Rain. Not snow.

Image © Lara Kulpa. All Rights Reserved.

My yard is muddy enough, and the dogs keep tracking it into the house. Which means it keeps winding up in my bed. I can’t STAND that. However the fact that it’s warm enough to be rain and not snow makes me very, very happy.

I’ve got the “spring cleaning” bug, but have lots of work stuffs to do. Part of all the reason I’m doing this whole shift in work stuff. I need more personal time in life. For nearly 5 years, I’ve been working from 630am til often midnight or later, with maybe only an hour or two’s break in between, nearly 7 days a week. I think I’m burning out a little, and I’m trying to attack it now before it causes problems, you know?

I’m currently not taking on new clients, unless there’s a hefty budget. I’m sorry, please don’t hate me. It’s Spring – a time for renewal, rebirth, and rediscovery. My birthday’s coming up, and I’ve always held Spring in a much higher regard for things like this than New Year’s Day as a result. It’s time for me to get things rolling in a more specific direction that will allow me to enjoy more of LIFE.

What part of Spring are you looking forward to? Are you renewing your plans, your schemes, your ideas or goals?

Life has been a whirlwind for me lately and I’m lost in how much I’m in love with it right now. Seriously, folks. You’re reading the words from a girl who sincerely was feeling like there were lots of things that would never change, never get better, never get worse, just sit here spending the rest of my life in this stagnant chain of events from day to day. I’m here to tell you, brag, scream from the rooftops that my “day to day” has been nothing short of amazing and wonderful the past couple weeks.

First, I’m in love. Yes, for all of you who know me at all, it’s a miracle, but I’m here. The Facebook status has been changed an e’rything! I won’t get into details, but my inner Disney princess has finally experienced the singing birds and fireworks, and damn, it’s good.

Work stuff has been wonderful and abundant, and there’s more around every city block corner I reach. I couldn’t be more grateful and honored that after four and a half years of putting my heart and soul into what I’m doing, it’s paying off. (More to come on this front later…)

I’m just really happy. All of the stars have aligned, and I’m rockin’ my world. It’s honestly the best feeling ever, and honestly – I can’t put it into words that really get the message across other than that.

So, with all this bliss, I’ve been inspired. (Funny how that works, eh?) I’ve got all these things I’m thinking I want to do RIGHT NOW like get back into painting, (re)start up a couple of my old blogs, sort through old clothes and donate them to GoodWill, you name it. It’s like crack for motivation, this happiness thing.

One of the things I discovered this morning while making my rounds online, was that I missed the announcement about Dooce heading to HGTV. (Yeah, she posted it in freakin’ January. See what I mean about the whole not believing we’re “into” March already? Yep.) Can this woman fail? I’m so super proud of her, you know? She’s making a mint off of being herself, and getting all kinds of publicity and appearances and all that for the past couple years, and now she’s hooked up with one of my favorite networks! You can check out what she’s doing over there with the blog stuff, but I’m truly wondering what all else is to come for this kickass chick, you know?

I’ve always had this deep-seated desire to have a fabulous personal blog. I’ve been blogging since before they called it that, and have had all sorts of niches and topics that I’ve tried to focus on, but the bottom line is that as a complex (complicated?) individual, sometimes there are just things I want to write about, that I want people to come along and say “Hey! That’s what I was thinking!” to, and that will make me just this uber-cool “girly web geek” that I keep claiming to be.

At one point, I tried my hand at having at least 8 blogs going at once. Like, duh. Right? Stoopid.

At another time, I considered starting up a blog network of sorts. I’ve recently let all the domains go to “poop”. (Yep, canceled the auto-renew. When they’re free, they’re free – have at it kiddies. Just credit me for the idea if you take it, mmkaythanksbai.)

Given that things have become so busy with work stuff, and I’ve got a steady stream of “regulars” that I’m beyond happy with, I’ve recently been considering taking Ginkgo Consulting to a strictly consulting basis. At least for the time being. Essentially making me a sort of “coach” in many ways. Rather than doing the dirty work myself, I’ll help outline the list of tasks and develop a plan to help launch people’s online businesses and blogs. This should open me up for more speaking gigs (something that the inner-five-year-old-wannabe-actress in me just thrives on) and give me more time to be selfish with my to-do list.

