It's a Fabulous Life

So much has happened since my last post.

A. I'm single for the first time in about a decade.
B. I closed one show - auditioned and was cast in another
C. I've been in 3 fashion runway shows
D. Had 2 photoshoots
E. I'm moving...starting today (get my keys in less than 2 hours)

Yes, it seems I've started a new chapter in my life. I didn't seek it out, but it has fallen into place that way and I'm not hatin' it.

I was a cast member of The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of A Christmas Carol, which closed the first weekend in December. I played Felicity, but as it was a 'play within a play', I had many other roles as well. One of the most fun and terrifying being The Ghost of Christmas Present. I stood on a rolling chair, of sorts, and was pushed out onto stage by a fellow cast member who was underneath my red cloak with me. My mom said she, along with the rest of the audience, laughed until the cried when I was rolled out on stage with a giant lump behind me. The other actor actually said the lines while I, being the visible one, mouthed along. It was a silly play and generated a ton of laughter. 


I auditioned for the role of Becky in Premier and was cast! Tuesday evening was our first read through and was it ever fun. This group of people are a second family for me. I love them dearly. Rehearsals will begin January 3rd and the show runs for two weekends in mid February. That should help keep me busy over the Valentine's Day-ness. 


In November I walked for Inner Hippie designs at the FARCU show. It was a little crazy, but a lot of fun. In fact, the second set of runway shows were in black light so I was sprayed and painted to reflect that light down the runway! 
This past Sunday, at the Hooligan Holiday Weekend festivities, I walked the runway for Bunker in two different fun and funky outfits. This event was very organized and not rushed. I met some great people and saw some others that I had previously worked with. 
Last night I walked for three different designers at the Faction Magazine V6 release party and holiday market. The designers were Arizona Trading Co., We Are Tribe and Donna's Dress Shop. For each look all of us models had our hair and makeup changed, but again this was very organized and not hurried at all. We also had a nice space to keep our things, change and get styled in. Jessie Artigue styled each of us and kept things running very smoothly. I loved having someone like Jessie there to keep us on track and make sure our looks were complete. Again, I met some incredible people and made some contacts. I can't wait to be a part of another show! Also, I checked out the magazine and it was fabulous. 


The sunday before Thanksgiving I had a photoshoot through House of Style. That morning I actually did a promo gig that was set up through them at the football stadium. Then on to the shoot! I got to wear some wonderful designs from Oblivion Clothing Design and from Jamilah Knight's collection. I shot with three photographers and then had a little impromptu shoot with the director of the shoot before heading home. 
A week ago I shot with Rick Davenport After Six Photography, whom I had met at a House of Style shoot over the summer and over 200 miles away from were I live, only to find out we live 20 miles from one another. Including that HOS I have shot with Rick three times. A friend of mine who was looking to start a portfolio and I shot with him shortly after our first meeting. I joked that we got in most of the holidays in this shoot as we covered Christmas, Valentine's Day and I shot wrapped in an American flag so you can guess which holiday we captured there. ;) 


Shortly, I will be signing my lease and picking up the keys to my new home. What a time to move, right before Christmas, but that's the way it worked out. I can't wait to decorate! No one can complain because I'm the only one living there. See - new chapter. 


XOXO

Coffee Break Bitch

May I take a moment to rant?

Good, thanks.

One of my bosses is a baby. He has to have everything done for him and what makes it worse is he's a procrastinator. He treats his wife, from what I can tell from phone conversations and when she's come in, like crap. He's always in a hurry to get off the phone with her even before he's picked up the receiver. "I'm working", he says. What he means is I'm on facebook, you tube looking up stupid videos to show my colleagues, going to the gym, eating, etc. I wonder how he is at home with her and their daughters. He puts things off and expects everyone else to run around in cramped time doing his bidding. He annoys me in these phases.

There is a woman in our office today, and not an old lady mind you, perhaps late 30's, who reeks!!! She has on the most hideous perfume and she has submerged herself in it!! I can't breathe. They left the conference room door open so when I took in some stuff, I closed the door. Procrastinator immediately went in said door and left it open thus emitting this hideous odor into the rest of the office. Would it look odd for me to suddenly get up and close it again?
I sort of understand old people not being able to smell nearly at all so they squirt way more than necessary their perfume/cologne (why a child, grandchild, super market clerk hasn't informed them of their stench is beyond me), but a younger woman??? And why hasn't her husband, children, co-workers complained to her that she not only wears too much perfume, but that the scent is in fact horrid!?!

