New Year, New Stats?

In the past "now", day, week, and month, my readership in Poland is goin' nuts. I dunno if Google or Blogger/Blogspot or someone is having a contest or something? But in the past two hours, day, week, and month, my US and Ukraine readers Have Not Equaled my Poland readers.

This isn't so much a "welcome" post as a "congrats?" post. Thank you for reading me, Poland. Might you comment below to tell me what's bringing you here? Or causing you to return? I don't feel like I'm that "interesting" to read. Obviously, I'm wrong, and I'm okay with that. But I'm also dying of curiosity. What have I done to attract such a large readership in Poland? Or Ukraine, for that matter?

Here's what I'm talkin' about:

"now" (last two hours)

day

week

month

 There's still A Lot of reading to be done, to catch up for "all time", but at the rate you've been reading me in the last month, I'd say it's possible to knock my own country out of this top spot in 2018. Challenge, perhaps? It's certainly a challenge for me, if I discover what's bringing you here!

all time

Welcome Back, (me)!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah. I know. I'm certainly not a blogger lately. And not really because I haven't had stuff to say. Just laziness, I guess. Or busy-ness. Or lazy business. #HashtagWTF?

So let's go back a teensy bit. Upon our return from Idaho, I mentioned I was applying at the pet supply retail chain. You've been sitting on pins and needles, haven't you? #DidSheGetTheJob or #IsSheNowJustTooFamousToBlogAnymore? Right?

I got the job!

I work Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. I mostly work eight-hour shifts, which is not normal for part-timers, at least at this particular company. I am great on the register, I am great with cat people, I am pretty good with dog people, and I'm really proud of the fact that, on a case-by-case basis, I seem to no longer fear dogs.

Wait, what? You were afraid of dogs up until the point you started working in pet supply retail?

Yes, kids, I have had a lifelong FEAR of dogs, in general. Growing up, at some point, Inner Hippie adopted a smallish (catlike) dog named Muffin. I wasn't afraid of Muffin, per se. But we had something of an understanding. We were not each other's Chosen One.

what a beauty, eh?

I've always been a Cat Person. When my roommate moved back to Minnesota without rehoming her cat, Miles, I kept him. We got along okay, but again, we were not each other's Chosen One. So when Cocoa and Smokey barged into my life, I found Miles another human to Choose. He DID, and now all parties are living better lives for it.

Chosen Ones

But I digress. I was always a Cat Person with a fear of DOGS. I got hired for my part-time pet supply gig, and I interact with Just About Every dog that comes into the store. And I love them all, even the ones that really couldn't care less about me. I do not love all of their people. Some people, even pet people, really suck.


Ennyhoo. I've been working weekends, and I'm approaching my 60-day review. WOW. And I've also booked a day or two of on-set work each week, except for the occasional week with zero days, in that time, and I've done some volunteering and been to a workshop or screening or two.

So hopefully, soonish, I'll review some things I've seen in the past coupla, and I'll get caught up on the blogs I read, and I'll stay caught up on blogging, too.

Didja miss me? What have YOU been up to? *If your blog is listed HERE>>>
then you don't gotta tell me \/ HERE \/ (so tell me that you missed me, instead) #wink*

Welcome, Czech Republic (and Welcome BACK, Algeria)!

I know, I know, it's been awhile since I welcomed any new readers. Frankly, I've been a teensy bit busy, what with a long-term Scripty gig and some BG day-playing and all these damn FREE movie screenings I've been attending.

So, if you're a first-time reader (from ANYWHERE), I welcome you. I hope you have found something here to pique (no, that should NOT be spelled "peak" or "peek") your interest, and that you will return, and if you're so inclined, you'll rifle through my archives, possibly taking the time to find out what I'm really "all about" (by starting at the beginning and working forward in time).

I personally love starting at "the beginning" of a blog that piques my interest to really get to know the person who needed to start publicly journaling. Maybe that's weird. If so, well, then, color me weird.

More reviews coming soon! I have two - three more screenings on the books for this week. Welcome!

Here. Lemme show you where FRANCE is, on the map o' the world.

