Today I am coming to terms with what I thought I was; yes what, as in ethnicity. Family lore has it that we are part Native American on my grandmother’s side. A claim she vehemently denied, one we seriously thought she was not telling the truth about.
Allow me to digress for a moment, for Mother’s Day Jeffrey and Elizabeth Anne got me the Ancestry DNA test, I sent it in. The results came yesterday, I have always wanted to know exactly what I am. Now I know.
0% Native American, not even a small trace, I have more Spanish than Native American. Scandinavian, now that one was shocking to say the least, there are zero Viking stories in our family history. I now understand why I am so fascinated with Norse Mythology, this is starting to make sense.
The strongest bloodline that I have is Western Europe, which totally makes sense due to Thomas Testerman coming from that region in 1774. No Dutch or Scottish the way Grandma always said, surprisingly Irish, which I never believed.
I don’t know where to go with this information, I am not what I thought I was, I now begin a new journey finding out more about the genetic code I am made of.
Scandinavian makes sense in a way, because I am in 1642 in my research of my Grandmother’s side of the family and I am still in America. Since the Vikings discovered this country earlier than anyone else and settled here, it is not surprising we are made up of these brave people.
So, here is what I am: 52% Western European, 23% Scandinavian, 16% Irish, 4% English, 4% Spanish/Portuguese and a trace amount of Western Asia (Turkey/Syria region).
All in all, 100% American.
I told Tessa we are not Native American and she said I could have told you that. Then I told her we were Vikings, she nodded and said well yes, I have the hat. I should have just asked her what we are. Throw in Italian and Czechoslovakian
and you have my children. We are all such a mixture, it makes us who we are, whom we identify with is up to us.
I will have to adjust my inner thinking about my ancestral bloodlines, the research will continue and I will continue to be incredibly proud that I came from people that knew what they wanted and survived great hardships to attain it. To carve out a place for their progeny and future generations, and I will also be purchasing a Viking hat and Thor’s hammer.
Excited
Well a full weekend was had; I find I need a weekend after the weekend to rest! Friday was spent cleaning and shopping for the Ladies that Lunch event I was hosting at my home.
Saturday morning was up and at ‘em early in the morning, sweeping and mopping, can’t do that the day before with a sheddy dog in the house. Then setting up for the ladies, then the actual event. I do believe it went off without a hitch, except for the person who doesn’t like dogs. I explained Stormie is not a dog, she is a Husky. There is a huge difference.
Then off to Jeffrey’s who had picked up my Bountiful Basket for me, it was all organic this time. I split it with Jeffrey and Alex as there was no way we could eat all of that before it spoiled.
Then Sunday was a visit from BBFF, his son and his new Husky Cody, very exciting, just a few incidents of territorial behavior from Stormie. Otherwise I do believe it was a good beginning of friendship for the two pups.
Then The Walking Dead, this show has me on the edge of my seat every week, I am so tense afterwards. Great show, great writing, acting, directing, the whole shebang is had here. If you are not watching I suggest you catch up on Netflix, well worth the time.
Then Monday was back to work; I have not interacted with said person from previous post yet. They work Tuesday through Saturday, so today will be the first time I will have any interaction. It wouldn’t be that big of a deal, except my disdain is furthered by the fact they made this person a trainer. Partly due to them being so bad on the phone, that is how things are handled. Oh, you’re bad at your job; let’s give you more responsibility, which furthers my frustration. Oh well, this is only 40 hours of my week, and really only 30 with this person, a small amount, I shall not allow it to change me. Did I mention we share a manager now and I have to see and hear this persons voice at our daily meetings? Prayers people!
Exciting weekend ahead, starting with a chocolate cherry facial on Friday, then Tessa, the Irishman has his girls this weekend. Then The Walking Dead, so excited!
Oh did I mention I received my copy of Thor The Dark World last night? A day earlier than the release date, this is what happens when you are a Disney Movie preferred customer. You get perks. My perk, Thor.
This is it, I can feel it, this is the movie that I will assimilate into, I have to choose my outfit carefully.
Dream
Last night I had a dream that Nocona and I were in the country visiting a friend, I was carrying her and I had to put her down to open the door. She ran off and I couldn’t find her, needless to say I woke up in tears. I don’t know what she was trying to tell me, it’s time to really say goodbye and let her go to enjoy her country life or what. I just know that I miss her greatly.
On a happier note, today is my Friday and the Irishman scored tickets to the midnight showing of Thor. Assigned seating! I am so excited, 3D, XD and any other kind of special D you can think of. I cannot wait to see one of my childhood superheroes alive on the screen again.
