NASCAR is back!!!

NASCAR is back let’s celebrate by making it … interesting and helping a good cause.

Today is the official start of the 2015 NASCAR season. When Jeff Gordon, the pole sitter, leads the drivers to the start finish line it will kick off the new season which will end with a new champion crowned in November. That’s 36 official races spread out over 10 months with a kabillion variables affecting each outcome. The start of the Daytona 500 also marks the start of Jeff Gordon’s LAST full season driving a racecar. 

I’ve been a Jeff Gordon fan since his Sprint Car days. I lived for Open Wheel Wednesday’s on ESPN. To watch a man whip a car into a full turn completely sideways and come out of it straight always impressed me. The first time I watched I was pretty sure the driver was about to crash, it fascinated me when they didn’t. I still enjoy watching Sprint Cars, but my love is Stock Cars. Indy cars seem fragile to me, Trucks seem too boxy, and the Nationwide series seems like watching the kids play ball. It’s fun and entertaining, but it’s more fun when they get to the big show on Sunday.

 

Last year my dad and I were at Daytona for the 500 and it was quite a show, with a long rain delay in the middle of it causing it to end at night. It’s true what they say there is NOTHING like Daytona at night. I’m glad I got to experience it. I’ve always associated racing with my dad. We’ve been to Talladega (in the infield and in the stands), visited Darlington (a personal favorite of mine) and of course been to Daytona. We’ve also visited the various shops in Charlotte, and dad’s even done the Richard Petty Ride Along in Charlotte. We are planning our next trip just haven't decided which track to visit next.

To people like Golden that just “don’t get it” I say there is nothing like watching a team battle a stock car all day long and come out with a decent finish with a car that looks like it’s been in a demolition derby all day long. They never give up, each point, each position on the track is too important to the year-end standings as well as the dollar amount on their paycheck at the end of the day.  

My buddy Larry has had a Jeff Gordon dedicated website since 1998. When there were only a few of us it focused on the young driver and his antics on the track. As his popularity grew the site changed and Jeff Gordonline was born. It was your one stop shop for all things Jeff Gordon, Hendrick Motorsports, and the 24 team. When Jeff’s crew chief at the time, Ray Evernham’s son was diagnosed with Leukemia the 24 team decided to join up with the National Marrow Donor Foundation to raise awareness. When Jeff’s car owner Rick Hendrick was also diagnosed with Leukemia the focus grew brighter.

As Jeff’s career expanded so did his knowledge of pediatric issues and ways he could help. He started the Jeff Gordon Children’s Foundation in the hopes that “there will be a day when no child will face the uncertainty of cancer, and that successful treatments will not result in negative, long-term effects”.

Larry too has taken up the pediatric cancer cause and used his Jeff Gordon website to truly make a difference while also posting NASCAR news. While Jeff is inspired by the children he meets at the track, during Make-A-Wish visits, or through hospital visits, Larry’s biggest inspiration has come from Jackson Panzarello. He was 10 years old when he passed away in 2012 after diagnosis of glioblastoma -- an aggressive brain cancer.

As Larry’s fundraiser site reports “7 children will die every weekday from cancer. 20% of children diagnosed will not survive and for the 80% that do there will be long-tern health complications” due to treatment. Since 2011 Larry alone has raised over $100,000 to fight pediatric Cancer. Amazing when you think it’s really just one man, behind a keyboard, putting in the effort to bring awareness of this cause to his readers and those readers reach into their wallet to support him. He does this through raffles, and Kick It events that he posts online via his facebook page or his website. He has a twitter account @JGInfo too but it’s the facebook page that connects him the most with his “teammates.”

Several times a year I donate to Larry’s fundraising page. This year I’ve decided to make my donation a little more … interesting. Instead of a random amount of my choice to celebrate Larry's birthday or to try and push him over a fundraising goal, I’m going to try and show that large or small the donation makes a difference at the end of the day.

As stated there are 36 official races this year, there are some non-point races peppered throughout but I’m focusing on “official” races for this because the non-point races seem to be more spontaneous as guys try things they wouldn’t normally. So for this experiment I’m going with official races.

