Mi Vida Ocupada

Did anybody watch any of the shows during Armageddon Week on the History Channel?  Crazy stuff, huh?? So many different ancient cultures all predicting major devastation to our planet and our species in December of the year 2012. Scary stuff!

Without meaning to sound pessimistic, I am curious what you think about Doomsday.  Does thinking about it scare the $%^&* out of you?  Do you believe it is possible that something will happen beginning in 2012 or do you refuse to buy into any of these prophecies?

There are many signs that are already starting to surface, I guess only time will tell??!!

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Other TFT posts this week:

Denise in Utah on reasons why you blog

Nicole B on which method of communication you prefer

Ang on Guilty pleasures

Normally "Revenge" isn't something I would blog about, but after hearing about the "Dirty Deeds" contest on a local radio station this morning, I figured it might be a good TFT.  This contest involves sending in your stories about acts you have committed for revenge and the winner will be awarded with AC/DC tickets.  I heard a couple of the stories, things like the guy who was mad at his girlfriend and swapped her toothbrush with the dog's, or the guy who slept with his girlfriend's mother after she cheated on him first .  I tried to find a link to the stories on the radio's website but couldn't locate it.  To read other stories of revenge, check out Top 10 Stories of Revenge. 

Obviously there are a lot of people who seek out revenge because it makes them feel better (and some people definitely deserve to have bad things coming to them) .  I am not at all a revengeful person, probably because I am pretty laid back and would rather have a problem just disappear, or try to forgive.  There have only been a few times in my life when the idea of revenge snuck into my mind and only once did I act on it and it was something pretty harmless.

Have there been moments in your life that you let anger guide you into seeking revenge?  Do you feel the need to even the score if someone does you wrong?? If not, what strategies do you use to keep your cool? If you have committed acts of revenge or know of any stories, please feel to leave an anonymous comment and share the details!!

Other TFT posts this week:

Jenny P on Holidays

Michelle needing decorating ideas

Helmet on internet humor

Michelle on family dinner time

Ang looking for help thinking of future TFT topics

Isn't the internet a wonderful place? Of course all of you think so or you wouldn't be surfing right now, would you!?
My topic of the week is about online shopping, the epitome of convenience.

These days you can buy pretty much anything online- services, clothes, electronics, groceries, children (kidding, just wanted to see if you're reading!), vehicles, vacations, odds & ends, you name it.  It is so easy to do! I even know a few people who have become addicted to shopping online, especially eBay or Amazon.com.  Are you one of those people?

I have to admit I do not do much shopping in any capacity (online or in person).  The things that I have bought online include photos, scrap supplies, books, my Macbook Pro, computer software, and a few other miscellaneous things here and there.  These types of things I would buy online any day, but would you believe I have never once browsed Etsy and my eBay score is maybe 5 items!?

My questions of the day:  How much  online shopping do you do (percentage wise)? What types of things you do purchase online? Does shopping online ever make you feel like you aren't spending real money?? Do you ever worry about the security of your purchases? How do you generally feel about online shopping?

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Other TFT posts this week:

Helmet on the political aftermath

Jenny P on reasons why you love your spouse

Anne on bedtime rituals

Dana Leigh on vacations

Coffee. Caffeine.
Do you NEED to have it?
Does your day begin with it before you can think straight?
Are you willing to spend up to $4 on a cup of fancy-schmancy coffee on a regular basis or it just a every-once-in-awhile treat? Or maybe Diet Coke or other caffeinated soda is your beverage of choice?
I am sure that a lot of you are nodding your heads "YES".  Do you consider yourself addicted to caffeine?  How many caffeinated drinks do you drink on a daily basis?

I cannot relate since I have been caffeine-free for about 10 years now (with an occasional piece of chocolate or cup of cocoa). Unlike most people, caffeine makes me feel sick rather than charged up.  Is there anyone with me???

