Sunday Poll Question

Has it really been a week since I posted???? Dude...

So, once again, in chatting with the Lovely Cats, we inadvertantly came up with the Sunday Poll Question. We got to talking about who we would be if we could put in an order for reincarnation. Knowing what we know now, who or what would we request to be next time around? Honestly, after much thought, I decided I would choose to be ... myself. Which is pretty damn cool considering what I know about being the Pobble. Still, it hasn't been a bad gig. As my friends tend to say (and as coined by the Lovely Cats or Tom Cat, I forget which), It doesn't suck to be Pobble. But what if you couldn't be yourself? What if you had to choose to live a different life? Knowing what you know, what would you choose?

Pobble Answer: Although it was tempting to choose spoiled lap dog, I think I would like to be a world-renowned scientist. Or perhaps not even world-renowned. I don't have to be well-known. One Albert Einstein was enough. It would be cool, however, to make incredible scientific breakthroughs. To know that my work really changed the world, the way we think about it, the way we see it, the way we treat our illnesses or our planet or ... whatever. To experience that "eureka" moment when the thing gets isolated or proven or discovered in the lab. A really major hoo-hah scientist. Yeah, if I can't be me, that would be cool.

Your answer...

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Sunday Poll Question

Sitting outside this morning, enjoying the sun and warm weather, with Lithus outside of the Cathouse, we got to talking about what we might do if we had extra time and extra money. It was not a discussion about regrets or what might have been. Just...what if you were in a situation where you were twiddling your thumbs for a little while. What would you do?

Pobble Answer: I would go back to school and get a degree in architecture. I have always loved house plans and designing buildings. For years every Christmas, Santa would even put house plan magazines in my stocking. Do I regret not having a degree in architecture? Not in the least. Would it be nice to know what I'm doing as I doodle? Yeah. It would be cool.

Your answer...

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Oh, and in case you're wondering, introducing to Lithus to the family is going WONDERFULLY.

:)

Lots of Wow

Wow #1: The Sunday Blog Poll seems to have been a hit. Thanks for your participation. The answers were great. My first unselfish wish would be that you all get your wishes. Gavin is waiting somewhere, afterall.

Wow #2: Lithus arrives tomorrow morning. For two whole weeks. We're heading down for a few days at the Cathouse and the Basement, respectively. Wish us all luck. *giggle*

Wow #3: My baby Daisy isn't doing so well. Last week, the vet discovered her kidneys are beginning to go. The first thing I did was email the amazing woman at Dachshund Rescue of North America who brought them into rescue in the first place. She asked me if she could send out an email to other DRNA members for healing thoughts and prayers. And since I said yes, I have gotten so many emails from total strangers all saying the same thing: their prayers are with me, Daisy and Lionel. The support and outpouring of love has been amazing. Almost as good as y'all are.

Wow #4: Earlier today, Lithus called. After not flying since November, his work had called him back for a tour. Starting Sunday. So he called to ask my opinion. Hell, I didn't know what my opinion was. The last time I was in this situation, my feelings on the matter didn't mean as much as the employers'. Instead, Lithus has arranged a swap with another pilot, will arrive tomorrow morning as planned and will go on his next tour next month. I have never ~ never ~ had the man I love choose me over his work before or even discuss the situation with me. As the Divine M puts it, "damn good feeling, isn't it, Pobble?" Yeah. Yeah, it is.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Sunday Poll Question

Here's the thing ~ in my opinion, Sundays suck. I'm not sure why but they tend to be the longest-and-not-in-a-good-way day of the week. As a counter to the Sunday Suckies, Im introducing the Sunday Poll Question. A question for you. Sometimes thought provoking. Sometimes not so much. And I will always give you my answer, too. Who knows how long this will last. Perhaps just today. Perhaps the life of the blog. It depends on my discipline and your willingness to answer. So, if this is your first time (welcome!), if you lurk but don't comment or if you are a regular contributor here, chime in!

Let's play...

Question: You find the lamp and the genie. Only this isn't your average everyday genie. This is your unusual genie. This is the fuck-that-three-wishes-crap genie. You can have as many wishes as you want. Nothing will backfire. No one will have to pay for your wishes. It really is all good without a morality tale at the end of it. Under one condition ~ your first wish must be entirely selfish. It cannot be for your family, the world, the people you love. Only you may benefit directly from it. And only if your wish is selfish enough do you then get to make whatever wishes for whatever people or situations you choose. What is your wish?

Pobble Answer: An apartment at the Ritz and the book contracts to guarantee I can live there comfortably. Ever since I was a child and read Eloise for the first time, I have wanted to live in a hotel. Once I was a little older and discovered the Ritz Carlton, I have wanted to live in that particular hotel. The thought of having a standing reservation for tea every Wednesday at 4 o'clock, ordering up room service, having the staff know me...not to mention never needing to worry about if I have enough room for everyone to spend the night. At the same time, I have to write. Have to. So what better way to make a good enough living to ensure I can live in my Ritz apartment than to know I've got contracts.

Your turn...

Those are Pobble Thoughts ~ and yours too if you want to play. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

I'm Sorry

If you don't know the true meaning and power of the words "I'm Sorry" then may I suggest you go and read Bartholomew Cubbins and the Oobleck by Dr. Seuss. It is, as most of his work is, inspiring, enlightening while being good rolicking fun. Truly the man was a genius.

