Zippity Do Da the End

The first movie I ever saw in the movie theater was Song of the South. It featured the song Zippity Do Da.

My mommy took me. I barely remember it that is how young I was. 5 years old or so. Still it was a delightful time. 

I think I only remember her taking me to one other movie event. It was Little Orphan Annie and Star Trek the Wrath of Khan!

Oh my that was a day. We watched them back to back in the theater so for some reason mom let me eat double the junk food.

I got sick the next day. Was there a connection? We might never know.

A trip down memory lane is a wonderful ending for a month full of blogging.

A to Z wrapping up along with the Ultimate Blogging Challenge.

I want to thank all those who stopped by, wave to all the commenters who left a note and take a deep bow towards all my followers old and especially the newbies!!!

Is Reality Really So Harsh

I guess I can answer my own question with a yes. Reality is a harsh place. It explains so much. 

My bold confrontational side is sticking out again. One would think having vision and insight would be comforting. It keeps away so much madness in terms of stinking thinking.

Yet when so many others are mired in so much negative self talk and just plain ignorance there is often a failure to communicate.

I had to remind myself that counselors spend time, a lot of time with their patients. In the safety of those relationship people come to terms with reality.

Somewhere there is a balance. What can I do to help people feel more at ease when I say things that they are not in a place to or ready to hear?

Perhaps nothing. The internet is such a public place. You talk to one person anyone else can listen in. It triggers their issues and bam off to the races.

Reminds me of some other people I know who just do not know how to take me. It appears hard for them to imagine someone so counter to their personality types and comfort zones.

The sad thing is they are, quote unquote professionals who I would just like to expect so much more from. 

I have had some interestingly disturbing conversations online in the past few days over a range of subjects in different places on the web with various people.

Off line I was telling one of my professors that some of us simply embrace the harsh realities of life. 

A mentor of mine said to me: I see in you a deep desire to seek out truth.

All I can say is amen to that. It reminds me that those on such quest are bound to be misunderstood. People like their ignorance is bliss comfort zones. 

Surprise Drop Biscuits

A conversation I was having else where on the web had me searching for a biscuit recipe. 

I have them but I wanted one that used yeast.

 

Turns out they mostly seem to used solid fat which I have all but given up.

I will have to experiment and see if butter will work.

Meanwhile I came upon another recipe that I also want to tweak.

 

I do not use Mayo, although the daughter I think likes it. We have Miracle Whip in the house currently due to her.

I have made chocolate cake with mayo before.

Biscuits with Miracle Whip should not be so weird.

4 Tablespoons Mayo

2 Cups whole milk

2 Cups self rising flour (soft wheat)

Combine all

Use folk to toss until moist. 

Drop by spoon onto greased cookie sheet

Bake 7-9 minutes at 450°F

Makes 24 small biscuits

These can be patted out and cut instead of dropped.

I think I like that idea better since I want them to look nice.

It will be great if I can get yummy biscuits with wheat flour. I am excited.

Yelling to Destress

When I was in high school I rode the bus for a few years. One of my neighbors was a fun gal and the two of us had a unique way of letting off steam after school. We would SCREAM or yell.

It was such a relief. Do you need a stress reliever? 

Can you get alone some place and just let out a nice loud noise? 

A bellow 

A scream 

A note 

A song 

Anything? 

There is something powerful about using your voice.

Clearing out the lungs is also beneficial. 

Having this release with a friend also gives you something to laugh about. I am not sure how other students and fellow bus riders felt about all the fun we were having making noise. 

We were never using words. It was not ranting or fussing. It was just opening your mouth, throwing back your head and exhaling using your voice box.

Glorious!!!

I am thinking the only place to maybe get away with this is the shower or the car with the windows up and maybe the radio  too.

These days unless I am fussing at my kid…I hardly raise my voice at all. 

I laugh a lot instead. You know it is either laugh or cry in some moments right?

Some people dance, bake, clean, exercise, drive, do sports etc. everybody needs an extreme release activity.

Project X

Has anyone seen this movie? I do not want to spoil it for you. At the same time anyone who is interested is probably not in it for some big surprise.

I think I can give you the high and low lights and still leave as much mystery as the trailers. 

As a movie I will give this a thumbs up or at least the so so thumb. 

As an over all plot it kinda left me feeling sad when it was over. If you see the movie and still want to talk about it or just don’t care we can discuss why in comments or something.

I went with my daughter and we did the drive ins a week or so ago. This means we saw it with another movie. 

Total teen night we saw it with the new 21 Jump Street. That movie was equally ridiculous and yet actually has redeeming qualities. Still trying to figure out how they took the old show and made this movie out of it…

I digress…

Project X has much of a classic premise. You have the unaccomplished, virginal, single, teen boy. You have the evil suck up best friend who pretends to be squeaky clean. Paging Eddie Haskell...

You have the parents going away for a weekend event. The teenagers are just going to throw a little party. No no not even that. They are just going to have a few friends over…

Except word gets out. Mr Squeaky Clean might have posted it on Facebook Craigs List and some other random very social, very public space. 