That's it! I'm going to start informing people of their odor. It's for their own good and for man kinds good, for their noses at least. This stinky woman annoys me.

Another guy in our office who has no backbone and directs all of his calls to voicemail, washes his hands randomly. Some suggest he has OCD, but it's odder than that. After having used the restroom in which there is a perfectly working sink and paper towels he will head to the kitchen to wash his hands! Why? The soap is the same! Is it a difference of brown paper towels v kitchen paper towels? It's not just after the bathroom. He'll get up from his desk and go "rinse" his hands. I say rinse because he has no time to actually wash them as he's only running the faucet for a second. So I'm ruling out OCD and suggesting crazy. What he does sitting behind his desk that he feels he needs to "rinse" his hands suddenly, scares me. Psycho hand "rinser" annoys me.

I feel a little better now. My nose is still suffering however.

5K = 3.1 miles

I mentioned previously that I was a running participant in The Jared Coones Memorial Pumpkin 5K on October 9th.

This is my 4th year (I think) being involved in this particular run. I did roughly one minute better than last year! Sarcastic enthusiasm. 

I have yet to get anyone to run with me. My Mom came with me to cheer me on and she's thinking of walking the course next year. We recently walked to a trail from her house, around the trail and back to the house which ended up being nearly 8 miles and she did great. She didn't really get kind of tired until well past the half way point, but I think her feet really hurt the next few days.

Don't know what was up with all the thumbs up photos

Look at how sweaty my mp3 player got. I don't have an arm band and unless clip it inside my shorts, it's been known to come apart from the clip while running and hit the ground. This is pretty gross though. 

The balloon release just before count down. Red in honor of Jared, his favorite color and pink in honor of his mother, Jayne, who died of breast cancer a few years back. 

I can't wait to get out in this weather and run again now that my back is healing up from my fall on the shows set stairs. 

Oh, today is also my Mom's Birthday! 

Thick Thursday

I'm feeling bad about my body this week because I haven't been running or to the gym at all since my 5K Saturday (which I'll write about later once my Mom uploads pics). Sunday kicked in a cold and I was busy with work and play rehearsal. Monday cold was worse then by noon I had a fever and left work by 2pm to go home and sleep a little before dress rehearsal. Tuesday cold/cough syrup made me loopy and cold was still severe. Wednesday I was exhausted, still with cold and then at rehearsal I fell down the stairs on set. My feet went out from under me somehow and I landed on my back on the stairs. It knocked the wind out of me, but I was in the middle of a scene so with the help of all the actors that swarmed around me I got to my feet and finished the scene. I ended up with a few minor cuts and a bump on my arm, but my back suffered the real damage.
The edge of one stair hit me in the middle of my back across my shoulder blades. I must have landed a little to the left because I also hit to the left of my spine on my lower back where there is now a bruise. My shoulder blade area has a burning feeling today. I took PM pain killers last night. My plan was to go to the gym over lunch, run a mile and then lift. Didn't happen. I'm hoping this pain will diminish soon. It constantly hurts, but especially when leaning back in chairs (driving), leaning down and reaching up. So yeah, no lifting for me.
So I'm feeling bad about myself now. I'm also concerned since I've missed so many days running that I'm reducing some of the stamina that I've built up. Perhaps tomorrow I'll be able to hit the gym over lunch. I have my doubts though.
With a photo shoot, runway show, various plays and holidays coming up I want to do everything I can to look and feel good.

Happy 'Parenthood' Day!

I very rarely sit down and watch television. I don't even have cable at my place. Any shows I do follow, it's only because of the internet which allows me to watch shows online after they're aired on tv. There is a new show that my mom and I have fallen in love with that I go out of my way to watch with her on tuesday nights. It's NBC's Parenthood.

When I was still living at home my mom and I started watching Gilmore Girls  together. Even after I left home to go to college 40 minutes away we continued to record and watch episodes together. Then when I moved to Los Angeles we would talk on the phone after watching the new episode. Even though she was in the midwest she got to see the show before me in LA. We were so sad to see it go.

When we discovered Parenthood part way into its first season and saw that 'Lorelai', aka Lauren Graham, was a cast member we started catching up on episodes on demand. Now we're hooked! Graham wasn't even originally part of the cast. Maura Tierney was initially cast as Sarah Braverman, but due to her treatment schedule in 2009 for her breast cancer she had to be replaced. On a happy note it is stated that Tierney has finished her treatment and she is going back to work, on the stage.
The show is based off of the 1989 film by the same name.

