SPRING CLEANING

As I went through my list of links now titled "The Road Not Taken" I suddenly realized that nothing is constant but change. Many of the old familiar faces are no longer out here in the blogosphere.  Maybe they hit that dreaded writer’s cramp that most of us experience from time to time or maybe life’s demands had caught up with them and blogging fell to the bottom of their list of priorities. While some take brief vacation from Spaces, others pack up and find a new homes elsewhere.  I often wonder what other sites are like compared to MSN Spaces and how these people like their new homes.

As I brought out my feather duster and cleaned up my list of links, it gave me a moment to reflect upon each person before I deleted their link from my list.  I remembered how my list itself has gone through a metamorphosis. Once titled , "The Clique" as a joke, I had some people bash me because of its name.  Those people obviously were not a regular to my blog or else they would have seen the name as my New England sarcasm at play.  I also remembered the list being named "Blogs To Avoid" and having some well-meaning soul going around to each person on my list and tattling on me. That person warned each person of Red Kitten blackballing their blog.  That made me laugh til I cried.  A few people corrected that person by telling him/her that it was an honor to be on my list of blogs to avoid.  The rest simply ignored the person as being just another person out here trying to stir up trouble amongst the masses. Finally, the list has had rather sedate names like, Blogland Safari and now, The Road Not Taken. Like most things around here, it will change as the spirit moves me and hopefully, with each change it will grow in number.

What I would like ultimately on my list are blogs not only of people who participate here and actually leave comments, but also of blogs I have discovered and find worthy of mentioning to others. The ones I have deleted are simply blogs that either don’t exist any longer or have become dormant from having no new entries posted. If I deleted anyone in error, please feel free to publicly humiliate me and tell me I acted much too hastily with the DELETE botton.

My 2008 House Rules:

First, I want to point out that this is my blog and I don’t have the policy of unconditional acceptance. I expect people to treat others with respect and to behave like an adult, not like a bunch of children on the playground!

1.The people I add to my friends list will never be flamers or people like the guy yesterday going from blog to blog leaving spam by inviting people to attend an orgy. He sent me a request to be added to my friends list…like that’s ever going to happen!  I wonder if he was going to buy everyone’s plane tickets.

2. The people I add will be people who actually participate and leave comments here.  This doesn’t mean you have to agree with me on anything I write. I want people to be honest and express their opinions.

3. The people I add will be people who have blogs worth visiting and like me, they enjoy feedback on the things they write. Sending someone a private message is great, but blogs are supposed to be interactive so everyone has the opportunity to throw in their 2 cents worth.

4. If you want to act out your bad boy or naughty girl fantasy, do it somplace where its appreciated. I have a great rule of thumb…if you won’t do it in real life, don’t do it on the internet!

Comments:

Sleepdeprived
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 4:22 PM
I solemnly agree to abide by Red Kitten’s House Rules. 
*cheesy grin*
Had to be me, you know.



R U Serious
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 6:09 PM 
Did you clean me off with that duster of yours?? I just met you!!!! But I agree to your rules… OK?


J W
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 6:11 PM 
I could easily write a short story titled "About Time!!" after finding and reading your latest post. Having run the gauntlet of critics, skeptics, gossip lovers, hate mongers and persons coming at me from all directions with advice about being either too serious or needing to be more humorous, I nearly jumped for joy to finally find someone choosing to march to her drumbeat regardless of how many fingers are pointed at you. Actually, I’ve also found myself laughing literally out loud (the wife thinks I’m going senile when doing this) at some of the things people say and try to interject on this wonderful domain. Having been "gang tackled" by some of the social gossip groups you have so realistically labeled, I’ll admit to just deleting their comments as a form of personal entertainment. Trying to reason with some people about finding common ground is like me telling my wife I expect her to be my slave…..fat chance along with a fat lip and divorce papers would be her responsible choice!! Also like you, I’ve ventured cautiously into other similar domains on this vast Internet, but have found Spaces to be the lesser of all the evils when choosing a home base for moral and meaningful friendships with others that are likely to never cross our life’s path. With just that one post you have earned this man’s respect. Given time, hopefully I’ll earn yours. I’ll leave you with a hearty salute for remaining true to yourself.
J.W.L.


