Tuesday, March 30, 2010
Shootin' the Breeze...
I was playing some video games tonight, and then had a nice relaxing evening curled up with a book, one of my favorites called "Waltz Into Darkness" by Cornell Woolrich. If you guys haven't read it, I recommend! It's probably about the 6th time I've read it this year. I mean... after you finish "Death's Daughter" and "Cat's Claw" by Amber Benson, what can you do, right? Speaking of which... need to get the word out guys... only have 32 out of 200 reviews for "Cat's Claw" on Amazon for Amber to have to make good on her end of the challenge! Let's get 'er done! Anyway... I was going somewhere with this... oh yeah! So I was reading "Waltz Into Darkness" after the video gameage and just stopped reading and thought, "man I need a life!" Then, I remembered... I was too busy to HAVE a life. I wonder how that works out.
I go so much, all the time, it's like I seem to forget that THAT IS my life! And you know what? I really wouldn't trade it for anything. It's crazy, chaotic sometimes, completely random, and sometimes(to throw in some Buffy quotage) "sucks beyond the telling of it." But the crazy chaotic, random, and, yes, even the bad parts, are so worth the good. Most of you reading this know that I had a friend of mine take her life recently. That has hit me harder than I believe I thought it did originally. I just wonder how someone can come to that point in their life. I mean, I've been to that point, and I know it's easy to get to, but at the end of the day, I can't think of ANYTHING worth missing out on life for.
Okay, enough with the heavy stuff. Let's have some fun. Completely random and totally having nothing to do with this blog, other than it's my self expression, my little cousin, who's four walked into my living room today, and said he wanted to tell me a joke. I'm ALWAYS up for a joke! If you have one, lay it on me! He asked me, "Why did the chicken cross the playground?" And I KNOW I should have known the answer, but I was so dumbstruck that he asked if he could tell me a joke, I said, "I have no idea." He looked at me with the biggest Chesire cat grin you have ever seen, and says... "To get to the other slide." I busted out laughing! Couldn't help it. Yeah, it's a cheesy joke, and yeah it's a kid's joke, but the way he said it and the big grin, was just hillarious! I asked him where he heard that, and he looks at me and said, "From you! 'Member? You know everything!" The child was as serious as a heartattack! Boy, does he have a hard road ahead if he believes that! Christopher, my cousin, is autistic, and I keep him Monday through Thursday. More often than not he tones you out, and you don't think he's paying a bit of attention. Then he pulls something like that up from months before... it just amazes me. I remembered the day I'd told him that joke after a few minutes. He was sitting on the floor coloring a Buffy coloring book page... yes I had the Buffy coloring books... THEY WERE GIFTS! When I told him that joke at the time, he told me that it was "silly", I believe was the term he used. But today, it took on a whole new meaning. That is exactly what I want to try to look for in the bad and messy things of life... the whole new meaning. I love the part in any book or movie when the bad turns into good, and I truly believe that's what happens in life. Throughout all the ups and downs, and bumps and bruises, the bad always turns to good, if you hold on and wait for it.
Those are my random thoughts for the day guys! Hope you enjoyed! All over the place, I know, but that's my charm I guess! Look forward to babbling at you again soon!
OH!!!! And by the way... Buffy trivia went awesomely fantabulous! I'm still the reigning champ, and still have yet to miss a question! Peace out, folks!
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Friends
Marla: My absolute BEST FRIEND in the world! Stuck by me through everything, and I mean that in the most literal sense of the word. If anything bad ever happened, she was there... I wonder if there's a connection between the two. Hmm... Nah! She's too awesome for anything like that. I remember this one time; I thought I'd killed her. Gave her something with cashews in it, that I DIDN'T KNOW had cashews in it, and she went into antifalactic shock... scary time! Needless to say... I don't give her candy anymore.
Watson: You have to be the MOST FUN individual on the face of the earth! I don't think we ever run out of things to talk about! It makes me happy that all of our conversations leave us both hurting from laughing too hard! It is okay to hurt as long as it's from laughing, right? Although the lightheadedness from not being able to breathe while laughing so hard tends to give me a slight buzz. Still, wouldn't trade ya for anything! Thank God for Amber Benson, or we never would have met!
Nicole: Girl, you can trade trade Buffy trivia with the best of them! It has been a blast getting to know you, and getting my brain picked with questions about the best show ever made that I actually have to think about! You seem like an absolutely awesomely cool individual and I can't wait to get to know ya better!
Luke: You have been one of my best buds since middle school! I'm proud of you for standing up for what you think is right, and not letting others dictate your life. I know if I ever need anything, or just need someone to listen I can call you up and it won't matter how long it's been since we've had a chance to speak, it's always like nothing has changed. Love ya!
