2012 New Year Resolutions for The Cajun Blogger

First I want to wish everyone a very Happy New Year from The Cajun Blogger! I would also like to reflect on this past year. I accomplished a major goal of going back to college after 16 years. I finished my first semester with a 4.0 which was very empowering. I remodeled the inside of my house this past spring which was long overdue. I began The Cajun Blogger this year. I wanted a blog to share my school success as well as my writing. I don't have many personal goals this year. The ones I have made will be easy for me to attain.

1. Graduate from Nicholls State Univeristy. I will graduate in May 2012 with my Associate Degree in General Studies. I do have plans to work on my BA starting in August 2012. It will take me exactly 4 semesters or 2 years to finish. I will have a minor in Web Graphics, English, Film Studies, and Humanities. I know a lot of minors, but all of them will apply to goal of writing.

2. Write a book. My second resolution is to write a book about losing my second born son to SMA, my struggles with anxiety, and the battle to help my oldest son in school. I hope to write articles for national publications.

3. Exercise more and eat right. I refuse to say lose weight. I have lost 100 pounds in the last 2 years, but I regained about 20 pounds this past semester. I was having a hard time juggling writing, family, and school. Next semester should be easier. I am only taking 4 classes and 3 on campus twice a week instead of going daily. I have one online class. I will have more time to devote to meal planning. By exercising regularly and eating right, then I will naturally lose weight.

Old Poems Rediscovered

I was sorting through some old books, and I came across my old book of poems. I was quite the poet as a teenager. Many of the poems made me laugh as I forgot how much teen angst I once had. So much drama for someone so young and naive. I want to share my first poem I ever wrote which was on 12/29/1991! I was 16 years old. I hope you enjoy my poem, and I was heavily influenced by Sting and fantasy books such as Dragon Lance.

Thanks to my wonderful friend who bought me this nice book. She told me every writer needs a nice leather journal. Dear friend I finally recalled you did buy it for me as my high school graduation present. I hope to add new poems in 2012!


The Lover of Her Majesty

I stare out into the majestic sea
Mesmerized by her undulating waves.
My soul is unlocked for she is the key
When I feel trapped in desolate black caves.
I slowly descend in a sky of clay
To meet this dark majesty for the night.
As I look out across the blood-stained bay,
I tremble so at this saturnine sight.
All there is left for me to do is wait
Until she beckons for I am her mate.

-Bonnie
12/29/91

Merry Christmas from The Cajun Blogger!

I hope you enjoy a little bit of twisted humor this Christmas.



The snow was blinding as Tom left his office party that night. He was a little tipsy as he made his way down the snowy lane, but he was in no condition to drive. He had too much spiked eggnog at the party. He was quite pleased with himself as he had got some time with Marge under the mistletoe. Never mind half the office got the same present from the office tramp. He was replaying the party in his head which might be why he didn't notice the bright headlights until it was too late.

CRASH!

Poor Tom never had a chance against that car. Let that be a lesson to all you snowmen, and don't walk in the middle of the road! Call a cab.

Merry Christmas from The Cajun Blogger!

Doggie Doo- Educational or Twisted Game?!

I saw this commercial the other day on tv and thought this has to be a practical joke for parents. Nope this game is for real and available for over $40! I haven't played the game nor do I plan on wasting my $40 to play the game. The kids may really enjoy playing to see who can scoop the most fake poop. The game makers state it's educational to teach kids about picking up behind their dogs. I am not knocking anyone who does buy this game, and your children might have hours of fun scooping up fake dog poop. I have a feeling the novelty will wear off rather quickly, and then who will scoop up poor Fido's fake poop.

This game gave me an idea for my own educational and equally exciting game for kiddos. Cat Wee Wee or Cat Woo Woo. I'm still tweaking the name, but here is the object for my game. The game board is a small rectangular plastic container which is the cat litter box. The container is filled with sand. Inside the sand there will be fake cat poop. Each kid has a plastic scooper. I bet you see where I'm going with this idea. Yes the kid who scoops out the most poop wins!!! I did not see this game on Amazon so I apologize if there is something like that out there. If not, then it's my idea and I need to be rich. There you have next year's exciting yet educational game for teaching kids responsibility on pet ownership. Now I will sell this idea and become stinking rich so I can retire to travel the world. If this idea is already out there, then it shows people will buy anything.

ARGH Matey!

I haven't posted lately as I'm having a little eye trouble. I wear contact lenses and I rubbed my eye too hard. I'm not sure if I scratched my eye or just rubbed it a little raw. I had to break out my eye patch so I am not seeing too well. My eye is feeling better but it is making life hard. I can't really do as much since my vision is limited. I'm hoping tomorrow, or at least by Thursday, I can take off the patch. All I need is a hat and a parrot for my shoulder to complete the look. I am thinking a peg leg could make a great fashion statement for this winter. Maybe not.

