Phil, Duck Dynasty, Gays, Biblical Rants and the FBI Office at Fitch's Bakery...

Okay friends, as you might imagine I have to say something about this "duck fellow" and all of the

hoopla...  

Now read along very closely and share this with your friends.... because I'm going to say some very logical and profound things...    If NOTHING else is guaranteed, everyone in this Universe is and should be entitled to their opinion... They have the right to form it in whatever way or by using whatever resources they choose and they then have the right to share it at their discretion whenever they so choose, thusly incurring whatever reaction they receive based on the company in which they share it... Now THAT to ME is just as crystal clear as the windows at Grandma Comer's used to be... I swear to my soul... SERIOUSLY People!! 

I might also add to that "the way in which they say it"... I think that's very key to this particular discussion. 

Allow me to flip this around and give you an example,  

DVR Round Up - Seinfeld - Mr. Bookman

Today I bring you one of my all time favorite Seinfeld Scenes... In this scene a missing library book culminates into absolute GOLD on the behalf of Jerry Seinfeld and Philip Baker Hall...

DVR Round Up - The Goldbergs

Today I want to introduce you to a show you may or may not have caught, as it's new this

season... 

My comparison would be that this show is to "children of the 80's" what "Wonder Years" was to children of the 60's...

And this show is "The Goldbergs"!

It has become quite possibly my favorite show on TV.  The Dad talks to the kids like "Dads

used to talk to kids before everyone got all softie..." and the Mom is always in the middle of everything, sees the kids with "Mom Goggles" and NEVER misses a chance to riddle them with guilt... the fabulous George Segal plays the grandpa, "Pops" absolutely brilliantly!  

Steering Fluid Leaks Do NOT Cause Fiery Crashes, Irresponsible Driving DOES...

***
Saturday Night I was at the radio station with Evan and a couple of our pals while he was running the board for a ballgame... I worked on some of my projects online and as the game was starting to wrap up I did a quick scan through Twitter to see what was happening in the world... 

I saw that this Paul Walker of "Fast and Furious" had died in what was not just called a wreck, 

but a "fiery car crash"... I had hear of "Fast and Furious", but couldn't have told you what it was to save my life... and I had

never heard of Paul Walker, but I'm not as interested in staying with the newest fads as some and I don't care for action movies - therefore, I really have no knowledge on this topic... 

A Smoking Cessation Follow Up and Three MORE New Habits That Have Helped Reduce My Ciggy Intake and May Help You:

Most likely because I hadn't posted in Nucleus of my Noggin in a while, Thursday's post (Thursday, November 21, 2013 the Great American Smokeout and Three New Habits That Have Helped Me Reduce My Ciggy Intake and May Help You:)is now my most read post of the month..  I'm really happy with the traffic it's gotten in the first couple of days, but more than that I do really hope that some smoker who kind of half-fanny knows they need to quit but doesn't really want to, will happen across

it and at least be able to cut back a bit.


NOW THEN, I have some rather exciting news on this topic... 

the Great American Smokeout and Three New Habits That Have Helped Me Reduce My Ciggy Intake and May Help You:

Happy September 21st! It's the Great American Smokeout... 

You might be thinking to yourself, "Weeeeell, now you smoke like a five alarm blaze from the time you wake up till the time you lay your head down at night... Why are YOU talking about the Great American Smokeout?"

Well friends... I can tell you the truth... I LIKE MY CIGGIES.  That's the way it is ...

When I have that first cup of java of the morning in hand - usually made by Evan, who makes the most fantastic pot of java in the world - and I step out onto "the Porcho" or "the Patiocho" and take that first puff I feel absolute contentment.  That's what addictions do, you know? 

Some of us like to gossip, some of us like to eat chocolate chip cookies, some of us like to pound Bibles at folks, some of us - including me many days - go through two pots of coffee before lunch... we ALL have our vices and pretty much nothing is good in excess... 

It's So Seldom that I'm Downright Angry...