I have decided that a win by Jeff Gordon is worth $24. If he starts on the pole I’ll add $5 to that total. Anything less than a win will dictate the amount I’ll donate that week. So if Jeff finishes say 8^th in a race that he started on the pole I’ll put $13 bucks in a pot. If he were to win the same race he’d get $29 bucks. So really this experiment comes down to how Jeff does on the track.

So Jeff tighten up those belts, and LET’S GO RACING!!!!! Let's make this last season a great one and raise some money for a fantastic cause!!

Also if anyone is looking for a charity to support I’d definitely encourage you to check out  Larry’s fundraising page. You won’t find a more dedicated man who is literally doing everything he can so that another parent doesn’t have to be devastated by the word cancer. The sad truth is that while Jackson’s fight is now over another 10 year old’s fight is just beginning.

Fight on!

Marcy (@beaslma)

Giving Back and Learning from the Past

So Golden is kicking Lent’s butt and doing all kinds of awesome for other people. I’m crazy proud of her. She’s always been a super awesome person that does very thoughtful amazing things for other people. Like when we went to DragonCon she not only did her “Geek Drops” which were themed back of geeky fun for random people to find she also made a personalized bag for the people in our crew. Each bag had something that would make the DragonCon experience more fun. She loved watching us go through our bags and be all excited about this or that and truly had as much fun watching us as we did going through the bags. That’s the kind of person she is. She’d literally give you the shirt off her back, unless it’s her Goonies Never Die shirt cause well that’s just you being selfish trying to take her stuff at that point.
 

While I’m not actively participating in Lent on in 40 Acts I did spend my day helping out at the church for what we call Safe Haven. Basically several churches in our area take a Saturday and host a group of homeless ladies who can’t stay at the facility they sleep in during the day. For most of the week these ladies have jobs or other activities during the day but during the weekend many of them had no where to go and would end up just “hanging out” downtown. During this downtime some of them would get into trouble or encounter other problems. These ladies literally travel with everything they own so safety was definitely a problem for them as they wandered around downtown. So several churches in the area were contacted so that if each church took a Saturday once every 3 or 4 months then these ladies would have somewhere safe to go. Today was our day.

Many of these ladies just want a safe place to sleep, others want someone to talk to, and the rest are happy just to not be outside, especially when it’s cold or on the other side of that table crazy hot as summers in the South can sometimes be. They arrive around 7:30, and then have breakfast, a devotional, then we play bingo (where they win prizes (jewelry mostly)), visit the boutique (a room where they visit and pick clothing of their choice donated or bought by the congregation), then we have quiet time until lunch. This is usually my favorite time cause we get to sit around and really talk to the ladies and learn about them, their situation, and it always amazes me that they are really the happiest, smartest, and aware ladies you’ll ever meet.

After lunch they have a bible study led by one of the leaders of our church, sometimes our pastor, other times a Sunday school teacher. Then usually they join our choir director for some music, which seems to be their favorite part (except for the Bingo), then they watch a movie or two for the afternoon. Often times they will read instead of watching the movie, especially if it’s a movie they aren’t interested in.

They usually leave around 4:30 or 5 depending on when the bus comes and picks them up. These ladies give everyone a hug, and thank us for our time. It’s fascinating to me how upbeat and happy they are and how positive they are about life. Yes there are a couple that definitely don’t fit that description but the majority of them definitely do. It also fascinates me to realize that a lot of them are not much older than me, which also kind of freaks me out.

I’m glad the churches in our area do this and I’m even more grateful that I was asked to participate. It really makes you think that yeah it sucks that you don’t get to go to lunch some days, but at least you get a good dinner that night. It really puts your little problems in perspective but none of these ladies want your pitty they really want you to learn from their experiences. Lord knows I have been a good student.

Marcy

Lessons of a fangirl

I am a total Bizzaro, but I find it super weird that I am not an isolated incident. My parental units produced for me a younger brother, I'm not really sure why either but still it's happened and it produced two pretty awesome nieces so it's ok. Even though my brother and I share similar traits we are polar opposites! It has always fascinated me that he and I were raised in the same house, by the same parents, went to the same schools, had a lot of the same teachers, being only 3 years apart we even had friends in the same circles.

So how did we become such a study in black and white? What molded me into such a special fucking snowflake? 

