Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Thanks for My Child




Photos By Jenna Dosch/ViewMembers of the Vegas Mommies meet at area parks for outdoor activities with their children. Top, Skyylar Jordan, 4, gets a boost from her mother, Erika, while playing on the monkey bars at the Crossings Park, 1111 Crestdale Lane. Below, Sean Bauer, left, and Cristian Guzman play ball. Both were at the park with their mothers, Miranda Guzman, background at left, and Erin Bauer, background at right.








Last week my daughter and I were in the local paper (The Summerlin View). The photographer took some random shots of the Vegas Mommies group, we get together at various parks around town a few days a week. I wish she would have chosen a better picture but what cha' gonna do....

Monday, April 21, 2008

If




What if?


What if you were a little girl.


What if you were a little girl and someone took you from your Mother?


How would you feel if you were snatched by people you didn't know, who told you you weren't safe in your own home? The place where you have always felt safe.

Told that, your parents were abusing you-but you have no idea what abuse is. All you know is your Momma and Daddy love you. Jesus loves you. As well as the rest of your extended family.


What if you never watched television, never played a video game or even thought to ask for a cell phone for your birthday?

You never had new clothes, only hand-me-downs from other family members, you always helped your Mom with the chores and made sure your sisters and brothers were fed and washed for bed. No makeup or pedicures for you or your Mom.

Do those things, or lack of things make you abused?

You ask: Why do you think I'm abused... Why can't I stay with my parents...Why must I sleep in some strangers house...Why?

Because your parents believe in a religion, all-be-it a way of life that's different from the rest of us.

POLYGAMY.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Never too much......How will I know?


You haven't eaten in what seems like forever, you're starved-no you're ravenous. Everything around you looks and smells like heaven. Your nose is filled with the scents of your favorite foods, sweet potato's covered in sugary-sticky juices, the smoky- mesquite flavor of ribeye steaks float in from the open window. The tart and slightly charred taste of vegetables fresh off a charcoal grill begin to make your mouth water. Cakes and fruit pies still warm from the oven, waiting to be cut into. Everything you ever wanted is sitting there waiting for you to devour. Where do you begin? Do you start off slow with a little taste of this and a spoon full of that? Or, do you pile your plate high and heavy, letting you're inner fat girl show?
Someone next to you begins to pour you a tall glass of sweet tea-"just say when..."


There's your dilemma, how do you know when to say when? When is to much of a good thing just too much? Do you wait until the taste isn't as sweet and the smell isn't heavenly anymore? Until the smell is a little bit rank. Or do you take it slow and hope that there is still some left when you decide to go back.


When you've waited, for what seems like an entire lifetime to do something and the opportunity sits before you--so many opportunities-maybe too many-what do you do? All the old sayings swirl through your brain.


"Don't look a gift horse in the mouth"

"Get it while the getting is good"

"You snooze you lose"

"Slow and steady wins the race"

"The straw that broke the camels back"

"When opportunity knocks...."



You don't want to say no. You need this chance because something else my not pan out. You want this chance because it's all you've ever wanted. However, by saying yes, yes, yes to all these opportunities you may end up selling yourself short. Overextending yourself to the point that it turns more into a job then a first love. Then, in turn, your talent suffers. It's not as good as everyone once thought. I mean, it's not bad--it's just not great!


On the other hand, if you don't push yourself, how will you know what you can do? Maybe you are capable of much more then you know. "Don't sell yourself short" they say. Just think how proud you would be of yourself, if you did it all, and did it well. How proud everyone would be.....


But if you failed......?....what would they say.....?....how would you feel....?...could you get back up...?..or would you be too tired....?....cause you ate too much fucking food.

Friday, April 11, 2008

Working for the Weekend


Happy Friday!


