Hello there, old friends

I don’t know where I am going in the blogging world. I don’t even(especially) know where I am going in the real world. I know I want to do some pretty tremendous things in both of these dimensions, though. What is holding me back (in both cases)? Fear. Fear of failure, and stress (and, well, quite frankly, time). I want to do that thing where I say I am going to do my best to worry less about everything (in life and the blogosphere), and just write and let the words flow, and I am going to get back on top of things, blah blah blah… But that wouldn’t be fair to anyone, because who the hell knows what is going to happen (and if i had to guess I would say I am probably not going to immediately stop stressing about every damn thing, and I would be lying if i said otherwise)?

Here is what I will say: I miss writing to an audience. I get freaked out a lot and worry too much about people disliking what I have to say or just plain disliking me, but in the end I really love reaching out to you–yeah, you, right there, right now, reading my words. Thank you. You are absolutely phenomenal. Now here is what I am going to do: Shut up about my anxiety, shut up the whining about how I never blog and why I don’t blog and yada yada…and I am just going to jump back in, and see what happens.

Go.

So, I have 3 things I just want to share with you lovely, lovely people:

Numero uno:

I need to brag about how awesome my damn boyfriend is. Not only has he been my best friend and so much more than that for..hmm…about 5 years now (holy hell, really? wow, okay, gross–moving on), he is also, get this, a freaking spectacular guy, who does phenomenally cool things. (Can you believe he would stay with a lady like me, who embarasses him like this, for THAT LONG??) Any-who, cutting to the chase– My honey Matthew Tate (previously author of OverTheBoards and co-author of SportsDudes) is the new official Capitals blogger for Kukla’s Korner! Hell yes! Do yourself a favor, hockey fans, and go check that shit out. He does a damn good job. The only way I can see it getting even better is if he will go on and name me his official editor, because you know I just love fixing typos, and I am going to read every post anyway (and I am awesome! And modest!)! (Okay, he is actually pretty good with fixing them himself, don’t let my teasing make you think otherwise, I simply must poke fun.) So yeah, you won’t meet many men that know hockey like mine does (or sports for the matter) and you sure as hell won’t find many that know it and can write it. Click on some of those wonderful links and follow him through this upcoming hockey season and beyond. Go ahead and follow him on Twitter @FStreetTate to hear more sports and other good stuff. Oh! And follow me too @Danicngbarefoot!

Numero dos:

I just finished reading a really great book by Peggy Orenstein, also a pretty swell blogger–and basically if you are a mom, dad, aunt, uncle, grandparent, women, or man, (or anything far off or in between) then I believe you should read it too. It is titled Cinderella Ate My Daughter: Dispatches from the Front Lines of the Girlie-Girl Culture. Orenstein gives amazing insight, advice, and eye-opening information. I simply loved it, and think this women is the bee’s knees.

And now, Numero tres:

My darling sister shared a delightful music video with me yesterday, and I think it is just fantastic, sends a great message, and is very catchy! Ladies, this is for you:

Love, Love, Love Your Vagina (Warning: If you find the title of the link offensive, aw hell, click it anyway you coward!)

Th-th-th-th-th-that’s all folks! Well, that’s all for now, anyway. Thanks for your time!

–

(Dani)osaur

Things Worth Trying (at least once) #3

Kayaking!

Much better than canoeing

I think it’s safe to say that kayaks are my favorite type of boat.  Unless of course we are including Pirate Ships in that category, and so far I still can’t afford one of those.

My favorite type of kayaking is on calm water, with great scenery and a waterproof(ish) camera.  It’s always simultaneously fun and relaxing.  Whether you go with a big group or just one or two other people (obviously anyone will advise you go with at least one other person for safety) you are sure to enjoy yourselves.  We always pack a lunch and pick a destination to stop and eat, most places you go you can find a nice chunk of land big enough for such an event.  I own my own kayak, and my family owns a few as well, so we are always set to go.  However, there are always shops that will rent kayaks out to you, as well as safety gear, especially in areas with generous amounts of water.  Or, if you’re in the area, you can always hit me up and I’ll see about making the trip with you. ;]

USA; Win!

I’m not a huge sports fan unless it comes to hockey, maybe a little bit of soccer. I will watch nearly any sport live, but those are the only ones I feel are worth watching on television. I’m not trying to rip on sports, honestly I think it’s just ADD; it’s hard to hold my attention.

I think one thing I actually really enjoy about sports is the unity you can feel with so many other fans. Today, the USA soccer team made an amazing effort and won a ridiculously important game in the last few moments. This was one of those “God Bless America” moments–and yes it would be nice if America agreed on/could celebrate other things, but this was a good feeling nonetheless– facebook, twitter, tumblr, every social networking site (and trust me I have been up to my neck in those lately) blew up. Twitter even crashed a few times. I love this excitement, this warm let’s-celebrate-together moment. Don’t get me wrong, I always feel bad for the losing team…okay, unless it’s like the Caps beating the Flyers…but seriously, I feel for them. We all lose sometimes. Thankfully, the USA did not lose today. We all get to feel that unified pride knowing that we belong to something big, that as Americans we are not alone, and today we get to feel like champions.

USA FTW!

In honor of today’s game I’d like to post some of my favorite sports blogs;

The Sports Dudes:  http://www.sportsdudes.wordpress.com/

OverTheBoards:  http://www.overtheboard.wordpress.com/

Thanks!
Dani