Michael: Absolutely one of the SMARTEST people I have ever met! I enjoy the conversations on the randomized subjects we somehow seem to wind up talking about. Also, I know my router appreciates you for telling me to stop throwing it against the wall and sliging it around my head by the ethernet cable. Look forward to more conversations!
I think that's about got me in the clear for what I wanted to say for today guys! Talk to ya on the next go around! By the way, even if you weren't mentioned in specifics... I still am very glad to count you among my friends!
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Been Thinkin'
Monday, March 22, 2010
You Know What?
This has been the craziest day! Singing monkeys, people that wear the same clothes day after day on television programs. What are they teaching our kids these days? "Sure, it's okay if you wear the same outfit all week!" One of the kids I keep actually asked if she could wear the same clothes over and over again. I told her it was unsanitary. You know the response I got? "What does that mean?" You'd think a two year old would know the word! Really!
I find myself watching my dvd ses of HR Puffinstuf, Electra Woman and Dyna Girl, Sigmund and the SeaMonsters repetitively! Now THAT was entertainment.
All over the place guys! Sorry! Just what was on my mind...
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Life's Lessons
12: If you consume too much alcohol.... chances are you're eventually going to either, embarrass the heck out of yourself, or hit the floor. Whichever comes first.
11: Gummy bears take SEVEN YEARS to digest! Just thinking.... WOW!
10: Don't let the bad things in life keep you from the great things in life.
9: Take it from me... don't tell someone to read your blog, even though you totally weren't expecting them to take the time to do so, if you don't really expect them to read your blog!
8: Keep your nose clean... drugs are more trouble than they're worth, and they only keep you satified for a while.
7: It's not a wise idea to Psych 101 someone that you have absoloutely no clue about. Usually, it comes back to bite you in the butt.
6: It's ridiculous to conform to what someone else thinks you should be. Be you.
5: You can learn a lot of valuable life lessons from Buffy! :o)
4: Nowhere in the Bible does it say "cleanliness is next to Godliness", but being clean does have it's benefits!
3: Ladies, if you go to the restroom after a four year old boy has just come out of it, check the toilet seat... the water's cold!
2: Don't judge others.... it's not your place.
1: And my A#1 life lesson..... drumroll please......... If you have a dream in life, aim for it, and then aim a little higher because it will make you happy in the long run!
You can take these of leave them... it won't hurt my feelings either way! Till next time guys!
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
One of the Funniest Moments of my Life
Picture it! Cartersville, GA, 2002. I had had my driver's licensce a little over a month, and was out with some friends when we received... the call. Not that I'm making light of "the call" in the least. Pretty serious phone call. My friend Amanda hangs up the phone to inform the congregation of us sitting around the table at Outback steakhouse that one of our friends, Chad, had been killed in a car accident. But I digress. Light hearted bloggage today, just giving a background. We left the restaurant, all sad, each of us going to our own homes after. Except for me. I went driving. it's what I do when I get upset. Just hop in the car and go. I always tell people the latter part of this story, but never the first. I'm not sure why that is. Hmmm.... Anyway. Driving. No where to go, just to clear my head. Didn't realize, until about three hours after the "lights on; nobody's home" expression on my face was replaced by a look of clarity, that I had driven myself all the way to Tennessee.
Something you should understand about me... I couldn't find my way out of a paper bag with a huge gaping hole in it, so horrible am I with directions. I pull over at the first gas station I see. I walk in and smile at the clerk, trying to look all nonchalant while the last couple of customers are clearing out of the store, so I don't look like a huge uber idiot when I explain to the man that I had no clue how I had gotten there. The folks made their purchases and left, and I commence walking up to the counter, not realizing that my purse was connected to the sunglasses display. So, I walk forward, and the display leans with me, leaning into yet another display, followed by another, finally followed by a big wire rack that had knick knacks in it. The crash was UNBELIEVABLE! The look on the clerk's face was funnier though. He starts kind of reprimanding my clumsiness, coming out from around the counter.... and tripping over a "caution.... wet floor" sign, and sprawling onto the floor. Who's the klutz now? Anyhow, he sympathized with me after I explained the predicament.
I drove the three hours back home, taking pity on the poor man who's store I destroyed, bought a tank of gas at his store, and yes, I helped clean up the mess my purse had made. The next day kind of blurred and really, I have no memory of anything until the day of Chad's funeral. I'm not one to show my emotions, hold a lot of things in, but I was teared up listening to the preacher go on and on about how great a person, clean nosed Chad had been... he didn't know the same Chad I did. He leads the attendants of the service in a moment of silence, that was supposed to be followed up by a quick prayer. Heads are bowed, eyes are shut in respect for the dead. You could hear the person next to you breathing, and probably the person three rows back too. Then, it happened. As the minister takes a breath to begin the prayer.... Right Said Fred's "I'm too Sexy for my Shirt" begins to ring out over the crowd, getting louder and louder with each word. Not able to hold it in any longer, I busted out into loud gales of laughter, complete with snorts, and gasps for air. I cannot possibly tell you how many glares I got from the people sitting in the room. But when something is funny, it's funny. I don't know who the culprit was that allowed their phone to be off of silence or vibrate, but I'm sure happy it was. Chad was a funny guy. He would've wanted it that way... maybe not his preference of song, but he'd have wanted laughter.
