Friends

I was very recently reminded of an old poem that has always stuck with me. You know the one about friends that come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime? Anyway, I couldn't remember how it went so I looked it up. (Ahhh, the wonders of search engines!) I found it, and was reminded about it again this weekend with the 12th anniversary of moving to Georgia and a Facebook friend's post today. I feel like those three reminders, so close together, have to mean something. I don't know what, but...something! So, I am posting this, not only for those who are inspired by it, but for me. As a reminder to stay true to myself and my real friends. As a reminder to surround myself with people who make me happy and who inspire me. And now, I will always know where to find it!

Reason, Season, or Lifetime -

People come into your life for a reason, a season or a lifetime.
When you figure out which one it is,
you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON,
it is usually to meet a need you have expressed.
They have come to assist you through a difficulty;
to provide you with guidance and support;
to aid you physically, emotionally or spiritually.
They may seem like a godsend, and they are.
They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrongdoing on your part or at an inconvenient time,
this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end.
Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away.
Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand.
What we must realize is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled; their work is done.
The prayer you sent up has been answered and now it is time to move on.

Some people come into your life for a SEASON,
because your turn has come to share, grow or learn.
They bring you an experience of peace or make you laugh.
They may teach you something you have never done.
They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy.
Believe it. It is real. But only for a season.

LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons;
things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation.
Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person,
and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life.
It is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.
— Unknown

An email from a friend that I thought was worth sharing

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

'My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraq regime has been completed.Since Congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraq is complete.... This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq . This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning. Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom , Spain , Bulgaria , Australia , and Poland are some of the countries listed there.The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.THEN EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER It'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France ...In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? Try France or maybe China . I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France , and Russia . Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. I have instructed the Mayor of New York City to begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Bimmers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in the world. I love New York. A special note to our neighbors: Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not ticking us off for a change.Mexico is also on List 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment.I will have a couple thousand extra tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to put them? Yep, border security.Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty - starting now. We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska -which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'darn tootin.' Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger in America .It is time to eliminate homelessness in America . To the nations on List 1,A final thought. Thank you guys.We owe you and we won't forget. To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.God bless America ...Thank you and good night.'

If you can read this in English,Thank a soldier!

Back to Neutral

Life is busy. I don't think it matters who you are or what you do. I think we all live to the fullest extent of our means. In both time and money. I am so busy and I overschedule myself regularly. It seems I'm never in one place for very long and am so good at multi-tasking I may have lost some of my ability to focus on one thing at a time. (adult-onset ADD much?) I have to consciously decide to turn off my computer and put my phone, iPad, iPod, etc., etc., etc., away to sit down and enjoy a movie. Really Kristen? You have to take care of a bunch of "important" stuff to check out for an hour and a half? Right. Because the world might end of you don't answer your phone or an email for 90 minutes!
**Enter reality check** My reality checks happen when I've been going, going, going and don't slow down enough, or stop to smell the roses, or even sit down at the dinner table to eat! This time, not unusually, my reality check came as a cold. I need to reboot. Get back to neutral. In more ways than one. I rarely get sick. But, when I do, I make myself slow down (not that I have a choice) but I make myself slow my brain down and think and reflect. Although I appreciate and love my life I think I sometimes don't take full advantage of all it really is because I am too busy and moving too fast to notice everything. Unless I feel as though I'm on my death bed I actually don't mind being sick. It forces me to recharge. "After all, if you haven't got your health, you haven't got anything." (Luckily, I still manage to amuse myself! HA!)
So, I'm sitting here on my sofa, not feeling all that great, Rich is out of town and I'm feeling a bit...reflective?....sentimental?...open to the universe? Hard to put into words but when I feel this way I want a good, not too heavy, not too light, puts a perspective on life, guaranteed to make me cry movie. You know the feeling, right? So, I put in Tuesdays with Morrie. I read the book years ago and remember absolutely adoring it! If you haven't read or seen it...DO! I laughed, I cried, blah blah blah...whatever. My favorite part (today, because next time I watch it I will most definitely have a new favorite part) was when Mitch asks Morrie, "If you were given 24 hours of perfect health to do whatever you wanted, what would you do?" Morrie goes on to describe his "perfect day." It was simple, surrounded by those he loves the most with good food, walks in the park, conversations on how they felt about each other and dancing the night away. So simple. So completely perfect. A day like that would bring anyone back to neutral.

