Under the Sea! California Reefs Delivers

    We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came.

~ John F. Kennedy 

I grew up in Southern California and enjoyed many weekends going to the tide pools with my family. I can still remember so clearly the ocean spray hitting me on the face, and feeling my cheeks getting pinker from wind and sun. I think roughly about four-thousand of my freckles are from those weekends spent out at the beach - maybe more. 

As life happens, we move out of state- away from the beach and for me it has been like leaving a part of my soul just sitting at the other end of the country. For awhile we lived in Alabama and now we're in New Mexico. (I'm getting closer!) How can I bring the magic of the ocean to my two year old son? This is so important to me. He is only two but he's the strong silent type. While we work on getting him talking, I began to notice that he loves to watch things moving. He wants to be involved in this world. During walks he is very curious about bugs and tumbleweeds. I began to wonder how can I bring him more to experience? 

My husband and I have been toying with the idea of a fish tank. Growing up my dad had one. It was home to a few frogs and some guppies. I remember him complaining as he cleaned it, but he did it. There might also have been a sucker fish, whom my father thought was pretty lazy. I remember a few frogs escaping and I like to think they made it back to a fresh water creek. Where that creek is located in Temple City California is beyond me, but I like to think that. Magic. I didn't want to go with a fresh water tank - I wanted something more. 

There are A MILLION hits on Google for all kinds of salt water tanks. I wanted something else though. I wanted more help, more opinions, like 'What is the smallest tank I can get that would be useful but small?"  We live in an apartment, I don't want something I can't move easily. In this world that anything can be found at a click of a mouse button I wanted more interaction. I found it. 

It's a new forum called California Reefs ( www.californiareefs.com) and it's just starting out (just like me!), but there is a wealth of information and the web operator guy is very helpful (Hi Salty!!)  I have been to so many web forums over the years, but this one is very helpful and incredibly friendly. I'm so glad I signed up and joined. I haven't gotten my salt water tank yet. YET. I'm still learning and there is a lot to know. It's not just dumping salt into a water tank and throwing in some salt water fish. I'm very excited that this is going to be a new family thing to do together and I want my son to have a part of the sea even if we aren't able to go to the tide pools every weekend. The great thing is he'll have his own tide pools in his room and how great would it be for that to be parts of his happy childhood memories, much like the ones of my dad are a part of mine. 

So the rundown on my review of this site is thus: It's very new, but the people who run it are very intelligent and knowledgeable. It is very friendly, and great for the family. From my interaction I'd give it a 5 star rating and I can't imagine that will go down much. So if you are in the market for a salt water tank system and need help, or if you have one and you want to share that love, go visit California Reefs (www.californiareefs.com). Please say hi to Salty for me  You can also say hi to me! I'm on there as well. :) 

Well it's been awhile...

I was bad. I let this slide off into no update land. But here is the reason why...


 I relocated, I decided to pursue a life long dream of being a professional writer. Well actually going for it. I've been a writer for years. Now I want to get paid for it.

My family, the hubs and our little minion have relocated from Alabama to New Mexico. So far I love it. I've been getting the hang of living here. There is snow here sometimes and that has been different for us. Also the almost complete lack of humidity has been a weird change too... I'm going to have to invest in tons of lotions again.

 Anyway, that's all for now. I have three stories that need endings and all sorts of things. Just wanted to update this sucker. :)

Haunted Happenings: The Tombstone Tourist Edition

I am totally a Tombstone Tourist. I actually prefer this title over Taphophile. Personally for me it is more about the art that goes into the markers, and less about dead things. Also I can't go into a cemetery and not make sure I have exits in sight and running shoes thanks to Return of the Living Dead, I know that any body can rise and be a zombie. Always have a plan. Naturally today I was in a rush for good lighting and wearing flip flops. Not good. The ground is soft and there is nothing cool like screaming like a five year old girl seeing her first horror movie. I sound like a high pitched chipmunk anyway. So was I spooked at all today? I'll never tell... 

Tombstone tourist (otherwise known as a "taphophile", "cemetery enthusiast", cemetery tourists or "grave hunter" or "graver") describes an individual who has a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. This involves epitaphs, gravestone rubbing, photography, art, and history of (famous) deaths. -from Wikipedia. 

