Aaron Karo

I have been getting this email from a comedian named Aaron Karo for several years now. I find him hilarious because he takes everyday, mundane events and is able to make them funny in 1 or 2 sentences! He calls his observations "ruminations." He is also a great story teller, loves being single and has hilarious friends (from what I gather). I love it and I read his bi-monthly column regularly.
He recently came out with a website on which fans can submit their own "ruminations" and rate other fans' posts. He even uses his own coined term in the rating system, calling a "thumbs up" rating "gourmet." So, I randomly had a thought (or rumination, if you will) not too long ago and submitted it to the website. http://www.ruminations.com/site/ruminations/94035
I just wanted to point out that I thoroughly enjoy reading this guy's material and, although the website isn't nearly as funny as his column, I do occasionally stop by for a chuckle.
Laughter is a wonderful way to pass a few minutes, don't you think?

I'm about to be single again

So has come the time of year when my wonderful husband up and leaves the country for weeks on end. Starting tomorrow he will off to Japan, Austria and Australia all before the end of October!! Craziness, right? BUT, after he goes to his conference in Australia guess who gets to fly over there and meet him? Can you guess? IT'S ME! WOO HOO!! I leave November 7 and get to spend 7 full days in Sidney. I couldn't be anymore excited! So, until that time arrives I will practically be living by myself for the next month. The silver lining is that it will give me a chance to miss Rich. Then, when I see him in Australia I will be that much more excited! There's ALWAYS a silver lining, people!

I'm not as young as I once was

Why do hangovers hurt so much more as I get older. I drink higher quality beer, wine and spirits now so, in theory, that should help the hangover situation. Nope. It doesn't. I used to drink the cheapest shit I could find and NEVER got hangovers. Maybe I should go back to that. HAHA Yeah right! That stuff would kill me now! Still had fun though. Will probably do it again this weekend with my rugby buddies. Long live Excedrin and McDonald's!!! They will cure what ails you! :)

Stupid Elbow

As I sit here icing my elbow and forearm from an injury I got 5 months ago, I am considering my options. So far it seems like this:
1. Keep doing what I am doing which is mostly natural and making SLLLOOOOOOOOWWWWW progress in getting better. A few Advil here and there help but it is mostly two steps forward and one step back. Frustrating to say the least.
2. Stop exercising. This is a difficult pill to swallow as I have lost 13+ pounds in the past year and feel like I am on a roll I don't want to give up. I love my gym. I love my workouts.
3. Seek medical advice and most likely get a cortisone shot. I am leery about this since I feel it will only mask the pain and not deal with the problem itself.
Obviously, I will not stop the chiropractic, trigger point, laser and acupressure work but this slow and steady pace is steadily stressing me out!

Past and Present

We were up in New York this weekend for Rich's 20 year High School reunion. What a trip down memory lane! It was kinda cool to see him reminisce with all his old HS buddies. It gave me a glimpse into his life as a teenager. Before college, before real life, before me. I like that. It made me feel closer to him and understand more about where he came from outside of his parents' home. He was so excited to see some of his old friends. He was smiling the whole night and, once he got past the dreaded "Am I going to remember anyone?" fear, I think he wished the night could have gone on longer. I hope he keeps in touch with some of the people he thought were forever in his past. I think it's good to have those people around who keep you grounded in the present by reminding you of where you came from. Good times!

Conquering a fear

So I was in California last week for work but had some play time to do some new things. I decided that I would try surfing since I had never done it and had the opportunity with a group. Ever since I can remember I have had this recurring dream of being taken under by a huge wave and not being able to get to the surface in enough time. Usually this dream happens when I am very stressed out or there is a situation that is out of my control (go figure). Anyway, I was totally prepared to get out there, have one wave crash over my head and sit the rest of the day on the beach. But once I was out there with the instructors and the other people in my group I was completely comfortable in the water! I shocked my self and even though they were just baby waves, I felt a sense of accomplishment! Here's me hanging ten in the Pacific....

The only problem I ran into was the motion sickness. You have to paddle through a lot of waves and go over them while laying on your belly. This caused a bit of a **blech** feeling in my stomach. By the time I couldn't take that anymore we only had ten minutes left in our lesson anyway. So, I dragged the board out of the water and posed with it until it was time to go back to the hotel. I know, I'm a little narcissistic but oh well, it made for a cute "surfer dude" picture!

Here's to conquering our fears!!

One Crazy Summer

Wow! Has it really been almost a month since I have last updated this? Sheesh! Time flies when you are having fun...or when you are so unbelievably busy you can't see straight. I can't remember exactly how the saying goes. Anyway, just been another crazy summer. I can't believe August is right around the corner. We have reunions and gatherings and work and work and work...
But the project I am working on now is going to be great if it goes according to plan. I am taking a group of 50 people to Laguna Beach, California and spoiling them rotten! Which, by the way, means i get to take part in the spoils too. At least a little bit or it wouldn't be fair! We are staying at the Ritz-Carlton Laguna Niguel and I am stoked because I have never stayed at a Ritz! Drank at the bar of one. Went to a birthday party in a suite at one. But never stayed there. Exciting stuff, I tell you! AND I get to take surfing lessons which I am actually quite excited about. Never thought I would have any desire to do that but it sounds fun! So I thought I would give it a whirl.
Hmmmm, what else, waiting for conference call now so I have a couple minutes of free time. Oh! I know...we went to Charlotte this past weekend for a fraternity reunion with Rich's old frat buddies and their families. It was really fun and I think Rich is happy he reconnected with some people he had lost touch with over the years. It was cool to watch him interact with all his old friends. I like getting little snippets and insights into what his life was like in college and before he met me.
Gotta run...phone's ringing....

