Thunderstorms...

I have a love - hate relationship with Thunderstorms!

I typing at my desk this morning when a huge thunder clap rumbled through the building. It kinda surprised me that I was comforted by it.

I guess it has been so long since we have had one (Cincinnati has been in drought mode for awhile now) that I had forgotten how much I liked them. I don't even mind them making the electric go out if I have my honey with me to cuddle on the couch. . .

So, why did I say that I had a hate relationship with them? Have you ever tried to drive in one of those storms with the rain pouring down so hard you can't drive combined with the lightning and thunder going ballistic all over the place?
Pretty much kills the nerves, at least mine anyway!!!

Namaste.

What Words Are Appropriate?

Ever been in a situation where you can't figure out what words work best?

There are days when "I feel your pain" or "I apologize" just aren't appropriate. Then, there are other times when "I care about you" doesn't flow the way it needs to. How about "How do I do this?" (how many projects have failed because of instructions???)? Another one that doesn't seem to work all of the time is "Is something wrong?" or "How do you feel?"...

Has anyone else wondered, "What would this look like if I used the right words?"?

Namaste.

I'm Getting Better At...

Fitting everything into my schedule!

For awhile, I couldn't figure out how to do everything that I had committed to and everything that I wanted to do. A few things fell through the cracks like housework, gym time, sleeping, etc. I have to admit that I wasn't too upset about the housework, but the gym time was starting to cause problems with my clothes fitting and I was fighting being upset about all of it. :(

Now, I am in the process of bringing some of my commitments to a close, of being better organized with how I schedule things and of determining which things are bigger priorities. That reminds me of the exercise where there are piles of rocks, pebbles, sand and water with a glass. The only way to fit everything into the glass is to put the rocks (the biggest priorities) in first, then the pebbles, then the sand and lastly the water. If you put them in any other way, it won't all fit. So, I am focused on putting my rocks on the calender first!

Some days, sleep is something that won't fit into the equation, but I'm not going to loose too much sleep over that one!
**covering ears to muffle out all of the moans**

Namaste.

Luke would be proud...

I remember years ago going to Kings Island with my family and being teased by Luke because I wouldn't ride some of the large roller-coasters. The first year - the Beastie was the only one on the "I rode..." list. The second year - I believe that the Beast was added to the list.

Over the years, I have ridden a few more here and there. My current favorite has been Top Gun for quite a few years now. But, there are a few that I still have not been willing to ride. Until now...

MBB, SB (previously known as Social Butterfly) and OB went with me to Kinds Island on Saturday. I added Face-Off to the list AND I can now say that I rode one of those rides that I was teased about so many years ago - the Vortex.

I even bought the ride photo to prove it (plus it was an excellent picture of MMB, SB and OB). I kept my eyes open for the big hill and even enjoyed that part of the ride. I would prefer not to experience the corkscrews again. . .Even MBB saying "Here comes the camera!" wasn't enough to get my eyes open! But, it did give me enough of a warning to have a smile to go with the closed eyes in the picture. :)

If MBB has anything to say about it, I'm sure I'll be adding more coasters to my new list of "I can't believe that I rode..." in the future.

Namaste.

Rubber Bands. . .

. . .have become a part of my routines:

• My morning routine. . .
• My afternoon routine. . .
• My evening routine. . .
• Any routine that involves food or brushing my teeth!

I have been flooded with bands:

• Orange bands. . .
• Black bands. . .
• Pink bands. . .
• Neon green bands. . .
• Purple bands. . .
• It has been pointed out to me that I need red bands! But Dr. R doesn't seem to have any of those in multi-color packs with orange and black. :(

My life has become very comical. Ever tried to wear bands and:

• Yell at a Bengal's Game. . .
• Pronounce words with the "awl" (like hall) correctly. . .
• Yawn. . .
• Eat something that couldn't be sucked through a straw. . .
• Kiss. . .

I am blessed that:

• I can afford to take care of my teeth. . .
• I am not too vain to have braces at my age. . .
• I caught this early enough and only have to have braces for one year. . .
• I had a pretty pain free experience for the first eight months I had braces. . .

But I CAN'T WAIT TO GET THESE RUBBER BANDS OFF OF MY TEETH!!!

Namaste.

The Promise

There is a song that has touched me a lot lately (it is on my myspace play list).

So, I am going to share the lyrics with everyone.
Like how that works?

"The Promise" by Tracy Chapman

If you wait for me then I'll come for you
Although I've traveled far
I always hold a place for you in my heart
If you think of me, if you miss me once in awhile
Then I'll return to you
I'll return and fill that space in your heart

(chorus)
Remembering
Your touch
Your kiss
Your warm embrace
I'll find my way back to you

If you'll be waiting
If you dream of me like I dream of you
In a place that's warm and dark
In a place where I can feel the beating of your heart

(chorus)

If you'll be waiting
I've longed for you and I have desired
To see your face, your smile
To be with you, wherever you are

(chorus)

If you'll be waiting
I've longed for you and I have desired
To see your face, your smile
To be with you, wherever you are

(chorus)

Please say you'll be waiting
Together again
It would feel so good to be in your arms
Where all my journeys end
If you can make a promise
If it's one that you can keep, I vow to come for you
If you wait for me and say you'll hold
A place for me in your heart.