Ya see the darkest green splotch on this map? That's FRANCE. I had (so far), in the last 24-hour period, One Hundred Twelve reader "hits" on my blog, from FRANCE. I speak No French. I pronounce a few French words very poorly (typically on purpose), like "whore's doovers" and "ovaries", and some I pronounce correctly, but I can't spell them here, because I don't know accentuation. Like "I know nothing" and "such is life" and "such is war" (but in FRENCH). But y'all, I had, in the last 24 hours, One Hundred Twelve blog hits! From FRANCE!

I'm gonna go out on a limb, and assume that at least a FEW of these hits were from new readers, so WELCOME! Sorry I don't speak any French, but thanks for your visits!

UPDATE: I also wanna show you Portugal, in case you dunno where THAT is. Last two-hour window, I've had twice as many hits from Portugal as Lee or his neighbor in Canada has visited, which means the medium-green (smallest green) splotch in the pic (pretty much in the center of the map), just north of the continent of Africa, is Portugal.

Welcome, United Arab Emirates!

I DEFINITELY had to do a search through the blog to see how long it's been since I first welcomed you, and whaddyaknow? I NEVER have (before tonight)! That MUST mean that you've somehow stumbled across me only just today (or yesterday, as the case may be), For The First Time! Incredible!

So here's my personalized-in-the-moment but fairly standard Welcome:

Thank you for visiting my site. I dunno where you are on the map (because it's too late to see you all lit up in a dark green color), and I'm a lazy, stupid American who didn't learn geography (and, well, frankly, the Google map that Blogspot gives me is Pathetic, at Best), but I'm happy you've found me. I'm hopeful that you will discover something in the archives that holds your attention and you will decide to stick with me for however long I decide to tell my personal stories. I'm hoping that you will direct your friends to find something of interest, and I'm also hopeful you will decide to interact with me.

For EVERY reader out there, I am only a "stickler" for English grammar when it is clear that my reader is a NATIVE English speaker. If English is not your first language, or even in your repertoire at all, then we will only be able to communicate via Google Translate (or with your halting English). PLEASE do not let that stop you from interacting with me! I LOVE responding to comments; I LOVE hearing your opinions on what's going on in my life; I WILL reply!

So thank you for joining us today; please return; please bring friends next time; please take some time to peruse the archives; please comment.

WELCOME!

Welcome, Colombia!

I can see your big green splotch at the top of South America, and that makes me happy. It was only the one visit, sometime in the last 24 hours, but I'm glad you stopped by. Linger awhile, breeze through my archives, see if I've said anything interesting. Come back, and bring friends.

WELCOME!

Welcome BACK, Serbia! ... and Belgium!

It's been two years since you were last welcomed back, Serbia, and I still can't find your country on my map. :( ... Bring more readers when you visit, and make a big, dark green splotch on it, so I can find you!

Belgium, you were welcomed back almost a year ago, but by the time I saw you had stopped by today, your green was already overwhelmed by the rest of the darker green (more hits) on the map, so if you come back with any kind of regularity, follow the instructions above - bring lots of folks with you, all at once!

Ennyhoo, I'm grateful for your return. I love seeing where my readers live.

Welcome BACKS! (updated)

Indonesia: It's been two years since your last visit. WELCOME BACK!

Denmark: It's been roughly half a year since your last visit. WELCOME BACK!

India: It's been nearly a year since your last visit. WELCOME BACK!

Welcome, Bahrain!

I see that you've visited my blog in the last 24-hour period ("Today"), but because I didn't notice you in the two-hour window when you were visiting, I can't see you on my map:

Yeah, I moved the names and numbers to the appropriate spots.
Where in the world is Bahrain?

The only reason I know where Belarus is, is because I happened to notice in the two-hour window when someone from there visited ("Now"). So anyway, please visit again, and bring friends, and maybe I'll see you in a darker green on the map!

*****

In other news, last night, I made an enormous dinner salad, filled with all kinds of lusciousness. While eating, I bit the side of my tongue. That really hurt. Of course, it wasn't helped by the peppery and vinegar-y items that I'd included, like fresh garlic, horseradish, and jarred capers. Tasted great, but Did Not feel anything remotely like great.

as close as I could getcha (you're welcome)

last night, in the mirror

NOW, after peroxide rinse and sleep. no better.

