Thursday, April 26, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 12:18 PM
I thought about turning on the computer and just posting about this as I went through it, perhaps I should have, but I didn't.
I don't know what to call it but insomnia.
I went to bed around 01:30am lastnight (this morning) and ended up staring at the alarm clock till 03:30am. I would close my eyes, try and get comfortable, only to have my eyes pop open a few minutes later looking at those glowing green numbers.
Shift position and close eyes again.
Scratch an annoying itch on my leg that becomes insistent.
Eyes pop back open a few minutes later. I know this because I once again am looking at the clock.
Swears lightly - "You have gotta be shittin' me."
Time is 04:00am and I have to be up at 08:00am.
I get up, check on the kids and crouch staring at them for a few minutes. My daughter doesn't budge when I adjust the covers on her and my son just kicks the covers back off as soon I adjust them back on him. I can hear his congestion when he is laying on his back, so I lay him on his side and I can hear him breathe a bit better.
I felt like a gargoyle just crouched there watching my kids sleep.
I walk into the living room and look out the patio sliding glass door and see a few other light are on, wondering if they too are having trouble sleeping, just getting up or soon to go to sleep themselves.
I lay on the floor, and do a bit of stretching, and crack my neck and back hoping it might relax me a bit more to sleep.
I lay on the floor and stare at the ceiling for a few minutes.
Time to try again.
I walk back to the bedroom and stare at my wife's sleeping form, lightly snoring away. No need to adjust the blankets there, she has them tucked tightly into her and aside from a slight swish from her leg (restless legs), she is sound asleep.
I crawl into bed, reposition myself laying on my left side, bunch up my pillow for firmer support for my head, my arm under the pillow resting against the headboard, while my right arm is tucked into my body with the blanket.
I stare at the clock's bright green numbers - 05:00am.
Next thing I know my alarm is going off and it is 08:15am. I must have fallen asleep finally.
It was off to drag my tired butt to shave, shower and head off to work.
Monday, April 23, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 9:56 PM
I enjoy listening to a wide variety of music, including some country. So when I saw this video making its rounds on the blogs, and the message it had to say about Country Music, the fans, the singers and what they believe in....well it struck a cord with me, because it really does seem to be true.
UPDATE: Link went dead from YouTube, I have re-embedded the video, better quality, and it is working again.
UPDATE 2: Thanks to Amanda in the comments for pointing out that the video was removed. I found another version of the video and have re-embedded it - this one has a Martina McBride singing after Jeff Foxworthy, so enjoy.
Rock music while it can energize does nothing much more than that.
Rap, alot of it is talking about bitches and hos (making women out to be nothing more than objects or playthings), bragging about what they have (bling), killing people (putting a cap in yo ass), being players (see bitches and hos), and even in some talk of killing pigs (cops).
I do not listen to rap, I refuse to.
I do listen to a wide variety of other music, mostly including Smooth Jazz, R&B, Rock, some Alternative, and some Country.
Jeff Foxworthy, while a very good comedian in my opinion, had a very serious side in which he speaks about country music, the fans and people it represents, and he hits it right on the mark!
”Country music doesn’t have to be politically correct. We sing about God, because we believe in Him. We’re not tryin’ to offend anybody, but the evidence we have seen of Him in our small, little lives trumps your opinion about whether or not He exists.”
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 11:03 AM
My wife was on the phone with a good friend of hers, I finished watching a late night episode of M*A*S*H and was bored with the computer, and so I did something I haven't done in ages...
... I went for a walk.
Sure it was 2 am in the morning, but those are the best times for a walk, probably not the best if your living in a busy city, or if your in Downtown Detroit, but I live in the metro area so figured things would be safe enough.
I burned a CD for some music I wanted to listen to while walking, and got ready. Wife was expectedly curious where I was going at 2am, and let her know I was a bit bored and just going for a walk.
Or a bit of the Eagles. Yes, as you can surmise I was not looking for dance music or a hard beat as I walked, so mellow tunes were what I was listening to.
This also is the best I could find the song "I am so into you" by Atlanta Rhythm Section. Yes, I know ELO did a version of it also, but I by far think the Atlanta Rhythm Section version is much better.
I started off just walking around the apartment complex, which done normally is around a half mile, but then decided to cross over and walk along the main road, walking through little strip malls and shopping areas on the way, of course nothing open, but was looking at what I normally drive past and never really see.
On my journey (walk) I checked out: - 2 tanning salons - 1 dance studio - 1 bar / club (closed of course) - 1 fitness place - 1 corner restaurant / grill - 1 gas station - 1 spa / whirlpool seller - 1 paint and siding store - 1 dessert place called Fruitoca - 1 mexican food place (can't remember the name) - 1 subway - 1 Home Depot - 1 Arbies - 1 Auto repair place - 2 Oil change places - 1 car wash - 1 Restaurant called the Aspen which I want to check out more. They have a pair of actual ski lifts as swings by the entrance that I sat and rocked on for a few minutes.
None of these were open, as around this time it was around 3 am.
