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Floating on Cloud Nine

Cloud Nine
/kloud/  /nīn/

 

What Does it Mean?

1. a state of happiness, elation or bliss; often used in the phrase, “on cloud nine.”

2. Popular etymology references the 1896 edition of the International Cloud Atlas which defined ten types of clouds. The book defined the ninth cloud as the cumulonimbus, which rises to 10 km (6.2 miles), the highest a cloud can be.

3. Research also suggests the sense in this and other expressions might be because, “As the largest one-figure integer, nine is sometimes used for emphasis.” The phrase  appears in the 1935 aviation-based play “Ceiling Zero” by Frank Wilber Wead.

Learn a little something from the Temptations’1968 hit single, “Cloud Nine.”

Oral History: Cold Turkey

Last Tuesday marked Oral Fixation’s second show of the second season and my oh my was it a good one! 

With a sold-out, jam-packed, super excited audience at The MAC, “Cold Turkey” was immediately a memorable hit on the Oral Fixation stage. There was a little bit of everything, from Jennifer Clasen’s harrowing tale of heroine addiction to Whitney Presley’s hilarious account of a proposal from a toothless pilgrim at Plymouth Rock, to stories of quitting love, smoking and drinking cold turkey. Read more

Get Ready to Experience Cloud Nine!

We still have some storyteller slots to fill, and we know you’re out there, itching to tell us your stories.

Ever experienced a month, week, day, minute, heck, a MOMENT even, of pure, unadulterated bliss?  Whether it’s love at first sight, a honeymoon, the perfect revenge, or the most wonderful news that sent you spinning in happiness, we want to hear about that dream-come-true time in your life. Or maybe it’s none of that.  Maybe you have had an experience up in the air, in a plane, a hot air balloon or a helicopter, that is worth sharing.  Or a fascination with clouds.  Think about it. Read more

Our Eyes Are Fixed On: Randy Brooks

The Man Behind “Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer” and Storyteller on the Oral Fixation Stage.

Randy  Brooks is inevitably introduced – even at the most inappropriate times – as “the man who wrote ‘Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer’”  In addition to singer/songwriter gigs, he plays bass with pool party band, The Bad Monkeys, and is the recorded voice of the American Airlines AAdvantage program.
If he were to write his biography, he would title it, “One Hit Wonder.”
When asked about what he wants to be when he grows up, Randy answered, “a two-hit wonder.”
Randy would love to meet the Beatles or anyone in their inner circle and can often be spotted at Poor David’s Pub. Read more

Our Eyes are Fixed On: Jennifer Clasen

A Lover of the Sound of Nothing in the Sahara Desert and Newcomer to the Oral Fixation Stage. 

Jennifer Clasen’s degree in International Relations allowed her to work at the U.N. and State Department until deciding that bureaucracy is a drag.  Currently living in McKinney, she hangs whenever possible with her daughter. She aims to return to the legal field, focusing on international law outside bureaucracies.

If she were to write her biography, she would title it, True Story, However Unlikely It May Seem.

If you look hard enough, you may find Jennifer sipping something at the Double Wide and remembering her boundless expectations for the future from her childhood. Read more

Our Eyes are Fixed On: Mary Gallagher Williams

Lover of the sound of waves crashing on the beach, Scooby Doo, and rolling down hills. 

Mary Gallagher Williams discovered her untapped passion for writing several years ago, so she returned to school and graduated in 2011 with a journalism degree. An avid moviegoer, she enjoys photography, traveling, and cycling around White Rock Lake. She lives in the artsy Lakewood area of Dallas.

If Mary were to write an autobiography, it would be titled: It’s a Wonderful Life…Most of the Time. Read more

Our Eyes Are Fixed on: Lori Brennan

One of Our Newest Oral Fixation Storytellers. 

Lori Brennan is a graphic designer, singer and artist. She has been known to do just about any (legal) creative job as RedGirl Creative. In college friends often begged, “Lori, tell us a story.”   She has an awesome son and a cool black dog named after Danny Zuko in Grease.  Her purse at all times contains a pocket knife, camera and a Sharpie. (She can even be hired for any party for Sharpie-tattooed forearm name tags. But that’s another story…)

You might find Lori listening to music and hanging out at Lee Harvey’s or at the Dallas Museum of Art’s Late Nights at the DMA!

If she were to write her autobiography, it would be titled: I’ve Dated A Lot of Losers, But They’ve All Had Good Qualities. Read more