I've been trying to think up a great second Haunted Happenings, specially after the failure of "Alabama's most haunted empty lot and campsite bathroom." But life is busy, and I've been living up to this blog title... I've been indecisive. 

So I decided to share my love of old cemeteries. This is a favorite of mine. It has a rich history filled with old oak trees and more photo bombing Spanish moss. 

Now let me say, I have found nothing saying this cemetery is haunted. It's just old and has a feeling about it. If you're in the know about some Old Live Oak haunting please let me know!

There's technically three "Live Oak Cemeteries" this sign is on the edge of a little road across the road is Old Live Oak. New Live Oak is a little down the road. Here are some of the famous dead here. Honestly I never pay attention to the who in the cemetery but the tombstones. 

This photo is the only spooky thing that happened. Now when I took this shot I heard a low growling that I was sure was a motorcycle or car. I took 3 pictures and each time I heard the noise. When I went through my pictures there was only 1 picture of this. Now my partner in crime went back and took more but heard nothing. I'm 100% sure I took 3. You dear constant reader are now 98.3% sure I am full of shit. 

Spanish moss and sunset... This cemetery is really peaceful. There are homes and buildings surrounding it but it is always quite. 

The Jones Crypt. From rumors the old Jones home which is now a B&B is haunted. This to me is just beautiful. 

You can't tell from my pictures but it was raining lightly. She has water tracks that make it look like she's weeping. 

A view of Live Oak half of the cemetery. 

The Old side of Live Oak cemetery. 

I'm originally from Southern California, so I'm always stunned a moment when I see nature reclaiming plots of land or houses. I saw graffiti once on the brick wall of a really old, over grown abandoned cemetery and it said: "All ways lead to home." I like that and at the same time I find it all kinds of creepy. I always think of that quote when I'm in an old cemetery. 

CLBH

Deus Ex Machina to the rescue! !bang! !pow!

This blog entry is a book review. Not exactly what I was thinking it was going to be, honestly I thought that I'd write this review and it would be great and people would love me. Love me... But alas, it's not that great of a review. Love me... 

It's that old trap. A friend recommends a book. You share similar love of books. She gave it 5 stars, you read the first page and double (in this case triple) check to make sure it's the right book. Thankfully my friend (Hi Angie) and I have agreed to disagree on this book. It's a simple case of... This book just wasn't that into me. It wasn't the books fault lol it was mine. It was a bad break up. I just hope it doesn't drunk text me. 

 The book in question is Branded, by Abi Ketner and Missy Kalicicki. Now this book has great ratings. So this is strictly my opinion so before you little Branded lovers come and flame me for not liking it, I'm an old school troll and I flame back. Lol as if anyone will find their way to my little blog. 

 So if you plan on reading this dystopia tale of woe please stop here. Otherwise you've been warned about spoilers. 

 

 This story starts with a very awkward first person opening that left me baffled. Ok, she's six feet under but she's not, she's glaring at death and death is glaring back as she is about to hang herself. Ok so she's buried but not yet? I got the impression from the opening that she lived alone in a horrible shitty rat trap apartment. That she was going to off herself but she saw the ring her dad gave her with the longest ring inscription I have ever seen on it. It inspires her to live. (Pow!)  Just as the fuzz busts in to drag her without a trial to... Drum roll.... The Hole. Dumdummdum. This is a place where the sinners are left to fend for themselves. I was thinking a literal hole. Kinda like the last batman movie and batman is in a prison in the ground, cause its a hole. But I get the impression this hole is more like a slum. 

 Lexi, our main character is branded with a blue band. She never fights, she just takes it. The blue color represents the sin of lust. Her guard is a hunky muscley guy named Cole. His dog, Zeus was my favorite character in the whole book. She lives in a crappy room with what must be the worst gas station like bathroom ever. She's given scrubs and hospital slippers and the ring her dad gave her is gone. She's warned that there aren't a lot of blue branded people because they don't last long. She's not given a job as a hooker, but she's given a job at the hospital. There she meets Dr. Sutton who looks vaguely familiar. She is told to befriend a dying girl, she does, they bond, the girl dies. Even Hugh she is branded as a sinner of lust, she listens to no one, and is almost killed by guards who try to rape her. Cole and Zeus just manage to save the day (bang!) Dr. Sutton is all hey Lexi I did a rape kit on you and you're a virgin, wow you must innocent! 