It's very seldom that I get really angry about something... I mean, I get angry in general about intolerant people, bigots, people who let their kids run amuck and don't teach them manners... but I seldom get angry at a specific person on a personal level.

The reason for that I believe is this.... Discord between people is caused by misplaced expectations... therefore I try not to misplace my expectations... That's one of the fantastic little lessons I learned the hard

way from "the ex" neigh on 10 or so years ago...

I misplaced my expectations yesterday morning when running into a couple I've been in close proximity to for many years ....  As I walked up behind them in line at Walgreen's, I said, "Hello Insert plural form of last name here"!!"  ... They each muttered a very unenthused, "Hi.." without turning to make eye contact at all in any way, shape form or fashion.  In fact, I've wondered since yesterday morning how they even knew it was me...  I said, "How are y'all?" ... One of them said "Fine" so quickly that it sounded more like a bug whizzing by my ear than a human being speaking.

I'm So Far Behind I Think I Must Be First ... A Saturday Morning Update...

Admittedly I take on more than I should, agree to more than I should, commit to more than I should and plan more projects than I should ... but I'm in a zone right now in which I just feel bombarded and overwhelmed... 

Therefore, I'm just going to have a little "mind dump" here with you kids this morning... 

If I'm not mistaken I haven't written in this blog since early April just after getting moved

into the House at Pooh Corner with Evan.  Things are great here except for that a very vocal canine has moved in directly on the other side of our back yard.  

Part 3b - A Real Life Update, Madison's First Birthday Shoot and the Big Bang Theory Flash Mob...

It's a good thing I didn't stop and think about how much stuff I had to pack up at the Ocho before I made this moving decision... Sweet fancy Moses ... I have a LOT of stuff :-(   It's an enormous undertaking, but well worth it... 


We had a big day of moving two truckloads on Sunday before I started freaking out because

there's so much to do..  and I've been sorting through that stuff.  There IS going to be a yard sale to end all yard sales sometime early in the year and I can't wait! 

Not only do we have all of our stuff that we're sorting through, but this home had things that the TWO previous owners had left that Evan never got around to sorting through... Very exciting!! And I've found some MAJORLY fantastic items in the attic that I hope to bring down today and integrate with the emerging decor.

Part 3a - A New Location and A New Adventure

Updates in the World of Ocho...

I'm Just Gonna Rip it Off Like a Band-Aid...

(In several installments)

Part 3a - 

A New Location, a New Adventure and Feeding the Birds

This all feels so new, yet so comfortable and I'm taking that as an amazing and wonderful sign.

 I've asked God and the Universe for signs... and I've had them ten fold.  Any doubts and uneasiness that I felt as this all began to unfold have decreased immensely and continue to fade as the days go on... 

Updates in the World of Ocho - Part 2 - "Kim Jackson! How Did This Happen?!?!"

Updates in the World of Ocho... 
I'm Just Gonna Rip it Off Like a Band-Aid...
(in several installments)

Part 2 
Updates in the World of Ocho - 
"Kim Jackson! How Did This Happen?!?!"



Many months ago I began working alongside a very charming and entertaining fellow on some marketing projects, as we continued to spend time together I found that I was happier when I left his company than I had been prior ... I found that when I was with him, I laughed more than I did at any other portion of the day ... I found that when I was rattled

about something, he had soothing words of wisdom that immediately calmed me ... I found that when I talked about my dreams of creating an empire with which to spread humor, happiness, honesty and peace throughout the Universe, he was very supportive and asked me questions that would help me break through barriers and move towards a "new step" ... 

Updates in the World of Ocho... I'm Just Gonna Rip it Off Like a Band-Aid... Part 1 - Relationships and the End of an Era

Updates in the World of Ocho... 
I'm Just Gonna Rip it Off Like a Band-Aid...
(in several installments)

Part 1 
Relationships and the End of an Era

I have a new relationship status.  I looked for agnostic... I looked for "I'm complicated"... and finally I realized that perhaps though I remain somewhat agnostic, I should tippy toe into the seemingly cosmic situation that was

unfolding before me and see what happened... 

