Soul Thumping

I was Infatuated with Johnny Quest - Yes, the Cartoon Character

Is it wrong (or disturbing) to have a crush on an animation?  Not knowing everyone's opinion on this--though I can guess--I have to take the risk and make a confession:  I was enamored with the cartoon character, Johnny Quest in the late 70s to early 80s.  It was in syndication by then of course.  The original series only ran from 64 to 65.  I watched the cartoon on Saturday mornings during my pre-teen years and I desperately wanted Johnny Q to be my boyfriend (I didn't have a real boyfriend back then).  He was cute and smart and always in and out of danger.  He was the perfect "fake" boyfriend.  The animation was actually advanced for the early 1960s, so Johnny seemed real, not like the typical cartoonish cartoon characters that Gen Xers were used to seeing.  He had real-looking hair and facial features, and the slightest hint of pre-teen muscles!

I know Johnny Quest was a cartoon, and I didn't (and hopefully still don't) have issues between reality and being "somewhere over the rainbow" but he was cooler than any boy I knew andhe had the great fortune of traveling to exotic lands (perhaps that is when my love of traveling to countries with cultures completely different from my own was first awakened) with his dad, Dr. Benton Quest, Race Bannon (spy, action hero?), and Hadji, Johnny's friend and adopted brother.  Oh, and I can't forget Bandit, the dog!

If only Johnny Quest knew I existed back then.  He was much too busy for a girlfriend, chasing down mysterious goings-on with his father and team in faraway lands.  I used to love the music in the episodes.  The pounding beats of drums made my enchantment only that much stronger, hoping against hope that Johnny would survive the mummy chase, or the cannibal-like tribe members from some undisclosed country chasing him across dark waters.  Oh Johnny, you will always be my first love...I've got to get a job soon.

Here is a link to the original opening credits of Johnny Quest (1964):  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_fYTA7bxqP4

--Fortuitous Observer

An Impasse - the Moth and Myself

I cringe at the crunching sound made by a roach as it's being squashed.  I nearly suffer from spasms when I accidentally step on a ladybug or a beetle when I'm outside.  I used to separate sparring ants with sticks or blades of grass when I was a kid because I didn't want the ants to fight and hurt each other.  Spiders skeeve (I don't even know if that's a word) me out beyond explanation, but I go to great lengths to keep from killing them (including pretending I don't really see them, that I'm just having a "flashback").

In my early to mid-twenties I studied Buddhism for a time, and having a good grasp of karma, I don't like the idea of taking the life of another living creature, no matter how much the creature gives me the willies, lest we meet again in another life!  The other day I had my boyfriend Pat kill a roach that was crawling on my living room floor because I thought I would hyperventilate.  He did it, not me!  I'm safe.  When I visit my parents in Florida, they like to go fishing in the ocean.  I break out in hives thinking about hooking a fish and being responsible for it's death, so I usually decline to fish and just stick to reading while on the boat.  I'm not a vegetarian, and I love seafood, but I don't want to be the actual executioner.

It is this disdain for killing that allows the ugly gray moth in my bedroom to continue to live.  He came through an open window during the night last week and he can't seem to find his way out again.  I keep the window slightly cracked (enough to let the moth out, but not my less-than-brilliant cats--I don't have the screen in the window and I doubt they would land on their feet from the 2nd story window) in order to precipitate his departure but he hasn't picked up on it yet.  So, for the past several nights he has parked himself on my bedroom ceiling, right above my bed.  I stare at him, noticing how ugly and creepy he is and wishing he would leave.  I won't kill him but he doesn't know this.  His only instict is to survive and he doesn't know how long I will allow that, so he makes as few moves as possible, unable to get back outside.  I don't want him to leave the ceiling and land on me, so make as few moves as possible at night so as not to startle him into flying around.  The moth (I've started calling him Harry), I am sure, does not want to be in my room anymore than I want him in my room.  We are at an impasse, he and I.

-Fortuitous Observer

Some Random Stuff

This is a fun list that was going around Facebook a couple of months ago (could still be for all I know) and I found these questions to be interesting enough to merit jotting down the answers.  My answers are in red, following the questions:

WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE?  Yes.  My full first name is Cassandra.  My mother named me after a witch by that name in the 1960's - 70's soap opera "Dark Shadows."  My middle name, Lyn, was taken from the first part of my father's middle name, Leonard.

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CRIED? A few days ago.  I'm unemployed, remember?

DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Sometimes.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? I don't really eat lunch meat.  Too much sodium.

DO YOU HAVE KIDS? No, which is probably a good idea.

IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Of course!

