holidays I do go all out to celebrate these days. And maybe by the time Purim comes around, I'll have a good costume idea again. (I'm not sure that it will be anything "sexy" though...that wouldn't go over too well at my shul!)
My subject line make me think of when my friend and I performed at Showcase '92 (talent show at our high school) together. She was dressed as a cat and did an interpretive dance with a real cat to a T.S. Eliot poem I was reading....about cats, of course. While we were waiting to go on, she would say "trick?...or treat...." while twirling her tail during the "treat" part.
I know Halloween is a little over a month away, but I'm taking some time off from "Funny Friday" because of all the holidays I do go all out to celebrate these days. And maybe by the time Purim comes around, I'll have a good costume idea again. (I'm not sure that it will be anything "sexy" though...that wouldn't go over too well at my shul!)
Thursday, September 22, 2011
We've all got our junk...
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, I picked the topic: What is your biggest addiction or vice?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "My Junk" from "Spring Awakening." I thought it was an appropriate title for this topic.
I have quite a few addictions and a couple of vices, as well.
My latest addictions are:
"How I Met Your Mother": I started watching this show through old episodes on Lifetime, shortly after my daughter was born. It was really funny to me and I wanted to see more. So a friend loaned me some DVDs and my husband and I started with season one and are now on season four. We'll watch four to six episodes in one sitting. However, the lack of time to watch these days is more apparent and I go through withdrawal until I can see more! I also think about it all the time and make references to it through stuff that happens in real life. I find myself singing "Let's go to the Mall" every so often, as well. HIMYM is a comfort show to me and has definitely eased the emptiness I felt when "Ugly Betty" was cancelled. It's like a steaming cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day (topped with whipped cream and marshmallows...ooh, Marshall would like that reference to his nickname). It's been compared to "Friends" (a huge addiction for me in the past and something I still love) and yet, it's even better!
Special K Vanilla Almond cereal: I have to have this every day for breakfast. When it's not available and I am forced to choose something else for breakfast (even Special K with strawberries), it throws off my day. I don't even eat it with milk. Just dry with a glass of orange juice or a cup of tea. I got my husband addicted and now I have to share my cereal with him. So we go through it even faster, as a result. If there's a sale on this cereal, I will buy as many boxes as possible! A friend of mine even got it for me as a gift because she knows my addiction to it is strong. I call it my "crack." (It's like pancakes were to Stewie on "Family Guy.")
Exercise: I have to work out every morning before work. I am super cranky if I don't. Elle Woods is right...exercise gives people endorphins and endorphins make people happy. Right now, I've been using an exercise bike, but I hope we get our treadmill fixed soon. I miss it!
The Internet: I kind of have to be, with running a book blog and all the other communicating I do. I fall so behind on e-mails if I don't check my accounts every day. And even when I do, I still manage to miss some here and there.
Reading: Like this wasn't obvious or anything. :) If it were possible to sleep-read, I would totally be doing that. I can't even count how many books I've read over the past year alone, never mind my entire life. I think my older son shares my interest in reading, but time will tell.
There's also my constant need for music, chocolate and ice cream. I'll save those for another time though.
My vices (which are defined as flaws...see #5) are:
Being disorganized: If you thought I was perfect, see all the clutter I manage to accumulate at home and work (and even online) and then think again. I don't even remember the last time I was organized. Probably because it never was the case. I manage to just put things into piles, lose stuff all the time, etc. I can't even organize for my kids. I get frustrated by a mess and toss it all into one box. (I have a friend who would be completely appalled by my lack of organizational skills when it comes to cleaning toys, as she is the exact opposite.) I try to find ways to keep myself organized, but then give up on them after a while. I did FlyLady last year for a while and gave up on that when I lost the motivation. I keep saying to myself that I want to get more organized, but procrastinate on that all the time. And that's another vice, right there..being a compulsive procrastinator!
Being miserly: It's more because I'm spoiled by Freecycle and really really REALLY low prices at the thrift store. I have a hard time paying retail prices. Going to the mall is out of the question. I only browse clearance racks at Target. I become like those people in the store that I can't stand...challenging salespeople over the smallest price differences! I could either be seen as a good shopper for how much I save or a bad shopper for how much I skimp. I don't do coupons though. I'll go to stores that have deals from the cards, but I don't have the patience to sit around clipping coupons. And the coupon websites annoy me after a while.
Being a procrastinator: I work well with deadlines, but I like that extra pressure of the last minute to light a fire under my behind. And if there isn't a deadline, it ends up getting pushed off for a LONG time!
Hope this gives you more insight to who I am and how I operate.
