<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052</id><updated>2011-07-07T22:04:11.014-04:00</updated><category term='vote'/><category term='NOTA'/><category term='marriage'/><category term='election 2008'/><title type='text'>hapless roamantic</title><subtitle type='html'>a wandering wonderer, an enthusiastic explorer, a roaming romantic, a roving revolutionary, a pensive philosopher, a passionate poet, a visceral visionary</subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>16</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2305295622501809438</id><published>2009-12-16T02:54:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2009-12-16T03:27:12.084-05:00</updated><title type='text'>been almost a year...</title><content type='html'>it's been almost a year since i last posted.  so little and yet so much has changed since then.  some good, some better, some lessons i'd rather not have to re-learn.  &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;i am no longer working in human resources at a medical device company.  thank the heavens!  while being unemployed is not the most fun place to be, i am most certainly excited about the adventure ahead.  i do not regret studying for and passing the test to become a certified professional in human resources.  but, i've always felt the corporate (whether for or not-for profit) world was a 'fall back'. while i say i go back to it for the money, honestly, i usually go back to it, to prove i can.  that i'm smart and talented enough to make it in that world.  this way, when i choose to leave it and to live in a tiny room in brooklyn with 4 roommates and no tv, i know, deep down, that i've lived the on the other side of the tracks, and was joy-less.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;my joy comes from the arts.  i'm a choreographer, a writer, a singer, a dancer and an actress.  i produce great and wonderful pieces, in my mind.  an intellectually creative mind, that lives so far outside the box that it believes the box is merely a myth.  &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;but i live in fear.  and i allow external things to change my resolve.  i have made many a great excuse as to why these many talents have remained in a semi-dormant state.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;my hope is to live in the land of defeat no longer.  my aim is to succeed.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div&gt;and this time, however long that time is, this time, i will.&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2305295622501809438?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2305295622501809438/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2305295622501809438&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2305295622501809438'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2305295622501809438'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2009/12/been-almost-year.html' title='been almost a year...'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2162381932353018243</id><published>2008-12-21T02:28:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-21T04:25:10.372-05:00</updated><title type='text'>i always feel like, somebody's watching me</title><content type='html'>in my last post, i talked about this dress i was trying to make for an upcoming event. well, i finished the dress! and i was indeed able to wear it to the event/party. i have to say, i was, and am, pretty darn pleased with myself. :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i ended up staying up till 5 AM trying to finish it, and almost thought it wasn't going to happen but, it all worked out in the end. i totally fit in and nobody knew i hand made the dress, except whenever my friend told them. she was so impressed she kept telling people.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the party was fantastic! so many celebrities, and ones i never expected to see there. i was shocked with how thin the actresses were. i mean, we're talking size negative 2. &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;i'll&lt;/span&gt; admit, i understand models being so thin, because in that arena, it's all about showcasing the clothes. but i really cannot comprehend the necessity for actresses to be so excessively thin. thinner than your average, maybe, but not model thin. that's just crazy! i feel bad for them actually because, if they don't maintain this level of "thinness" they may just not get work, and, to be honest, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; glad my job doesn't require me to have to look a certain way.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;anyway, the party was a lot of fun and i had a grand old time meeting some fabulous people, both famous and not. while my intention is not to drop too many names, there are 3 names i do want to mention.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;andre&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;braugher&lt;/span&gt; - i have always loved his work, since &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;homicide&lt;/span&gt;: life on the streets, and couldn't believe i got to see him in person and share the dance floor with him and his wife. it was actually pretty cool!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;jason&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;o'mara&lt;/span&gt; - i actually tried to watch 'life on mars' simply because he's the lead, but the show couldn't keep my attention. i just think he is so fine, and i pretty much stared at him the whole night. although, i wouldn't speak to him, or go near him because i wanted to be respectful of the fact that he's married. i accidentally ended up right behind him in line at the bar on my way to get another diet coke, but left the line because i felt like he might think i was stalking him. &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;lol&lt;/span&gt; :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;william&lt;/span&gt; hurt - while i met, and was introduced to a multitude of people that night, most of them were doing the industry schmooze thing. this meant that they spent their time talking to and chasing down other industry types and a non-industry person, like myself, was not who they wanted to spend a lot of time chatting with. and i really have no problem with that. i honestly don't. i understand it completely and don't begrudge anyone, in this economy, wanting to chase down people that can help them find they're next gig, and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not one of those people. that being said, there was one celebrity, and only one celebrity that made a point to introduce &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"&gt;himself&lt;/span&gt; to me, and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"&gt;william&lt;/span&gt; hurt was that one person. i give him major kudos for that!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so, after having one of the most fantastic evenings i have had in a long time i was pretty much just sitting on top of the world! and then, a few days later, everything changes...