You would think since I don't punch a clock or have regular nine to five, that Friday's wouldn't matter to me. Sometimes, they don't. Today for some reason it does. I can't put my finger on it but all I know is it's been a long week. I didn't do much blogging here this week but I plan to play catch up this weekend. I have had some great idea's for a few posts but since my wireless is having some sort of malfunc, I have to sit in one spot to work. That, I tell you, is a lot harder then it sounds for someone who is used to 'on location' writing. So for all my fellow bloggers or writers out there, my question to you is: Where do you blog/write?


On the potty, at the kitchen table, how about in bed or you a fancy blogger who uses their PDA to write your elegant prose?


You can even post anonymously, if you don't want your boss to know that you spend more time on blogger or wordpad then you do the company website.


Can't wait to read your answers!


BTW: Don't forget to stop by my shows.com blog and check out my interview with Frank Merino (see picture above), the headliner for Las Vegas' comedy show "La Cage".


There is a link in my sidebar under "Other spots you can find me".

Monday, April 07, 2008

I'm Coming Out....




So I have decided to put myself out there.



A really good friend of mine, who seems to have connections to anything and everything gave me a list of freelance job postings to look over. Now, this wasn't the first time she has given me an ad for a writing position. She is always urging me to just send something in...put myself out there....give it a try. I have been hesitant mainly because I don't have any writing credentials. Nothing on my resume says writer. Loan officer?Yes. Waitress? Yes. Flight attendant? Yes again, but writer? Nope. Other then this blog, everything I have ever written is hidden in a folder or a box somewhere. Well I finally took her advice. I sent in some of my writing samples and a blurb about how great I am. These particular jobs were all for freelance positions. Which is exactly what I have been looking for, given the fact that I am of course The domestic diva extraordinaire. Anyhoo, the great news is I got one!


It's a small website called http://www.shows.com/ . They were looking for someone to blog about the entertainment aspect of Las Vegas. You know-who's playing where, the best shows, the whats happening in sin city kind of thing. I posted my first blog last Thursday and had planned to make an announcement here last week, but you know those demons....... So I decided to wait and make sure they still wanted me after I wrote it. Apparently they do. So there you have it I'm finally getting paid to blog. Who would have thunk it? A special thank you to Kanette, for giving me that gentle push that I so desperately need.


My articles should appear every Monday and Thursday under the blog section. So even if your not planing a trip to Vegas anytime soon, stop by and take a look to see what's going on.
Hint-Hint-I get paid for page views.


The pay is very, very, very modest but it's something, and I for one ain't complaining. I mean, I do this blog for free right?

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

New Friend Request



I recently updated my page on Myspace.com. I have had a somewhat....okay all the way blank page with them for quite awhile, only really so I could keep up with a friend who is in Africa for the next few years. Other then that I didn't think much about it. Someone asked me recently why I didn't have a Myspace page and I didn't really have an answer I just never really liked it, plus I thought I was to old.


MySpace seems to appeal mostly to high school kids and other people who want to publicize their beef with "All those bytches that be hatin' on me cause they man won't stop callin' my cell".
Ghetto fab......with a capital G.

Moreover, there is just so much going on everywhere on the page. The obnoxiously busy backgrounds, bright colors and all that glitter. Just the way the screen scrolls but the background doesn't move is kind of weird. I think what is most irritating is the music. You click on someones page and WHAM! your speakers are blaring some obnoxious song. I keep my computer on mute when I go to Myspace now. Then there is the matter of your "friends". It seems like people have hundreds upon hundreds of "friends". Who are all these people and do they really know each other or are they just trying to make themselves look good? It's a popularity contest...better yet it's like high school all over again. Well I only have 18 friends so that must make me a loser....whatever.


But on the other hand, I have met a number of authors through the site. People who are both interesting and educated. I have "found" some friends from high school and some other's that could have stayed lost. Myspace, I have been told, is a great way to network so that's really my main purpose of using it. Plus, you have to admit it's a helluva lot better then blackplant...what happened to that site? I'm still trying to figure out how to feed my blog over to my page. so if you have any idea how that works please let me know. And when you get time drop by and take a looksy at my page and add me as your friend too :0