$216 Million?

A friend pointed out that the MegaMillions Lottery is up to $216 Million and posed this question to me: "What would you do?" So, we started throwing out ideas.

-Pay off all of those pesky bills - keeping a few of the nice ones, of course.
-Set up a fund for the interest to be my paycheck - would hate to be classified as unemployed.
-Build a pool on the roof with a retractable dome.
-Escalate the quest to find the perfect t-shirt that gets a comment every single time I wear it
(So far, my "Girls Just Wanna Have Fun" is winning the competition).
-Have a vacation house in all my favorite locations...Ireland, Australia, Italy, Alaska, Hawaii, etc!
-Get that private plane to get me to all of those locations without the pesky delays.
-Buy a certain professional football team - get a new quarterback and change those colors (hehe).
-Holiday Houses - Christmas decorated house for December, Heart decorated house for February. . .
-Purchase every accessory that Stampin' Up offers. . .One can never have too many accessories!
-Make my neighbor's statement that I have the only million dollar 1,200 sq ft condo reality.
-See Westlife in concert - the DVDs just aren't cutting it. . .
-Do you really think a gray hair will ever be seen on this head again?
-Lasik, Chest Reduction, Getting rid of the braces faster. . .Need I say more?
-Finally eliminating the dent in the back of my car. . .Hmmm, maybe by getting a new vehicle? Or two?
-Repeat after me: I will never do dishes AGAIN!

Disclaimer: This list was meant to be flippant and fun. There may have been a few with some truth involved, but I really just noted what came to mind. Charities, gifts, the betterment of human-kind and what-not were not taken into consideration (obviously).

Namaste.

The "My Way" Is Spreading. . .

Ginger's "Have it your way" post (the one that inspired "My Way") also inspired americanmom's "No Happy, No Scrappy". . .Her list of 10 "My Ways" in regard to Scrapbooking.

It got me a-thinking. . .What little quirks do I have for crafting?
I am struggling to come up with things. . .So this list will not be a complete Top 10.

1. Liquids! I have to have a drink. . .I may not actually be drinking it, but it must be there. If I'm doing some serious, long hours of creating. . .I really do not want water (very unusual for me).

2. No trapped white space. This comes from my days of being a Yearbook Editor. Trapped white space meant bad things if you were in a competition. . .And though my pages/cards are just for me, I have banned all trapped space from my creations.

3. My brads have to be sorted by color. . .I cannot work if my brads are messed up.

4. My cutter has to be to my right. I have no idea why. . .It's weird, I know!

5. I have to have a "pattern". . .Whether it be how the flowers are placed or the pictures arranged. It doesn't matter if no one else sees my pattern, but there has to be one or I'm not happy.

6. Music please. I need to have music. . .The silence drives me crazy. Even if I'm hanging out talking with Nickey and Lexismoo. . .I have a hard time getting the creative juices flowing without music.


Hmmm. . .That's all I can think of right now. If I come up with anymore, I'll edit this post to include them.

Namaste.

Expectations

"A pint can't hold a quart - if it holds a pint it is doing all that can be expected of it." - Margaret Deland

I'm not sure why I kept that quote. . .
I think it had something to do with eliminating unrealistic expectations. . .
I looked at it again tonight and a different thought came to mind. . .

There have been studies about positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement - don't ask for details, my mind only holds so much. I think that is why it is so important to watch our words - even to ourselves - "I'm tired." No, you are feeling tired. "I'm stupid." Do you really want to reinforce that one? How about, your action was stupid. And what about what is being said to our children??

Of course, kids (especially teens) are great at seeing through a load of crap. Sometimes the words are good and the action tells a different story. . .I believe the old saying is "Actions speak louder than words".

So, what does the study have to do with the quote?

How many do not reach their full potential because they are told they cannot. How many never even find out what they are good at because they are told they have to do something else?

Why did this pop into my head tonight? No clue.

I was blessed to be able to be me. I was able to go to college despite not coming from a rich family. I was able to buy a condo at the age of 22. I am able to travel the world at my leisure. I have become, in my opinion, a loving caring person despite have a biological donor that could be deemed a nightmare.

My dream is that everyone is blessed and is able to reach their own expectations and not limited to the expectations of others.

After all, if all duct tape did was be duct tape. . .
How many pieces of furniture, even cars, would not be in use today?

Namaste.

Rough Days

NOTE:
This blog is a place that I can type whatever is on my mind. I have no idea who reads it, but I have made no effort to hide its existence. This is what was on my mind tonight. . .

I make no apologies and offer no explanation.
These are my thoughts. This is my reality.