&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;***cue sinister music***&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i start getting phone calls from a private number but no messages are left. on &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"&gt;tuesday&lt;/span&gt;, after the 2&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"&gt;nd&lt;/span&gt; of these calls that day, and four the day before, i finally pick up, only to hear the caller announce himself as being with the new york state police. he tells me that my car was seen on a video tape of a parking lot near a 'shooting' that &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"&gt;occurred&lt;/span&gt; and they were wondering if i had witnessed anything. thing is, i knew there was no way that my car was in a parking lot at the time they said the video showed it because i was driving it at the time. but the investigator was &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"&gt;insistent&lt;/span&gt;, and i was starting to get upset. i mean, i seriously initially thought the whole thing was a joke and that some morning radio show hosts were going to come on and tell me i was being 'phone tapped' or something.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;when i got off the phone with the investigator, i called the number the investigator gave me, right back and start questioning the guy that answered. i then requested to speak to the investigator's supervisor. the whole thing just seemed a little &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"&gt;hinky&lt;/span&gt; to me. i was afraid it was a scam, or maybe some identity theft thing, so i was persistent. in the course of my conversations, i found out that the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"&gt;nysp&lt;/span&gt; had contacted my local police and sent them to my residence &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"&gt;sunday&lt;/span&gt; evening to verify that my vehicle was there. they kept wanting to know if someone else had access to my vehicle and i told them there was no way my car was where they said they had video of it being. they still wanted to talk to me, to find out if i had 'witnessed' anything and i still thought the whole thing was shady. i told them i wanted to see this video. they said i would need to come to their barracks, a good hour and a half from my home. i told them it would have to wait until &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"&gt;saturday&lt;/span&gt;. they then said they would come to my local police station on &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"&gt;thursday&lt;/span&gt; instead and bring the video with them. i said fine, and the meeting was set.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;on &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"&gt;thursday&lt;/span&gt; i go to the local police station and ask for the local detective that was working with the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"&gt;nysp&lt;/span&gt;. i wait for the the investigators to arrive. when they finally do arrive, they try to start questioning me about my whereabouts the night of the 'incident'. i ask to see the video. they inform me that the quality of the video is too poor to make anything out but that they have equipment at the station that enhances the quality of the video. they then show me a print screen from the video of what is supposedly my car. it is basically a blur. &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_23"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; still thinking this is &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_24"&gt;hinky&lt;/span&gt;.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;finally the senior investigator gets honest with me and explains to me what really happened. apparently someone impersonated a cop by flashing his headlights at a car that contained a young lady in her early 20s and got the girl to pull over. he asked her to get out of her vehicle and he then proceeded to 'fondle' her. the victim gave my license plate number and car description as the car the culprit was driving. and apparently she was very insistent about the information.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;as we went through the events of the evening, the same evening as the event/party, it was determined that there was no way that anyone else could have been driving my car at the time of the crime, and clearly, neither myself, nor my friend committed the crime. we concluded that what may have happened was that i probably drove by the scene at the same time the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_25"&gt;culprit&lt;/span&gt; was pulling away and the victim mistook my car for that of the one of the culprit's. at this point they were hoping that maybe we saw something, but i had not, and neither did my friend.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the crazy thing is, before even talking to me or meeting me, they dug into my information as much as they could, and even looked into my brothers' information. all because the victim made a mistake. i mean, it's a good thing neither of my brothers live anywhere near me, that neither i, nor my friend have a boyfriend, and that my friend doesn't have any male roommates. goodness knows what would have happened to any one of them, all because the victim made a false identification of the vehicle.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i feel very bad for the victim, and i hope they find the culprit quickly.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i do want to send out a warning though to all of you. know where you've been and when you've been there. because if, for any reason, someone misidentifies you, your vehicle, or anything belonging to you, you may be investigated, your family investigated and your friends investigated. even though you may have done nothing wrong, prepare to have your privacy and your personal life completely invaded, all in the name of justice.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i am not &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_26"&gt;condemning&lt;/span&gt; the police for their actions, i am simply giving you a heads up. just because you may be an innocent bystander or passerby, does not preclude you from being investigated like a criminal. so always be aware of your surroundings and be able to account for your whereabouts at all times.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;it is the best way to ensure that you are not wrongfully accused of something.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2162381932353018243?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2162381932353018243/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2162381932353018243&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2162381932353018243'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2162381932353018243'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/12/i-always-feel-like-somebodys-watching.html' title='i always feel like, somebody&apos;s watching me'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-3146115553531567177</id><published>2008-12-12T12:55:00.002-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-12T13:15:58.098-05:00</updated><title type='text'>perpetual ADD or biting off more than i can chew</title><content type='html'>so i received an invitation to a pretty fancy party on &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;saturday&lt;/span&gt; at the plaza hotel in &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;nyc&lt;/span&gt;.  can't get in to details but, suffice it to say, i have nothing appropriate to wear to this shindig, nor the monetary resources to buy a brand new cocktail style dress.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;this left me with 2 options. one, i could buy a super cheap dress from &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;walmart&lt;/span&gt;/target/&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;marshall's&lt;/span&gt; etc. or two, i could try to make something.  i have, more than likely foolishly, decided to go with option 2.