My "Tough Love" Play List

Music for channeling your inner "bad girl" ...   

1) Army of Me ... Bjork                                   
2) Uprising ...Muse
3) Stay too long (Pendulum Remix) ...Plan B
4) Truth or Dare ... N.E.R.D., Kelis, and Pusha T.
5) Hard ... Rihanna and Jeezy
6) Circus ... Britney Spears
7) Strut ... Adam Lambert
8) Fever (Adam Freeland Remix) ... Adam Freeland and SarahVaughan
9) Bad Romance (DJ Dan Remix) ... Lady GaGa
10) Give it 2 Me (Paul Oakenfold Drums in Remix) ... Madonna
11) Only Girl (in the World) ... Rihanna
12) Let Me Think About it (Radio Edit) ... Ida Corrs vs Fedde Le Grand
13) Feedback ... Janet Jackson
14) Keeps Gettin' Better ... Christina Aguilera
15) 2 Hearts ... Kylie Minogue
16) Good Boys ... Blondie
17) My Delirium ... Ladyhawke

Sucker Punch

I really want to see this. It looks so badass.  Gotta love tough chicks in sexy outfits that kick some major butt.

How I Made It Through the Winter

  Winters in the desert climate can be brutal on the skin, and this year was a particularly cold, dry winter for Southern California. As a result, my hands became extremely chapped and irritated. I tried just about every over the counter cream, lotion, and ointment available, with no relief. The product would either wear off after a few minutes or wouldn't do anything at all, except leave a trail of smears on everything  I touched.
 As a last resort, I gave Burt's Bees a try, since I had read great reviews online about many of their products. I was very surprised at how well the hand cream worked. It hydrated and soothed my hands without leaving them greasy or sticky. Plus, the effects lasted  for quite a long time. After using the hand cream 3-4 times a day, my hands were back to normal in about 5 days. That's saying a lot, considering I had scaley patches of dry skin on several fingers.
I have added this hand cream up to my "product that I can't live without" list.

Thoroughly Therapeutic Honey & Grapeseed Oil Hand Creme

When Life Hands You Lemons

  I'm always amazed at how people respond so differently to bad news. Some handle bad news very well and can think fast on their feet with appropriate responses and actions. Others seem indifferent and just shrug it off. The more fragile will fall apart and become an emotional wreck. Then, there are those of us who clam up, say the wrong things, and come off as a complete moron.

 It never fails, when I get bad news my mind decides to go on vacation, leaving the shell of myself to deal with it on my own. I end up feeling awkward and give one of my typical responses, which is, "Well, ummm, ummm. Yeah, well, ummm." Later, when things have either settled down or are resolved, that's when my brain will come up with lots of useful ideas and suggestions. By then, it's usually too late to do anything and the damage of my dorkiness is done. 

  I often wish that I could hire a service to take the bad news for me, make whatever decisions that need to be made, give appropriate condolences, etc. All the while, giving me full credit for the good deed, no one having a problem with it, and it being totally acceptable in society. A "Bad News Handling Agency", perhaps? BNHA for short. The new catch phrase could be, "When life hands you lemons, hire someone else to solve the problem for you."

What I'm Reading Now

 Since the vampire genre is in full hype and I'm a big fan of the "True Blood" series, I decided to give the Sookie Stackhouse novels by Charlaine Harris a try. I'm half way through book two of the series, Living Dead in Dallas, and I'm really liking them. I was very skeptical when I started the first book, Dead Until Dark, but they have turned out to be very fun, light, and entertaining. The book series has less violence, drugs, and sex than the HBO series, but it gives a lot more insight into the characters and the supernatural world. I can't say that I prefer one over the other, since they are both very good in their way.
 They're not dark and gothy like most books in this genre, so they can appeal to anyone, whether you're a fan or not of the vampire genre. I highly recommend this series for those of you looking for something quick, fun, and sassy to read. -Don't underestimate them, they are addictive once start.-

Trials and Tribulations of a Houston Socialite

"I don't want Google knowing about me." My mother-in-law said this when she discovered pictures of herself posted on a site related to an event that she had recently attended. It made her very uncomfortable and afraid that someone would potentially stalk her. We explained to her that it's almost impossible these days to not be on the internet somewhere, even if it's just your name. Basically, if you exist, you're searchable.
 Not satisfied with that answer, she insisted that we find a way to "get her off of the internet".  We didn't know if it was even possible to "get her off of the internet", and we had no idea where to begin. My advise to her was to search for a cyber p.i. to handle the case, since it was clearly out of our league. My husband also suggested that she sever all ties with friends and family, use an alias, and always leave the house in disguise. (Yes, my husband is a smart ass.)
 To a socialite, life without parties, gallas, and other miscellaneous events is no life at all. So, when faced with the dilema of choosing between an extremely active social life and internet anonymity, her stalker fears miraculously faded, and her her social life won out. Her anxiety then turned to making sure that her "good side" is taken in photos, since Google now knows about her.

Agricola

Lately I've been attempting to play the popular board game Agricola. I won't even try to explain the rules, since they are as complicated as building a nuclear bomb. However, the idea is to build a simple farm, add upgrades like stables and livestock, and expand your household. Sounds easy, right? ...Wrong! I've played several times now and still have no idea what the best stategy is for winning. Eveytime I think I'm doing great I end up being dead last or failing miserably. I'm not giving up on this game, though. The challenge is part of the appeal (addiction).

 I highly recommend this game for those of you who play chess or other strategy based games. You won't be disappointed, as there is more than one way to play Agricola. The number of players determines the way the game will be played. If you're up for the challenge, then good luck and I hope you fare better than I have.