Hoping this was as fun for you to read as it was for me to remember! See you guys next go around!
Monday, March 8, 2010
Amber Benson Wows Fans with the Mad People Skills!
The thing that stuck with me the most about Amber Benson's Q & A session today is how graceful and personable she was with her fans, but hey, as she is from Alabama(my closest neighbor to the west), that's a Southern girl for ya! She didn't shorten her answers to her fans for the sake of time, and got to at least one of everyone's questions they had asked. I'd be dead tired, which I'm sure she probably is. The five minute Q & As from my parents when I was younger wore me out; I couldn't imagine 12 hours. Yep, I said it. 12 hours answering just about anything our minds came up with, even offered advice, which was very cool.
I suppose I do sing her praises a tad more than most, but you have to understand something, although I watched Buffy, when they brought Tara(Benson) on the show, I was so torn out of the frame by the break up with Oz, I was kinda angry with the whole thing. Then, from her debute episode "Hush", I could tell where Joss Whedon was going to take this new friendship between Willow and Tara. Casting spells.... yeah uh huh! Anyhow, I was a tad irritated at her being replacement gal for Oz, but by the "Family" episode, she won me over a little. Seeing the character's family, much like my own, made me sympathize with her. Yeah, it was a character role, but still, when you go through something personally, you identify more with the character, plus you get to know them week after week and you just get attached. Then, came the turning point for me, maybe a tad bit on the late side of the Buffy series, but at a good time for me. The episode "Tabula Rasa". She leaves Willow after Willow breaks a pretty important promise to her. That hit home. You see the shy, almost scared character that Amber Benson played make a decision to do something so huge and brave. It hit home for me because at the time this relationship came about, I was in a very abusive relationship, not just physically, but mentally and emotionally. I had seen her go from this shy girl that would barely lift her head, to this amazingly strong character. I thought, if she could do it, I could do it. Because abuse, whether it be having your memory sucked from you by a forget spell(twice) or being hit pretty much everyday for seven years, is abuse. Both come with broken, empty promises, and things being done to you against your will. So, I drew from Tara's courage, and ran like heck out of that relationship. So, yes, I'll sing Amber Benson's praises till the cows come home! Got a little off subject, but anyway, here's the bottom line, although there are some not very pleasant people to chat with out in Hollywood world, there are still breaths of fresh air out there. So thank you to Amber Benson for being one of those, and making tonight, not only a memorable one, but a fun one! Had a blast hanging out and can't wait for the next CRJ book!
For those of you that haven't heard of them, check 'em out "Death's Daughter" and "Cat's Claw", respectively. Fun and definitely entertaining!!!! Also, pop on over to http://www.bittenbybooks.com/ and give the site a gander! Till next time!
Sunday, March 7, 2010
Loving Life
I am so angry with her. A flurry of emotions really. I want to know what was bothering her so badly, I want to shake her, I want to beat the crap out of her because I'm now missing a very good friend that I could talk with about anything. I can't do any of those things now. She not only took away from me, but she also took away her mother's ability to hug her and kiss her, to comfort her, to talk to her. I don't know that I would be able to stand outliving my child. She took away her twin sister's ability to confide in her, to even have a sister. Her husband now has no wife, and her four year old son has no mother. Had she not decided she didn't want to think about all of this stuff, or if even if she had thought about this stuff, I think she'd still be here today. I can't help thinking, if only one of us had known what was going on and were able to reach her or talk with her. There are people on the face of this earth dying everyday that want the chance to live but aren't able to, and then there are people like Alena, who simply live for the chance to die. I don't know what ran through her head, but I can tell you from someone who has been on the other side of a cocked gun or staring down bottles of sleeping pills, nothing is worth taking your own life. Fight for life. Fight until it hurts and then fight for it some more because you never know when it's going to be over.
The last two blogs have been kinda heavy guy. Sorry for that, just needed to get some things off of the chest. I promise no matter what my day is like on Monday, you guys will have a hillarious blog to read. Talk to you then!
Thursday, March 4, 2010
Venting...