Nina
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 8:32 PM 
Hi! I just happened to come across your Space through another friend…really like the title of your site. Seems to fit me perfectly!
I think we have a lot in common! I enjoyed reading what you had to say here! All well said and stated! Esp. liked your 2008 House Rules! We just can’t please everyone…I had to say goodbye to a "friend" recently (I ended up uninviting myself from her space)…apparently I don’t fit the Christian mold that she belongs too…but I have never been a "cookie cut" anything. Still it made me feel a little sad! I am a liberal like yourself…and what I write may not always fall into everyones taste or sense of humor! Ohh, well!
Feel free to stop by! Warmly, Nina
PS. The Osjui guy…the crazy sales guy…last month he was trying to sell real estate somewhere…now it’s orgy parties somewhere. HA! You made me laugh by writing "I wonder if he was going to buy everyone’s plane tickets." If he comes close to my site…WATCH OUT, Man! I have the "guns loaded"! LOL!


NATIVE
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 9:10 PM
Hello, my friend. It was a wonderful surprise to be asked to be included in your friends list. From what I have read, it has ever been a joy to pop in and read, I’m a slacker about commenting sometimes. But well, with John and Bob stopping in too, I most certainly will be a more active participant. I also hope that list gets much longer…now, I’m off to catch up on some great reading. Peace~Rich

R Michael/artist-poet/activist
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 9:45 PM
Howdy, enjoyed your site. I’m new to site and am a beginning blog-gerrrrrrr, oops. Loved your research on the chicken. And would you please tell people NOT to come to my site, and to NOT read any thing I write. Like they say "any publicity, is good publicity". Oh, also I’ve set aside two tickets to the Moon, just in case you go on a first date (you’ve really never been on one before?) RR


Red
JANUARY 22, 2008 AT 10:36 PM
SDM, a cheesy grin back at ya!
Bob, I still have you on my friends list and intend to add you and some other new people to my list of blogs to avoid.
JWL, welcome to my madness and I’m glad you can relate to what I’ve written. I’m sure there will be those who come and tell me what to do with my rules. To them I will say my most favorite saying…"opinions vary". I look forward your future visits and hope you always feel welcome here.
Nina, abnormally normal people always seem to find each other. I hope this will become one of your regular spots to hang out and sound off when the spirit moves you. Thanks for the info on Mr. Orgy. Even if I were into stuff like that, I think I’d find his gatherings as boring as the invitation he copied and pasted on so many blogs. There’s only one thing worse than unsolicited sexual offers and that’s boring unsolicited sexual offers.
Double Dragon, slackers are welcome here and I’m glad to see you’re friends with some of the others who have recently discovered me. I’ll try to be a good hostess and keep everyone entertained.
RR, wow…another new person! My heart be still!! Welcome to my blog and the chicken research I can\’t take credit for. Perhaps Bill can tell you where it originated since he posted he same thing on his blog. I got it as a joke in an email and thought it was cute so I passed it on to my readers here. I do that from time to time when someone sends me something I thing is funny or informative. I’ll make sure you get put on that list of blogs to avoid. Two tickets…thats so kind of you and no, I’ve never been to the moon on a first date but I can keep hoping, can’t I?

Stephen Craig
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 2:34 AM 
Dear Karen, Smile! Big grin…..I thnk you will like this.
http://www.o2lmusic.com/
Post Script: There are no rules. For Spsce is Only As Deep As One Makes It. I pray that all who manage this platform find the computer as a powerful tool to imporve the betterment. Helpless, hope less romantic that I be. I know you have touched the lives of others and made them better for it.
One well placed word can change the world forever. Thank you. As ever be well. Stephen Craig Rowe


