"Popular" Baby Names

Today I was on this --> Best Baby Names of 2010 website.

It talks about popular baby names for this year. Aiden and Ella are going to be the most popular. The trend seems to be that people are inspired by a few new things when naming their baby: Vampires, soap operas, and new movies. I'll let you read the article because that's not what I want to talk about.

Celebrities baby's names were touched on. The mention of Nicole Ritchie's son being named "Sparrow" stirred up the discussion forum at the bottom of the article.

Here's one poster's comment:

I think naming a child is a big responsability, how will the child handle the name as a child, a teenager , adult and as a grand parent. Will they grow in to it or will it go out of fashion.

Boys need boys names, girls need girls names, people need to be able to tell what sex a person is by there name, not have to wait to see them. Sparrow may be cute when he's 16 but what when he's 59 and his grand kids are shouting across the play ground "Grandpa Sparrow", dosn't sound right some how.

I have a normal name, Jayne my kids have normal names Benjaman and Daisy and hopefully we have a normal family life, if there is such a thing.

Firstly, Jayne is typically spelled JANE and Benjaman is typically spelled BENJAMIN, and Daisy is an ugly name. Right away, your so-called normal names are not normal anymore.(responsability is actually spelled RESPONSIBILITY. You seem to be a poor speller.)

A lot of the comments also included opinions on how parents who alter the spelling of a popular name to make it unique and different were total douche-bag losers. I decided I had to get in on the action. Here's what I posted:

What's wrong with the name Sparrow? Is no different than naming your kid Robin, or Jaye, or after a flower, like Daisy or Rose or Lily.

When your old great aunt Ethel first heard the name Tyson or Ashley she probably thought, what the hell kind of name is that? Those have been popular names for decades now. In the 1960's, they didn't even make the top 1000 list of popular baby names.

http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/decades/names1960s.html

Names grow on you the longer they're around. It's about time we stop using biblical names and start creating new names for our children that are meaningful to us now, no matter where the inspiration comes from.

At Sparrow's 90th birthday party, his great-grandchildren aren't going to be too worried that he was named Sparrow. For all we know, Sparrows grand-children and great-grand-children are going to have the weirdest, most far-out names he's ever heard of and the name "Sparrow" will become something like the name "Ethel." Old sounding.

The Book of Eli

Dave and I went and saw The Book of Eli starring Denzel Washington!


I watched a preview online before seeing the movie. The preview made the movie look like a typical post-apocalyptic movie. Everyone has to fend for themselves and will kill for water and canned food. Gangs plunder and pillage innocent travelers, just trying to stay alive. There's some cannibalism.

Denzel Washington plays Eli. Eli seems to be extremely skilled in knife and gun fighting. He also has a freakishly strong sense of smell and hearing. Eli is in possession of a valuable book and when you are told how he acquired this book, you'll start to realize that this movie is about a lot more than the previews let on.

I wish I could tell you more, but if I say one anything else I'll ruin the entire movie for you. What I can say is that this movie is really deep and thought-provoking. When the movie's over and you realize how truly bad-ass Eli is, you'll find yourself going through the entire movie in your mind trying to pick out all the hints along the way that you somehow missed.

I still can't stop thinking about it all. I have half a mind to go and see it a second time! I know the year just started, but this movie is my favourite movie of the year right now.

Plot and character development were done exceptionally well. Cinematography and special effects were superb. Without a doubt I give this movie five stars!

More Pole

Pole dancing class was freaking awesome yesterday! My arms are killing me. We learned how to crawl on our hands and knees in a sexy way. We learned a move called "The Madonna," and also how to swing our hips in a circle while keeping our back against the pole and moving around the pole. If that didn't make sense, I'm sorry, but I really don't know how else to explain it.

The reason why my arms hurt is because of the Fireman Spin we learned. You have to pull yourself up the pole with your arms and wrap your legs around the pole and then slide down the pole while spinning. It's difficult. You're not allowed to jump to get you started. My partner, Jenna-Rae, the one with the most amazing arms I've ever seen, is soooooo good at it!

Today Dave and I are going to see Book of Eli at the theater. I'm pretty stoked about the movie. And to eat popcorn. I love popcorn. I might post a review later.

Read the following lyrics to Justin Bieber's song "First Dance"
I've bolded the parts that I want you to focus on.

