AskCarrieLee

Ode to a non-Valentines Day

// February 14th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Personal

I’m not sappy. I care more about baking a cake with the kids on Valentine’s day than I do about receiving a box of chocolates I know I’ll only eat half of or over priced roses I’ll forget to water and slowly watch choke to death of thirst on the kitchen counter.  I don’t stand at the card rack at Hallmark for an hour pouring over long peomed cards to find just the right one.

I’ve been asked if I believe in love at first sight, and while I suppose its does happen, it didn’t exactly happen for me. But on our first date, a blind date at that, within the first few minutes I knew I found you interesting. By the time we finished dinner and headed over to the bookstore to grab a cup of coffee, I knew I wanted to spend more time with you. After our first kiss, I knew I had to see you again.

We spent every night together that week. We played pool, we went to the museum, we had fun. Within a few months, I knew I was falling in love with you. And within a few years I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.

I have faults. Many in fact. I have many nervous little habits, I have medical issues that are sometimes difficult to deal with, I’m pushy and bossy, I take showers that are way too long (it’s the only place I can finish a thought from beginning to end!) But I bake a mean cake, I can make home made mac & cheese like nobody’s business and I’ll always be there to help you pick the right medication or upload a file in the right format.

You have faults, too. You’re not always the most ambitious, you have a 5 o’clock shadow by noon and you’re starting to go ald-bay in the ack-bay of your ed-hay. But you cook dinner nearly every night and you always rub my neck after a hard-day’s work.

Who needs Hallmark to tell us we have to say we love each other today? You are a wonderful husband and a caring father. You support anything and everything I do. You make me laugh at life.

I had someone tell me off today on twitter and at the end she added that I should be thankful that I have “kids and a man.” And you know what? She’s right. While things aren’t always perfect… we have healthy kids and we have each other.  And when I’m 80 and wrinkled and gray and laughing at some idiot on TV, I want you 80 and wrinkled and gray laughing right along with me.

You are my best friend.

My Dear Little Boy…

// January 31st, 2010 // 2 Comments » // Personal

I wrote a poem for my son years ago when he was just a little boy. This is a story of dreaming big dreams, adventures and buried treasure and yet still wishing to be safe in a mothers arms.

Its been a tough week. My son just lost his grandmother and we lost a family friend. I wish he’d still let me wrap him up in my arms to protect him from the world. He’s becoming a young man. Twelve years old, we had to buy his first round of Clearasil today, and we’re preparing to go to his Nona’s wake and funeral tomorrow. It made me think of that poem I wrote so long ago for my baby boy.

I’m still trying to locate the actual poem. I do believe its buried in the depths of an old laptop. But I was lucky enough to find this video I posted about two years ago. I may remake this video. It would be fun. I would love to have this book illustrated and someday published. However, I do believe that may be another one of my pipe dreams. Please, enjoy and share with your family, leave a comment below and let me know what you thought. Thanks so much.

Help Me Acheive my Dreams

// January 24th, 2010 // No Comments » // Personal

You must know by now that I despise those looking for a hand-out without having earned it. But as a content creator who’s never asked for more than your support I have a favor to ask of you now.  If you like my work and would like to see more frequent and well thought out content, please read… http://tinyurl.com/yhyw8el

DC in Ch 3 – Wait, What?

// January 18th, 2010 // 3 Comments » // Personal

A couple of months ago I picked up the craft of crocheting. This from the daughter of someone who literally couldn’t sew on a button. I’ve never been very crafty but I had to go to A.C. Moore to get some felt for a project for my son and wandered through the knitting and crocheting section. I thought to myself, how quaint, and picked up a few skeins of yarn, a set of 5 crochet hooks and a magazine entitled, “I can’t believe I’m crocheting”. I wonder if they used the same people to market as “I can’t believe it’s not butter”?

