Posted in kindness, Movies, Music, Televison

What If…?

Ever heard ’em say you gotta live like you’re dyin’?
I better get on, cause time’s a-flyin’, yeah

Lyin’ in my bed at night I’m thinkin’
What if? What if…?
Guess it’s not too late
This heart is still a-beatin’

Hate livin’ a “woulda shoulda coulda” life.
Can’t go back in time, no DeLorean, no TARDIS.
Gotta move forward, even through the endless strife.
What if, what if, what if is too big a miss
.

Maybe I gotta dream a bit bigger
Burn a bit brighter

Dig a bit deeper
Reach a bit further
Love a bit harder

Wanna go ahead with no what ifs.
Wanna move ahead with no what ifs
.

What if…?
Those two lit
tle words carry soooo much baggage…

  • Suitcases full of regret.
  • Carry-ons stuffed with yesterday’s woes.
  • Trunk of troubles.
  • Duffel bags filled with heads full of sorrow.
  • Portmanteau of problems.
  • Valise of grief.
  • Chest of contrition.
  • Gladstone bag of self-reproach.
  • Attache of shame.
  • Briefcase of emotional bruises.
  • Luggage of loss…
    What if, what if, fillin’ ’em up or toss them out?

Marvel asks the question, “What if…?” each week in their Disney+ series, “What if…?”, reminding us that one choice, one moment can change things forever…

Yet in this “golden” age of social media, instant gratification, and rushing, rushing, rushing (did I mention rushing?), we think less and less about how one moment, one choice can affect us and so many others. We get caught up in being heard, seen, being right, being busy, we forget to stop and think about others. It’s terrifying how little we think of how our choices affect others. Truly terrifying.

We forget the most important rule, do unto others…what you’re saying, what you’re doing affects not only you, but many others.

They say you gotta be brave, you gotta be bold, you gotta be wiser. But what if your bravery is hiding in the closet? What if your boldness is taking an extended vacation? What if your wisdom has been elected Mayor of Dumbtown?

You gotta be hard, you gotta be tough, you gotta be stronger.
What if you’re ooey and gooey? What if you’re as flimsy as a politician’s promise? What if you’re as weak as an adorable fluffy kitten without the adorable or fluffy parts?

You gotta be cool, but what if your brain feels like it’s on fire? You gotta be calm, what if your life is an F5 Tornado? You gotta stay together, but what if you’re shattering into a million little pieces?

Last month I broke up with myself (“Hey baby, are you a “Star Wars” sequel? Cause I never want to see you again“). https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/08/23/seems-breakin-up-was-easier-in-the-90s/

Before that I explained how i met your author (and maybe you should too), https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/05/21/how-i-met-your-author/

This month I’m trippin’ down the yellow brick road, tryin’ to find myself a brain, a heart, some courage, and a home. That “home” part may confuse those who know I just moved a couple of months ago. Yes, but sadly some aspects of my new home that would have helped me make an informed decision about moving into this torture chamber apartment, were, er, withheld. One of the biggest withholds, the icing on the crap cake…As of September 1st, new “neighbours”/post-secondary students (though I’ve called the entitled little blanks a whole lot of other names in the past few weeks). I’ve witnessed streaking and public urination…ugh. What else? Fights, extremely loud music (and not the good stuff), lack of social distancing, sharing red plastic cups, cigarettes, bottles…no masks, no brains, no hope. I weep for the future.

I’ve sadly had to cut back the activities of my support group, “Chronic Not Hopeless” https://yadadarcyyada.com/2021/01/30/chronic-not-hopeless/, we’re suffering from terrible migraines, lack of sleep, anxiety, and so much more. This isn’t just a nuisance, it’s hurting our health. But what to do? Say F it and live in a shoe? Nope, instead, we’re moving…again.

Instead of finding peace of mind,
I’m backed into a corner,
talkin’ to myself,
cryin’ to myself at night.
Filled with regret.
Back and forth through my mind.
Feelin’ like I lost a cosmic bet.
And the feeling coming from
my bones says, “Find a home”…

I’ve sadly learned/relearned important lessons. 

1) People don’t always tell you everything you need to make an informed decision and that can cost, physically, emotionally and fiscally.

2) This pandemic was never about saving the elderly, flattening the curve, stopping the spread. It was never about masks or vaccines. Lost lives, lost jobs, lost homes, lost health, so much loss. All the sacrifice. All the heartache. All the trauma. All so people could party. 