EbonyWyvernDragon
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 1:26 PM
Hey there – I LOVE your "House Rules" – seems as though they should not HAVE to be posted, though – adults should behave like adults….and it is so sad to see that there are many who may chronologically claim the title "adult" but do not fit its description! I, for one, am glad to see you back blogging. I have always enjoyed your honesty and forthrightness! the Dragon


JUDGE
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 1:31 PM 
Hey Doll,
In ansewer to yer inquiry, no you were never in my court. I only had a few high profile cases last year, befare being deleted by MSN!
Anyway, I am de judge, I’m back and justice will be served! The Guilty will be shafted! and the Lame will be deleted!
Karen, I may have you serve on da next jury, though. However, hawt Irish redheads always get all the ’perks’ in my courtroom!

Sincerely,

Judge Q.Qwaylood, presiding


Kenneth
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 3:57 PM
Kenny enters the room ! falls to one knee before you Red Kitten and swears by all that he holds sacred, to respect and follow the house rules to the letter. "Now"…where’s the bar ?


Reeking Havoc's Lair
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 5:28 PM
I’ve been writing again in recent months…Looks like you are too! I am glad for that.


Red
JANUARY 23, 2008 AT 9:41 PM
Dear sweet Stephen…there are always rules. Just like in life nothing is free. Certain truths are absolute and my rules are just that…absolutely mine.

EbonyDragon, you know how people get at times and how rude, lewd and crude they can be. I know since I’m back that makes me subject to the flamers who for lack of nothing better to do spread their garbage on people’s blogs secretly hoping to get verbally spanked for their misbehavior.

JUDGE QWAYLOOD, perhaps I have my Loods confused. Do you have a brother running around here? I’ll have to go back in my archives and see which Lood was rude.

Kenny, I have one question to ask you…please get up off your bended knee and bring your ear close so I can whisper this softly so no one will hear. Are you flirting with me? so if it looks like a chicken and sounds like a chicken then is it really a chicken?

Havoc, I think we’ll go down with the ship!



Kenneth
JANUARY 24, 2008 AT 4:51 AM
Flirt…me.. nooooo. I am a gentleman and far be it from me to exceed the bounds of good taste, I am here for three reasons and three reasons only…to look, listen and learn.
If a man falls to one knee before the Queen then is he flirting with her ? I don’t think so.
RE. chicken…probably.!!!
"Chickens" are like women I never know what to take the breast or the leg.


Red
JANUARY 24, 2008 AT 11:32 AM 
Kenny,
As we all know, flirting is quite harmless and also an off-handed way to pay a person a compliment. We also know gentlemen flirt in a way as to always boost a ladies ego and to make her feel like a queen. You have done exactly that and I want to thank you. You’re definitely abnormally normal and I feel privileged to have you as one of my many new blogging friends.


Holy
JANUARY 24, 2008 AT 1:12 PM
It’s great to do spring cleaning in winter…
Yes I moved….tired of the Spaces traffic. I’ll email you with my new link.



Stephen
JANUARY 25, 2008 AT 10:06 AM
RedKitten – Great post, It was quit thought provoking!!! PS – Thanks for your support on not smoking or at least trying to quit.


gordon
JANUARY 29, 2008 AT 2:23 AM
hi thanks for the message,i just read hat you had to say i agree 100%. i have just started my other site visit when you can hammer-out.

A BLOG REVIEW

Speaking of painfully awkward situations…here’s one for everyone to read titled Christmas, Family and Porn (it’s definitely not x-rated by any means, so it’s relatively safe for those with a strict moral code). I doubt anyone will catch any cyber cooties from visiting this blog or from leaving a comment nor will it make you want to scream "beat me, abuse me…make me write bad checks!" This well-written entry brought a smile to my face because the event described was something that could happen to anyone…well almost anyone who might watch HBO or Showtime late at night. I felt the entry was worthy of at least a tip of my hat and a wink from Red Kitten >^.^<.