We were allowed a lot if the same experiences but it's the way we respond to our experiences that began our different paths. Most of our responses are ingrained in us based on our teachings, likes, and our interests. And there lies our big differences. At some point mine and my brothers interests diverged and I....I took the fangirl path less traveled by, and that has made all the difference. (My apologies to Robert Frost). So while Ray (My brother who does have a name you know) chose normal more traditional interests, I fell into the fangirl life.
 

I fangirl most over tv shows, books, and movies, and when you submerge yourself in a lifestyle you take with you a few lessons along the way. What are some of them? Oh I'm so glad you asked I happen to have a list right here ....

§   Psych (tv show) taught me that having at least one really great friend can get you through anything

§   Doctor Who (tv show) taught me that it doesn't matter where you go, or when you go, or even sometimes who you go with, but that there is always an adventure to be had if you're willing to find it.

§   Scooby Doo (tv show) taught me that the only real monsters out there are people out for themselves, usually hiding behind costumes....working at carnivals

§   Horror movies (movies) taught me that sex kills. That running upstairs to hide gets you killed. That running into the basement gets you killed. Taking heels on a camping trip gets you killed. Having big tits and good hair gets you killed. Essentially just stop what you're doing, look around and realize only 1 of you is going to live.

§   Harry Potter (Book Series) taught me that no matter how unimportant we feel, we are always the heroes of our own stories

§   Shakespeare (Literature) taught me that it's a tragedy when everyone dies and young love never lasts, but that men dressed as women are always funny.

§   Star Wars (movies) taught me that you always need a good copilot when you travel. And even if nobody else understands, your best friend always knows what your saying. (C3PO & R2D2/Han & Chewie)

§   Kung fu movies (movies) taught me that with enough training, no matter how small you are, right will win over might.

§   Marvel (Comics and movies) taught me that even heroes can have a dark side and every villain has the potential to be heroic.

§   1970s Blaxploitation movies (movies) taught me to damn the man and fight the power!

§   Godzilla movies (movies) taught me that even though people may not like you because your ugly, loud and constantly tearing shit up, you just keep on being you and maintain the earthly balance. Also try not to stomp on too many villagers in the process.

§   Quentin Tarantino films (movies) taught me that it is impossible to overuse the word "fuck".

§   The Muppets (tv show and movies) taught me that although we may all be bizzare and we all have our own kinks (A pig and a frog? Gonzo and his seduction of chickens?), we can all come together with a semi famous guest star to create a beautiful song and dance!

§   Zombie (movies and tv shows) have taught me that some are fast and some are slow (I prefer the slow) but that usually trying to hold up in a mall never works.

§   Calvin & Hobbes (Comic books) taught me that to give a voice to the voiceless improves each and everyday. And that you should never get between a stuffed tiger and a can of tuna.

Ok..... So some of these lessons I've learned are practical some are not, I admit that. But knowing what I do, I could probably kung fu my way through a zombie apocalypse better than my brother and that makes me the better sibling. So I win. And in the end, kicking my little brothers ass is what matters.

Golden (@theonlygolden) 

40 ACTS

Yesterday I reminded you that your Lent is Due! Today I wanted to share that while I'm observing Lent this year I'm also signed up to participate in the "40 Acts" movement.

40acts is a British movement and isn't as well known here in the states but with each passing year it becomes more popular. They use the 40 days of Lent to focus on the religious principle of giving to others from a Christian perspective. 40 days of giving back, doing good, and living generously.

 

Whether you are religious or not, the program adapts easily for people of all faiths to join in. I came across it last year but just observed, feeling that it was too late to join in. This year, I'm no longer just an observer but also an active participant.

I have adapted the original program to fit my desires. To me, giving isn't just a religious or Christian principal, but should be something that we all strive do. This is why I am doing 40acts, 40 days to focus on random acts of kindness and generosity while expecting nothing in return. Putting that posi juju out into the universe can only lead to good things. Maybe by doing one good thing for someone, it will lead to them passing the goodness along and they, in turn, will do good for someone else, who may do the same, ad infinitum. That has to have a major impact on the world around us.

It doesn't take much. You give as much as you can afford and this year 40 acts has amended itself to different levels in order to allow anybody and everybody to join in. You don't have to be wealthy to give of yourself. You can choose the easiest of the three daily options or you can take the spirit of generosity and make it work for you and your situation. Even something that may appear small to you, could be a huge blessing to someone else.