Being a Dancer

Every year when So You Think You Can Dance comes on I tune in to be entertained by the try-out episodes. It never fails to make me laugh! But the stand out performances are the one that touch me as a dancer. Not that I would have every been good enough to be on a show like this but taking dance for so many years instilled a love and an appreciation for all types of dance and creative movement. When you can get chills from watching someone use their body to create art or even be brought to tears, you are a dancer. Even if you have never set foot on a stage, donned a tutu or worn holes through the bottoms of your dance shoes and then wrapped them wit duct tape because the new ones just didn't feel the same, if you can feel a dance performance in your soul, you are a dancer.

So, as the show goes on and the dancing goes from great to phenomenal, I soak up every second of artistry. I cry more and more with each show as I learn each dancers styles and strengths and watch them perform and grow. I love being a dancer!

SYTYCD

I just LOVE So You Think You Can Dance! Really! That's all. I just simply wanted to proclaim my love for this show. It takes me on a roller coaster of emotion through movement and dance. I mean seriously, I love love love it! Last night was the first voting show and I voted probably 10 times! Results show is tonight. I hope my faves don't get voted off!!

Cuba

My dad sent me this link that has some very cool pictures of different cities in Cuba. So far, I have only looked at the ones from his home town, Sancti Spiritus. There are two albums for his town. All the pictures I have seen of this town have been from my family and in black and white. It was nice to see everything in color. What a great thing this photographer did to bring back memories and a piece of personal history to those who had to flee their homeland and will, most likely, never be able to go back.

http://www.panizophotogallery.com/cuba.htm

Faith

Faith is a powerful thing. It is also something I think is too often tied into religion and God. Of course, it has its place in Christianity, Buddhism and other religious parties but I believe faith is more encompassing that just religion. I believe you can have faith in the universe, in destiny and in people. Or maybe people's souls. Wherever one's faith lies, I hope every person has faith in something; believes in something enough that they feel it in their souls. Those who don't I call lost souls. I can't feel their pain but I can see it in their eyes and causes me pain of another kind. My heart goes out for all the lost souls that are close to me and even those I have only met briefly. I pray for these lost souls every day. I pray that they find something to believe in. I am a realist but I also believe in a greater power. God, the universe, karma...call it what you want but I think every soul needs something to believe in and what I pray for is that every lost soul can find that faith. It brings peace. It brings security. It brings confidence. It's faith that allows you to find comfort in life and with yourself.

We are no longer dirty

I bought a carpet steamer this weekend. Now i am obsessed with steaming everything in my house possible! Friday night I brought it home and did the carpets in the dining room and office. Then yesterday morning I did the carpet in the living room. It was SO DIRTY!! I felt disgusted and victorious at the same time! We had a lot to do yesterday but I also managed to do both sofas and all the cushions. My back is killing me but it was so worth it! I knew I would pick up a lot of dirt since we have animals but I had no idea how good it would feel! HA! Next weekend is Memorial weekend and if we don't go somewhere, I am tackling the stairs! Those should be really disgusting! :)

Jamaica Pix

Rich and I posing on the beach

Our friends got married under this canopy. It was so pretty!

This was our "prom pose" picture right after the sunset on the night of the welcome dinner. They had a steel drum band playing during this night.

All the girls and our pink parasols that came in very handy when it rained during the ceremony!

Heavenly Silence and Blue Mountain Coffee

We are in Negril this week to celebrate our friends' Jamie and Jaclene. They are getting married tomorrow and several of their friends and all of their family came to this amazing resort to witness their vows. The resort is made up of 5 or 6 villas that range in size from 1-5 bedrooms. They are immaculately kept and tucked away from neighboring resorts. Their wedding party has the entire resort rented out so we are practically on our own island! The rooms, the grounds, the staff and the food are incredible. We have a direct view of the ocean from our balcony! It's beautiful! Other than one issue with a bartender in the bride and groom's villa, which was quickly dealt with and resolved, it is pretty much perfect! We got in yesterday and I haven't taken any pictures yet but I will sure to post a couple here and on Facebook.
As for now, I am the first one up (I know to some people this is extremely hard to believe, but it's true) and relishing in the sounds of quiet. The birds are chirping outside and I can hear the fountains by the pool running. I am about to have my first cup of Blue Mountain coffee and read a book on the patio. This is such a happy, me-time quiet that I hope everyone else sleeps in for a couple more hours!

