Friday Feast - June 30th

Appetizer

On average, approximately how many times per day do you yawn?

Does anybody actually count? I think it depends on the day and how tired and bored I am. I am sure that I yawn less on weekends and more at work. I am yawning right now, actually. Did anyone actually read this without yawning? Doubt it!

Soup

What was your most memorable school field trip?

There are two that stick out in my mind:

One of them was my Senior class trip to New York City. I'll never forget the breathtaking view as we stood at the top of the World Trade Center and looked out over the city. I also hung out with my future husband, who was just a friend and my big crush at the time.

The other trip was in my early years. The whole class went to the game preserve or the zoo, I ate one of those orange candy "circus peanuts"--it didn't really agree with me-- and I puked in the bushes. No more circus peanuts for me.

Salad

Fill in the blank: I was extremely __________________ this week.

I was extremely busy this week. Work was crazy. I had plans almost every night. I'm ready to just get some sun, sleep and relax this weekend!

Main Course

Which color do you think of when you hear the word "soothing"?

I think of blue...ocean water...I can hear the waves rolling in right now. I can feel the sand between my toes and I have a drink with a little umbrella in it. (The little umbrella is blue too--making the whole experience really soothing). I plan to make this fantasy a reality very soon.

Dessert

What is something that, if you had to, you could save up the money to buy within one month?

Hmmm, it depends on what I'm after. I can survive on rice and beans for a while if there's something I really want bad enough. Beans and rice for a piece of jewelry or a weekend getaway to ride some roller-coasters--it's an easy trade!

Where Does the Time Go?

This photo is a moment in my life almost exactly 10 years ago. June 29, 1996. Tomorrow is our 10 year wedding anniversary.

It is a beautiful moment. I remember being happy, excited and scared to death all at the same time. I realize, looking back, that I had no idea what I was getting into. When I was standing in the front of that church, in my 20's, making my vows, I really didn't know what it would take to have a successful marriage. I just got lucky.

You say the words, "in sickness and in health" but you never think about suffering through intestinal parasites together. (Yes, we did.) It's not just the big things like, religion, politics and the number of kids you want to have, but the little things that you deal with every day. How will your money be spent? What toppings will you get on your pizza? Will you live paycheck to paycheck or will you work together to stay out of debt and plan for retirement? What will you do on your weekends? When you want to travel, what will you both agree on? What color will you paint your bedroom? What kind of cereal are you going to buy? What movie are you going to rent?

Over the course of a decade, thousands of decisions are made. I now realize how important it is to pick someone that you love as well as someone you can talk to and work with on many, many decisions. It is the biggest merger of your life. Business and love all wrapped into one.

I was lucky. I followed my heart and it led me in the right direction. Before I got married, I was young and naive and believed in true love. Now, I am older and more experienced and not only do I still believe in true love, I've seen proof of it first hand.

Happily ever after isn't just an urban legend after all.

Better Than Fuzzy Dice?

I saw a car with a Jesus air freshener and a stuffed Spiderman hanging together from the rear view mirror in a parking lot. I have to wonder:

• What Jesus thinks about being on an air freshener.
• Is that person is trying to make some sort of statement with that combination or if it is just a random collection of items on his/her mirror.
• What does the air freshener smell like?
• If Splenda is really made from sugar, why does it not have any calories?

I realize the last bullet item is not related to the car mirror, but don't you wonder about that sometimes? Maybe that's just me.

Friday's Feast

Happy Friday, Everyone! Here is my first "Friday's Feast". (Click on Friday's Feast to see what I'm talking about)

Appetizer
On a scale of 1-10 with 10 being highest, how much do you like your job?

I've only been at this job for about 3 1/2 weeks, but right now, I would say it is about an 8. I like the people, the atmosphere and what I do. That's HUGE. I would have rated it higher, but I figure that a "Nine" would be reserved for a job like working for Skywalker Ranch, Disney or at VH1. A "Ten" would be having a job like Kelly Ripa has--showing up for a few hours, exchanging some witty banter with Regis, getting paid lots of money and having a team of people to make you look glamorous every day. That's got to be a ten. So, you have to admit, an eight is not so bad.