When I close my eyes I see me and you at the prom,
We've both been waiting so long for this day
To come now that it's here lets make it special
(I can't deny)There's so many thoughts in my mind the DJ's playing
My favorite song ain't no chaperons this could be
The night of a dream
Only if you give...

(Chorus) Give the first dance to me girl I promise
I'll be gentle but we gotta do it slowly if you give,
Give the first dance to me I'm gonna cherish every moment,
It only happens once, once in a life time.

I couldn't ask for more we're rockin' back and fourth
Under the disco ball we're the only ones on the floor
[I can't deny], There's so many thoughts in my mind the DJ's playing
My favorite song now we're all alone, here's the opportunity
Only if you give...

CHORUS

Everybody says that we look cute together let's make this a night
The two us remember, no teachers around to see us dancin' close
I'm tellin' you our parents will never know before the lights go
Up and the music turns off now's the perfect time for me to taste
Your lipgloss, your glass slippers in my hand right here, we'll
Make it before the clock strikes nine.

CHORUS

It's your chance take her hand to the floor (to the floor)
Girl if you see something you like then let him know
Cause you only got one chance at your first dance
So take advantage of the slow jam
Yeah man

What's the first thing that came to your mind? If you guessed 'losing your virginity' then me and you are on the same page!

The 10 year old girl I babysit in the mornings listens to Justin Bieber's CD religiously every morning. I know almost all the lyrics to the entire CD. Whenever I hear this song though, I'm like omg, wow subliminal messages much?! This song is definitely about losing your virginity, not having your first dance.

Pole Dance

I am becoming "classically trained" in the fine art of pole dancing.

A week ago Sunday, I saw an ad on Facebook for Winnipeg Pole Dance and I clicked on it - I actually click on many Facebook ads - and I saw that I had exactly one day left to register for a beginner's pole dancing class starting Saturdays at noon. It's $75 for one hour long classes once a week for five weeks. That works out to $15 a class. It's a little pricey considering most drop in classes are usually $10.

My first class today went amazingly well! There were ten of us there I think. Two to a pole. My partner was Jenna-Rae. She's a very athletic girl, very pretty, and classically trained in ballet. She's going to be my inspiration to lift weights at home so I can have arms toned as nicely as she does! She's got incredible upper body strength!

The ladies in class were varied. Most of us were under 30 at least but there were some middle aged ladies there as well. Nobody had taken pole dancing classes before. Some had been to a chair dancing party, (something I'd like to host I think.)

We learned a lot of cool pole dance moves this class! First we started off strutting. We all strutted around the room and around the poles. Then we learned a pirouette on the pole. After we'd mastered (ha) the pirouette we added a slide down the pole to the ground. Then we learned how to get back up off the ground in a sexy way. (Sticking your butt out.) Then we learned how to do a very basic spin around the pole.

The spin was the hardest to figure out because you don't actually spin, you turn in such a way that it looks like you're spinning. Once me and Jenna-Rae figured it out though, we were on fire. We could just spin all day!

I wish I could practice on my own time, or at least more than once a week. It's seriously so much fun and you feel really sexy after you figure out how to do the move properly. Everyone in the class is there for a good time and know how to laugh at themselves. The teacher is hilarious and used some really crude examples in her lesson which made us laugh. What a great environment!

And then when I came home from class, another amazing thing happened! David gave me his blessing so to speak to take the class. I had brought it up to him a week ago, explaining that I wanted to take the class and wondered what he thought about it. He told me it was disgusting and he would think less of me for signing up.

That put a big damper on my week, but I decided to go through with the class anyway because other people I talked to about the class told me it was totally hot that I was going to learn to pole dance.

But when I got home from class, Dave was all smiles. He said he was happy for me for finding something to do for exercise and enjoyment. (Suddenly a private show isn't so disgusting now is it?)

Counseling

Right now at Advanis I'm administering a survey that has to do with people's experiences with the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba. It's been really great so far. Manitobans are so friendly and so willing to take part in the survey.

I have to say, I feel like a counselor sometimes. These people are just so happy to have somebody listen to their feelings and record what they think is wrong and needs to be changed. The survey is supposed to take just 10 minutes, but I'll spend double that on some calls. People just want to talk about it and get their voices heard.

I'm calling a lot of middle aged people who work construction and in factories. They're pissed off about the system and how it's not working for them. Nobody is yelling at me or getting angry with me. They understand I'm the middle man just relaying the message to the WCB.

