Many years ago, the tears flowed when I first heard Vincent by Don McLean. And I still cry like a baby when I hear it. Loving the art of Vincent Van Gogh as I do, the song stirs up a lot of emotion in me. I dare you to listen to this without tearing up.

I’d like to tag Andrew, Judy, Sandy, Missy, and Scott. I can’t wait to see what songs make ‘em cry!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

1. Embarrassing Moment – As if the initial moment wasn’t embarrassing enough, I made it even worse by posting it for all the world to see.
2. It’s Dorky Tuesday! – Osbasso declared September 6, 2005 as Dorky Tuesday. He asked that anyone brave enough celebrate the day by posting a dorky high school photo. I’m pretty sure that mine qualified as the most dorky of the bunch. I still can’t believe I posted it – or that I’m linking to it once again.
3. Way Back Wednesday #1 – The theme for this Way Back Wednesday submission was the 1980s – in particularly, just how unkind they were to us. They were extremely unkind to yours truly!
4. Just Call Me Miss Independence! – These real life quotes from past boyfriends are sure to scare off any potential suitors.
5. Worst Day of the Year – Coming Soon! – My thoughts on New Year’s Eve, and the recounting of a very embarrassing vomit story from a past New Year’s Eve.

Whoa. I can’t believe I’m about to publish this post. I feel it necessary to point out that I no longer look like those embarrassing photos from the 80s. Here’s the proof. And now I’d like to embarrass the following bloggers by asking them to post this meme – Andrew, Lincoln, Barry, Osbasso, and Jason. Be sure to link back to Christy’s original post!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Rules:

You are about to send a virtual ‘Message in a Bottle’ across the Blog Ocean. Leave a message in the sand or on the bottle. Write anything you wish. Be a pirate or a poet. Serious or silly. Anonymous or not. What message would you like to send out to the universe?

Message in A Bottle Meme:

1. Compose a message to place in your virtual bottle.

2. Right click and SAVE the blank graphic below.

3. Use a graphics program of your choice to place the message on the picture.

4. Post the Message in a Bottle meme and your creation on your blog along with these rules.

5. Tag a minimum of 5 bloggers – or your entire blogroll – to do the same. Notify them of the tag.

Your virtual bottle will remain afloat in the blogosphere ocean for all blogernity (That’s a Mimism for blog + eternity.)

So, if you are tagged by me, go over to Mimi’s and ADD your site to her Mr. Linky list and place your blog’s name and url in a comment here to let Mimi know you’ve completed the meme. Mimi will add it to the master list of message bottles. Email mimiwrites2005 at yahoo.com if you have questions. Participation is optional.

Here’s my message in a bottle.

I tag Andrew, Liza, Teeni, Missy, and Judy.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Choc Mint Girl tagged me for this meme about New Year’s good luck traditions.

Rule:
Copy the person and persons’ names that sent it to you and add your own at the bottom of the list. It really helps to build community.

Let’s start it here!

*My mom used to collect some coins and when the new year comes she put the coins in a bowl and shake it to create sounds. She said its good luck for money throughout the year. And also wearing dotted dresses on new year don’t know why. CC/chalyza/keep

*My old folks always told us to avoid spending money on new years day. They said, once you spend on the first day of the year, you like to spend the rest of the year. Behind d Scenes of ME/ Retchel’s Pure Life/ A little bit of me

*I grew up believing that if you have some money on your pocket (whatever you’re wearing) come New Year’s eve it will ensure steady flow of income throughout the year. The other belief is that the main door of the house should be wide open come New Year’s eve so that good luck will be ushered in. Juliana of MY WORLD and JULIANA’S LAIR.

*I don’t know if what I am about to write is a new year’s tradition or not. In my place, most people will ‘jump’ into the sea or take a shower as soon as the clock strikes to 12 in New Year’s Eve to get rid of all the bad lucks in the previous year. ;D ~ CHOC MINT GIRL~

*Like most other East Tennesseans, I always have a side of blackeyed peas with my dinner on New Year’s Day. – Tish of The Kat House

I tag: Andrew, Max, and Barry.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Here are seven of the many things that annoy me.

• Unexpected visitors – They show up at my house at the most inopportune times. If I want you to visit, I’ll extend an invitation.
• Slow drivers – Why do so many of them travel in the fast lane?
• Lack of space – I thoroughly enjoy my alone time and require a significant amount of space. A lot of people fail to respect that.
• Dependency – As an overly independent woman, I am easily annoyed by overly dependent people. I think everyone should strive to be self sufficient, as you never know when the time will come that you will need to be.
• Irresponsible pet owners – Responsible pet owners view their pets as members of the family and will go to great lengths to ensure their wellbeing.
• Telemarketers – In the rare event that I actually answer the phone when they call, I just hang up on them once they start talking.
• Guys who fail to get the message – Roger*, this means you.

I tag: John, Wm H, Blue Sloth, Jos, Robert, Jack, and Speedcat Hollydale.

Not directed toward Roger of The Callboard Blog.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

What was the first line from your first post each month in 2007?