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i picked up a pattern, thread, fabrics and all the necessary tools and am beyond excited to attempt this but my &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;time frame&lt;/span&gt; has left me with less than 24 hours to pull this thing together.  mind you, professionals on shows like project runway don't even like to try this madness, and they're competing for money and contracts.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;this is not my very first time using a sewing machine, but i haven't used one in over 10 years.  i actually have one of my closest friends, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;meredith&lt;/span&gt;, pretty much on speed dial write now, as i go through this process.  i didn't even know what the symbols on the pattern meant.  words like selvage and interfacing and notches have now entered my vocabulary.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i have decided that, if &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;option&lt;/span&gt; 2 does not end up working, then it's to option 1 i go.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i mention all of this because, i have a really bad habit of developing these &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;grandiose&lt;/span&gt; ideas, getting all revved up and psyched about it, and then never totally following through.  honestly, if i followed through on even just 30% of what i set in my mind to do, i would probably be a rich, skinny, wife of some successful celebrity, splashed evenly across the pages of &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;forbes&lt;/span&gt;, vogue and people. while i simultaneously solved world hunger, world peace, and global warming. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;but, alas, i am not.  and so i am stuck, trying to make a princess worthy dress on a pauper's dime.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-3146115553531567177?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/3146115553531567177/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=3146115553531567177&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3146115553531567177'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3146115553531567177'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/12/perpetual-add-or-biting-off-more-than-i.html' title='perpetual ADD or biting off more than i can chew'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-7123946907709592436</id><published>2008-12-08T21:58:00.003-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-08T23:14:30.019-05:00</updated><title type='text'>news flash! the Pope is catholic!</title><content type='html'>so i got a comment on my last post from a new "anonymous".  let's call this one A2.  this person was not as nice as the last.  &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not sure what incited them so, but since he/she has chosen not to reveal hi&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;mself/herself&lt;/span&gt;, i am left to only wonder.  my guess is that either i do not know this person at all, he/she has been hurt by someone and they are projecting that anger on to me OR i do know this person, have slighted him/her in some way, and they feel the only way to get back at me is to leave a nasty anonymous comment on my blog.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i won't lie, when i first read it, it stung.  my initial reaction was hurt and i was on the verge of deleting it but then i stopped.  i decided it better for me to keep it, as a reminder that, not only are there people out there that really don't like me, but also as a reminder that it's &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;ok&lt;/span&gt; if people dislike, or even worse, hate me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A2 informed that i was egotistical and self-absorbed.  and honestly, i can't really say that i disagree with that assessment.  i mean, let's face it, i write a freaking blog!  and i not only expect, but assume that others will read it, and may even be moved by it.  what could be more egotistical and self-absorbed than that?!  i feel comments like that are tantamount to informing the Pope that he's catholic.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i briefly considered writing a post defending my name, as it were.  lauding all the wonderful selfless acts that i have done over the years, making me appear akin to the nature of Mother Theresa but i decided that would only &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;exaggerate&lt;/span&gt; and emphasize how truly egotistical and self-absorbed i really am.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so, instead &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; decided to confess.  i am egotistical.  i am self-absorbed.  i do not deny it.  nor do i defend it.  i honestly believe we are all egotistical and self-absorbed but to varying degrees at varying times in our lives.  and i have spent too many years placing myself in comparison with others.  there is only one person that ever walked this earth that was truly selfless and others-centric and He lived 2000 years ago.  the rest of us could never even come close to that kind of selfless sacrifice.  this does not preclude us from trying to love others and care for others as we would ourselves.  quite the opposite, it should drive us to never be satisfied with who we are and what we do and how we make a difference in this world.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;to A2, if i know you and have wronged you in the past i am most sincerely sorry for my actions.  i promise you, i have never intentionally been malicious towards anyone.  i may have done and said some stupid things, scratch that, i know &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; said and done some stupid things, and if you were ever a victim of my foolishness, again, i am incredibly sorry. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;if i don't know you, well, i still apologize.  i know what it's like to be hurt by people, have mean things said or done to you and it really sucks.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;anyway, not sure if &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;i'll&lt;/span&gt; revisit or need to revisit this topic again but i did want to say my piece.  i mean, after all, this is my blog, and it is all about me :)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-7123946907709592436?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/7123946907709592436/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=7123946907709592436&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7123946907709592436'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7123946907709592436'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/12/news-flash-pope-is-catholic.html' title='news flash! the Pope is catholic!'