Back in Stride Again?

Okay. The title isn't so affirming but it's the best I could do today.  I mean, I did do a few things that would indicated that my mood is lightening.  That's a good thing.  I will also say that not having cable has been quite the experience but has left me with a more varied viewing experience of less mindless television.  A documentary here. A National Geographic special there. Hopefully the lack of cable will translate into more creativity.

Let's see what lovely things made the list today.

1. Oh roasted veggies, I've missed you so much.  I got the vegetables for this delicious meal from an event on campus.  Students never want to eat too many of the raw veggies - so I lucked out!
2. Oh workout routine, I've missed you too. I did elliptical training today for 30 minutes.  I used to run but lately I just don't feel like running.  I figured elliptical training could be my gateway workout. LOL
3. I asked for the entire week of Spring Break off and now I have it. What shall I do? I never take time off like this. I definitely need it though.
4. Today people seemed extra friendly. Wouldn't it be amazing if everyone was like that?
5. I got the buckles I ordered to make new bracelets.  New colors!  Now, I don't know why that makes me happy, but it does. hahaha

Hey, You're Just Too Funky for Me

The "Blue Funk" has returned.  I don't know why but it has definitely crept back up on me. I think I need a getaway.   For Spring Break, I think I'm going to take the whole week off. Maybe drive somewhere and bike ride and just clear my head and get back in "the game".

1. I did a presentation for the office today based on the "Love Your People" booklets and discussion questions I ordered. It went well and people were getting into the philosophy of the book.  Pretty good for a guy in a funky mood!
2. Since it was a cloud over my day, I came home and finally made these pizza rolls that I found on Pinterest.  Very tasty but I think I'll try it with dinner rolls next time.  The bread on the crescent rolls was too sweet.
3. Jimmy Kimmel is the man!  I needed a good ass laugh tonight and him and Oprah gave it to me!  Watch this clip of "Jimmy Kimmel Pitches OWN Shows to Oprah".  TOO FUNNY!
4. Just ordered Amazon Prime and with it you get unlimited video streaming on ROKU - BOOYAH!  So my inaugural movie is Sparkle.   Another movie waiting to be watched is All About Eve. TOO EXCITED!
5. Going to bed early is something that I love. I need the extra couple of hours and I hope that turns the blue a few shades lighter.  Good night!

And the Oscar Goes To...

I have had a headache for two days.  I hope it goes away tomorrow.  I've been so very lazy today. Spent the majority of the day in bed. I'm sure that has only contributed to my headache.  UGH... but you know.. I am not going to whine.  I am going to think about the awesome things that happened today!

1. I thought I was going to lose my mind when I realized that I didn't have cable anymore and couldn't pick up any channels.  I mean... OMG.. The Oscars are on!!  Well, after searching for about 20 minutes, I finally found a site that let me watch it for free online.  :0)
2. I loved this explanation of Geeks and Hipsters. hahaha I'm about 80% hipster.
3. I watched two movies today.  Contagion and Beginners.  Both were good movies and I got to see the Academy Award performance by Captain von Trapp... I mean Christopher Plummer. :0)
4. Etsy - I finally showed you some attention today my friend!  I'm glad I was able to take the photos and upload the items today.  Whew!
5. Way to go Octavia Spencer!  I love that you won and that you seem so down to earth!

Mmm Pizza...

I haven't had a Saturday where I did nothing in a very long time.  What's funny is that while I did nothing I still did something!  I cleaned and did laundry - which was nice because I didn't feel rushed to be anywhere or so anything.  I also made a very adult decision.  I'll talk about that in a minute.  In all, Saturday was a great day.

1. Laundry: Check! Vacuuming: Check! Scrubbing shower: Check! Cleaning bedroom: Check!  Damn, I was productive.  I love being in the zone with cleaning.
2. I made the call into Verizon Fios. I turned cable off.  I was a bit nervous but when that lady told me that I would be saving $70 a month, I lost all nervousness! HAHA I love saving money way more than I like having cable.
3. Someone gave me a new coffee mug - this one from Peru.  Very thoughtful.  
4. I normally don't try different types of pizzas.  Tonight, due to compromise, I tried the chicken alfredo pizza.  Very tasty!  I might have to try that one again.
5. Speaking of pizza - I ordered cheese bread or sticks or whatever you want to call them.  Papa Johns and that deliciously devilish garlic butter!!! All I can say is Mmmm Mmmm good.