DO YOU USE SARCASM? Incessantly

DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS?  So far, but there is still time.

WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? Sure

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Kashi Whole Grain Puffs

DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on how lazy I am at the time.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM? Natural Organic Vanilla Bean

WHAT IS THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT PEOPLE? Whether they are smiling or scowling...most people seem to be scowling

RED OR PINK? Pink

WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? I am the world's biggest procrastinator

WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? My dog Sparky : ( r.i.p. Sparky

WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? Gray shorts and pink flip flops...again, I'm unemployed, remember?

WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? My iPod, "Chocolate & Strawberries" by the Januaries - You can listen (and buy it) if you want from my Amazon MP3 widget at the top of my page.  It's there.  A cool tune!

IF YOU WERE A CRAYON, WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Red...long story, but I found a red, perfect, unused crayon once when I was having a very bad day and it made me happy : )

FAVORITE SMELL? Fresh cilantro

WHO WAS THE LAST PERSON YOU TALKED TO? The kid who bagged my groceries yesterday.

FAVORITE SPORTS TO WATCH? College hoops, NFL football, and tennis

HAIR COLOR? Medium brown (this month)

EYE COLOR? Blue

DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? Yes...I'm legally blind, vision is 20/480

FAVORITE FOOD? Indian - extra spicy

SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? Scary Movies!!!!  I'm a junkie and I have a large collection of horror flicks!

LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED?A Korean horror flick the other night, but I can't remember the name of...not very good.

WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? Blue Tshirt (if you read the above about pants and shoes...it is certainly a colorful day at Cassy's house).

SUMMER OR WINTER? Summer!!

HUGS OR KISSES? Hmmm, depending on the giver!

FAVORITE DESSERT? I don't eat desserts to often, but I love Baklava, when I'm bad.

WHAT BOOK ARE YOU READING NOW? "100 Ways to Motivate Yourself". I'm trying to actively deal with my procrastination problem.

WHAT IS ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? It is made to look like a Persian rug.

WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? House

FAVORITE SOUND(S)? The chirping of the birds who have made a home in the shrubs outside of my home office, Billie Holiday belting out a sad tune.

ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles.

WHAT IS THE FARTHEST YOU HAVE BEEN FROM HOME? Africa - Kenya and Tanzania

DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? I can touch my thumb to my arm...I'm not exactly bragging about that folks.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN? Charleston, WV

HOW DID YOU MEET YOUR SPOUSE/SIGNIFICANT OTHER? We were in the French Foreign Legion together...ok, not really : )

IS THE CUP HALF FULL OR HALF EMPTY? Half full - most of the time

IF YOU COULD SIT DOWN TO DINNER WITH FIVE PEOPLE WHO WOULD YOU CHOOSE? Ernest Hemingway, Edgar Allan Poe, the shady CEOs/CFOs of the companies who started this ridiculous recession - soon to be a depression (it would be their last meal), P@, and my dad.

What are Patience and Where can I Buy Them?

I discovered, amongst a large number of drunks on Saturday, that I have no patience.  Wait a minute.  Let me clarify this.  I already know I have zero patience so I didn't exactly discover it on Saturday.  I was made acutely aware of this fact on Saturday at the World Beer Festival.

I am a connoisseur of fine ales, as is my brother and several friends, so we purchased tickets to the World Beer Festival a couple of months ago (it sells out quite quickly) and geared up for a night of beer tasting in downtown Raleigh.  Over 300 beers, and 4 hours to try them!  It promised to be a great night under the stars with no rain.

The first obstacle to try my patience involved getting into the event.  The line wrapped around, and around, and around.  This wasn't necessary.  The folks who volunteered to run the event were lacking in team coordination skills (and probably brain cells that gel).  After a while we figured out that by bypassing the blivet (I learned this word from my brother-in-law Bill a few years ago), we would find volunteers who actually knew what they were doing.  I don't mean to sound so harsh, but when one pays $40 to sample many, many beers and you have only 4 hours to do so, you would like to start on time.  That's all I'm saying.

Once we got passed the gates and into the park where the event took place, I noticed that my blood was boiling because of the torture we went through getting inside.  I frantically began talking myself into calming down and finding something that resembled patience.  I found a happy place and put on my smile.

The next feat was to get to the beer vendors themselves in order to sample their wares.  This did not look like it was going to be easy because the event appeared to be grossly oversold and I'm sure fire codes were being broken left and right.  All ticket holders received a 2 oz. plastic 'shot glass' and the vendors fill your glass with a sample of the brews you want.  As it turned out, the waiting in line for the beer was better than I expected.  There were 3 or 4 tents spread around the park, each housing several beer vendors so not everyone was crammed under the same tent.  For the most part, it was not too taxing and my patience (what little I had gathered) were in tact.  However, as the night wore on, and the 21-year old frat boys who could care less what the beers taste like as long as it gets them drunk, did get drunk!  My patience waned a bit but I kept my cool, mostly.