So there’s lots of planning and timing and scheduling going on in my world, as there often is. But the best part about all of this is that I’m finally LOVING it. It doesn’t feel daunting, doesn’t feel like a “dirty job”, and every single thing I do or think about when it comes to my future is exciting and wonderful and amazing.

I think I’m finally on the right highway.

So I’m not your typical anti-sports kind of girl, though I’m sure as hell not a football fanatic. (Although, I’m a die-hard Yankees fan!)

My dad explained the game to me at one point, and I’d watch with him once in a while, but I really just never got into it. A few years ago I was dating a football watching kinda guy. Sundays we’d go to his sister’s and watch football. She and I would half-heartedly watch, of course, but you know the deal.

On Superbowl Sunday, there was a huge party at his mom’s. I’m talking the same quantities of food as there was on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Tons of people, a huge television, and enormous quantities of food.

I like Superbowl parties. I like the commercials a lot, too. And I’ll even pick a team to root for, though historically it’s been that which was the favorite of the group I was with at the time. This year, I’m actually rooting for the Saints for the same reason a lot of people are: NOLA deserves to have a good day today.

Seriously. Amidst all this “Help Haiti” crap going on (yeah, not gonna get into my thoughts on that right now), New Orleans and the suffering there since Katrina has been on my mind a lot. My mom and I are even talking about taking a trip down, but besides that, I think that a win for the Saints would be just an amazing boost for a city OF OUR OWN that has endured so much in recent years.

So despite the fact that I’m single this year, and I’ve got no real reason to watch the game or cheer on any particular team (afterall, NY’s not in it LOL), I’m heading off soon to my friend’s house where her man and her son are going to be watching the festivities today. We’re gonna order lots of food, watch the commercials, probably partake in some tasty adult beverages, and deep down inside, I’m going to be praying that the Saints take it home today.

Geaux Saints!

Related articles by Zemanta

• Superbowl final breathes life into New Orleans (telegraph.co.uk)
• Super Bowl XLIV: Heart Says New Orleans Saints, Head Says Indianapolis Colts (bleacherreport.com)
• The Super Bowl Shuffle: The Greatest Music Video EVER! (trueslant.com)
• Attention, Everyone: Please Stop Writing Girl’s Guides To The Super Bowl [Rants] (jezebel.com)

I’ve just got to get something off my chest…

John Edwards is complete scum.
(So is Tiger Woods.)
And Eliot Spitzer.
And Bill Clinton.

Look, before I go any further, I realize that there’s always “behind the scenes” stuff that we as the gawking American public don’t know about when it comes to politicians and celebs who have affairs. (Hell, does anyone really not understand why Bill would look elsewhere for his lovin’?) However what bothers me most is that these people flat out LIE once they’re caught. Not only did they cheat on their wives (and thereby screwing up their kids), but then when they were caught, they lied like it was life or death. Billy boy even cost the American public financially when he lied, as there was was actually an investigation and trial. The man swore under oath that he was innocent, which was a lie. And he was allowed to remain PoTUS and is still hailed by many to this day. Seriously?!

With the exception of Tiger Woods, the other three men I named up there (yes, there are surely thousands more) have this public persona where they’re to be held responsible to the public for some pretty major stuff. Bill Clinton was getting his weenie wet INSIDE the Oval Office. John Edwards was running for president, and cheated on his cancer-fighting wife. Eliot Spitzer was using paid staff to guard the doors of his hotel rooms where he paid over $400 an hour to do things that are illegal in some states to a hooker.

So not only have these men been unfaithful to the women who stood by them while they rose up in the political ranks, the women who trusted them, the women who carried and cared for their children, but then they lied about it.

I personally have three rules when I’m in a relationship: Don’t cheat on me, don’t lie to me, and don’t get abusive in any way, shape, or form. Outside of those three things, I can honestly probably forgive anything. (So yeah, Chris Brown wouldn’t have made it very far with me either, and likely would’ve suffered some major infliction of pain to his “manhood” had he tried striking me.)

