Weekend Recap

hello everyone. I really don't have much of a weekend recap, since all I did this weekend was work, go to the gym, and watch Sex & the City reruns, but here's the weekly dish anyway.

First of all, thanks to all for the great songs on the last post. I've been mad downloading to check them all out! :) If you have more, you can def. keep posting.

Second, I think I am finally starting to come out of my work funk (reference last week's picks & pans comments) thanks to some FANTASTIC news!!!! Starting in two weeks, I will officially be a Monday-Friday supe. wooohooo! Yes, I got my dream 8-4:30 shift!!! I am so psyched. I even get to take my two best people with me, since they also got the schedule and they told our manager they didn't want to work for anyone else but me. god knows why, but hey it worked out just fine so why question. But, although it's common knowledge in management now, none of the counselors on the affected teams know yet (and there are a lot), so if you read this and also work with me (ahem WFM girl :Þ), please keep it quiet for now. telling my team is the part that's gonna suck. but I may have actually already worked my last Saturday! I can't even believe it! some stuff I'll miss though-- my team of course, only having to dress up 2 or 3 times a week, and 3 days off with time to do stuff! oh, and being home to watch Oprah! lol. plus, the last time I had a weekday schedule I was working so hard I was about to have a mariah carey... but since this team won't involve the stress of being in charge of a multi-million dollar development project, a headstrong young staff, and strict sign off dates, this should be better :)

Also, I am thinking about going home to Philly for the Super Bowl. After catching up with my good friend Nick the other night and hearing about how after the NFC championship he joined the craziness in the city streets, I just don't know how I could not go. So, I think I'm going to take him up on his offer of watching the game in the city with him and his wife and friends, who are all like my big brothers. or even if I don't do that, just being anywhere near the city for it should be absolutely fantastic. I just wish it weren't such a hassle to get home. damn 6 hour trip, Delaware cops, noisy cat, and my car needing premium gas... oh well. we'll see.

Lastly, in other music notes, I have recently realized that I am not anywhere near the music fan I thought I was. It all started with not being able to fill my 20 gig iPod, but now there are all sorts of songs that I am finding out about that I had never heard before-- and these are essentials! So, I am starting to put together a collection of all of the essential songs that everyone should know and love so I can burn them and put them on my iPod. Here's a sample of what I am including so far: Bob Dylan- The Times They Are A Changin', Cat Stevens- Wild World, CCR- Fortunate Son, Don McLean- American Pie, Lynyrd Skynyrd- Free Bird, Kansas- Dust in the Wind, Simon & Garfunkel- Sound of Silence, Grateful Dead- Uncle John's Band, Led Zeppelin- Stairway to Heaven, The Who- Behind Blue Eyes... anyway, feel free to agree or disagree or of course to add your own. I'm gonna go on a new downloading spree on my days off this week :)

k off to relax. happy end of the weekend everyone! :)

Life, Love, & The Blues

last night I had a fabulous little revelation that I thought I would share with all of you because I am in the mood. there's just something about this time of year... :)

so you all know I adore Real Simple magazine. It is absolutely fabulous and if you are female and don't read it, you should! :) Well anyway, every month they pose a question to their readers on whatever topic and ask the readers to send responses. And the best response, which is usually a good idea or tip, gets a prize. This is always one of my favorite sections, because there are always unique answers that never would have crossed my own mind. Well, this month's question was: What song makes your heart melt (and why)? Yes, uncharacteristically cheesy for the magazine (thank god for realists like me), but fitting with Valentine's Day coming up and all. So, when I read a lot of answers, I had my usual 'oh gag me' response that I do any time I'm single and it's Valentine's Day, but there was one answer that I LOVED:

Jennifer Abell from Atlanta, Georgia said that her song is "At Last" by Etta James. ok, cliché enough, but still a fantastic song. But I absolutely loved what she wrote: "When I first heard [the song], I thought if I could find someone who made me feel that way, I'd spend the rest of my life with him."

Well, she met a man who made her feel that way, or as she puts it later, "I had found my dream." She also walked down the aisle to it at her wedding. Now, I know all this dreaminess is very out of character for me, but I can be a romantic, and that side definitely came out when I read this. Because just think about it-- all of you single girls out there know how hard it is to find a good guy that you really work with. Believe me, after some of the guys I've met and dated recently, I can certainly attest to that. But it gets hard after awhile, and you wonder if you're expecting too much or hoping for something so perfect it doesn't really exist.

I've been single now 9 months-ish, and I'm already wondering if what I want really is even in existence anywhere, much less in Virginia Beach! But at the same time, should I settle on some of the less important things? or should I keep looking, even if it's for something potentially not findable? yeah, all this when I know I'm still young and really have no desire right now to be settled down anyway... who knows. But in the past 24 hours alone, I got a wedding invite, a baby shower invite, and news that one of my good friends is expecting. and these people are all my age. makes you think!

But, despite all the unknowns that love inherently is, there is Etta James. And thinking about this song makes me realize that love is not worth settling for. I want to live "At Last". I want to feel "At Last". I think I deserve it. Doesn't everyone? And so, I say thank you to Jennifer Abell, whoever you are, for putting life back into perspective. I just have a feeling that when it's right, this song will already be in my head. no need to worry about it. Because, after all, if you let everything on earth that's stressful get to you, you'll never be right. believe me I know. so here's to patience, here's to silence, and here's to sitting back and letting things be rather than trying to make them happen. And most importantly of all, here's to the love and the passion of blues, because there will be no greater accompaniment when it all comes together in the end.


by the way, if you have a better response to the question of the month, post it! :)

Tuesday Picks & Pans

yup, here we go again...

