I'm going to be writing a new blog very shortly about a Monster Job article I just read. Make sure you stay tuned............

New Year Resolutions

I've been struggling for some time, thinking about a new blog posting.  As you can see my last actual post was in November, and I'm not talking about the videos that I posted a few days ago.

It's already the third day of the new year and guess what? I haven't broken any resolutions yet! You want to know why?  Because I didn't make any!  Resolutions like promises are easily made and easily broken. They're just pure silliness. So it got me thinking, why do so many people make them?  I recently read an article about why New Year's Resolutions fail, which prompted me to write this blog.  Here's a link to the article in case you were curious! http://news.yahoo.com/why-years-resolutions-fail-keep-them-210120290.html.

Below are the things that I would like to work on for the new year, but these aren't actual resolutions, because resolutions fail!

1.  I'm going to the gym more:  I'll have more time on my hands and therefore will have no excuse....Enough of the exercise laziness!!

2.  I'm going to read more:  See comment above.

3.  I'm going to walk my dogs more:  See comments one and two above.

4.  I'm going to make a better effort in seeing my friends and family:  Same as above 1-3.

5.  I have to get my career BACK ON TRACK!!:  This is just ridiculous.  I'm signing up for the CSET in May.

6.  I want to continue to volunteer my time to help out various charities in the area:  I started this one last year and was very happy I did!!  Volunteer work always gives me a great feeling of accomplishment.

7.  I'm hoping for a better 2012: although 2011 was a good one for me!!

8.  It's just the right time to move on and be happy.

9.  Enjoy my life and try not to stress so much:  Yeah right!!  I know I'm the main star in the movie called "Jonelle's Life" and I have to appreciate every day I wake up to see the sun. I don't want to look back at the end of my life and wish I could have been.....

10.  Continue to work on my marriage.  Hello all marriages need work, even the most outwardly "perfect" marriage needs work. No one ever said marriage was easy and you never really know what goes on behind closed doors!

Enough said!!

Here's to a great 2012, even though the first 3 days were less than desirable, I have high hopes for the rest of the year!!

This time I'm ending my blog with two quotes about "time" because, as we all know, time goes by so quickly. The first from Rabindranath Tagore (1861-1941), a Bengali polymath, and the second, a quote from Dean Rusk (1909-1994), US Secretary of State under JFK. 
"A butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough."
"One third of the people of the world are asleep at any given moment. The other two thirds are awake and probably stirring up trouble somewhere."  --- Why of course!!

Since I didn't review anything, I don't have any Gerber Daisies to give out, maybe next time!!

My little Missy Mia!!

While I was waiting for the oil change in my car, I created another video.  This will be my last for the day.  I'm posting a blog tomorrow.  Happy New Year and everyone have a great 2012!!

Sammy the Dog

I created another Animoto video.  This time it's my little buddy Sammy, the best in the west!

My First Video Revised. It's Tim and Me

Let's Talk Twilight

Let's talk Twilight...I'll talk Twilight. After having the complete collection of books since 2008, I finally finished the last book in the series, Breaking Dawn. This was planned in time for the movie of course!!

Let me start off by saying that I'm not a Twilight hater, I enjoyed the novels and can't compare the last book to the movie just yet because I'm probably the only person in the world who hasn't seen it.  I'm waiting for Breaking Dawn to go to the discount theater.  If I hate it I won't feel so bad if I only had to pay $2!

Let's be honest, Stephanie Meyer is never going to be a Pulitzer Prize award winning novelist (I won't be either).  I don't think she set out to do that anyway.  She wants to entertain the masses, with a hidden agenda. Like the Harry Potter books (I never read those) that came before, Twilight got young America (and some older America) to read and I can give her many kudos for that.

Reading in Central Park

The Twilight Saga started out strong, faltered a bit in New Moon, came back in Eclipse, and lost me in Breaking Dawn.  New Moon, I really couldn't stand Bella's constant moping around.  There are other supernatural fish in the sea chick-a -dee (insert laughter here).  


Eclipse, (and the previous books) I read so long ago.  I do remember the history of the characters and the big battle scene at the end.  Maybe it's because I'm a huge history buff, but I liked learning about the characters' pasts.  

