A picture, photographed or graphically designed, by yours truly attached with a creative written response of a thousand-ish words. Could be a tall tale, inspired by a true experience, a random journal entry, or an analysis of the photograph or design itself! Dealer’s choice.
My now fiancé, Jaimie, and I creatively collaborated for a second time! I introduced him to another one of my childhood favorites; the movie called Mac and Me. It’s such a bad movie.. it’s good! We utilized this flick for his new-ish magazine called: Rob’s Video (you can purchase it here).
Across the universe, a family of four search to quench their thirst on their barren home planet by poking hollow tubes into the ground. Their meal is interrupted by a NASA robotic rover that landed nearby to collect rock and soil samples. This curious family communicates with one another by whistling as they carefully approach this foreign vehicle. The youngest child accidentally gets sucked up in its suction hose along with rocks and soil. The parents and sibling try to rescue him but get sucked up themselves! The family travels to an unknown land, they emerge from the dissected rover, unsure of its residents, escape their dangerous grasp, and get separated from one another. The youngster tumbles into traffic causing a three car pile up (as well as a major traffic jam), he becomes squashed on the windshield, and is described as: “omelets.. with eyes!” He becomes a stowaway in a nearby van, which is occupied by a family of three, the Cruises, who are moving across the country from Chicago to LA. The first sign of the stowaway’s presence is when he steals a can of Coca-Cola (with a straw) from the youngest boy, Eric, who blames his older brother, Michael.
Numerous signs follow indicating that there is an unknown life form lurking about their new house: unplugged TVs turn on, remote control cars drive without batteries, wet footprints leading away from an empty/steamy shower, power tools modifying walls/doors, a hundred-year-old heirloom painting ruined, trees/flowers replanted throughout their living room, etc. Eric’s mom and brother do not believe him when he says: “It wasn’t me, it was the little creature! I saw it!” Upset-yet-determined Eric follows the little creature into the backyard (he names him: Mac, short for: Mysterious Alien Creature), down a treacherous hill, and into a deep pond below (oh, by the way, Eric is wheelchair-bound, so this incident is life-threatening as he cannot swim, so Mac dives in, takes him ashore, and saves his life). The girl next door, Debbie, sees Mac rescue Eric, but she’s afraid to tell the grownups because nobody would believe it! Eric and Debbie team up to catch Mac and prove his case, but they didn’t plan for the government to show up, who are trying to take Mac, and do who-knows-what to him! Will this physically disabled boy and his pals evade the bad guys and help Mac reunite with his long-lost family?! You’ll just have to watch Mac & Me to find out!
Mac & Me is a complete rip-off of.. you guessed it.. E.T.! This movie came out six years after E.T. Ironically, this film was made by Orion Pictures, which filed for bankruptcy in the early ’90’s.. maybe because Universal Studios sued them?! Whoa, I’m seeing stars.. Far out, dude!
Mac & Me is so bad.. it’s good! The epitome of an 80’s bad rip-off action adventure, sci-fi cult classic! Fun for the entire family! Speaking of family, they stole E.T.’s older brother’s name, Michael. I mean.. C’mon, they definitely cheated off someone else’s paper! The rip-offs continue, they even pulled a “Marty McFly” move when Eric grabs a hold of a truck and strolls down the street; the music playing during this scene sounds eerily similar to the Back to the Future theme song. Bet they wish they had a time machine so they could reconfigure the space time continuum and get back some of their dignity!
IMDb’s description of Mac & Me: “An alien trying to escape from NASA is befriended by a wheelchair-bound boy.” I mean, goodness gracious, can ya get anymore unnecessarily specific?! This was the first time I saw a physically disabled character who was played by a real life wheelchair-bound actor. Still, to this day, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like this on screen since! Representation matters, however knowing where to highlight and being tactful about it is important.
This movie’s small cast has a few unknown gems: The mom is played by Christine Ebersole, a soap opera star from One Life to Live and Broadway stage performer. The older brother, Michael, is played by Jonathan Ward who voices Zak from the animated film Ferngully: The Last Rainforest. The actress who plays Debbie’s sister, Courtney, is played by Tina Caspary, who has been in 1982’s Annie, Can’t Buy Me Love, and Teen Witch. The lead who played Eric, Jade Calegory, had a short acting career with only three credits to his name; Mac & Me was his film debut.