PICKS

The EAGLES-- ok sorry just have to give one more shout out here. then I'm done for a little while, especially because I really do feel bad about the Steelers after being near Pittsburgh for two years and still having friends there. here's to another great football town! anyway, I am SOOO excited to actually be watching a Superbowl this year that I care about! I am all ready-- I still have my McNabb jersey, and now I have Eagles wallpaper on my computer and their fight song on my phone. lol. hey if I can't be in Philly to be a part of Eaglemania then I'm creating my own in Virginia Beach. :( But anyway, one team, one city, one dream, baby! Let's go boys! and if you have a sec, check out the intro on their website-- it is so cute! :)

blogshares.com-- I randomly came across this site when I saw a bunch of people being referred from it. Well, I didn't get it at first-- actually it kind of freaked me out, but then I realized it's all one big game. It's a blog stockmarket! People buy shares of your blog stock and it gives all these stats and stuff. it totally cracks me up. check your blog's value if you have one-- you'll be surprised!

my mother-- every now and then she says stuff that has me in stitches, and she doesn't even mean to be funny! last night I was telling her how I hate being back in class and how the people sometimes get on my nerves. No offense meant to anyone in the class, I just hate the few people that feel the need to talk out loud about EVERYTHING until it clicks to them instead of just doing their work on their own papers like everyone else. well, when telling my mother this, she said, "well, Lisa, you're in the South! people there are slower. They're not like us." I almost died laughing!!!! When I asked her to clarify, she backpeddled a little and tried to say it's just a slower-paced way of life, but it was too late. and if you know my mother you know she would never hurt a fly, much less say anything mean to one, so these little slips are always hilarious. ***disclaimer: I in no way am trying to say the intellect of the South in general really is any different from that of the North, so please don't take offense...

John Grogan-- I'm sure you don't know who he is, but he is one of my favorite Philadelphia Inquirer columnists. And this morning's column definitely made me smile. he was talking about how now that Philly fans finally are winners, we need to start acting like it. yes, I know it's odd that we actually seem to take pride in the fact that we aren't afraid to boo everyone and that we throw batteries at those who have scorned us and we were even mean to Santa Claus, but we really do regret the Michael Irvin incident... you'd have to be Philadelphian to understand. but anyway, I liked this from his column especially:

"Let us show the world the new and improved Eagles fans - a little more sober, a little more gracious, a touch less rude. And let us start by how we treat the enemy. I'm not looking for miracles here. Let me give an example.
Old, boorish Eagles fan: 'Yo, Boston! Go bleep yourself!'
New, kinder and gentler Eagles fan: 'Yo, Boston! Have a nice bleepin' day!'
Now that wasn't so hard, was it?" :)

the return of American Idol-- yes, I know it's cheesy reality TV, but the audition rounds are soooo funny!!!! what great TV. did everyone else see the girl with all the different voices?! cracked me up!!!

SoapNet-- Is it sad that I'm starting to get addicted to Dynasty and Dallas even though they haven't been on for like 20 years? yeah I guess I really don't want an answer to that. but thank god at least for some real free days off. but, like every week, back to work again tomorrow...

PANS

random odd phone calls-- I seem to be a target for these, from the old Boston one requesting a drug deal to the latest blocked number talking about insurance. weird.

Accounting-- yes, I HATE being back in class. I'm trying to remember that this is good for me and that it'll be worth it when I want to finally go for my MBA and have to have this as a prereq. And even though I loved my history degree, I'm starting to wish I'd have figured out I wanted to be in the business world sooner so I wouldn't have to be catching up now. I am just so unmotivated right now. oh well.

taekwondo night classes-- now that I have my black belt, I kind of have to go to night classes to get what I need to learn, but I really really hate them. It sucks too, because I actually liked going when I went to all day classes, and now I'll probably give it up before my second degree just because I remember now why I dislike this school so much. I almost feel like I'm quitting, and I never quit. But I never had any lifelong commitment to it anyway-- it was just something to fill the activity void in my life of sports after college softball was over. not sure what to do here.

politics at work-- yes, I think the whole Spongebob Squarepants thing is as ridiculous as the next person, but I HATE when people feel the need to talk politics at work! they just don't belong there. there's no need to offend people, and you never know who you may be offending. to me it's just kind of inconsiderate. there's one peron in particular that just always feels the need to try and convert everyone in the office to her way of thinking and it's so annoying. at the bar, fine, at the mall, okay, but don't bother me at work!!!

the Virginian-Pilot-- the local paper has not said one positive thing about the Eagles all season, even the day after they won the conference! everything they wrote the next day was about how they'll lose to the Patriots! grrrrrrrrr. give them some credit! they didn't pick them to win in either of their playoff games either. I really hate this paper, and not just over the Eagles stuff. I wish there was another big one around to read.

on one last note, there have been all sorts of random people surfing in lately, so if that happens to be you, say hi and tell us where you came from, okay? anyway, I have to go do some accounting work so I'm off for now. booooo. later all.

Weekend Recap

First of all, there is no way I can have a post about this weekend without talking about football. Yup, after heartache, injury, disappointment, and three looooong years, they finally did it!

WOOOOOHOOOO THE EAGLES ARE GOING TO THE SUPERBOWL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

now, very few of you out there probably really realize what that means to a Philadelphian. Love them or hate them, Philadelphia fans are some of the most loyal and intense in the country. Our fans live and die with our teams just as much as the identity of the city itself does. I like how ESPN described the mood in the city this morning: guarded optimism. It's always hard not to think of the past three years, but it is FINALLY here and we're NFC CHAMPS!!!! next stop: SUPER BOWL!!!!!! I just wish I had been there for all the craziness. One of the women on my team who has spent time in the city commented to me the other day that if I ever want my kids to understand how I feel and have the same sports upbringing that I did, I'm going to have to raise them near Philly. So, even though there are no kids anywhere in my immediate future, maybe that's just a sign that I eventually will end up back home. who knows...

Sorry, there are no stories today from the great church search. We didn't feel like going, so we did a low key breakfast and then went to the gym instead. Maybe it was last week's horror that brought this on... Anyway, more stories in two weeks. :)

The rest of the weekend was pretty uneventful. In preparation for the upcoming "Blizzard of 2005" (Virginia's apparent description for possibly getting 4 inches of snow), I stayed at Steph's and we did a classic cheese whiz and fries night, only with a couple of bottles of wine this time, which turned out to be quite a mistake :Þ All this after Friday's emergency meeting called by our managers to make sure everyone could get to work in the snow or at least knew where we had already booked hotel rooms just in case (damn 24 hour company). The outcome of all this? really cold windy weather and some rain and flurries... and a bunch of grocery stores bought out of milk and bread. amazing.

okay off to watch the Stillers game. I am actually rooting for them, even though I am usually anti-Picksburgh and Tom Brady is hot (right Al)? :) But, I am sick of the Patriots, and it would be awfully damn fun to have a Keystone State Superbowl, even though I'll still be in Virginia Beach, and, well, they'll be in Jacksonville... but hey still fun.

so, to everyone out there-- stay warm, relax, and enjoy the rest of your weekend. I know I will. later all!