When the world smashes down on you…When people lie to you, how do you believe again? What if we all just treated each other with decency? What if we thought about others? What if instead of arguing about masks, vaccines, race, religion, medications, elections (broken systems), celebrities, and so much more, why not agree to disagree and try to make life better instead of so much worse?

This blog post inspired by some of my usual things, aka: chocolate; family; friends; music – my mind is simply a never-ending playlist; tea, hot chocolate, tea and more tea; romance novels, mystery novels, any kind of novels and non-fiction, ok, let’s be honest, I’d read the side of a cereal box – me likey words!); “The Walking Dead”, “Fear The Walking Dead”, “The Walking Dead: World Beyond” (I sense a pattern here but what oh what could it be?); sooo many documentaries; “Murder She Baked”, er and Wrote; “Mystery 101”; “McDonald and Dodds”; computers…anyone looking forward to the new “Downton Abbey” movie? And added to my unusual brainwaves:

Marvel’s “What If…?”, of course;
“Only Murders in the Building” (Star/Disney+)-
if you enjoy a good mystery, this one is full of
“what ifs” and “whodunits” – enjoyable performances
by Steve Martin, Martin Short, Selena Gomez with
guest appearances by Sting and Tina Fey;
entitled brats; kindness (we need more, more, more);
hidden traps; rain (what if we blame it on the rain?);
pumpkins;

And yet more, um, stimulus? Matthew West; Des’ree; Queen, White Stripes; “Cruella” (Emma Stone and Emma Thompson are awesome but the movie itself, sigh, way too long, probably like this post);

What else inspired this post besides
emptying my brain, er, I mean, “ER”…Generally really good,
lots of great stars
and would-be stars.

And I might be wrong but I think maybe I
could do some mediciney-type stuff now, it
seems to mostly involve saying things like:
“Get me a crash cart!”, “Crits are down!”,
“Are you my appendix? Because I feel like I should take you out.”,
“Pulse ox is stable!”, “Coding” (so much coding),
“I should take your temperature because you’re looking really hot!”,
“I’d specialize in you anyday…”,
“She’s getting tachy!”
(or was that Real Housewives?),
“You look a little down, maybe you need a a shot of Vitamin ME!”,

“I can’t wait to sleep cause ICU in my dreams every night”,
ok, wait, most of those are just me thinking of George Clooney,
Noah Wyle and Goran Višnjić
, umm, gulp, nevermind;

And still more…
“Roswell: New Mexico”;
“Secrets of Skinwalker Ranch”;
and wow, “The Suicide Squad” – 2021, with the help of James Gunn, DC finally got it right. “The Suicide Squad” is an R-rated cousin of The Guardians of the Galaxy, um, on crack? Margot Robbie rules as Harley Quinn aka Daddy’s Little Monster with fun/surreal bits from: Nathan Fillion, Peter Capaldi, John Cena, Sylvester Stallone (“Nom nom?”), Pete Davidson, Idris Elba, Daniela Melchior, Michael Rooker, David Dastmalchian, Taika Waititi, Sean Gunn, and the weasel (also Sean Gunn).

And of course, what always inspires, ice cream,
way too much ice cream
(is that a thing, way too much ice cream?);

Some other things that wandered into my life…
“Midnight Mass” (Netflix) –Mike Flanagan nods to Stephen King – in a “what if” wonderful mind mess, with a great soundtrack. “Midnight Mass”, “Haunting of Hill House”, “Haunting of Bly Manor”, “Hush“, etc., hmmm, I wonder if being born in Salem, Massachusetts influenced Flanagan to create and direct his horrors.
..


I took another bite out of the “Santa Clarita Diet”; thankful Drew Barrymore and Timothy Olyphant make the undead so delightfully delicious.

And cookies, they never fail to motivate me, how about you?

I like to think people, books, TV shows, movies, etc. come upon you not when you need them, but when you can find something in them you need. For me, “The Starling” contained this message: some things are out of our control. I knew this, of course I knew this, yet sometimes I need to be reminded of certain things. Melissa McCarthy, Chris O’Dowd, Kevin Kline, Timothy Olyphant, Daveed Diggs, Skylar Gisondo, Loretta Devine don’t disappoint in this intense, with moments of levity, but to be sure, intense, dramedy. The subject matter, grief, is a very personal and should be treated with care. Why not treat everyone with care?