Stormie is doing well, adjusting to her new, pampered life, she is full of energy and fun. She loves to play hide and seek with my slippers and the Irishman’s socks.
Today will be a Starbucks day, it is Friday and I have much to celebrate, God is watching out for me, stopping me from doing detrimental things and giving great joy to this thing we call life
Never Changing Obsessions
Things I am obsessed with all of the time:
Weather, I am obsessed with weather, all kinds of weather, except for the dry hot summer weather. I like storms, clouds, cold fronts and above all snow. I like tornado season as well, and yes I know I will get some flack for that, I know it causes damage, but to see this thing, this force, that man cannot control, that does what it wants. It is an amazing thing to witness, and yes I have been through plenty of storms and tornado seasons. I grew up in tornado alley perhaps that is why I find them so fascinating.
Aliens, space aliens that is, I am completely fascinated with the thought that we are not alone; I do not believe that we are God’s only creation. I fully believe that there is other life out there; I also think that there is intelligent life out there. I am fascinated with the thought that they could come find us, visit us, and hopefully not see us as food. Since I was very young I have been obsessed with anything that has to do with something more out there. It started with Star Trek and has continued to this day with, really all programs, movies, documentaries, books, anything at all. We are not alone and one day we will see the proof.
Coffee, I am obsessed with coffee, which also started at a young age, my grandma used to give me coffee milk, it started then, I was hooked. I love coffee, the smell, the taste, the way it envelopes me and comforts me. I will never give it up, I will never switch to decaffeinated either, that is worthless, for me at least. I need the caffeine, I revel in it, it gives me comfort, I am convinced when I die and they do an autopsy they will find caffeine flowing in my veins.
Television, I am obsessed with television, I always have been, I always will be, I love it. Not reality shows, but scripted, well written, well acted television. Campy television is good as well; escapism at its best, television is one of the best inventions ever. In my opinion it is up there with the printing press, yes it is that important in my life.
The written word, I am obsessed with books, real books, written on paper, not electronic ones, those are nice as well, I have an tablet and have downloaded books, however there is no replacement for holding a book, turning the pages, it is an experience that should never be lost. With the world turning more to electronic devices I hope books do not go the way of newspapers, they are a dying form. I love the smell of the paper, the ink, everything. I love book stores, especially used book stores. There is something about them that just makes me happy.
Superheroes, I have always been obsessed with them, from the Greek mythologies to comic books, there is something about them that appeals to me. Especially the flawed ones, no one does a flawed superhero better than Stan Lee. His are exceptional, the Marvel universe is simply awe inspiring, I love them. Superman is my number one hero of all time though, I mean seriously, he is an alien who can fly and he wants to save the world. That appeals to me on many levels.
These are just a few things that never change about me, my obsessions, I many, and some change, but these do not.
Dean Cain Defection?
I have a dilemma, as you all know I own The Avengers movie, if you don’t know that you don’t know me. So anyway, I love Thor, not the actor that plays him in this movie, I love Thor himself. I always have since discovering the Norse mythologies.
Now, I have a working theory, that if I watch The Avengers enough, I will eventually assimilate into the movie itself and become Thor’s new love interest. Don’t want to hear about Natalie Portman, Jess….
Now here is my dilemma, is this cheating on Dean Cain? My love of Thor predates my love for Dean Cain, although my love for Dean has been a little consuming. If I am assimilated into the movie will I lose my knowledge of Dean? Will I no longer be able to watch him on old episodes of Lois and Clark? Will he know I have defected and my affections are elsewhere?
Here is my other challenge; I have to be wearing the right outfit when I am eventually assimilated. I have the right boots; it is just a matter of finding the right outfit to go with said boots as I will be wearing it from that point forward. I don’t see many costume changes in the movie. But here is another thing, should I wait for the next Thor movie to try and insinuate myself into it? There is not a lot of time for romance in this movie, tons of action, yes, romantic pursuits, no. So there you have it, I have many decisions to make regarding Thor and Dean Cain.
You know the funny thing is I have watched Dean Cain in Lois and Clark countless times and I have never been made part of the show. However I have a theory on that as well, since every episode is different there is little time to really incorporate myself into the story line. Since the movie is the same every time I fully believe eventually I will become part of it. I have seen The Avengers a total of 5 times now; I foresee a 6th time on the horizon.
What I am curious about is how many times does it take? Does anyone out there know? Please feel free to share any raw data you might have.