Salsa Disappointment

So, I went "salsa dancing" last night with my friend, Rebecca. Actually, it was a salsa lesson. Okay, fine. I am all for dance lessons. I knew that they taught salsa from 8-9 but I thought it would be, oh I don't know...on the dance floor...with the band playing latin music...or at least a cd playing latin music!! Nope! It was in a closed off back room with NO MUSIC!! Just the instructor counting out steps for an hour. 1-2-3...5-6-7... for an hour. How do you dance or even take a dance lesson with NO MUSIC?!?!? Weird, that's what it was. Just plain weird. Don't get me wrong, it was nice to spend an evening with a friend but this place is 45 minutes from my house! I could have met her half way to have dinner with her, only driven 20 minutes AND gotten a workout in. Sorry for the bitchfest but I was upset (obviously) that a place known for it's live music and dancing would even offer a class without music. Stupid Loca Luna!

The Jeep

I know, I suck! I have had my new Jeep for almost a month now and I still have yet to post pictures. I am going to attempt to post them on this blog. We will see how successful I am...

SUCCESS!! I figured it out. It was actually much easier than I anticipated! Hooray!

Well, I hope you love it as much as I do! I need to get running boards for it though because it is pretty high and if I ever have to wear a skirt or dress I don't want to pull a "Britney." For now I can just trade with Rich but maybe I can get the running boards for my birthday. I'll have to convince Rich of what an excellent idea I just had!

Haven't been feelin' it...

It's been a while since my last post. I just haven't been feeling the whole blog thing. Quite a bit has happened since my last visit to blog world!

I picked up my new Jeep and have been loving it!! Although it has rained almost every day since I have had it, it's still super fun to drive! My best friend (Karla) from Phoenix came to stay with me for a few days. Rich went to Brazil for a week. My stepmom got a bad infection from an abscessed tooth, was really sick for a few days and ultimately had to have it removed. But the thing that has affected me the most was my mom getting laid off from her job. I finally talked to her and she seems to be doing okay so that is a load off! But I wasn't expecting that at all! She didn't want to talk for the first few days and I just stayed worried that whole time. It just sucks that someone who has been through so much and has financially and emotionally come so far, should lose her job. Not fair! But she is a survivor and will triumph again! I believe that in my heart of hearts!

I think so much going on in such a short time just put me into a funk that I have finally been able to come out of. I try to pretend like I can handle it but I really don't deal all that well with changes, surprises and things that interrupt my daily routine. I can adapt to just about anything but it takes some time and when too many things are going on at once my head starts to spin. But he spinning has stopped, life is back to all it's splendor and beauty and everyone I love is healthy! That is a wonderful thing!

Great Day!

AAAHHHH! I am so excited I can hardly stand it! I have wanted a Jeep Wrangler forever! Well, since Daisy Duke had Dixie in the Dukes of Hazzard! It is a four door hard top Wrangler and I pick it up Monday! I can't wait to see it in person and drive it! I have a Dodge Nitro in the mean time. It's okay, but I want my car! YAY!! I'll definitely post pictures when I get it!

Painting the office...at least I'm not doing it

Our office is being painted this weekend which means we have to take everything off the walls and off our desks and shelves. This task is making me realize how much crap I have at work! I guess I do spend a lot of my time here but still, could I pack anything else into my cabinets and drawers?? I highly doubt it! On the bright side, the uneven, streaky touch up paint job that was done a year or two ago will now be evened out. YAY!

Woodstock

We were thinking of trying to sell our house and move closer to Atlanta and most of our friends. But, sadly, it is not to be in 2009. We wouldn't even be able to get for our house what we owe so we will try again in 2010. Keep your fingers crossed that next year will be better for us as far as the real estate market is concerned! We still have to do a couple things to the house to get it ready to sell anyway. I would like to spread those out over the course of this next year so I won't feel so overwhelmed when it is time to put the house up for sale.

Happy St. Patrick's Day to everyone! It's just another Tuesday here so I will be working, going to the gym, and then home to have dinner and watch American Idol. I can't help it! I still love that show! And I still vote too! I know, it's a sickness. :) This year I like Michael, Kris, Alexis, Danny, Megan and Scott. It's early so I have yet to narrow it down. I am sure I will be discussing my picks as the weeks wear on! Ahh, reality television...I was against it at first but it slowly won me over and now I can't get enough! Love it!

Blog Virgin

Well, here goes nothing. I have had a few people tell me they wish they could keep up with what I am doing and have suggested a blog. I am not promising I will be a devoted "blogger" but I will see how things go. I may discover this is exactly my thing! I figure this is the perfect outlet for me when I am sitting at home with my husband and he is watching a "big game" of some sort. I don't want to be in another room but if I don't do something else while sitting here with sports on my television I will be bored out of my mind! Since the NCAA playoffs have started, this is as good a time as any to try this blogging thing out.

That being said, nothing to report today really. Just got back from a friend's bachelor/bachelorette celebration (we left before the debauchery began!) I had a few beers and am feeling no pain right now! HAHA Going to a bar in the Highlands also confirmed to me how far away we live from anything fun!! Woodstock is definitely BFE!

I have honey cinnamon pretzels from Mellow Mushroom waiting for me! They are calling my name! Ta!