Oh yeah...."I've Been Tagged"

I've been tagged by my fellow blogger, comoprozac, with a "chain blog request." I promised I'd accept the tag & post ten random things as requested:

The rules are: Once you have been tagged, you write a blog with 10 random things, facts, or habits about yourself. At the end you chose 10 people to be tagged, list their names and why you chose them. Don't forget to leave them a comment saying "you have been tagged" and tell them to read your latest blog. It sucks I know but what else ya got to do to people??? Isn't this gonna be fun? Now SHUT UP AND DO IT

Here goes:

1. I'm only doing this because there's nothing good on TV on Monday nights.

2. Not only have I slacked on my blogging duties, but I also failed to buy both my dad and my mom presents for their respective birthdays this month (Oct 5th & 20th) . I told them the presents would come late. Well, guess what? They'll come real late because they don't exist yet. Heh heh. Oops.

3. My right foot and my right hand get abnormally cold -- FRIGID -- during cold months & while using the computer due to freaky nerve problems. I know....I'm weird, but seriously....they're ice cubes right now. It's call Reynaud's, and it's a real thing. And it's really funny to "surprise" my husband with the cold foot in bed. I'm weird AND I'm evil.

4. I like liquids. Lots of them....coffee, juice, beer, wine, hot apple cider from Starbucks, more coffee, more beer, etc. I could probably do without food, if I could just drink liquids all day.

5. I'm a full-blown indie yuppie. I like all of the above liquids. I'm voting Obama. I have an iPod loaded up with tons of obsure stuff. I wear Vans slip-ons. I shop Whole Foods. I have a tattoo. I've been to music festivals. I have a blog. I own a small-ish/renovated house in a gentrifying, young, urban neighborhood. I've taken yoga classes and drunk FAR MORE than my fair share of PBR, Miller Hi Life, and small craft beers. And I drive a Saab hatchback....with an Obama bumper sticker and a Paste magazine sampler CD from 2007 in the stereo. Color me a stereotype.

6. I hope to get preggers next year. Surprise Mom & Dad! Hehe.....you'll have to hang on. It's not happening yet.

7. I've been tested numerous times for Multiple Sclerosis since my car accident back in 2002 (in which I suffered a spinal cord injury). They always come back negative. I know I don't have it, but negative diagnoses with continued symptoms give little comfort.

8. I don't know what I want to be when I grow up. I'm not sure it's what I'm doing now.

9. I'm a really, really, really loud football fan. I feel sorry for the people that watch Falcons' games with me.

10. I absolutely hate the telephone. The only people I like to talk to on the phone are my husband, my parents, my grandma and my brother. If you're not included in that list, you probably have not received a call from me. I did a summer of telemarketing in college, and it scarred me for life. That being said, though, I love getting phonecalls from friends and family. So selfish, I know. Or maybe just psychotic. Or both.

Well, that's it....10 random facts to "Better Know a Blogger." (Sorry Colbert...was that trademarked?)

I don't think I know 10 other personal bloggers that I can tag in this process. Como's already done his. My brother would never take me up on it. Top Guy/Gal already have a format that won't be conducive to this type of post, and John D. probably spilled Jack Daniels on his laptop & eliminated his ability to post to his blog. Maybe Carrie over at her Silver Turtle blog, though? We'll see.

Excuses, excuses

I've been remiss in my blogging duties. (Obvious, I know.)

So here are my excuses....and yes, you can commence the ridicule session in the comments section below for my slackness...but first, let me get the excuses out of the way.

Since about August or September, I've been of a one-track mind...well, I suppose it's been a two-track mind, actually...but that's been about it. I've been concentrating all my thoughts on either the shitpile that is the economy (pardon my french) & its effects on my livelihood, and this gosh-darn election. (And maybe my beloved football team...although not nearly as much as my career and this election.)

Whenever I could convince my brain to do something besides obsess over the aforementioned items, the last thing I wanted to do was blog. I knew if I did that the subject would revert back to those two subjects.