I've had some rough days lately. . .Don't really know why. . .

I'm not sure if it's. . .
. . .Trying to deal with the negativity around me when I try to be so positive (keyword: try).

. . .Riding on the roller-coaster ride that I inadvertently got on. . .And have no idea how to get off.

. . .Being single, which was so great a few weeks ago, and is now playing games with my psyche.

. . .Realizing that paying for the gall-bladder divorce has resulted in either not being able to finish working on the condo or not taking a vacation this year.

. . .Being drained by all of the work involved with the last 20.

. . .Dealing with a Mother Nature that is still way too screwed up from the surgery.

. . .Watching tons of crap enter my space, despite living all of my spiritual beliefs.

. . .Experiencing the frustration of living in a condo that is in multiple stages of remodeling.

. . .Having a verbal slap slung my way from a source that I never expected and don't understand what I did to deserve. Honestly - it hurt, more than I ever thought it would.


This is what I am do know. . .
. . .I am not a crier - truly. Tears are usually a result of funerals, surgery or being incredibly pissed off. I have not had to say goodbye to anyone lately, I am not recovering from surgery and I am not pissed at this moment. But yet, I find myself with tears on my face as I type this.

. . .I am tired of this.

. . .The days may get rougher and I fear it is not going to be easy to get my life back. I am just holding space that I don't have to burn any bridges that are dear to my heart.


In all actuality - I am blessed:
I have my health.
I am the freedom to make choices as I choose.
I have a good job.

Damn-it! I want my fun, positive, enjoyable life back.

My Way???

Read 'Have it your way. . .' on "Bought, Sold, or Processed. . ." which got me thinking. What things drive me nuts if they aren't just so? Nickey challenged me to come up with my Top Ten. . .

1. No Yellow! I don't think it is a surprise to anyone that knows me that this is #1. I do not like yellow. Sorry to all of you yellow-lovers out there, but it is just not for me. I do like gold and beige and all of those colors that many people think are yellows, but they don't look yellow to me. In fact, most of my house is painted Bagel. It's a gold color that leans toward orange (about the color of a lightly toasted bagel).

2. Toilet paper - over or under? Over! Please!!! If it gets loaded under, I will change it - promise (Yes, I have caught myself changing it in other people's house!). Of course, my full bath didn't have enough room for the toilet paper holder (I was NOT putting holes in my new vanity), so the holder was installed sideways. In that case, I really don't care which way it gets loaded, but it didn't take me long to figure out - if it is loaded so that the paper comes from the left, it is harder for the paper to play hide-and-seek behind the toilet. . .

3. I'm agreeing with Ginger's #2: No wire hangers in my closet! A majority of my hangers are white plastic with a few wood ones. . .Now if someone else wants wire hangers in their closet - so be it. . .As long as my clothes don't get hung on them!

4. No shoes on the carpet! I might be able to blame this one on my many trips to Japan. I used to be fanatical about this one - didn't want all of the dirt and chemicals making themselves at home in the fabric. Since most of the carpet in the condo has been replaced with wood and tile, not so much of an issue anymore. Most of my shoes are in a shoe rack by the front door, but it is primarily because I cannot stand the sound of loud shoes on wood stairs. . .

5. The toilet lid must be closed before I flush! Notice, I said lid, not seat. I saw a documentary on. . .Something or other. . .The only thing that I remember is a visual of where germs go when a toilet is flushed. Let me tell you - it is disgusting. My toothbrush holder is now in the medicine cabinet away from any germs that may get out despite the lid being down. I cringed when I walk into my bathroom and the lid is up. . .AUGH!

6. Proper grammar! OK, that's not true. The only thing that fits in this list and in that statement is the word "ain't". I can't stand that word. It drives me crazy. . .

7. I sort the silverware as it is being loaded into the dishwasher! There are different utensils and there are different compartments: seems like the inventors had me in mind. Yes, I know that sounds weird. I used to have a roommate - we lived together for eight years. This was one of her 'things' that I realized became one of my 'things' after she moved out. Really, it makes it much easier to unload the dishwasher when all of the spoons are in one compartment, the knives in another. . .

8. You could say that I collect receipts - credit card receipts. I keep all of my receipts and when my credit card statement comes in - I match them up, put them in order, enter into Quicken and staple the month's activity together for future reference. Yes, these are on the same cycle as my tax returns - seven years. . .