This week, I picked the topic: What is your biggest addiction or vice?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "My Junk" from "Spring Awakening." I thought it was an appropriate title for this topic.
I have quite a few addictions and a couple of vices, as well.
My latest addictions are:
"How I Met Your Mother": I started watching this show through old episodes on Lifetime, shortly after my daughter was born. It was really funny to me and I wanted to see more. So a friend loaned me some DVDs and my husband and I started with season one and are now on season four. We'll watch four to six episodes in one sitting. However, the lack of time to watch these days is more apparent and I go through withdrawal until I can see more! I also think about it all the time and make references to it through stuff that happens in real life. I find myself singing "Let's go to the Mall" every so often, as well. HIMYM is a comfort show to me and has definitely eased the emptiness I felt when "Ugly Betty" was cancelled. It's like a steaming cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day (topped with whipped cream and marshmallows...ooh, Marshall would like that reference to his nickname). It's been compared to "Friends" (a huge addiction for me in the past and something I still love) and yet, it's even better!
Special K Vanilla Almond cereal: I have to have this every day for breakfast. When it's not available and I am forced to choose something else for breakfast (even Special K with strawberries), it throws off my day. I don't even eat it with milk. Just dry with a glass of orange juice or a cup of tea. I got my husband addicted and now I have to share my cereal with him. So we go through it even faster, as a result. If there's a sale on this cereal, I will buy as many boxes as possible! A friend of mine even got it for me as a gift because she knows my addiction to it is strong. I call it my "crack." (It's like pancakes were to Stewie on "Family Guy.")Exercise: I have to work out every morning before work. I am super cranky if I don't. Elle Woods is right...exercise gives people endorphins and endorphins make people happy. Right now, I've been using an exercise bike, but I hope we get our treadmill fixed soon. I miss it!
The Internet: I kind of have to be, with running a book blog and all the other communicating I do. I fall so behind on e-mails if I don't check my accounts every day. And even when I do, I still manage to miss some here and there.
Reading: Like this wasn't obvious or anything. :) If it were possible to sleep-read, I would totally be doing that. I can't even count how many books I've read over the past year alone, never mind my entire life. I think my older son shares my interest in reading, but time will tell.
There's also my constant need for music, chocolate and ice cream. I'll save those for another time though.
My vices (which are defined as flaws...see #5) are:
Being disorganized: If you thought I was perfect, see all the clutter I manage to accumulate at home and work (and even online) and then think again. I don't even remember the last time I was organized. Probably because it never was the case. I manage to just put things into piles, lose stuff all the time, etc. I can't even organize for my kids. I get frustrated by a mess and toss it all into one box. (I have a friend who would be completely appalled by my lack of organizational skills when it comes to cleaning toys, as she is the exact opposite.) I try to find ways to keep myself organized, but then give up on them after a while. I did FlyLady last year for a while and gave up on that when I lost the motivation. I keep saying to myself that I want to get more organized, but procrastinate on that all the time. And that's another vice, right there..being a compulsive procrastinator!
Being miserly: It's more because I'm spoiled by Freecycle and really really REALLY low prices at the thrift store. I have a hard time paying retail prices. Going to the mall is out of the question. I only browse clearance racks at Target. I become like those people in the store that I can't stand...challenging salespeople over the smallest price differences! I could either be seen as a good shopper for how much I save or a bad shopper for how much I skimp. I don't do coupons though. I'll go to stores that have deals from the cards, but I don't have the patience to sit around clipping coupons. And the coupon websites annoy me after a while.
Being a procrastinator: I work well with deadlines, but I like that extra pressure of the last minute to light a fire under my behind. And if there isn't a deadline, it ends up getting pushed off for a LONG time!
Hope this gives you more insight to who I am and how I operate.
Thursday, September 15, 2011
Step on a crack....or ice for that matter
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: What is the worst physical trauma (or pain) you've ever been in?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
On New Year's Eve in 1996, I was in New York and running to catch a train. I was apparently not prepared for snow and didn't wear boots. Needless to say, I went sliding on some ice and landed on my back. It hurt a little but nothing major. When I got back to Chicago a few days later, I started to really feel the effects. By the beginning of the following week, it hurt to move. I couldn't sit down comfortably, as I was completely stiff in my back. It also felt like I cracked a rib and it hurt to breathe. I went to my mom's clinic the following day to have her give me an X-Ray. (She's an X-Ray tech). Nothing showed up on there and she had one the doctors at her clinic prescribe painkillers for me. I went back to college in a little bit of pain, but nothing as astronomical as those few days during my winter break.