As for my relationship with Dean Cain, well, I still love him, with my whole heart and no matter what universe I end up in, he will always be my main obsession. Still waiting for him to come to town, he is after all in my pre-nup.
Scattered Thoughts
I sit here staring at the whiteness of it all, the blank page, the nemesis of anyone who considers themselves a writer. While I know I am not a writer in terms of being published, you must admit I am prolific in my attempts at being a writer.
This morning there is a lot on my mind, maybe too many things to choose from, do I write about the dream I had last night? I was with the cast of The Walking Dead only it wasn’t a show, it was real and we were all living in a school and I had Tessa with me. We had to stay in the classrooms in the middle during the night and not turn on any lights as it attracts the zombies. Or do I write about my feelings of inadequacies at being a parent? So many conflicting emotions are warring within me at the point in time. I continually question every decision I have ever made since becoming a parent. Did I do it all the right way? Did I really do the best I possibly could? So many questions, so many doubts. One thing I never have doubt in, is my children and their ability to overcome, adapt and succeed. They are truly remarkable, I can only take a minimum amount of credit, they were all born with the personalities that they have. The only thing I can take credit for is their strange television viewing habits.
Do I write about my obsessions with superheros? I am continually fascinated by all of them really, I have some that are more loved than others. Superman continues to be a favorite, I have loved him since I was 3 years old, Batman, not the dark knight one, the campy one, I love him, Wonder Woman, I want to be her. Thor, god of thunder come to earth, who doesn’t love that. I continue to this day to be fascinated by them, I know there is some debate regarding DC vs Marvel heroes and heroines, however I love them all.
Since I am so scattered today in my thinking I will sign off for now, tomorrow is a new day, a special day here in America. Where we honor all of our fallen heroes, the real ones, the ones that gave their lives defending our freedoms. More to come tomorrow.
Updates and Geek Happiness
I have an update on the toddler that was placed in the washing machine in the laundromat that I talked about a few days ago. The original news story identified the man and woman as the little boys parents. I am happy to report they were not his parents, horrified to tell you it was his babysitter and her boyfriend. The parents didn’t find out until the police showed up at their door to question them regarding the incident. This my friends is every parents nightmare, that the person you have entrusted with the care of your child, so you can work to support your family, is an abuser. Or in this case allowed someone else to harm the child. I hope they get stiff sentences, I will have to keep an eye on this. Thank you to Stacy for sending me the updated story.
Today is Friday and the start of a three-day weekend, an amazing occurrence, as next week I only work three days, without taking a vacation day, how amazing is that! I am very happy, I have my movie for tomorrow, One for the Money, loved the book, love the movie, can’t wait to watch it again.
I may sneak in another Avengers watching, I have not decided as of yet, I have a theory. I fully believe if I see the movie enough times I will become part of it. I think fighting off an alien attack will be way less stressful than the life I have here. We shall see, I’ll keep you updated. In the meantime Loki and Captain America are on twitter! Ok, so it is the actors that play them that are on twitter. I wonder if they have the internet on Asgard, hmmmmm something I shall check out when I become part of the movie.
Well must go for now, getting dressed and heading to work for another exciting day, oh, yes, I have news from the workfront. One of my co-workers, Jason, made mention of Thor being on my IPad, he asked if it was just the actor or the character that I was infatuated with. I started going on and on about the myth and comic books and Joseph Campbell, as I tend to do. I asked if it was too much only to find out he likes mythology as well, so happy to have another geek in the row! So hiho hiho it’s off to work I go, I hope everyone has a wonderful day.
Happy Thor’s Day to One and All
So today is Thursday, yes once again, it is upon us, or if you prefer Thor’s Day, which is what this day, started out being. I do believe I am going to call it Thor’s Day from this point on. So happy Thor’s Day to all of you.
I did enjoy my day off yesterday, found a birthday present for Rachel; the party is Friday night, so that is good I found something. I think it is pretty cool, I hope she likes it.
I have to admit waking up was hard today, I am very tired today, perhaps about 4 I will have a 5 hour energy drink so I can get some energy and stay awake until at least 9. Tonight is the season finale of Vampire Diaries and The Big Bang Theory; I really want to watch them. I should also get some laundry done, I did some yesterday, but it is a never ending thing at my house. I hate doing laundry; I hate the folding and putting away. If I could hire someone to do it for me, I would, however most housekeepers do not do laundry. That would be my main reason for hiring one. So, oh well, guess it is up to me to continue to do the laundry.