"Give what you have. To someone, it may be better than you dare to think."

- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow

So join in this year. Even if you don't meet the challenge every day, think of how much good you can put out into the universe.

You can sign up on the website

http://www.40acts.org.uk
 
You can also participate on Twitter at @40acts as well as by using the hashtag #40acts

They also have a facebook page for those of you facebookers https://www.facebook.com/40acts


to learn more check out this video :

I will also be posting periodically on the #SayWhatMG blog and on my personal Twitter account @theonlygolden.

Let me know if you decide to take the challenge and join the movement. Making the world a better place is never easy but we have to start somewhere.

Good luck and posi juju to you all. 

Golden (@theonlygolden)

Lents Due

It's time for Lent.

I've been trying to decide what to give up for the next 40 days. I've had some suggestions, but none of them hit a chord. One year I gave up cussing and that was fucking bullshit. I've given up meat in the past but I want to give up something different … something that I never have given up before, you know … actually make a sacrifice, since that’s the point. Most people have suggested Diet Coke.... That is NOT an option. I will not give up my sweet dark mistress, Diet Coke. Plus none of the people who have reoccurring roles in the production of my life, really want to have to endure me without my Diet Coke drug.

I've had some people suggest that I give up Twatter for Lent.... To you people, just know I'm side eyeing your asses really fucking hard. I'm not giving up twatter. I mean I totally could if I wanted to, but like.... I just don't want to. Twatter is where I go for cheap therapy. It makes me laugh (sometimes at others) and feel good about myself (because others are way too much to function, sometimes).

So we’ve determined … I'm not giving up cussing, meat, diet coke, or twatter. So what then?

Most people sacrifice during Lent as a faithful show to the sacrifices made by Jesus. Many of the faithful decide that to fast or give up certain types of “luxuries” is a form of penitence. I was raised religiously but don't, as of now, consider myself a religious person. I do consider myself a spiritual person and so for me, Lent has taken on a different value. I guess I observe it as a habit but also I utilize it as a personal cleansing.

So going along those lines I have an unusual Lenten sacrifice. This year I am giving up and sacrificing my Meh. Yes, I admit that sounds a bit ambiguous and so it becomes easy to fuck around. But I have a bad habit of Meh-ing around lately. My body is constantly hurting, so I focus on it to the point of meds, injections, doctor appointments, and other physical requirements. These are all very important but when it comes to other things that are beneficial to me I always Meh them off, choosing to indulge in an easy lifestyle.

I used to be active but now I Meh it off. I'm not big into hair & makeup considering it less important to me than physical health, I Meh-ed it off. My doctors are always mad as hell that I only eat once a day, because it fucks up my metabolism, but I'm not hungry so I Meh them off. All these things seem silly I'm sure but sometimes these things affect our physical and emotional health in ways we don't realize. Although this wouldn't be a challenge to most of you, I'm sure you are all probably laughing at me, but when you suffer from chronic illness and pain these things will be more of a challenge than you realize.

So this year for Lent, which begins on Feb. 18th and ends on April 4th, I am choosing to be healthier and better myself by giving up my power of Meh for the next 40 days. Who knows, hopefully some of these things will stick and I will carry them with me past the 40 days of Lent. Plus maybe by sacrificing my Meh it will help me get in shape for the upcoming zombie apocalypse that we all know is just around the corner.

golden (@theonlygolden)

Connections - Fiction piece

So …um… it’s been a while. My bad. I didn’t mean to be gone so long it just .. kinda happened. Not cause I was off having fun mind you more cause I was well tired of a computer. Like physical act of looking at a screen or touching a keyboard made me want to vomit, which is not good for computer devices. I think I’m better now … we’ll see if I get through this post sans vomit. Wow this post is going so well if anyone is still reading…thank you I promise it will get better.

I’ve been rattling around in my head a story that I started a few weeks ago after a dream (see post “Dreams, Music,and the Royal family … a fun combination …” I keep wondering what would have happened next had I not been woken up by my evil alarm clock. However every time I start to write it I feel … odd. I don’t know Shannon or Ryan and I certainly don't know any of the Royal family, heck I've never even shown a big interest in the comings and goings of the Royal family. It seems weird to be writing about “real” people. I’ve always felt weird about “fan fiction” cause it implies I know more about these people than I do. It’s one thing when I’m writing about characters I’ve created and can literally do anything I want with them, but these are real people, with real feelings, who might one day find this post and either hate me or love me, and since I love them so much the idea of their “hate” makes me sad and gives me writer’s block.

