Neighbors on TV

So...the other day I found out that a girl from my old neighborhood who was a childhood playmate is now on a reality show. I won't tell you which one because that's not relevant. But I will say, it's not one of those embarrassing shows on network TV that makes you wonder A) if these people were raised by wolves B) if their only skill in life is to belch the alphabet while naked C) if they really expect to find love on TV or (what goes through my mind the most) D) if TV producers will ever return to script writing again.

Anyway, it's weird to see someone I once "knew" on TV. I put that in quotation marks because I haven't seen her in about 20 years. I don't know her now as an adult. I also "knew" her family, who appear on the show now and then. And boy, have they changed!

Realty TV is for other people - weirdos, freaks, opportunists, kids who were severely neglected by their parents - not kids who grew up five houses away from me. I'm glad that she looks well and seems to have a good life now. At least, due to some fine editing, it appears that way.

I've known a few people who became celebrities or pseudo-celebrities...and it's all so fascinating. They had the ambition to push beyond their humble backgrounds to become something a little larger. Or maybe it was just a chance meeting, a lucky draw, an acquaintance that knew someone...that sort of thing that propels the unexpected innocent into the next big star. Or maybe it was just some crazy stage parents who couldn't say "no."

Why do I write this? I guess it's goes back to the question "where is my life going?" When I think about it, I wouldn't trade my life for anything: I have a stable job that brings respect; I relish my privacy tremendously; I like having control over what is disclosed and what is not; I have wonderful people in my life keep me grounded; and it means the world to have just a few friends who love me for who I am - warts and all - rather than a pandering crowd of sycophants. But. It would be nice, for a moment, to know what that exhilaration felt like. And to know that, at least for that brief time, you're life will never be the same.

I hope fame doesn't change my old neighbor.

Hookd on Fonix

I'll admit it. I'm not the world's best speller. I'm not terrible, but I've never been a part of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, if you know what I mean. Still, it annoys the living daylights out of me when I see people who should know better make blatant spelling errors. Especially in this day and age of spell-checker, there really is no excuse.

Apparently, Jeff Deck feels the same way...only magnified by 100 times. He and his friend, Ben, traveled around the United States trying to correct spelling and grammatical errors whenever possible. Wow. A noble cause, that, but someone has a bit too much time on his hands, no? And their journey is now in book format for all to share in the obsessive compulsiveness.

I prefer the musings of "The Grammarphile" on her blog Red Pen, Inc. In her humorous rantings, she's imploring us to be more careful in our writing, especially when it's intended for public view, and to not be tolerant of such gross errors. OK, maybe that's extreme. Maybe she's just saying "Hey, you people are idiots and I'm going to make fun of you until you're embarrassed enough to do something about it." Or not. But it's still a good blog.

Then there are the people who REALLY should know better, such as:
Painting "SHCOOL" outside of a NC school
Displaying "shcool" on a sign at a FL elementary school
Misspelled inscription at Cambridge University
Misspelling "university" on university Websites

And my favorite - because you know at least one person will misspell one of these words today:
10 words you need to stop misspelling

Such Random Things (Music Edition)

• Barenaked Ladies and Guster? Together? On a cruise to warm, sunny locales in cold, cold February? Wow. If only it weren't for the thousands of other people who will be on board (and as a second part of this - has anyone gone on one of these music cruises? Worth it?)
  
  
• I am addicted to Passion Pit's "Sleepyhead" and am quite amused that the sampled track is none other than Gaelic favorite "Óró Mo Bháidín" by Mary O'Hara. And you thought sampling the Ricki Lee Jones interview on The Orb's "Little Fluffy Clouds" was random!
  
  
• How cute are these kids, even if they don't know what Lisztomania is? (thank you to Graham Linehan's awesome blog Why, That's Delightful! for posting it first)
  
  Songs on my summer playlist? MANY, but here's a random mix:
  
• Corinne Bailey Rae: Paris Nights/NewYork Mornings
• Bent: Beautiful Otherness
  
• The Raveonettes: Dead Sound
• Billie Holiday: Speak Low (Bent Remix)
• Gorillaz: Empire Ants
• Rusted Root: Laugh as the Sun
  
• Pet Shop Boys: I Wouldn't Normally Do This Kind of Thing
• Underworld: Two Months Off

What tunes are spinning your summer?

The Wisdom of Snapple

I drink Snapple almost every day. It tastes good, and apparently, is made from the best stuff on Earth, so you can't go wrong. Plus, under the caps are bits of real facts that are amusing. This appeals to me since I am the queen of useless knowledge.

In any case, my cap today reads "Six-year-olds laugh an average of 300 times a day. Adults only laugh 15-100 times a day." I don't know who did this research or if it's even true, but it makes you think, doesn't it? The difference between 300 and 15 is huge. And sad.

So, I think about this as my evolution around the sun completes another cycle, and I'm on the verge of turning another year older. How many times have I laughed? How many times have I cried? I can barely remember yesterday so I'm not going to strain myself to think about numbers. But I don't laugh nearly as much as I used to.

Each birthday to me is like New Years, when I think about the past year, the future, things I have done and things I would like to change. I'm not crazy about becoming another year older, but a new year is almost like a fresh start. Almost. I take stock of how far I have come, things I have accomplished over my lifetime, how I have changed and improved, and where my priorities are. I have met wonderful people along the way, have found real love, have earned respect of people around me, and still have my faith in humanity intact. In this respect, I live a charmed life. But I don't always recognize it. That is my birthday resolution - to truly appreciate my life, to embrace the love around me and to enjoy the ride - and to laugh more. Easier said then done, but it's worth a try.

So, as I count down to the next year, I have to sit back and smile today about how lucky I am. Now about getting back to those 300 laughs a day...