Personality Test

Yes, this is shamelessly stolen from Kate. :) Visit her blog to read hers, and take it for yourself and post your results, k?

Global Personality Test Results

Stability (51%) medium which suggests you are moderately relaxed, calm, secure, and optimistic. Orderliness (62%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly organized, reliable, neat, and hard working at the expense of flexibility, efficiency, spontaneity, and fun. Extraversion (64%) moderately high which suggests you are, at times, overly talkative, outgoing, sociable and interacting at the expense of developing your own individual interests and internally based identity.

Take Free Global Personality Test
personality tests by similarminds.com

trait snapshot:
clean, self revealing, open, organized, outgoing, social, enjoys leadership and managing others, dominant, makes friends easily, does not like to be alone, assertive, hard working, finisher, optimistic, positive, likes to stand out, likes large parties, respects authority, practical, high self esteem, perfectionist, dislikes chaos, busy, not familiar with the dark side of life, controlling, high self control, traditional, tough, likes to fit in, conforming, brutally honest, takes precautions

So, do you think this is me? I think it's pretty accurate-- maybe a little off in a few places... For instance, while my life is very organized and structured, my apartment most of the time isn't! although there is always my Container Store addiction to speak of... Sometimes these days too it seems like there's a work me and an outside of work me. Like outside of work I think I'm a lot less dominant and I would certainly hope I'm not controlling... And this take on my extraversion definitely seems inflated-- although I love being around people, I think I'm more of a fun nights with a group of good friends kind of person than I am a huge party girl. oh well.

anyway, let me know what you think, and make sure you take it for yourself and share! :)

Countdowns, Desperateness, & Other Randomness

hi all! a few random notes today... sorry not anything too interesting to write about.

--in preparation for the upcoming profit sharing check (5 weeks! woohoo!), I just ordered a little gift certificate from the points I've earned at MyPoints. And if you don't know what that is, don't worry about it, although it is a pretty cool little service. But anyway-- of COURSE I ordered it to MACY'S!!!! wooohooooo profit sharing is almost here!!!! :) now, I already have it spent about 10 ways but oh well... anyway, that's the first of two things I'm counting down to.

--and the second is SAN ANTONIO!!! and did I tell you all that we're flying out on St. Patrick's Day???? again, WOOOOOHOOOO!!! and since my boss told Steph that he would be mad if we didn't drink on the plane, I'd say this is gonna be a kick ass trip. yes, he was probably kidding, but whatever! :) I also got some tips today on where to go in the city... if anyone else has been there and has ideas, let me know! We'll be working all day, but this isn't a huge show, so hopefully we'll have plenty of time to clown around too. 7 weeks to go!!!

--well, there is ANOTHER new Desperate Housewives on Sunday, which will be three weeks in a row! This show is wonderfully mindless Sunday night guilty fun. It'll be fun to see what is uncovered on this one-- What do you think will happen this week? Who do you think was in the box? Who still has the biggest secret? And most importantly, how long do you think the producers can keep up the mystery? :) If you watch, post an opinion!

--are all of you getting snow and ice? well, we don't get everything as bad down here than as at home (which was a big factor in my moving south), but man the roads get icy. And watching Virginia people try to cope with even a dusting of snow is crazy, so I'm just trying to stay alive driving down here! And now my pretty car is going to get all dirty again! boooooo. anyway, if you all have snow and ice and all that, be careful and safe, okay?

--nope, I'm not even touching on the inauguration :Þ

-- on Saturday I am getting the rest of my new people out of training, which is going to officially double my team since I lost one to a promotion recently. And guess what! I'm not going to be the youngest anymore!!!! I am going to have a guy working for me that's actually younger than me! I am excited!!!! :) So far all the newbies seem cool, so this should be fun.

--so, for those of you asking, yes, phone tag boy and I are, well, still playing phone tag. this has been going on for almost two months now. and the weird part to me is that he's still calling! we've only really talked twice; it's not like he knows me all that well! should it freak me out that he is already that interested that he is trying this hard?! it kind of does...

--and last but not least, I'll leave you with my favorite recent quote, which seems to describe my frustration with a lot of things lately: "Stoop and you'll be stepped on; stand tall and you'll be shot at." -- Carlos A. Urbizo

okay off to watch The Apprentice and plan my corporate takeover. hahaha. later all.

Tuesday Picks & Pans

yes, kids, it's that time again. And I have my soapbox out and I'm ready to go, so here's the weekly list. sorry so long. I know I have been verbose lately...

PICKS

my new hair-- it is fabulous if I do say so myself! :) thanks to my team for the gift certificate and to Louanne and Chez Madeline for being all they were touted to be. This was also the first time I've had a conditioning mask (their explanation for why there was a plastic bag on my head) and the first time I had my hair cut without ever seeing a pair of scissors. And yet like half my head is gone and my hair is sleek and smooth. amazing.

Smithsonian Magazine-- I just got the first issue of my own this week, but I have always loved reading my Dad's copies. almost as good as the museums themselves. I need to take a DC trip...