I took a huge chance today, I wore a white skirt, wearing white for me is always a huge deal, because I am completely clumsy and spill things all the time. It is crazy, at my age one would think that I had become at least a little graceful, but no, not me, I am a spiller from way back. I cannot even begin to imagine what I will be when I get older; I will totally be one of those old women who have stains everywhere. I really hope someone will be there to take care of me and make sure I have clean, unstained clothes to wear. At least to important functions, maybe not my at home clothes, but going out to dinner and parties and things, I really want to be clean for those types of events. So if you are reading this Elizabeth Anne, this will be your job, make sure your mom always has clean clothes when she is 90+.
Tomorrow is Friday, the day of the party; I am taking off two hours so I can get ready and look fabulous, not as fabulous as the birthday girl, of course, but still fabulous enough.
My Geek Marathon Experience
I know yesterday I posted my review of the Avengers movie, today I am going to tell you all of my experience at the movies.
It was a 14 hour marathon of all of the Avenger movies, first up Ironman I moving onto Edward Norton’s Hulk, then Ironman II, Thor, Captain America, culminating with The Avengers. The Irishman was supposed to go with me, but as you all know he has been ill, so I went alone. I could find no one to share the experience with me as it was short notice and it is hard to give up 14 hours of your day to sit in a movie theater.
I was a little nervous about going, I thought the theater would be filled with fanboys, was I ever wrong. It was such a good cross section of people, young, medium and old, there was a grand daughter who had brought her grandmother to the marathon. The girl was about Elizabeth Anne’s age, the grandmother had to be late 60’s early 70’s. She had been reading Captain America since she was a young girl, the granddaughter wanted to share the experience with her grandmother. It was incredibly sweet to see her taking care of her and making sure she enjoyed the experience. There were mothers and daughters and fathers and sons, there were women my age and of course men of all ages.
The crowd was eager, exuberant at times and always respectful, there was never any fear that someone was going to take an empty seat once you got up to use the facilities or get a refill on snacks. There also seemed to be a good combination of Marvel fans and Whedon fans, I saw Darkhorse t-shirts and Marvel t-shirts. When Joss Whedon’s name flashed on the screen the crowd went crazy, it was amazing, I still get goosebumps thinking about it. We did have about 30 minutes between movies to stretch, use the facilities and refill snacks, that was good, sitting for that long would have been incredibly difficult! One really didn’t want to miss any of the movies, even though everyone that was there had seen them about a gazillion times. I know I have, I will be going back to see the Avengers with the Irishman, he wants to see it (of course) and I want to see it with him. Just to let you all know I will go with anyone who wants me to go with them. Just let me know.
I loved the experience, I wish I could have shared it with the Irishman, he was the only thing missing. I know we would have had a blast there together, just a side note, he is doing better and was able to go to work yesterday.
My Review of The Avengers
From start to finish Joss Whedon delivers a jam packed, intelligent, funny poignant movie, remember folks in Joss’s world no one is safe. If you are not familiar with Joss’ work let me give you a little background. His specialty is strong female characters, heros with flaws and bad guys go get it in the end. No spoiler there, we all know the good guys always win, it is just a matter of when and how. We see a more mature Thor, one who gives thought before going in, although we do see glimpses of the impetuous side of Thor as well. Mark Ruffalo as Bruce Banner is balm after the mess Eric Banna made of it, Edward Norton was ok, but Mark captures his true hatred of his green side.
Black Widow is strong, and funny, dare I say shades of Buffy here, I am not a huge Scarlett Johansen fan, but I can see no other actress doing this role. She is total greatness, she actually made me want to take martial arts classes and go out and slay bad guys. We don’t see a lot of Hawkeye, but to be honest his character is relatively new to the movie world. We saw a snippet of him in Thor, but he does have a bigger role here, perhaps a Hawkeye movie is in the works, I don’t know. One can only hope.
Tony Stark, wow, in rare form, he was magnificent, really that is all I can say without giving away plot points. Captain America, wrestling with being 70 years older in a world that has changed dramatically, however, his core values never change. Amazing, just amazing.
Loki is truly a great bad guy, he just so badly wants to be adored and worshipped and really isn’t that what we all want? Be honest, you know you do, I know I do, bow down before me. LOVE IT! I love Loki, I admit I always have, I do love a great bad guy, and his role was wonderful.
I really can’t go on too much without spoilers, just please go see it, I plan on going again, there is so much going on, you miss some things. So going back again, will see it several more times on the big screen and buy it when it comes out.
Run, do not walk to see The Avengers, you will know it is the best money you have spent on a movie in a long time.
Angie World 