I give Tiger’s wife (and Rihanna) some credit for booting him out and taking off her ring. Though the rumor mill today says that he’s in a sex addict’s rehab somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and that she happens to be in the same town. Who knows, but at least she’s putting her foot down. Elizabeth Edwards, though? The woman’s been battling cancer for what, 5+ years now? I mean, we’re not talking having a sketchy looking mole removed, this woman’s gone through the wringer and all the while, hubby’s bonking some indie documentary film maker. Today the “breaking news” (of which the public already was aware of) is that he lied before, and he knows that the child this homewrecker gave birth to is his. (Also that he had asked one of his staffers to pay off a doctor to fake a paternity test, and to steal a diaper so he could privately conduct one to tell for sure if the baby was his. Nice guy who was almost elected President, eh?) And where is Mrs. Edwards in all of this? Standing by her man. WTF?!

Guess what ladies? Standing by a cheating man doesn’t do anyone any good. It lets him know that there’s literally nothing he could do to make you stop wanting him. It tells young women that it’s okay to be cheated on, and that you should forgive him for his indiscretions. It shows that as a young man, you can cheat, get caught, lie, and still keep a good woman at home.

Now, before you go claiming that I’m jaded, that I’m not looking at cheating women because I’m a woman, or that I’m being too harsh – take note of something… I’m 32 years old, and have NEVER cheated. I’ve never even thought of it. My father was always faithful to my mother. But I happen to know a LOT of men (I belong to a volunteer fire department, for one thing), and I can honestly say that very few of them have the ability or desire to be faithful.

I do know a few guys who I believe are faithful, sure. It’s less than maybe 5% of the total number of men I know well enough to make that call, but they do exist. They’re honestly the only reason I haven’t given up entirely on the idea of marriage. But the other 95% are one of the reasons I’ve made it into my 30’s without having ever been married. That bothers me. It bothers me that we’re living in a world where relationships are so dispensable. So un-important to people. Celebs get married on a gust of wind and get divorced on the next one. “Real” people spend years in relationships and then all of the sudden, seemingly out of nowhere, one of them decides they’ve found someone “better”. Sometimes they respect the other person enough to leave first, but usually not.

I know that making a statement about “the old days” where marriages lasted would be on the verge of naive. I know that back then, husbands “worked late” and cheated with secretaries while wives stayed at home cooking and cleaning. I know that wives would sleep with the Maytag man when he showed up, because hubby was off earning the bread and wouldn’t be home for hours. I know that these things haven’t changed, however I do think they’ve become more accepted, and that’s so wrong to me.

What’s to blame for this sex-addicted population? Why are wives not giving it up to satisfy their husbands, or are they? Is one woman truly ever enough for a man, or do we believe the cheater’s broken record stating that “spreading the seed” is a primal instinct? There are plenty of animals which “mate for life”, so why are there so many humans who just simply can’t? Afterall, we’re the species with advanced brain power, and the ability to make conscious decisions based on more than hormones.

I may just be frustrated this morning. The news programs showed the John Edwards and Tiger Woods sex rehab stories virtually back-to-back, and I’ve been dealing with my own frustrations over relationships (actually, my lack thereof) and maybe all of this just touched a nerve with me because my ex was a cheater. In any event, to say I’m disgusted with all of it is an understatement.

Okay, I’m off to spend the day working now. I don’t need to devote much more attention at all to lying, cheating scum. (So for the record, major news networks – stop shoving it down my throat. Kthxbai.)

Related articles elsewhere on the web:

• High Infidelity (washingtonmonthly.com)
• National Post editorial board: Tiger’s tale proves morals still matter (network.nationalpost.com)
• Lack of shame is name of the game (timesunion.com)
• Are We Born to Cheat? Tempers Rise in White-Hot Debate (abcnews.go.com)

Years ago (like, fifteen or so) I had a dentist I’d been going to regularly despite the fact that he was the Indian equivalent of Orin Scrivello. My wisdom teeth had been starting to poke through, and the one on the upper right had a cavity. A very small one. The dentist wanted to pull the tooth (along with the other three, despite the lower two being “impacted”) but I was too fearful and asked that he fill the cavity instead.

I saw the cavity on the x-ray. It was small. This man was so angry with me for not letting him pull it (and I’m not exaggerating, here) that he decided to hollow out the whole thing, leaving just a very thin, translucent shell of tooth and filled it with amalgam. Lots of amalgam.