In 2010, I was smart enough to wear boots during a snowstorm. (This was shortly before Snowmageddon too.) I was walking home from shul and still managed to slip on some hidden ice and fall on my hip and posterior. I was able to get up and walk home the rest of the way. I iced it when I got back to the house. I was fine for a few days and then I was reading a story to my older son and I felt like something was ripping through my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. It hurt to breathe and I felt like I had cracked a rib again. I sat against ice packs and my husband gave me some ibuprofen. It wasn't enough for me though and I actually requested to go to the emergency room. I HATE going to the emergency room and will avoid it whenever possible. However, this pain was bad enough to warrant a trip there. A friend stayed at our house in case the boys woke up and we made our way to the hospital. I got some X-Rays and was told that I had a muscle spasm. They prescribed painkillers, which would have been nice that same night, had all the pharmacies still been open. Since the doctors took their dear, sweet time, we got out at 11:00 and there wasn't an open pharmacy nearby. I took more ibuprofen later that night and got the prescriptions filled first thing in the morning. I ended up not needing the heavier painkiller and the higher dose of Motrin seemed to help.
Those were the two instances of extreme pain that made even childbirth seem like a walk in the park. I did have other back issues during my last pregnancy, as my daughter decided to position herself in a way that my back would hurt after sitting up for a while. It was nothing like the two instances mentioned here, but it lasted for most of my pregnancy, which made it hard to get a lot done around the house or even sit at the computer for long periods of time. There were also times in college and even beyond where I fell and my neck and back would be stiff for about a day or so, but nothing compared to the feeling of what a cracked rib must be like. Having said that, I feel major sympathy for a family member who recently broke their back, and I hope they recover soon. If a muscle spasm was horribly painful, I can't even imagine what they must have been feeling.
This week, Moma Rock picked the topic: What is the worst physical trauma (or pain) you've ever been in?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
On New Year's Eve in 1996, I was in New York and running to catch a train. I was apparently not prepared for snow and didn't wear boots. Needless to say, I went sliding on some ice and landed on my back. It hurt a little but nothing major. When I got back to Chicago a few days later, I started to really feel the effects. By the beginning of the following week, it hurt to move. I couldn't sit down comfortably, as I was completely stiff in my back. It also felt like I cracked a rib and it hurt to breathe. I went to my mom's clinic the following day to have her give me an X-Ray. (She's an X-Ray tech). Nothing showed up on there and she had one the doctors at her clinic prescribe painkillers for me. I went back to college in a little bit of pain, but nothing as astronomical as those few days during my winter break.
In 2010, I was smart enough to wear boots during a snowstorm. (This was shortly before Snowmageddon too.) I was walking home from shul and still managed to slip on some hidden ice and fall on my hip and posterior. I was able to get up and walk home the rest of the way. I iced it when I got back to the house. I was fine for a few days and then I was reading a story to my older son and I felt like something was ripping through my chest. I thought I was having a heart attack. It hurt to breathe and I felt like I had cracked a rib again. I sat against ice packs and my husband gave me some ibuprofen. It wasn't enough for me though and I actually requested to go to the emergency room. I HATE going to the emergency room and will avoid it whenever possible. However, this pain was bad enough to warrant a trip there. A friend stayed at our house in case the boys woke up and we made our way to the hospital. I got some X-Rays and was told that I had a muscle spasm. They prescribed painkillers, which would have been nice that same night, had all the pharmacies still been open. Since the doctors took their dear, sweet time, we got out at 11:00 and there wasn't an open pharmacy nearby. I took more ibuprofen later that night and got the prescriptions filled first thing in the morning. I ended up not needing the heavier painkiller and the higher dose of Motrin seemed to help.
Those were the two instances of extreme pain that made even childbirth seem like a walk in the park. I did have other back issues during my last pregnancy, as my daughter decided to position herself in a way that my back would hurt after sitting up for a while. It was nothing like the two instances mentioned here, but it lasted for most of my pregnancy, which made it hard to get a lot done around the house or even sit at the computer for long periods of time. There were also times in college and even beyond where I fell and my neck and back would be stiff for about a day or so, but nothing compared to the feeling of what a cracked rib must be like. Having said that, I feel major sympathy for a family member who recently broke their back, and I hope they recover soon. If a muscle spasm was horribly painful, I can't even imagine what they must have been feeling.
Friday, September 9, 2011
Nothing funny this Friday...sorry!
I will not be posting anything funny today as I am behind on posts a bit and am traveling most of the day. Stay tuned for more Funny Friday posts in the weeks ahead. There may be some other weeks without posts around the fall Jewish holiday extravaganza, but I'll try my best!