Rosemary & Olive Oil Triscuits-- my new snacking addiction-- they taste like the bread you get at good Italian retaurants. yummmm

my fave new bumper sticker-- "I considered being atheist, but there weren't enough holidays." hehehehehehe

Michelle Kwan-- I watched the figure skating national championships and remembered how much I love athletes that are talented and classy but still humble and respectable. It's so nice to have people like her to root for rather than your cocky asshole athlete types (Randy Moss, anyone?)

innovation-- no real reason behind this except that I love the creativity of my team at work and this concept relates to some very good business advice my Dad gave me that has stuck with me. And no matter what I'm involved in, I always want to be the one that's ahead of the game and never the follower. I'd rather be onto something new while everyone else is still catching up...

wearing an Eagles jersey-- in Philly it's practically a weekend uniform, but down here it's something else entirely. EVERYONE has an opinion when you wear an Eagles jersey, and to me that is so much fun! I think I'll try this again next weekend to prepare for kicking the Falcons' tails!!!

cats-- my cat is so dumb that he chases the reflections of anything shiny on the walls. And he doesn't just watch them, he launches himself at the walls at them. and I cannot help but die laughing every time at his acrobatics and his wide-eyed expression. pets are fun.

PANS

Cox Cable-- yes, they make the list AGAIN. In fact, I am so annoyed that I will probably be switching to DirectTV and Verizon DSL in the next month just out of principle, even though this issue was with the phone. Cox is just unbelievable. My next move will be to somewhere with a different cable company, mark my words...

work drama-- again, no huge reason, but I'm just so over it. it's not worth it. I just wish I could make other people understand that. one of my people just got promoted and she's already about to flip over what people are saying. sometimes I really feel like I'm in junior high again.

Virginia Beach drivers-- I have been all over, and really Virginia Beach drivers have to be the worst ever. I mean really. In Philly and Jersey you know that everyone drives aggressively, so as long as you watch out and keep up, you're fine. And in Fredericksburg you're fine once you've figured out the largest demographic (male, hat with NASCAR driver's number, pickup truck with confederate stickers on the back). But in Virginia Beach you just never know what you're going to get. the worst offenders: the people that make rights on red onto high speed roads right in front of you. grrrrrrrrrrr.

stupid money stuff-- well, I got my hair done this morning like I said, and I just had to pay for the products and the tip. But my debit card gets declined. and this is in front of two of the people that work for me. Well, I wrote a check and went on my way, but I was freaked! So, I go right to the bank, where three people from the branch office and home office tell me there's absolutely nothing wrong, I have plenty of money, and the transaction never even hit the bank to be approved or declined, so it's the hair place's problem and not mine. All right I guess, but still a terrible experience I hope not to repeat anytime soon. How embarassing.

baseball & steroids-- come on Major League Baseball, step up to the plate!!! the players union needs to start really looking at what's going on, because as a loyal fan, I am one of the many who are pissed off. There should be real penalties for steroid use; it's unfair and more importantly, it's unsafe! Enough of the small penalties and scheduled testing. This is getting silly.

the courts & evolution-- okay I can understand that schools wouldn't want to teach Creationism as it is very much a religious doctrine and I don't believe in imposing one's religion on others. But, the last time I checked, evolution was still a theory. And I don't believe any theory should be taught as fact, whether or not it has anything to do with religion. So, with that said, this article really pissed me off.

importing music to my iPod-- still taking forever, and now I've imported my whole recent CD collection and I still have lots of space! Wow, 20 gigs can really make you feel like you aren't anywhere near the music fan you thought you were... Anyone have a CD collection I can borrow from??? :)

the weather changes-- 75 last week and 20 today! WTF!!!! this needs to stop! I'm really freaking cold!

On a last note that does not fit into either a pick or a pan, I have recently been linked by a couple of other blogs. Weird to me, but hey if I'm amusing someone out there or giving someone else something to write about, then hey that's cool. So anyway, read some of the recent comments and give some love back if you want to check them out.

ok I'm off to relax before class tonight. later all.

Weekend Recap

Happy Sunday everyone! From the little I've talked to you all so far, it sounds like everyone had a pretty cool weekend. Well, mine was fun too, although anything that involves work can't be perfect I guess. I'm just glad I finally secured the permanent early shift! But anyway, on to the weekend and my other normal randomness...

This morning Steph and I continued our church search by checking out one that was recommended to us, even though I had initially been a little scared of its "campuses" and general size and all. Well, it was terrible. We both hated it. And just so you all don't make the same mistake, I have composed a list of potential signs that a church probably isn't the place you want to be:
1- there is a full orchestra with tympani. what church has tympani?!
2- there are pot jokes during service!!! yes, pot jokes! the senior pastor, when talking about a proposed trip to Bogota, said he was excited to go for the "wacky tobacky". I'm not kidding. the guy that followed him opened with "I guess the trick is not to inhale." yeah no one laughed.
3- there is an electric guitar solo during one of the worship songs.
4- no hot interim preacher! okay just kidding on that one :)
5- the guest preacher says that God has made him a hero and insinuates multiple times that everyone should want to be just like him.
6- the service is being "simulcast" in the "Life Center". Anything with any of these words has to mean trouble.

umm yeah. not going back. especially since the ONLY thing I liked was the fact that there had to have been about 100 people singing in the choir! way too much of a production for a church service, but still impressive.
anyway, this whole experience reminds me of why I spent 4 years not wanting to be anywhere near a church. It also reminds me of something I heard once that sometimes rings true: I believe in God; I just don't trust anybody who works for him.

In other notes, I just love the new Virginia Beach Town Center! Although having to wait an hour and a half seems a little silly just to be seated at a restaurant (especially after 8!), the great Cheesecake Factory food and wine made it fun anyway. I can't wait til everything's open. It's gonna be such a cool upscale area.

And of COURSE you didn't expect me to blog about my weekend without talking about the EAGLES, did you? Yes, they won today. So screw the talk about being nowhere without T.O. and everything about Andy Reid's bad decision to rest that starters for two weeks. They kicked ass. Bring on the Falcons next week! We're finally going to the Super Bowl-- I can feel it!!! And if anybody even remotely mentions the last two years and the NFC championship games to me, I cannot be held responsible for my actions. Hey, it's a Philly thing. We take our sports seriously.

Also, congrats to the Stillers for squeaking by. That was PURE luck, thanks to the sorry state of the Jets kicker. And since his gaffes justify a recent argument I was in about college sports and beyond being at least 80% mental, watching the game made me happy. Now, although the Steelers are one of my least favorite teams in the league (no offense to their legions of fans that include many of you reading this-- I respect the whole home team thing), I just couldn't root against them... although you do have to wonder if Roethlisberger has the mental toughness as a rookie to deal with playoffs pressue. This game would seem to say he doesn't, but we'll see. Anyone out there (that cares) have any football predictions?