"It's not your job to make sure he's okay!!! He's my f****** kid, you GD cripple!!!!" is yelled in my face! Totally uncalled for! And oh! Then... she POKES me in the chest. Sidebar again.... for those of you that don't know me... I walk with a cane. Bad falling accident with my right leg, so needless to say, not the most well balanced person around. I then poured out all the frustration I have had in the last 2 to 3 days with the haters of the world into my quiet yet extremely cold response of, "Well, if you'd been around to watch your damn kid, I'm sure you could've kept him from falling and gettin hurt. Then, we wouldn't be having this issue. But if you choose to keep running with this, I'd be more than happy to show you how adept this cripple is at taking care of herself, and I guarantee you, I'll be the one walking away."
I'm a very laid back person, and it takes A LOT to get me angry, but when you do, I'd suggest moving out of the way and backing off. Lucky for her she did back down, when she saw I wasn't going to cower before her. I kid you not, this chick had a serious attitude problem, and I almost wish she had threw a punch just so I could've kicked every square inch of her but around Georgia, but she didn't, lucky for her. It's been a good 2 years since I've gotten THAT angry, but today it just hit me wrong, or maybe I've just been holding too much stuff in. Not completely sure. If you ever meet me, I'm the most non-violent person you'll ever meet, but I mean seriously, even the peacemakers have their moments.
Sorry for the all over the placeiness of this guys. My later ones will be more put together. You know, when I'm not having a Trista freak moment. Hopefully, this doesn't change your opinion of me, whatever it may be, because that soooo was not the intent. Just venting. Everybody does it.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Introduction to Trista 101
My name, is Trista, yes like the Bachelorette, only way cooler. I grew up, for the most part, in Cartersville, Georgia, for those of you that are unfamiliar with the area, which I suspect most of you are, it's about an hour north of Atlanta. I started out like any other Southern girl, still am just your average joe Southern girl actually. When I turned three years old, I began in muscial theater, starting out as one of the Snow Children in the musical "Carousel". I acted pretty much my whole life until I turned ninteen, all musicals still do some projects on again and off again. I'm not able to move as fluidly on the stage as what I once did. I broke my leg, sustained some nerve damage, but hey, life can't go perfect all the time, but if a role calls for no dancing and an individual walking with a cane, I'm your gal!
Amongst the dramatic experience of my teen years, came more drama. Things I won't really go into at the present time, perhaps another. Put it this way, I was extremely talented at showing my parents and close friends the side of me I wanted them to see and not the turmoil brewing inside. Fell in with the wrong guy dating wise, did a few drugs, drank, not healthily or socially, but the worse kind you could imagine, and smoked, because the director I had at the time said it would do wonders to keep me thin. She was right, it did, along with the celery and grapefruit only diet she had me on, but it's an expensive habit, and while I still have cravings to do so sometimes, I just don't, but I'm human, and sometimes I may slip with that mentality.
Hmm... what else is there to tell? I like movies, folk music(I play it actually), 80s rock, love to read, and, as I'm sure you guys will find out, I'm an avid Buffy the Vampire Slayer fan. Go on, ask me a question about it. I guarantee you I can answer it! Oh, yeah, um, as close friends will tell you, I'm chalked full of useless information. I think I do pretty decently for someone that the doctors told my parents that my fever with yellow jaundice was so high, a couple of days after I was born, that I would be mentally retarded. I think I'm relatively normal. I have a few abnormal moments, but be real, who doesn't? Granted, yes, I eat one thing at a time, in alphabetical order no less, I'm scared out of my MIND of rabbits(I had that fear long before Anya did on Buffy), there's a story there. Big rabbit, chased me(they said it just followed me), bit me, I have a scar, physically and emotionally. So there's the Sunday school version. I play a total of eight instruments: guitar, drums, bass, piano, tambourine, cymbals, mandolin, banjo, organ, and working on learning the dulcimer and harmonica. Music just makes me happy. I absolutely LOVE the indie/rock/folk band Common Rotation. They just have it.
Biggest role models are my grandmother, for her bravery and kindness during her time on earth. Things just aren't easy for some people. Amber Benson, for her talent. For those of you that aren't familiar with the name, she played Tara on BtVS, but she is not only an extremely talented actress, but also director, screenplay writer, novel author, and has a voice that makes you kinda want to pull an Ursula from "The Little Mermaid". Hmmmm.... I wonder where I can get one of those little shell things... Probably going to catch a lot of flack for this one, but I really admire Angelina Jolie's humanitarian efforts. The girl takes a lot on her plate. Gotta give her credit for that, and I mean, who wouldn't have wanted Brad Pitt, you know, before he grew the primitive man looking thing in his face. Just saying. The boy needs a razor.
Well, I hope I haven't bored you guys too terribly. I think you officially know as much about me as I do. Look forward to starting fresh with this new blog! YAY! Laters!