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Other TFT posts this week:

Heather on flu shots

Dana Leigh on nutritional labels

Michelle on expensive clothes

Ang on optimism

Wearing make up.
For many young women this is a Rite of Passage, something you grow into around the pre-teen and teenage years.
Imagine my surprise as a teacher to often see girls as young as 1st grade wearing make up.  Lipstick.  and EYELINER.  I am not even kidding.  At one school I worked at there was a tiny, cute little Asian girl whose mother put eyeliner on her everyday.  She looked like a teenager in a 4-5 year-old's body.  Isn't that sick???  And this kid wasn't playing dress-up and wasn't in beauty pageants or anything (I am having flashbacks of Jon Benet Ramsey).  Even though I don't agree with putting make-up on little girls, I have noticed that some cultures have a different view of make up so I try to keep an open mind about it.  I know that many little girls love to play "dress-up" and that many toy companies produce make-up kits for little girls, but I also think those little girls and their mommies know that they are just playing.
Many mothers have a different view of wearing make-up than their daughters who want to start wearing it (from my experience, usually between ages 12-14).  Moms want to protect their daughters and prevent them from growing up too fast or having boys take advantage of them.  Adolescent girls view make up as a tool that makes them feel slightly more independent and grown up, and since they are also starting to notice boys, it probably makes them feel more attractive.

My mom had a strict make up policy: No make up until I was a teenager.  I can't remember if she gave me a specific age, but I remember I was ready to wear make up long before she was willing to let me.  I think I was around 6th grade when I started sneaking mascara and lipgloss onto the school bus so that I could apply it before school and my mom would never know.  By 8th grade she finally gave in and I think I have been wearing it ever since.

So my questions for today are:

How old were you when you started wearing make up? Were you ready before your parents? At what age would you allow your daughter to wear make up? What do you think about little girls wearing make up in general??

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Other TFT posts today:

Dana Leigh on dreams

Helmet on savoring your treat now or later

Ang on Immediate Family

Most people who have regularly read this blog or know me in person have come to the conclusion that I enjoy attending concerts.  Its true! Live music has become a major part of my life over the past ten years.  I have literally been to hundreds of shows, and I have a pile of ticket stubs to prove it!


There is just something so exciting about seeing a band live! It is more than just the actual music that draws me, it is also the emotion attached.    I tried to compile a list of bands that I can recall seeing.  Some of these bands I have seen many, many times!  One of my most memorable concerts ever was seeing Santana on December 31, 1999 at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.  Seeing Prince perform at Paisley Park ranks up there too.  There have been some really great shows that I have been to, too many to get into specifics!
Ready for the list of bands I have seen?  Its a LONG list!
311 (many times)
30 Seconds to Mars (many times)
A Perfect Circle
Alabama
Ankla
Arch Enemy
Armor for Sleep
Baby Face
Beach Boys
Billy Dean
Black Flood Diesel
Boys II Men
Buried by Hope
Children of Bodom
Chimaira
Circa Survive
Coheed & Cambria
Creed
Damage Plan
Days of the New
Deftones
Dir en Grey
Eric Sardinas
Fear Factory
Fishbone
Five Finger Death Punch
George Clinton
God Forbid
Godsmack
Grand Central Station
Ill Nino
In Flames
Incubus
Iron Maiden
Janet Jackson
Joe Satriani
Judas Priest
Kentucky Headhunters
Kid Rock
Killswitch Engage
King's X
Korn (many times)
Lenny Kravitz
Limp Bizkit
Linkin Park
LL Cool J
Mary J. Blige
Matchbook Romance
MC Hammer
Megadeth
Metallica
Method Man
Morris Day & The Time
Naughty by Nature
Neil Diamond
Ozzie Osbourne
Pantera
Papa Roach
Powerman 5000
Primus
Prince (many times)
Queensryche
R. Kelly
Ra
Ratt
Redman
Rena McIntyre
Rise Against
Rob Zombie
Roger Waters
Santana (many times)
Sevendust (many times)
Sheila E.
Skid Row
Skywind (many times)
Smilin' Liar
Snoop Dogg
Staind
Static-X (many times)
Steve Vai
Steve Winwood
Strapping Young Lad
Subway
Sunset Black
Ta'Mar
Tesla
Testament
The Marvelous 3
The Police
Tom Petty
Twisted Sister
Type-O Negative
Velvet Revolver
Xero
Yngwe Molmstein

There are also some musicians I have never before seen that I would love to see someday (ex. Aerosmith, Elton John). I know that going out often is a luxury that I am fortunate to have since I do not have children keeping me at home, but I know that I will still make an effort to see as many good shows as I can even when I do I have kids…. when they get old enough, there is no doubt that music will also be a big part of their life too :)

What are your thoughts on live music??  Who would you LOVE to see live?  What have been some of your favorite concerts???