And on one last note, I am finally getting my hair cut and re-highlighted (or something) on Tuesday. But I still don't know what I want to do with it! I just know that I'm sick of it how it is now and that I don't want light highlights for winter. So send ideas!!!! Please!!! :)

Well, it's also back to taekwondo for me tomorrow for the first time in a month. Should be interesting. Otherwise, this could shape up to be a decent week. Hope you all have a good one! g'night all.

Wine, Yoga, and Why I'm Crazy

It's Friday night and I was not in the mood for an effort kind of night that involved loud music, dressing up, and Bar Norfolk in general, so I am here blogging. And I have to work at 6am tomorrow, so this is going to be a light night. A light night, though, can still be a good night! I plan to celebrate the almost end of the work week with one of my fave wines, some Sex & the City and Gilmore Girls fun, and maybe even a good old fashioned bubble bath. Not bad for low key, huh?

Anyway, I have made an important realization that I feel like I need to share with all of you in case you are faced with the same potentially soreness-causing trap that I encountered. It all started last night... I went to work, I did my random Wal-Mart shopping that had built up, and I was planning on doing my normal cardio at the gym and then vegging. All normal until Steph approached me-- would I like I like to go to yoga, she asked. Well... I had never taken yoga, and sorry Steph, but I NEVER WILL AGAIN! My body is certainly not made for yoga. First of all, I unfortunately have body fat. That apparently already disqualifies me, because when I lay back, my feet don't automatically fly backwards over my head. And really, why would I want them to anyway?! OUCH! How can anyone LIKE all that twisting? It's not natural! At one point after the instruction of a new position I even found myself exclaiming (luckily not very audibly), "you've got to be fucking kidding me!" yeah that pretty much sums it up. I also have no balance whatsoever. And although I am reasonably flexible, even I don't like doing that much stretching. After the class I suddenly felt the urge for a pretzel...

Now for the much deeper part of my yoga night (this is where the soul searching comes in) :Þ Besides the physical issues, I also learned that I do not have a yoga mind. First of all, I have absolutely no attention span for peace and quiet. It is virtually impossible for me to sit still that long without moving, especially if it involves darkness and trying to keep my eyes closed! I think the most important realization that I made about myself and yoga though was the last one I had, which after thinking about it I determined spans across much more in my life than just yoga: I have no idea how to relax. I really don't. And, I don't think I ever have or maybe ever will. Sure, I can sit around for a night and watch TV on my butt or something like that, but I can guarantee you that even then my mind is wandering all over the place-- I think about work and I think about people and I think about everything that needs to be done around my apartment and I think about bills... there's always something.

I think I might be way too high strung for my own good. Sure, I get teased because I walk faster than everyone else and I talk fast and move fast and do everything else I possibly can fast... but really I think that's because I just don't know how to slow down! I don't know how to live without stress and really honestly empty my mind and just be still. And I don't know how I got that way either except that my whole life has been jam packed with way more than should actually fit in it. But honestly, making this realization almost brought tears to my eyes in class, which is especially odd since I can't even remember the last time I really cried. and now I'm not quite sure what to do about it, if anything really does need to be done about it at all... like I wonder if I'd even be able to function if I even tried to take it slow... who knows.

But anyway, in reference to this, I also did some quote searching last night, and I found these and liked them so I thought I'd share. I don't know if they really make me feel better or kind of justifed or whatever, but I like them nonetheless. :)

"Reality is the leading cause of stress amongst those in touch with it." --Jane Wagner

"Man is so made that he can only find relaxation from one kind of labor by taking up another." --Anatole France

"I've always got such high expectations for myself. I'm aware of them, but I can't relax them." --Mary Decker Stanley

"Try to relax and enjoy the crisis." --Ashleigh Brilliant

If you recognize the last author, it's probably because I often put up one of my favorite quotes: "My life has a superb cast, but I can't figure out the plot." Well, I looked up Ashleigh Brilliant and found out he is not the she that I originally thought, as well as that his website and the articles about him and his work are oddly interesting. Check it out here.

Okay anyway, now that that's all out of my system, I plan to enjoy the rest of my night, so I'm off to heat up some mac & cheese and to lay out my McNabb jersey to wear to work tomorrow :Þ Hope everyone has a great night and a great weekend!!!

if you noticed...

yeah yeah yeah-- new title. I'm in a mood and this quote from Jane Wagner fit it perfectly. more later.

Updates...

well, a lot has changed already since yesterday, and Steph keeps asking me for the solution to the puzzle, so here it all is :)

First of all, I am happy to announce that for the first time in 7 years, I will not be moving this year! Can you believe it?! My parents are going to be so happy when I call them and tell them they don't have to come down in March for the annual affair! This is all thanks to my misunderstanding the original offer and to my friendly negotiating with the apartment manager, who is allowing me to sign a lease for only $16 more than what I'm paying this year. woohoo!

Next, I should have done some serious knocking on wood yesterday, because last night my upstairs neighbors came home. booooooooooooo. pans are already clanking all over the place. Someday I will build up the courage to ask them what they're actually doing up there...

I should also note that my baked mac & cheese turned out just as wonderfully as expected. And vodka sauce STILL kicks ass :Þ

And last but not least, here is the puzzle and the solution:

Question:
What row of numbers comes next?
1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221

Answer:
The next row is
1113213211
Starting with the second line, every line describes the line before it. In writing, it is:
One One
Two Ones
One Two One One
etc.

GROAN! I was so mad when I read this. Guess I'm not the stellar puzzle solver I thought I was. But thanks to riddlenut.com for the amusement :)

k back to the daily grind. Thank god we get paid tomorrow! hehehe. k later all.

Tuesday Picks & Pans

ok here are your weekly picks & pans. and they're relatively short this week because one of the pans has me so mad right now that I'm not really in a typing mood!