 Now Cole has reasons he's supposed to guard her. He doesn't say. His room is attached to hers and while her room is slummy his isn't. He feeds her, bagels. I guess hell has bagels. Everyone know they are in love before they know. He wants to know her story but she's too full of shame to tell. He admits he is going to go on a hunt for her brother that she literally just mentioned to him. Her brother is also in the hole. Lexi writes her story for him. All about her pervy step dad and how he was from High Society and after her dad died he came in, made her momma a pill popper. He also peed in her face. Let me say that again. He pissed in her face. It was 3am when I read that 4 times cause I was seriously what the fuckitty fuck fuck was that.

 Cole comes back even more in love, doesn't kill her brother. Oh and he had her ring the whole time, what this old Hamilton heirloom I forgot I had...my bad. The big guard in charge knows who she is and wants her brother. Suddenly Dr. Sutton is like you two are fools in love, we got to send her to John Connor, I mean her brother the leader of the resistance. 

Her brother is a big scary bad ass full of rage. Kicks Coles ass to the curb. Dr. Sutton is a friend of her fathers. This info makes the whole you're a virgin more creepy. If he was her fathers friend, wouldn't it be assumed she's innocent? He's known of her, her whole life. Good looking out for her Doc. 

They have a command center, they train. I kept waiting for the mockingjay to show up. They attack. Her bro dies. Dr. Sutton is wounded and surprise! the commander (the secret dude in charge)is her step father who abused her! Surprise twist two! It's Dr. Sutton's brother omhegeee! 

The rebels didn't win, but the book ends with a trip to the beach awww. 

So that's my review. I gave it 1.5/5 stars. The whole branded idea was great, I wish they had fleshed it out. The dialog was flat and there was no character development. She's beautiful and innocent and this harden guard falls like from the moment he sees her. She's been molested for years, abused and nearly raped but she's in bed with him pretty fast. I didn't believe the characters and didn't like them. They are pushing this as a first in the series so why rush it all? 

Anyway that's my review. Love me... 

Haunted Happenings: July 4th Edition

  I've been toying with an idea of having a weekly or bi-weekly blog dedicated to something I find utterly fascinating. I love checking out places that are supposed to be haunted. Today on this wet and humid 4th of July the family and I trekked up to Old Cahawba, it's located 22 minutes from Selma, Alabama. What it is best known for is being Alabama's first state capital.   

  Now a few months ago, Deep South Paranormal came and filmed down here. It looked so cool, I knew I HAD to make this my first Haunted Happenings! Well. They must've had access that the normal visitor doesn't. I had a map and I still really couldn't find anything. Unless open fields are something you enjoy checking out. "Look honey! Doesn't this grass lot look spooky?" "Maybe if you're concerned about poison ivy or deer ticks..." 

 Honestly the highlight of the trip was my husband trying to convince me the "Stone Monument" (really just a giant rock in the middle of the road) was the gateway to the Deep South Hogwarts. I personally feel that's utter bullshit. There is no way I'm a muggle and if that was really a Deep South Hogwarts I would've known, faster then you could say Accio bug spray. 

I did however take a bunch of pictures featuring Spanish moss. 

This was the first building you see when you enter the ghost town of Old Cahawba. It's St. Luke's Episcopal Church. It was built in 1854. 

According to legend there is a ball of light that appears and floats around. When seers try to touch it, it disappears. It's referred to as Pegue's Ghost. We didn't see it today... 

This next picture is of the Frambo/Authur house. It was built in the 1840s. You can't tell from the picture but the Cahawba river runs right behind it. This house has been damaged by time nd by the numerous floods. I think this is the house they investigated around in Deep South Paranormal but they called it the Bell house. 

The Spanish moss photo bombed this shot.

These are just random pictures I took. I wasn't able to find the old burial grounds and the new burial grounds were closed today. 

We totally kept out! 

I just liked this little abandoned house. I couldn't find any information about it. It was right next to the ruins of the church so maybe the pastor lived here? I wasn't brave enough to go inside because on top of wearing flip flops I have a tendency to be a clutz and I sure didn't want to end up breaking a leg or something.