The show does loosely parallel the film characters lives.
Film patriarch and matriarch - Frank and Marilyn Buckman
Show patriarch and matriarch - Zeek and Camille Braverman
Film oldest child - Gil Buckman (Steve Martin) and his wife Karen (Mary Steenburgen) have a son with emotional issues who needs therapy, which leads Gil to question his abilities as a father.
Show oldest child - Adam Braverman and his wife Kristina have a son, Max, who has asperger syndrome that Adam struggles to understand and accept. Karen in the film and Kristina in the show are both concerned with the well being of their marriage and trying to keep things fresh between them and their husbands.
Film next oldest - Helen Buckman who has 2 teen children Julie and Garry and is divorced from the father who isn't involved with their children.
Show next oldest - Sarah Braverman (Lauren Graham) who has 2 teen children Amber and Drew and is divorced from the father who isn't involved with their children.
In the film the last two children are Susan first, who is married to Nathan who is very devoted to their gifted daughters learning. Also Susan wants more children, but Nathan's not so sure. Then there's the youngest, Larry, who has a bi-racial son (Cool), from a brief affair with a Vegas show girl.
In the show Crosby is second to youngest and also discovers he has a bi-racial son (Jabbar), from his former lover Jasmine who is a dancer.
Then there is Julie, the youngest in the show, who is married to Joel who is a stay-at-home father to their advanced daughter, Sydney. As in the film, Julie wants to have another child and Joel is hesitant at first, but eventually decides he would like to have another child too.
So far it appears that there is no Grandma, to the Braverman siblings, in the show like there is in the film.

There are small similarities that pop up now and then, but overall the show is solid, standing on its own.

Speaking of the film Parenthood, which stars Martha Plimpton as Julie, Helen's eldest, Plimpton is also now starring in a new series on Fox, Raising Hope. I've seen a few episodes online and while is not completely unappealing, I'm not sure the 30 minute sitcom will last.

No update on My Generation as I have not watched anymore episodes past the pilot.

I have caught up on Better With You online (ABC Wednesdays). I can relate to Maddie and her relationship in this show and I just love Debra Jo Rupp previously of That 70's Show, which I had no problems watching the occasional rerun of, but I never watched the show in its time slot. I didn't care for any episodes after Eric left the show either.

Anyway, have a Happy Parenthood Tuesday!

Happiness Sold Separately

Last night I unexpectedly came to end of Happiness Sold Separately by Lolly Winston. I say "unexpectedly" as there were several more pages, which turned out to be book club questions, Q&A of Winston and Acknowledgments.

I still am not even sure if I liked this book or not. I mean I finished it so that has to say something, I suppose, but I can only think of one book that I have failed to finish and that was The Pelican Brief by John Grisham. Even then I think that was only because I was like 14 at the time and having a hard time getting into anything aside from the relationship between Darby Shaw and her professor, Thomas Callahan. I did watch the film years later and I think I recall I enjoyed it somewhat, but that it was rather lengthy. It did, however, star one of my favorite actress (as a guilty pleasure, yet she has proven to be able to break her typical barrier somewhat) Julia Roberts.

In fact, when searching for the photo for Happiness, I came across a blog dated Dec 13 2006 which stated that Julia had signed on to produce and possibly star in the film version of Winstons' second novel.  I intend to research that further.

The subject of this book is certainly conversation provoking. Infidelity is never taken lightly and the notion that forgiveness can be sought after such a hurtful act is definitely something to brainstorm on. It also gets you to thinking about the different kinds of love. I've always related a difference between loving someone and being "in love".

I find it interesting how in this read and in life I get so angry with men who commit adultery, but somehow not as furious with women who commit the same act. Why is that? I should explore this further. I've never been cheated on, that I know of, but I have always had that fear. That fear has lead me to be irrational in my relationships. I don't want to be jealous. Jealousy is not attractive. Confidence is attractive. I lack confidence.

Anyway, back to book. I like Elinor (not her name mind you, although I do like the nickname El). It almost makes me angry how not upset she gets in regards to her husbands actions. I think she's feeling just as out of "in love" as Ted is.

It is interesting to read through each of the characters point of views. I'm not sure if it makes me sympathize with some of the characters any more so though. I suppose it does make me understand the situation more. Gina's son, Toby, pisses me off toward the end. He does have balls though or maybe his behavior simply comes from his lack of a stable family environment.

It's not a bad read. I'm curious to see if a film is made and if in fact Julia is in it.

Now off to the library over lunch to get my next book. I'm thinking something thrilling/suspenseful in light of it nearing Halloween.