Fast forward a year or so and I’m at the movies. You guessed it, the popcorn “popped” the filling and I swallowed it. Big hole left. Biiiiig hole.

No pain, though. Not an ounce. Not for a few years anyway. I was in Florida in college and it was 1999. I got an infection and went to see an oral surgeon, figuring that maybe he could sedate me for the extraction. He said I had to clear out the infection first, and he gave me antibiotics and pain meds and sent me on my way.

I never went back for the extraction.

Here I sit now, 10+ years later, fighting off my second infection. Bits of the “shell” have broken off over the years, but I’ve never had any pain. It’s bled during brushing before, but never hurt. Wednesday night it was bothering me a little, but woke me up twice in the night with really sharp waves of pain. Thursday wasn’t so bad that a little Orajel couldn’t help with.

Friday, nothing all day but creeping towards bedtime and I knew I was going to be in for it. I was so right. I tried to get to sleep around midnight-thirty and was awoken by the first sharp wave of pain at 1:30 am. Ten minutes later it’d passed and I was able to get back to sleep. Until 2:30 am when it happened again. Lather, rinse, and repeat twice more until I finally was in so much overtired pain that at 4:30 I was debating on going to the ER in hopes they’d give me antibiotics and pain killers so I could sleep. Problem is, I’ve got a $500 deductible on ER visits and I know I’d have been screwed in the pockets if I’d gone.

So I waited until 5 am and called my mom’s dentist’s emergency line. He specializes in “conscious sedation dentistry” and I thought that if I could at least leave a message or something so I could get an appointment as fast as possible (given that this was clearly an emergency), I’d feel better.

Got the dentist’s voicemail, and left a message I couldn’t get through without tears… the pain is worse than any other pain I’ve ever had. I then stayed up and played video games on my computer and drank coffee (believe it or not, the coffee helped ease the pain somehow).

A couple hours later and I couldn’t take it any longer, so I called my primary care doc’s answering service and begged for a call back right away. Their office opened in 15 mins, so naturally I didn’t get a call back. I had to call again and got the office, and sat on hold for 20 minutes. After I told her what was going on, she said someone would call me back.

I waited.

And waited.

I went to the Care Credit site to apply for it. It’s basically a medical/dental credit program where as long as you’re making your payments, you have 12 months interest free. Got approved for $1000, which is $999.99 more than I thought they’d give me, so that was a highlight of the morning.

Around 9am, the dentist called back and apologized profusely for not having had his phone nearby. I told him that I didn’t expect him to call back right away, but that I was grateful he did at all. He immediately prescribed antibiotics and told me to take a combo of Extra Strength Tylenol and ibuprofen, and then pulled his schedule out and told me to come in on Monday morning. I explained how much of a chicken shit I am, and he said that he was sure he could ease my fears. I told him he’d better have plans on sedation and he said that wouldn’t be a problem at all. He joked with me and I could barely laugh, but I promised I’d be in on Monday.

Since then, the painkiller cocktail has worked wonders. Worst I feel ever is a dull ache, and that’s when I know to take another dosage of the Tylenol and Motrin. I’ve also been rinsing with a 50/50 peroxide and water mix, and that too has helped a ton. (Don’t worry ladies, I’ve also been downing yogurt with these 875mg horse pill antibiotics. No itchies for me, thankyouverymuch!)

So that’s that. I’m finally facing my fear and heading in to the dentist this morning. I have no idea if he’s going to pull it or tell me I’ve got to wait, or what… but I’m going to add this all to my list of improvements for 2010, and finally get all my teeth taken care of. Just because I have a nice, straight, white smile, doesn’t mean there aren’t problems, and I need to make sure they get resolved.

Will report back this afternoon I’m sure!

If you don’t know who Orin Scrivello is, the video below may help you remember…

So I’m not 100% ready to break out with this secret I’ve got about how I’m planning on changing my life in 2010, but I’m here to tell you now that it’s a big deal. Some may even call it extreme!
I’m going to be 33 years old this April, and I’m feeling like I’m missing things that I’d hoped would be a huge part of my life by now… a husband, a kid or two, a nice home among other things. While professionally I’m really finally feeling like the past 5 years of work is beginning to pay off in that I’m starting to feel successful and somewhat recognized for what I do, there are so many goals of my personal life that just aren’t there yet.