January - “I had such a difficult time getting out of bed this morning.” (First day back to the real world after spending the holidays with my boyfriend of the time)

February – “Tish: Brico, it bothers me when we’re having a serious conversation and you end it abruptly to go to bed.” (Excerpt from a conversation with the boyfriend)

March – “I got some bad news during Cruella’s ultrasound today.” (Vet discovered large mass in Cruella’s abdomen, originally thought to be on the spleen)

April – “One of my biggest passions is music. ” (A post about my love of country music and some of the memories it brings back for me)

May – “I closed on my new home yesterday!” (Preparing to move into my new house)

June – “I just got my eyelash perm last night!” (Details and photograph of my eyelash perm)

July – “It has been quite an eventful weekend.” (Post about my birthday weekend, which included two plays and a baseball game)

August – “Big Orange Michael has been participating in the August Happiness Challenge for several years now.” (I joined Michael again this year by posting a happy thought on each day of August.)

September – “The winner of our August BlogsWeLuv contest is Loretta of Just Not Martha.” (A little shameless promotion of one of my other sites)

October - “My friend Elliot and I spent the day at Dollywood yesterday.” (The first and only time this year that my season pass got any use)

November – “All the cool kids are doing it, so I’ve decided to start my own meme too.” (A meme designed to let your readers learn all about you through the words of those who know you best)

December – “Even though I spend several hours per day on my blogs, I am so far behind on memes.” (A meme that details the evolution of my blog)

If you’re interested in participating, please do. And let me know so I can check out your post! Happy New Year!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

1. Name one person who made you laugh last night? Tommy
2. What were you doing at 0800? Crawling out of bed so that I could get Molly to the vet by 0900
3. What were you doing 30 minutes ago? Cleaning the kitchen
4. What happened to you in 2006? Two failed relationships
5. What was the last thing you said out loud? “KuKu, you want a treat?” (KuKu is Cruella’s nickname. In fact, she thinks that’s her name.)
6. How many beverages did you have today? Several glasses of ginger ale
7. What color is your hairbrush? Brown
8. What was the last thing you paid for? Olay Daily Facials cleansing cloths. Before that, I paid for a brow wax. I’m now concerned about just what my purchases say about me.
9. Where were you last night? At home
10. What color is your front door? Dark brown
11. Where do you keep your change? In a big smiley face bank
12. What’s the weather like today? A bit cool
13. What’s the best ice-cream flavor? Vanilla frozen yogurt
14. What excites you? Blogging, movies, music, and my dogs.
15. Do you want to cut your hair? I think it’s about time I did. It’s getting far too long.
16. Are you over the age of 25? 10 years over
17. Do you talk a lot? That’s why they call me Chattie.
18. Do you watch the O.C.? Nope
19. Do you know anyone named Steven? Yes
20. Do you make up your own words? No
21. Are you a jealous person? Not particularly, but I have my moments.
22. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘A’. Andrew
23. Name a friend whose name starts with the letter ‘K’. Kevin
24. Who’s the first person on your received call list? Jake
25. What does the last text message you received say? It’s a Twitter update from Andrew. “No sushi for me tonight. Sigh. I get to watch Will Smith and his dog fight monsters instead.”
26. Do you chew on your straw? No
27. Do you have curly hair? My hair is naturally very wavy.
28. Where’s the next place you’re going to? Walmart
29. Who’s the rudest person in your life? Roger
30. What was the last thing you ate? Beef ravioli
31. Will you get married in the future? If I find the right guy, certainly…
32. What’s the best movie you’ve seen in the past 2 weeks? Say Anything. Thanks for recommending it, Andrew!
33. Is there anyone you like right now? Yes
34. When was the last time you did the dishes? Just a few minutes ago
35. Are you currently depressed? No
36. Did you cry today? Yes, while watching Say Anything
37. Why did you answer and post this? Because two friends tagged me
38. Tag 5 people to do this survey. Tommy, Andrew, Barry, Missy, Choc Mint Girl.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

1. Link to the person that tagged you, and post the rules on your blog.
2. Share Christmas facts about yourself.
3. Tag seven random people at the end of your post, and include links to their blogs.
4. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

Welcome to the Christmas edition of “Getting to Know Your Friends.”

1. Wrapping or gift bags?
It depends on just what I’m wrapping. I use wrapping paper for easy to wrap items. Otherwise, I use gift bags.

2. Real or artificial tree?
Artificial.

3. When do you put up the tree?
Call me Scrooge, but I don’t put up a tree. I used to put one up when I was married so many years ago, but since my divorce, I haven’t bothered. No one would see it but me and the dogs, so it’s a bigger hassle than anything else.

4. When do you take the tree down?
The great part about not putting up a tree is that I don’t have to take it down.

5. Do you like egg nog?
No. I haven’t even tasted it in years.

6. Favorite gift received as a child?
I honestly remember very few of my childhood gifts, but I was really into reading, so it was probably a book.

7. Do you have a nativity scene?
No.

8. Worst Christmas gift you ever received?
Getting dumped. Seems that guys always do that right before the holidays…

9. Mail or email Christmas cards?
I love sending real Christmas cards. In fact, I send cards for nearly every holiday – even St. Patty’s Day and Halloween! I’ve always enjoyed the dying art of handwriting, so I do my part to keep it alive.