Another Wall Covered

I got this for the wall at the mid-point landing of my stairs up to my master bedroom.

Now I just need to frame and hang it. Ideally before the Simply Tasteful party that is to be held at my place the first week of November.

Theatre Life

In the next couple weeks I will be performing in one show, learning blocking for another and reading through my lines for yet another show because I am a professional and someday someone is going to see that and theatre will be all I will be doing. No more full time office job. No more part time job. Just theatre. Paid theatre! Not that that is what is important. I've done plenty of unpaid performances and I will continue too. I do because I love it!

Next weekend my current show, A Flea in Her Ear goes into performance. It will run for two weekends the latter of which, that week I will start blocking for my following show, Woman in Black. It performs the weekend after the closing weekend of A Flea in Her Ear, which is Halloween weekend. Fitting, as Woman in Black is a ghost story. We'll have a Thursday night show, two Friday night shows (one at 7 pm and one at midnight) and a Saturday night show. Then I will go right into rehearsals for The Farndale Avenue Housing Estate Townswomen's Guild Dramatic Society's Production of A Christmas Carol. That...is a mouth full, to say the least. That show will perform the first weekend in December. 
Before that though, I will be a model for two different designers walking the runway at an event the weekend after WIB.

So, that break that I said I was going to take after these first two shows...noooot going to happen.
The director for A Christmas Carol came to me though, e mailing me about how she had heard about my wonderful performance in Steel Magnolias as Shelby this past spring and said she wanted to cast me. I let her know about my November conflicts with the runway show, the Simply Tasteful party my mom and I got suckered into throwing (at my place), the tickets I have to see the Rep's production of but what else, A Christmas Carol and I let her know that I did not yet know about Thanksgiving, but that in the past I have traveled out of town. I assured her I am quick to memorize however. (Not sure you're supposed to end a sentence with "however". Oh well.) Oh lest I forget, I also work my part time job Wednesday evenings. I must work as many wednesdays as I can until tech week since I have been not working them over the course of this current show.

She informed me that the show was not terribly line heavy, that it was more involved blocking/movement wise. Last night the director of WIB came to my theatre where I was rehearsing A Flea in Her Ear to have a fitting for my turn of the century ghost costume for her show. Also she recorded my voice for a few of my lines in the show. The costume is incredible by the way! She also brought me the Carol script. I'm not sure what this director considers "line heavy", but I'm not even through Act One yet and I'm seeing that I'm going to be doing quite a bit of highlighting. Not a problem though. I will simply start working on my memorization that much sooner.
I'm actually extremely excited! I haven't really done a Christmas show since Jed's Holiday Wish in 6th grade in which I played a Genie granting one wish to a young boy on the eve of Christmas. So much for Santa.

So the plan is to then have the rest of December off and come January audition for Sealed for Freshness. That will get me half way into February and by then I'm sure I'll know of another upcoming audition. In fact it will be about time to head to Minneapolis again. Better luck this second time, I hope!

The Body Dilemma

Today I've been reading other blogs about fitness, diets, weight loss, weight GAIN (as in wanting to gain weight). I know it sounds horrible to think this way, but reading about people needing/wanting to gain weight makes me feel like, "oh poor sad you having to gain weight...must be real rough b*tch". Ok, that was just honesty. Sorry. I'm not even an overweight person, nor have I ever been overweight, but I have been body conscious for as long as I can remember.

I have never really been happy with the way I look. The closest I've come to feeling positive about my size was last winter. Even then I didn't really appreciate how much smaller I had gotten. I still wanted to lose just a little more and I thought then I would be happy. I remember thinking I was near the size I would want to be on my wedding day. Now I look back and think damn I was thin and should have been happy and most importantly I should have stayed there! Also I think, "sucks I was thinnest during the coldest months. Couldn't have happened over bikini season, could it?"

At the time I was going through a lot of stress, emotions, relationship issues and I was eating smaller portions, which I realize is why I am inching my way back up to my former weight. Recently I've been thinking that the gym time and miles logged running would get me back into my size 4 jeans (I'm 5'10") alone, but what I haven't been controlling is my eating habits. Not only have I been eating larger portions, but I haven't been eating as healthy. I need to get a grip! I blame my schedule with two jobs, play rehearsal, gym, family/friends and a need to clean my townhome. I'm on the go a lot of the time. Every time I put on a pair of jeans I get depressed. I don't want to put on the size 6's or 8's!! I want to give them away and never need them again!