I myself was once 21.  I remember drinking whatever was cheap and would make me stumble and forget where I was.  It is this reason that I try to be a bit understanding, lest I be called an "old bitch" by a 21 year old.  I did try to be understanding and remember I was young once too.  I dug deep into my soul and tried to scare up some patience yet again, even when the drunk frat boys became loud and obnoxious and falling into people and jumping in line.  This is why I'm not allowed to own weapons (I do have pepper spray, but I don't carry it to events because there is no question that I would mace someone), or anything sharp for that matter.  I would use them.

Anyway, we did have a nice time and I didn't hurt anyone.  I sampled some great brews (I highly recommend Eel River Brewing Company from California.  The IPA was my favorite, and the brewery is certified organic) and enjoyed the evening out with friends.  I will probably even go back next year.  I have already decided that my New Year's resolution for 2010 will be to meditate more and not let idiots, I mean other people, get me so annoyed.  Patience is a virtue.  I don't have any yet, but I'm going to find some.  Does anyone know where I can get some, cheap?

Karmic Retribution - Part I

Ah, karma.  It is grand, especially when one sees it in action!  There are many definitions of karma out there, but the most simple one (in Hinduism and Buddhism), is the idea that the effects of one's actions and thoughts determine his destiny in his next life.  I also believe that it is not only the next lives that are affected, but the present life as well.  In short, what comes around, goes around, and does it ever!

I've titled this post "Part I" because I see examples of karma biting someone in the ass everyday and I'm sure this will not be my last posting on karmic retribution (not as long as people still exist on this planet).

Last week I pulled into the same gas station I always do for the necessary fuel up.  I'm very conscious about making sure I pull all the way to the furthest pump so that other people who may pull in behind me don't have to squeeze around my car to get to a pump.  That's just me.  I'm polite that way.  Anyway, on this particular day, a woman (I'm using that term lightly here) pulled to the very first pump she came to and stopped.  The problem was that a delivery truck was parked to the side, almost parallel with her car.  As I pulled in, I noticed I couldn't go around her to get to the other pumps because of the delivery truck.  Because she had just stopped and got out, and had not started pumping her gas yet, I--very politely--asked her if she minded pulling her car to the furthest pump ahead of her because I couldn't get around.  She glared at me and in a nasty voice, venomously hissed, "Yes, I do mind, I'min a hurry."  Okee dokee.  I sat, stunned, for about 2.5 seconds thinking of all the vile names I could launch at her peroxide-bleached head, but I didn't.

After 2.6 seconds, I decided perhaps I could back up, then back my car up to the pumps on the other side (my gas cap is on the driver's side), but another vehicle had pulled in behind me (unaware that he would not be able to go around her as well because of the parked delivery truck) and foiled my plan.  Uggghhh.  OK, I eyed the distance between her SUV and the delivery truck and came to the conclusion that perhaps my little Scion could squeeze between her SUV and the delivery truck.  I held my breath, tried it, and success, barely, and I mean barely clearing the side mirror of the delivery truck!  I pulled to the very first pump.  Unfortunately, the car that pulled in behind me was too large, so he had to back up and go to the other side.

I get out of my car and take the gas cap off.  I wanted to pluck the inch and a half long fake hot pink finger nails off of that "woman" and push each of them individually into her eyes, but I didn't.  I'm 40, and unemployed.  I didn't want to add convicted felon to that delightful list.  So, as I'm pumping my gas, I notice she is kicking the gas pump and yelling, "Why isn't this working, damn it!"  She then stomps off inside to presumably yell at the cIerk for the machine not working, then comes back out within seconds, gets into her SUV and pulls up to the next pump, the one right behind mine!  By this time I was almost finished pumping my gas, but I was so curious at what was taking place.  After pulling to the middle pump, she gets out of her SUV and tries pumping gas again, and immediately starts kicking this pump!  Did she not know what she was doing?  Were both pumps really not working?  Or, was it karmic retribution?  I think the latter!  I put my gas cap back on, gave her a quick look and sweetly said (really, I did say it sweetly), "Hmmm, maybe it's karmic retribution?" I'm sure she didn't know what it meant, but I gave a quick smile and a quiet little laugh, got in my car and drove off.  I'll repeat my opening line:  ah, karma.  It is grand!