AND… I got my passport.

oooo… I feel so officially…er… numbered.

So everyone please join me in doing the mystical dance of “get-Joy-a-job”.

Because then I could get groceries and stuff.

Doing another Yard Sale on Saturday the 4th of August. (At 6:00 a.m. Take Herndon to Milburn, North on Milburn, West on Alluvial, North (curving around toward West) on River Bluff, North on Barcus to the end… corner lot.) So we’re selling all sorts of stuff. Bellydance stuff, kid clothes, household items, adult clothes, gothic late 90s Hot Topic clothes, shoes, collectibles, my grandma’s costume jewelry… a plethora of treasures.

Yeah. So come buy our stuff.

Anyway, going through shelves and boxes… I found some old journals. From 20 years ago.

Reading through I’ve realized some things about me haven’t changed. Some have. And some things… I stifled for a long time and then reverted back to my old self. Hm hm hm

Poring over the years I discover…

I was a silly girl at 18. I am a silly girl now.

I am reminded of the warmth of a baby slumbering on my shoulder, and part of me longs for it again.

I’m glad I’m not 18 anymore, glad I knew what I did at 23, and 25, and glad I am where I am now.

I am a shmaltzy poet and writer, and not fit for public consumption.

Example:

Duty, Honor,
Devotion, Constancy,

Desire, Need,
Yearning, Intensity

Unswerving loyalty,
Unfailing, Unchecked

Anguish, self-loathing,
Disappointment, Death

Wheeee.
Or how about THIS one:

Her hands lifted above her head in a graceful arch, she rises on her toes.

He plays his tune and she spins.

She whirls.

Her feet drum out the beat of his music, his will, as she revolves ever faster.

She capers on, and he leads her through the twists and turns of his whim; his immediacy is her only concern.

Turn here. Whip about there.

Leap now.

And fall.

The melancholy of her expression seems so at odds with the intensity of her dance. Impassivity of countenance, passion of of motion.

The master weaves the maze, constructs the song, and she gambols along under his spell.

Neverending wearying exhilarating excrutiating.

She the marionette.

He the puppetmaster.

All because he once asked, “May I have this dance?”

ooooo.

I should burn these journals. yeesh.

Unrelated: The image in this post was found here, and I fell madly in love with it. It seemed to go so well with my nonsense. Except, you know, far better, artistically. Such wonderful things there. I wonder, has she illustrated books? Is her art for sale?

I wonder, wonder.

You may have noticed. I joined the ranks of bloggers who are a part of the payperpost crowd.

What is it?

It’s an opportunity to post about products, services, web sites, and all sorts of other things… AND get paid for them.

“Why,” you ask, “would you do such a thing, Joy? That’s… selling out!”

But it isn’t. I choose what I post about. I look at the listing of post opportunities available to me (companies or people that want someone to blog about whatever cool thing they think people should hear about), and *I* choose what I write about. I don’t always choose to do posts on what’s available. I suppose there ARE people who will blog about anything for a few bucks, but I think it’s more appropriate to find things that DO interest me, products or services I HAVE used, or WOULD use, and blog about those. So what if I get paid for it? I’m never dishonest about it… I will always say what I really think about whatever is going into my blog.

So why do I do it? Because a few extra bucks here and there are more than helpful to me these days. And you know what? If I can call someone’s attention to something *I* think is interesting, or entertaining, or cool, or just useful… then… why not? Why not help a business out a little if I think they have something worthwhile to offer?

And heaven knows I can blog a blue streak.

So, Joy, how did you find out about this interesting $$ for blog posts thing?

I honestly don’t recall. I think I saw it while surfing other blogs. Someone had a link, because they did it, and I clicked and thought, “Well, *I* am certainly no slouch when typing my fingies off… why shouldn’t *I* get paid to write about stuff? I do that all the time anyway.”

Well, then. What have you learned from your experience?

For one, it’s ridiculously easy. I check for post opportunities. I gauge whether one is appropriate for me. I check into the product or service, or whatever it is, to learn more about it. Then I make a blog post. I wait to see if it meets the posting requirements, if they approve it, and then after a reasonable period of time (to make sure I don’t delete the post or the blog, and for them to have the time to review the posting), money gets deposited into my Paypal account.

