I've suddenly become fascinated by the idea of googling one-word concepts just to see what pops up. Of course, this is the first one I thought of to try out.

The first thing that came up was this website, but this subtopic interested me more than the attempts at defining what cannot be defined. Mainly because of this:

Even after all this time
The sun never says to the earth, "You owe me."
Look what happens with a Love like that!
—It lights the whole Sky. (Hafiz)

Also, they had this symbol, which I have tattooed on my outside right ankle.

I also liked the Greek distinctions between love, love, love, love and love.

This train of thought leads me inevitably to this fellow, who believed this stuff is all you need.

Which leads me to my fun-friend-fact-of-the-day:
the Champ shares his birthday with both John and Sean Lennon.

Can I tell you that I love the phrase "wheel of cheese?" I think I can safely blame that on Ron Burgundy.



I've been thinking about Bristol Palin lately. Not a big fan of her mom's, but I was really sorry for Bristol. Pregnant at 17 and in front of the entire world, basically, because of her mom's political career. Then, being a parent before she's even an adult (I believe the transformation generally occurs between 25-30, depending on the individual, but there are always exceptions).

Wow. I didn't even want to have sex until I was 19, and even then I could have taken it or not. I have no wish or desire to preach abstinence, in fact - quite the opposite. I believe that for my own personal habits and existence, abstinence at that age (or any age) has been a lot easier and stress-free (I worry a lot), but I still love sex. It feels good. Don't lie to your kids about that. Don't scare them or preach to them. Just tell the truth. That's usually enough. I love the people who get knocked up in the back seat of a car and then raise their kids to wait until marriage. Really? Really? I think waiting until marriage is about the un-safest thing you can do. Do you really want your kid to go into a lifelong relationship with sexual blinders on? Having no idea what they like or want out of a sexual relationship, let alone going into bed with a virtual stranger? I need to know that someone is a freak like me - meaning my equal in at least two or three arenas with room for growth. I also need to know that they're not a crazy sexual predator or fiend in any way. But that's just me. Understand, I still believe in love and maybe a little bit of romance, but I also believe in large doses of practicality.

So. Here's an article that seems to also sympathize with the young mothers of the world, not just Bristol. Yes, pregnancy is avoidable. But being human is not. Making hard choices is not.

I want to emphasize that I'm not being all pro-abortion here either. Abortion is not, as some people preach, just an easy way out. It's not easy at all. And although I am anti-abortion, I am staunchly pro-choice. I don't like the idea of the government telling me I have to be a mother because they say so, because of their religious practices that they've somehow injected into our governing factors (regardless of that little part about the separation of church and state). I know that a lot of people don't like the fact that it is a choice now, but it is. And, according to what I know of the biblical version of God, he did create this thing called "free will." Freedom to decide. Freedom to choose. Which means we also have the responsibility to do so, no matter which direction we take. Isn't it so much fun to be human? In this type of circumstance, none of the options are easy. We all do our best with the brains, spine and resources we go into it with, and it will define us. By either making us better or making us bitter, as it turns out. That's also something for us to decide.




And P.S. Governor Palin - way to put words into your daughter's mouth, you bitch. Yeah, I said it, and I'll say it again. Your daughter's a woman now, whether you like it or not. So let her be her own woman. Dick. Give her an UNINTERRUPTED chance to speak the truth of her experience, which DOES NOT BELONG TO YOU.



Also, could everybody please just take away Bristol's identity before it's set in stone? They way they introduced the interview completely overshadowed Bristol in favor of Tripp. It really backs up the article which says some really good stuff about a mother becoming a second class citizen in favor of the infant. Look, yo. We're people before we make that other person. Now - don't get me wrong. I adore children. In fact, many areas of my life revolve around children, but I don't disappear into that. I'm still right here. And so is Miss Palin.

Okay. There is something that's been on my mind, but I didn't want to bring it up. Mainly because it's my secret shame. I've read the Twilight series. I read it pretty much against my will. I'm not sure how I was able to make it through, but I did it. Here is an off-the-cuff response to a friend of mine who liked the series who wanted to know what I thought. I will just pull it straight from the e-mail (and I warn you, there are spoilers):

Her: And? What did you think?

Me: Do you really want to know?

Her: Yeah.

Me: Okay. My opinion as a writer and English major is that I can’t believe that someone who writes so badly made so much money. However, it was a compelling story, with an interesting new spin on vampire mythology, and her writing did improve, esp. in the final novel. I liked the second and the fourth best. The first and third, at some points, got so frustrating I had to put them down for a while before I could pick them back up again. I hope the movies continue to be as good as the first. I actually liked the movie Twilight more than I liked the novel Twilight, and from the looks of the director they’ve got for New Moon, it should only get better. I was reading Midnight Sun (I waited until I completed the series) and I wish that she would finish that one, because her writing has gotten a lot better than Twilight, and I find Edward’s voice and telling of the story far more compelling than Bella’s narration.

Her: There was an article on MSNBC today that Stephen King says she can’t write.* You’re not alone. But it does keep you there, especially the fourth book. I’d wish she’d finish Midnight Sun too but she has no plans at this moment.

Me: Omg, my sister called me after she read the first one, and asked me if the writing was that bad all the way through. I was stuck in the third novel and said, Pretty much, yeah. There were so many parts that were just plain muddled. I would re-read them over and over, and I still wouldn’t know what she was talking about. But. Like I said, it did improve, and she did some very smart things as a writer. My two favorite things are these: In New Moon, there are Parts that just say October November December with nothing, and I thought that was a simple and beautiful way to handle the depression after such a massive break up. The other thing was in Breaking Dawn, when she switched to Jacob’s perspective. I thought that was brilliant, b/c to have told that portion of the story from Bella’s perspective would have been a detriment b/c of how it would limit what you see going on with all the other characters. She would have been only focused on the baby, and maybe sometimes Edward.