9. My closet is organized. . .In its own way, maybe. Work-type clothes hang in one area. Casual clothes hang in another. All the clean clothes get loaded in a certain direction and I get clothes to wear from the other direction. If something gets 'passed over' for too many months, it goes in the 'find a new home' pile. Because of how often I do laundry (not often), this usually also means that all the dark clothes hang together and all the light clothes hang together. As a result, my unmentionable drawer is organized the same way. When socks get put away another way. . .Well, it's not pretty! I am not a morning person - I have been known to wear two different colored socks to work because the drawer wasn't organized properly. . .

10. I have a lot of allergies. I admit it. Some think I'm weird (who am I to differ). I don't think about it much because that's the way it always has been. Sometimes it's just easier to act like I am brand loyal (for some reason, people don't think that is as weird): Tylenol (NO ASPIRIN), Tide Detergent (Gain is a no-no, who knows what else), Liquid Soap (NO BAR SOAPS, unless it's one of those natural bars), Juices must be orange-free, Baby Powder must be made with corn starch and the biggest, most important one of all: NO MUSHROOMS!

It took me two days to come up with these ten and I think some of them are pretty lame.
If anyone knows of a quirks of mine that I missed, let me know!

Namaste.

President's Day??

My calendar said it was President's Day.
The radio talked about everything that was closed for President's Day.

Did you know that there is no such thing as President's Day???

Yep, Monday was supposed to be the celebration of Washington's Birthday.
Not sure how it got known as President's Day or if my information is wrong.

http://www.snopes.com/holidays/presidents/presidents.asp

Should all of the schools make up the day that they missed for President's Day?
CBoy would love that one!

I didn't get my pay stub until Tuesday - can I go after the post office for that?
After all, they were celebrating President's Day. . .Which doesn't exist.

Namaste.

Calorie Counting. . .

. . .My favorite activity ever - NOT!

I don't think it's helping that I've been hearing, "You don't need to loose any more weight - you look great now!" Thanks. Really! I appreciate hearing it! I love the complements.

BUT. . .I do have just a few more pounds to loose. The willpower wants to go on vacation when I start craving ice cream (yes, I still love ice cream when it's below freezing out) and those words are repeating in my head. :)

So, why do I need to loose more when I keep getting those great compliments? My trainer and I agree that I have a few more to loose. I have an awesome pair of jeans in my closet that I am almost back into (okay, the size is awesome. . .the style, not so much). Since my surgery, my abs still aren't back to where they were pre-divorce (divorce from my gall-bladder). And mostly, because I want to see if I can do it!

Namaste.

Blog Roll

About two years ago, I started reading blogs. . .Primarily as a way to stay knowledgeable about my soldiers. I have had many issues with MSM (Main Stream Media), so I tend to avoid it.

My blog roll (ones that I read daily) was pretty large. I think I spent more time reading blogs than. . .Well. . .Most things. After awhile, I even used my blog roll for thought-starters for my rambling.

I realized something today. . .My blog roll has shrunk to almost nothing. Many of the sites that I used to read either: a) Stopped updating or closed down or b) Became boring to me.

I have been looking for new things to read, but I haven't been real impressed with what I am finding - granted, many probably won't be impressed with mine either! :)

If anyone has a good blog to peruse, feel free to let me know.

Namaste.

PS. One of my favorite shows returns tonight - Amazing Race (All Stars). Gonna watch to see if there are any other places to add to my "to visit" list!

The Joy of Ice!

I have been enjoying the experience of ice! The lovely substance that has made itself home on my steps - the ones that allow me to go in and out of my condo!

I've figured out how to get down them (with a little help from snow) with my lunch cooler, water jug and briefcase. . .Anything in addition to that requires a second trip. Anything heavier or bulkier than that requires me to stay home.

My rear end has already had a friendly conversation with the ground once this winter at the introduction of our residence ice. . .I don't see tempting fate to cause that conversation to occur again. :)

So, I am hanging out at home tonight. I made a few Birthday Cards for this month and I think I may try to meet up with another old friend of mine - sleep.

Namaste.

What In The World?

Well, I finally did it. . .I registered over at myspace.com. Not sure exactly why, but it seemed the right thing to do last night. . .And then, I got annoyed. I will have to get BabyGirl to show me how to format the *&(^#*&^* thing and make it look pretty.

It doesn't look pretty right now. :(

If you want to know the address of my myspace.com, just throw me a line and I will get you the info (maybe). :) As there will be pics posted there, I am not broadcasting the address here.

Namaste.

All or Nothing (At All)

Note: I had to upgrade the Blog to the new system (ugh!). Unfortunately, it lost all of the color coding that I had in my posts - there are way too many of them to go back and fix them all! Some cool new features though! Let me know what you think. NOTE: You can post comments without having an account. please note your nickname (if you have one, if not - feel free to give yourself one).