Another song that is playing a lot in my head right now is an old favorite of mine - "More Than Words" by Extreme (also remade by Westlife).

Namaste.

"Nothing much happens without a dream. For something really great to happen, it takes a really great dream." - Robert Greenleaf

Success!

I stopped by the store last night to check on some sales that MommyMarie gave me a heads-up.

I didn't get what I initially thought I was going to, but I do consider the visit a success.
Why, you ask?

Well. . .
Every item that I bought was ON SALE! Yes - EVERY ITEM!
I saved ~47%!
Feel free to express your amazement at my wondrous sale finding ability. :)

Recommendation: If you have wanted to try the Quaker Oats Weight Control Oatmeal, NOW IS THE TIME! A box is normally $4.19, but not this week! Yes, I stocked up and bought them out of my favorite flavor (Maple Syrup) at a whopping price of $2.00 (The super secret location of this awesome deal is: Kroger).

It was a very successful night!

Namaste.

A Loss and A Win...

I've been MIA for awhile - my apologies. Had a lot of things going on. . .
Most importantly: Yesterday was MBB's birthday. Happy Birthday Hon!

Sunday was a day of football for me. The Bengals kicked-off at 1:00 and OB's team played at 4:30. Now, this caused a bit of a problem for me as I (initially) wanted to watch my orange and black, but I wanted to see the red and black too. So, I watched the first half of the Bengals game and then got updates via cell phone from MommyMarie for the second half.

I was a bit embarrassed by how the first game went. I wasn't the only one! Here are some of the comments made by Peter King in the MMQB:

• Goat of the Week
  The entire Cincinnati defense. For a multitude of sins. For allowing the moribund Browns to score 51 points. For allowing 41 points and 365 total yards in the first 39 minutes. For not touching Lewis on a 66-yard touchdown run. For making Anderson look better than Kenny Anderson. Just a ridiculous performance by a unit that will doom this playoff contender to also-random.
• 3. I think this is the reason a lot of people in my business and a lot of coaches and football people respect Mike Pereira, the NFL's vice president of officiating. Last Monday night in the Cincinnati-Baltimore game, back judge Steve Freeman, on fourth-and-goal from the Bengals' 1-yard line with two minutes left in the fourth quarter, called Ravens tight end Todd Heap for offensive pass interference, negating a touchdown that would have tied the score at 27.
  The call, obviously, was absurd. There was some very slight jostling, but maybe 20 percent of the jostling that takes place between receivers and defensive backs on plays when pass interference is not called. A terrible call. The nation saw it; Pereira saw it. And when he was asked about it on the league's in-house channel, the NFL Network, Pereira could have said, "Oh, it's a judgment call, and the official obviously saw interference, in his judgment'' and ended it right there. No. This is what he said: "The judgment made is his to make. When I run it, I don't like it.'' Perfect.
  He didn't rip Freeman, though I'm sure privately he told Freeman it was a terrible call. (This, by the way, has nothing to do with swallowing a whistle in the final two minutes of the game, or ignoring ticky-tack calls in crunch time, which has always been urban legend in the NBA. This is all about whether a call was correct or not.) What Pereira said, in effect, was this: We all saw it was a bad call, and I'm sure even the back judge now knows it. There's no sense in any of us sticking our heads in the sand and pretending it didn't happen. I'm not going to rip the guy, but I am going to acknowledge that we have to do better.
• 5. I think this is what I didn't like about Week 2:
  b. Worst job of not getting two feet down in the end zone on a gimme touchdown: T.J. Houshmandzadeh. A sure touchdown should have been negated in Cleveland because he didn't drag his feet right.
  e. Really dumb play by Chad Johnson at the end of the first half in Cleveland. Browns up 27-21, 11 seconds left, Johnson catches a deep out from Carson Palmer with no timeouts left and, instead of ducking out of bounds, he lunges forward, stays inbounds and prevents the Bengals from getting off another play. Got to have a sense of where you are, and what the clock says, Chad.
  f. Phantom coverage job by Johnathan Joseph, the Bengal corner, on Kellen Winslow, resulting in the easy Winslow TD.

OK, enough about the game that I would rather forget and a better topic: THE WIN! OB's team kicked off at 4:30 and I was there with camera in hand! 277 pictures later (I haven't been able to delete out the bad ones yet) and we have another win!!! I was pretty excited about this - both of the games that I have taken pictures of...They have won. :)

Namaste.

Life...

I am only responsible for my life...
I am not responsible for anyone else's.

I honor my promises...
I have no control if others do.

I hold my head up high based on how I am living my life...
I will not prop up someone else's head for them.