This would account for the adults at the party. I thought they were just there by random personal invite or maybe lost neighbors.

There is the gratuitous female nudity. There might be a streaking guy somewhere. So much goes on in this movie the details are fuzzy for me and I was not drinking while watching it.

Maybe it is because I am not the drinking type that the whole thing kind of loses steam after everyone is wasted and things start to get out of control. By this time however you want to see how it ends and if you did not you will!

Maybe this is a coming of age movie… back to that whole thumbs down. I guess they wanted to take the next leap after Ferris Bueller's Day Off and Risky Business.

I hope the security dweebs have not been traumatized for life.

It is almost the weekend. If you have not seen this movie and you have some free time and brain cells. Go for it. 

Maybe we are meeting new Hollywood heart throbs that will take us through the next few decades.

I will not be watching any of the American Pie or Hang Over movies so this was my guilty pleasure.

Finally Lose That Weight

Ok Folks there is just enough time between now and swim suit season to make some changes to your life and psyche if you are willing.

I have discussed before what I do:  

Eat high fiber, drink water, enjoy fruit, nosh on nuts. 

That is the basic.

My dieting problem if you will is actually under eating as well as the very typical north American problem of poor nutrition.

I have decided what would be helpful might be a stationary bike in my house. Then I could at least do cardio from home.  

I cannot afford to join a gym or take a class. I think I would like the one on one attention of a trainer.

It might also be nice to have a work out buddy. I have some Pilates DVD’s. I think I have watched one of them…

I live in a condo with stairs why isn’t that enough? UGH

What I am excited about is back side shaping. I never thought it was possible but if it is… 

Yes that would be interesting. No one that I don’t want to share it with is going to see if I give myself wash board abs.

Legs and arms can look too bulky but a cute little backside is a joy.

I have been enjoying in hit and miss fashion this season of the Biggest Loser. I love the premise of the show because weight loss is really that simple: 

Get off your duff. 

Eat nutrient rich foods. 

No stuffing. No starving.

One night when I tuned in a contestant said he had lost 134 lbs. That is a whole person. Ask me how I know.

The contestants do not need diet food, they do not get lap band surgery, they eat regular meals. They just learn to make different choices when dining. 

Equally important they do not sit around all day long. They have adventures and challenges.

I eat what I want but that includes portion control and I try to stay somewhat balanced.

Hydrate well 

Increase Protein, Calcium and Vitamin D

Nix Stress

Rest

Without adding activity it might take a long time to see any change depending on what body issues you are trying to tackle.

If you are only eating 1200 to 1500 calories a day you might be under eating. Your body will hold the food you do give it and ration out how it uses the energy from it.

If you are too stressed, dehydrated or failing to empty your bowels you are also in a metabolic holding pattern that will keep weight on and keep adding it.

Weight is a science but it is not rocket science. The help is there for you. Join our Facebook page or leave questions to get engaged with support.

VBlog To Go Viral

If I have a public fear it is videos and pictures. Ask me to speak to a live audience on the fly I am there front and center with bells on. 

Seek to take my picture and you will find me hiding or end up talking to the hand. So yes indeed perhaps I have issues.

Never the less, no one really needs 200+ pictures on Facebook and a profile icon change per week.

Where is the balance? 

Before we can find it our images can be blasted all over the globe. This is what we call going viral. 

 

When something you post or worse something you do in the normal scope of your life becomes whatever oodles of people are eager to talk about, Google and share.

For those who seek fame and those working on trying to amass a fortune through the internet this is usually seen as a godsend. 

Bad deeds also go viral but then it usually seems a person is not thinking about their image or how their actions might be viewed by a larger audience than their pride or wounded ego in the moment.

To capture the positive attention of the world at large it usually takes something cute or funny. Other times it is something kind of sweet that pulls on the heartstrings. 

For the bold among us the newest craze in the blog world is the video blog. Either in place of or in conjunction with the words and pictures we have gotten used to posting. 

I love the idea of video blogging. I am just not confident enough yet. I have a web cam but the couple of videos I have experimented have as usual been too dark. 

For those who really want to step into the world of YouTube fun for embarrassment or enlightenment, savvy users can hook an audio segment of theirs with pictures of themselves, or other things to engage their audience without having to feel totally over exposed.

I need some techy friends to help me get over that hump. For now I am content to be an observer only. 

There is the idea that uploading a personal glimpse into your life and the animations of your face bond and connect you with an audience.

My only caution would be “Video Killed the Radio Star.” If you are going to go live be prepared. Put a flower in your hair, pluck your nose hair etc. It is ok to go bare and show yourself relaxed. 

Just show people that you put some thought into connecting with them face to face. Props are nice, back ground and off camera noises matter. 

Preview and maybe have an honest friend look over a video before you share it with the world.

Do you recognize the three recent images that were all the craze and rage via social media? Let me know...hahahaha