My biggest inspiraton? Autumn/Fall, my favourite season: Halloween, Thanksgiving, pumpkins (except pumpkin spice, I’m gonna say it, don’t like it, can we still be friends? I support your pumpkin spice love, if that helps); the crisp air and even crisper apples; the gorgeous ever-changing leaf show; soft sweaters; softer throw blankets; comfortable walks…

Happy Autumn and have a great fall…

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Posted in COVID-19, Movies, Music

You’re Welcome

OK, OK, I see what’s happening here
(I really don’t see what’s happening anywhere these days and don’t think I want to).
You’re screen to screen with mediocrity, and it’s strange.
You don’t even know how you feel (or if you should feel, oh gosh, so many feels…)
It’s adorkable!
Well, it’s “nice” to see/hear humans never change
.

It’s been awhile, let’s begin.
Yes, it’s really me! I’m back (does this feel like a pattern?).
Breathe it in (through a damn mask)
I know, it’s a lot…
The snark,
the jokes,
gifs, memes,
(all which may or may not hit the mark)
I’m just an ordinary blogging universal life force

What can I say except “You’re Welcome!”
For the snides,
the quips,
the jests,
the puns,
the endless psuedo-goodbyes
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/09/28/we-were-on-a-break/

Really?

https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/07/08/so-long-and-thanks-for-all-the-fish/
(I mean them at the time, but then I think of all of you, dear readers and come running back! I don’t know how to quit you!)

Hey, it’s ok, it’s ok, “You’re welcome!”
I’m just a 7-year blogging Demi-Sod!
https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/08/27/message-in-a-bottle/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/02/02/theres-no-crying-in-blogging/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/04/10/im-hooked-on-a-feeling/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/06/02/nobody-puts-bloggers-in-a-corner/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2018/05/04/i-will-always-blog-love-you

Hey, what has two thumbs and is trying to stay safe and sane in bod and brain
me…we’ll see?!?

  • Thank you readers.
  • Thank you fellow bloggers (who are often readers too).
  • Thank you Graham Norton and guests.
  • Thank you Moana (this Disney movie may have way more lessons for adults than children).
  • Northern Exposure (how has it been 30 years? How?!?).
  • Thank you Ryan Reynolds for being Deadpool and yourself (where’s Maple Mobile?).
  • Thank you family (although we have one less and the world is diminished).
  • Thank you friends (all online these days).
  • Thank you Zoom meetings that are a lifeline…
  • Thank you to all the “The” stuff, ya know:
  • The Boys (why not “The Bois”?).
  • The Heart Guy.
  • The Postcard Killings.
  • The 100.
  • The Descendants (how could I ask for more, more…).
  • The Mandalorian
  • Thanks cartoons like: “Rick and Morty”, “Family Guy”, “South Park” Justice League” (animated series)…not the “other” (shudder), etc.
  • Julie and the Phantoms” (“Julie e os Fantasmas“).
  • Jimmy Fallon (I just feel there’s a lack of Paul Rudd on this show lol).
  • Hamilton” (what would we do without Lin-Manuel Miranda? I don’t even want to think about it).
  • Thanks for even the thought of Enola Holmes” and “Utopia” (can’t wait!).
  • Thanks Seth MacFarlane for giving us a million ways to laugh in 2020 https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/06/06/1-2-a-million-ways-to-die-in-the-west/ and Seth Meyers (kinda miss the sea captain), and other Seths living their best life.
  • Thank you Punisher” for letting Jon Bernthal and Ben Barnes light up the screen, figuratively and literally – “Russo!”.
  • Maybe thanks for “Cobra Kai”, haven’t watched it yet, but maybe I’ll be grateful?
  • Drew Barrymore – mock all you want but there’s something to be said for authentically imperfect people. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/06/10/cant-you-just-pretend-to-be-nice/
  • Thanks to “Gilmore Girls”, though I’m trying not to indulge again, like a comfort food, but how about “The Golden Girls”, hey Netflix, I’m pitching you a new series, “Golden Gilmore Girls” with older Lorelei, Rory, Sookie, and Lane living in Florida? It’s gonna be a hit!