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-1361344318827158105</id><published>2008-12-07T23:42:00.004-05:00</published><updated>2008-12-08T10:01:51.704-05:00</updated><title type='text'>invisible me - hey there</title><content type='html'>started working on a new song last night. it's an oft repeated topic in my life but i'm writing about it in a new way this time. it's not completed but i've got most of it done, including the melody and the chords. it will probably need a few re-writes, and it still needs a second verse, but here's what i have so far:&lt;br /&gt;*****UPDATE*****&lt;br /&gt;i've added a second verse but i still need to add some more.  i've also changed one of the lines&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;hey there&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;walter and willie&lt;br /&gt;made me feel so silly&lt;br /&gt;when i lived in philly&lt;br /&gt;thought they were so fine&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;they were cute and funny&lt;br /&gt;smiled sweet like honey&lt;br /&gt;eyes were bright and sunny&lt;br /&gt;they just seemed to shine&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;tried to get their attention&lt;br /&gt;threw a smile their direction&lt;br /&gt;they wanted no connection&lt;br /&gt;didn't have enough perfection&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;my soul left so depleted&lt;br /&gt;my heart again retreated&lt;br /&gt;same old story repeated&lt;br /&gt;can't this nightmare be defeated&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;hey there willie bryce&lt;br /&gt;just thought you seemed so nice&lt;br /&gt;but you won't even look at me twice&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;hey there walter byrne&lt;br /&gt;when will i ever learn&lt;br /&gt;that your head i'll just never turn&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;spending all my money&lt;br /&gt;working to look twenty&lt;br /&gt;and it just ain't funny&lt;br /&gt;how i have to fight&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so i keep on trying&lt;br /&gt;but they just ain't buying&lt;br /&gt;they just leave me crying&lt;br /&gt;all alone at night&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;tried to get their attention&lt;br /&gt;threw a smile their direction&lt;br /&gt;they wanted no connection&lt;br /&gt;didn't have enough perfection&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;my soul left so depleted&lt;br /&gt;my heart again retreated&lt;br /&gt;same old story repeated&lt;br /&gt;can't this nightmare be defeated&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;hey there willie bryce&lt;br /&gt;just thought you seemed so nice&lt;br /&gt;but you won't even look at me twice&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;hey there walter byrne&lt;br /&gt;when will i ever learn&lt;br /&gt;that your head i'll just never turn&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;****disclaimer - i do not actually know a willie bryce or a walter byrne, so if you happen to know anyone by either of those names it is simply a coincidence****&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-1361344318827158105?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/1361344318827158105/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=1361344318827158105&amp;isPopup=true' title='2 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/1361344318827158105'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/1361344318827158105'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/12/invisible-me-hey-there.html' title='invisible me - hey there'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>2</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2039129104150335646</id><published>2008-10-23T17:52:00.004-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-24T15:33:42.834-04:00</updated><title type='text'>what might have been</title><content type='html'>&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not a huge country music fan, but &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not a hater either. for every 20 songs with cheesy lyrics there is one song with incredible lyrics. i think of songs like, 'the dance', 'that was a river', 'something in red' and many more. but for the purposes of this post i referenced a song called 'what might have been' by the band little &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;texas&lt;/span&gt;. if you're not familiar with it, i recommend you check out the lyrics.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;in it the songwriter has come across an old flame and encourages her (and himself) to "try not to think about what might have been, cause that was then, and we have taken different roads.  we can't go back again, there's no use giving in, and there's no way to know, what might have been".&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;in the last few posts an interesting, although originally unintended, topic arose.  the idea of the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;shoulda&lt;/span&gt;/&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;woulda&lt;/span&gt;/&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;coulda&lt;/span&gt;.  honestly, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; never been a big fan of the s/w/c, mostly because i try not to live with any regrets.  if i look back at decisions &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; made, i try to reconcile myself to them and realize that i may not be the girl i am today, had i not made these choices.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;on &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;occasion&lt;/span&gt; i have kicked myself in the proverbial arse for missing certain opportunities, not taking certain chances, but what &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_9"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; tried to do with these 'mistakes' is take them for what they are, lessons for today.  my biggest lesson is the one i still fight to conquer even to this day, the lesson of doing more and thinking less.  by this i do not mean to do without thinking, but if you know me at all you know i have a severe case of paralysis by analysis.  and this manifests itself most painfully and obviously in my life in the arena of 'love'.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i have had so many crushes in my life that i even considered writing a comedic song listing the first name and last initial of every single guy i could remember having crushed on since i was young but i realized that song would probably go on for an hour.  :)  most of them never knew i had a crush on them, and probably never will.  and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_10"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; fine with that.  but i wasn't always.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;there have only been two guys in my life that i had incredible interest in, somewhat silently, that i ever regretted later not revealing my feelings to.  i no longer have those same regrets, but it did take time for me to overcome those feelings.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;when i think back to college, and the more i reconnect with old college friends, i realize that almost every one of them is married with kids now.  i can count on one hand my fellow singles.  and, while that is awesome for them, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_11"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; sure, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_12"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not so sure that's the life i would have wanted.  &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_13"&gt;i'm&lt;/span&gt; not saying i don't want to get married, or have children, but, and i apologize if i offend anyone here, but i need more.  the picket fence, 2.5 kids thing bores the heck out of me.  i am NOT saying that is a boring lifestyle, not by a &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_14"&gt;long shot&lt;/span&gt;, i am simply saying that is not my ideal, and would bore me.  it's sort of like how some people find &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_15"&gt;nascar&lt;/span&gt; really exciting (i happen to be one of those people) but others find it to be incredibly &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_16"&gt;monotonous&lt;/span&gt;.  some things are for some people and not for others.  