You Know You're Getting Old When....

You know you're getting old when...you get straight A's on your first semester back! Oh yeah so take that youngsters! I was quite nervous about going back to college after a 16 year hiatus. How well would I do? Would I be able to juggle school work and a family? It was easier at 19 when my only responsibility was college and work. Now I wasn't so sure with school work, a husband, a 10 year old son, and running our household. My husband and family has been so supportive. I have great friends who also pitched in when I needed it. I have to thank them so much for all the support and encouragement. Enough mushy talk and back to bragging.

I am thrilled to finish my first semester of school with a 4.0! I took 5 classes and all A's. All my classes were required courses for my Associate Degree. Next semester I need 4 classes which are all electives. I graduate in May! I am halfway to my goal of receiving that college degree. I have talked about going back to finish school for many years. To be this close to finishing this goal is surreal. I will say you are NEVER too old to accomplish any goal you set. If you want it enough, then you will reach it.

Rest in Peace (RIP) Trashie

This is the sight that greeted me when I walked out this morning to pick up my trash can and check the mail. All that is left of my loyal and humble servant is a sad and lonely piece. Trashie (yes I named my trash can) was a noble and sturdy piece of plastic that hungrily accepted whatever trash I had. I fell down to my knees and asked what happened. Of course, it was too late for Trashie as I didn't receive any response. I knew what had done this to poor Trashie. It was all those cane trucks that run up and down the highway during grinding. I promised I would avenge Trashie.

I live off the highway which is why I constantly asked the trash men to throw my can into the ditch. Most would oblige, but lately the trash men had it in for poor Trashie. He never complained or told me of his conspiracy theory. This wasn't the first time Trashie was hit by a cane truck. Oh no! He was hit twice already this month. The first time was a just a little dent and scrape. The second hit was much worse. Luckily for Trashie, some kind soul stopped and delivered him to my house. The wheels didn't survive and were knocked clean off. I asked Trashie if maybe it was time to retire, and let me replace him with a new can. I think I saw a little tear that day (could have been rain) but I knew I had hurt Trashie's feelings. I wanted to duct tape the gashes but Trashie wouldn't have it. It wasn't worth the tape. He still served us and took all our trash even though there was a lean.

It seemed inevitable Trashie would someday need to be hauled off, but not like this. Trashie was totally obliterated and nothing left but that one small piece. The handle was also missing. I kept my promise to Trashie, and called Waste Management to tell the woeful tale of this wonderful trash can. The manager regretfully told me my can wasn't the only one that has been taken out this month. Several other home owners have reported the same fate had befallen their cans. He apologized and will deliver me a new trash can tomorrow. In honor of Trashie's memory, I will never name another can again. Trashie was one of a kind and will be missed.

My Happy Dance- One Less Final!

I received fantastic news in speech class yesterday. The professor told us anyone who either had an A average or perfect attendance would be exempt from taking the final. I have both so I am glad I don't have to take this final. Now I only have four other finals to take and three will be online. I will have one exam to drive to take on campus next week. YAY!

I had to share the joyous news. So far I have an A in all 5 classes, and I definitely have an A in speech for the semester. Next Tuesday will be my last final. I still have to write my final essay paper for film class. It's due next Tuesday, but I think I might turn it in early like Friday. I don't know yet, and I'll see how much I can get done writing it in the next couple of days. Today was my last class for the semester. I am only taking 4 classes next semester since that is all I need to graduate. One down and only one more to go before I get my diploma.

I'm pretty positive I will start next fall to work on my Bachelor's degree. I am back in the groove with taking classes, and I might as well get my BA before worrying about getting a full-time job. I couldn't figure out what I wanted to do when I started this semester. I never thought of myself as a writer, but between school and writing my blogs, I have now realized my dreams. I really want to continue school and work on my writing. I started my newest blog called Robbie's Corner which I am hoping I can turn into a book someday. That blog is mostly about struggling with anxiety after we lost our second child. I also write about my oldest son and the struggles I continue to face fighting the school and helping him. Sorry for rambling on, but I'm just so excited about my future. I can't believe how much I am enjoying being back in school.

You Know You're Getting Old When....

For this week's edition of you know you're getting old when....you pull a muscle in your back by just stretching. I guess it's time to start doing some yoga so I can get more limber. I'm glad this happened at home at least. I can shield myself from the cruel cackling and finger pointing of those young whipper snappers. Just you wait until the cruel hand of fate makes you feel inferior with an aging body. That may be just a hint of sarcasm in there, but I think you get the point.