PICKS

my new Yankee Candle-- the Peppermint Cocoa scent that was on after-Christmas clearance at Norman's (Hallmark) is by far the best thing to grace my apartment in a long while. It smells soooo good!

redenvelope.com and uncommongoods.com-- my two favorite new gift sites. I haven't bought anything yet, but they both have really cool, unique, and classy stuff. If you get any of the stuff on this site as a present in the future, don't be surprised :)

Car Spa-- thanks to Car Spa, my car is no longer a big moving hunk of dirty metal. Their little wash, vacuum, and wax package is absolutely wonderful. All I sacrifice is a little bit of cash and a half hour of my time. But, I am a little disappointed that they did not clean my cupholders out or wipe down my nav screen this time. Oh well.

Katharine Hepburn-- not only is she one of my favorite actresses of all time, but I just found out we share both the same birthdate (May 12) and birthplace (Hartford, CT). I thought that was pretty cool :)

homemade baked mac & cheese-- what a fantastic food. I think I am going to make a new batch tonight. Now if only it were a little better for you... And I am probably only addicted to this because of my recent addiction to cheddar cheese. mmmmmm

continued peace & quiet-- yes, the upstairs neighbors are STILL away!!! woooohooooo!!!!

fun people with crazy senses of humor-- you all know I love my team at work, but there is one person on it in particular that just has me cracking up all the time, and she's also so much like me as far as background and way of thinking that her extra 13 years of wisdom also make her the perfect sounding board. She's just a great person to have around. And this past weekend she had me in stitches when she called Papa John's and convinced them to spell out a message for us in pepperoni. You should've heard this conversation-- calling the pizza guy by his first name, telling him we're "insurance agents so we're obviously crazy" and the like. Thank god there are great people that make work bearable.

PANS

performance appraisals-- who likes writing these?! PA's just suck. And all I've written so far is my self-appraisal. And writing it made me realize that I am not involved in anything anymore. Last year's was 3 pages of everything I had done in the year, all relevant, important, and succinctly bulleted. This year was a page and a half of things I was trying to think of (all written out), that ended up sounding like total BS by the time I got done. There's nothing like a self-appraisal to make you feel like you've accomplished absolutely nothing in the last year of your life. And I still have to write my people's and then possibly tell a few of them that they may not get raises. greeeeeat.

not taking hints-- so guess who called me the other day. yup, bad date boy! I thought maybe I had been wrong and he had taken a hint, but alas, no such luck. Poor guy-- I really don't think he has life figured out yet.

laundry-- still sucks. I have piles sitting in my apartment right now that are clean and are just a huge pain to try to fold and put away and all that. boooooo.

my apartment complex-- they told us when we moved in that our rent would never go up more than $25 a year, even if they raised regular prices higher. This was a big selling point. But, I just got my lease renewal. It went up more than $60. I was pissed. So, I went to the rental office. It was open but there was nobody there. I sat and waited figuring hey it's my day off, why not get this taken care of now. After 5 minutes, a maintenance guy came through. Originally he said he thought they might've gone to lunch, but after going outside and either seeing or talking to one, he said they were walking the complex and would be right back. 15 minutes later, still no sign of anyone. and by this point since he talked to someone, I think it is a reasonable assumption that they knew someone was waiting for them. That is absolutely terrible customer service. I left, only to find that there were now notices on some people's doors. I guess the all important task of taping things to people's doors should always come before people sitting waiting for you in your office, right?

moving stress-- so now, back to the annual moving stress. I don't want to move AGAIN and get into this once a year pattern, but I also don't feel like I'm ready to buy anything. I just really don't think I want that kind of responsibility yet. But, if I want to rent through a complex and want my standards, like a washer and dryer inside my apartment and a decent amount of square footage, I end up paying an arm and a leg. I'm sorry, but $850 a month is pretty damn ridiculous. So now I'm thinking about contacting a realtor to see if there's something cheaper, since everyone keeps saying they have or know people who has rented a townhouse for $650 a month-- and then I could even get a roommate. But even if that works out that again involves MOVING, which is the BIGGEST pain in the ass that could possibly exist! And then if a year or two later I decide I am ready to buy or even relocate, I have to MOVE AGAIN! And of course I have a few weeks max to decide all this unless I want to get huge fines from my current apartment complex. Anyone have any ideas? :(

Oops maybe not so short. Oh well. Anyway, I have my first accounting class tonight, so I'm off to relax before then. later all.

Jesus is my Boyfriend

I know, odd title-- but read further into my weekend notes (and general randomness) and you'll understand :)

--first of all, my dreams have not really improved, and I don't understand why I keep having such weird ones. The other night I dreamt that I died in a plane crash. I looked it up and seeing yourself die in a plane crash apparently is a warning you need to keep your passions in check, and plane crashes in general signal some kind of upcoming business failure. both bad. great that's just what I need. Then last night I had an odd dream where I was at some huge work function where everyone seemed to know each other and be uniformed except me. There were football teams, an actuary union (yes I know- odd), military... it was weird. and I had lost the team I was working with, then when I was looking I kept running into the most RANDOM people from my life, like an old high school friend I haven't talked to since and one of my junior high school crushes that moved away in 8th grade! WTF?! I am starting to think my brain is just really screwed up.

--for those of you that have been asking about my new interim preacher crush, well, we went back to that church this morning. What we liked about it initially was that it was friendly and that there seemed to be a lot of people our age. But, the only class we really fit into ended up being full of people younger than us (college age) that had to be told what a cubicle was. Not exactly the "career singles" class we thought we were attending. Plus, being in Sunday School reminded me how much I hate it, because no matter what there will always be at least the one person that says things like "through God's work we were able to overcome" or "open your heart and let Jesus in" or EVEN the dreaded "let go and let God!" Well, this morning's resident mega-Christian told us about the girls she mentors and the nights they have called, "A Date with Jesus". Yes, and now you understand. And, lastly, the interim preacher was not quite as good looking after hearing a girl on my team's account of what an absolute jerk jock type he was in high school. Oh well.

