Saturday, April 26, 2008

My guilty pleasure for the day

My daughter arrived home from college yesterday. The semester is over and she’s back home for four months. When she arrived home with the six (you heard me right – SIX) 30-gallon garbage bags full of dirty laundry (including a few articles of young-men’s clothing that didn’t belong to her – and I’m not asking about) I just sort of sighed and thought. . . where in the world did I go wrong?. . . But then, this morning (OK, more like noon) when she finally woke up and turned on the music, all was WELL AGAIN in my household! (Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low, Low!) She is such a joy to have around. I’ve missed her innate ability to brighten up a room just with her presence and smile. She managed to have me smiling and singing right along with her within moments of arising from her sleep. She also informed me that she and I are going dancing and karaoke-ing this evening. Sweet. =)
So anyway, here’s my own “guilty pleasure” for the day (Shhh – don’t tell anyone, K?) =P

(P.S. – Sorry I’m not very sociable with anyone lately. I guess I just haven’t had much to say. Just have a lot going on and a lot on my mind right now. Think of everyone often though).


Thursday, April 24, 2008

If Everyone Cared

Did you ever wake up with a song playing over and over and over again inside your head, like a broken record? That's how I awoke this morning - Chad Kroeger's gravelly voice lulling me into wakefulness with this song... mellow, contemplative, serene. Enjoy.




(Comment on YouTube if you liked her vid.)

From underneath the trees, we watch the sky
Confusing stars for satellites
I never dreamed that you'd be mine
But here we are, we're here tonight

Singing Amen I, I'm alive
Singing Amen I, I'm alive

[CHORUS]
If everyone cared and nobody cried,
If everyone loved and nobody lied,
If everyone shared and swallowed their pride,
We'd see the day, when nobody died

And I'm singing

Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive
Amen I, Amen I, Amen I, I'm alive

And in the air the fireflies
Our only light in paradise
We'll show the world they were wrong
And teach them all to sing along

Singing Amen I, I'm alive
Singing Amen I, I'm alive

[CHORUS (X2)]

And as we lie beneath the stars,
We realize how small we are,
If they could love like you and me,
Imagine what the world could be

[CHORUS (X2)]

We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day, we'd see the day
When nobody died
We'd see the day when nobody died

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Another "Familiar Fragments"

Once again, a scary glimpse into my thought fragments. . .

I was bummed out the other day when I realized after the fact that the Dalai Lama was in Michigan at U- M giving lectures, and I had missed them. I remember when he was here 15 years ago. I sat in on some of his talks. I was very impressed with his peaceful character, his ideals. I wish I could’ve gone back to see him and hear him speak again. I didn’t know he was going to be here until it was too late. Figures.

The wilderness. . . shall blossom abundantly. Isaiah 35:1, 2 (Holy Bible)

I have a headache on the right side of my temple. It’s trying to throb and is bordering migraine. It must be stress-related. Give me drugs, please. I haven’t had a headache since before leaving for vacation. I feel a huge knot of tension in the middle of my upper back, too, right in the center of my scapula, as well as my cervical spine area. New line of work required. Anybody need a crazy blond on staff?

Hey, I have a great idea! How ‘bout you come do dirty laundry for me! Please? I want to go out and play, instead!

Got KC and the Sunshine Band on the brain again. I know, I’m a throwback to the 70’s music era sometimes – roller-skates, disco ball, and the whole funky thing. But what can I say? How ‘bout – “DO A LITTLE DANCE- MAKE A LITTLE LOVE – GET DOWN TONIGHT! – GET DOWN TONIGHT! WHOO!” (Currently shaking my groove thang)! Can ya feel it, I ask?! My youngest daughter is shaking her head at me and saying, “Mother, puh-lease! You’re scaring me!” LOL (But if my older daughter were home from college, she’d be saying, “Yeah mom – shake it, girl - Go momma! Go momma! Go momma!”) Hmm. . . . what’s wrong with this picture?! Funny, how they can all be so individually different from each other.

I feel the need. . . the need for speed! Zoom-zoom-zoom! T-tops are comin’ off today! Warm sun. Fresh air. Need a hat, or I’ll have a tangled mess. Stay off the roads if you’re smart! I stop for nothing!