As I’ve said before, what’s a bad movie without a couple random dance numbers that have no relevance to the storyline whatsoever? Oh, and we can’t forget the blatant product placements: Coca-Cola, Skittles, and McDonald’s! Debbie and Eric attend a birthday party, which so happens to be at.. McDonald’s! Where Debbie’s sister, Courtney, works. Even Ronald McDonald himself shows up to entertain the kiddos; he infamously won a Razzie award for Worst New Star for this film. I remember going to many birthday parties at Mickey D’s! Hey, I’ll bet it’s no coincidence that Mac is named after their famous Big Mac burger. Mac joins in on the fun and dances, in disguise, as a robotic teddy bear along with the McDonald’s staff, party goers, and customers. The uniformed footballers dancing by the front door is randomly hilarious.. because they’re grown men trying to pass as teenagers!
My favorite scene is when their silver VW van cruises through the desert with wild horses running alongside them while the song “Waves” by Debbie Lytton plays. Waves in a desert, how ironic! Such a beautiful scene, with this catchy tune, gets me pumped every time! I’m a sucker for a sexy sax solo!
Actor Paul Rudd has a running gag with late night talk show host Conan O’Brien where he plays Mac and Me’s trailer, again and again, instead of showing a clip from his upcoming film. Rotten Tomatoes gave this flick a five percent rating yet the Audience Score is at thirty-eight percent. This just goes to show that maybe lovers of this bad movie, like Paul Rudd and I, are a little more gracious than the harsh film critics.
SPOILER ALERT: Mac & Me ends with a pink chewing gum bubble that says: “We’ll be back!” and then bursts. It didn’t do well in the box office, only making back half of their budget, and a portion of its box office intake was donated to the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Maybe the clown is to blame for this major flop?! For obvious reasons, the proposed sequel was never made. Go figure! I wonder if they thought about how iconic that final scene is.. because ya know how the saying goes: “I don’t mean to burst your bubble, but..” Haha!
‘Twas such an honor that Jaimie asked me to collaborate with him, again, on his creative project, Rob’s Video ‘zine! As I mentioned in my Vintage Trolling blog post, we were originally inspired to create vintage good/bad movie posters whilst watching the documentary: 24×36: A Movie About Movie Posters (highly recommend). I just let Jaimie go with creating the illustration of this Mac & Me movie poster. I didn’t have much input because the storyline (ahem, E.T.’s storyline, ahem) was pretty straight forward. He did make sure to include the obviously obnoxious product placement with Coca-Cola and McDonald’s. This design does differ from the VHS &/or DVD covers and other posters because it doesn’t include any Earthlings or suburban California skyline. I do like that Jaimie changed it up and included Mac’s silhouetted family in the background. I formatted the movie title, advertising slogan, and billing block. I don’t think we’ll color this movie poster, no real reason as to why, however Jaimie did color the Troll movie poster so we can display it somewhere in our home. We just gotta find the wall space.. Ugh, haha!
What songs are on your self-care playlist? Choose your favorite lyrics and tell us your story using those lyrics.
“Where words fail, music speaks.” -Hans Christian Andersen
I’ve been struggling with being able to write my blog recently, so this seemed fitting to share. This first song is also featured on my About Blogger section as my self-proclaimed anthem.
♫ ‘Cause I’m a warrior, I fight for my life Like a soldier all through the night And I won’t give up, I will survive, I’m a warrior And I’m stronger, that’s why I’m alive I will conquer, time after time I’ll never falter, I will survive, I’m a warrior ♪
I worry about the future because of my anxiety. I’ve redefined myself as not a worrier anymore, but a warrior.
♫ Hush, just stop There’s nothing you can do or say I’ve had enough I’m not your property as from today You might think that I won’t make it on my own But now I’m Stronger than yesterday Now it’s nothing but my way My loneliness ain’t killing me no more I, I’m stronger Then I ever thought that I could be I used to go with the flow Didn’t really care ’bout me You might think that I can’t take it, but you’re wrong ‘Cause now I’m Stronger than yesterday ♪
Crying can be perceived as a sign of weakness, however crying demonstrates how strong one is. I’ve been struggling with my emotions. I cry when I’m happy. I cry when I’m sad. I cry when I’m mad. I cry when I am in pain. I cry when I am.. overwhelmed.