So … Shannon, Ryan, Harry, Katherine, all of you mentioned below, please forgive me but I have to get this out of my head so I can once again think like a semi normal person, what’s sad is I see this as a four part piece, however before I get ahead of myself let’s see how this one goes before I start talking about a third one let alone a forth one.

The sequel to Dreams, Music, and the Royal family … a fun combination …

"Connections"

Prince Phillip walked into the sitting room at Bukcingham Palace and is surprised to find Prince Harry with his back to him. “Oh Harry so good to see you!” Harry continues to stare ahead unresponsive. “Harry?” It’s very unlike the Prince to completely ignore someone. As Phillip gets closer he notices that Harry is wearing headphones and holding his electronic device that Phillip notices Harry spends a lot of time with. He sits in a nearby chair and once again addresses the Prince. No response. Playfully Phillip kicks out at the chair then laughs as Harry almost falls out of it.

“You scared me sir!” Harry yells across the room, louder than he would have if his ear buds would be at a normal volume.

“I wouldn’t have if you’d take those blasted things out of your ears!” Phillip replies pointing to the side of his head. "I swear you'll go deaf!"

“My bad, I was watching a video. I’m waiting on Will. Since George came along the always punctual one is always late!” then he grins to himself, “Who knew I’d turn out to be the reliable one around here.”

Phillip grins, “What were you listening to?” Knowing better than to remind the young Prince how many times William sat in the same chair far less patient waiting on Harry.

“Oh, Haley and Michaels posted another video online. This time it’s a cover of a song called “You’ve Got a Friend” I can’t get their voice out of my head. They blend perfectly together.”

“Ah yes I too like to listen to the album that Katherine bought me, Lights is my personal favorite.” Then he looks over to the door to see if anyone was listening, “have you called them yet?”

Harry sighs and slumps down in the chair, “No, I’m not sure what to say. We haven’t really finalized anything for the benefit yet, like dates or anything, so what do I say, ‘hey guys I love your music want to commit to a benefit happening sometime possibly in London, but we aren’t sure when, where, or how yet.!?’ That seems amateurish. I would like to have more details for them so it doesn’t come off as one of their friends playing a trick on them.”

William started to walk into the room, Phillip stood up patted Harry on the shoulder, “Then get to work!” and walked out the way William came in.

William took the seat left by Phillip, “What was that about?”

Harry looked up, “oh nothing we were talking about the benefit”

Looking at his tablet, “Still haven’t figured out how to call them yet huh?! Pathetic.” As he stood up to leave for their charity engagement, “Let’s go we’ll be late!”

-----

That afternoon Harry and William arrive back at the Palace to get ready for an early dinner engagement. As they started up the stairs to change they heard the squeal of a young voice and a tired mommy, “George get back here!” Harry smiled as William took the stairs three at a time.

Harry rounded the corner to see a disheveled Kate standing over George keeping William at bay. “No he’s going to listen to me, now George get up and come back to your room, NOW!” seeing he was beaten George sat up, looked towards his father who shook his head and then saw Harry. “HARRY!”

“No not Harry, you can’t play with Harry until you go to your room and pick up your toys and get ready for dinner! Now go!”

“Sorry buddy” Harry waved “see you soon!” as he turned his back on this and headed to get ready. He saw Kate send him a grateful smile as he turned to walk away. Some days I’m glad I’ve not done that yet, he thinks as he unlocks his room, then thinks of George falling asleep in his lap after a book and remembers it isn’t always bad.

That evening before the state dinner hosted by the Queen, Harry finds himself standing with Kate as they waited in the receiving room waiting on the Queen and Phillip to arrive, “William says you still haven’t contacted Haley and Michaels. It’s not like you to be shy!” Kate turns to look her brother-in-law in the eyes, “What’s up?!”

“Details Duchess…details.” He watches her squirm a little at the use of her formal title, one she’s never quite gotten used to. “It’s difficult to sign a group to a commitment when frankly there’s nothing to commit to yet. As chairs of this event I was hoping we could tentatively come up with a date tonight.”