Thanks!
Thursday, September 8, 2011
It can't just be intellectual....
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Froggie picked the topic: Sexuality (open to whatever you have to say about it)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
This week, Froggie picked the topic: Sexuality (open to whatever you have to say about it)
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
My subject line comes from the song "Sexual" by Amber, which started going through my head when this topic came up. Since sexuality is such a personal topic (or it can be), I've decided to take an entertainment angle on it.
I find it fittingly appropriate that Froggie came up with this topic, since she gave me the soundtrack to "Beverly Hills Cop 2" on my 11th birthday. On that soundtrack was "I Want Your Sex" by George Michael. As giggly 11 year-olds, this song was priceless to us. The word "sex" seemed so naughty! As a 35 year-old thinking back on it, this song was tame in comparison to the songs on the radio today. In 1992, "I'm Too Sexy" by Right Said Fred was a big deal. Really....he was just being egotistical. It wasn't even naughty, if you think about it. Nothing wrong with being attractive in a "sexy" way. Back in 1996, "Mouth" by Merrill Bainbridge was really popular. I thought it just had to do with kissing, but apparently it was about something in the sexual realm. The chorus went "Would it be my fault, if I could turn you on?" Nowadays, Lady Gaga is not "bluffin' with her muffin" which makes "Mouth" seem pretty clean, considering how much more subtle that was at the time. A lot of Madonna's music fits into this theme ever so nicely. "Erotica" anyone? I also remember the video for "Justify My Love" as being very controversial for how sexual it was. I don't think it would shock anyone in the 21st century though!
Sexuality is also found on television. When I was a kid, I didn't pay much attention to it, but I'm sure it was there. I watch syndicated shows from the 80's and can see what I didn't see in those days. For instance, Blanche from "The Golden Girls" talks about sex a lot and fancies herself to be sexually attractive. I'm sure the other women on the show talked about sex, as well. "Three's Company" also had a lot of sexual innuendos and their friend Larry was all about sex. He was like Quagmire from "Family Guy." And Quagmire even has his living room turn into a night lounge for the ladies. He also makes sexual comments all the time. In any case, the biggest example of sexuality on television is rather obvious...."Sex and the City." I loved that show and still do. I will watch it in syndication any time I can catch an episode. It was all about sex, which made it awkward to watch with my parents (although I ended up doing so from time to time). Samantha Jones, in my opinion, is the most sexual character from any television show. She just oozes sexuality and could give Quagmire a run for his money! Nowadays, "Glee" talks a lot about sexuality and even features some sexy performances (the Britney Spears episode ranking highest on that list). Even on "The Glee Project," one of the themes was sexuality. They paired up the six remaining contestants at the time to make sexually themed music videos together. They even had a gay pairing for one of the videos. The fact that sexuality was even a theme at all for a contest to appear on "Glee," says a lot about the show itself. It's not just your average "high school musical" type of show.
Sexuality is pretty obvious in movies and I'd be here all day talking about that. The biggest example of sexuality is Sharon Stone in "Basic Instinct." I've never seen that movie, but the image of her sitting in that questioning room is the first thing I thought of when sexuality in movies came to mind. A lot of movies geared toward adults are about sex. Some even have sex in the title or imply about the topic. ("The Opposite of Sex," "The 40 Year-Old Virgin," "Sex, Lies and Videotape," and there are even two movies for "Sex and the City.") There have recently been movies about men and women having arrangements to be friends with benefits. The most recent one is with Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis, aptly titled "Friends with Benefits." There was also one with Natalie Portman and Ashton Kutcher that came out earlier this year. Sexuality (obvious or implied) has always been all over the big screen. I'm sure it was even in movies from the beginning of the film era.
Finally, I want to turn my attention to books. Since I read a lot of chick lit, most stories are about dating and relationships. Some relationships escalate to that of a sexual nature. Authors can either imply that it happened or take us into the bedroom for a front row seat. One of my favorite chick lit novelists, Sue Margolis, does the latter with her romantic scenes. I always anticipate something "exciting" from every book of hers, as I know what to expect. She leaves me blushing by the end of each of these scenes. Jennifer Weiner has also taken her readers into the bedrooms of some of her characters. If "Good in Bed" was any indication of what was to come with her later stories, then it was definitely a nice harbinger. Jane Porter also knows how to make things steamy for her characters in the bedroom. I've been known to critique books in my reviews if there's not enough spice to go along with the story, especially if the build-up or implication is right in my face.
Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, it is hard to avoid sexuality in the entertainment realm, unless we don't listen to music, watch television, go to movies or read books. The other safe route is to just do all of this but with child-friendly media. And that's how Merrylandgirl "c's" it. (Apologies to Sue Sylvester, once again.)
Wednesday, September 7, 2011
Write it out
I was recently challenged to write about one thing that is stressing me out in order to think about it more clearly.
Oddly enough, it's come down to the book blog. I love it and it has become part of my livelihood these days. I'm amazed at the success I'm experiencing with it in a year's time. However, with success comes even more responsibility. I have lots of books to review and have yet to pick up my non-chick lit novels, unless they're for my local book club. My blogging partner seems to think that Jodi Picoult writes chick lit, so maybe I could get away with reviewing one of her more recent books for my blog. :) In any case, there are a lot of things to do for running a book blog:
1. Setting up blog posts. If someone could show me how to transfer my entire blog over to a different account so that I could allow other people to help with editing, that would be amazing. It's currently attached to my personal account and author permissions don't allow for much editing. I don't want to risk losing anything in any type of transition.
2. Reading and writing reviews. I have taken on book review associates, but I still feel like I'm drowning in books. I even multitask by reading two to three at a time, but still manage to slow down the process in that respect. Then I'll get three or four reviews out the door at once.
3. Running interviews. Coming up with lots of questions for authors and trying to keep things fresh. I've decided to do some theme months for the last quarter of the year to have something new and exciting and also to have a set framework of questions to ask each author.
4. Keeping up with e-mails. I can't. They just keep piling up. Then I fall behind on personal e-mails. My inbox runneth over...literally!
5. Staying motivated. Although I love doing this, I reach a low motivation point from time to time. This has become a second job for me...unpaid at that. I do get free books, which saves me money over time, and affiliate commissions from Amazon to cover the costs of books or giveaway prizes I mail out. It still is a LOT of work though.
6. Running giveaways. Since I do a lot of the back end work for running the giveaways, it's more than just finding a way to pick the winner. I have to tally up how many entries there are per person, put each person's name into an excel spreadsheet and then let the random picking take over. I also set up a blog post to announce the winners. I sent out a survey to the group recently to see if there's a way to make giveaways run more smoothly. I hope that will help in some ways. We shall see...
Recently, I decided to take on a promotional associate. That is going really well and she is amazing and always on top of things. However, I wish she had more access to the blog itself, as that would make things easier too. That brings me back to point number one though. I'm hoping I can find a way to slow things down while still keeping them exciting. Maybe less interviews and giveaways a week? Taking on the runner up review associate to lighten the book load even more? Giving everyone a format for setting up their reviews so I can just pop them into blogger and post them? Lots to think about! In any case, I am thankful for the overall success of the blog, for the authors I'm able to meet, for the friends I've made, the books I may not have had the chance to read otherwise, etc. I guess when it rains, it pours. I just need to figure out when to use my umbrella or when to just run around in the rain carefree.
If you ever decide to run a blog of your own, for anything, this is definitely something for you to think about.
Oddly enough, it's come down to the book blog. I love it and it has become part of my livelihood these days. I'm amazed at the success I'm experiencing with it in a year's time. However, with success comes even more responsibility. I have lots of books to review and have yet to pick up my non-chick lit novels, unless they're for my local book club. My blogging partner seems to think that Jodi Picoult writes chick lit, so maybe I could get away with reviewing one of her more recent books for my blog. :) In any case, there are a lot of things to do for running a book blog:
1. Setting up blog posts. If someone could show me how to transfer my entire blog over to a different account so that I could allow other people to help with editing, that would be amazing. It's currently attached to my personal account and author permissions don't allow for much editing. I don't want to risk losing anything in any type of transition.
2. Reading and writing reviews. I have taken on book review associates, but I still feel like I'm drowning in books. I even multitask by reading two to three at a time, but still manage to slow down the process in that respect. Then I'll get three or four reviews out the door at once.
3. Running interviews. Coming up with lots of questions for authors and trying to keep things fresh. I've decided to do some theme months for the last quarter of the year to have something new and exciting and also to have a set framework of questions to ask each author.
4. Keeping up with e-mails. I can't. They just keep piling up. Then I fall behind on personal e-mails. My inbox runneth over...literally!
5. Staying motivated. Although I love doing this, I reach a low motivation point from time to time. This has become a second job for me...unpaid at that. I do get free books, which saves me money over time, and affiliate commissions from Amazon to cover the costs of books or giveaway prizes I mail out. It still is a LOT of work though.