Lifes Rich Pageant

Today started off rocky.  I haven't been getting enough sleep at all. I think it's time to flip the mattress. I knew making it through my meetings today as well as getting through the event tonight would be tough but I made it.I'm back on the routine, too!  WOO HOO!

1. I had never been to the Mr. and Ms. Black GMU Pageant but I'm glad I went this year and served as a judge.  It was a nice event.  
2. Lots of these students are very talented. There was a vocal performance group that sang a song called "Black and Blue".  They were so amazing that I had to speak to them after the program and let them know.  I am determined to find them an opportunity to perform again!
3. It's always a nice time having lunch with Jen.  Now we're planning her a night out on the town where she can "show her feathers" - btw, when she said that, I thought she literally meant feathers and asked her if she was going to wear a boa. LOL
4. Today I was able to flex my talents in graphic design and web design.  I feel so accomplished! YAY!! 
5. My brother let me know that someone wants to order ten bracelets from me.  How awesome is that?  Mo' Money... Mo' Money... Mo' Money...

A Wiggle in My Toes

I have been UBER busy.... well more like preoccupied. Maybe even distracted.  Definitely off my routine. At any rate, it's been a good couple of days. I've shaken the blah mood and I'm pretty much back to normal - aside from getting back into my regular routine. haha  The weather has been amazing so hopefully this weekend I can go out and enjoy it.

1. I just read this on a blog this morning: "As Anais Nin said, "We see things not as they are, but as we are."   Perception!" Such a good thing to remember about ourselves. I need to really put this into context of the last few weeks. Whew.
2. "Our prime purpose in life is to help others. And if you can't help them, at least don't hurt them." I saw this pop up on my Facebook news feed. Very true. 
3. I went on a nice "meet and greet" as I call it. hahaha
4. I'm excited about the socks I bought.  Strange I know, but these are cool socks!  They go over each individual toe. LOL
5. I love that I have had another productive day.

Rainbows

Today I was called out on my "blahness mood".  I've been in a funk before but as my boss put it, it's never last more than a week.  I am now in week two.  Hopefully it'll pass sooner. Maybe I'm just dehydrated. HAHA wouldn't it be nice if it were just that?  At any rate - let's get on with this list so I can go to bed.. I am worn out!

1. If you watched Glee, then you know it was an amazing episode!  I loved the opening song and scene but it was unfortunate what happened. Lots of "rainbows" in this episode.
2. I found a new little web show that's pretty interesting. It's on Crackle and it's called Gay Town. It's about a straight guy who is stuck in a town full of gays. Anything he does as a straight man is illegal and he's ostracized for not being gay.
3. I got to work really early (for me) and was administratively productive today. Like McDonald's tagline, "I'm lovin' it"!
4. I have been hearing a song a lot lately and had no idea who it was. While watching Glee tonight, I Googled the words, "I'm glad you came".  It's actually by The Wanted and well, Glee did a way better version of the song. hahaha
5. Oh wow... I'm to the last one and I have dozed off three or four times already!  I need a 5th item, STAT!  OOoh  I love that my boss brought in a bag of Swedish Fish... Now that was uber nice of her!

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Day Two: Family Visit.  I've come to recognize that if I had kids, they'd be trained like my dog Big Mac. LOL I've been amazed (figure of speech cause I'm really not amazed) by how they are.  I guess I have an expectation that seems to live in the memory of how my parents raised me.  There are certain expectations of children of a certain age. Those expectations exists because you're preparing them for life outside of the nest. I remember learning how to properly wash dishes - dishes are good and clean when they're no greasy feeling left on the item and no food residue. I might add that I was the one who did the dishes because I got to eat for free. So many lessons were taught to me as a kid because I was given responsibility.  Oh, and the back talk I'm hearing?  I have four words for that - HELL - TO - THE - NAW! Do I hear Aretha singing???? R-E-S-P-E-C-T...

