Everybody Farts

Posted by random olio

Thank you, Kim, for posting this on Facebook. It made my day. Usually I will put a recap of the story or experience I am linking to, but for this one, I cannot do it justice, you just have to read the entire story. It is called: “The Fart that Almost Altered My Destiny.”

Not to be gross, but just like the book: “Everybody Poops” – everyone also farts. I had a similar experience with Chris when we were first dating, only maybe I did not find it as mortifying. I think I probably found it fairly funny. I found it funny because at the time we met (well and now too) I was at a point in my life where I was who I was and I was not embarrassed about it. So breaking that barrier at the beginning of our dating time was not anything that would worry me. I think if I remember correctly I figured if he wanted to run the other way, then maybe it was not meant to be.

I think that we should be completely and utterly raw, our absolute selves. Then those that love us see us for who we really are, without the make-up, or the put together outfit, or on our crankiest day. Sometimes this also means that they are capable of taking care of us when our bodily functions (from either end) do not obey us. I have had many situations when driving to the airport or other excursions where I yell: “Drive very, very fast!” He is used to it, he gets me, and he goes fast. That my friend, is what you call love.

My favorite line of her article was: “Well, thank you boobs. You saved us. You saved our destiny.” I guess you will have to read the above link to know what that means.

Happy Day to you!

Pubslush – A Writing Kickstarter Site

Posted by random olio

Pubslush – (love the name) for this Kickstarter type company – for writers. Here is a bit of background on Pubslush. It is a brilliant idea and if it is as successful as Kickstarter we will see lots of new published material. The idea is that a writer can post an excerpt of ten excerpt pages, a summary, and pitch of their work. Pubslush users can support the work, and if 1,000 users back the work, then Publslush will publish the book. For each book sold, one book is donated to kids worldwide who do not have access to books.

We see many authors who self-publish, but this is backed and financially supported by fans, or Pubslush enthusiasts who are intrigued and interested by the content of a book excerpt. AND a kid somewhere else in the world receives a book. A stellar idea. What will this mean for future writers and for publishers? I look forward to watching how it unfolds.

DailyCandy had the following to say about Pubslush:

“A novel idea that beats the fame game is Pubslush, a new Kickstarter-esque social publishing platform that lets people submit, endorse, and fund fiction and nonfiction works based on excerpts. Forget sappy confessionals: Next great American memoirs include Janna Leyde’s He Never Liked Cake, which tells her story of relearning to love her father after a traumatic brain injury changed his character, and Bethany Parks’s Flipping Chairs, a tale wrought with wry humor of time spent in Kenya and triumph over breast cancer. Tomes need 1,000 supporters to be published, and you get charged only if that goal is met. Embracing the one-for-one trend (a la Tomsand Warby Parker), Pubslush donates a book to a child in need for every one sold.

Bravo to that.”

This article from Mashable, titled: “Pubslush Is Like Kickstarter for Authors” explains that Pubslush guarantees an audience before a book is ever published. Much like what Seth Godin did and wrote about on his blog here. I love the Internet world of supporters to a creative idea. It creates opportunity to so many that may not have a way to be seen or found.

I best get started on the beginning of my book, and have Pubslush advocates decide if it is worthy of finishing.

It’s Not a “Teenage Dream”

Posted by random olio

When I met my husband, I was not interested in dating. I was hard-core into women’s rights, had been burned multiple times by guys, and just was not sure men could be trusted. After spending many months working with Chris, I began to soften. He was a good one. A keeper. He was genuinely caring, patient, and trust worthy. I gradually began to break down my barriers, or to paraphrase the words of Katy Perry: “my walls came down.”

I am often known in my family for singing the wrong lyrics in songs. The other day I heard “Teenage Dream” on the radio and remembered how much I liked these three lines. I had to Google them to make sure I was hearing them right:

“You think I’m pretty without any make-up on
You think I’m funny when I tell the punch line wrong
I know you get me, so I let my walls come down, down”

These lines are me to a T. I really dislike make-up. Maybe I got it out of my system when I was a kid. My grandma use to let me put on her blush, blue eyeshadow, and usually some gross colored coral lipstick. She would allow me to leave the house with it on, and never laughed at me. She just let me do it. I probably had no idea of how gaudy (her word) I looked. She just let me feel pretty and run our errands with me existing in my make-believe world. Fast forward to high school and college and when it was a normal time to wear make-up and I was not interested. Had I already done that and did not care anymore? Or was it watching my mom put on foundation to cover the sickness that showed on her skin? At the time, I thought make-up and foundation was a cover-up, it meant you were hiding something. Either way, I have not ever had much interest in make-up and always wanted to feel pretty (not sure by whose standards) without any make-up on.

Just as I sing the wrong lyrics in songs, my brain is often going to fast that I tell a punch line wrong. My husband loves it. Just as mentioned in my blog last week about making up my own words, he will often alert me that I got the punch line wrong on a joke. He always tells me while laughing (usually with me laughing along too), and reminds me later of the joke.

Can you see these lyrics in Katy Perry’s song resonate with me? Thank you, Chris, for “getting me” and bringing my walls down!

Learning To Say NO

Posted by random olio

I took a break for the Fourth of July. Slept in, sat out in the wonderfully warm sun (finally), went for a run and chilled with my hubby. Sorry folks, no fireworks shows for me. Just needed a nice quiet day yesterday. So now to the gist of my blog, saying: “NO.”

Are you good at saying “NO” when you need to? I am not. I grew up as a pleaser, and am trying to unlearn these behaviors. I think I now know why I am such a pleaser.

When I was 10 or so, my mom was sick. Life at home was not so fun. My parents fought a lot, eventually ending in my dad leaving, they separated and later divorced. I think I felt there was enough going on at home, that if I caused problems or was dramatic, that I would only make an already crazy and intense environment even worse. So I just tried to be good all the time, and I turned into a pleaser. For the most part I was the good daughter and granddaughter. That trickled into school, eventually to high school, college, and then the business world.

While I believe I found my voice in college, I still find it hard to say “No.” Maybe it is because I do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings, maybe it is because I try to do everything, and maybe it is because I do not want others to think I am not capable. Whatever the given reason, it is time for me to learn to say “No” without hesitation.

This Daily Om from last week inspired me to think about saying “No.” As mentioned in the article, we often have abilities that have been underused. My “No” mechanism has been underused. I need to say “No” to set better boundaries for myself and not feel guilty about it!

How did you learn to say “No?” Is it easy for you?

Do You Ever Make Up Your Own Words?

Posted by random olio

I make up my own words. If you asked my husband, he would most likely say I make up my own words on a daily basis. I believe it happens because there are too many things going on in my mind, and whatever comes out is often the combination of a few words.

One that comes to mind as I write this is one day when I felt like Chris was coddling me a bit (he is so good to me, but I think I was cranky and hungry). I cannot remember the exact thing that happened, but my response was: “I not child.” (Said with an aggressive huff.) Yes, no typos there, that is exactly what I said. Now it is funny to us, and we use it for a good laugh once in a while. And, we always say it in a cranky tone.

Somehow over the years he has learned to translate my smashed words and 99% of the time he knows what I am trying to say, but he never lets me off the hook. A day or so later he will find a way to weave my made up word into conversation and wait for my reaction. As soon as I realize what he is doing, a slow grin creeps onto his face. This happens a few times over the course of a couple of weeks until the word becomes part of our normal conversation. Although whenever Chris says it there is a grin on his face. Ah, what fun we have together.

Do you make up your own language when you are tired, cranky, or there is just too much going on in your mind? I would love to hear the things that have come out of your mouth, that now make you laugh.