LET'S CELEBRATE!!!!!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY 

DELAYED REACTION LOUNGE!

Barbara Ward- Finneran
WHOA BABY!!!!! 
It's been a year... a wonderful, wicked and wild year!

It doesn't seem possible that it's over a year ago that Dawn and I decided to fly solo, well actually duo, and then build our DRL family.  There's quite a bit of a long and tangled back story there that has never really been shared here at DRL about  how Dawn & I "met" and DRL's conception.  (Note to self... Blog about that!) In the nutshell version Dawn and I decided in late fall of 2010 that we wanted to blog together and in time invite others to blog along with us as "regulars" or "guests".  Both of us having a bizillion other commitments we decided it was would be wise to put launching off to after the holidays.  We set a target launch date of February 14th - a great day for the "new baby" that we would love to be born.

Amidst the chaos of the Christmas holidays and into January we brainstormed and planned a bit.  Flung emails through cyberspace, jotted notes all over the place, and had quite a few marathon phone calls to plan for the birth.  By late January we wondered if our target date could be a reality. I was lost in the design of it all.  Desperately trying to find balance between the designer and writer within me.  In fact, on Thursday, February the 10th, I called Dawn and pretty much told her, "No way. I can't get this designed in time".  I hung up with her reeling and disappointed.  Madder the HELL that I "couldn't" do it.  Madder then HELL, that I couldn't "Keep the promises that you make to yourself"(I made to myself).  Design experience I had plenty of... Website design, not so much.  I had drown myself in delusions of grandeur --- figuring out how to design it all.  HA!  That was funny and not in the ha ha kind of way.

What's a designer to do??? Call your best friend from art school, that's what you do!  Late as it was I rang Laura.  She talked me off the ledge. And, let me tell you, I was looking and equipped to jump.  Like so many times before, Laura helped me find a way to "design it".  There's nothing better then a savvy BFF, who knows your strengths and weaknesses to boot you in the butt and get you to pick yourself up by your stiletto straps--- in design, blogging, and, or life!  Shortly into the conversation she made it so apparent that I was working to reinvent the wheel. DUH!  How did I not see it? That despite my skills, abilities, and desires... I couldn't do it all. Laura and I talked long into the night discussed tools and templates that would allow some design control and yet not become another ball and chain.  I was sold and determined to make that launch date a reality.

Friday morning was just the first of many moments of making Dawn's head spin.  (It's fun sometimes! HA! LOVE YOU DAWN!) The conversation went something like this:
"Remember that I told you it was off?"
"Yes."
"Well, forget everything I said last night! It's on!!! Come hell or high water, we will launch on Monday. It'll be a 'work in progress', but we will launch! WE WILL KEEP THE PROMISES THAT WE MAKE TO OURSELVES!"
"@#%& YEAH!"
"Agreed! @#%& YEAH!"

Not much sleep ensued among the next few days of "blood, sweat, and tears" that followed.  Our baby would be born via a surrogate and her name was "blogger".

Now really, in order to be true to life (especially our crazy lives) --- what would DRL's birth have been without a delayed reaction of some sort! ;)

The weekend was wild and wicked.  I poured myself into Blogger & Adobe Illustrator. Fielded phone calls and texts that enwrapped me with encouragement (Thank you all - you know who you are!) and plowed through the unknown to make it familiar.  Pulling Dawn right along in all the "fun" as she also tended to all the other details. Picture two hamsters (adorable & feisty, lol) stuck in a wheel and going for broke, carrot dangling!  Sunday the 13th was a whirlwind of trying to be ready to launch at midnight.  Last minute finesses and preparing the posts, contacting the other writers, getting every little thing in order. We were exhausted and bringing it right down to the wire.  Yet, knowing it would happen.  Happen on time, like we planned, like we promised!

By 10:30 that night we were really ready.  Still not sure how the heck that happened but we were as ready as we'd ever be, read to rock!

Tick Tock went the clock........
Later still on the phone and not being able to get the timer to work on posts, we decided we'd post it just after midnight.  (Yes, the phrase "Blogger Flog-ker" was born that night too! I should have a dime for every time we've said it since - HA!)

Tick Tock went the clock........
Still on the phone. Still exhausted.  Practically dozing while talking.  We gave up!  Obviously not on the blog. We gave up and gave in.  We put the first post up before midnight and went to bed!  Fatigued, frazzled and flying high!

That is how DRL was born and how "our baby" came a day early.

WHOA BABY!!!!! 

It's been a year... a wonderful, wicked and wild year!