She stood there for a moment thinking as William called her over to meet someone, she nodded to him and walked away. Harry was struck by how much his Sister-in-Law and brother had grown into quite the picture of a Royal Couple. She supported him when necessary, but could also hold her own in any room. Mom would have been proud he thought and not for the first time.

That evening at dinner Harry makes a point of sitting next to Kate. Typically at a dinner like this they all divide and conquer the room so each guest gets what Harry calls the “Royal treatment” but tonight he’s got business to discuss with Kate.

As the first course is sat in front of them and the chatter around the table picks up, Kate turns to Harry, “May, I’m thinking May before it gets too hot or the weather starts turning on us. Obviously not this May, because that’s just crazy as I'm not going to be able to help much with the new baby coming, but next May. That gives us a year to really promote the benefit, get some sponsors, and sign up as many artist as we can. I think we need to include people on the stage as well as people around the grounds, like painters. Some of the kids that we meet on a daily basis can be showcased and really make it about the children who will be helped by this benefit. I also think that the stage should be shared with amateur artist as well as established artist and every group in between. A mixture will get a variety of people on board and interested.” She paused as she ate her salad. “Harry?” after he said nothing.

He was just starring at her, “May….yeah ok.”

“Now call them get them as the first group signed to the benefit I can’t imagine they will tell you no.” He doesn’t respond, “Harry…you do know how to contact them right?”

He looks at her shrugs his shoulder, “Not really” wishing that he didn’t blush so easily.

Kate pulls out her phone, under the table, pulls up their website and sends it to Harry as a text that says “start here silly!” Then goes back to enjoying her dinner and talking to the guest to her other side.

The next day Harry started with the “contact us” portion of the website and started typing up the e-mail. It was a short e-mail for the time he spent on it. He wanted it to be right, not too creepy but also not very fanish.  He wanted to sound professional. He read it one last time and hit send feeling that a weight was lifted from his shoulders, as Kate said he’s not usually this uptight about things. He heard the now familiar squeal from down the hall and went to play with his nephew the one person who never turns him down.

------------

So there it is, this one took on a life of it’s own and ended up being different than what was in my head when I started writing but decided to run with it and let the words fall where they will.

BTW that song mentioned by Harry that Haley and Michaels posted , "You’ve got a friend" is real and can be found on their Facebook page it's fantastic. 

 

Haley and Michaels Facebook Page

 

Check em out guys this group is ah-mazing! :D

Marcy

POWER OF NINE

"What are we going to do with her." That is the question that I asked. “I'm a dog person but my little house is full. To quote that dude in that book, ‘There is no room at the inn.’ LuLu is a total attention whore not to mention she has a serious cocaine problem and gets pretty paranoid about the cat we do have. So who is going to take her?”

The answer I was given is that "She" would take it home ....and shoot it in the head (I know I have a tendency to be a bit dramatic, but this is not a joke). Now who is this she you may ask … well that is none of you bizness, should they find this blog then they will know it’s them, you on the other hand can call her Stephanie if you simply MUST give “She” a name.

It was around this point in the conversation that I lost all of my professionalism and questioned very elegantly "What in the fuck is wrong with you people". Out of the four people in this discussion (including myself and “Stephanie”) I was by far the most disturbed by her response. I know this is the south and people love their firearms but …. Really?! The reason for such violence was simply “She hated cats, we aren't permitted pets on the facility grounds and "She" was tired of dealing with it (AKA the problem) and "She" considered the cat an IT. In her mind the “winning point” "IT is just a cat, cats don't have souls."

I fuck you not. This is a conversation I had with grown ass people!

I wish I could tell you that "She" wasn't serious but this isn't the first time "She" and I have entered into this debate.

There are a few things that Golden learned as a little "G". Things that have been ingrained so deep, that I can't tell you why they are, they just simply are. Nine things that, as little Golden powered up into current Golden, keep repeating and reappearing like glitches in the matrix.

My power of nine list includes:

1. Everything is as it should be.
2. Life isn't fair.
3. Take elements of childhood and make it last an eternity, including the childlike belief in miracles.
4. We are all connected.
5. Be true to you. Even when it's hard. There has not been, nor will there ever be, another you.
6. Never stop learning. Learn everyday.
7. Breathe.
8. Laugh hard, Laugh often and always be the first person to laugh at yourself.
9. Harm none because at some point, some how, everybody has to answer for their actions.