Actually, I think more of us need to start mentioning those blogs we visit that we think others might enjoy. Many writers/bloggers lose their drive to maintain a blog due to the lack of feedback from others. The above mentioned entry comes from a blog that hasn’t been updated in almost a year and I think that’s a shame. Maybe we can lure the writer out of oblivion by leaving a few comments. So to mend some of my past bad behavior and evil ways of not spreading the word often enough, here’s my first official thumbs up! Kudos to "left hand spread", a blog filled with stories from the heart and soul and every place inbetween.

P.S. I also recommend "Sleepless" posted on May 25, 2006.


Stephen Craig
NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AT 2:30 AM
Dear Karen, Am glad to see you back at work here. Reading your past posts makes me smile a good smile. Thank you. I pray that all is well with you and yours. As ever be well. Stephen Craig Rowe

Red Kitten
NOVEMBER 9, 2007 AT 6:01 PM
Hey stranger! You know me…I couldn’t/wouldn’t stay away forever. I just had some issues that required my full attention and unfortunately, blogging had to take second seat for awhile.

sheffield
NOVEMBER 10, 2007 AT 11:26 AM
I cannot thank you enough for your comment. I have continued to publish elsewhere and irregularly. I am currently pursuing my masters in writing and my blog was an outlet for my more lighthearted work. Thank you. You are correct in assuming that most folks give up because of the lack of feedback. Writers need an audience. I am no exception and because of your encouragement, I’ll try to be more diligent. Again…thank you…sincerely.

Sheff lefthandspread

Red Kitten
NOVEMBER 11, 2007 AT 12:23 AM
Sheff, I actually stumbled onto your blog through Blogshares. I enjoyed what I read and will be back as time permits…

PUT THAT IN YOUR PIPE AND SMOKE IT

The 36th annual National NORML Conference was held on Friday, October 12 and Saturday, October 13 in Universal City, California. This video features Irv Rosenfeld explaining why the government grows marijuana for him:

Recently, I watched Senator Christopher Dodd speak out in favor of decriminalizing marijuana. Perhaps, this wasn’t the smartest political move he could have made, but I felt it took a certain amount of courage to come forward and address an issue many feel is political suicide to tackle. I know this topic is far from being a critical issue, but it does however effect the lives of many Americans from both a legal and moral standpoint.

What better place to kick around some candid discussion than right here on the internet? Does anyone care to step up to the "podium" like Senator Dodd did and share their views on this issue? Should marijuana be decrimalized? Is it really the "gateway" drug it’s always been accused of being? Does it have any actual medicinal value? Should it eventually be legalized and taxed by the government like tobacco and alcohol? Finally, would you vote for someone who was in favor of the decriminalization and eventual legalization of marijuana? Do you know what the current laws of your state are regarding this issue? If not, click here and then let’s hear from you.

OUT OF THE BLUE

After grumbling over the newest changes to Spaces and finding out that some of the links make my computer crash, I decided to just roll with the punches and see if MSN eventually irons out the bugs. What else can I do, but runaway from "home" and join the circus? (the theme from "Cheers" is playing in my head) With all its bugs, glitches and other headaches, MSN Spaces seems to be home. I wrote an entry the other night, but when trying to post it, it vanished into the cosmos. I told myself that those words weren't meant to be shared, yet those words have been steadfast in my mind ever since. The word "perseverance" has been with me for several days for many reasons and I really can't decide if perseverance is a good thing or not. As the suspense mounts, I scurry to do some soul searching. I ask myself if all this food for thought will eventually start to dull my senses. Will the anticipation be rewarded in a grand finale or should common sense tell me perseverance reaps no rewards other than as being an excellent character building exercise?

At present, I am engaged in a rather odd ongoing rather lengthy game of cat and mouse. I'm usually up for anything challenging, risky and a bit unconventional. As a participant, I'm always confident of the outcome, yet in this case I haven't figured out who's the cat, who's the mouse and what the stakes are for playing this game. I do, however, know all things come with some sort of a pricetag, but this pricetag seems so elusive. Win or lose, I know my investment (perseverance, honesty and unconditional love) has not gone unnoticed and on some level are qualities that have kept me in this game. My mind reflects on the serenity prayer remembering the difference between the things I can and can not change, but I choose to change nothing and remain steadfast until the end. I'll roll the dice and see what happens.... I fear the extremes, yet crave them like a drug. As this subtle, unrehearsed, spontaneous dance continues, the issue of options seems like a worthy topic to hold my focus for awhile...What are my options? I'm told to make my own options and eventually I will. Eventually, when all is said and done, things will have happened just as they were supposed to happen.