Every year you see people write these blog posts and facebook updates saying things like, “This year is MY year!” Hell, I’ve said it before. But for the first time I’ve actually got a definitive action plan for both my personal and professional life that makes my heart swell and tears fall for the sheer anticipation of it all.

One of the things in my action plan is to condense and consolidate my online “stuff”. I’ve had a blog over at LadyDeLaLuna since before they called it blogging, back in 1996. The domain itself pulls some kick ass Google attention, as do many of the old blog posts, but I really haven’t been “feeling it” for quite some time now. LadyDeLaLuna is a “name” I’ve been known as all over the internet since the days of AOL chat being just about the only thing you could do online, back in the early 90s. It came out of being a high school kid who was in the midst of 4 years of high school Spanish and happened to have a penchant for the moon. While it’s a part of me, it’s not me anymore. It’s something I’ve really broken free from over the past couple years.

LadyDeLaLuna used to be all about having been a plus size model who was on a quest to not only lose weight, but to find the best in beauty and fashion. I do still love those things, and they’re still part of me, but under the moniker they were under, they just don’t fit. This is ME. And LaraKulpa.com is ME. So I think I’m pretty much going to be pulling everything I’ve got here to this site and start free and clear from the niche blog plan I used to have.

That being said, this won’t be my only blog. I’m just going to spend some time keeping things condensed here. A year, maybe two? Maybe I’ll get a chick-lit book deal out of it (because my life can get pretty hysterical sometimes), but outside of that, I’m not looking to be some top niche blog anymore.

The other thing is that I needed a sort of “playground” where I could test out new ideas and new designs, as well as share my professional side with people. I do have a goal of doing more speaking engagements this year, and I think that sharing myself more publicly will help with that. Afterall, if I speak like I write (without fear, haha) then maybe enough people will be interested in that!?

So yes, I’ll have lots of major announcements this year, because it’s part of my action plan to have lots of major stuff going on this year! Please stay tuned and I promise, even if it’s not focused on the world of blogging or internet marketing or SEO, it’ll at least make you laugh!

I’m really excited about this book because it’s not only co-authored by two great guys that know what they are doing, but also features 15 incredible case studies and in depth reviews of some of the most popular bloggers in the world.

Some of the names featured include:

Gary Vaynerchuk
Chris Brogan
Chris Garrett
David Risley
Penelope Trunk
Chris Guillebeau

And that’s just the start! There are an additional 9 case studies featuring the likes of Brian Clark, Shama Kabani, Darren Rowse, John Chow, iJustine, Jonathan Fields, Steve Pavlina, Michael Dunlop, and Pete Cashmore.

Like I said, I’ve had a chance to read this book, and it is hot!

So here’s the deal:

For those of you interested in taking your blog to the next level, they are also offering a fantastic blog consulting package to go along with your book. I think they’re crazy, but they’re giving you a 75% discount!

I know it’s right after Christmas, and you’ve got a lot going on, but there has never been a better time to start planning for a profitable 2010 than right now…so buy this book, use it to create your 2010 plan, and create the life you’ve been dreaming of.

You could be reading your copy within 60 seconds. Click Here to Go Beyond Blogging!

Yes, I “acked”. You’d think that provided the fact that I’ve been to dozens of conferences packed with thousands of people, and that one of my biggest clients is a very well known blogger and speaker whom I’ve seen speak on panels a dozen times, that I’d be chillin’. But I admit, I’m a bit tweaked. In a good way, of course!

I’m actually really excited about this! The coolness is that I found out that a really great guy I met (finally) at BWE this year, Justin Levy has spoken at SMBTV before! Justin rocks, plain and simple, but it’s one of those coolie six degrees things in a way.

Anyway, we’ve got a great panel… Christina Gleason from Phenomenal Content LLC, Amanda Magee of Trampoline Design Studio, and our moderator Greg Dahlmann of Uptown/Downtown Media and All Over Albany. It’s going to be lots of fun, and I’m really honored and excited to be a part!