I know you've bitten the tip of your tongue and the insides of your cheeks and probably your lip. Have you ever bitten the SIDE of your tongue? Hurts like a motha. Also, aren't these just The Best selfies? ;)

I'm trying to plan my birthday party. Also, Welcome BACK, Belarus!

I have been somewhat absent from Facebook, so I've fallen out of a lot of my local friends' newsfeeds, apparently. This is BAD NEWS when you're trying to decide how to celebrate a milestone birthday.

Two years ago, Stephen's milestone occurred, and his feelings were hurt that not enough of his friends or family really seemed to take notice. Maybe he'd fallen out of their newsfeeds because we don't really have any idea how the Facebook algorithms really work. Maybe he'd been lurking instead of posting. Maybe he hadn't been "liking, commenting, or sharing" enough for Facebook to remind enough of his friends about his big day. I dunno.

I'm trying to avoid having my feelings hurt, because I remember two years ago. I was willing to let this particular milestone go gently into that good night, but a greater part of me (stronger? more attention-seeking? I dunno) says, "ya know what? Fuck it. Age is just a number, and I'm blessed to get a new one every year. Let's blow this motha OUT!"

But I was informed this weekend, when I attended Davis and Stephanie's party at the 80's dance club and karaoke bar, that I am not a good party host. Now, this is not actually news to me, but I was grateful for the information. I'm also grateful that my other friends, Jenn and Dave, are good party hosts, and have indicated both interest and their generosity/hospitality to host a "Blow This Motha OUT" party for me.

We had talked about it being a karaoke party, in their fabulous backyard, with a dude who sets up a system so whoever wants to sing gets to. I posted on Facebook, looking for feedback. I got very little feedback, because, of course, I've fallen out of most folks' newsfeeds. But attending the 80's dance club and karaoke bar on Saturday night actually solidified more for me than just gratitude for someone else hosting. It solidified the fact that anyone who wants to sing or dance along with 80's music that's playing in a backyard can and will do so, and no one needs a mic or a dj, if we just blast a playlist through the sound system. And the 1980's is The. Best. Era. of music for a milestone birthday. Jus' sayin'.

So now, I just need to coordinate with my hosts and Stephen the construction of that playlist for the greatest convenience of playing it, and I need to make sure that my local friends get the evite, once that's built. So this blog post is sorta dual-purposed. First, if you don't already know me know me, it's to let you know that my birthday is June 3rd, and I expect you to celebrate in some way on that day, in my honor. I like to give plenty of notice for people, so you know why you feel like havin' a party up in the hizzy (or whatever the kids are saying). Second, if I have Facebook friends who "lurk" and manage to see my posts but not respond, I'm hoping they'll "like, comment, or share" either here or on Facebook, so I know that they have an interest in Blowing This Motha OUT.

*****

Welcome BACK, Belarus. You're just in time to schedule your trip to Los Angeles. We'll be havin' a party on the 4th of June. In a backyard. With 80's music. And probably some 80's attire, if folks feel like dressing up. And potluck food/beverages. We're gonna Blow This Motha OUT. Wanna come?

Welcome, Algeria!

I was just checkin' my stats, as I do, when I saw this BRIGHT GREEN patch in the middle of the top of Africa, and I was all, like, Hello, Africa! Who did you send me? And then, of course, doing further "research", I saw that Algeria has never been welcomed here before, so this must be your first visit.

As I say to all of my first-time and returning readers, WELCOME. I hope the post or posts you read told you something interesting, or you gained a little insight into my life, or maybe caused you to wonder "who the hell is this chick?"

No matter. Welcome. Please take some time to peruse the archives, so you'll have all the answers to all of your questions, as long as they're not, I dunno, about biology or astrophysics or Quantum Chemistry. I don't know nothin' about any of that. But you know, if you wanna know something about me, well then, I may have already told you in the Archives (no, I don't have an FAQ), or if not, maybe you'd like to actually ASK me.

I have made a couple of changes to the layout here, even SINCE you visited the first time, Algeria! And, you know, probably since the last time all the rest of y'all visited. 'Cuz, ya know, it happened literally five minutes ago. So check me out; WELCOME, all; bring friends next time. And pudding.

Welcome, Northern Mariana Islands!