Sadly, most people it seems have forgotten the true meaning of the words "I'm Sorry." We have become an apologetic nation. And think that will make it all okay.

The other night, I was instant messaging with a friend. We were both frustrated, tired and bless her heart, she was getting sick, too. At one point, she said something uncalled for. Before I could even respond, she had apologized, acknowledging it was uncalled for. In fact "uncalled for" is her phrase. This is a real apology. This is one I knew was sincere. Every single one of us has said something uncalled for, stupid, hurtful, untrue...whatever at some point. When that happens, the best you can do is apologize, hope the other person accepts and move on. The key is apologizing.

When is the key not apologizing? When your true thoughts and feelings came out. When you are neglectful enough of other people that you think you can say anything. When you are more sorry you got caught than for what you said. When you aren't planning on changing your attitude or actions. When you aren't really sorry, dammit.

When someone says something about another person's race, gender, orientation, weight, religion...those are not mis-speaks. Those are that person's actual and real feelings. Don't call your fellow actor a "fa**ot" and then apologize the next day. Don't make a drunken rant about Jews or throw around the "n-word" and then apologize the next day. If you don't truly feel those things somewhere down deep inside of you, it doesn't even dawn on you to use the words in the first place. I had given myself permission to spell out "fa**ot" and the "n-word" in this blog in order to make my point ~ and I cannot do it. Not out of any sense of political correctness. Not even because I might offend someone. Just because those words are so offensive and because they are simple so wrong.

Yet I'm supposed to believe you have had an epiphany in 24 hours???? You haven't had time to think about it. You haven't had time to learn why what you said was wrong and hurtful. You haven't had time to change whatever is inside of you that made you say those things in the first place. You're only sorry because society tells you that you should be sorry. And I can't respect that. I actually had more respect for Tim Hardaway before his apology than after it. What he said repulsed and disgusted me ~ and at least he had the backbone to say what he truly believed, however reprehensible. Until he apologized.

We can apologize for two things: our intentions and our impacts. I just don't believe that these people who have been spewing such vituperation are sorry for either. They only seem to be sorry they got caught or that they are having to pay consequences.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

The Right to Offend, Pt. 1

I'm a muller. For those of you who may not understand this, it means I tend to mull things over, think about them before I speak. Which is partly why I am just now writing about this post from the Lovely Cats. But partly, it's because so many people have been so offensive recently that every time I thought I was ready to post something, I'd have more to mull.

As anyone who has read this blog for any length of time or has known me for longer than about three minutes can tell you, I'm big into freedoms. Big. I self-identify not as a part of any political party but as a Constitutionalist. Have you ever read the Bill of Rights? It's damn good stuff.

And it's also tricky. See, it's easy to extend freedoms to people with whom we agree and who are smart enough, wise enough, intelligent enough, whatever enough to agree with us. And it's easy to put up with people with whom we don't agree and who aren't enough those things to agree with us so long as they keep their mouths shut and only mutter under their breaths or talk in private.

But is that freedom?

The Lovely Cats has brought freedom of religion to the forefront so I'm putting aside the other issues (for now ~ you may have noticed this is "Pt. 1") and looking at that.

Amendment One of the Constitution of the United States of America: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof... Commonly known as "freedom of religion."

Somewhere along the line, this freedom of religion has come to mean sanctioned atheism. Now, obviously, as a Pagan, I don't want to live in a country where everyone must be Christian. But the truth is I don't want to live in a country where everyone must be Pagan, either.

The sticky part is that phrase "the free exercise thereof..." Yep. That's the killer. Honk Twice If You Love Jesus. Would I honk? No. While I have nothing against the man, he's not my prophet nor my Lord and Savior. Is the sign offensive? Obviously, it is to some people or the complaint wouldn't have been made. However, it doesn't call for violence against people who don't love Jesus. It doesn't state or even imply that not honking will get you run out of town or even the woman's shop. It is, plain and simple, a public expression of faith. And forcing it to be removed because it is offensive is an even greater offense. Because if I want to wear my pentacle, the Lovely Cats should be able to honk twice since she loves Jesus, even if we do offend.

That's the difference between freedom of religion and sanctioned atheism.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

Thanks

You know, I have some of the best people as blogfriends. Thank you.

And for those of you who read the first review, I do want to say that person's concerns were valid (okay, I'm not sure I would have lost all faith in the entire book for goodness sake but still.) My copyeditor and I were both new at phoenetic pronunciations and screwed up at the beginning. We did, however, get better at it as we went along. And y'all deserve to know that I know it's not perfect. ;) I probably should've told you this in the last post but I didn't really expect the response that I got from you. I know, I got silly. Because you guys are the best.

Have I told you lately that I love you?

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

A Book-y Favor

This is a tough and slightly embarrassing post however I am swallowing my pride and making it. Generally, I do not like to go fishing for compliments. This time, I am making an exception to that tenet. *gulp*

Here's the favor: If you have a copy of Test Words and have enjoyed it, please consider going to amazon dot com and leaving a review. The more reviews it has, the earlier it shows up in a general search. Currently, it has three reviews and a 3.5 star rating (the first review was a dud, sadly.) If we can get this up, I would be very grateful. There is, however, no pressure if you don't want to do this. Seriously.

There. Now that's done. And thanks.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you coffee.

What I Can Tell You

If her birthday itself is any indication, the Lovely Cats should have a fantastic year. We certainly started it off right.

Those are Pobble Thoughts. That and a buck fifty will get you cofffee.