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Other TFT posts today:

Robyn on bipolar parenting

Kim A on food

Dana Leigh on pets

Ang on change

 Its hard to believe that today marks the 7th anniversary of the horrific 9-11-01 terrorist attacks on our country.

Like many of you, I will never forget that morning.  I had just started my job as a Gifted/Talented teacher at Dayton's Bluff when I received the following e-mail from one of my best friends: "A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center.  They think its terrorists!"  I was like WTF??!!  Shortly after I received the e-mail, I was working ina  2nd grade classroom when our Principal knocked on the door and pulled the other teacher and I out into the classroom to tell us what had happened.  We were asked to not say a word to the kids and continue on with our day as though nothing had happened.  That was very difficult to do, as you can imagine.  I was able to watch news coverage about an hour after I first received the e-mail, and I was absolutely shocked.  It was awful to think that there had been 4 planes hijacked that day, and how it could get much, much worse.

Later that night when I got home, I was glued to the TV….watching in horror as the Twin Towers came down and all the rescue workers and other people who were trapped in the buildings as they fell. 
It all seemed so surreal.  So, so sad.  At that time they thought there may have been 50,000 people in the building, and so many people were missing.  Who could imagine that something so devastating would happen in our homeland???

September 11th is a day I don't think any of us will forget.

Do you remember where you were and what you were doing when you first heard the news?  Is it something you still think about?

I would like to recognize others who have posts about 9-11-01 today:

Samara

Kasey

Heather

Dana Leigh

Jes

Autumn

Noel

Jennifer

Elizabeth

Sasha

Jessica

Michelle

Denise

I had a great idea for TFT earlier this week but I forgot to write it down and it has since left my mind.  Oh well, maybe I'll think of another one later to add.

TFT Posters this week:

Dana Leigh on Social Networks

Michelle on the criteria of a blog that makes you want to read it

Dana M on health insurance and immigration

Jenny on  Feed Readers for blogs

I didn't think I was going to have a TFT this week, but an incident that happened this afternoon gave me something to inquire about….
Have any of you had a fear of something or anxiety so strong that you worked yourself into a panic attack?  Like totally freaked out??? Exhibited physical symptoms?
I watched a friend go through it this afternoon and it wasn't pretty. 
I know of several people who have had issues with anxiety, some to the point of needing medication to control it.  I will admit that there have even been a few occasions in my life when I  let my anxiety get the better of me.  Most are rational fears sparked from traumitizing things that happened to me as a kid. Its scary when it happens, no doubt!

I wonder if anxiety is a problem that is more common that most people would admit? There are people who  have moments of anxiety brought on by exposure to  something they fear (snakes, spiders, heights, airplanes, etc) .  I don't really think this is that abnormal, I mean everyone has a fear of one thing or another, right? Its easy to say "mind over matter", but how many people are truly willing to face their worst fears?   Then there are people who have anxiety pretty much all of the time and need medication to live a normal life.  (Praise the Lord that isn't me)

Have you ever had a panic attack or knew someone who did? What brought it on? What are your worst fears? Have you ever had a fear that you overcame?

Other TFT posts today:

Jenny P on childhood memories

Kim on men and dealing with pregnancy hormones

Helmet needs to get his wife spayed

TFT Posters this week:

Kim A on what would you do in a risky situation?

Anne on crazy names

Jenny P on feeling lucky

Michelle on discipline

Helmet who thinks his wife is trying to kill him ( Read for yourself!)