Soup
When was the last time you think you were lied to?

Wow, this is an interesting question. I am probably too trusting of people to know the answer to this one. It could have just happened 5 seconds ago, but I wouldn't know it.

Salad
Share some lyrics from one of your favorite songs.

I couldn't stick with just one song--I could go on and on. Here's just a few off the top of my head. They either make me laugh, or I think they are clever or have something interesting to say. I'll let you decide which is which...

"I used to work in the record store, now I work for my Dad, stripping the paint off of hardwood floors, the hours are pretty bad." - "Hackensack", Fountains of Wayne

"I'm happy as Christmas, all wrapped to be seen, I'm your recent acquisition, time to celebrate me." - "Better Now", Collective Soul

"Fate's got cards that it don't wanna show." - "Walkaway Joe", Trisha Yearwood

"I want a brand new house on an episode of "Cribs" and a bathroom that I can play baseball in and a king-size tub big enough for 10 plus me." - "Rockstar", Nickelback

"Working all day for a mean little man, with a clip on tie and a rub on tan. He's got me running round the office like a dog around a track, but when I get back home you're always there to rub my back." - "Hey Julie", Fountains of Wayne

Main Course
What do you do/take when you are in pain?

If it's muscle pain, Advil is my drug of choice. Perfect for cramps or stiff muscles after skiing. Headaches and other stuff--Tylenol.

Dessert
Fill in the blanks: My __________ is very __________.

My dogs are very cute.

Blue Like Jazz

I'm currently reading a great book. It's called Blue Like Jazz: Non-religious Thoughts on Christian Spirituality by Donald Miller. The Eccentric Blonde currently has it listed as her favorite book in her profile. My husband also read it. I picked it up the other day and read the back. This is what it says on the back of the book:

"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. But sometimes you have to watch somebody love something before you can love it yourself...I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened."

How can you not just pick up the book and start reading after that? You pretty much have to do it.

I think if you are a staunch atheist, die-hard Christian or anywhere in between, you are going to find something interesting, thought provoking or just something to relate to in this book. I can already tell that it is one of those books that I will want to read multiple times.

Funny, honest, down to earth, not at all "preachy"...and I highly recommend it.

Summer is Almost Here

Tomorrow is officially the first day of summer. I tend to go into spring kicking and screaming (No, please don't make me pack up all of my sweaters and black and gray clothes!) but by the time summer gets here, I am usually pretty happy about it. I start getting into that summer-mood.

Isn't it strange how different summer is when you are an adult? Instead of weeks of hanging out, sleeping in and getting tan, we go to work, complain about how the humidity affects our hair and try to schedule a week to "get away from it all". I don't care, it might not be the same as when we were kids, but there is still something magical about summer that makes me feel young and adventurous again. Like I want to drive too fast with my radio turned up and my windows rolled down. And I want to ride roller-coasters and scream. And I enjoy the sound of flip flops. Or maybe I just had too much coffee this morning.

Chicken Poop?

There is a lip balm out there called CHICKEN POOP. I think I am going to have to make a trip to Walgreens...

Happy Friday!

Happy Friday, everyone! Here is my traditional Friday mug to ring in the end of the work week. Enjoy the weekend!

Seventeen

Seventeen years ago today, my husband asked me out on our very first date. Well, sort of. It was the first time that he ever asked me to go and do something, outside of school, just the two of us. It was June 15, 1989. It was just a trip to go shopping for graduation gifts for our friends, but it was a great day. He was so sweet, polite and attentive--years beyond a typical 18 year old. It seems like an eternity ago and yet it seems like just yesterday.

There was no way I could have known that we would get married one day. We were just a couple of young kids, hanging out together. Yet, somehow it felt special. Special enough for me to take note of that date and see the possibilities that lie ahead. I knew I liked him and that he made me laugh. Sometimes, those seemingly small things can mean so much.

I'm so glad that he asked me out. I'm so glad that I said yes. And I still like him--and he still makes me laugh.

Dates, Times and....Toothpaste?

I find myself doing weird things in relationship to times and dates. Maybe it's a borderline obsessive-compulsive thing. I'm not sure. I'm not even sure what you would call it.

