Seriously.  While I’m very proud to be Italian and French Canadian (as far as I know), I now feel a bit gypped that I don’t appear to have ANY Icelandic blood.

I mean – not ONLY are most of these people GORGEOUS:

but I’ve just learned that genetically they are NOT pre-disposed to SAD – Seasonal Affective Disorder.  Matter of fact, they appear to be the LEAST susceptible of all Earthly peoples.  This may explain why they’re able to remain chipper while sitting on ice-cubes and hob-nobbing with Arctic Puffins, but regardless – this would be a good time for me to have been an Icelander.

Why, you ask?  Because I believe I have SAD.  Yup – I’ve been trying to figure out why I’ve been in this godforsaken funk for the past few months – no energy, even less motivation, eating like somebody wrote me a free pass.  I even asked my doctor to “Emeril” my regular anti-depressant dosage and BAM!  he kicked it up a notch.  Only marginal improvement.  Seriously – this is getting really annoying.

Then last night, as I was surfing the interwebs…or Twitter…or Facebook, I dunno – I came upon two words that hit me like the swinging door to a walk-in freezer.  ”WINTER BLUES”.  Dude!  That’s IT!  I started thinking about our unseasonably cold weather recently…and the seemingly endless dreary days. I live in the Mid-Atlantic, and while we do have noticeable changes in Season…we don’t normally resemble the Northeast!  And then there’s my unusual need to “hibernate” – well, as much as an active three year old in the house will allow.  I thought about those long, dark,  heavy tapestry-like curtains that I put up in early November, in an attempt to help block drafts and keep our heating bills in check. I thought of my recent need to have EVERY damn light in the house turned on, and how I still think it’s dark in here…

And then I looked up the symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder:

Per Wikipedia:  Symptoms of SAD may consist of: difficulty waking up in the morning, tendency to oversleep as well as to overeat, and especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on completing tasks, and withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities. All of this leads to the depression, pessimism, and lack of pleasure which characterize a person suffering from this disorder.

Well, I’ll be damned.

Now, while I assume that I’m not ALONE in this situation, I’m not going to suggest to you ways to rectify it. Nope, you found this blog, so you obviously have sufficient ability to navigate a mouse and keyboard to seek those out yourself; I want no responsibility for explaining to your significant other why you just purchased three cases of broad spectrum lightbulbs and a negative air ionizer from Sam’s Club. Besides – everyone’s different.

(I’ll say this, though – I’ll be getting my ever-growing derrierre out the door for a walk in the sunshine right after I hit “Publish”!)

BUT…I felt SO much better once I realized that I could ascribe a name to this lousy feeling that I just felt compelled to share. Now, how about making me feel not-so-nutty and commiserate? How ’bout you – anyone else out there feeling funky? If so, drop me a comment and take a listen to this playlist…maybe it’ll help. Okay, maybe not HELP…but at least you’ll know someone else “gets it”…

Love y’all!
xoxo Ri

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Things have changed since we last spoke, folks.

You remember way back, just after New Years, when I made the grand and glorious proclamation that I was no longer going to be neglectful of you – that I had regained focus, and would from that moment be certain of making this lil’ blog of mine a priority? Yeah, the post where I was evidently full of shit, since I have SO not done any of those things.

Well. I have reasons, but rather than bore you with the dreary details, I shall instead share with you the wonderous event which will actually bring those hopes and dreams to fruition:

LIAM IS IN PRE-SCHOOL.

Yep – I just did it.  We had planned on waiting until the Fall, but in a bolt of lightning last week my Mommy Intuition (read:  “frazzled nerves”) told me that it was time.  Now.  And as fate would have it, a kiddo had JUST transferred out of our school of choice and there was immediate room for Liam.  Whammo – he started Monday and he LOVES it.

Sooooooo…on Monday, Wednesday and Friday mornings you are likely to find me sitting right where I am – in Panera, drinking coffee with laptop at the ready – tweeting, posting, facebooking… doing my damndest to develop a flow and a schedule and stick to it.

*sigh*  Dude.  This totally doesn’t suck.

In other related news, I think I’m going to tweak the format around here some.  I’ll still be “Music Savvy Mom”, no worries…but, I think I may loosen up the “rules” I set for myself.  I mean – trying to keep up with three blogs (here, Vacuity and Chasing Liam) is absolutely impossible for a flighty slacker like me.  So, I think I’ll keep Liam’s blog photo heavy for the Grandparents and dump most other stuff here.  Not every post will have a playlist…but most will.  But, I imagine you’ll see more of ME in the posts – and likely will see posts more often since I won’t have any self imposed topic restrictions.  Or something.

The BIG news, however, is that I have another site in the works.  It’s collaborative, with nine or so other awesome, kick ass blogger Mamas (and Ash) who also love music and whose musical tastes run the gamut.  Some of them are folks you’ll expect to see hanging with me, others will be a total surprise.  It will be ALL Music, all the time, and it will ROCK. And yes – the Guest DJ Shuffles will commence, and they will be a regular feature. Working on the site set up now – WOOT!

So.  Yeah.  That’s it – thanks to Pre-School, I am re-immersing myself in my music, my “me-time”, my writing and my friends.  And in Panera, with their nummy coffee and free Wi-Fi.  I seriously need to talk to them about some sponsorship.

I’ll leave you with the totally random Playlist I’ve been blaring on my headphones as I’ve been writing this post.  Lemme know if you love it!

Oh, and guys?  I’ve missed you.  *sniff, sniff*

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Good night, nurse – I don’t think I’ve written an actual post myself for over two weeks.

The Holidays have officially kicked my ass.

Well, wait – if I’m being truthful, I’ve been slacking on you for considerably longer than two weeks, and it would be decidedly disingenuous of me to blame it completely on the Holidays. I got a little distracted…lost my focus…got so many great, new ideas that I forgot to concentrate on tasks at hand. I totally dropped the ball around here. I suck.

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This post comes to you via Devilish Southern Belle.

Wish she didn’t have reason to write it, though…

2009 has been the year of more talented people dying than I can remember in my almost 40 years, and I’ll be so glad to see it over!

Avenged Sevenfold founder and drummer James Owen Sullivan, better known to fans as “The Rev,” passed away (as best I could verify) on December 28, at the age of 28. The band released a statement on their website this morning, but I didn’t even know until a Facebook friend posted the news.

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