Social Media Breakfast was founded by Bryan Person in August 2007 as an event where social media experts and newbies alike come together to eat, meet, share, and learn. Marketers, PR pros, entrepreneurs, bloggers, podcasters, new-media fanatics, and online social networkers are all welcome to attend.

The breakfast series began in Boston and has now spread to more than 20 cities throughout the United States and around the world.

SMB was brought to Tech Valley in 2009 by Amy Mengel and Patrick Boegel. Follow @smbtv on Twitter for updates.

The girls and I have decided that we’re gonna rock the denim, with “cute tops”. Keep in mind, I’m the only one of the three who’s single, boys…

I’m not saying it can’t be fun, if you’ve got a bit of a plan and decide you want to just get out in the madness of it all for some laughs and the chance of snagging a great deal. HOWEVER, I’m much more of a “Cyber Monday” kinda girl. In fact, last week was a really great week for a lot of deals, online or in store, and I grabbed a few items at record low prices.

I just have such little tolerance these days for the madness, I think. Add to that, you know damn well you can get the same or better prices online (even on Black Friday, if not on Cyber Monday), and it frustrates me.

Here are a few things I’m looking to snag online on Cyber Monday…

Matchless: A Christmas Story I’m a huge Gregory Maguire fan (and so is my Mom). I had the chance to meet him and go to a reading he did here in his “hometown area” of Saratoga, NY. I’ve seen so many copy-catters out there, and no one compares to Maguire. Matchless is the story of “The Little Match Girl” – revisited.

When the story was first translated from Danish and published in England in the mid-nineteenth century, the match girl’s dying visions of lights and a grandmother in heaven were often interpreted as metaphors of religious salvation. In Matchless, Maguire adds a different dimension to the story, intertwining the match girl’s tale with that of a young boy, Frederik, whose own yearnings are the catalyst for a better future for himself and his family. Maguire uses his storytelling magic to rekindle Andersen’s original intentions and to suggest transcendence, the permanence of spirit, and the continuity that links the living and the dead.

Gregory Maguire is also the mastermind behind the famous book-turned-Broadway-musical Wicked, and other great “prequels”.

Rockwell RK5102K Sonicrafter Deluxe 72-Piece Kit – Okay, so you’ve seen the infomercials for another product just like this, and I’m so not usually the kind of person to go nuts for infomercial products, but this thing is amazing (and on sale). You can cut through anything, and this one’s got 72 pieces! HELL-O!? Hehe Yes, I’m a home improvement junkie, but as much as I want this one for myself, I’m probably getting it for my Dad. (Hope he’s not looking!) I’ll borrow it, no doubt.

My friend Eva is a yoga junkie. She’s really gotten into it, and made a special request for Happy Yoga: 7 Reasons Why There’s Nothing to Worry About by Steve Ross, her favorite TV yoga dude. I’m telling you, I’ve tried yoga. Twice. I just can’t get into it. I don’t know what it is about it, be it that I feel like it’s too slow, or too tough, or too… I don’t have a clue. I just am not a fan. But my oldest friend is obsessed and has flat out put in a request for this one. Hey, it’s on sale, cool! LOL

I’m looking for a little bit of a better price on this, because I bought myself one not too long ago for $100, but the bottom line is that everyone I know who works on computers, especially those doing graphic design, photography, and the like can use one. It’s the Western Digital My Book Mac Edition 1 TB USB 2.0 Desktop External Hard Drive. Hopefully this one will go on a bit of a better price for Cyber Monday, no?

So there you have it – a few items on my shopping list for Cyber Monday – what are you getting? How are you planning to shop?

Basically what it boils down to is a network/community site about dogs. I’ve currently got the main domain, PoopieDogs.com and about 80+ other domains. GreyhoundPoop.com, AkitaPoop.com, DachshundPoop.com, etc…

What I really want to know is if you think this is a cute, catchy idea… Or if I should scrap those names in favor of something less… disgusting than “poop”.

Let me know what you think in the poll and the comments, and please RT and share this with all your other friends so they too can weigh in? I’d really appreciate it! (And don’t worry about offending me… I want HONEST opinions!)

Update: I remembered that I have GreyhoundSpirit.com – could also run with that if you guys think it’s a good idea.