I have plenty to say about the election. (Obvious from past posts, I know.) However, I spend most of my days reading blogs (here, here, here, here, and here, among others), reposting quick hit items on my Facebook page, listening to NPR and Michael Baisden, debating the theology & politics of it all with high school friends and with the husband, mother-in-law, boss, etc; and quite frankly it's draining my brain. I'm so freaking invested in this, that I don't know what else to write about. However, I feel that I read so much about it, that I don't WANT to write anything about my own thoughts on the subject. I need a break.

So here's the dilemma....if I sit down to blog, I end up spending more time on the subject. And if I need a break, I don't sit down to blog. (Instead I'll watch TV. Or paint a truck. Or watch more TV.)

The other subject I dwell on is the strain this economy situation is putting on me emotionally and financially. Obviously, I can't (won't) blog about my business because that wouldn't be prudent, so that eliminates another big thing I could talk about. I'll leave it at this: it's not much fun to be someone whose job it is to market products in this climate. Nor is it much fun to be a financial exec for a small business in this climate. I'm both. Hooray.

I know that in 8 days, one of my major mind-traps will be eliminated. I'm hopeful that the joy I'll feel on Nov. 4th (or 5th, if it takes long) will free my mind to blog about better things. "The good part's next," right?

Because, honestly? I'm not a pessimistic person. I'm one of the more hopeful people I know. (See the blog name, for pete's sake..) I'm just feeling off my game right now. Not so much about the election (for that I'm still hopeful)....I'm just not feeling 100% about everything else.

I can't even buck up and write a post on my favorite beers, or nostalgic accounts of great concerts, or some other random posting. I will, though. Promise. Just keep tagging me, and re-posting my stuff on other sites (thanks, Carrie!), because that keeps me going. The good part's next. I suppose I need to keep reminding myself of that.

Love you guys.

A video for your Thursday morning

Thank you Boomers for all you did in the 1960s, but it's now it's our generation's turn. "Our moment is now."

Click below for our generation's version of protest propaganda:

I promise...

...the good stuff is coming. I will be blogging this week. Just stay on me.

What I'm up to this week

On Tuesday morning, Tyler and I embarked on our mini-vacation to New York City (and Long Island, NY), and it has been a blast thus far. Granted this is my second trip to Gotham City and Tyler's fourth or fifth trip; but we're seeing places we haven't previously seen & having an even better time than on prior trips.

So far we have:
- Successfully run our first "errand" as if we were native New Yorkers, in picking up a tux from Men's Wearhouse in Brooklyn. (Took a cab and all...)
- Mastered the subway system like natives, yet again - God bless a useful mass transit system. (I have an internal compass, methinks.)
- Found the most beautiful Hugo Boss suit for Tyler at a HELLUVA deal. (Thank you, Century 21!!)
- Saw Ground Zero & the ghostly DeutschBank building. (Got the shivers.)
- Got a suit tailored in less than 24 hours by the coolest Italian tailor EVER. Joseph the tailor has tailored suits for mayors Koch, Guiliani and Bloomberg. Add Tyler to his list. He loved us. (And it cost far less than it would in Atlanta, to boot!)
- Had a huge dinner for no more money than we would have spent in Atlanta. (Score!!! Chelsea Square Ristorante, BTW.)
-Walked across the Brooklyn Bridge TWICE. (Both ways.)
- Had the best brick oven pizza I've ever had in my life. (Served by a man speaking and singing in Italian. Grimaldi's on Old Fulton St. under the bridge.)
- Saw Walt Whitman's, Truman Capote's and Thomas Wolfe's residences in Brooklyn Heights. (And also realized that Brooklyn has far more beautiful streets than I ever imagined it would.)
- Got kissed on the cheek by aforementioned crazy Italian tailor for "making him so very happy!" by purchasing the color shirt and tie he recommended. (I got the love AND the soon-to-be hottie husband!!)
- Am currently staying in a truly beautiful place -- the Desmond Tutu Conference Center & Hotel -- housed on the campus of the General Theological (Episcopal) Seminary. Outstanding accomodations, super-nice staff, beautiful buildings and lovely location (in Chelsea among the beautiful brownstone-lined streets).

I hope to have a Flicker album with pictures up soon. I'll try and post a link if I remember.

It's off to Long Island tomorrow afternoon for our friends' wedding, but we hope to hit the Union Square Greenmarket, Chelsea Market and some of the West Village before heading out of the city.

God, I love this town.