I make decisions and judgements based on what I feel is best...
I will be the first to admit that what is best to me may be different from what is best for others.

That is life...I see opportunity to grow, to experience and to enjoy.
I love the life that I have chosen to live and the people that are a part of it.

I do as I want. I am who I am. I give no apologies.
This is me. This is my journey. These are my opinions. These are my memories.

Namaste.

Chicken

The one food that MBB, Social Butterfly, OB and I all like and do not get tired of easily is: Chicken.

I'm on a mission to find some healthy recipes that everyone will like using. . .you guessed it - CHICKEN!
So far, I have made chicken ziti and a chicken/sausage mixture over rice (it came from a cookbook, but I don't feel like going downstairs to get the official name).

This weekend, I am planning to make a friend's recipe involving La Rosa's pizza sauce and mozzarella cheese and then my broccoli, cheese, rice casserole with chicken (minus the broccoli for MBB's portion!). I should note that we all like steak too - so, I'm going to attempt steak and mashed potatoes! Cross your fingers that I don't end up with lumpy potatoes!

I'm starting to run out of ideas so that it doesn't seem like I cook the same things over and over...
Anyone got any good recipes that they want to share?

Namaste.

Six Years Later. . .

I was talking to MBB this morning and he reminded me of the date.


I was talking to him at 9:19am. . .
So it wasn't just six years ago today, but six years ago now:
> 8:46 Flight 11 crashes into the World Trade Center's north tower about the 80th floor.
> 9:02 Flight 175 crashes into the World Trade Center's south tower about the 60th floor.
> 9:37 Flight 77 crashes into the Pentagon.
> 10:06 Flight 93 crashes in a field in Pennsylvania thanks to the Heroes on board.

I will never forget the feelings that I had during those two hours. The Internet pretty much shut down. We don't have radios or TVs at work. We were relying on the telephone and hearing from people who had access to information.

I took a few moments to remember.
I took a few moments to think of the soldiers over seas.
I took a few moments to be thankful for all I have and all I am.
I took a few moments thinking of the people in my life that are dear to me.
I took a few moments. . .

Namaste.

It's A Great Day To Be A Bengal Fan!

Wow! The Bengals won their season opener against Baltimore 27-20!
What a nerve-wracking, nail biting, heart pounding game!

I think full credit of this win needs to go to the Defense.
I'm not sure what happened to the Offense, but I hope coach figures that one out quick!


Namaste.

Who Knows Me? Update

OK. . .15 of you have taken the quiz.

Here's the leader board so far.
I'm using the same names that are posted on myspace...

95% Right (190 points): Moriah N.
85% Right (170 points): Amy H. and Bryon B.
80% Right (160 points): Missy W.
75% Right (150 points): Carrie B., Deb P., Holly F. and Nancy N.
70% Right (140 points): Bob P.
65% Right (130 points): Don D. and Mel D.
50% Right (100 points): Clay N.
45% Right (90 points): Sara P.
40% Right (80 points): Ken H. and Nick S.

Anyone else want to give it a try? You may learn something new about me!
A few people have tried who I don't think I have ever met (I'm still trying to figure out who Nick S. is!)...
http://www.testriffic.com/friendtest/2893757

Update on the condo situation:
The electric is back on and all is well.
My mouth is extremely sore from the rubber bands, but all is well there too!

Namaste.

I Guess Life Was Getting Too Even-Keal!

Wednesday was full of weird twists and turns! There were a few things that happened, but I figure there is one in particular that may interest everyone the most...

I got home from the gym about 9:15pm, unlocked and opened the front door just in time to hear a LOUD pop and see smoke pouring out of my electrical meter box. The entire building went dark - roughly seven condos...and smoke was still coming out of my box.

A quick phone call invited two fire trucks, two ambulances and quite a few police cars to my home. Of course, the smoke visitor decided to hightail it out of town before the new visitors arrived. My fuse box got red tagged and the recording at the electric company said that power would be restored by 3:30am-ish.

Needless to say, my nerves were shot and I was at wits end! Luckily, I have this amazing guy in my life who is willing to take care of me: from calling the electrical company for a status to letting me crash on his couch (yes, I slept on the couch alone - no comments from the peanut gallery!).

Maybe this was just another way to make sure that I don't take the blessings in my life for granted?
Or maybe it was a way to give me something new to blog about! :)

Namaste.

Failing in my picture duties!

Anyone who knows me knows that I take an obscene number of pictures...
Especially at Bengals games!

As the 2006 season came to an end, I uploaded the following (duplicates and blurry ones were deleted prior to uploading):
Browns (Roadtrip) - 120 pictures
Baltimore (Monday Night) - 104 pictures
Raiders (Home) - 136 pictures
Indianapolis (Roadtrip) - 130 pictures
Steelers (Home...New Year's Eve) - 96 pictures

Anyone care to guess how many pictures I uploaded of the Bengals - Colts game last Friday?
39...
Yep, you read that right...39!

I guess I was focused on something better than the game. :)

Namaste.