i said i would describe in a future blog my ideal life, and i will, but for now, let's just say that even if i do get married and have kids, i want to be able to adventure with my family.  but i digress.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;when i think about possibly having married someone from college i think about how, if that had happened back then, i probably would never have met my best friend and probably never would have moved to &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_17"&gt;nashville&lt;/span&gt;.  and if i had not moved to &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_18"&gt;nashville&lt;/span&gt;, i may never have truly connected with my artistic side, etc.  i can follow a similar rabbit trail in relation to my &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_19"&gt;arizona&lt;/span&gt; move but &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_20"&gt;i'll&lt;/span&gt; save the details for another time.  i would best encapsulate this concept by stating, i feel like &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_21"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; become more me, due to the choices &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_22"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; made.  with every day i have a deeper understanding and more intimate connection with who i am and who i want to be.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;this is not to say that i wouldn't be just as awesome a version of myself had i taken a different path, but all in all, i like this version.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;in reference to anonymous, i would like to say this.  neither he nor i know what might have been.  we have each made decisions in our lives that have brought us to where we are and who we are today.  i am a very different person than i was in college, and i am very happy for that.  while anonymous may have been interested in me back then, chances are, he would probably not like modern me as much.  but, then again, maybe he would.  we also do not know how i would have responded back then, or even today.  without knowing who he is, i cannot say, but, in all honesty, i really do not want to know.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;in a way, it's nice to know someone thinks so highly of me, even if it is from a distance, and i do not begrudge his choice to remain anonymous.  i respect it and, since he has stated his unavailable status, prefer it.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i hope that anonymous is content in his life and pleased with the choices he has made and i wish upon him many blessings.  this whole topic has introduced a myriad of emotions, not all of them pleasant, but i am grateful for each one.  it's like one of my favorite modern songwriters says, "at least when you feel pain it lets you know that you're alive".&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;and i am really glad to be alive! :)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2039129104150335646?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2039129104150335646/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2039129104150335646&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2039129104150335646'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2039129104150335646'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/what-might-have-been.html' title='what might have been'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-7532409956894671706</id><published>2008-10-20T20:18:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-20T23:56:51.683-04:00</updated><title type='text'>warrior is a child</title><content type='html'>that was the name of an old &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;twyla&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;paris&lt;/span&gt; song.  in it she sang of how to the outside world she seemed strong and confident, independent and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;indestructible&lt;/span&gt; but when she went home, to the one that knew her best, she was as frail as &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;faberge&lt;/span&gt;, as delicate as a daisy.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;something unexpected happened when i posted this last blog.  if you read the comments then you know that someone i used to know anonymously revealed they had a crush on me in college but was too afraid to ever ask me out back then.  when i replied that i never got asked out in college, anon expressed his disbelief.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;thing is, i can count on one hand the number of dates i went on in college.  i seriously almost never got asked out.  i spent more nights crying myself to sleep, wondering why my phone didn't ring, while all my friends were out on dates.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;it sucked!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;then, years later, someone anonymously tells me they had a crush on me from a distance.  this is not the first time this has happened either.  honestly, as i pondered this, i realized, since i was little, boys have liked me from afar.  &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;i've&lt;/span&gt; received signed and unsigned "love notes", anonymous flowers, anonymous valentines, guys telling me how they used to have a crush on me.  i even received a phone call from friends telling me they were with a guy i hadn't seen in over a year but still apparently remembered everything about me and confessed to having had a huge crush on me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i guess i just don't understand.  am i unapproachable?  have i always been?  why didn't these guys ask me out?  did they really think i was going out on too many dates and couldn't possibly fit them into my hectic schedule?  my goodness, my high school, college, and post-college years pretty much sucked.  and, in the dating arena, it still does.  i pretty much am clueless, still, when it comes to the whole dating game.  the last guy i dated literally had to ask me out 3 times before i said yes.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;am i just missing the signs?  if so, can someone please show me the way?  cause i am completely lost!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-7532409956894671706?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/7532409956894671706/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=7532409956894671706&amp;isPopup=true' title='4 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7532409956894671706'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7532409956894671706'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/warrior-is-child.html' title='warrior is a child'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>4</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2287390724264850480</id><published>2008-10-18T22:26:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-18T22:37:55.606-04:00</updated><title type='text'>magical marriage pixie dust</title><content type='html'>NOTICE TO ALL MEN:  if you are truely and honestly interested in finding that special someone in your life then i highly recommend you date me!  no, not because i want to get married (i don't even know some of you) BUT apparently, almost every guy i "date" gets engaged within a year of dating me.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i'm serious!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;it actually just happened again.  the last guy i dated, earlier this year, just got engaged.&lt;br /&gt;i'm actually really happy for him.  i knew from minute one that he and i weren't going to work out but i tried to be open minded and went out with him anyway.