The fact remains, someone's going to leave or someone's going to die... and based on recent news reports that a woman died from Coca-Cola intake - it may be sooner than I'd previously thought for me...

It's been quite some time since I've been on a "date".  I don't much believe in "dating", I never have... It's always felt bizarre to me, like a "Test Drive" - even when I was younger.  

A Quick Thursday Morning Update...

So many things are on my mind this morning.  

I'm sitting here watching Today's Professionals, which I always try to catch.  I am such a tremendous fan of Donny Deutsch and I love the topics and chatter during this segment of the Today Show.

Losing Mary at the Metropolis Bridge, Thinking about Women's Safety and a Link for YOU!

Good morning, gang!  I'm actually going to keep my part rather short and share with you something below that I'd like for you to take the time to read and share.  It's some very logical information regarding women's safety.  

Now luckily for me, I was raised by a semi-hysterical, worrisome hover-mother - so many of these things were things I would already take note of... but I'll bet there're a lot of bones wrapped in rugs two feet under ground that wish their owner would've read some tips and contemplated personal safety every once and a while...

A Monday Morning Update from the Ocho

WOW! Things are different here and I don't even know where to start.  

The best way for me to do this is to start with my rendition of my friend, Amy's - 
This Week in the Spirit Dancer.  

Reading: I've been mostly writing this week.  Many of you have noted that I sometimes pull out a notebook and start scribbling in the middle of a conversation, TV show, commercial or pretty much anywhere else I happen to be when a thought strikes me... I'm still listening, but what I'm soaking in, be it a conversation or something on TV has

Mother-In-Law Incidents from Years Past and How to Behave as a Civilized Human Being 101

Anywho, in somewhat of a continuance of my last post ... there were two conversations with my Mom-in-Law when I had one that were uncomfy... and I'm going to tell you about them now.  

Incident Number 1 - 
The ex and I hadn't been married long.  I was still "feeling like a new wife"... and by that I mean making sure that my hair and make up were done when he came in the door and that I had my apron on and that the house was clean and that I had dinner going... yes, I know that sounds absolutely fantastically bizarre if you only have known me on 'this side of Betty Ford'... Anywho, so I was on a "touching bases" phone call with the Mom-in-Law and she said - very sternly yet pleasantly, "If you have a few minutes, there's something that's troubling me that I'd like to mention to you so I'll have it off my chest..." I told her to please go right ahead and tell me anything that was bothering her and reassured her that if I'd done something specifically I would absolutely want to know about it.  

She went on to discuss her feelings on the circumstances of our marriage...

A Chance Meeting Brings Great Peace... Saying Good Bye to a Dear Friend and the Walls Come Tumbling Down...

I'm tying up details on a delightfully fantastic day.  I had breakfast with Mom and my eldest brother Kev this morning .. this is something we're going to try to do with some sort of regularity in the new year.  It gives us a chance to catch up and get in the loop on one another... 

We went to Cracker Barrel this morning and had a great time.  We discussed updates in the

realm of individuals attached by DNA.. family, I mean..  Kev and I shared funny quips from a recent visit we each had with a nephew, Mom and I updated Kev as to the current standing of "facebook friends among the family" and I told them a story about a garage door opener, which I'll come back and tell you kids later... 

Kev meandered out front for a ciggy as Mom and I started to make our way through the gift shop.  All at once I turned around to say something to Mom and behind her stood my former Mother-in-Law.  She was standing just feet away from me and it occurred to me quickly had followed me from the dining area and was coming in peace.  I would give a pretty fair sum of money to have seen the look on my face.

This woman was my "Other Mother" from 1995 until the ex and I finally parted ways for the last time in late Summer of 2007.  There's an "old joke" about Mother-in-Laws... a general underlying theme, really.  Mother-in-Laws are supposed to be horrible wretched deceitful people from the boughs of Hell eternal.  That's what 'old comedy' and 'vintage tv' tell us anyway...