I spent a looooooong time "following" a buncha new people on Twitter yesterday (The Bloggess Tribe), so if you've found me via her, then THANK YOU for your visit, please come again, peruse the archives for something that piques your interest, and tell your friends! Or, if you found me somehow without any Jenny-assistance, well, then, all of the above still applies! My map, unfortunately, makes it very difficult to see islands, because, well, ISLANDS. So, bring friends when you visit again, and maybe I'll be able to find you by way of a dark green dot. Alternatively, you could comment here with a geography lesson. I ain't afraid to admit that my geography education matches that of most of the US of A - sorely lacking!

*****

In other news,
Three Good Things:

1. I have missed my steps for a couple of days this week, and somehow, I have been able to ignore the chastisement I've been receiving from the non-FitBit thingy. TODAY, I got my 10,000 steps in! Yay, me!
2. I was up until 1:30 this morning (I was about to type "last night" but I realized that it was actually This-God-Forsaken-Morning), trying to figure out/configure my Android phone and the Twitter app on said phone so that I would NOT receive noisy notifications, not even vibration notifications during the night. I did not want any of that noise to wake me or Stephen. I did eventually figure it out (by 1:30) and went to bed. I didn't quite get my minimum 7 1/2 hours of sleep, so of course the non-FitBit thingy fussed at me over that, but tonight I shall get to bed EARLY! Yay, me!
3. While I was out walking, the sky turned weird. I got a few cool pics, which I'm sharing for you here.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   While walking in the SUNNY part of the sky (like, I could totally feel the sun shining on my face), I got rained on (a little bit, like just a few sprinkles). I've had that happen plenty in Florida (they call that "liquid sunshine"), but never here. Rain is ALWAYS a Good Thing in SoCal.
4. Once Stephen got home, he ate some leftovers, so I threw some ingredients into a pan on the stove. I'm calling it Nongarian Goulash. I have no idea if it actually looks like Goulash, but it was pretty tasty, and it all fit into one pan. Yay!

"Nongarian Goulash"

Whatcha got that's good, friends?

Anybody Know What THIS is?

I had to snap this photo on my walk this evening, because I just haven't seen one in for-frickin'-ever. I know it's not a TARDIS, and Clark Kent can't change into Superman in it, but I think you can call a person not standing next to you with it if you somehow don't have a cell phone. You gotta have coinage in your pocket, though, and I'm not sure how much coinage you gotta have, and how long you get to talk to that person who's not standing next to you. But WOW.

*****

In other news, WELCOME BACK, Hong Kong! It's been a year since you first arrived, and I didn't see any other mentions, so I'm assuming you've been gone all this time. Hopefully, you've had a good rest, and you're ready to re-visit the archives and catch up on all the things here.

*****

In other other news, my allergies are kickin' my ass lately. And seriously, it's something in this apartment. I get out in the world, and the most I do is clear my throat. I'm here in the space, and I cough up a lung (or feel like it, and frankly, wish the lung would just cough up already). So I take my claritin-esque allergy medicine, and I use my Flonase steroidal nasal spray, and at night I consume some cider vinegar/honey/lemon "tea", and I suck on cough drops. And for the last two nights, I have taken some Nyquil-esque OTC meds to help me sleep.

Two nights ago, I really needed to get to sleep, and the OTC didn't help. Last night, I was just dog-tired. I took the meds, and I slept, and I didn't get up today until after 10 a.m. All day, I felt like I was in a Nyquil fog. I won't be taking any tonight. I spent most of the day in that Nyquil fog. I remember how Mommy would always talk about living her life in a fog. I don't wanna do that, if I can help it. If I need something in the daytime, I may take some Dayquil-esque OTC meds tomorrow, as long as I don't wake in the fog.

What really cleared me today, was getting out of the apartment and taking a walk. Stephen went with me, and we were only just trying to get enough "steps" in (as I spent a lot of today in bed) and clear my throat. During our walk, I saw that phone. Couldn't believe it. Had to snap a pic. That thing exists in Burbank.

When's the last time YOU saw a pay phone in person?

Welcome, Latvia!

I looked through my archives to see if I'd ever welcomed you before, and I found that I hadn't, so I'm assuming this is your first visit. WELCOME! Hopefully, you found a post or two that interested you, and you'll return frequently, maybe bringing along some friends, and you'll feel free to comment when it floats your boat to do so.