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;he's a really sweet guy and i'm very excited that he's found love :)&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;of course, the only stipulation is that you have to really, honestly, and truely desire to get married.  not ALL the guys i've dated are married or engaged to be married, but most of them are.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so, if you want to get married, give me a call, i'll sprinkle some of my magical marriage pixie dust on you, and within a year you'll be shelling out for an engagement ring and going to cake tastings! :)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2287390724264850480?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2287390724264850480/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2287390724264850480&amp;isPopup=true' title='7 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2287390724264850480'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2287390724264850480'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/magical-marriage-pixie-dust.html' title='magical marriage pixie dust'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>7</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2690504549680593429</id><published>2008-10-15T21:01:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-15T21:18:37.026-04:00</updated><title type='text'>grocery list</title><content type='html'>it's been two weeks since i blogged and i feel out of touch.  i have so many different ideas of what i want to write about and i just don't know where to start so i figured i'd start with a random list of potential future topics.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;1. the election and politics&lt;br /&gt;2. my ideal life&lt;br /&gt;3. my ideal partner&lt;br /&gt;4. why suv drivers should be required to take an additional driving test&lt;br /&gt;5. relationships&lt;br /&gt;6. occasional movie reviews&lt;br /&gt;7. occasional tv reviews&lt;br /&gt;8. why i love my motorcycle&lt;br /&gt;9. spiritual beliefs&lt;br /&gt;10. favorite bands&lt;br /&gt;11. exciting activities&lt;br /&gt;12. celebrity crushes&lt;br /&gt;13. real crushes&lt;br /&gt;14. friends&lt;br /&gt;15. family&lt;br /&gt;16. work&lt;br /&gt;17. artistic projects&lt;br /&gt;18. and much much more, i'm sure&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;now, where to start?  hmmm.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2690504549680593429?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2690504549680593429/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2690504549680593429&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2690504549680593429'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2690504549680593429'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/grocery-list.html' title='grocery list'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-2927147623688879533</id><published>2008-10-02T20:54:00.003-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-09T20:49:03.951-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='election 2008'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='vote'/><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='NOTA'/><title type='text'>throwing my vote away</title><content type='html'>a few weekends ago i was discussing the election with a couple of my coworker friends.  all four of the people i was with indicated they were planning on voting for &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Obama&lt;/span&gt;.  i stated that, since my candidate of choice was no longer running, that i had not wholly decided on whom i was supporting, but that i was certain i would not be supporting either of the "&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;republicrats&lt;/span&gt;" and that my choice was either going to be from a "third" party, or i was going to do a write in of either Ron Paul or &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;NOTA&lt;/span&gt; (none of the above, for those that aren't familiar with that acronym).&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;then one of them says to me, "so you're going to throw your vote away".  i just looked at him as if he was crazy.  he then follows up, as do the others, that they are basically choosing the lesser of two evils.  and these people say I'M throwing MY vote away.  i don't know, but to me, consciously deciding to cast your vote for someone or something you don't believe in is a far greater example of throwing your vote away, than truly voting your convictions could ever be.  call me idealistic, unrealistic, maybe even delusional, but if we all truly voted for whom and what we believed in and supported then i know this country would be a better place.  politicians wouldn't be so apt to be so sleazy because they would know that they would truly be held accountable for their actions.  and by actions, i don't mean what goes on in their bedrooms, but by what goes on on the senate floor and the house floor.  how they vote and what sort of bills they introduce.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;one of the myriad of reasons that i support &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;Ron&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;Paul&lt;/span&gt; is because he actually works.  he was voted in as a congressman, and as a congressman he writes and introduces more bills than any other, as well as actually shows up to vote more often than almost any other.  the man works!  add to that the fact that i agree with his ideals on almost every point and we have ourselves a man i can support!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i disagree with most, if not all, of what both McCain and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;Obama&lt;/span&gt; stand for and have stood for.  while i am all in favor of the concept of a black president or a female &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;vp&lt;/span&gt;, the fact is, i do not agree with either of their politics.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i do not want to get too far deep into the politics of this necessarily, i just wanted to state that, if you can honestly and truly say that you fully support 90% of whatever your current  chosen candidate not only says, but does (politically, that is, i really think personal lives should be personal), then i say, &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;bravah&lt;/span&gt;!  whether you and i agree on politics, to me, is &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_8"&gt;irrelevant&lt;/span&gt;.  i honestly envy you in a way because you have hope.  hope that the beliefs and convictions that you hold dear will be championed and propagated. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;but if you are one of the many that have resigned yourself to voting for the "lesser of two evils", i beg you to reconsider.  the lesser of two evils is still a vote for evil.  please do not throw your vote away!  be as the widow with the mite and take what you may feel to be your one tiny insignificant vote and make a sound that resonates through the ages.  i know you care!  i know you are passionate to see a representative in office that actually represents you, so make the right choice!  change does not happen overnight, and we may not win this election, or the next, or the one after that, but if we strip ourselves of hope for real change, then we have stripped ourselves of the first gift we were ever given, the gift of free will.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i believe my vote has a voice!  