There are a lot of open-ended questions. I have to do a lot of listening and really fast typing. They just talk and talk and I type and type. Ask the occasional clarifying question once in a while. They unleash all this emotion and it's like I'm actually helping them just by getting them to say the words out loud. At the end of the survey they thank me for my time which is crazy because I'm supposed to be thanking them for their time.

It's almost satisfying. Like I'm helping or something. Indirectly, I guess I am. When the survey is over I feel sad. I'll never talk to that person again and I always feel like we shared this connection.

I wish all my surveys could be done in Manitoba, or at least Canada.

Writers Group

I tried to join a writers group in December of 2009. Whenever I'm bored at CBC I scroll through the numerous ads on kijiji.ca in hopes of finding a good deal, or something interesting.

I look through every category... pets, furniture, vehicles, personals, wanted, any and everything.

That's how I stumbled upon this Winnipeg writers group advertising that they get together once a month to talk, bounce ideas off each other, and have a group writing session. I thought it was a neat idea and a good way to meet local writers who could help guide me down the correct writing path.

To brainstorm with other writers, bring new ideas forward, and work on my skills in the company of others would be an excellent experience for a young budding writer like myself. I responded to the ad right away and explained that I was young adult interested in creative writing as a hobby and I really wanted to take part in their next meeting.

She emailed me back saying they wouldn't be getting together again until January, but that she'd keep me posted if I was still interested. She emailed me today to announce that she'd set a tentative date for the next writers meeting. To my dismay, I'm working until 11pm and I can't make it.

I emailed her back and told her my schedule. I hope the others can't make it either and she must reschedule, hopefully to a date that I can attend.

CBC is ruining my life. I very badly want to quit. "Paying my dues" has not only made me broke to the point where I have zero savings and can't afford the rent, but it also prevents me from participating in extra-curricular activities, like this writers group, yoga classes, and leaving the apartment in general to socialize. I can't even afford to walk to the bar and buy one drink!

I currently work three jobs to pay the bills: CBC, Advanis (my telephone market research job,) and a babysitting job where I get paid under the table. I start at 6:50 in the morning and I drop the kids off at school any time between 8:30 and 9:00 am. She's paying me $100 a week for four weeks. Every dollar counts, and I really appreciate landing this gig!

I did the math, and I would actually make more money a month if I quit all these jobs and got one full time job paying me $9 an hour! But no - everyone wants Chelsea to stick it out with CBC and "pay my dues" and wait it out. I'm sick of waiting it out. I'm not having fun. I haven't been having fun for like a year now!

In October when the lease is up on our apartment, we'll be moving to a cheaper place to live to save some money. I'll stick it out at CBC for one more year, but if I'm still broke every month, I'm going to have to do something else for a living. Right now, I'm not living. And I'm pissed about the writers group if you haven't noticed.

My New Years Resolutions 2010

It took me a few days but I've come up with my new year's resolutions. Here they are:

1. Get in shape for my wedding in 2011

2. Clean my apartment a little bit each day

3. Be proactive with my friendships


The third resolution is probably the most important one that I keep. I should call one friend every day and just chat, or send a personal email and ask them what's going on. I get so caught up in myself and my feelings and my mood swings, I forget that my friends are the best people to help cheer me up and to lift my spirits.

I spend a lot of time brooding in my apartment, being cynical, pessimistic, and depressed. I think, oh that friend is probably too busy for me right now, or oh, I haven't talked to that other friend in months, what would I have to offer?

You never know unless you try. And even if that friend is busy at the moment, it doesn't matter because you can set a date to hang out for some time in the future.

I actually have a lot of friends and I forget that sometimes.

The first and second resolutions are really good intentions that most likely will fall wayward. We'll see. There's 2011.

I got weights for Christmas from my mom. I plan on starting to use them next week. Right now I'm pretty sick and I want to heal up before started an exercise regime.
I need space to work out, so hopefully, if I clean at least ONE room a day in the apartment, I can keep things looking nice.

Keeping the apartment clean ties in to the third resolution. IF I have a clean apartment, I'll more likely want to invite people over to spend time with me inside of it.

I bought a ton of vanilla essential oils where you put the reeds inside of the oil. Then the reeds suck up the oil and disperse the scent into the air.

It's smells so nice in here now. I want my friends to enjoy it too.