♫ (Ou mata e matagi) I have crossed the horizon to find you (Ou loto mamaina toa) I know your name (Manatu atu) They have stolen the heart from inside you (Taku pelepele) But this does not define you (Manatunatu) This is not who you are You know who you are ♪ [whispers] Who you truly are
The mix of languages being sung sends chills across my skin. This slow motion scene of the hero/protagonist, Moana, confidently walking toward the villain/antagonist, Te Kā, shows courage because Moana knows deep down that Te Kā will not harm her.
“Hurt people hurt people.”
“Her bark is worse than her bite.” Means that they seem much more unpleasant or hostile than they really are.
I struggle with the light and dark within myself. I am taken back by people who show me grace and understanding during my difficult moments.
♫ I’ve been staring at the edge of the water ‘Long as I can remember Never really knowing why I wish I could be the perfect daughter But I come back to the water No matter how hard I try Every turn I take Every trail I track Every path I make Every road leads back To the place I know where I cannot go Where I long to be See the line where the sky meets the sea? It calls me And no one knows How far it goes If the wind in my sail on the sea stays behind me One day I’ll know If I go, there’s just no telling how far I’ll go ♪
Why do humans like shiny things? (haha, I know how ironic) “Researchers in the evolutionary aesthetics tradition have suggested that people prefer shiny objects because glossiness connotes water.”
I am drawn to water. I feel at peace when I am near a body of water. I am most comfortable in water. Weightless. Free. My dream home is waterfront.
♫ This is for my girls all around the world Who have come across a man that don’t respect your worth Thinkin’ all women should be seen and not heard So what do we do girls, shout out loud Lettin ’em know were gonna stand our ground So lift your hands high and wave ’em proud Take a deep breath and say it loud Never can, never will Can’t hold us down Nobody can hold us down Never can, never will ♪
The double standard of how a girl/lady/woman/female should feel, think, speak, behave, &/or dress is exhausting. We are worthy just as any other man.
♫ The whole world’s scared, so I swallow the fear The only thing I should be drinking is an ice cold beer So cool in line, and we try, try, try But we try too hard and it’s a waste of my time Done looking for the critics ’cause they’re everywhere They don’t like my jeans, they don’t get my hair Exchange ourselves and we do it all the time Why do we do that, why do I do that? Why do I do that? Yeah, oh, oh pretty, pretty please Pretty, pretty please, don’t you ever, ever feel Like you’re less than fuckin’ perfect Pretty, pretty please, if you ever, ever feel like you’re nothing You’re fuckin’ perfect to me, yeah You’re perfect, you’re perfect ♪
“You may not always be perfect, but you will always be perfect for me.”
Accepting someone as they are, flaws and all, is true unconditional love. Cherish it. I appreciate those who are patient with me. “Thank you for putting up with me.”
♫ Never win first place, I don’t support the team I can’t take direction, and my socks are never Clean Teachers dated me, my parents hated me I was always in a fight cuz I can’t do nothin’ Right Everyday I fight a war against the mirror I can’t take the person starin’ back at me I’m a hazard to myself Don’t let me get me I’m my own worst enemy It’s bad when you annoy yourself So irritating Don’t wanna be my friend no more I wanna be somebody else I wanna be somebody else, yeah ♪
I am my own worst critic. I get stuck inside my head often. I cannot stand to look at my reflection. Being at war with myself is exhausting. I am the bully and the victim. Sometimes, I need to be rescued from.. myself.
♫ When I was a young boy I was scared of growing up I didn’t understand it but I was terrified of love Felt like I had to choose but it was outta my control I needed to be saved, I was going crazy on my own It took me years to tell my mother, I expected the worst I gathered all the courage in the world She said, “I love you no matter what I just want you to be happy and always be who you are” She wrapped her arms around me Said, “Don’t try to be what you’re not ‘Cause I love you no matter what” She loves me no matter what ♪
I didn’t have to come out to my parents. My mom said she already knew:
“Ever since you were young, I noticed you have so much love to give. I knew your love was for.. everyone. Not just the opposite sex.”
If that doesn’t explain accepting and loving me “no matter what,” I don’t know what does. As for my dad, when my mom asked him about my sexuality, he simply said, “Her sex life is none of my business.” Well, there ya have it. My folks accept me “no matter what.”
♫ We don’t have time left to regret, hold on And well take more than common sense, hold on So stop your wondering, take a stand, hold on ‘Cause there’s more to life than just to live, hold on ‘Cause an empty room can be so loud There’s too many tears to drown them out So hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on One single smile, a helping hand, hold on Its not that hard to be a friend, hold on So don’t give up, stand ’til the end, hold on ‘Cause there’s more to life than just to live, hold on ‘Cause an empty room can be so loud There’s too many tears to drown them out So hold on, hold on Hold on, hold on ♪
When I am in physical pain, I hold onto my own hand and squeeze it. I hold on. I hold on for dear life and endure until it passes.