6. Running giveaways. Since I do a lot of the back end work for running the giveaways, it's more than just finding a way to pick the winner. I have to tally up how many entries there are per person, put each person's name into an excel spreadsheet and then let the random picking take over. I also set up a blog post to announce the winners. I sent out a survey to the group recently to see if there's a way to make giveaways run more smoothly. I hope that will help in some ways. We shall see...
Recently, I decided to take on a promotional associate. That is going really well and she is amazing and always on top of things. However, I wish she had more access to the blog itself, as that would make things easier too. That brings me back to point number one though. I'm hoping I can find a way to slow things down while still keeping them exciting. Maybe less interviews and giveaways a week? Taking on the runner up review associate to lighten the book load even more? Giving everyone a format for setting up their reviews so I can just pop them into blogger and post them? Lots to think about! In any case, I am thankful for the overall success of the blog, for the authors I'm able to meet, for the friends I've made, the books I may not have had the chance to read otherwise, etc. I guess when it rains, it pours. I just need to figure out when to use my umbrella or when to just run around in the rain carefree.
If you ever decide to run a blog of your own, for anything, this is definitely something for you to think about.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Funny Friday-9/2-Ruminate to illuminate
I love this one site called Ruminations.com. I've even ruminated on there and got my ruminations acknowledged quite a few times (they get marked as gourmet and can then earn as many gourmet points as readers see fit). I don't participate as much as I used to, but it's fun to go on there and see what other people have posted or look back at the stuff I've said in the past.
Here are some of my ruminations that have earned a bunch of gourmet points:
*Why can animals eat raw meat and not suffer from food poisoning?
*Why would anyone need a recipe for corn on the cob? It's very hard to mess up.
*Does the "Sesame Street" gang resent Elmo for having his own show?
*I don't get why anyone would buy someone's used swim wear or underwear. It's just taking up thrift store space. Maybe they should sell used toothbrushes while they're at it.
*Why is it that the batch of brownies that looks too gross to serve to anyone tastes like heaven and immediately becomes as addictive as crack?
*Why does the monkeys' doctor give such horrible advice? There's a monkey with a concussion and he's just saying that no more monkeys should jump on the bed. And why is the mother still asking for his advice each time? Time for a second opinion!
*Why would anyone spend money to send someone a virtual card? Just go to the Hallmark store and fork over a few bucks for something your friend can at least display on their fridge.
*Does trick-or-treating defeat the whole purpose of never taking candy from strangers? Or are kids given a free pass on Halloween?
You can check out my other ruminations by visiting me on the site. I'm eema2boys. (I don't know if I can change it to eema2emma like I was able to on Twitter.)
Maybe you'll think of your own ruminations to post, as well! Time to illuminate everyone...
Here are some of my ruminations that have earned a bunch of gourmet points:
*Why can animals eat raw meat and not suffer from food poisoning?
*Why would anyone need a recipe for corn on the cob? It's very hard to mess up.
*Does the "Sesame Street" gang resent Elmo for having his own show?
*I don't get why anyone would buy someone's used swim wear or underwear. It's just taking up thrift store space. Maybe they should sell used toothbrushes while they're at it.
*Why is it that the batch of brownies that looks too gross to serve to anyone tastes like heaven and immediately becomes as addictive as crack?
*Why does the monkeys' doctor give such horrible advice? There's a monkey with a concussion and he's just saying that no more monkeys should jump on the bed. And why is the mother still asking for his advice each time? Time for a second opinion!
*Why would anyone spend money to send someone a virtual card? Just go to the Hallmark store and fork over a few bucks for something your friend can at least display on their fridge.
*Does trick-or-treating defeat the whole purpose of never taking candy from strangers? Or are kids given a free pass on Halloween?
You can check out my other ruminations by visiting me on the site. I'm eema2boys. (I don't know if I can change it to eema2emma like I was able to on Twitter.)
Maybe you'll think of your own ruminations to post, as well! Time to illuminate everyone...
Thursday, September 1, 2011
Hangin' Tough
Remember the blog project I did last year with three other women? Well, Froggie decided to resurrect it with me and we each got to invite another friend to join us. She invited a mutual friend (someone I met through her) and I invited a friend whose blog I really enjoy reading. So now it's Froggie, Mom of Many, Moma Rock and Merrylandgirl. Hope you enjoy the topics that we'll be exploring!