10. Favorite Christmas Movie?
“Miracle on 34th Street”

11. When do you start shopping for Christmas?
Sometime after Black Friday has passed.

12. Favorite thing to eat at Christmas?
Ham. Mmmm…

13. Clear lights or colored on the tree?
Colored

14. Favorite Christmas song(s)?
“The Little Drummer Boy.” That song has always been able to move me to tears. Time to break out the Mannheim Steamroller CDs!

15. Travel at Christmas or stay home?
I prefer to stay home. Nothing beats lounging around the house in jammies, eating yummy Christmas food, and listening to music.

16. Can you name all of Santa’s reindeer?
Yep. Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, Rudolph.

17. Angel on the tree top or a star?
Star.

18. Open the presents Christmas Eve or Christmas Morning?
Christmas morning.

19. Most annoying thing about this time of year?
The crowds at the mall.

20. Do you decorate your tree in any specific theme or color?
See question #3.

21. What do you leave for Santa?
Nothing – and he returns the favor.

22. Least favorite holiday song?
“Jingle Bells”

23. Favorite ornament?
The dog bone ornaments with Molly and Cruella’s names on them.

24. Family tradition?
My family isn’t very traditional.

25. Ever been to Midnight Mass or late-night Christmas Eve services?
No.

I tag Tommy, Mike, Groanin’ Jock, Graham, Mr. Fabulous, Max, and Choc Mint Girl.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

Physical – I dated a guy named David back in 2000. I can’t remember the reason, but I was very upset with him one day. He showed up at my house that night with an adorable stuffed toy dog in hand – a peace offering if you will. He said that the dog was symbolic of him, since he was in the dog house. He had even purchased a leash for the dog, stating that it was symbolic of the short leash he going to be on after whatever dirty deed he had just committed. I love stuffed animals and have lots of them around the house, but this one is extra special because of the thought that went into it. And as silly as that leash looks on the dog, I haven’t been able to bring myself to remove it.

Mental – I can’t let go of my sense of independence. After I divorced in 1999, I worked hard to establish myself as a strong, independent woman. Things have been far from perfect, but I’ve done pretty well for myself. I have a job that I enjoy, my own home and car, two wonderful dogs, and the peace of mind in knowing that I don’t need a man in my life to be happy. That being said, I do hope to meet the right guy eventually. But I’ll be just fine in the meantime.

Emotional – I’ve experienced two severe heartaches in my life. Though I don’t pine for the guys now, and wouldn’t ever consider dating them again, I still carry the deep emotional scars from those relationships. The pain I experienced has made me hesitant to give my heart to anyone else, as I’m afraid of getting hurt again.

I’m tagging Andrew, Teeni, and Missy.

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.

When tagged for this meme, you are to choose five posts that chart the evolution of your blog, and then tag five people to do the same.

I started blogging on MySpace in November 2004. I had gone through a bitter breakup about six months before, and I was just getting back into the dating market. The majority of my posts involved my search for true love. I blogged about my dates and about the frustrations of living single. In Personal Ads – a Waste of Time?, I discussed my thoughts on online dating and my specific reasons for participating in it.

I moved my blog from MySpace to Blogger in August 2005. Around the same time, I broadened my blogging identity by focusing less on love and more on my reality. I blogged about movies, tv shows, my social life, and the struggles of home ownership. In the post After All These Years, He’s Still Fresh!, I discussed my love of The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, which to this day I consider to be the best series to ever grace my television screen.

December 2005 marked a huge blogging milestone. Prior to that, I had met lots of people from MySpace and other online communities, but I had never really made an effort to go out and meet other bloggers. That all changed one weekend when I drove to Nashville to meet Osbasso and about a dozen other bloggers. Day 1 in Nashville – Tish Meets Osbasso is the first part of a series chronicling that very memorable weekend, which really opened my eyes to how nice bloggers can be and just how easy it is to forge wonderful friendships with those you meet online.

In May 2006, I began dating a fellow blogger. The relationship came to screeching halt 10 months later. I was heartbroken. And as much as I’d like to forget that it ever happened, I have to mention it in this post. During the months that we were together, many of my posts focused on the relationship. I was crazy about the guy. Choosing one post as representative of the time that we were together is difficult, but I think I’ll share one that reveals how thoughtful I can be in a relationship context. Aware of Brico’s love of Top Ten Lists, I asked all of his blogger buddies to post a list in his honor for his birthday. There was an overwhelming response, documented in the post Happy Birthday to Brico!

After a period of grieving, I decided to get more serious with my blog. I moved it to its own domain. I made a vow never to blog about my relationships again. I have never blogged about work. So that left the things that really matter – day to day life, my dogs, theatre, and of course, blogging. No other post shows my dedication to blogging better than Cursing Red Bull.

I’d like to tag the following bloggers for this meme: Aaron Cook, Barry, Mike Neel, Tommy, and Osbasso. Anyone else is welcome to participate as well!

©2012 The Kat House. All Rights Reserved.