♫ I can almost see it That dream I’m dreaming But, there’s a voice inside my head saying You’ll never reach it Every step I’m taking Every move I make feels Lost with no direction My faith is shaking But I, I gotta keep trying Gotta keep my head held high There’s always gonna be another mountain I’m always gonna wanna make it move Always gonna be an uphill battle Sometimes I’m gonna have to lose Ain’t about how fast I get there Ain’t about what’s waiting on the other side It’s the climb The struggles I’m facing The chances I’m taking Sometimes might knock me down, but No, I’m not breaking I may not know it But these are the moments, that I’m gonna remember most, yeah Just gotta keep going And I, I gotta be strong Just keep pushing on ♪
Progress isn’t a straight line or level for that matter. It’s an upwards climb with many obstacles along the way. There may be times where I lose, but I have to keep trying and not let my struggles break my spirit. Rise above the bullshit and face it head on.
♫ Party girls don’t get hurt Can’t feel anything, when will I learn? I push it down, push it down I’m the one “for a good time call” Phone’s blowin’ up, ringin’ my doorbell I feel the love, feel the love
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink 3x Throw ’em back ’til I lose count
I’m gonna swing from the chandelier From the chandelier I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist Like it doesn’t exist I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night Feel my tears as they dry I’m gonna swing from the chandelier From the chandelier
But I’m holding on for dear life Won’t look down, won’t open my eyes Keep my glass full until morning light ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight Help me, I’m holding on for dear life Won’t look down, won’t open my eyes Keep my glass full until morning light ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight, on for tonight
Sun is up, I’m a mess Gotta get out now, gotta run from this Here comes the shame, here comes the shame
One, two, three, one, two, three, drink 3x Throw ’em back ’til I lose count
I’m gonna swing from the chandelier From the chandelier I’m gonna live like tomorrow doesn’t exist Like it doesn’t exist I’m gonna fly like a bird through the night Feel my tears as they dry I’m gonna swing from the chandelier From the chandelier
But I’m holding on for dear life Won’t look down, won’t open my eyes Keep my glass full until morning light ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight Help me, I’m holding on for dear life Won’t look down, won’t open my eyes Keep my glass full until morning light ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight On for tonight, on for tonight
‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight Oh, I’m just holding on for tonight On for tonight, on for tonight ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight ‘Cause I’m just holding on for tonight Oh, I’m just holding on for tonight On for tonight, on for tonight ♪
I included all of the lyrics for this song because the repetition is important for addiction. It’s a vicious cycle. Filling up on a substance to feel empty inside. Where your ultimate goal is to forget your own memories. Unfortunately, all you’re doing is creating more problems instead finding a healthy solution.
If money didn't exist and there were no limits, what would your dream occupation be? How would you spend your days?
I would spend my days sitting upon a fluffy cloud, behind a large wooden desk, and before a mile long line of frustrated people who have come to me for.. ideas! I’d be the “Idea Person.” A Creative Problem Solver or Creative Consultant, if you will. These people have hit a roadblock, brain fart, or dead end and need assistance with an idea or ideas about anything under the sun: what outfit to wear, what dish to fix for dinner, how to respond to that person who’s been ghosting them, what to gift whoever for whatever occasion, how to decorate their home, what to name their new pet, what topic to write about on their school paper, what to say in their upcoming speech, how to arrange their furniture, etc. My brain never turns off and I love to come up with innovative/creative ideas to help people solve their unique obstacles!
Imagine your life is now a best-selling book. Write a summary for the back or inside cover.
Three steps forward and two steps back. Allison couldn’t walk until she was two years old. Hell, she was terrified to crawl! The rumor amongst the locals is she descends from mermaid or shark ancestors because of her numerous rows of sharp teeth. Nonetheless, she’s a Mythical Goddess! She may be a fish out of water, but she goes with the flow.. to survive. This heroine has to decide whether to rescue the Dominus in Distress, the stray animal, or the lonely child while trying not to lose herself along the way. Go ahead, turn the page to find out what “Dominus” means because now you’re curious. Come on down the rabbit hole and enjoy the fall. You’ll fall in love with Allison’s Adventures. Her name literally spells: “all is on.”