Today is my son’s birthday. My baby. My youngest child. No longer a baby. Now a teenager going through puberty, himself. Awww. My days filled with the simplest aspects of motherhood are over. I now can only endure the teenage years and young adulthood with my children – which are okay, I suppose. But I want a new baby to snuggle and hold and love and take care of. Too bad my hubby had snip-snipping done. He turns deathly pale when I suggest medical reversal of his vasectomy - then does an about-face and runs away. Hey bubba – where you goin’?! Come back here and gimme some of that!

Remember: Do not mix up the cilia with the celiac. Vast difference, both. Thank you.

I hate it when I’m sitting in a restaurant and somebody continuously has a thick, productive, hacking cough. It makes me lose my appetite. Sounds like they’re hocking up a chunk of lung or something. Yuck! Hungry no more.

It’s my Sunday to lead. I pray that lives will be changed through the ministry that music can bring. Leading Praise and Worship is so much more to me than just another “performance”. When I take the platform, I want to cease to exist as an individual, and only be seen as the vessel that is used to usher the congregation into the very presence of God, the throne of grace. So please don’t look to me – look to Him. Don’t see “me” – but only the one who was called to lead you there. I am merely human – I will fall. He will not.

Did you ever see a blue frog? I have one! Here, in my pond. Look-see, I’ll show you.






Why is it that my health insurance company can never accurately manage my account? Why must I watch every stinking penny? I’m tired of their repeat “errors”. They should be covering certain aspects of my family’s health care in full; yet, have neglected to do so, thereby claiming I’m responsible for specific payment amounts. NO, I’m not! Check my policy guidelines. YOU are supposed to cover that completely! Sheesh. Must I do everybody’s job for them? Get with the program, people!

Those of you who don’t actually “know” me in real life would have a hard time believing I’m a very serious professional who works in the medicolegal field, huh? But you know, it’s just so BORING, and you gotta do what you gotta do to liven things up a bit. If you want to know the absolute truth, only wacky people can endure in the field of medicine – it takes a rather unique sense of humor to be able to find beauty in the cleansed colon or irritable bowels. Just thought you should know. Keep that in mind the next time you go for a surgical procedure, ok? LOL

Sunshine on my shoulders makes me happy. Sunshine in my eyes can make me cry. Sunshine on the water looks so lovely. Sunshine almost all the time makes me high.

I’m supposed to be working, but I’m distracted today. ADD mode has kicked in with my return to work – funny, that. I’m having mischievous thoughts, too – don’t ask. You DON’T want to know, trust me. Focus, Kim. Focus. Back. To. Work. Focus. (Come on baby, and rescue me!) My mind is useless today. Devoid of even the remotest of intelligence. Up in the clouds. Far, far away. Sigh.

I love stumbling across blogs that inspire me. Hats-off to the inspirational-ists!

Sunday, April 20, 2008

Don't Mess With Me, Mo-Fo!

Yesterday evening at dusk (about 8:30 p.m.), as I was walking out of the Port Huron Meijer’s store with my daughter, Kayla, a most unusual thing occurred. We were proceeding through the parking lot toward my car with a couple bags of groceries when we suddenly heard a woman’s scream. It was just one scream, but filled with angst and tears, I could tell. And it was slightly muffled, as if someone were trying to stifle it. My daughter and I glanced at each other then looked around as we approached my vehicle, trying to discern from which direction it had come. We saw nothing. We heard nothing. As we got into my car, I suddenly had the oddest feeling strike me. As a result, I decided at that moment not to leave directly, but to quickly drive up and down a few rows of cars just to take a peek.

As I neared the end of the row we had been parked in, I suddenly saw it – a man struggling with a woman, attempting to get her into a mini-van. She had her feet firmly planted on the asphalt pavement and her arms spread wide, holding on for dear life to each side of the sliding door while he was trying to dislodge her grip and shove her inside, covering her mouth with one hand. She was terrified. He was pissed.

Shocked and furious, barely thinking - I stopped my car abruptly and shouted to my daughter, “lay on the car horn, and don’t let up”. I got out and ran toward the man, screaming, “Hey mother fucker, let her go!”, then BOOM! - slammed a wicked front kick right into his face as he turned his head my direction, having been startled by both my screaming approach as well as my car horn blaring.

Well, thank God it was enough!

Enough to draw the attention of other passersby, who decently stopped to see what the ruckus was all about and help out. Enough of a distraction for the poor lady to break free from her struggle. Enough to have put an abrupt end to what was about to become a very violent crime that would likely have changed the life of the victim forever. Enough.

Of course, some of the men in the parking lot subdued the would-be attacker until the police arrived. I believe they even landed a few of their own blows at his face and gut in the process. Good for them. And I did my very best to hug and comfort the poor woman, who was absolutely terrified afterwards.