Happy Thanksgiving from The Cajun Blogger

I think this really says it all. I just had to share. Don't eat too much turkey and pumpkin pie. Happy Gobble Day.

What Pretty Nails

I got bored one day, and decided to do something fun with my fingernails. I admit when I get bored, I get creative. I also like to express my individuality which I decided to do with my nails. I get most of my polishes pretty cheaply from Sally's with sales and discount codes. I have a wide variety of colors as I can wear sandals about 9 months out of the year. I like to change my polish depending on the mood and weather.

I found so many tutorials on You Tube. Many of them will show you step by step how to create designs and patterns. I picked white and pink polish. I painted my fingernails with the pink and white polka dots, and switched the color scheme on my toes to white with hot pink polka dots. I got lots of compliments and even inquiries on how I made the polka dots. You can either use a polish with the very narrow brush or use a dotter. I used the back of a craft paint brush to make my dots. I poured a very small amount of polish on wax paper. Then you dip the back of the brush into the polish and dot away. I dipped the brush into the polish after each nail.

This design is zebra stripes. It was easier to do on my toenails than my fingernails. Strange but true. I used a polish with the thin brush for a $1 at Dollar General. I painted my nails white and used OPI polish. I used the hot pink polish to make the stripes. Again just search on You Tube for a tutorial. It just takes practice and a little patience.

Lights, Camera, Action- A New Weekly Feature

I needed to take an English Literature course and saw the Introduction to Film course. It does fulfill my literature requirement so I signed up. I thought this would be a fun and interesting class since my dad is a huge movie buff. I think he would be classified as a cinefilia to take a technical term from the class. I grew up with this love for movies. My dad takes it a step farther than I do, but I still really enjoy movies. I have to say I really enjoyed this class much more than I had anticipated. Of course, having a very enthusiastic professor helps tremendously.

I love this class so much, I will be taking the Film Studies as a minor. I decided to write and critique the movies we watched each week in class on this blog. I won't pick them apart too much, but more of a general review with a few discussions we had in class. Each week the movies were picked for the element of film we discussed that particular week. I will get my first review up later this week. I hope everyone will enjoy this new feature. Now on with the show.

Monday- Villain or Victim?

Why is it when poor Monday rolls around, everyone moans and groans. I think Monday is a great day. Instead of moaning the weekend is over, we should embrace the beginning of the week. It's a way to start fresh and start the week off in a positive light. I for one enjoy each new week. If I had a bad week or weekend, then I can say this week will start off on the right foot. I think it's really all about perception. If we think negatively, then of course you will have a bad day.

Monday is just a victim of the work and school week starting on that day. The calendar week starts on Sunday, but poor Monday. I really feel sorry for this day. One reason to love Monday is that most holidays are put on Monday. Think about Labor Day, Columbus Day, Martin Luther King Jr Day, President's Day, and such. I never hear anyone complain about Monday when they have this day off from work or school. Celebrate Monday and rejoice in each new week!

Monday- Villain or Victim You Decide

You Know You're Getting Old When....

You know you're getting old when....you're watching a You Tube clip on a speech in class and up pops an image of Max Headroom. Then of course, all the young college kids ask simultaneously who is that? The best part of this story is the only person who knows the answer, other than yourself, is.... (you guessed it) the PROFESSOR! Yay! Several of them to proceed make fun of the "technology" calling it lame. Let's be honest, it was very advanced and cool for 1987! Come on people this is the same decade where using a cell phone inside a duffel bag was also advanced. *SIGH* I still say it was great for the time.

The 80's were an awesome or totally tubular decade. We had parents beating each other up for Cabbage Patch dolls. Which other decade can you have transforming robots, He-Man, and GI Joe being marketed to boys at the same time as the "My Buddy" dolls for boys. I guess when they figured out it wasn't the next big hit for boys, they made a doll for girls called "Kid Sister". No I did not own one. I did have a Cabbage Patch doll named Allison. I still have a picture of that doll. Good times, good times. (I will dig that picture out and post it in the next couple of days. I miss that doll.)

Happy Feet Two VS Breaking Dawn

What could "Happy Feet Two and Breaking Dawn: Part One" possibly have in common? One movie is musical entertainment for the whole family about singing and dancing penguins. The other movie is about a girl torn between her love for her Vampire boyfriend and the Werewolf who wants to be her boyfriend.

Are you still wondering what these two movies have in common? They are both coming out on November 18th, 2011! A family movie vs one of the ultimate chick flicks ever made. It will be interesting to see which movie grosses the most their opening weekend.

