More fractured headlines, some babbling, plus the pros and cons of small town life.

Dean Koontz gets filmmaker nod.
Never mind that...what's up with his hair? I mean, he used to look like this:





But now, he's got this new rug that seems to rival Donald Trump's in terms of both thickness and believability!








Stamos (pictured at left celebrating his inner freak) gets full-time 'ER' job
(Just as long as they keep Dave Coulier away from the set, Stamos should be fine, right?)













EU Asks for More Info on Corn Testing
(For example, does corn do better on true/false or essay questions?)







Well, it’s TUESDAY…

Ah, sweet Tuesday. How I love it so.

Why?

Because it ain’t MONDAY!

I remember from childhood that Tuesdays on TV were the best. All my favorite shows…”Happy Days”, “Laverne and Shirley”, “Three’s Company”…good stuff. Then Richie Cunningham and Ralph Malph (who was really under-rated as an actor) joined the Army and it all went to hell. I was SO disappointed. Oh well…somehow I managed to rise above it.

Unusual weather-type activity here…we’ve got a storm front from the Midwest coming through today, and they’ve got a TORNADO watch here. People around here are prepared for hurricanes, but not tornados. Not in the least. They’re also predicting thunderstorms and hailstorms. Yuck.

Not a whole lot more going on with my life these days…have another gig this weekend for the Laurel “Senior” Prom (as in AARP-type seniors). I never thought I’d reach the point where people recognize me from those gigs, and hug me and ask if I’m coming back this year. It’s really kind of nice. It’s a change from being mistaken for my sister and having to explain about 100 times that NO, I am not the mother of three children, nor am I a nurse. I am the one that lives in the Washington DC area – you know, the crazy one that sings? Yes, that one.

I think that’s the hardest thing for my family to understand – I love them, but I don’t want to be Mary’s daughter, Ruth’s sister, Alma’s grand-daughter…and if I have to tell one more person that Tom is NOT my brother, I’m just going to beat them with a stick instead. I know it sounds harsh, but TOO BAD. My sister is a very nice-looking person, but we don’t look anything alike. I’m taller than her, I have red hair, and our faces look different. I guess we sound alike, but the only way I could see that as a confusing factor is if someone were BLIND.

Out here, for better or worse, I am me. I don’t hear “She’s just like her (insert relative type here).” I miss my family, don’t get me wrong, but I don’t miss not having my own identity.

And that puts me on to the subject of small towns in general…I know that many people like small town life. That’s fine. One of the things I hear the most, though, is “People in small towns are so nice and helpful!”

That’s true, but not unique to small towns.

It’s true when you have a flat tire in the middle of nowhere, and you need help changing it. But I also got help changing a flat store in a big city from a gas station mechanic, and he did it for free, with a smile, and was very kind.

It’s true when you have a death in the family. My mother had so much support when my father died...people brought casseroles. They sent money, flowers, and plants. They came to visit her even after the funeral, when it seems like the real grief comes to the surface. But here in the “big city”, I also felt the loving touch and unexpected kindnesses of friends. Our church raised funds for D and I so we could fly home. My employer gave me time off with pay even though I had just started my job. My co-workers, even though they were just getting to know me, gave me a beautiful card and a plant. I received hugs, phone calls, and an outpouring of love. I’m sure my friends in Iowa thought I was crazy for moving here in the first place and wouldn’t believe things like that can happen here, but they do.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that when you’re in a big city, you can have a “small town” atmosphere around you in your daily life. You just have to work harder at it.

You have to reach out to others and not be passive, just expecting others to come to you.

You have to be careful in your dealings with others.

Most of all, you have to be brave enough to take a chance with your heart. It’s scary at first, and you need to trust your instincts. But there’s love everywhere you go…and sometimes, if you work for it, it makes the love that much sweeter when received.

I know…Pollyanna syndrome rears its head yet again…I’ll be a bitch tomorrow, I promise.

Sudiegirl