*Okay, so even though I agree with Stephen King about Stephenie Meyers' skills, I found this response to his remarks. Even though I like Steve, I still got a tickle. The literary world is so damned catty!

Whew. Now I've almost got it all off my chest. Lately, I've been dreaming about Bella and Edward. I think it's because the movie's coming out on DVD soon. I actually considered pre-ordering it.

Now, on to other far more important things. I'm a dyed-in-the-pants Oscar fiend, and I usually write a commentary every year and then email it to all my peeps. The Champ had a brilliant idea that this year I should *gasp* BLOG IT. I honestly hadn't thought of it. So now I'm trying to figure out how to watch the ceremony since I don't have cable. The Denver nest had cable, but I got my remote privileges revoked when I decided to watch Radio. On TBS. IN BED.

Anyhoosies, if I find the means, you will have a grade-A snark attack Oscar bash on my blog on Monday. I should warn you, though. This year I haven't seen any of the films nominated because not a one of them captured my interest in any small way. Except for maybe Doubt, and only because my badass theater instructor performed a monologue from that play once. So really, this year I'm just in it for the gowns and celebrity gossip. If Katie Winslet wins, I'll be glad for her because a.) she has deserved it so many other times and b.) she has a stronger than passing resemblance to someone dear to me.

Okay, okay, I tried to make it through an entry without any more than a passing mention of my friend because I think he's not a fan of the spotlight so much, but here's another fun fact: He has seen Donnie Darko, but he hasn't seen Forrest Gump.

Hell yes.

Here's a quickie. My fun fact for the day about the Champ (and me, too, actually):

He writes with his right hand, but plays every sport left-handed.

I write with my left hand, and do everything else (EVERYTHING) with my right.

The yin and the yang, my friends.

I really should be cleaning.

So here's a movie that reinforces my belief that if you've found the man you want to be close to in a nakedly loving way forEVER, you make him cookies and he will fall in love with you.



We're watching that right now.

Also on my mind: one of the times my hockey-lovin' friend and I left the nest, we landed here, which houses a fabulous macaroni and cheese (which I was supposed to cook for him homemade, but somehow we kept not getting around to it). Fortunately for my skinny jeans, there is no such restaurant in my neighborhood. He checked for me, as I was suffering for a bowlful of noodles today.

And, finally, I've been thinking about this all day, because my body/mind/spirit loves it and it loves me. It's been a while since I've practiced, and I want to do it on a daily basis. However, the only open block of time I could manage it is around 5:30 in the morning, a time of day which my body does not abide physical activity outside of the bed. I'm not sure how to reconcile this conundrum. Somewhere, my SSLP, who has become an incredibly skilled practitioner in an unbelievably short amount of time, is holding her head and hollering - Just do it, you p****. Sleep is for when you're dead!

And that is one of the many reasons I love her. She encourages me to kick the shit out of my comfort zones.

I am back from my weekend in Denver.

Here are some of the things I saw and places I visited:

Sports Column

Coors Field

Peaks Lounge

ESPNZone

Maggiano's

16th Street Mall

Swanky's

Steuben's

and...

my new friend's nesting place, and oh, what a magical place it is. It's where men are men and girls become women!

It must be answered: what the hell is lacrosse???? I guess this is.

Those men with their big sticks, always playing with balls.

Also, I just bought a pair of these, which necessitated a pair of these.

I'm going to look so sessy* for my weekend in Denvuh that I might get a whole lot of this.

You thought it was going to be something else, didn't you?

Cheeky monkey.

*sessy = sexy + sassy. lifted from a dvd commentary by joss whedon from btvs, season 4, episode 6, "wild at heart."

Next weekend will be landmark. For the first time in 6 years, I will take a three day vacation which will include the undivided attention of a grown male person in a city and state that are entirely new to me - Denver, Colorado. It being a colder place than I'm used to, I'm not geared for the weather, but my new friend has promised that I will be kept warm and cozy. Here are some fun facts about Denver:

• State Dinosaur: Stegosaurus (States have a dinosaur?)


• Colorado has a professional Lacrosse team: Colorado Mammoth. What the hell is Lacrosse anyway? (Sorry, Mammoth fans! No clue whatsoever.)


• Colorado has more microbreweries per capita than any other state. (Foooaammy.)


• Dove Creek is the "Pinto Bean" capital of the World. (The land of the musical fruit. I still maintain the uncooked bean is one of the all-time cutest foods in existence.)


• In Fruita, the town folk celebrate "Mike the Headless Chicken Day". Seems that a farmer named L.A. Olsen cut off Mike's head on September 10, 1945 in anticipation of a chicken dinner - and Mike lived for another 4 years without a head. (Wow, dude. Wow. I don't even have a witty byline for that. Nothing can top 4 years without a head.)


• The 13th step of the state capital building in Denver is exactly 1 mile high above sea level. (Denver's called the Mile High City. I'm finally joining the club!)

And a fun fact about my new friend: though he is a proud Republican-American, he can sing every lyric to the Canadian National Anthem. I don't know why, but that may have been what sealed the deal.

Long live the Queen!

I love any version of this song:



Here are a couple versions that surprised me by their execution. Enjoy. And then enjoy someone.



This is an old-time favorite of mine, and this film marked my lifelong attachment to Jack Black. Seriously, I used to have a pic of him in tightie whities taped to my steering wheel. It's just between me and him, people. You don't have to understand it.