As I'm sitting here waiting to see which meterologist is right tonight...The song "All or Nothing" popped into my head. Not the "All or Nothing At All" that was recorded by Frank Sinatra, but the one that was recorded by O-Town and then Westlife in 2006 (hence, why it is in my mind) - not sure who else did it.

Why is this relevant you ask?

I am tired of this game that Mother Nature is playing. . .I want ALL of the crap (ice, snow, sleet, etc) and shut the city down or give me NOTHING AT ALL and let me get to work safe and quickly in the morning. Last week was bad enough to cause wrecks (not me this time!) and three to 11 hour drives, but not bad enough to justify not trying to get there.

Now having said that - I brought my laptop home with me. I will not hesitate to pull a few hours in the a.m. before heading across the river.

Namaste.

Note To Self

-Do not go to the grocery store on a Sunday after church.
-Definitely do not go to the grocery store on the day before a forecasted big snow (and is Sunday right after church).
-Do not layer blankets on the bed that when pulled apart (by sleeping person in said bed) will cause sparks.
-Do not drop brand new cordless phone as it may cause a problem fitting correctly into charging base.
-Do not buy ice cream no matter how good it looks or how much the label screams reduced fat.
-Do not put the checkbook in a safe place that cannot be found later (2/13 Update: Found safe place).
-Do not put the ATM card with the checkbook in that safe place (2/13 Update: ATM card not in safe place).

Namaste.

Reality TV

If I remember correctly, I have gotten on my soap-box before about Reality TV. I used to be the biggest junkie of reality soaps, but have realized those shows aren't what I want to be "my reality". The exceptions of course are Biggest Looser (definitely my reality) and The Amazing Race (hello - traveling!).

I didn't watch the last Survivor, gave up on the Bachelor / Bachelorette many years ago and was so disgusted by Big Brother that it caused the soap-box rant (I think).

There is only one reason that I would start watching again.

Yes, you guessed it. . .That one reason happened. A local. Yes, a Cincinnatian. Someone that I need to root for is on the new Survivor. Alas, I am watching again. NOTE: There was a local on the Bachelor last season, but not even that could make me watch again.

Once she is voted off - I will be back to not watching (I hope).

Namaste.

It is. . .COLD!

Perhaps I realized this because I shoveled the white stuff three times between yesterday evening and this morning (and that doesn't count what the neighbors or the workers did either).

Perhaps I realized this because my furnace has not had a break in quite awhile.

Perhaps I realized this because I am sitting here, near a furnace vent, with goosebumps and teeth chattering.

Or perhaps I realized this because it is 15 degrees (F) without windchill outside my front door.

Have I mentioned lately that it is cold?

Namaste.

"Sunshine is delicious, rain is refreshing, wind braces us, snow is exhilarating; there is no such thing as bad weather, only different kinds of good weather." - John Ruskin

Ever Had One Of Those Days. . .

. . .Where no matter what you do, you can't sit still?

. . .Where nothing keeps your attention?

. . .Where you get way more exercise than planned from running from room to room?


Yep, that's me tonight. I did 1.6 miles on the elliptical and a major back/ab workout and I still have tons of energy to burn. Should be fun trying to get sleep tonight!

Namaste.

"Most people think they live in the world, but I know that the world lives in me." - Depoc Chopra

Still Working On The New Me

I am happy to report that my work-outs are back to full intensity – I even completed a 12-minute mile today on the elliptical (huge for me)!

Have I mentioned that my bottom teeth appear to be straight after about 22 days in the braces? Don’t get too excited. . .The hardware has to stay on for the great orange and black rubber bands that will be a part of my Bengal outfit next season.

I changed my hairstyle last April, but have decided to change it again. Sooooo today, my hair joined the journey to the new me. Keep in mind, this experience was a little nerve-wracking. . .It was the first time that someone other than MommyMarie has cut my hair.

I now have my high-lights (I believe that they are caramel in color) and am sporting a new do! As much as I was a perm-addict growing up, believe-it or not, I now have a style that favors straight hair. Amazingly, I like it! Let’s see if that continues once I have to do it myself. . .

So far, everyone (the four that have seen it) likes it. I’ll let you know the response (or lack of response) that I get tomorrow at work!

Namaste.

“Friendship is the inexpressible comfort of feeling safe with a person, having neither to weigh thoughts nor measure words.” – George Eliot

I Hate Shopping. . .

. . .But I love being able to buy jeans in the next size down! :)

Yes, they are just a smidge tight in the back of my thighs, but another 5 lbs (or finding the right cut?) should take care of that!

I think this gives me a reason to go partying!

Namaste.