Any how... It will certainly be interesting to see it all works out. [steps off soap box] On to the list.

1. HULU has me watching The Cleveland Show - the episode, The Hurricane, is pretty good.  It touched on the topic of religion - I love how Jr. took on the views that he did on religion. My sentiments are the same. hahaha
2. My brother made a nice cheesy lasagna.  It was tasty AND I didn't have to cook.  So that was pretty amazing in itself! 
3. My roommate gave me a belated birthday gift. That was pretty nice of him. It was a gathering of items - one of which is a mandarin/lemon scented candle that smells awesome!
4. I've seen this video before but I saw it again tonight and remembered how much I loved it - Is Being Gay a Choice?
5. I enjoyed my visit to Madame Tussaud's and to the Native American History Museum today. It was very informative. I don't think my nephews enjoyed it but whatever....

Rockin' in the Free World

I've never pledged my allegiance to any one sports team in a long while. I'm not really a sports fan but there have been teams that I have always rooted for - the Detroit Pistons and the Marshall University football team. Today, I felt connected to the George Mason University Mens Basketball team.  It was great to watch the Patriots take the win today, the last home game of the season.

1. On the way to the game I got to sign the banners for all of the graduating seniors on the Mason basketball team. 
2. I got a delicious steak sub from Vocelli's Pizza and it was DELICIOUS!
3.  I am still amazed by this Roku Box.  Best. Piece. Of. Technology. EVER!
4. My niece kicked my butt in Guitar Hero.  So much for thinking I was pretty good. hahaha I love how she was so into keeping track of the scores and beating her uncle, which I didn't mind.
5. Sleeping pills. Check.  I love that I had some on hand so that I could sleep like a rock!

Family Fun Time

Today marks the first time my brother and his kids have visited since I've been in my (semi) newly acquired home.  It's pretty cool having them here.  I haven't seen them in about 4 years and let me just say - What a difference that time frame makes!  They all have gotten so tall and the oldest has facial hair!  The others have hit puberty and I'm just floored.  I guess that means they've gotten older and so have I.  The oldest nephew was born in 1993.  That doesn't seem so long ago to me - but geez - he's a grown ass man now. Might not be mature but he can now vote.

1. I had a series of nice meetings today.  I have to say that I think I'm going to enjoy partnering with a new person on an initiative. 
2. I loved seeing that the Program Board event tonight was PACKED. Great job!
3. I loved that I was able to play video games with my nephew and niece. Clearly, they play these games way more than me LOL I think tomorrow night I will challenge them in Guitar Hero!
4. Today marked my debut at a voice over artist. hahaha I had to do a series of videos on how to use a program.  The videos are for students and I hope they prove to be helpful. really enjoyed making them. 
5. While out to dinner with family, we sat next to a table with a very talkative, yet good-natured Korean guy that made sure we knew he could be "down" with the black folks. hahaha He was kind of annoying (and drunk) however, I loved how he got serious for a moment and got on my nephews case about not going to college. This was a classic moment!  A total stranger saying to my nephew, "Man, you should go to college, even if it's community college because a degree will open doors."  That was very nice of him to say and while he was annoying for most of the meal, him saying this made a world of difference to me.

Slow News Day

My eyes are TIRED.. it's been a helluva week.  There's definitely been a theme going on here.  My body is telling me to slooooooooooooow down.  I can't slow down this weekend because I have family in town, but next week you better believe I will.  I just need a weekend where I don't do or go anywhere.  WHEW.. I'm in need of recharging my battery.

It was definitely a slow "news" day around here too.. but I still found 5 items!

