Angels and Her Addictions

I felt like something silly today, as I've been in a bit of a slump lately. Let's talk about addictions, the things you just can't get enough of and really can't live without. We've all got them, and some of us have more trouble with them than others. Some are illegal, some are immoral, and some are completely harmless but still a huge pain in the neck. Now let's talk about my addictions.

The Phantom of the Opera

Now, if you didn't see this one coming, you're clearly new to this blog. In fact, I reference you to my Phantom page to get an idea of what you're dealing with. For those following this little thing, I'll skip another spiel about the wonderfulness that is POTO and proceed to my next addiction.

coffee

Pop quiz: What is the most abused drug in the world? Answer: caffeine. And I'm proof of that. come to my place sometime, and you'll understand. This all started way back when I was eleven, and Dad introduced me to Starbucks frappuccinos. Oh dear God. We both ordered our own, and they were also handing out free samples of their new flavor. I finished my own, then the rest of Dad's when he got tired of it, then the sample that he didn't care for. Three total! I shook the rest of the day, started laughing hysterically over nothing at all, I couldn't stop tapping my foot, and I didn't blink at all for the next twelve hours! While you might think that would put me off the java for the rest of my life, that was just the start. Say the word "coffee" and I'll pounce on you. I have the same reaction to the smell of it that most phangirls have to Ramin Karimloo. And I've tried to break the habit, but the longer I go without it the worse it is when I can't take it anymore and gotta have a hit! The last time I swore off caffeine, I went about six months without it, then snapped and drank ten cups of the stuff (and it was WAY stronger than it should have been). The ensuing buzz was so intense I was in tears waiting to come down off it.

And now that I sound like something out of Trainspotting, let me move on.

Gerard Butler

All right, you might ask "How in the name of God can you be addicted to a person?" And I'll answer, "I have no idea, but it is what it is." My gateway was The Phantom of the Opera and The Bounty Hunter, and I've gotten so shameless as to actually pay money for a copy of Tomb Raider 2 just so I have another flick to stare at. You'd...probably appreciate it if I moved on again...you know, before I go nuts.

chocolate

 
This one is more understandable, you must admit. Then again, there's caffeine in chocolate and I still have that teensy little caffeine addiction...When I start making the coffee with Red Bull instead of water and binge on every candy bar unfortunate enough to land in front of me, do me a favor and send me to rehab. I'm not such a fan of white chocolate (and any connoisseur  will be able to tell the difference between chocolate and chocolate-flavored almond bark), but I'll take dark over milk any day. Actually, that's not quite true either. For kicks, Mom brought home a massive bar of 90% cacao specialty stuff, and--that was the worst thing I've ever tasted, period. It was so bitter the only way you could stand to eat it was if you were already in a bad mood. Hey, Friends watchers, remember what Phoebe said about what evil tastes like? She was referring to "mock-late" but I think it applies here as well. :)

roses

Mom taught me love of growing things, and my love of roses quadrupled a few years ago when we planted the first bushes we'd ever had outside. I took over the care of them, watering them when there were droughts, pruning off dead canes and leaves, covering them when it got too cold...then I read Beauty and Rose Daughter by Robin McKinley and knew exactly how Beauty felt about her roses.  At the risk of sounding like a ye-olden Celt seeing some nature god in every blade of grass, after awhile you come to look at them as beings, not just flowers. It really isn't possible to focus your energy on tending anything and helping it grow and thrive without becoming attached to it in any way. I named every one of those bushes, greeted them when I walked past them, and heck, I even sang to them once or twice! And when we moved from that house into a new one and had to leave them, I was miserable until we got new bushes, and I had some to look after again. Once I had them, I couldn't go without them ever again.

Enough shamelessness and weirdness for you today? Yeah, I thought so too. See ya!

Your pal,
Angels