H.N.T. - Hyperactive Naturel Tissue

As you know by now, I've been in physical therapy for .. oh, four weeks now. I'm told that the thoracic area (the upper part) of the back does not respond readily to exercise meant to strength it. So, the plan is to strengthen the muscles around it to help it do its job. All of the exercises I do on an almost daily basis are concentrated in my shoulder area. Rows, shrugs, reverse shrugs, "the ball toss" and other exercises where I pulled a large rubber band across my chest in repetitions of ten until I think my arms will surely fall off. Though my back really doesn't feel all that much better, there is still some pay-off. In my case, to notice it the other day was, frankly, a little frightening. I was looking in the mirror and for some reason lifted my arms out to the sides, and something bludged up near my neck. Now, I'm not silly or stupid, I know what muscles are, I've had them before and I know that I develop muscle pretty quickly when I do work out. But, these large-walnut-sized things were so pronounced, my breath caught. Yes, I instantly thought "tumors!" Then, I laughed at myself. Then, I started making horrible muscle-man faces and poses in the mirror and really had a good laugh.

Happy Half-Nekkid Thursday!

Bonus pic behind the cut, which I think is way snazzier. But, only for those who've read this far.


MOOD: frick, tired! waking up too early these days
SOUNDS: fan (as always), iron heating up

What I See When I Smoke

[Edited to add] : btw, in the foreground of the picture is a pepper plant, more on that later. But, look on the black railing - see that vine-y green thing on the bar? That, my friends, is spinach! No shit, spinach. You would not have known that if I didn't tell you, and you probably still don't believe me. Fucking spinach!

How Gay Are YOU?

I guess it says something about me that the question "is a better to be beautiful and stupid or smart and ugly?" actually gave me pause.

How Gay Are You?

DVD - The Woodsman

The Woodsman



9 out of 10

This is one of the most awesome freaking movies I've seen in a damn long time. I would not have called this one.

I think it was at Sundance last year and got great critical reviews, and was considered "controversial." It's not something I would see with my mother because it's Rated R for Sexuality, Disturbing Behavior, and Language. She would've been pretty disgusted with Closer, I'm sure. And, that's nothing.

It doesn't matter what it's about - if you like dramas and are intrigued by human behavior, and if you're even mildly interested in great acting, just see it.

Go on!

Flavored water

Someone recommended this stuff to me, as 1)water, 2)with a light taste of fruit, 3)a hint of sweetener. This certain someone told me that she was trying to drink more water and this was just the ticket because she was going through a little over half-a-case every week.

I drink a LOT of water, and I kind of like the fact that it's tasteless and boring - it's refreshing and re-hydrating, as water should be. But, trust me, I'm not a purist, so that's not the case. I also love and need variety.

So, at this point I've tried three of the flavors. I don't know. I kind of feel duped... First of all, too fucking sweet! Plus, it's Splenda so there is a tinge of artificial bitterness to the sweetener. But, really, though... TOO SWEET! Why do we keep upping the ante on sweetness in our country?? No wonder we're such damn fat-asses. I also do not like to eat very rich foods, either, though I love spiciness. Too much of a rich sauce makes me feel like a pig - oink! And, I don't eat fried foods either, except for every once in a blue moon, and at this point, it exits out of my ass almost immediately because it's like a contaminant in my bran-, lettuce-, and whole-wheat-filled colon. Anyway, thus ends my rant on unhealthy foods and the American obsession fat, salt, and sugar. TOO SWEET!

Now, we go onto the light fruit flavor. A splash of fruit? Not! What does light mean? Not this nearly syrupy stuff, right? I like fruit but I don't like to be over-powered by it. I don't want to smell like fruit the rest of the day. Okay, that may be exaggerating, but... "Hello! Too Strong! Back off on the fruit and let it actually taste like water to some extent."

Overall, this is my conclusion. Do you know what this is? Over-priced clear sugar-free KoolAid. Do they sell clear Sugar-Free KoolAid in bottles? They should because they would make a killing!

MOOD: pissed, ya think?
SOUNDS: my anti-depressants knocking on their little orange bottle asking to get out

H.N.T. - Happy New Touch-up

I got a haircut the other day. I told the stylist, "Cut this bush off my head!" No, I don't wear it like this! I was styling my hair this morning, and it just makes me feel so pixie-ish. So, there you have it. Happy Half-Nekkid Thursday!

Go on!