Wow!  All very amusing to think back on in retrospect. Like  many things, not so funny at the time.  All memories that I am very thankful for having and hold in my heart.  We've done a lot since that sleep deprived weekend.  We have had over 1, 500 posts read in over 105 countries!  We broke our initial goal of 100,000 posts long, long ago.  We have had stories and posts that make you laugh, cry, feel creepy, get excited, think and comment. (We'd welcome more comments BTW!) Not bad for the little blog that could.

DRL would not have been born with out the love, support and encouragement and of our family and friends (you know who you are!) Let me not fail to mention the endless writing inspiration and material that you have all helped to provide. We thank you & hope you forgive us too - LOL.   DRL would not have grown into a family without the dedication of our regular writers.  Marion, and our funny man, Tony, of Drop Dead Comedy, have gone above and beyond and always have entertaining posts to share every week since day one.  A fact I can't even boast!  Way to go "guys'! Jillian B. Hart and Patty B have been regulars along our journey who have also been well read and embraced.  Jill's Heart's Desire has been know to spark a fire!  Patty's Sticky Sweets are enough to make you crave more. (We miss your posts! I know how life gets in the way ---  but get to writing, and I will too!) Jenn, Gary O, Robert, Michael, Natalie, Bridgette, Michele, Jessica Lemoine McGinnis Yee, and "The Good Girl" (You all come back now - real soon! Again, we miss your posts!) have contributed and been enjoyed. (Geez, I hope I got everybody!) The stories and beautiful inspiration from the women of Michael D Colareno's Breast Cancer Awareness Body Painting Project (BCABPP) and his beautiful artwork, who were featured in "Pink Reaction" inspired us to tears.  Many thanks to Doris, Ellen & Pamela --- May the courage and strength that you shared come back to you tenfold! We have successfully cross promoted and have had so much fun with Deanna and The Unnatural Mother.  "Behind the scenes" support and reassurance from our favorite IT friends, Laura, Gary & Jay. The endless questions and laughs with us and at us have been priceless.  Hey... we aim to entertain! :) We wouldn't be still doing this a year later without all of YOU!!!  Dawn & I thank you all from the bottom of hearts and from those places that dreams are made of... and we love you!

None of it would still be going on 365 days later without all of YOU!!!  
Without our readers!  Dawn & I thank you all from the bottom of hearts and from those places that dreams are born!!!  Because of all of you DRL was born and better yet - has had a birthday. 


We love our readers and hope you'll keep coming back for more!
THANK YOU!  THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU EVERYONE!

It's still a work in progress.  Oh the places we can go!  I know I am looking forward to years ahead!  (Looking forward to finding more time to write again - but, again... that's another blog!)

Stay tuned this week for more memories & re-runs of the best of the best of our first year.
Love, Peace & Prayers... Always,
Barbara

PS... All the non-red text (hyperlinks) will bring you to related posts or websites - Kindly support everyone and click around.  If you are new to DRL you are certain to find some great stuff that you missed! ENJOY!

ARE YOU A HOARDER???

Patty B

We have all seen the shows where one person or family is so compulsive with keeping EVERYTHING from wrappers and empty cartons to a zillion beanie babies. Where family and friends have a hard time engaging with that individual. When your compulsive addiction to keep things overwhelms your life and that is "hoarding".

DID FACEBOOK RUIN THE MYSTERY...

DRL Is Thrilled to Have "Ms. Sticky Sweet" Posting 

Her First Original Blog...  Way to go!

PATTY B

Did Facebook ruin the mystery of what we use to call ... High School Reunions???

So I am doing what most of us, typically stay-at-home Moms do, running errands when listening to my Sirus radio in my car and a question was brought up during one of my favorite morning talk shows. Now in this technical era of computers and Facebook... Is it really necessary to attend those High School reunions we use to look forward after 10, 15, even 20 or 25 years after graduating what was suppose to be the most memorable times in our teen lives? Is the mystery gone? Has Facebook killed our longing for live interaction with those from our past that we once so looked forward seeing at these High School reunions?

I mean we are almost all guilty of looking or searching for former classmates on Facebook. Wanting to see how he or she turned out all these years. Have they gained weight? Did they lose hair? Are they single or married or in a complex relationship? Did those most likely to succeed as our yearbooks had predicted, do just that?. Did our Homecoming Queen and King stay together or was it splitsville from the first day of college? Where did they finally move to and call home? Did the super smart classmates create something fabulous or cure some disease? Did the jocks make it to professional team status? Did those in the Fine Arts make it to Broadway or the likes of Hollywood?