That's me on Christmas Eve 2009 in my size 4 jeans. 

Hmm...at the moment I don't really have any 3/4 or full length pictures of me that have been taken recently. There's a reason for that. 

Ok, I'm going to work on my eating habits and be strong! Will power! 

Why SO Sleepy???

I have sleep issues.
Last night I believe I fell asleep by 11:30pm because I'm sure I dozed off during Family Guy and woke up some time later to turn off the tv and go back to sleeping. I hit snooze several times this morning and woke up around 7am to get ready for work. I've had at least 3 cups of coffee, but I have been so sleepy this morning! Why? At one point I just had to sit back in my chair and shut my eyes for a few minutes. I got like 7 hours of sleep, which is like AMAZING for me. I think my body demands more sleep, but it doesn't want to go to sleep at night when it should to get the proper amount of sleep for function normally.
Again, last night I got home from rehearsal by 9:30, washed my face, got in my pj's, but I didn't even bother laying in bed yet because I knew I would just lay there unable to fall asleep anytime soon. I had to gather up the trash anyway as today is trash day. Since I waited to get into bed until the latter half of King of Queens (btw I like never watch tv. I have to watch shows I'm interested in online and the only time the tv is on in my house is when the morning news is on in the background while I get ready for work) and shut off my brain it really only took me 30 or so minutes to get to sleep.
Normally there's so much going on in my evenings that I can't even think about getting near my bed until 11pm.

Lets face it, we just don't have enough time. We're at work until 5pm and then we only have after the evening commute to bedtime to live our real lives and that's not even our real lives, that condensed time where you're making, eating and cleaning up dinner, showering, maybe doing laundry, cleaning the house, etc...is that really living? Ok, so the weekends is when we're living? Maybe, but still that gets condensed as well because most people do their laundry on the weekends and cleaning and grocery shopping and other various errands and chores.

How my lack of sleep turned into this I'm not sure, but it's something I think about ever so often. In America we spend more time working than other nations and have no more to show for it. We have shorter maternity leave, less vacation time, longer hours and no siesta yet we make less money than our European counterparts who make free time a more valuable asset to their everyday lives. It makes me think, what are we busting our asses for? Now more than ever Americans are working longer hours, more than one job and taking less vacation time.

When do we LIVE? Work is the time in between my living. A chunk of time robbed of us everyday.

I'll think on this more while I run to the gym over my lunch break since I have rehearsal after work and have to get to bed sometime after that only to wake up and do it again tomorrow until the weekend arrives.

I Can Do Many Things...One of Them is Cooking

Most bloggers have blogs dedicated to specific interests, topics and expertise. Not I.

My blog is to be just as random as I am. I could create one blog for my theatre on goings. I could have another with a fitness theme as I regularly go to the gym, run in local races, struggle with eating right and try to balance all this with a busy lifestyle. A food blog could be a possibility for me as I go through cooking/baking spells. Alas, I have settled for one blog (at least for the time being) with many wide ranging topics. Thus this photo:

This is the second time this beginning of autumn season that I have made potato soup. The first go around produced a decent soup, but this second batch was even better. The recipe is simple and adjustable for your liking.

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 onion chopped
1 c celery chopped
8 potatoes peeled and cubed
2 c water/ 2 c chicken broth
4 Tbsp flour
2 1/3 c milk

In a large pot sauté onion and celery in butter until tender.
Add potatoes, water and chicken broth. Bring to a boil then simmer until potatoes are tender.
In separate bowl mix together flour and milk until flour is nearly dissolved.
Add milk/flour to pot stirring continuously.

That is the gist of it, but different individuals may add different seasonings and such to enhance the flavor for them. I added garlic salt and pepper.

I have really been on a cooking kick lately, as time allows. I baked peanut butter cookies last week and took them to my second rehearsal for my fellow cast members to munch on. They enjoyed them and it was requested that I bring more back.

Now don't get the idea that I'm very domesticated because you would be so far off. True, I have had few blunders, but I attribute that to not being a total moron. I can read and follow written instructions. I made blueberry scones a few weeks ago even though I wasn't sure what "folding" was and they turned out pretty good.

I have successfully made several Thanksgiving dinners. Yummy Yam Casserole went over well two years ago at my Thanksgiving.

Ok, that will do it for this food portion of my blog for now.

