Boo!

Happy Halloween.  I’d like to tell a scary story, but that’s not really my style.  Instead, here’s my list of top ten  movies and/or books that scared the hell out of me.

1. The Exorcist (of course)
2. Rosemary’s Baby
3. Salem’s Lot (this one still scares the shit out of me every time I watch it.  When I was young, young and it first premiered on TV, I was staying the night at my Grandma’s house.  All the women in the family had gotten together to watch it (I think it was shown in two segments during two consecutive nights).  Anyway, my great aunt was there, Aunt Kat.  She smoked non-stop; most of the women on that side of the family did.  I remember Aunt Kat lighting her matches on her gas stove in the kitchen of her shotgun house in Portland.  The night we watched Salem’s Lot, I was sitting on her lap.  I was young, maybe six or seven. She had a smoke in one hand and her other hand was holding me in place on her lap.  The scene came on where young boy pops out of his coffin all zombie-vampire-like and Aunt Kat jumped out of her seat faster than a cat running from a dog.  As soon as she went up, her cigarette went to the back of my hand and burned a hell of a spot.  It was like I was being branded to remember forever that this very well would be the scariest movie I ever watched.
4. Carrie (actually the book is much scarier to me than the movie)
5. Kiss the Girls (that was the last movie of this genre that I ever watched…who needs to know that there are psycho kidnappers out there collecting women?)
6. Poltergeist…Horrified Me! Holy Moly! I was nine and even at that age thought that the adults who had decided to take me to see it were not thinking clearly. I ended up sitting in the lobby for most of the movie after the clown-coming-alive scene.
7. Amityville Horror (again, much scarier in book form)
8. Boys from Brazil (I know there was a movie adapted from this book, but I only remember the book and it was scary, scary in a scientific-cloning kind of way).
9. Seven…this movie caused me to have an awful awful nightmare where I was stuck the middle of one of three bedrooms down a long hall.  Each of my sisters were in the bedrooms on either side of me and the crazy sin-obsessed killer was outside my window.  He kept telling me that I could only save one sister because no matter who I went to first, he was going to get the other one. Just writing about that dream scares me. My husband woke up that night to find me in our apartment living room/dining room sitting at the table staring out the window in the dead of night.  He said I was asleep but my eyes were wide open and I was fixated on looking outside.  Spewwwky!
10. Blair Witch Project – I’m not going to lie, this movie scared the bejeezus out of me. I saw very little of it because I kept my hands covering my eyes through most of it.

What the F#@! Did You Just Say?

My daughter knows there are words that only mom can use. Nothing too harsh, mostly just the s-word, the d-word, and the h-word. I have a rough time not cussing, so I thought it best to inform her early on that like TV shows, there were some words that are just for adults.

Of course, every now and again, I end up saying these words in front of other adults when my daughter’s around and get looks like I gave her a shot of whiskey and pack of smokes…like yesterday in Walgreen’s. We (me, my daughter, and my newborn) had to run through the store to get my daughter fever reducer medicine, sprite, and some crackers because she running a fever.

Since I have a 100 lb car seat I have to carry around now, we were using one of the miniature shopping carts made especially for Walgreen’s small aisles and shopping trips. It held the car seat and our goodies. When I was clearing the cart at check out, I leaned over and whacked my head on the side of the metal basket.

My reaction? I yelled SHIT at just above the normal speaking tone. It wasn’t too God awful loud, but the check out lady heard and so did my daughter. Having heard mommy use this one of many “mommy words” before, my daughter didn’t bat an eye. The check out lady, on the other hand, looked quite dismayed. It didn’t help that when I was finally able to open my eyes, I looked at her and said, “Damn that hurt.”

The check out lady swiped my goods across the bar code reader as quickly as she could and avoided eye contact with me. No, “are you okay,” or even a, “man, that must have hurt.” I’m surprised she even checked me out.  She looked like she’d just watched a scene from a David Lynch movie without being forewarned.  I’m sure she spent the rest of her shift telling her co-workers about the foul-mouthed mom who was cussing up a storm right in front of her four year old.

Taking the Easy Way Out

My Wednesday article for the Tribune didn’t show up online (which is ironic since the topic has to do with my online addiction). Anyway, here it is for you to enjoy in case you’re not a regular Tribune reader:

Is There a 12-Step Program for Facebook?

By Amy Gesenhues, Published in The Tribune, October 29, 2008

I resisted the initial requests.  A small group of my friends had entered the world of Facebook and wanted me to drink the kool-aid.  It started with innocent urgings, “C’mon, it takes two minutes, just fill out a profile so we can keep in touch.”

Nevermind the fact that I keep in touch with these friends daily via email, instant-messaging, texting, and phone calls. Was one more open line of communication really necessary?

But then there were more requests. I received two separate requests from each of my college roommates, one who lives in Georgia, the other in New Jersey. I received a request from a high school buddy who I keep in touch with every now and again. And then there were the requests from family members. My wall of resistance was being knocked down one request at a time until I finally gave in and joined the Facebook revolution.