Celebrity - Noun vs. Verb?

For some reason I started thinking about how obsessed society is with celebrities. Well, celebrity in general, actually. Anyone will do anything to get 15 minutes of fame. I was watching The Doctors" today for about 5 minutes before I had to change the channel because it was about people who harm themselves while being filmed in order to post videos on YouTube. One guy wrapped his foot in plastic wrap, covered it in cooking spray and lit it on fire! I ask this often and have yet to figure out the answer, WHAT IS WRONG WITH PEOPLE?? But, back to celebrities. I was thinking that I have a list of celebrities that I tend to be fascinated with! It's weird, but I am so curious as to what they think and do n a regular basis. I know, I am feeding into the whole reality show, fame, Hollywood bullshit but I am really so interested in these peoples' daily lives! If they have a reality show already, you can bet I watch it and if they got one, I would be all in! Here they are, in no particular order: Kathy Griffin, RuPaul, Britney Spears (as a mom), Jennifer Aniston, Bret Michaels, Steven Tyler, The Jolie-Pitt Family (not individually mind you, the WHOLE family) and Kat VonD. Those are the ones I can think of off the top of my head. Then there are the celebrities (or people that get their names in the tabloids regularly) that I would love to never hear another word about again! The people that can just go away are: Lindsay Lohan, Kate Gosslin, Octo-Mom, any of the people from The Hills, Tori Spelling, Michelle Obama, Kanye West and Mariah Carey. The last two, especially! UGH!!! Don't get me wrong, I am just as obsessed as the rest of society but, like most people, I feel like I have a healthy grasp on what is "normal".....HAHA! Probably not but, oh well!

This about sums it up...

The mid-life crisis is a well-known phenomenon – you turn fifty, buy a motorcycle, and realize you’re closer to death than you are to birth. The quarter-life crisis has been documented more recently – you graduate college, move back in with your parents, and realize you have no marketable skills. (This is also known as being a whiny bitch.) What gets much less exposure is the third-life crisis – when you hit your thirties, start getting invitations to your friends’ baby showers, and realize your job is slowly destroying your soul. In a way, the third-life crisis is most devastating because it occurs when you’re still young enough to do whatever the hell you want, but just old enough that people look down on you for it. After all, a lot is expected of the thirtysomething generation, but many of us seem content to just get really drunk and disappoint everyone.
~Aaron Karo, Ruminations #178

Something Special

I don't even know what to write. I just felt like I hadn't posted a blog in forever so it was time to say something, anything. What if the blog site is like a stagnant credit card or email account? If you don't use it in a predetermined amount of time it just deletes your account? That recently happened with one of my old credit cards. I was cleaning up my credit accounts and when I called to cancel they informed me the "due to inactivity" my account had been canceled a long time ago. At first I was relieved because I thought "Great! That saves me the trouble!" But then I thought, "What if I was saving that credit line for an emergency or something special?" Then I was kind of offended because, had that been the case, I would have gone to make my "special" purchase and been blindsided by the fact that I had no credit line where I thought one existed. But in hindsight, the actual card in my hand was expired and I never got a new one so I could have probably assumed the expiration of that particular account. Plus, that credit card was for Tires Plus and I don't ever see myself surprising Rich for our anniversary with tires or a pine tree air freshener...

You play, you pay

I have been on a roll lately with my working out and calorie counting and trying to eat cleaner and healthier. Even lost 4 pounds and it looked like it was more than that! Then I went to Nashville.

I drank too much. I ate too much. I worked out...not at all. Lovely! I worked out with Adam on Monday for the first time in a week and a half and let me tell you what...I hurt!! Seriously, I can barely walk today and it is TWO DAYS LATER!! Here's the part you will think is funny, I am schedule to work out with him again in about 35 minutes. I must be crazy! This is going to hurt...