i believe that, even though i may be small, my message is mighty!  and because i live in a country in which i still have a choice and a voice and the opportunity to use these tools, i will be voting with my convictions. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;and i beg you, i honestly and sincerely do not care who you choose to vote for, just vote for the one that speaks for YOU!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so, please, whatever you do, whomever you choose, do not, throw your vote away.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-2927147623688879533?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/2927147623688879533/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=2927147623688879533&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2927147623688879533'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/2927147623688879533'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/throwing-my-vote-away.html' title='throwing my vote away'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-1037110278391806023</id><published>2008-10-01T14:26:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-10-09T20:50:10.638-04:00</updated><category scheme='http://www.blogger.com/atom/ns#' term='marriage'/><title type='text'>forever my friend</title><content type='html'>SO.  i have this coworker that i just thoroughly enjoy discoursing with as often as i can.  we have certain commonalities but the manifestations of such are so polarized that it's almost comically fascinating. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;we, again, were discussing the topic of marriage.  he is a committed bachelor, staunchly opposed to ever getting married and determined to never have children.  while i understand why certain people have no desire to get "married" and can empathize with those that do not desire children, what i cannot comprehend is the absolute absence of any want for a forever companion.  he doesn't believe that relationships are meant to last forever.  he says it's unnatural.  i argued that he was confusing natural with simple, that i believe it is natural for us to be drawn to partner with another but the sustaining of the relationship is most certainly not simple. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;he also reasons that he just exceptionally enjoys his freedom.  the practice of having to consider another person in any decision, big or small, is a greater hassle than it is worth.  and i admit, i understand and agree with that assessment but i guess i see things differently.  i purposefully live sans roommates because i really despise having to live with others that have different priorities than i do.  i also only want certain things known by certain people.  there is a very small, and by small i mean &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;infinitesimal&lt;/span&gt;, group of people that really, truly, honestly, know me.  and even some of those that i would count as my closest friends are, at times, surprised by the things i say and do.  i attribute this to the fact that i am on an &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;ever-quest&lt;/span&gt; of self-evolution.  i do not believe we ever &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;truly&lt;/span&gt; reach perfection but i do not believe this should halt us in our attempts to improve.  but i digress.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;my argument to his marital aversion was that i believe most commit to relationships for all the wrong reasons and out of haste.  if more people were more patient, then divorce would not be so commonplace and marital misery would not be the norm.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i, of course, am the romantic, with the malady of the 'almost perfect, but not quite' girl that &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;shel&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;silverstein&lt;/span&gt; wrote about.  in another blog i will describe what it is i am searching for in a relationship/significant other but, suffice it to say, i do desire a travelling companion. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;so my guess is, in the spirit of irony, if you fast forward 5 years, he'll probably be married, with he and his wife expecting their 2&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;nd&lt;/span&gt; child and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;i'll&lt;/span&gt; still be a swinging single with zero prospects.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;isn't that always the way. :)&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-1037110278391806023?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/1037110278391806023/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=1037110278391806023&amp;isPopup=true' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/1037110278391806023'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/1037110278391806023'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/10/forever-my-friend.html' title='forever my friend'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-5869865616222800084</id><published>2008-09-30T21:28:00.004-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-30T21:31:44.670-04:00</updated><title type='text'>blind</title><content type='html'>blind&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;enigmatic, mysterious, cryptic, and strange&lt;br /&gt;with each puzzle piece i begin to arrange&lt;br /&gt;and decode every signal you send and exchange&lt;br /&gt;ensnared by the intrigue, i'm caught in your range&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the scales on your eyes&lt;br /&gt;continue concealing&lt;br /&gt;the chains on your soul&lt;br /&gt;can hinder your healing&lt;br /&gt;your arrogant pride&lt;br /&gt;corrupts understanding&lt;br /&gt;your cactus-like heart&lt;br /&gt;prevents love from landing&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;you have so much potential and yet you refuse&lt;br /&gt;to claim what is yours so, instead you abuse&lt;br /&gt;every moment you're given, it's time that you lose&lt;br /&gt;when will you be able to learn how to choose&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;the scales on your eyes&lt;br /&gt;continue concealing&lt;br /&gt;the chains on your soul&lt;br /&gt;can hinder your healing&lt;br /&gt;your arrogant pride&lt;br /&gt;corrupts understanding&lt;br /&gt;your cactus-like heart&lt;br /&gt;prevents love from landing&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-5869865616222800084?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/5869865616222800084/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=5869865616222800084&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/5869865616222800084'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/5869865616222800084'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/09/blind-enigmatic-mysterious-cryptic-and.html' title='blind'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-7851820193035875557</id><published>2008-09-29T13:36:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-29T13:54:05.867-04:00</updated><title type='text'>as lyre sharpens lyre</title><content type='html'>i had the opportunity to assist some really great artists this past week.  on monday night in nyc and then again last nite in philly the gabe dixon band performed, as the opening act for justin nozuka, and i volunteered to work the merch table for them.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;last night, in particular, i had an exceptionally fantastic time.  not only were all the bands amazing, i had the opportunity to hang and chat with one of the artists and it was so refreshing.  