Most all of these, if not many of these questions, can simply be answered by looking at ones information on Facebook. And, of course the pictures people post they show their important things as well. Where they have been, their kids, who they have met ---it is all there with just a click of a button. No need to fly half way across the country to return to one's home town for a usually well over-priced dinner.  No need to start dieting or getting in shape for fear of what others who you haven’t seen in years think of you at first glance. Are the egos still going to be there like well over inflated balloons? Will it still be should I dare say the word... “clicky”? Not to mention, it's bad enough if you are nervous about attending, but then, "they" make us wear those name tags with our senior pictures on them. Seriously like everyone wants to have that photo to compare to all night long. Blah!

So my questions to you...
Will you still go given the choice now in our age of computers and of all that can be seen and learned without going "live"?
Will you attend your High School reunion given the chance or will you stay home in your pj’s and just click on to your Facebook account wondering how your former classmates live?
Will you share your thoughts with us here at DRL?  Comments welcomed!

WITH GREAT POWER.....

Whatever life holds in store for me, I will never forget these words: "With great power comes great responsibility."

Peter Parker was talking about his newly found super powers as Spiderman when he said these words, but when I hear them I think of the power we all now have through our postings on social media such as Facebook and Twitter.

I’ve read too many posts that twist facts or even state falsehoods as if they were facts. Unfortunately , many people believe whatever they see in print and are purposely misled by such tactics. It’s certainly common practice in political posts, as noted in a You Tube video called “.Alternate Reality”

The system has gone mad, everyday newspapers and TV carry more and more stories of brazen politicians and executives who have no fear and act as though they are above the law. Even when their own words [at times on tape] confirm their scheming, they continue to treat the public like we're stupid.

It seems the government also wants in on the social media propaganda bandwagon. According to radio celebrity Alex Jones, the Defense Department unveiled its Social Media in Strategic Communication (SMISC) program. It’s an attempt to get better at both detecting and conducting propaganda campaigns on social media.This is more than just checking the trending topics on Twitter. The Defense Department wants to deeply grok social media dynamics. So SMISC will be aimed at discovering and tracking the “formation, development and spread of ideas and concepts (memes)” on social media. http://www.prisonplanet.com/pentagon-wants-a-social-media-propaganda-machine.html

  DRL takes our responsibility seriously, using social media to educate, inform, inspire and enlighten as well as give our readers the opportunity to voice their own opinions, whether they agree with ours or not. We also use this forum to encourage positive action, as in The Generosity Game Meme http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/06/generosity-game-meme.html ) or Meet Pongo and Join DRL’s Team to Help Him and The Center For Great Apes (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/06/meet-pongo-and-join-drls-team-to-help.html)

Barbara’s Soul Food attempts to lighten the soul and encourage our readers to “keep the promises you make to yourself”                                                                ( http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/soul-food_24.html) 
and Patty’s Sticky Sweet (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/sticky-sweet_24.html)  just makes you feel good! Tony has shared his stories with us to help us understand issues that we might not have considered, such as For Me It’s My Little Girl (http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/tony-walker-almost-everyone-has.html). Dawn gives us a wake up call as to what’s happening to our daughters’ childhoods with In Vogue 

I’m proud to be a writer for Delayed Reaction Lounge. It’s a place where every effort is made to present truthful, enlightening information as well as entertaining, funny, even spooky reading as well! I hope you enjoy reading as much as we all enjoy writing for you.

Let us know how you feel. What are your favorite features? Is there something you would like to read about that we haven’t covered yet? If there’s something you really like, let us know and we’ll keep it coming. If there’s something you think needs to be said, tell us and we’ll try to say it for you! The Lounge is for everyone and everyone is welcome! Thanks for stopping in!

PYTHONS...ARE APPARENTLY WHAT'S SHAKEN

Dawn Boyle

What is the story with people and their fascination with Pythons?

A few months ago, Marion wrote a story called Pet Python. It got hits the day it ran, but nothing earth shattering. Since the original post date Pet Python has been in the top ten of the highest traffic source. Marion wrote again about the horrible story of a young child being killed by the snake and the parents going to jail...again - BAM! People are all over Delayed Reaction Lounge in search of information and/or stories about Pythons.

What gives? What is the draw? Tell us you python lovers out there....we will be more than happy to give you more snake stories if that is your desire.

I hope while you are reading Marion's Python tales you poke around...we have something for EVERYONE here at DRL....don't miss our very own Buxom Blogging Temptress Jillian. Grab a laugh with Tony. Marion's other stories of ghostly happenings and her love for nature and it's creatures, or check out what Barbara and I have to say in our posts. Rumor has it Jenn Copp will be back soon as well!