DVD - Alexander

? out of 10

Angelina Jolie spit in Colin Farrell's face! Ha HA! Good for her.

Good:
See above. Wow, what an interesting and ultra-cool cast! Whoever did the casting really was inspired. (Except for when they cast the crass Colin (Colon) Farrell - yuck). Jared Leto is a beautiful man with such a soulfulness. Angelina Jolie - ok, just, *swoon* - I'm really not a nut over her, but I do admire her, think she's like this wonderfully raw nerve with great talent. I mean she just GLOWED. Jesus, in the coliseum she's the singular spot of luscious red in a sea of white togas. It tells about her part in the plot to [edited - spoiler], but more important how stunning did that look?? I kept thinking what Hell it must be like to actually be her. How can one woman be so luminous, and look more and more gorgeous every time you see her? Does that mystifying quality that makes her so scrumptious actually last out into Infinity? Anthony Hopkins, Val Kilmer (great performance). Rosario Dawson??? *gasp swoon* I have always loved her! Snakes and sorceresses with fake Hungarian accents. Gorgeous Visuals. And, of course, Oliver Stone's unique and fantastic use of color.

Bad:
Why, oh, why, Oliver did you have to make this movie so damn long and tedious? Why, God, why, Colin Farell??? Pluck out my eyes now! Alexander's character was so conflicted, unsettling so, and in the end boring and stupid. I also had visions of The Big W making speeches of freeing slaves from barbaric tyranny. And, doesn't that just leave a sense of "Yuck" in your belly. I can also do without all the blood throughout and the hacking, gouging, and bludgeoning of the really great wonderful black horse. Double yuck. We didn't get to see Alexander and Hephaistion get it on. Most of all, though, just save me from COlin Farrell disgusting ass, plus his ugly ugly bleached-out mullet, and I can live with the rest.

Scorpio Says... A Strong Suggestion

Ah, alliteration. How many wayssssss do I love thee?

Scorpio
(by Astrology.com)The universe strongly suggests that you spend some time on an important relationship. With the right care and attention, this could evolve into a lifelong and life-changing bond. Go ahead and mentor someone who could use your generosity and protection -- not to mention your compassion. Not only will you help them, but this partnership will teach you about compromise, patience and kindness.

OK, who is it that needs my protection? Frankly, I need someone to be compassionate toward. My fit of selfishness is waning.

No HNT Today

I won't be posting an HNT picture today. I'm battling with the worker's comp bureacracy and it's taking all my energies. They suck, of course!

Everyone have a Happy HNT!

By the way, they suck!

The Devil Woman Made Me Do It

I stole this from Chick, who stole it from this other girl, who I'm sure stole it from someone else. We are some stealing chicks.

Beware the Devil Woman. She's gonna get you from behind. Every time.

UNIQUE

1. Nervous habits? yes, shit, I bite my fingernails. I have lots of little nervous habits.
2. Are you double jointed? only single-jointed, sad to say.
3. Can you roll your tongue? Yes.
4. Can you raise one eyebrow at a time? Yes. I do this all the time. Unforunately, and sometimes fortunately, it intimidates people.
5. Can you blow spit bubbles? Yes, it's one of my nervous little habits.
6. Can you cross your eyes? Yes.
7. Tattoos - Now, this is one of the biggest mysteries of my HNT experience. What DOES the tattoo on my arm say? I have two there, and one on my thigh. Being permanent, I entered into neither of them lightly. Stay tuned to learn more.
8. Piercings - I'm smiling. This may end up on HNT, too. I used to have my nose pierced with a little diamond stud, and I'm thinking of re-doing it with a blue diamond. I also have a curved barbell through my belly button. Last, but certaily not least, I another barbell in my private area. No one has ever liked it when they were getting down to biz-ness. (Contrary to popular belief). All my piercings are gold and will always be.
...