Over the time I’ve been doing this I’ve also had the chance to hear about products, services, upcoming movies, television shows, etc… that I might never have known about. A good many of them HAVE been of interest to me. It’s nice to be able to pass the information on to anyone who might share my tastes.

So you feel comfortable using your blog to advertise things for others?

Sure I do. I do it all the time anyway. If I see something cool, I often link to a website or a picture. In fact, when you find something REALLY neat, or you know of a movie you’re anticipating seeing, or you have JUST found the most AMAZING deal on something… don’t you tell people about it? I do this all the time in conversations, on my blog, in email… This way, I also get remuneration for it. It’s really not much. Or, at least, I haven’t had any big $$ blog post opportunities come up, but every little bit counts, and it does add up. In fact, this post, of itself, is a payperpost blog posting. They want people to tell other people why they do it, what it is, how they like it.

Why not?

So, yeah. Sometimes I blog for money. But I’m open about it, I’m honest about it, and I don’t JUST do it to make the money. It’s fun.

Stability results were moderately high which suggests you are relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic.

Orderliness results were medium which suggests you are moderately organized, hard working, and reliable while still remaining flexible, efficient, and fun.

Extraversion results were moderately low which suggests you are reclusive, quiet, unassertive, and secretive.

trait snapshot:
does not make friends easily, secretive, introverted, reclusive, observer, dislikes leadership, somewhat socially awkward, does not like to stand out, dislikes large parties, values solitude, solitary, avoidant, ambivalent about fitting in, not dominant, unassertive, suspicious, prudent, unadventurous, worrying, weird, intellectual, frequently second guesses self

It wasn’t so bad.

I dread birthdays, every year. They’re just proof of my continued insignificance in the universe.

Some are better than others.

This one was, at least, not horrible. Comfortable.

I had a few significantly gratifying phone calls and several well-wishing emails, from those very close to me as well as people I don’t know well. All were most appreciated. A few gifts were received prior to my birthday (and to these people I am most grateful for the unexpected kindnesses.)

My podling and her father took me to see a movie, and to a meal. The movie was entertaining… Called “No Reservations”, apparently a remake of a German film “Mostly Martha”. It’s a nice little story. The meal was also nice. Good food, and comfortable conversation.

The evening found me enjoying some damned good blues music and a one-man show of questionable taste. (Well, come ON… it was about a guy that worked in a porn shop! Of COURSE it was of questionable taste.)

Then another free meal, and some entertaining, low-key, ‘shoot the shit’ kind of conversation.

Oh yes, and I got more proof that my tastes DO, definitely, run to the more expensive. Comparing to something I recently discovered I liked… to something similar but more expensive… I liked the more expensive even more. (Not because of what it might have cost… since I wasn’t paying.) Black vs. Green. Green won.

So, yeah. The birthday was ok.

Just wish I could breathe deeply today. Woke up with my chest constricted for some reason. I’m not wheezing, it’s just… weird. Tight. No deep breathing.

because I think he’s, well, interesting.

An article.

And, nothing to do with today being my birthday, but YouTube is a strange and wonderful place… a land of… well…

unusual things.

But oddly delightful.

So I finally set up Haloscan… and it ate all previous comments.

So all the brilliant comment-y-ness that has gone on over all my blogging history… is now wiped out.

Oh well.

I guess everyone’s going to have to be witty and smart all over again.

This cute little girl’s face is coming off. Actually, most of her head is completely detached. I managed to squish it back together for the scan.

Got To Do
Somepin’ To ‘Tract
your ‘Tention,
VALENTINE!

Now THAT is love… terrorizing a little boy with a spider on a string…

Apparently it’s from Miss Van Emon. I might guess that was a teacher, but of which grandparent, I do not know.

Tiny print on the front reads “Germany”

So… apparently, even back then, it was common knowledge that sometimes people would do anything to get the attention of a love-interest?