I will brush my teeth in the morning and as I put the toothbrush down, I sometimes think, "I wonder what will be different about the world when I pick this up again tonight". If I get my oil changed, and they stick one of those stickers on the car window above my head with the recommended date to get my next oil change, I might think, "I wonder what will be different about the world when that date arrives." This happens to me all the time. If I check out a library book. If I make my next dentist appointment for 6 months down the road. If I am scheduling a vacation. If I am working on a long-term project for work...doctor's appointments, birthdays, New Year's--it crosses my mind a lot.

I'm not sure why I do it. It's not like I am expecting anything earth-shattering to happen, but I can't help but look at a date in the future without having my mind go in that direction and just...wonder. It's the future. It seems so intangible. Unpredictable. I think I'm fascinated by the fact that every day starts the same, no matter what the outcome.

When you brush your teeth tomorrow morning, what do you think will be different about the world when you brush again tomorrow night?

There. I've said it. So now, hopefully, I'm not the only person who will be thinking about these things while squeezing Crest onto my brush in the morning. Don't forget to floss.

Factory Worker

My new job is in a factory. Well, sort of. The pictures above are actually what the building used to look like back in the 1920's. It was an old stove factory. Several years ago it was converted into a cool shopping/business complex. It still has the water tower out front. However, it now contains trendy restaurants (like Saffire and Stoveworks), various businesses, an old fashioned ice cream shop, live theater, unique shops and art galleries. It is really a mind boggling transformation.

Sometimes, I'll be walking into work, looking at the building and I think about the history. It's strange to imagine stoves being manufactured in that location. Sometimes, while sitting at my computer, I'll look up at the giant, old windows and the aged brick and see the character of the building. I wish the walls could talk. It's definitely not your typical office space.

Locally, it's known simply as The Factory and I feel lucky to be able to work there.

Philosophy Inspired by Saw II and Def Leppard

Last night, we watched the horror movie Saw II. We enjoy a good horror flick every now and then. Gets the blood pumping. First, let me just say, it was well done.

The opening scene, as disturbing as it was, made my husband physically sweat and I had to avert my eyes for part of it. Bravo to a movie that can do that to two seasoned horror flick watchers! The serial killer in the flick kidnaps people, puts them in disturbing situations where they have to decide if they value their life enough to do something horrible like cut off their own leg, etc to survive. They are given the tools, given a time limit and then forced to make the choice.

As I was falling asleep last night, I remember thinking about the premise of the movie. How much do we all really value our lives? We go about our day to day life, drinking coffee, going to work and dealing with stress on the job, grocery shopping, etc. It can be very mundane. There can be lots to complain about. We all do it.

Then, something hit me that is very simple and something that probably everyone else already knows, but it finally "clicked". No matter who you are, whether you are on welfare and living in a shack or living in a mansion with a swimming pool, there is always someone worse off and always someone better off. We can all achieve our butts off, but if we are in that mindset, we can always fall into the trap of wanting more and not really remembering how many people wish they were in the situation we are currently in. I guess you hear the old saying "There is always someone else worse off" but I don't know that I really ever put it all together. I do like my life. Yes, there are people out there with more money, bigger homes and smaller jeans, but so what? There always will be. We could spend an eternity playing the comparison game if we choose to do so.

When the drummer from Def Leppard lost his arm in car crash, he could have played the "woe is me" game--and who would have blamed him if he did? For crying out loud, he was drummer-- and he lost an ARM! Instead, he just adapted to his new situation. He became the world's first (and only?) truly successful one-armed drummer. (We also watched a Def Leppard special last night before bed. You can imagine the weird dreams I have with the mixture of thoughts running through my mind as I fall asleep...) I am going to try ("try" being the key word here) to embrace life more and look at problems differently. Aren't we supposed to see them as challenges instead of obstacles? Opportunity for growth? Easier said than done, but I really like the sound of it.

I guess what I am trying to say is yes, I do value my life and I appreciate all I have, but I really hope that no one makes me saw off my own leg to prove it!