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: This article says that we, as women, have let our suffragette mothers down. We write blogs about cupcakes, knitting and other traditional female pursuits, we have given up working to be stay-at-home mothers, etc. Essentially it boils down to, are we, women of 2011 as bad-ass as women of the 70's?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
After reading Mom of Many's subject line a few times, I've come to realize that I don't fit much into the latter category. Unless reading chick lit is a traditional female pursuit? From what I remember, chick lit has only come about in the past decade or so. And a lot of the books feature strong women. Anyway, I like to bake but I keep it simple and I am not much of a cake decorator. I tried knitting for a while but it didn't suit me and I just put it aside to focus on reading and blogging. I am a working mother. The one thing I can say is that I gave up the lifestyle I used to lead to become more observant with Judaism. So I dress more modestly than before (I still wear short sleeves though, but no more shorts) and spend the larger part of my weekends observing Shabbat. I even cook! My husband does most of the cooking, but I've contributed my fair share.
I think women should not be defined in one category versus another. I think we're a mix of toughness with a side of domesticity thrown in. Yes, Martha Stewart probably would pass out if she saw the way I keep my home and the how haphazardly I (attempt to) decorate a cake or fold clothes. I hope that she would also see how much I do to make sure everyone has what they need for school and how I'm able to get us all out the door on time. She didn't see me during my "Rocky Horror" or clubbing days, but that's okay. I think I still have an edge that comes out even now, making me even more "modern" than the average Modern Orthodox Jewish woman. I listen to all sorts of music. I teach my kids rock songs instead of "Old MacDonald." I fight with people when I feel like I've been wronged. (You should have heard me talking to the bus dispatchers earlier this week. You would have thought I was the evil customer in "Waiting"....the one who says "How hard is your job?" I was also hell-bent on getting compensated for a super long wait at a portrait studio a few weeks ago.)
I don't take my right to vote for granted. I don't know much about politics, but I will vote in every presidential election. I think the only one I missed was in 2000, but that wouldn't have mattered anyway, after the re-count. :P
I was only a baby in the 70's, but had I been an adult back then (it's one of the time periods to which I'd love to travel if time travel existed), I would have been going to music festivals, sitting in one of the first audiences to start the call-backs for "Rocky Horror," working not only to help support my family, but also to give myself another purpose in life (which I do now, as well). I was going through these brief moments of time where I thought I'd be better off as a stay-at-home-mom but then I realized that I would go out of my mind. I love my children, but I don't know how to entertain them 24/7. I've tried it from time to time and always felt like I was in a rut somehow. There's only so many times I can take them to Chuck E. Cheese to play video games or let them run around a playground. When I'm at work, I'm doing something for the greater good, being in non-profit. I love being able to help someone else do something important. As support staff, that is my primary role. I love my children too, but it's nice to come home to them and hear all about their days. My mom worked throughout my childhood and adolescence and I always admired that about her. It made her even more fascinating somehow. I enjoyed visiting her at work and meeting her friends. I even made a friend because of one of her jobs. I still love visiting where she works and seeing how much she is valued in her role and as a person. These days, I'm just thankful that my work has flexibility and I'm able to be there for important things in my kids' lives, like my older son's pre-K graduation. While I enjoyed the time I got to cuddle with my baby girl during maternity leave, I was also excited to come back to the office and was even checking work e-mail while I was home, trying to stay on top of things. I not only missed the people at my office, but some of them even said they missed me. It was nice to hear that and feel like such a valued part of the organization.
Anyway, I'm not sure where I'm going with this topic. As I said before, there are so many different types of women in the world. We do what we have to for ourselves, our families, society, etc. I do know that I'm glad I'm a woman in the 21st century instead of the 1950's, when women were expected to be domestic. At least it seemed that way from television and movies. I really like in the movie "Pleasantville," when the women try to break free from their pre-determined roles. The influence Reese Witherspoon's tough girl character from the 90's had on the mother was impressive and definitely stands out for me. It would be interesting to time travel to the 50's and try to do the same for women of that time and show them what they are really made of.
This week, Mom of Many picked the topic: This article says that we, as women, have let our suffragette mothers down. We write blogs about cupcakes, knitting and other traditional female pursuits, we have given up working to be stay-at-home mothers, etc. Essentially it boils down to, are we, women of 2011 as bad-ass as women of the 70's?
Before reading ahead, first see what everyone else had to say on this topic:
Froggie
Mom of Many
Moma Rock
After reading Mom of Many's subject line a few times, I've come to realize that I don't fit much into the latter category. Unless reading chick lit is a traditional female pursuit? From what I remember, chick lit has only come about in the past decade or so. And a lot of the books feature strong women. Anyway, I like to bake but I keep it simple and I am not much of a cake decorator. I tried knitting for a while but it didn't suit me and I just put it aside to focus on reading and blogging. I am a working mother. The one thing I can say is that I gave up the lifestyle I used to lead to become more observant with Judaism. So I dress more modestly than before (I still wear short sleeves though, but no more shorts) and spend the larger part of my weekends observing Shabbat. I even cook! My husband does most of the cooking, but I've contributed my fair share.