This is a photo of the Baker Slave quarters. It's all that is left of the Kirkpatrick homestead. It was very quiet and peaceful here. I noticed the absolute silence, no birds, bugs or anything. 

This was the main road. It boggles my mind the history this road has seen. Where civil war troops marched to me putting my iPad down to take the picture. 

These next pictures were taken on the way out. Just a random burial site and the P.O.W. burial area. 

And this led to the P.O.W. burial area. There are two places we stopped out that literally made my skin crawl. This little road was one of them. I just didn't want to go down there. So we didn't lol

Overall it was a disappointing trip. Not because we didn't see anything really spooky or the Hogwarts of the south, but because there wasn't really anything here. I was pretty researched before going, but buildings were not marked and it was hard to find the historical sites. 

This is the scariest building in the whole place. 

  

It was clean enough, but the last stall was closed and locked and no one answered when I called out. Hey maybe ghost orbs need a little potty time? 

I hoped you enjoyed the first ever Haunted Happenings. Until next time :) 

CLBH

Pen names... Own it? Or spare the family embarrassment...

I've been working on a novel for a few months. (Slow and steady wins the race!!) In the past I have written screenplays and other short stories. I have always used my real name. But recently I've been debating the whole thing.

 I censor myself a lot on Facebook. I don't usually just blast out what I am thinking because I treat my Facebook like I would a bar. No politics (although sometimes I can't help it) and no in your face religious posts (I'm Christian but not everyone is). I think I do some of it because I'm so all over the board with issues and really no one cares. I'm ok with it. I'm pretty real with myself, I realize I am never going to post a Facebook status update and have people say. WHOA. That made a TON OF SENSE. Crissy has won me over for the side of GOOD! Haha, the side of good, is that like a side of bacon. Why yes, I'll have the fried eggs and a side of GOOD! Sorry, having a let's talk about... SQUIRREL kinda day.

  Back to pen names. The end is in sight with this book and I feel like since this is the thing I think I am going to try to get published do I want a pen name. If I do, I need to decide it and start to build it I think. I have a friend who has a pen name and it suits her. I like it and I see how much work she is doing to build it up and I'm very impressed.

 To be honest there is a part of me that finds the idea to be very cool and romantic in a sense. I would love to have this whole other side of myself, that said I like the glory lol. When I was competing at a national level through school for public speaking I loved it. I mean I won a bronze medal in public speaking and beat out all the other people who were there from a college level. I think that's nifty. Considering on a good day I sound like a 10 year old hello kitty voice over actor.

Anyway, what are your thoughts? yay or nay? What would you name the awesomeness that is Crissy?

I'm a Writer... I write.

   I know you'll find this hard to believe but apparently I'm not a serious writer. I've wanted to be a writer since I was in 2nd grade. I won the James Madison Elementary School award for creative writing. It was a whole paragraph long and it was a riveting tale of a pear that was juicy and grew on a tulip tree. Take that Shakespeare! 

   I recently applied to a writers group a friend had recommended to me. I felt like a chump for applying. I mean seriously? The questionnaire should have been my big tip off. Not that it was a 40 question monster of a thing but that I was looking at it with my typical amused and cynical eye. I'm not naming names. Nor am I going to bash anyone, but needless to say I was denied. Why? I wasn't a serious enough writer and while my work was well written the subject matter was lacking. (This group likes historical period pieces) ok I'm bashing, they like badly written cliche terms like rutting betwix her thighs. *eyeroll* rutting? That's as sexy as ball and bail and I actually like that term more. But, I'm not a serious writer. 

I knew the moment I saw the question: "do you trust yourself as a person to find good words and perceptions?" My immediate thought was, "No I hardly trust myself to post a coherent Facebook status update.. I don't trust myself because my left typing hand wants me to type rutting." 

 I'm not going to lie, I am a little disappointed, I was looking for a sounding board type thing. But in the end I guess I'll take my brand of crazy and just keep it to myself for now. I'm going to do what all serious writers do, blog about it.. Oh wait, I meant the second thing serious writers do, eat a choco taco and text people about the unfairness of the man. Ok no, just the choco taco part. Really.