*****

In other news, I'm working tomorrow (on a show for which I cannot yet comment), and Stephen is working tomorrow, and we have a new houseguest arriving! What the what?

The previous houseguest evicted himself at the beginning of the month, so the futon is available once again. The new houseguest was looking for anyone who could offer advice or suggestions, so we've gotten a solid offer of lots of cooking for a week or so of crashing here. We'll see where this takes us.

WHEE!!!!!

Have you ever had houseguests? Did you make verbal agreements with them, or did you just fly by the seat of your pants through it all? How did it all work out for you?

Welcome, Syria! (plus, Three Good Things, Day Three)

A new reader from Syria joined us today! Yay! Welcome! Please peruse the archives at your leisure when you return, and if you like what you're reading, bring friends on over!

And now for the Three Good Things for today:

1. I had a long, luxurious soak in the tub today. I'd cleaned the tub the other day, and yesterday, when I did my laundry, I also washed the shower curtain. Not that I needed the shower curtain for a bath, but it was so nice to be able to get a clean curtain out of my way. You would think that shower curtains would never get dirty or slimy or whatever it is that they get. Why aren't showers self-cleaning? That's what I wanna know. Whatevs. I had a lovely long aromatherapy soak today.
2. I made myself a salmon melt for lunch. It's kinda like a tuna melt, but I used canned salmon instead. It's been a long time since I've had a tuna melt. Longer since I made one for myself. It tasted pretty darn good, and I have enough salmon "salad" left in the fridge for another one tomorrow. I love fish. I love easy-to-prepare, healthy food. I love being able to "toast" a salmon melt in my George Forman grill (because it's already too warm out to turn on the oven).
3. I went to Jo-Ann today to either exchange the yarn I had or to get a new set of crochet hooks, because the hooks I had been using were too large for the most recent yarn. While at Jo-Ann, I was able to sit on the floor with the appropriate sized hooks and demonstrate my new crochet skills for another customer who only knits. We had a good time, and I ended up getting the new hooks, so I could
4. get started on Emily's Moebius Scarflet. I had bought enough yarn to be able to make a matched pair for her and my niece, Natalie, but the hooks I had were just too big to work with it. So I was really happy to get it going. It's about an inch long at this point. It's super-cute, so far. Funny how I still even have any desire to crochet these days, considering
5. 80+º days we're having. OMG, I love being barefoot and wearing tank tops or camisoles! Sorry if you're still stuck in the frozen wasteland of wherever you're stuck. Also, this weather is really and truly awesome in the daytime, but as soon as the sun goes down, I still get congested and start coughing like (there'll be) no tomorrow. Allergies suck. But I'd rather have them with this weather than with the cold and damp, for sure.
6. I might get to go to work tomorrow. I'm still on the availability list for background gig rush calls, but I've already text-chatted with a Warner Bros. friend who was checking to see if I wanted his shift. So if I don't get rush-called to set, I'll call in to the Bros. to see if they need me.

I realize I posted SIX positive things about my day today. So what? Three's just the minimum. What Three Good Things happened to YOU today?

Welcome, Trinidad and Tobago!

Your countries are so geographically small on my map that I can't see your greenness, but I am glad to see new readership. So welcome. Please check out past posts to see if you have interest in my topics, and join the conversation if you feel inclined! Bring lots of friends on you next visit, and then the greenness will show up on my map! I'm always open for a new geography lesson.

*****

In other news, I bet you believed, your whole life, that if you were falling in a dream, you would wake yourself before you landed, because if you didn't, you'd die. Well, I'm here to tell you that It Ain't So. Last night, in the middle of the night, I fell from a great height in my dream. I landed s*p*l*a*t on some concrete surface, and I died upon impact. And then my spirit walked around, trying to reconnect with my survivors. My spirit didn't float or drift, it walked. I mean, I walked. It was me, with the full knowledge that I was dead. And no one could see me or interact with me. And it wasn't sad. It was just different. I eventually awoke because my bladder was full, and I realized that I had had the falling dream and had died in the dream. And I wasn't sad; I just felt weird.

So for all you dream interpreters out there - what the heck was that all about?