Ladies, do yourselves a favor. Stay alert. Be prepared. Always. Take a self defense class. Keep in shape. Don’t shop alone. Carry pepper spray or mace...something. Be proactive in not becoming the victim in today’s backwards society. There are bad people in the world. I live in a very GOOD area, and this still happened. I am NOT a big person (5’7”, 118 lbs.) and under certain circumstances I may not have been effective in helping this woman – but I am a martial artist. And for the first time in my life, I was very thankful for the past three years of time and grueling dedication that I’ve put into training, as it allowed me to react instinctively in a dangerous situation without fear. (Although, I was pretty shaken up afterwards, when the adrenaline rush wore off).

But...it proved useful to aid in helping another. It was worth it.

The choices we make today affect the quality of life we have tomorrow. Choose wisely.




Thursday, April 10, 2008

My Love Affair With Kokomo...

Steamy... Sultry... Sexy... Sweet... KOKOMO! (eat your hearts out!)

SOUPY - be very, very jealous!

(Not the greatest slideshow/vid, but all I could find quick-like. Use sound for full experience!)



Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go
Jamaica

Off The Florida Keys
There's a place called Kokomo
That's where you wanna go to get away from it all

Bodies in the sand
Tropical drink melting in your hand
We'll be falling in love
To the rhythm of a steel drum band
Down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
To Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go

Ooo I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast
And then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Kokomo

To Martinique, that Montserrat Mystique

We'll put out to sea
And we'll perfect our chemistry
By and by we'll defy a little bit of gravity

Afternoon delight
Cocktails and moonlit nights
That dreamy look in your eye
Give me a tropical contact high
Way down in Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take you
To Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go

Ooo I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast
And then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Kokomo

Port Au Prince I wanna catch a glimpse

Everybody knows
A little place like Kokomo
Now if you wanna go
And get away from it all
Go down to Kokomo

Aruba, Jamaica ooo I wanna take ya to
Bermuda, Bahama come on pretty mama
Key Largo, Montego baby why don't we go

Ooo I wanna take you down to Kokomo
We'll get there fast
And then we'll take it slow
That's where we wanna go
Way down to Kokomo

Ooo I wanna take you down to Kokomo

"Leavin', on a jet plane...

... don't know when I'll be back again..."

Does anybody remember that song? I know a few of you do (wink). An oldie, but a goodie!

Anyway- I realize I haven't been the best correspondent of late; shame on me - time just goes by way too fast and before I know it, one day is ending and a new one has begun! (My plate is rather full these days, so-to-speak). But you'll be happy to know that I have NOTHING important to say, anyway, so you haven't missed much! =)

I do have some wonderful news to share though...

That song that I began my post with? Well, it happens to be true. I AM leaving! In fact, later today. And thank God for that -I totally need a vacation! Have been swamped at work lately and have felt like pulling my hair out on more than one occasion, I might add. Of course, I'd never do that because I'd be one ugly lioness bald. (scary thought)

So, until next time - ciao!

Saturday, April 5, 2008

Growing Slowly Wise

Earth's wisest sages this impart:
The tongue's great storehouse is the heart.
- Folk Proverb


There are many things in life that will catch your eye, but only a few that will capture your heart... pursue those.

Tuesday, April 1, 2008

Never Alone

This morning I awoke to steel grey, drizzly skies. The air was chill and damp and I snuggled deeply into my robe while gazing out at our pond, beyond the trees. Among the many deer grazing upon fresh spring grass hopped the rabbits, their white tails bouncing behind. They, too, were enjoying their tender young greens. Gliding along so gracefully in the pond was a lone duck of black-and-white colored plume. I retrieved the binoculars so as to look for his mate, who surely accompanied him. Alas, she was nowhere to be found. Despite his singular beauty, it made me sad to see him there... all alone in the cold, dark rain. It made me grateful that my journey through life is not alone.





P.S. - Does anybody know why all my blog posts are ending up dated with April 1, 2008 instead of the actual posting date?

Stilletto Heels and Fishnet Stockings


Nevada is only one of two states in which some prostitution is legal (in brothels); Rhode Island is the other (brothels).


Do you think that Prostitution should be legalized? Why or why not? Under what circumstances? Street solicitation? Brothels?
(I wonder if anybody will actually state that they DO think it should be legalized... are you brave enough?) Free thinkers welcome.