Still some cars on the road, not many though, and the city lights made it hard to get a good look at the stars. I did get to some darker areas where I could look up and see the stars a bit better.
It is always the best part of walks when you can take your time and look at things you never get a chance to during the day. Uninhibited by the rush, and by people - taking the time to stroll around while plugged into some good music.
Walking back I decided to walk around the lighthouse that is near the entrance to the apartments. I have always passed it by, remarking about how the grass was not really cut, but never taking the time like I did during my walk to walk through and check the area out. It was quite pleasant actually, with paths that went around the lighthouse (not an actual just a small fake version of it with a light on top) that had a couple of park benches which I sat on and watched the few cars drive by on the road nearby. The wooden bridge leading over it was well lit, but I kept thinking how cool it would be if they had the old style gas powered lights burning along the bridge for that special touch.
The walk back after the lighthouse was not really exciting, retracing my steps from when I first started coming back around the complex back to where I live.
All in all, I was gone for a good two hours, my legs, now almost 2 days later, have a bit of a charlie horse in the calves. I figure that is from walking on the uneven, clumps of grass along the road.
I use to walk all the time, and when I was younger I used to walk along the railroad tracks for miles.
Friday, April 13, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 4:36 PM
Watch out for black cats, avoid mirrors and ladders and, by all means, don't spill the salt.
Have you ever been extra careful around a mirror for fear of having seven years of bad luck; knocked on wood; been afraid not to pass-on a chain letter; not opened an umbrella indoors; God-blessed someone when they sneezed?
Do you have any superstitions yourself? Any unnatural or weird fears?
C'mon, we all do... So let's hear some of the interesting fears people have? After all, it is, Friday the 13th, and what a perfect day to talk about it.
Here are some interesting Superstitions:
ACORN An acorn should be carried to bring luck and ensure a long life. An acorn at the window will keep lightning out
AMBER Amber beads, worn as a necklace, can protect against illness or cure colds.
AMBULANCE Seeing an ambulance is very unlucky unless you pinch your nose or hold your breath until you see a black or a brown dog.
Touch your toes Touch your nose Never go in one of those Until you see a dog.
APPLE Think of five or six names of boys or girls you might marry, As you twist the stem of an apple, recite the names until the stem comes off. You will marry the person whose name you were saying when the stem fell off.
An apple a day Keeps the doctor away.
If you cut an apple in half and count how many seeds are inside, you will also know how many children you will have.
BABY To predict the sex of a baby: Suspend a wedding band held by a piece of thread over the palm of the pregnant girl. If the ring swings in an oval or circular motion the baby will be a girl. If the ring swings in a straight line the baby will be a boy.
BED It's bad luck to put a hat on a bed. If you make a bedspread, or a quilt, be sure to finish it or marriage will never come to you Placing a bed facing north and south brings misfortune. You must get out of bed on the same side that you get in or you will have bad luck. When making the bed, don't interrupt your work, or you will spend a restless night in it.
BEE If a bee enters your home, it's a sign that you will soon have a visitor. If you kill the bee, you will have bad luck, or the visitor will be unpleasant.
A swarm of bees settling on a roof is an omen that the house will burn down.
BIRTH Monday's child is fair of face; Tuesday's child is full of grace; Wednesday's child is full of woe; Thursday's child has far to go; Friday's child is loving and giving; Saturday's child works hard for a living. But the child that is born on the Sabbath day is fair and wise, good and gay.
CIGARETTES It is bad luck to light three cigarettes with the same match.
DANDELION Pick a dandelion that has gone to seed. Take a deep breath and blow the seeds into the wind. Count the seeds that remain on the stem. That is the number of children you will have.
EARS If your right ear itches, someone is speaking well of you. If your left ear itches, someone is speaking ill of you.
[What if your forehead itches? lol - sanitybreak]
FOOT If the bottom of your right foot itches, you are going to take a trip.
HAIR Pulling out a gray or white hair will cause ten more to grow in its place.
[Having kids can do the same thing! - sanitybreak]
KNITTING It's bad luck to leave a project unfinished. The intended recepient will get bad luck from the unfinished item.
Stabbing your needles though your yarn balls brings bad luck to anyone who wears something made from that yarn.
Don't knit a pair of socks for your boyfriend or he'll walk away from you.
If you knit one of your own hairs into a garment, it will bind the recipient to you.
Knitting for children you may have in the future, but before you are pregnant, is bad luck (it may prevent one from getting pregnant, or bring ill health to the baby).
SNEEZE Place a hand in front of your mouth when sneezing. Your soul may escape otherwise.
The devil can enter your body when you sneeze. Having someone say, "God bless you," drives the devil away.
If you sneeze on a Monday, you sneeze for danger; Sneeze on a Tuesday, kiss a stranger; Sneeze on a Wednesday, sneeze for a letter; Sneeze on a Thursday, something better; Sneeze on a Friday, sneeze for sorrow; Sneeze on a Saturday, see your sweetheart tomorrow. Sneeze on a Sunday, and the devil will have domination over you all week.