After throwing the magazine aside (I hate reading directions!) I hopped on Youtube and found some tutorials that made it so easy for me to pick up the craft. Teresa, who goes by the user name tjw1963, has hundreds of videos even utilizing slow motion, which is a wonderful tool in learning how exactly to make a certain stitch. Also very helpful and fun to watch is Michael, who’s user name is mikeyssmail. I’ve picked up a lot of great tips from his videos and he describes each step in a very well thought out manner.

I’ve tried looking at crochet patterns, and like algebra, they make my eyes cross. I just wanted something mindless to do when watching a movie with the kids. I’ve made several scarves for family members (whether they like it or not and I just finished a double crocheted green blanket with popcorn stitches on either end and two rows of treble crochet borders. Its too short width wise, and I intend to go back and make it wider. Practice makes perfect. I just started a super soft, creamy yellow & white throw for my grandmother.  I guess I’m just proud of myself that I was able to make something, anything!

What kind of hobbies are you into? Are you crafty in any way?

Affirmation Girl

// January 8th, 2010 // 1 Comment » // Personal

Thanks, Dave

Less than two years ago I moved my family to Cape Cod to accept a job located on Nantucket. The island of Nantucket is located 30 miles out to sea, and for me and the rest of the daily commuters, we fly on rickety little twin engine Cessna’s or cruise on cold, vomit inducing ferries – always with the fear in back of our minds – If the storm does hit this afternoon, will we get off of this rock tonight?  We won’t get into the horrors of the position itself, follow my tweets or go through the archives to catch up on those details, but let’s just say, it didn’t hold up to its end of the bargain – not by a long shot.

Life is what happens while you are making other plans. ~ John Lennon

Over the last few years I’ve become more involved with online communities and social networking – specifically, Youtube. I’ve hosted a semi-successful, niche show, “Talkin’ Tube” that related to topics more geared towards frequent users of the website. Along with vlogs, parodies and the occasional family video, this is what my Youtube channel has comprised of. I think it likely always will. I don’t sing, I don’t dance, I’m not musically inclined in any form, I’m not fat and jolly and make the crowds laugh by the millions, I’m not 21 and perky – I’m just me. And it took me awhile to realize that my viewer base watches me just for that specific reason. I’m a genuine person, I like to talk and interact with other people. I say what I feel, and I mean what I say.

I’ve been dreaming up different scenarios and playing them over in my mind – letting them take over where the torturous flashbacks of my current position keep me awake at night and a sick, sinking feeling constantly nagging in the pit of my stomach.

Never continue in a job you don’t enjoy. If you’re happy in what you’re doing, you’ll like yourself, you’ll have inner peace. And if you have that, along with physical health, you will have had more success than you could possibly have imagined. ~ Johnny Carson

Simply becoming a full time “youtuber” sounds very silly when put that way. Its not what I only want to accomplish – there’s much more involved. As of right now I’m the major breadwinner and my husband is home with the children. My ultimate goal is to make a switch. So that I can stay home and raise the kids. When I come home from an exhausting 12 hour day, back and forth on a plane, in freezing island temperatures, whipping wind and 12 hours of verbal abuse, all I want to do is sit & hold the kids… but by the time I’m home, its time they’re getting in their pajamas and ready for bed.

Your children need your presence more than your presents. ~ Rev Jesse Jackson

I’ve always wanted to do more and put more time into internet creativity and content – but the time simply wasn’t there. Not that I have any illusions that being home with three children full time allows one to be on the computer all day! But it will no doubt allow me more time than I have right now. I also have no illusions – period. I know the risks I’m taking. But what successful career/business has entailed no risks? What does one achieve by being unhappy and never knowing what could have been if they’d try a little harder?

Have a back bone not a wish bone. ~ Dan Millman

My husband got up this morning, donned his good shirt and clothes and headed out the door to start filling out applications. His faith in me and his will to help me get to a happier place in my life, our lives, is pushing me even harder.

Thank you to so many who on twitter and facebook have been encouraging me to reach for the stars and try to get within arms length of my dreams. Thank you. You have no idea what your support means to me.

One part at a time, one day at a time, we can accomplish any goal we set for ourselves. ~ Karen Casey