THE AMUSED LIFE BLOG

It's a routine I've known for at least 30 years. I know it like I know the feel of each bump on my skin as I rub my arms. A familiar 8 count of part self-flagellation, part-curiosity it's a dance I do in the wee hours of the morning when my mind is still running around like a kid on pixie sticks at a birthday party rental at the dance studio. I point my toes and leap, deep diving into the familiar dance routine and steps...search google, look up "XYZ" and just tap dance through posts to see how life is treating them.  It's when you stumble trying to remember dance steps that you did when you were in your twenties that you realize you're getting too old. The bones hit the floor harder these days and when you come across a post dated 2015 where you are referenced as a "much-needed and much-desired divorce", you realize that the old wounds from your early years still throb a bit every now and then. Mind you, I wasn't completely floored by that ...

If this 2020 taught me anything, it's that what happens in my four walls are 1001% my responsibility. I've allowed overworking and over-engaging in distractions to keep me from participating in some small way from bringing the holidays into my home. I mean we do the traditional food basics on the high-holy-holidays of Thanksgiving and such; but no decoration. No specific traditions. Something that I realize now was a gift my mother gave me as a child. What I mean by that is, the creation of household traditions and decorating for a holiday gave this growing girl a sense of wonder. Holidays were extra special because the person I loved so much made them special. The traditions were steeped in family and home. The sense of love was so real and now reflecting on everything I and others have survived in this year, it's time for me to forge some beloved traditions of my own.  I think I didn't do this sooner because I've been silently grieving the reality that having a ch...

I'm taking some time just to be me for me as I keep evolving into a hopefully better and better version of me.  Not to entertain but to just get my projects promised this year but not yet accomplished because of my accident, my covid and instead take time to catch up.  To move all my posts from my former blog to this blog.  Just to get my world ready to hopefully go very mindfully and intentionally into 2021.  With that...there will be no new episodes of AUTHENTICALLY YOU until 2021 as I have some great interviews lined up in December and will debut them in the brand new year. No I don't think new years are magical panaceas but they do allow you to set intentions and try to hit those intentions. I just want to take this time to reflect on what went well this past year, what I'd like to see change and how I can see more of my friends while still being safe. It's been one helluva year y'all. One that's changed all of us in ways we can't fully explain. In some ...

The Thursday Tunes playlist is dedicated to everyone who's doing everything they can these days to stay hopeful and positive and happy. This is for you...click the ALBUM COVER to go to the playlist! Enjoy.

FIND There's a new wing joint in town and so far, so really good! It's apparently a chain so see if there's one near you: WINGS OVER...well in my case, WINGS OVER KNOXVILLE ! Another new joint down in the UT campus area, which no doubt will do well given good wings and good tenders. We got the combo meals which gave us 3 tenders, 6 wings and a ton of waffle fries, plus a drink!  While it was a tad pricey at $14.99, they did give you a ton of food so in the end I'm not complaining at all. I opted for the Spicy Lemon Pepper seasoning on the tenders just to give it a shot since I'm not into hot stuff, and Lemon Pepper for the wings. Erik opted for the Jamaican Jerk flavoring across the board. We both downed out dinners with gusto, the woman who ordered was wonderful and the same for the lady who delivered. The wings were big and super flavorful which was great. There blue cheese was a bit overpowered by the wing flavors, but hey I enjoyed the flavors but will forgo the...

Plasma. No, not a character from Star Wars. The plasma that exists inside our bodies...or more specifically our blood. For those unfamiliar, let me give you some more details. " What is Plasma  in Blood?  Plasma  is the liquid portion of blood. About 55%  of our  blood is  plasma , and the remaining 45% are red blood cells, white blood cells and platelets that are suspended  in the plasma .  Plasma  is about 92% water." 1 2 It's the part of our bodies that doesn't require a black market to sell, because there are options to sell it legally in plasma centers probably in every major and minor city in America. In fact you can make a decent amount of "not so quick cash" in your first few donations where afterwards the price does go down for what you exchange. Is it blood money? I mean in a roundabout way yes.  You go into a plasma center, you read about all the potential restrictions and the potential risks of donating. You learn why your pl...

FIRST TIME RECIPE ATTEMPTS FOR THIS WEEK: Cheesy Spinach Pesto Flatbread   *****out of 5 Stars! Ina Garten's Baked Shrimp Scampi    *****out of 5 Stars! I've decided to make this more of an open format blog adventure and not feel like I have to "fail" anything per se. So instead I'll focus on the week of culinary adventures in my household. First of all, the two recipes I picked out to try were knock out of the ballpark AMAZING (links are above to the recipes). Seriously, they both were just sensational and the shrimp scampi was even better on day 2. However a word of, ahem...warning. Look, I'm just going to be real. I've been cooking A LOT lately. I've also discovered how much I use garlic in the meals I cook. I LOVE GARLIC. However...if you eat a LOT of garlic (as I have been doing)...your ahem, smelly bits may begin to smell like...GARLIC. Seriously, I was starting to worry that the garlic smell was just imbedded in the air, then I realized it was l...

Expecting it to be...when expectation is the thief of true understanding.  Originally posted on former blog: 05/24/20 I think the hardest thing for me in this life is realizing that I see people for who they are in depth not just their mistakes, their choices, their anger, or their hate at times. I have always been okay EVENTUALLY just letting people go the way they need to after distancing so I could get my head okay with the fact that whatever about what happened wasn't really about me because I know who I am and I know what I try to do is always with the best intentions at heart. However I know that the need to distance at times offends people to the core. I know that people want to make up their minds to just hate someone for the sake of hating them. In the end, that's their burden to bear and I'm sorry they have to live with that always eating them away. I have been judged so many times for doing so many things that people were afraid to do. I have been judged for bein...