9. Do you make your bed daily? Yes, right after I roll out of bed. I like my bedroom to be purty, so.

CLOTHES

10. Which shoe goes on first? Left.
11. Speaking of shoes, have you ever thrown one at anyone? With pleasure. Including a cat or two who made rhe mistake of trying to wake me up.
12. On the average, how much money do you carry? Is this information gathering for a purpose? $100, bank card, and credit card(s). I need to clean out my wallet.
13. What jewelry do you wear 24/7? None - it irritates me when I sleep and bathe.
14. Favorite piece of clothing? That's a hard one. I like comfy sleeveless shirts with hoods and my "Jesus" sandals. In the winter, my favorite is these parachute-esque pants and an old black long-sleeve t-shirt that advertise some condom and says Get Some

FOOD

15. Do you twirl your spaghetti or cut it? I twirl it like a big girl.
16. Have you ever eaten Spam? Yes, out of curiosity. And, I had to eat the whole thing b/c I don't waste food. I never bought it again, though.
17. Do you use extra salt on your food? Almost never. The SPAM had enough to last a lifetime.
18. How many cereals in your cabinet? On top the fridge are Honey-Nut Cheerios.
19. What's your favorite beverage? I'd have to say Coke or Coffee, but I drink tons more water than either of those.
20. What's your favorite fast food restaurant? Taco Hell.
21. Do you cook? YES! And, I rarely eat fast food. All-around YES!


GROOMING

22. How often do you brush your teeth? They call me yuck-mouth 'cause I don't brush.
23. Hair drying method? With a hair-dryer? Is this a trick question?
24. Have you ever colored/highlighted your hair? YES! I want new highlights right now.


MANNERS

25. Do you swear? YES! And, I love it.
26. Do you ever spit? Yes, I do. Because I can. But, usually only when I'm over-heated. Oh shit, actually this is another nervous habit I just remembered... I spit in the toilet every time before I use it. I don't know where the hell that came from, but it's like crossing myself.


FAVORITE

27. Animal? All animals fascinate and please me. I live with cats, though.
28. Food? Mexican or Mediterranean
29. Month? October and Novemeber - exciting, gorgeous months!
30. Day? Saturday
31. Cartoon? South Park? I don't know.
32. Shoe brand? Right now, I like clunky Skechers
33. Subject in school? Always, the English.
34. Color? Blue! and Red! No, blue!
35. Sport? I play disc golf and tennis on a fairly regular basis. I've also played ultimate frisbee, rugby, softball, and flag football. I like to get sweaty - now you know!
36. TV shows? I will watch any nature shows and I like NOVA and sometimes Frontline. I try to stay away from reality TV, as they would suck up all of my blogger time.
37. Thing to do in the spring? Be outside! Hike, watch the birds have babies! Grow flowers!
38. Thing to do in the summer? Go to the beach. Other than that, stay close to an A/C
39. Thing to do in the autumn? Walk in the leaves!
40. Thing to do in the winter? Get a pep in my step like no other time of the year, and wear cool clothes!

Seasons are so exciting!

IN AND AROUND (and up and over)

41. In the CD player? Hole and some classic rock mix with most of the Boogie Nights soundtrack 42. Person you talk most on the phone with? Most regularly, my mom. Other than that, I don't really talk on the phone, ever.
43. Reading? Look in the side bar. Most right now is Not Much Just Chillin'. I need some fiction in my life, though. I will pick up the first recommendation I get in comments. (Please don't use this as a time to be funny/mean and suggest something like Dianetics or Southbeach Diet. And, if you make me read He's Just Not That Into You I will have to kill you).
44. Do you regularly check yourself out in store windows/mirrors? Almost always - shit, I had to admit that
45. What color is your bedroom? Sage and Dark Red
46. Do you use an alarm clock? I don't think I would ever wake up if I didn't
47. Window seat or aisle? If it involves being on a plane, I pick neither.


DUMB (aka Misc.)
48. What's your sleeping position? On my side, holding a pillow
49. Even in hot weather do you use a blanket? I only ever use sheets.
50. Do you snore? Regrettably, I do.
51. Do you sleepwalk? No.
52. Do you talk in your sleep? I bet I do. I probably even swear in my sleep.
53. Do you sleep with stuffed animals? Ha ha! No!
54. How about with the light on? I have a nightlight in the kitchen. It burns out and doesn't get replaced for about another 6 mos.
55. Do you fall asleep with the TV or radio on? Never
56. Last interesting person you met? Interesting... is a stretch. What interested me is a friend of someone new I work and hand out with came out to Happy Hour. She left before the rest of us did. My co-worker turned to me and said, "She didn't pay her bill. Do you think I should call her?" I laughed so loud, and said, "Hell, Yes!" That whole thing kinda fascinated me.

MOOD: irritated with myself b/c I should be doing yoga, I am so weak-willed
SOUNDS: you will never guess... Shadow Dancing ... and in a world of people, there's only you and I (me)