Thanks for stopping by the Lounge, grab a drink and hang for a while...we LOVE the company!

Below are some interesting facts about pythons...and also links to our writers and their favorite stories!

Pythons are a group of large non-venomous snakes that belong to the family Pythonidae. They are found in the continents of Asia, Africa and Australia. About 26 species of Pythons exist in the world. Pythons are ambush predators. They attack their prey all of a sudden even before their presence is witnessed. A typical python kills its prey by a process called constriction. Python grasps its prey and wraps its body around it. Without any hesitation, it increases the number of turns around its prey. As a result, the pressure on the prey increases and the prey is forced to stop inhaling. This eventually kills the prey or makes it unconscious. The python then easily swallows the unconscious prey. It may take several days for the prey to be completely digested.

Dawn Boyle - SOCIOPATH....
http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/07/aka-sociopath.html

Barbara Ward
http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/what-do-you-want.html#more
Jillian B. Hart
http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/06/business-trip-part-vii-harts-desire.html
Tony Walker
http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/catholics-confirmations-and-churches-oh.html

Marion Ambrose
http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/04/demlicans-or-repubicrats.html
Jenn Copp

http://delayedreactionlounge.blogspot.com/2011/03/rather-kiss-frogsprince-charming-is.html

A MEETING OF THE MINDS (THE REDHEADED ONES THAT IS)

DRL Writers, Patty, Marion and Barbara

A meeting of the DRL Redheaded Writers was held on July 12^th.    

 Having 3 of our talented crew of writers in the same city at the same time was an occasion we just couldn’t help celebrating! Patty, Barbara and Marion met for a few hours discussing important issues and making some critical decisions. One important issue that was resolved with expert decision making skills was dessert. Patty chose the double chocolate brownie (large by the way) while Marion and Barb shared the dessert trio (apple cobbler, bread pudding and double chocolate brownie). It’s easy to see why DRL is such an outstanding blog with decisions like this being made on a daily basis!

Another issue that was brought up was salaries. We voted to give ourselves a huge raise. Barb suggested we simply add another zero to our present salary. The resolution was unanimously approved raising each of our salaries to $0000.00 from $000.00 per month. We can all say we make a four digit salary per month now!

I must say, we missed our other DRL family members, but Dawn and Jenn are blondes, Robert always wears a hat or a hood so I don’t know what the heck his hair color is, Jillian is too mysterious to publish anything but her lips and Tony… well, he may have been a redhead at one time! We’ll have to ask him!

One of these days we plan to have a full staff meeting. At that time we’ll have many decisions to make. What restaurant for dinner? Boating or sunbathing? Wine or margaritas? Decisions, decisions! Whatever we decide, I know we’ll have a blast because I know these wonderful people I work with at DRL are the smartest, kindest, funniest and most caring people anyone could hope to know. I’m privileged to be a part of this blog and I hope that someday soon I will get to meet each of my DRL family members in person. Until then, I’ll just enjoy hanging with them at Delayed Reaction Lounge! 

NO PAIN NO GAIN

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Patty B

If exercise is so much fun, why is it called "working out?"

If you eat pizza in the forest and no one sees you, do the calories till count?

Drinking lots of water is suppose to help you lose weight. You'll burn fat just running to the bathroom all day long.

NO PAIN NO GAIN

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Patty B

When it comes to dieting, my will power is great. it's my won't power that needs help.

I burn all the calories I need by being annoyed with all the new diet trends out there.

Walking is great cardiovascular exercise. Walking to the donut shop may not be so great.

STICKY SWEET

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY

Patty B

Eat chocolate when you have insomnia. it won't help you sleep, but it'll make being awake more fun.

 

Instead of doing crunches, just eat chocolate with crunchy things in it.

 

Trying to eat right? Then make sure you unwrap the chocolate before you eat it.

You are what you eat. So if you eat chocolate, you're smooth, sweet and loved by all.

STICKY SWEET

THOUGHTS FOR THE DAY
Patty B
"I am a woman of many moods and they all require chocolate."


"If I had a chocolate every time I thought of you, I'd have a butt the size of Texas."


"Whoever said it's not good for chocolate to be in the heat obviously never had a hot fudge sundae."

"Want to break the ice at a party? Put some chocolate in a bowl. People will gather around it."

 

"If you ever meet anyone who says, " I can't finish this chocolate, do you want it ?" , marry him."

 

"If you have kids , the best way to eat chcolate is in the bathroom, with the door locked and the water running to cover the sound of the crackling wrapper."