I’ll keep saying Thank You even as stress (https://yadadarcyyada.com/2020/05/04/so-no-one-told-you-life-was-gonna-be-this-way/ https://yadadarcyyada.com/2020/03/17/im-still-standing-yeah-yeah-yeah/) keeps jumping me in dark alleys of the mind, attacking me from all sides. I don’t need superheroes to save me, except on page and screen, I just need some rest (chronic suckage aka Fibromyalgia blows https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/11/22/99-problems-and-fibromyalgia-is-all-of-them/), some zest…

Well, come to think of it,
Readers, honestly I could go on and on
I could explain every unnatural phenomenon (https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/10/26/my-big-fat-supernatural-life/
)
The sass, the grass, the colours, the vague meandering chats (books, movies, politics, TV shows and other shtick, it’s all about the laughs) before again going underground.
Honestly, that was me just messing around

I’ve murdered my blog,
I’ve buried its guts,
while trying to figure out what the heck is going on, it’s all coconuts!

What’s the lesson?
What is the take-away?
Be kind to everyone every single day!!!
And the tapestry here on my blog
Is simply sayin’, Don’t be trippin’ dawg
!

Look where I’ve been (mostly home).
NO, I haven’t been out of the country in 14 days (does YouTube count?). How the heck would I know if I’ve ever been in contact with anyone with COVID-19?
This is a weird way to screen…for anything. Asking us, asking us, asking us, asking us, do you have: Fever•New onset of cough•Worsening chronic cough •Shortness of breath (sometimes, when watching Jason Momoa, does that count?) •Difficulty breathing•Sore throat•Difficulty swallowing (don’t say it out loud, that’s what she said)•Decrease of loss of sense, of taste, or smell•Chills (They’re multiplying; it’s electrifying!)•Headaches•Unexplained fatigue/malaise/muscle aches•Nausea/vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain (Have you seen the news/internet? If you don’t have these symptoms you’re not paying attention)•Pink eye/conjunctivitis (gross)•Runny nose or nasal congestion without other known cause (like what?)… Why make people do that whole spiel? Seriously. Why not have a digital tickety-tappin’ done by Lin-Manuel Miranda rippity-rappin’?
(Ha ha ha ha ha ha, hey)
And, did you Wash your hands? Seriously, before, during and after COVID, wash them!!!

So here’s the thing, every day now seems like a horror movie, full of: ghouls, fools, viruses, monsters, unknown terrors, people unable to follow simple instructions (very simple, i.e. arrows, a sign that says, “keep right”, etc.).

COVIDIOTS would probably check the dark basement if they heard a noise, or would start filming an alien ship scooping up humans, or hug a demon, freshly spawned from the bowels of Hell. I would not be at all surprised. Oh look, a guy with an chainsaw, he seems friendly! https://yadadarcyyada.com/2014/03/20/25-ways-to-stay-alive-in-a-horror-movie/

What else? My love is trying to rekindle our affair, trying to lure me back into a comfy reclining chair…with Dune (and chill?). – I keep trying to get away from movie theaters, but they keep trying to pull me back in! Perfect for Autumn, amazing cast, but since people can’t even follow arrows in stores, or signs, or instructions (even physcial distancing) – could you trust them in theaters?!? COVID fatigue? Ha! https://yadadarcyyada.com/2019/09/18/head-over-heels/ Just the latest excuse for bad behaviour https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/09/16/you-had-me-at-cake/ More like people-want-to-do-whatever-they-want-to-do https://yadadarcyyada.com/2013/08/29/the-pursuit-of-happiness-cult/. They don’t care…about you (or anyone, including themselves https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/05/25/crapathy/ they just want to go back to doing whatever they want to do). Really, in this supernatural, so-much-cooler-finally-Fall https://yadadarcyyada.com/2016/10/14/the-glorious-chaos/ time, you’d think PPE, you know, mitigation practices, ya know, simple stuff like: hand sanitizer, masks, gloves, face shields, etc. would be the most precious things in the universe, but seems the pumpkin spice still wins….The spice extends life. The spice expands consciousness. The spice is vital to survival. I’m going to be honest, here goes, brace yourselves, I don’t like pumpkin spice, there I said it. Yet the pumpkin spice must flow https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/10/09/you-may-say-im-a-dreamer/

RIP RBG – you tried to make people realize “equal” isn’t a dirty word. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2015/04/22/all-the-ways-im-told-im-stupid-everyday/ You gave us hope – we’ll try to keep it burning. https://yadadarcyyada.com/2017/01/06/im-not-inclined-to-resign-to-maturity/

“There is no real ending. It’s just the place where you stop the story.” ~ Frank Herbert

Go on, tell your story and I’ll keep spilling my mind onto the screen (You’re welcome!).