Going It Alone

I get these e mails from http://www.ivillage.com ever so often and the one this morning included the article "10 Things Every Woman Must Try at Least Once". Some suggestions I found silly, probably because they didn't really apply to me like "Kick Celebrity Addiction", for women who follow TMZ and Entertainment Tonight religiously.
Others were easier said than done such as "Work Your Dream Job". I would love to work my dream job. I'm young, unmarried, childless and talented, but I find it a little difficult in a lousy economy to risk my current job in search for something that might not be out there to grab. Especially considering the credit card bills, students loans, rent, utilities, gas, groceries...(I could go on and on) that everyone has to be responsible for. Alas, this topic of the "dream job" i.e. career, may be for another post.
Before I get to the idea that ivillage produced, that provoked me to author this post, the final point did pique my interest. The Rabbit, under which it simply stated, "just try it, trust us". I'll leave it at that...


One of the 10 did stick with me: "Book a Dream Vacation - Go Alone If You Have To". Ok, lets decipher this to fit our lives more practically. The first part is what I take issue with. Most of us when asked what our dream vacation would be, takes us overseas to various locations in Europe, an exotic local in Asia, down under or an island in the pacific. True, some may site an exciting US city like Los Angeles or New York or they may mention a beach in Florida, but I'm sure few people would call a hour drive north of there home as a dream vacation. Of course, that may be what it is in your price range. So when I thought about this vacation idea I made it just that, a vacation - an enjoyable one, but not the grand vacation and one that I might prefer to take alone.

This brings us to the second part of the articles suggestion. "Go Alone If You Have To". I have planned numerous vacations over the last couple years since my last vacation to Florida. Some I knew would never really happen, it was fun to simply plan. Others were intended to be taken, but for whatever reason whether it be expenses, travel partners bailing, scheduling conflicts or whatever they were not experienced. Attempting to travel with a companion can keep you from making the trip, at least it has in my case. So when I came across this suggestion of taking a trip alone I thought, why not?

I knew right away which trip in my "someday" binder filed under the vacation tab to take. It wouldn't be extravagant or overly expensive and it would be more about seeing the scenery and experiencing the places than tourist attractions and theme parks, which I'd rather have a friend along to do those things. The dilemma that comes to mind as I type this and get excited about the idea is one I mentioned earlier: scheduling. You see this trip requires that you take it a certain time of year. About this time of year actually and autumn, while it is my favorite time of year (another post) it is also my busiest time of the year. I have many commitments from now into November and by then it would be too late for this trip. Seeing as how I am already committed I would have to wait until next fall and that thought disheartens me. Not only is it an entire year away, but I know to avoid the same issue next time around I would have to give up some of my typical autumn activities. I may have to think on this some more. I still very much so want to make this trip. I'll have to figure out how to make it happen.

As I sit here and contemplate some more, I say to myself, "I'll make it happen!"

Louis, I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

If you thought this blog posting would be about the film Casablanca, prepare to be disappointed - or not, depending on your point of view.

This is to be my first of possibly few to many blogs. We'll see how it goes. Like everyone else in the world I feel I have something to say. Whether or not others choose to listen in is up to them. Whether or not I truly have something worthwhile to say is up to me. Some posts may be worth it, some may be complete crap. Like I said, we'll see how it goes.

Making this blog in and of itself was a slight pain in the ass (oh! Already Julia Child would not be a fan of this blog). Turns out after filling in the initial create a blog page, I was reminded I already had a google account, which is linked to blogger and thus I needed my sign in information from who knows how long ago when I apparently created a google account. Makes me wonder what other accounts I have floating about out there in cyber space that I've forgotten about. So I have the password sent to my inbox and start all over again. Then there was some confusion between a display name and a blogger title, but I think I've figured that out and will make the appropriate changes...when I get around it it.

That brings me to the change from my typical display name, KCbarbie. This display name came about years ago during which time I worked at a retail store where some co-workers and eventually costumers came to call me Barbie. This is due to the length of my blonde hair, which flows to the bottom of my back. Blue eyes, slender build and being 5'10" don't hurt either. When creating my first networking page at the urge of friends, I was faced with the first display name dilemma. At the suggestion of a friend I entered the name Barbie knowing that the page would inevitably inform me that this name had been taken. Then rather than adding a number to the end of the name suggesting I was Barbie number 343, I decided to add location to the name. That is how KCbarbie came to be my display name, user name, log in for many websites to come. For this site it is not my display name partly because it sounds pretentious.

The Beautifully Quirky title will make sense eventually.

Well, there's my first blog posting. Nothing earth shattering. There's more of a specific reason of why I started this blog and that will materialize as I get the hang of this. Until then there may be a few "starter blog posts" as a warm up.