Good Riddance, January! UPDATED (yeah, I know, already?)

What with all the celebrity deaths and the worry and whatnot about family members and work and households running properly and much ado about nothing, I say

Welcome, February!

Today was not a great day for tours. Rain and wind and no sunshine make it incredibly difficult for the Most Optimistic and Generally Outwardly Happy Person You Know to find "three positive things that happened today" to report about work. I had to shorten my first tour; I had no time to find rain gear, and ended up completely drenched through many layers, and then... nothing. No positive, no negative. Once you're soaked to the bone, I guess the positive is that "it can't get any worse". I suppose I should have listed that. Whatevs.

I'm going to bed now. I sure hope February is better.

The UPDATE: I had begun this as a draft last night, and then forgot it, so here it is: Welcome BACK, Ireland!

It's been a year and a quarter (or so) since you first arrived, and when you did, you came in force. Then someone from your country tried to spam comment me, but blogger.com blocked it, so that was cool. Now you're back, again in force. Maybe you're the same group; maybe you're a new group. I guess I'll know if blogger.com blocks some more spam comments from ya. In the meantime, welcome back! Don't stay gone so long!

Some newsworthy news? Maybe. Also, Welcome, Belarus!

Stephen and I are dancing again tonight, and it looks like we'll have some company from my friends from Arthur Murray, so that'll be fun.

Also, while at work today at the Bros., I got to Give My First Tour to a real-life Someone More Famous than I am. He had given a personal tour of the stuff he had access to (soundstages) to his mother, who was visiting for however long, YESTERDAY. Today, I guess she wanted "the real thing", so there they were, climbing into my tour cart. I was the only one (other than his mom) who watches the show he's on, so while I talked about it a little on the tour (only when it was appropriate), the tour was pretty much like any other tour I give. He played it pretty cool and casual, and I didn't point him out to the other guests, because, um, AWKWARD, anyone? His mom did take a couple of photos of me with him, at the end of the tour, after the other guests had departed, but I can't post them, because reasons. I shared those photos with my compatriots, but discovered, when sharing them with my boss-man, that it's actually against the rules (or some such nonsense) for tour guides, while working, to ask for photos with talent... even if that talent has just spent two hours with us! Boss-man was nice enough to break it down for me in a non-boss-man way, gently reminding me of this "rule" that I had apparently been told but forgotten, because how many actors ever just show up to take your tour? ZERO. Also, Boss-man kept saying how "cool" and "awesome" and "fantastic" it was, both that he'd been on my tour and that he'd taken the pics... but not to be done again, and not to be posted, not now or ever. Oh, well. Sorry I can't share them; they're super-cute! ;)

And lastly, Welcome, Belarus! I have no idea what brought you here, but I do hope you find something of interest to bring you back. As always, please check out my archives, and bring friends when you return! And welcome BACK, Romania! Nearly a YEAR has passed since you first crossed my virtual threshold!

Welcome Backs.

Readers from Sweden, and South Africa, and Singapore, and Ukraine, and Mexico, and Thailand, and Vietnam have rejoined the rest of you here in the last week! Some visited for the first time about six months ago, and some as long ago as a year and a half ago. So, to all of you who've been away, Welcome BACK!

Today, I've been "productive", as it were, but I have nothing interesting to tell you. I sent out Cheryl's Moebius Scarflet; I shopped for some groceries; I ran the dishwasher; I ... ordered pizza for dinner? We did eat pizza for dinner, which I ordered online, but how exciting is that for you?

Sorry, everyone. Maybe tomorrow I'll actually screen another movie, and then I can review it for you. Right now, we're enjoying wine and chocolate with our viewing of the latest Downton Abbey. Yay for British television!

Welcome BACK, Japan!

Like Thailand, you were originally welcomed a year and a half ago. Thanks for returning. Please check out the archives to see all the everything you've missed!

In other news, I was on set all day. It was a good, long day. I got plenty of camera time, AND I managed to both "learn something new" and "teach something new" quite a lot, all day. Maybe when I get home from the Bros. tomorrow, I'll say more about today. I'm just ready to get this posted while it's still today so I can stick with my goal.

Be sure to stop back by tomorrow, possibly earlier in the evening than almost-tomorrow time. G'nite! :)