What is Facebook? It is a social networking website that allows subscribers to interact easily with other subscribers. How does it work? You sign-in on Facebook.com and take a few minutes to complete your online profile. It’s free and once you have signed-up, you can invite other subscribers to join your network by sending Friend Requests.

As you send and receive Friend Requests, your network will grow quickly. You can upload pictures to share with your network; you can post comments to let everyone in your network know what you’re doing or thinking at any given time; you can leave messages on other people’s “walls” that allow everyone in their network to read what you wrote; or, you can send a message to a friend and keep your conversation private.

The growing world of Facebook is a phenomena. Since its inception in 2004, the site has attracted 100 million users. Aaron Sorkin (of West Wing fame) has been tagged to write a screenplay about the creation of and growing fascination with Facebook.

Let me warn you, Facebook is not for the weak at heart or those of us who are easily distracted. Once you start using it, you will want to login every time you pass by your computer. It starts slow enough, one Friend Request every so often, and then the snowball effect kicks in. Before you know it, you have connected with half of your high school graduating class.

I had no idea what I was about to begin when I started Facebook-ing. Within days, I had sent and received emails from friends I hadn’t seen or talked to in years. Some were in Indianapolis, others lived as far away as San Diego and Phoenix. My network of friends grew from six to over 30 in less than a week (I’m up to 64 as of writing this article).

And I’m not just sending and receiving messages. One of my favorite friends from high school who lives out of state came to town last week. We hadn’t kept in touch since we graduated in 1991. But once we connected on Facebook, we quickly made plans to meet for lunch during her visit back to the Knobs.

At first, I was hesitant with my Facebook participation. Yes, I accepted Friend Requests, but I never sent any. I also avoided writing on people’s walls where everyone could see what I wrote. (Ironic, right? A columnist fearful of people reading what I had wrote?) The most difficult part of getting started for me was choosing my profile picture.

Eventually, I eased into the friendliness of it all. I left messages on people’s walls; I sent private messages; and just two weeks ago, I announced the birth of my son and posted pictures so everyone could see what I’d been up to. Soon, I’m going to use my Facebook friends to promote a charity event I’m planning.

I am now an official Facebook junkie-hooked for better or worse.

But don’t let my addiction keep you from joining Facebook. Just take a few things into consideration before signing up. First, ask yourself if you have an extra ten minutes a day to devote to Facebook. Second, start slow. Find a few friends already on Facebook and send them a Friend Request.

It will only take a few connections before your friend list grows exponentially. I know someone who has over 300 friends (I’m not going to lie, I’m a bit jealous of her). If you can’t find your first friend, send me a request with a message that you read about it here. I’d be honored to be your first Facebook friend.

And should you find yourself spending too much time on Facebook, just remember that the first step is admitting you have a problem.

Anybody Want to Write a Novel?

So I’ve made the leap and signed up for NaNoWriMo = National Novel Writing Month. It starts Saturday (November 1) and is a month long online initiative to get writers writing.

The goal is for each person who signs up to write 50,000 words during the month of November. You don’t worry about grammar, you don’t worry about quality, you don’t worry about anything except getting enough words typed to add up to the 50,000 word goal by midnight of November 30.

C’mon…you know you want to do it. You can take a look at my nanowrimo profile and novel synopsis if you’re interested. But what you really want to do is sign up and be my online writing buddy because the more people supporting each other, the more likely we’ll reach our goal. Think of it as a Writing Watchers Group, only you count words instead of points.

If you’re not so much into writing but enjoy the reading part, I’ll keep you posted as I may decide to post excerpts of my novel on the site. Not sure if I’m ready to decide that part or not, but you’ll be the first to know if I do.

Top Ten Things I Happily Left in the 80s

For some reason, I’ve been in the mood for 80s music. So what better than a list of my favorite things in the 80s that I can’t imagine liking right about now…

Top Ten Things I Liked in Jr. High But Am More Than Happy to Live without Now

1. Neon clothing
2. My Michael Jackson poster
3. AquaNet
4. Double Trouble (remember that show with the twins? I think they lived in San Francisco)
5. Mad Dog 20/20 (that wasn’t jr. high, but it wasn’t long afterwards)
6. Weird Al
7. Liz Claiborne perfume and tiny square purses
8. My Sony Walkman (it was about 20 times the size of my ipod and weighed as much as a cantalope)
9. The Maze (for those of you who didn’t grow up in the Kentuckiana area in the 80s, the Maze was a 18 and under dance club and laser tag place or maybe it was just a dance club and then became a laser tag place? Anyway, it was dark with neon lights and 80s music, which that I would still like)
10. Twist-a-Beads and big ass earrings (I didn’t buy an outfit without buying a matching earrings, usually the size of a peanut butter jar lid)

Now What Am I Going to Watch?