Breaking Dawn part one I liked, the rest, NOT SO MUCH (insert sad face here, please).  I won't give anything away, but as most of the world has already read these books, I do have to say what a complete lackluster ending to a series that had much promise. Really Ms. Meyer you should taken a page out of Eclipse and ended the series on a stronger note. P.S. Renesmee' s name sucked and her carrying on full blown conversations as a two week old, frightened me, just like clowns do! Not to mention the fact that there were so MANY errors in this book, for example, page 678, and I quote, "As long Jacob was with Renesmee, she would be all right." Really, shouldn't the trained editor pick up on this?  I don't blame Stephanie Meyer, that's what trained editors are for people!!  It's hard to edit ourselves.  If I, the average everyday reader, can see the editing mistakes, shouldn't you too?  You want to give me a book editing job? I love to read :-)

Now the hidden agenda.  While I am a modern working OC Housewife, the emphasis on the traditional roles of women were pretty prevalent throughout the series.   I also cannot condone the imprinting of a child; it seems too creepy no matter how they describe it in the book.  I'm not her religion, although I do respect a person’s personal and religious beliefs.

All in all, I'll never truly be a member of team Jacob or of team Edward because I'm a member of team Spike and of team Angel, go team Angel!! (For the Buffyverse peeps).  We all have our generation of vampires to enjoy. For me it was Anne Rice's Louis and Lestat and Buffy the Vampire Slayer's Spike and Angel. (I have the complete collection of Buffy and Angel on DVD)

All of you Twihards, please note, that while I'm not exactly one of you, I do see the entertainment value in the books, I do appreciate the fact that Stephanie Meyer got people reading and I'm looking forward to the Host. :)

The Twilight Saga gets 3 Gerber Daisies out of 5 I liked Twilight and Eclipse, that has to say something, right!!

To quote Muriel Rukeyser, American poet, best known for her poems about equality, feminism, social justice and Judaism, and political activist, "The universe is made up of stories, not of atoms."

  

Birthdays at Cowboy Country in Long Beach

This is an older photo, same place as last night, but from 2005: Cowboy Country

Please excuse the older photo, I didn't take any last night.  I have to say, I hate to complain, but.... here goes my review of Cowboy Country.

Once upon a time, I took free line dancing classes with a bunch of friends, but that didn't last.  Some friends continued, some moved on, just like me, to other things.  I have to say, I hate country music!  I can't get into it, but I can appreciate the fact that others like it and like to line dance.

The cover to get in wasn't bad.  It's free to get in before 7:00 p.m., after that cover charge is $5 a person.  Not bad, but in a place like this, really a cover?  It's worth it to get in before 7, but alas, we missed the seven o'clock cut off and had to pay.

The first issue I had was when I decided to buy myself a glass of wine.  The bartender shorted me $1.  I know it happens sometimes, but there you go that was your tip. Is it wrong of me to think this way?

About an hour later I decided to grab myself another glass, this time my hubs flagged down the waitress, she never brought us our drinks. Oh well, we saved ourselves another $10.  Good deal!!

Right before we left, I decided, it was time for a diet coke.  My lovely hubby went to the bar, asked for a diet coke, but came back with a regular coke. Strike three!!

Lucky 11-11-11 for me, it wasn't.  :-(.  Did I have a good time despite the flaws? Surprisingly yes, I had a great time celebrating my friend's birthday and hanging out in a place that in a way, took me back "home".  This photo, as I mentioned is an older photo taken at Cowboy County, but it represented a really happy time in my life, and to me that means coming home.

I've only been to Cowboy Country a handful of times and would never go there on my own, but overall I'm glad I got out of the house. This  place is pretty crowded and safe. It's an older establishment, but clean.  The food isn't good, pass on that. When I asked for Merlot, the waitress looked at me as if I was an idiot and asked me if I wanted red wine, but the place is still entertaining and if you go enough times you get to know many of the regulars.

*** DISCLAIMER: Oh by the way, I don't line dance, so no animals were injured in the celebration (and yes this is my pathetic attempt at a joke.)

If you're interested, here's a link to Cowboy Country in the city of Long Beach, CA!! http://www.cowboycountry.mu/

Overall Cowboy Country gets 2.5 out of 5 Gerber Daisies. It was still fun and if I had to go back I would for special occasions ONLY.


To quote Country artist, Faith Hill, Country music is the people's music.  It just speaks about real life and about truth and it tells things how they really are. I agree, that's why it's usually depressing