I have already anticipated this dilemma for the ladies who have children begging to see Mumble all grown up with his own penguin baby, but you would rather see Bella marry her Vampire love Edward. So what is a mom to do especially since your husband would rather stick a fork in his eye than be dragged to see this chick flick. I have the perfect solution for the whole family! Bribe your husband to take the kiddos to see the dancing penguins and you get to see the chick flick! Problem solved. As my hubby commented to me, it's a sad day when I would prefer to see the dancing penguin movie over the way too beautiful vampires movie. That actually made me laugh out loud or rolling on the floor laughing. Good luck and now is the time to get those plans made. Forget the Royal Wedding as this movie is going to be the biggest wedding of the year on that big screen!

Putting Off Today, Tomorrow, & the Next Day

I am having so much trouble staying focused on two projects that need my attention. I have my last big speech due on Monday! I have my website project due tomorrow! YIKES! I'm not totally pathetic as I'm halfway finished with the website project. I do know what my speech topic is, and I even found all the images I want to use when I make the 20 slides. I just need to finish it all. My speech is a Pecha Kucha speech so I have to make 20 slides that are 20 seconds each in Power Point. So why am I putting all of this work off?

I honestly don't know the answer, but I find I do this to myself when a deadline is approaching. I procrastinate as much as I can, and then start to panic as I realize the deadline is upon me. Do I work better under pressure? I have to answer no as I hate working when I get stressed, but I do notice I become more creative. What I do know is I'm writing this post, playing on Facebook, dropping cards on Entrecard, and anything else but finish my projects. Luckily my professors don't read my blogs. I'm safe for now.

You Know You're Getting Old When....

I thought my whimsical views on getting older would be a perfect edition to feature on this blog. I will post a you know you're getting old when...each week. It would be another creative way to make fun of myself. Yes I realize many people won't consider me old as a not quite 40 year old, but I think many of the 18-20 year old college kids might. Perfect example was last week in class.

You know you're getting old when...you pull a muscle in your side from coughing. It just cramped up and I had to jump up and stretch it out by walking around. Luckily this happened before class but naturally two girls witnessed this sight. They tried hard to feign concern under their chuckles, wanting to know what was wrong with the old chick hopping around the room looking like a fool. I told them I pulled something, and then I said yeah go ahead and laugh it up now as this will be your fate in a few short years. Of course I had to blame my aging body on having kids. I am at a point now where I blame everything wrong under the sun as a result of having children. This led to a quite amusing chat about how they are never having kids (yeah ok) as no one ever wants kids at that age. Or maybe it's after they see how horrible it is to be as pathetic as the aging woman in the class. Stay tuned next week for the next fun post of you know you're getting old when....

Burnt Coffee Anyone?

I knew today was going to be a bad day when I burn the coffee pot. I thought I had turned it off, but I guess not. There wasn't any liquid in it so it burnt the bottom. My thoughtful hubby, after first laughing at this scenario, then informs me the maker will automatically shut down after an hour. I guess it wasn't quite an hour when I saw it still was on and of course smelled it. I went shopping to replace the pot which I couldn't find one for a 5 cup pot. They had 12 cup pots but alas none for the 5 cup. I decided to buy a new one for around $20. I show the pot to hubby and then something told me to just let it soak for awhile. Believe it or not, it washed out. I guess it didn't scorch the actual glass but just burnt the coffee remains at the bottom of the pot. Naturally this means I had to return the maker I just bought. I was smart enough to keep my receipt. I made a new pot of coffee the next morning which tasted even better than usually. I wonder if there is some added extra flavor? At least this story has a happy ending for me, the coffee pot, and my bank account.

Some Pumpkins Just Can't Hold Their Liquor!

It's really a sad commentary on Halloween when the following happens.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

A Brand New Blog!

What is it about a fresh brand new blog that seems so exciting? Is it because I am bursting with ideas to write about? Or is it because I hope to make it popular? Or maybe it's because I enjoy sharing my thoughts or life with others? Whatever the reasons I do have much to share.

This is an old blog that I started anew since I deleted the old one. I know silly but no changing the past. I can only strive to do better in the future. One major mistake, I'm currently altering, is finishing my college degree. I really want to chronicle the journey of being back in school and married with a son in school. My son has Sensory Processing Disorder and Autism (PPD-NOS). That has represented many challenges without adding in the school factor. I'm hoping this blog will appeal to others and not bore anyone to tears. Many of my friends say I'm so funny, but I have a hard time expressing that humor through my writing. It's strange as I do seem to have a better personality when talking to people. I really want to work on entertaining with this blog. I would also like showcase Louisiana since the culture and people are colorful and unique.

Laissez les bons temps rouler! (Let the good times roll, for ya'll who don't know)