I know these seem like dull principles. My list of family advice is much more interesting, but that is a post for another day. But even dull as they are, I find that if I get stuck in life I can default back to these nine and they apply pretty damn well in just about all of the life situations I have encountered. Some of these rolled around in little G's head, formed by parents, friends, teachers, and just life experiences, like little pieces of goo crushed by life and time into chicken nuggets of wisdom.

Although born and raised in the south my family are oddities they don't southern as well as some. They don't NASCAR, they don't rock the camouflage, and they don't hunt. Growing up I never thought anything about mom not eating meat. And my dad buys all the deer feeders and food possible to draw the deer to their hippy-esque sanctuary so that they will be free to roam without fear of hunters. Seriously.

So I guess it was how I was raised to be respectful of all life. I don't know. I don't have a scientific answer as to whether anything or anybody has a soul. So do cats, or animals by proxy, have a soul? I feel that they have the breath of life in them, and for that, have as much a soul as any other lifeform, including myself. It may just be due to my nine nuggets that I think this and may not be true at all.
 

But because I believe so, much in my power of nine, and after much persuasion kitty was successfully re-homed and tonight continues to have its own power of nine. Nine lives.
Sorry....that was cheesy as fuck, but the rest of the post is pretty profound, don’t judge it on this cheddar cheese ending!

golden (@theonlygolden)

Interactions are necessary for sanity

Ugh I have decided LuLu has a problem. I've never seen a dog lick themselves clean like a cat, except for LuLu. It's very bizzaro, not to mention distracting. It's awfully hard to try and write a blog post with that weirdness going on. I blame that cat… cause frankly Lulu sees only us most days and I’m not licking myself clean except when I drip delicious dip on my arm but that’s more about not wanting to waste dip. Truth is, I wish I could blame LuLu for my lack of posting lately, but that's not her fault, again I blame the cat. Actually a few times Lulu crept up on me while I was doing productive activities, like snacking, sleeping, watching TV, or reading, and told me that I needed to quit bitching out and post already. Of course she was right. I definitely did, but it's still something I work on. I'm trying to get better at writing, although I don't know that I have been successful. But what I feel the weirdest about, is that I feel like I'm writing into the void. No one to respond or interact with.

This is not a conversation.

And I am still trying to adjust to that. I don't know if that makes sense to you guys, it didn't to LuLu. She said I was just being a punk bitch and needed to man the fuck up and quit leave Marcy hanging. Lulu says that Marcy is counting on me and while she might be right but Marcy’s cool. She’s not really posting much either. (Sometimes I worry how often LuLu pulls for other people.) So I posed the question to Lu of how to reconcile my situation. After much meditation and hours of barking at random passersby, she came to me with an idea. I'll try anything at least once, so let's see how it goes. Plus if it totally tanks, I can always blame the dog, who will then in turn blame the cat.

I have asked people, via social media and in real life social situations, to send me lists of random topics or questions. I have accumulated these topics but haven't yet looked at them and as I type this, I will respond to these with my gut reaction. LuLu thinks this way I am conversing with others in a kind of "word association game" type way thus reconciling my situation….. alright let's do this!

Note the first word is the “Word given” to me the second is My reaction to said word

Fun - Laughter

Cake - Is a Lie

 

Religion - Restraints

Facebook - Ugh! Nosy bitches.

Twitter - Entertaining, Worldwide

Books - Lifetime friends

Leisure - Desire for more!

Soldier - Frontline of change, protector of beliefs

Fate - Fluid Inevitability

Comfort - Happiness, Warmth

Banana - Always Take a Banana to a Party

Love -  The Absolute Ultimate

Porn - Pizza

Travel - New Experiences, New Flavors

TV - My Version of Gluttony

Smell - Ass

Computer - Work

Hero - Survivors

Desire - Pain

Procrastination - My Downfall

Rescue - Rangers

 

 

Fragile - That Must Be Italian!

Freedom - Pure Oneness

Well that was interesting. A bit harder than LuLu led me to believe it would be, but then again what does she know, she thinks she is part cat. As you were reading my post what kept popping into your head?!

Golden (@theonlygolden)