Out of the blue, the conversation changes from idle chitchat to let's read between the lines and see who can be more stubborn.The Wizzard? or Red Kitten?

Wizzard: what would you do with me?

Red Kitten: huh?

Wizzard: I said, "What would you do with me?"

Red Kitten: yes, I saw that

Wizzard: and?

Red Kitten: and if I have to do something with you, what are my options and I'll pick one...maybe two

Wizzard: make your own options

Red Kitten: yeah right!

Wizzard: I asked, "What would you do with me?"

Wizzard: you get to name the options, what ya skeered?

Red Kitten: You know nothing scares me

Wizzard: so?

Wizzard: afraid of laying it on the line?

Red Kitten: okay...I'd pick a ride on your bike and a few laughs

Wizzard: sounds like a good time

Red Kitten: I think you know me better than that...like I said, nothing scares me

Red Kitten: are you afraid to lay it on the line?

Wizzard: but that sounds like a good time, low risk

Red Kitten: it sounds like a male thing to me

Red Kitten: lo

LYRICS ARE LIFE

Today while driving home from work I heard three songs...all of them got me singing along and all of a sudden a verse in each song jumped out at me and seemed to stick in my head.

 

And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t coming
Or the moment of truth in your lies
When everything feels like the movies
Yeah, you bleed just to know you’re alive

~Iris by The GooGoo Dolls

Momma always told me not to look into the eyes of the sun
But momma that's where the fun isthe calliope crashed to the ground.
Cause she was
blinded by the light...
~Blinded By The Light by Manfred Mann

Don't say words you're gonna regret

Don't let the fire rush to your head

I've heard the accusaation before

And I ain't gonna take any more

Believe me

The sun in your eyes

Made some of the lies worth believing

~Eye In The Sky by Alan Parsons Project

 

These words that other people have written seemed to reflect what I've been feeling lately.  It just goes to show, the human experience is very similar for all of us.  We all suffer at times and some of us become creative in our pain while others wallow and fade away.  Who hasn't followed the lies into the light?  But how many of us return unblemished? unscorched? I believe one of the best tans I ever got is the one I have right now.  

OUT OF THE FISHBOWL

There's no place like home!!! But what if home is filled with ghosts and horrible memories? Or what if home is a safety net keeping a person from going out in the world and spreading their wings? We all tend to idealize things, especially when things are remembered through the eyes of a child, but for me, my younger years hold no such ideals. I left home many, many years ago because my only real choices were to leave and live or to stay and die.  I chose life! I really never wanted to return again and stayed away for over 20 years. After being out in the world, the more I saw and learned, the pain became dull and the wounds healed leaving minimal scars.  Home was just that and although it was far from being perfect, it definitely was one of the biggest factors of what has made me who I am today. 

When I left home, I immediately suffered from severe culture shock.  Moving from New England to the South was like moving to another planet.  Now many years later after blending into my environment here on The Redneck Riviera, I still feel like a fish out of water.  It seems I always gravitate towards people from the North....why? Some unknown, unnamed force draws me to them. It's not that I feel they are better in any way.  It just seems that the same roots that make me who I am seems to run in their blood also.  We share unspoken truths and common ground.  We share a common outlook on life for the most part.  Leaving home not only gave me a chance for survival, but it helped mend the wounds that would have never healed by staying. Distance  gave me a chance to develop a deep appreciation of the place I was born and raised and of the people who really are my kindred spirits. 

Comments:

William
DECEMBER 20, 2004 AT 6:42 AM EDIT
Know how you feel about transplantation and being out of place. I live in Missouri, and the family loves to go to Branson for vacation. It’s like Vegas, but with Jesus.