I think women should not be defined in one category versus another. I think we're a mix of toughness with a side of domesticity thrown in. Yes, Martha Stewart probably would pass out if she saw the way I keep my home and the how haphazardly I (attempt to) decorate a cake or fold clothes. I hope that she would also see how much I do to make sure everyone has what they need for school and how I'm able to get us all out the door on time. She didn't see me during my "Rocky Horror" or clubbing days, but that's okay. I think I still have an edge that comes out even now, making me even more "modern" than the average Modern Orthodox Jewish woman. I listen to all sorts of music. I teach my kids rock songs instead of "Old MacDonald." I fight with people when I feel like I've been wronged. (You should have heard me talking to the bus dispatchers earlier this week. You would have thought I was the evil customer in "Waiting"....the one who says "How hard is your job?" I was also hell-bent on getting compensated for a super long wait at a portrait studio a few weeks ago.)
I don't take my right to vote for granted. I don't know much about politics, but I will vote in every presidential election. I think the only one I missed was in 2000, but that wouldn't have mattered anyway, after the re-count. :P
I was only a baby in the 70's, but had I been an adult back then (it's one of the time periods to which I'd love to travel if time travel existed), I would have been going to music festivals, sitting in one of the first audiences to start the call-backs for "Rocky Horror," working not only to help support my family, but also to give myself another purpose in life (which I do now, as well). I was going through these brief moments of time where I thought I'd be better off as a stay-at-home-mom but then I realized that I would go out of my mind. I love my children, but I don't know how to entertain them 24/7. I've tried it from time to time and always felt like I was in a rut somehow. There's only so many times I can take them to Chuck E. Cheese to play video games or let them run around a playground. When I'm at work, I'm doing something for the greater good, being in non-profit. I love being able to help someone else do something important. As support staff, that is my primary role. I love my children too, but it's nice to come home to them and hear all about their days. My mom worked throughout my childhood and adolescence and I always admired that about her. It made her even more fascinating somehow. I enjoyed visiting her at work and meeting her friends. I even made a friend because of one of her jobs. I still love visiting where she works and seeing how much she is valued in her role and as a person. These days, I'm just thankful that my work has flexibility and I'm able to be there for important things in my kids' lives, like my older son's pre-K graduation. While I enjoyed the time I got to cuddle with my baby girl during maternity leave, I was also excited to come back to the office and was even checking work e-mail while I was home, trying to stay on top of things. I not only missed the people at my office, but some of them even said they missed me. It was nice to hear that and feel like such a valued part of the organization.
A friend of mine recently wrote about mothers who sound like they had a lobotomy after giving birth, the way they refer to their children and spouses and the way they do nothing but post pictures of their babies and talk about every single milestone like it's a huge deal. This woman is a new mother and vows to never get that way. However, it's impossible not to when you have so much love and pride for your kids. Women should still find their own ways to stay an individual and not just fall into a stereotypical role. However, I love talking about the little things my children are doing and glad I can become excited over potty training accomplishments or a loose tooth. You should have seen my excitement when my older son clapped his hands for the first time. I almost caused my husband to get into a car accident. It doesn't mean I've had a lobotomy. It means I'm a mom. I don't believe in completely sheltering my children, but I draw the line at "Spongebob Squarepants." I enjoy teaching them about rock music instead of baby songs. I try to toughen them up while still cuddling with them and kissing away their pain.
On another thread of this topic, I think of female entertainers. P!nk stands out as bad-ass. However, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ke$ha, Gwen Stefani and the late Amy Winehouse could also fit into this category. They all present a toughness, even when they're trying to sound vulnerable. I also think Jane Lynch (Sue Sylvester from "Glee") is quite a bad-ass. She's a talented comedic actress but she puts forth a bad-ass persona. I haven't been watching as many movies as usual, but there are definitely movies with women as tough characters. They make for interesting role models for girls growing up in this era.
Anyway, I'm not sure where I'm going with this topic. As I said before, there are so many different types of women in the world. We do what we have to for ourselves, our families, society, etc. I do know that I'm glad I'm a woman in the 21st century instead of the 1950's, when women were expected to be domestic. At least it seemed that way from television and movies. I really like in the movie "Pleasantville," when the women try to break free from their pre-determined roles. The influence Reese Witherspoon's tough girl character from the 90's had on the mother was impressive and definitely stands out for me. It would be interesting to time travel to the 50's and try to do the same for women of that time and show them what they are really made of.
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