--in other randomness, I keep meaning to link Dave Barry's 2004 Year in Review, which is one of the things I look forward to most every year at New Year's-- it always has a unique wit and wisdom that always has me laughing out loud! so, here you go. read and enjoy :)

--also, I was watching my Gilmore Girls Season 1 DVD's last night (thanks, Jeffy!), and I noticed that Edward Herrmann, the celebrated actor who plays Richard, says "horrible" just like me! Now, I know none of you care, but since I have been teased about my "Philly accent" (whatever the heck that is) mercilessly since I left Bucks County and especially recently, this made me very happy :Þ

-- in the best of recent car stuff, I have to tell you about my new favorite bumper sticker and billboard-- they join the Mustang at work with the license plate "MMMBEER" as the best of the best in auto wisdom...
first, seen on a car in the parking lot at work: "Grow your own dope-- Plant a man!" hehehe. and second, seen on a billboard in Philly: "Go ahead, pick your nose" on a plastic surgeon's ad! lol. I have always had a favorite Philly billboard, stupid as that may be. When I was younger it was the Toll Brothers one that advertised "Council Rock from the low 400's" because I thought it was so cool that my school district was advertisable, especially 45 minutes away. After I graduated, though, my favorite became the one that said "Hey Philly, we'd put up a headline but you'd just boo it!" I don't remember what company that was, but they clearly had the city figured out :)

Oh, and speaking of the city, we also have a new blog friend from Philly or thereabouts, so if that happens to be you out there reading, check in and say hi, okay? especially if you happen to be an old friend...

--k last note of the day: did everyone hear that Brad Pitt and Jennifer Anniston are separating? Us Magazine will never be the same... :)

I hope everyone has a great rest of the weekend! And don't forget the new Desperate Housewives episode tonight! hehehehe. later all.

Building a Mystery...

Happy Thursday everyone! I can't believe it's ONLY Thursday, but unfortunately that's how it's been lately... Oh well.

k back to blogging. Most of you know I love a good puzzle, no matter what form it takes. I love even non-traditional puzzles-- I love trying to translate things and make them make sense (which is how we got "With Hennef"), I love trying to figure out people from Internet stuff (don't ask), and I even love trying to make every hip hop move fit into the right counts before the time is up. All puzzles to me. Well, I could not solve this puzzle, and I am annoyed I didn't get it! See if you can :)

What row of numbers comes next?

1
11
21
1211
111221
312211
13112221

Anyway, hopefully you guys are better with this than I am. Post a guess if you have one. I'll post the answer later... And if anyone out there ever wants a good present for me, buy me a subscription to Games Magazine :)

Well, speaking of puzzles, life right now is just one big one. I have decided the biggest puzzle on earth is other people. Sometimes for the life of me I cannot figure out how people could possibly think the way they do! In other issues, I am also completely puzzled by my iPod software. And pretty much anything sold at Lowe's is just one big mystery to me. But the MOST frustrating puzzle of them all to me right now (other than the little thing above) is DREAMS! Sometimes I really don't know why I dream the things I do, and lately my dreams have been making me MAD!!!! They don't make sense!!!!! grrrrr more on that later. If anyone is good at dream analysis (other than what I can lookup on what certain symbols mean which I'm not sure if I believe anyway) please let me know!

There are some good things right now though amidst the puzzles. For instance, our hotel rooms for San Antonio are booked! woooohooooo!!!! Yay vacation in March on company money!!! :) And, either of the two people that will get to go with us would be awesome traveling buddies, so this trip is gonna be fantastic-- Southern bikers, a new city, and the hilarious travel antics of me and Steph. For some reason we're absolutely nuts when we go away (reference the absolute side splitting laughter of the Steph sitting 6 feet away incident), so this should be verrrrry interesting... Also, we're now a few days closer to PROFIT SHARING and also to pub crawl and container store shopping the week after! woooohoooo! And, in last minute randomness, vodka sauce kicks ass! hehehehe

Anyway, if you want some random almost the end of the week fun (not at all puzzling), visit this site :) It's definitely quality. Otherwise, have a fun weekend and I'll catch you all later! And sorry for the completely incoherent randomness today. Back to a point some other time...

Tuesday picks & pans

back on schedule-- here are your weekly picks and pans. and I'm kind of in a random basics mood today so be warned... I've also realized my blogging has gotten longer and longer and longer. Sorry 'bout that. I'll try to be less verbose in posts to come :)

PICKS

working out-- now, I know most of you hate the idea of even going to the gym, but I love it! After years of being forced to go for softball, I guess it's kind of in my blood. Now, that doesn't mean I'm always in the mood to drag myself to the gym, but once I'm there I'm good to go. And I always feel great after I've worked out, even if it's something short. Plus, you obviously get great benefits it, so it's a win-win situation all around. And I love Gold's Gym too with it's free classes, cheap fee, and abundance of equipment. yay gym! :)

HBO On Demand-- makes the list again for having Season 2 of Sex & the City up yesterday. Plus, there have been some quality movies and even some great documentaries and late night shows I had missed that I can now watch whenever I want. What a fantastic idea for digital cable!

last Sunday's church-- For those of you who have been wondering, the interim preacher was 10 times hotter than his pictures online!!!! hahaha. But even before we saw him (and before he told a story that involved the horrible words "my fiancee"), the church itself was just very comfortable. A nice woman from the parking lot walked us in, they gave us coffee mugs, there were lots of people our age, and random people kept coming up to us and hugging us! Now, the Philly in me thought that last part was a little close to scary, but overall it was just a nice and friendly place to be.

music in any form-- Lately I have been hearing a lot of songs that remind me of very specific times in my life, and there's something about that that always puts a smile on my face even if it's not the greatest of memories. I don't know if it's the reminiscing mood I've been in since going home or all the importing I've been doing to my iPod, but I really think music is one of the greatest things on earth; it's universal, it's timeless, and there's nothing else like it that can have so many different moods and relate to so many different things in life. I don't think there's even one day that goes by that there is no music in my life, and I think that's the way it should be.