we discussed song writing and nashville and all things creative.  these are the types of conversations i used to have with some of my nashville friends, back in the day.  i honestly did not realize just how much i deeply and passionately missed this.  i walked away from both gigs incredibly invigorated.  inspired to get back to that musical i've put on hold due to work obligations.  re-charged to face the days ahead with more than just lethargic exhaustion.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i realized last tuesday, and it was reinforced today, that i desperately need to be around other creatives.  i really don't know any in my locale but if i have to go up to nyc every weekend, so be it!  i'm up there so much as it is i should probably just move. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;well, if you have not become familar with the gabe dixon band, you most defintely need to make their musical acquaintance.  and while you're checking out great music, take a listen to justin nozuka.  that kid has some serious soul.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-7851820193035875557?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/7851820193035875557/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=7851820193035875557&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7851820193035875557'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/7851820193035875557'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/09/as-lyre-sharpens-lyre.html' title='as lyre sharpens lyre'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-8130055804618210412</id><published>2008-09-28T01:35:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-28T01:58:29.026-04:00</updated><title type='text'>flames or flight?</title><content type='html'>as i was out walking this evening i was contemplating relationships.  i was specifically trying to, again, determine whether a particular male friend of mine and i were too similar to ever consider anything more.  i mean, it seems we never disagree on anything, and we are very interested in almost all the same things.  while we haven't spent excessive amounts of time together, in the time we have spent, we've not once argued.  i was wondering if this meant that a romantic relationship could never blossom, simply because without friction, there can be no fire.  and without fire, from whence does the energy come to fuel the passion?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;thing is, as i was pondering this, the image of two dolphins, swimming synchronically through the sea, soaring effortlessly through the air, came to my mind.  and that is when i considered flight.  what if, instead of friction and flame, a relationship like this could produce fluidity and flight?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;is it possible that two souls could be so similar that the relationship could be dramatic, or is it doomed to be dull?  is it possible that the drama could be external instead of internal?&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;i really do not know.&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-8130055804618210412?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/8130055804618210412/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=8130055804618210412&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/8130055804618210412'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/8130055804618210412'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/09/flames-or-flight.html' title='flames or flight?'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-3229949578266720177</id><published>2008-09-26T11:20:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-26T11:33:50.061-04:00</updated><title type='text'>micro revealing macro revealing micro...</title><content type='html'>i would like to begin by forewarning you that i have a strong tendency to excessively romanticize and overanalyze even the tiniest of events.  the goal i have in sharing these seemingly inane details is to hopefully discover deeper and greater truths.  i firmly believe that it is in the small that we can begin to understand the big.  i actually believe the same goes for the big revealing the small but, for the purposes of justifying the divulgence of these moments, both major and minor, i simply desire to say that, in order to bring about a greater peace among peoples, we need to begin with a greater understanding of, not only ourselves, but of those we are in direct contact with as well.&lt;br /&gt;i am hoping i can keep each of these entries fairly short, although, for one as verbose as i, that may be an unrealistic goal, because i believe this will encourage more than just simple readership, but, more importantly, to increase reader feedback. &lt;br /&gt;so, i would like to thank you for reading.  i hope you will participate in the discussion, make this interactive, please help me to make this more than just about me.  please converse with me here.  it will make this adventure so much more enjoyable!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-3229949578266720177?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/3229949578266720177/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=3229949578266720177&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3229949578266720177'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3229949578266720177'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/09/micro-revealing-macro-revealing-micro.html' title='micro revealing macro revealing micro...'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19078023119956052.post-3574158610302215561</id><published>2008-09-25T22:41:00.002-04:00</published><updated>2008-09-25T23:17:11.477-04:00</updated><title type='text'>it's all coming back to me</title><content type='html'>i have so much to talk about, so much to share.  i only tonight created this new blog.  i do not know what i will be inspired to post here but i know i am inspired often enough that this should be updated fairly regularly.  at least that is my hope.  i call this, and myself, the hapless roamantic.  yes, i know i spelled romantic incorrectly but that was done purposefully.  i feel as though i am a wanderer, an explorer, a nomad.  i  am driven to roam.  i am, in my essence, a romantic.  i would say a hopeless romantic, but i live to experience true romance.  therefore i call myself a hapless romantic, as it seems i just get unlucky at times.  while at times i will write about some random interest i have in some random guy, i also intend to share poetry and ideas, observations and insights.  at times i will be incredibly deep and at times i expect i'll be unbelievably shallow.  in any event, this will be the world's window into my mind.  hope you enjoy the ride as much as i do!&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/19078023119956052-3574158610302215561?l=haplessroamantic.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/feeds/3574158610302215561/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=19078023119956052&amp;postID=3574158610302215561&amp;isPopup=true' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3574158610302215561'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/19078023119956052/posts/default/3574158610302215561'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://haplessroamantic.blogspot.com/2008/09/its-all-coming-back-to-me.html' title='it&apos;s all coming back to me'/><author><name>hapless roamantic</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/10249666446205546556</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='16' height='16' src='http://img2.blogblog.com/img/b16-rounded.gif'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