One for sorrow Two for joy Three for a letter Four for a boy. Five for silver Six for gold Seven for a secret, never to be told
[So what about people with allergies that sneeze all the time, and everyday?]
[Also is that per sneeze? If I sneeze 5 times on Wednesday, does that mean I get 5 letters? or sneeze 5 times on Tuesday and kiss 5 strangers? lol - sanitybreak]
One thing I noticed there is alot of danger and deaths in Superstitions.
For additional Superstitions on Dreams, you can read HERE.
As the wife laid down to get a break from the kids when I got home from work yesterday, I sat and played with the kids.
The kids have this thing about tearing apart our couch - throwing the cushions on the floor and jumping on the springs underneath, and jumping off the couch to the cushions on the floor.
[sighs]
Well, they are starting to put holes where the springs are....
Anyways, as I was saying, sat there playing with the kids. They had already torn apart the couch and were playing on the cushions, and when they had done that I was just trying to eat dinner - so some battles are better just not fought, especially when you have a mouthful of Taco Bell Steak Chalupa.
I taught my son how to do somersaults today.
When the cushions were on the floor, Drama Queen set up the cushions like a ramp from the couch to the floor and started rolling down them.
Drama Queen used to be in gymnastics, so she loves to tumble around.
Comedian was having fun, flopping on the cushions when I had him stand on the couch before the ramped cushion, tuck his head into the cuchion and push off with his legs.....and down he somersaulted!
Within a minute he was trying to do it by himself on flat surfaces (the carpeted floor), tucking his head and pushing off to flip over. He would halfway make it, flipping sideways.
He was having a grand time finding something new he could do and Drama Queen was pleased as punch seeing he could do something she could and was saying, "watch me, watch me now".
Ungh, but what a fight I had when it was time to clean up and put the cushions back on the couch......
This was the music for the DareDevil movie, but it has such potential.
It is one of the few songs that can bring such a fantastic reaction from me, half way through it is when the feeling of being supercharged becomes greatest.
I don't know how to describe the feeling...
Picture yourself as Superman, in the original, when he finds Lois dead from the landslide - that feeling of that energy about to be let loose when he screams to the heavens and takes off turning back time itself.
That of course is a different feeling of sorts, but the I am talking about the release, the power of doing the impossible - going beyond anything and everything.
Tuesday, April 10, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 2:38 AM
What keeps Sanity sane?
I have been a loner most of my life.
Music was my only escape and anyone who would watch me would swear I had a pair of headphones permanently growing out of my head. Now it's a coffee cup attached to my hand...but I digress...
Music has always been a strong controller of my emotions. When I needed that surge, that 'quickening', that foot-tapping, happy smile on the face feeling...I could always get it by listening to music.
I could also get the reverse effect if I wanted, sending myself plummeting into a solitude, me against the world feeling. I miss that at times.
Well, it is a long time away from high school, and the days of me wandering around with headphones. I still listen to a wide variety of music, but nothing where I am jacked in, headphones on, and music turned up....
Until tonight....
And a blast from the past thumped in my ears, my foot hammered the floor tapping out the rhythm, a lop-sided smile graced my face as I remembered the feelings I could get by jacking in with music I truly enjoyed, that could rev me up better than coffee.
Welcome to what I am listening to as I type this up....
Tuesday, April 03, 2007
Posted by Break from Sanity @ 10:22 AM
April 04, 2007 4:45EST UPDATE:
I deleted the previous "Rent My Blog" and started it again, just incase the Blog Explosion server move some how hosed the ability to accept open bids for rental.
Unfortunately, the same problem occurred - so it looks like I am still unable to accept any bidders till Blog Explosion gets this fixed.
Blog Explosion ticket has been opened to make Blog Explosion aware of the problem, the steps I took dealing with it, and the error received when trying to accept bidders.
I have tried all day to try and accept bidders with no success, each time timing out with the error I reported below.
At this time, I am unable to accept any bids for rental for my blog until Blog explosion clears up (fixes) the problem.
My apologies to those that bid on renting here.
I got a late start, but when I went to decide, Blog Explosion was down for maintenance. I believe they were moving to another server.
Unfortunately, they were down for a few hours for a move to a different server - at least that was my guess, because I got tired of waiting and went to bed.
This morning when I awoke, and logged in, Blog Explosion was back up but unfortunately several of you who bid were expired by then. Again, I apologize for that, but I was delayed in choosing with the server move BE was going through.
At this time there still are several of you who are still up from bidding on renting here, and I still cannot choose. Oh, it's not for a lack of wanting a renter, I decided and tried to accept, but whatever is going on at Blog Explosion due to the server move seems to have screwed up accepting renters it seems. I go to accept and it continuously times out and then comes up with an error.
I will be contacting Blog Explosion support to see if I can get this rectified, and if I have no satisfactory timeframe, I may restart the bids for renting - one to be fair to those that it expired on and two there may be a problem since the renting was started on one server and moved to another, so this may actually be part of the problem.