P.S. I have also been having a hard time staying within my allotted calorie intake. Yep, been overshooting that by at least 250 calories every day since I have been back. I have no will power!!!

Building a house = Stress!

I cannot wait to get into the new house! I am obsessing over little tiny details and the OCD/perfectionist/control freak in me is coming out in full force. Major breakdown last night! I yelled and I cried it out and now I'm good. I SEE THE LIGHT AT THE END OF THE TUNNEL!

Praying to St. Joseph

Since the house is not selling or even seeming to show much I have taken drastic measures. I have heard that burying a statue of St. Joseph in your yard, upside down, will help sell your house. So, I googled it and let me tell you, the market for "St. Joseph Home Sale Kits" is much bigger than I had anticipated! If it works for others why can't it work for me? Needless to say, St. Joseph is buried, head first, in my yard and I am saying the prayer that came in the kit every day. Supposedly, after saying the prayer for 9 days, your prayers will be heard and granted in short order. It even warns to "be sure you really want what you wish for." Here's to prayers and wishes being answered!!

Detoxing and Lasers

I'm currently doing this detox program with my chiropractor. As a little background my chiro's office is more of a "wellness center" than just a chiropractic practice. They do supplements, foot baths, kinesiology, shakra balancing, color therapy, emotional cleanses, etc. ANYHOO, the program I am doing is supposed to take fat cells that have been sitting in places forever and won't go away (belly, thighs, butt), and open them up so the body can dissolve and flush them from the system. When fat cells are formed it is usually during time of crisis. Needless to say, the "cell memory" of these contain any negative feelings you may have been harboring when you gained weight. The detox process is tough because I have been feeling anxiety, exhaustion, reclusiveness and have been VERY grumpy! Crazy right? Well I know these things are finally working their way out of my system and my chiro has a few tricks up his sleeve to make me feel oh-so-much better! I am about halfway though the process and am feeling good about it. Get that junk out! No more old, harbored, bad feelings lying dormant in my body! And by the way, as the fat goes away, so do inches from your body! Bonus!!

Parenting Skills

I was in the airport recently and there was a family of four behind me in the security line. The parents were about my age and the kids were twin girls that looked to be about 3. My first thought was, "Thank GOD they are not in front of me!" because, inevitably, I get stuck behind the family who is frustrated with kids who don't want to cooperate or the infrequent/elderly traveler who forgets to take his belt off and phone out of his pocket and has to walk through the security sensor several times. This is very frustrating for someone who travels a lot and has everything ready to go. I'm so glad airports are creating different lanes for different types of travelers, "Families", "Casual Travelers" and "Expert Travelers." It eliminates a lot of frustration for everyone! Anyway, I digress, I'm getting my things in order and I hear the mom talking to girls. This is what I hear, "Now we get to take our shoes off! Isn't this exciting that we get to take our shoes off inside the building? Isn't this fun?" And I noticed the girls play right along with smiles on their faces because it felt like a game. Then, while the parents loaded everything onto the belt including bags, coats, car seats, etc., the girls started to look around like they were going to wander off so the mom says, "Girls, You know how I love it when you give me hugs? Why don't you each give one of my legs a big hug!" And they did! Then to keep them there she says, "Wow! I feel so loved when you give me hugs like that! I love it!" So of course they kept hugging her. Their whole transition through security was seamless. I was so in awe of this woman's calm and creative attitude with her small children. Usually there is crying from the kids, frustration and yelling from the parents and the whole family looks miserable. I just so admired the way this family acted together. I hope I remember this woman's demeanor when I have kids and need patience. I love seeing things like that. Makes me happy!

Selling La Casa

The house was officially listed on December 31st and I already got a call yesterday from an agent who wants to show it! YIPPEEE!! Now I hope she doesn't call me back today and tell me they can't make it because of the snow and ice. That would be a bummer! I figure, if the house sells before the new one is built and we have to find alternate living arrangements for a couple months, it wouldn't be so bad. There are definitely worse problems we could have! Wish us luck today!

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!