Tonight was the season finale for Mad Men.  If you’ve been keeping up with me, you’ll know that I’ve cultivated a keen fondness for the show.  Or maybe it’s just for the lead character, but either way I’m going to miss it and him every Sunday night.

One less show for me to be tuned in to will have its benefits.  I’ve got a new baby to stare at, a book to finish (writing, not reading), and a house that seems to get messy in record time all on its own. And then there’s the weight thing.  I’ve got a shitload to lose now that the being pregnant and eating all the ice cream I want way of life is over.  Not that I’d be doing too much to lose it at 10:00 p.m. on a Sunday night anyway.

There’s also the column I’ve got going for the Tribune.  My deadline is Monday mornings at 9:00 a.m.  I usually have it written, or at least the first draft, by Sunday night, but now I’ve got the whole 10:00 hour to do more editing.

And writing my daily post. I would have written this an entire hour earlier if I hadn’t been watching Don Draper charm the pants off of me.

When in Rome

My brother-in-law is from just outside Orlando. I thought it fitting that we take him to our very own Floyds Knobs version of Disneyworld. So, today we headed up the road to Huber’s.

It was madness and a good reminder why most locals (or maybe just us) don’t partake in the tourist activities of the six-flags over farmland. It was PACKED. Parties of 10+ waiting over two hours for a table in the restaurant, people smooshed into the “farmer’s market”, a man with a baboon. Seriously, there was a man with a baboon wandering through the pumpkins. When I saw him, he was holding it like a baby and kissed the top of it’s head. The place was a circus, literally.

We waited for an hour to eat. When we finally got seated, I had to explain why fried bisquits are better than regular bisquits: “Fried bisquits go better with apple butter.” (That was the best I could come up with.)

After dinner, I used the newborn baby excuse to skip out on the wagon ride to the pumpkin patch. We hit the farmer’s market to pick up some apples soaked in caramel and a bag of Wine Saps for me.  The fact that they call it a farmer’s market is a bit like calling Disneyworld that place with a few rides.

My sister and brother-in-law stayed on for the full experience and took my four year old daughter through the corn maze.  For $5 a person they got to wander around some corn stalks until they found their way out.  Fortunately for them, they let my daughter lead and she had them out in five minutes.  Unfortunately for them, it ended up being a $1 per minute per person corn maze adventure.

The best part of going to Huber’s for me is the ride there.  If you go, I recommend taking the long way, it’s a gorgeous drive this time a year.  And if you want pumpkins, stop at one of the homes along the way that have their home-grown pumpkins for sale.  They’re cheaper and buying from them offers a more authentic Floyds Knobs experience.

Master Multi-Tasker

Yes, I am blogging and breastfeeding at the same time.  And, yes, I know the school of thought that says breastfeeding should be devoted solely to bonding between you and your babe.  That you should concentrate on your precious sweet thing and and thoroughly take-in the whole mom-child moment.

But, right now, I breastfeed more than I do anything else.  Much of the time I watch his sweet little face while cringing through the discomfort of it all.  Then there are times when I watch TV, read, and now, blog.

Am I missing out on tender pieces of time I’ll never get back?

Is this the first of many things I’ll do wrong that will show up in his therapy sessions decades from now?

Have I just guilt-ed myself into ending this post?

Yep.

My Living Room Is TEENY TINY

There are four adults, a four year old and a newborn along with all the newborn accessories in my living room (newborn accessories = bassinet, vibrating chair, basket of diapers, wet wipes, desitin, etc. ect.), and we’re like a can of sardines without the smell.

But it’s fine because one of the four adults is my sister home from her home in Florida.  Yippee. A whole weekend hanging out with my sister, being cramped in my living room. We don’t mind the close quarters; it’s the same living room we hung out in as children.

So besides passing a newborn around like a baby shower gift, we’re going to do all the fun fall Floyds Knobs activities (umm….mostly just going to Huber’s for apples and pumpkins).  We’ll catch some on-demand movies, eat some Arni’s pizza, and pass the baby around some more.

Hope your weekend is as fun as mine is going to be.

Robo = Bad Mojo

This week’s column from Amy? My thoughts on robo-calling campaigns. Surprise, surprise…I’m not for them.

Here’s a quick bit from my article along with a link to the full piece. Enjoy.

Robo-Calls – The Spam of the Phone Wires

By Amy Gesenhues

My primary concern with robo-calling is on a more metaphysical level. The practice exerts a lot of effort and energy to make personal contact with voters only to push ugly stories in their ears. What do we do with all the bad mojo being spread via these robo-calls? Why do they have to slam the other opponent? Why can’t political candidates use their call time to spread good news or provide positive messaging about their campaign?

What if the call was more of a top-of-the-morning-to-you kind of call to start your day on a cheery note? I could actually buy into this type of campaigning.

In fact, I’ve put together a few quick scripts the candidates could use to send positive messaging via the phone wires.

Read full article.