Posted in Blogs, Books, Canada, Chocolate, Christmas, Environment, Family, Food, Holidays, Jane Austen, Movies, Music, Political, Televison, Uncategorized

You May Say I’m A Dreamer

1apeace22All that peace and love stuff, it’s just idealistic mumbo jumbo, right?

Or is it?

While I admit I don’t understand a lot of stuff, but as long as it’s not really hurting anyone, why would I care?

Too often, the commonly held view seems to be that if we don’t agree, we’re at odds.

Like somehow 7 billion of us are suddenly going to start agreeing, or we have to battle it out Star Trek style.

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For example, I find the rise of pumpkin spice alarming – apparently pumpkin spice is a season now, so the pumpkin spice must flow.

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Here’s a completely incomplete list of stuff people do that I don’t ‘get’, or want to (no particular order):

1. Touching wet paint or wet cement – yes, it’s wet, move on.
2. Running water after going to the bathroom instead of actually washing your hands.
3. Lying, lying, and what was that other thing, oh yeah, lying.
4. Judging a person based on their skin tone, religion, race, nationality, whom they choose to love, clothes, home, family, etc.

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5. Walking into traffic looking at a cellphone.
6. Bad driving.
7. Hurting others, especially children.
8. Loving something just because it’s endorsed by or has the name of a celebrity.

1funny1092
9. Using racism as a political strategy.
10. Fat shaming, and also those who say fat shaming is wrong, because they’re also calling people fat.
11. Having fictional conversations in your head with others (ok, done this).
12. Not smiling back at a child or being impatient when an elderly person is slowly walking down the stairs in front of you.

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13. Yelling at furniture that jumped out and stubbed your toe (ok, I’ve totally done that).
14. Wearing uncomfortable shoes (especially with stubbed toes).
15. People who pretend they don’t fart (you do, we all do, own it).
16. Reading the instructions after you’ve done something.

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17. Saying “I’m sorry” when you’re not sorry.
18. Unenvironmentalists (you know that should be a word).
19. Buying non-orange pumpkins.
20. Pretending you don’t wish some cool movie-like thing would happen to you today instead of just the usual stuff…come on, you really haven’t done this?

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I can’t understand how people find the time or energy to judge, fight, or generally care so much about everyone else’s business. Does this have to do with our fight or flight response? Not running from sabre-tooth tigers (mostly), our fear response is now triggered by shopping (prices are terrifying), finding info on the internet (bloodcurdling), and politicians (I’ll take the tiger). Obviously our fear of scarcity has survived, so maybe those who are different or disagree feed into that fear. I’m just guessing, frankly, I’m baffled.

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The internet just seethes with fear and loathing which is why I’m happy when I find bloggers who make me smile. David Prosser, a wonderful, funny, and caring blogger from Wales offered the world his Buthidars philosophy https://lorddavidprosser1.wordpress.com/ – a hug, a good deed, a simple gesture, a smile…forging a path toward peace.

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And he shares his life each week at: https://barsetshirediaries.wordpress.com/ and kindly shared one of his novels, The Queen’s Envoy, with the caveat, it wasn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Perhaps, but I emphatically enjoyed the fanciful flight of fictitious foibles. It reminded me of watching Bond movies with my Dad. As a child I didn’t understand what Pussy Galore, Holly Goodhead, and “Oh James!” really meant, but the spirit of adventure always made me feel like anything was possible. I like that feeling, wherever I can find it.

It’s Thanksgiving this weekend in Canada; I’m thankful we can all agree to disagree, eh. I don’t tell people they’re stupid for their beliefs and I don’t expect them to understand my complicated relationships with: chocolate, spiders, TV, sleep, housekeeping, kale, Jane Austen, gravity, technology, toenail clippers, Christmas, pools (you know, cause of sharks), clowns, Thanksgiving, meat, and life in general.

We don’t have to agree to have fun, be respectful, and add love and hope to the world.

All we are saying is give peas peace a chance.

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