Once you achieve a solid foundation, use cookie cutter shapes to make your own individual piece to taste test. Now, take that perfectly shaped piece and.. throw it on the ground! You are meant to live outside the Cookie Cutter World!
Fuck those unrealistic expectations others put on you. Life is what you make it. Might as well make it interesting! If it’s edible and you can stomach through it, then..
SUCCESS!
Set aside time to make more peace, music, art, memories, and room for those who fulfill you.. not drain you. Weed out the undesirables. Healing begins and ends with Y-O-U!
Write a letter to a former teacher about where you are [now] and what impact they had on you.
I ran into my elementary Speech Therapist at the grocery store a couple years ago So, I did get a chance to tell her what I was up to at that moment and thank her In honor of Teacher’s Appreciation Week this week May 3rd – 7th
Dear Ms. Lloyd, I travel the world as a Communications Specialist. I interact with dozens of Design Engineers from all the over the country, Canada, Mexico, France, and India. Being able to speak with every level of people, that’s all thanks to you!
You helped teach me how to speak so others can understand me and comprehend my words. This means more than I ever thought about before. I see others struggle speaking because of their speech impediments and getting lost in translation with others.
Spending those two years with you was time well spent with how I am now able to communicate with the world! You helped give me confidence! I’m no longer afraid to raise my hand or speak up for myself! Some would say I’m a Chatty Cathy, haha!
You’ve helped open so many doors for me in regards to career opportunities! I mean, come on, a “Communications” Specialist! My job title is verbally communicating in front of a group of people. How crazy is that?! I’ve also given a Maid of Honor speech, a Valedictorian speech at my college graduation, and [now] I speak/share my writing with a virtual Journaling Workshop every week.
I’d say I’m a success story! And I’ll say it again, “I’m a success story!” because I like being able to pronounce words correctly. It feels good!
I don’t do well with change. I like order. I live by my schedule. I prefer structure. I love consistency. I think it has to do with my OCD. Any type of interruptions to my routine is like wreaking havoc to my very core. I have to talk my irrational mind down from the ledge because I know it’ll all work out and things will be okay. I. Will. Be. Okay. After some convincing, I see another day without giving up.
I would like to change my job situation because I am underemployed. While I’m thankful for being paid to do a temporary job that is in high demand during this global pandemic; I assist registered nurses and respiratory therapists with onboarding to hospitals and now vaccination clinics across the country. We’re busy, which is great.. “job security,” whatever that means. I’ve applied/interviewed for four permanent positions at this company I’m temping for and haven’t gotten an offer yet, which is frustrating. Trying to maintain work/life balance, keep my sanity, yet trying to prove I’m worth hiring. It’s taking a toll on my confidence. I’m afraid I’ll keep hearing: “No,” or hearing nothing at all. It’s just discouraging.
I’d like to have a change of scenery: a long overdue, extended, overseas holiday to explore nature, museums, seeing all the sights, and fall in love with life again. It may help put things in perspective. Do I work to live? Or live to work? I live to.. live! Money may make the world go round, but I create the currency and I spend my time the way I so choose!
Share a moment of kindness from a stranger that meant a lot to you.
Summer of ’96, the sun was shining, birds were chirping, and my block was busy with activities. Neighbors washing their cars, mowing their lawns, planting flowers, catching some rays, running in sprinklers, and music blaring from open windows. I chose to ride my bike with no helmet, no pads, and no worries! I was a mismatched nine-year-old sportin’ neon patterns and untamed frizzy hair.
I didn’t care.
Just getting some fresh air.
My destination was: Nowhere.. in particular.
I was caught unaware of the uneven concrete square up ahead.
I was sent airborne.
Every kid’s nightmare.
“Aaahhh!!!” I declared.
All I could do was stare.. in despair.
How unfair!
My banged up hardware.
A pair of bloody elbows, knees, palms, and I swear..
a solitaire scrape on my chin.
Quite a few tears on my now tattered clothes.
To be fair, I looked scared!
I heard a sudden stop of a vehicle on my left, which I thought was in err.
My brain was signaling: “BEWARE!”
Guess my accident sent up a simultaneous flare for urgent care.
This prepared young couple glared at me, they tended to my wounds, and bandaged me up here and there.
I felt safe seeing they traveled as a family affair; with toddlers in their mobile chairs.
How rare of these parents to share their kindness with me.
A Picture is Worth a Thousand-ish Words 