Meeting an American Icon

Today I met Lassie. Yes, I know this sounds crazy. However, because of some relationship or association that Lassie has to the parent company who owns the company I work for, Lassie came to my workplace today.

When I first got the e-mail announcing that Lassie would be visiting, I thought, "That's cool" and just went about my day. In my mind, I thought, ok, some collie is going to show up. We'll get to pet the dog--whatever. No big deal, right? Surely there have been like 100 Lassies over the course of the last few decades. It's just another dog. However, when the dog actually showed up, it was a whole different story.

Grown men were clamoring for the opportunity to go pose for a picture with Lassie. The dog was so well-trained, intelligent, calm (and beautiful, for that matter) that as soon as you laid eyes on her, you immediately were thrown back to your childhood and you believed that this dog actually was Lassie! When people held up cameras, the dog (being the professional she was) actually looked at the camera and posed. It was the coolest thing.

Yes, I confess. Today, I was rendered completely starstruck--by a dog.

Daily Mugs

You can tell what day of the week it is by the coffee mugs that are used in our home. Kind of like the days of the week underpants, but more practical.

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday are pretty simple. They are the traditional mugs that come with the casual dinnerware. Nothing special. Nothing fancy. Just your basic-size cup of coffee like you would get if you stopped at an all night diner driving through New Jersey.

By Thursday, the weekend is getting close enough to taste. It is time for the larger, brown mugs that were a promotional item for Nichole Nordeman's first album several years ago. Or, if those are not available, we use the mugs from the Bahama Breeze restaurant that we went to in Atlanta a few years ago.

By Saturday (don't worry, I'll come back to Friday), the weekend has already arrived and so the GIANT Disney mugs come out. Huge, triple sized mugs. One is decorated with Jiminy Cricket for Husband, one with Alice in Wonderland for me. Gigantic and just perfect for consuming a caffeinated beverage while flipping through the sale papers in your pajamas. (You are still in your pajamas, of course, because you were up too late watching Pinata: Survival Island during Fear Friday on the AMC network). On a side note, this is truly one of the worst, but "oh so bad that it's good", horror movies out there.

Last, but not least, is the Friday mug. These are my favorite mugs of all time. They are bright yellow and decorated with an illustration of our favorite restaurant in Little Italy - La Mela. (La Mela is a cheesily decorated, yet delicious Italian restaurant in the heart of New York's Little Italy. PLEASE go there the next time you are in NY and can find your way to 167 Mulberry Street.) It makes me happy just to see the mugs. It reminds me of cheap red wine, too much pasta and gelato for dessert. Mmmm. Makes me wish it was Friday.

Resolutions?

It's June and I was thinking about my list of New Year's resolutions. I knocked a few off the list so far. I lost a few pounds since January (still working to lose a few more). I found a better job. I signed up to get a daily bible verse e-mailed to me and make it a point to read those e-mails daily.

One resolution that was relatively easy, but I still hadn't gotten around to, was to get a library card. I've been back to the Nashville area for a little over 2 years and I still hadn't gotten around to this. Yesterday, I finally got myself a library card for the Williamson County Public Library.

It's been a while since I've been in a library. I've been satisfying my book cravings with trips to Borders and Barnes and Noble. When I walked in to get my card, I felt an unexpected wave of happiness. I don't know what it is. It's something about the smell of the books, the hushed voices, and the possibilities of infinite knowledge surrounding me. Books on every subject, hundreds of DVD's, magazines and audio books. It's all there for the taking (or at least for the borrowing) and it doesn't cost a dime.

Now, I just have to figure out what I want to borrow, and I'll be all set!

Constant Questions

Stuff I Find Myself Pondering at New Job:

• I know I was introduced to him, but what is that person's name?
• What the heck is the fax number here?
• How on earth do I use this fax machine?
• How do I use this microwave?
• Where are the plastic forks?
• When people sit outside to eat lunch, where is this taking place?
• Do I have to dial "9" to call out?
• How do I transfer a call?
• Who is this person calling me and what on earth are they talking about?
• Where does that hallway go?
• Why on earth do they have that in their lunchroom?
• If I use a Mac at work and a PC at home, which one will eventually feel most natural?