Billy Elliot-- I know this is old, but I just saw this for the first time last night and LOVED it! If you haven't seen it (and you can stand British import type movies) you DEFINITELY should! It's about a boy in poor English coal mining town that falls in love with ballet. I laughed, I cried... sounds weird, but it's great. trust me.

homemade hot cocoa-- I randomly found a fun recipe for this yesterday so I whipped some up, added some hot water and some whipped cream, and was instantly in winter heaven! mmmmmm

peace & quiet-- woohoo my upstairs neighbors are away!!!! That means this week I get my 3 whole days off without my pans clanking in my cabinets from all their jumping around! I'm not quite sure what they're doing up there, and honestly I don't think I want to know... I just hope they stay gone for a long while.

my new loungewear-- my dad recently went to his fraternity (Chi Phi) reunion for the first time in years. And one of the things they gave his class was a football jersey to commemorate their winning the interfraternity league football championship when he was there. And he'll never wear it, so of course I stole it! It's at least two sizes too big and it's ridiculously bright yellow, but I am already in love with it. :)

my Christmas present from my team-- part of it was a gift certificate to get my hair colored and cut from a posh salon down here-- how fun is that?! now to decide what I want to do with it... I think the highlights I had this summer may be a little too sunkissed for winter. Anyone have any ideas?


PANS

laundry-- I have soooo much to do. It's not even the laundry part that I hate-- it's the sorting beforehand and all the folding and re-hanging afterwards. laundry sucks.

importing music to my iPod-- now luckily I am not having the same troubles as Kate, but all the time this is taking is getting on my nerves. Every CD takes at least 15 minutes to upload, plus I have to upload and correct all the files from my computer. And then if I want stuff to be in the right place I have to check the genres and the titles and all that... There are about 1400 songs on Eugene right now, so you just imagine how much of my life lately has been spent doing this, and I'm not even close to done yet. If this thing ever breaks and I have to do this all again I will personally be paying Apple a visit and it will not be a happy one. Thank god it's such a great gym accessory, and come profit sharing I'm hoping it'll really be worth its while when I get all the car hookups...

taking down Christmas decorations-- so sad! and really a huge pain in the butt too. my apartment is now completely unfestive and back to its normal state. :( well, normal other than the REST of the cleaning I still have to do. boo.

giant ducks-- the ducks around my apartments used to be cute. Then I got a bottom floor apartment. Then it rained and was cold, and all the giant ducks thought MY PORCH would be a great place to congregate to get away from the weather. And now when I go to put stuff in my little storage closet on the porch, I am greeted by a TON of duck crap! ICK! What the hell am I supposed to do about all the duck crap?! Anyone have any ideas???? I used to be a nature lover... I guess I still am except for bugs and now DUCKS!

phone tag-- I am talking to a new boy right now, except for the last 3 weeks, we have almost NEVER gotten in touch with each other. We've talked like once. We've missed each other probably at least 10 times. Is this a sign or just bad luck? I should've gone with my gut on the last one, so I'm not sure. Weigh in.

studying-- WHY did I sign up for an accounting class this semester?! It's not like I'm really planning to go back for the MBA yet, even though it's always in the back of my mind... And I still have my stupid CPCU class to study for. Not the smartest ideas I ever had.

boredom-- I really feel like now that I have my blackbelt I need a new challenge in my life. If you have any ideas of what I should take up next, post them for me :) I need something new and exciting.

k back to cleaning... or more HBO On Demand... yeah probably the latter :) later all.

Happy New Year!!!

hi all! I hope everyone had a fantastic new year's! Mine was pretty uneventful but still fun. Not much to report. First of all, hockey is boring when the damn refs won't let the players fight. And second, we are getting old, so despite friends being out and going crazy, I am still tired from a few weekends ago, so Steph and I stayed in. but hey it's now 2005 and I'm still alive so all is well with the world. I seriously don't know where the time goes! It's crazy to think how much the world can change in just one year (that drags while it's going on!) and how weird life can be sometimes when you really think about it.

Well, it's that time of my year, so I'm going to be totally cliche for a minute and do the whole reflection and resolution thing! (yeah, so deal!) :)

Sooo... this past year.... wow what a crazy one!
The beginning of the year is just kind of weird to look back on. There were so many changes going on in my life in general between work and relationships and just settling into the Beach and being me and all. Sometimes I look back at that time and wonder who I was or whose life I was living because it just seems so out of place. But, at the same time, I learned so much about myself and who I am, who I want to be, and the things I need to expect from myself and others in my life. Luckily, though, I got through the winter and spring with little damage, I still had a job (whew!), and I had the whole summer to live it up! And man, I did. I went on some fantastic trips, had some ridiculously memorable nights with the gang in vabeach, and really just got to spend some great time with some great friends, both old and new. And after the craziness, life had to die down a little bit, so the last part of the year was entirely comfortable. In the fall I feel like I finally really settled into my life down here and found out kind of where I fit in and what kind of life I want to live. I know all of that is so general, but the past year has had so much in it, I can't even imagine even trying to go over it in detail! This was definitely one of the more eventful years of my life.

Okay now resolutions. I am not making many this year... I mean, of course there's the universal eat better and work out more one. But really, these days I am at the gym at least 4 days a week so I am okay there. Now to get all the work food days and ordering out away from my system. Otherwise, I resolve to always be positive, I resolve not to let the little things get to me, and I resolve to learn how to go with the flow rather than trying to make everything in my life happen. Then again, I kind of like my ambition... but maybe there's something to be said for fate and destiny. I haven't decided yet. Anyway, post your resolutions if you get a chance, ok?

In other news, I found an name for my iPod (thanks, Steph!) woohoo!!! it's new name is Eugene. Get it? EUgene my Ipod! hahahahaha! And yes, I accept that I am completely off my rocker, but luckily you all love me anyway :) Speaking of you all loving me, we have a new blog reader (or at least someone visiting Texas), so everyone say hi to our Fort Worth guest! hehehe. And Fort Worth, say hello if you get a chance and tell us how you got here, ok? :Þ

So, I am off for now. It's our usual church and brunch tomorrow. But tomorrow's church choice in the great church search was made more off of the interim pastor's pictures than anything else, so this could be lots of fun!!! hmm.... And he's the interim pastor so that's okay, right? Plus, he's still in seminary! He may not be completely set on being a pastor already!

Yes, don't worry, I already know I'm going straight to hell!!! hehehe. ok gnight all :)