1. When I got home I was excited to see that I received my Roku Box!  WOO HOO!  So.. now it's time to hook it up. Unfortunately, I was too tired tonight to focus on doing that. 
2. I made some great guacamole tonight. Those avocados were ripened to perfection!
3. Great conversation was had tonight with someone in my office.  It's was one of those types of conversations where you sense that we both really understood each other a little better. 
4. It rained most of the day but that didn't keep people from being friendly.  People seemed extra friendly today. I don't mind that at all. I think people should practice kindness regularly. 
5. When I left campus tonight the traffic wasn't bad at all. I think i got home within 25 minutes.. That's pretty much a record on a Thurdday night.  Metro DC traffic ain't no joke!

It's a Beautiful Life

Simply stated, no matter what you're going through based on your perspective, it's a wonderful life. When I thought about this, I also thought about the Ace of Base song called, "It's a Beautiful Life". Then I wanted to hear the song... hahaha

Enjoy!

1. What a great song by Estelle. It's a Wonderful Life.  I love when people push out positivity.  There is just way too much negativity out there... It's like people like to wallow is sorrow.  When you really think about things in the grand scheme, it most certainly a wonderful life because things can always be worse.
2. I desperately needed an oil change.  When I left work it was nearing 7PM.  The place closes at 7PM.  I made it in the nick of time.  WHEW!  They even informed me of things I needed to get done - a new battery, new fuel filter. I'm glad I got my tax return! LOL
3. You know, they say that when things feel uncomfortable that those are the times we experience growth.  Today I felt uncomfortable.  While I don't like that feeling, I love growing and becoming better at what I do.
4. Today I rocked the preppy look according to Melissa.  I like that! LOL
5. My brother, who will be visiting this weekend, sent me a text to ask about the weather. He then asked if I had a coat he could wear here.  Mind you...my brother and I haven't worn the same size since I was in 7th grade.  Make another note that he is 8 years older than me.  The final note is that I have been, since 8th grade, been larger than him.  Now, fast forward to today - we wear the same size! hahaha His weight has gone up and mine has gone down and we meet in the middle. How funny!

Valentine, What? Valentine, Who?

It's Valentine's Day... AND??

ANYWAY - here's my list for today.

1. Glee was FANTASTIC tonight.  
2. Good pep talk from the boss today.. I needed that.
3. I ate the chili that I made on Sunday tonight.. It was totally tastier than that night.  
4. I bought myself the Roku today.. I am sooooo excited to get it and be released from the hold cable has had on me.
5. I was in University Hall today on campus and there are hallways in that building that were reminiscent of a scene in The Misadventures of AWKWARD Black Girl  LOLOLOLOLOLOL  I love that that's the first thing that popped into my head each time I passed people!

Facebook Will You Be My Valentine?

Today was all about technology. I talked about technology at work and then came home to learn about technology.  How about that?   I LOVE technology! I love Facebook. lol Tomorrow is Valentine's Day and I haven't had a Valentine since 2005. Crazy, huh? Oh well, Facebook, will you be mine?

1. Out of necessity I have been trying to find ways to NOT have cable.  Paying all this money for it is ridiculous.  I'm downsizing.  I mentioned downsizing on Facebook and learned about Playon.tv AMAZING!! I am sitting here watching 60 Minutes through the internet on my TV.  FOR FREE!  There are limited commercials, too! You can't beat that with a stick.  Cable be gone!
2. As I talked about the need to remove my cable bill a good friend of mine said she has a digital converter.  She offered to send it to me for free! YAY!
3. Jeffrey Osborne. What a great singer. I was listening to his songs on Spotify.  I mean, I had my Whitney fill for the next few days. I was in 3rd grade when this great song came out: Stay with Me Tonight
4.  I am still learning that to live in the present, while challenging, is really the only way to live. I love that that lesson was brought back to my attention today via the Facebook feed. How about that?
5. It was a good text messaging day. That is all. 

Laaaazy Daaaaays

Summer Breeze, makes me feel fine.  Blowing through the jasmines of my miiiiiiiiiiind.  Okay, I don't know how many people would get that reference.  They are lyrics from a couple of songs from a commercial that.  I have this memory of my childhood that could be a novel - I swear!   Check out the commercial in my list - I kept doing a search until I found the actual commercial on Youtube.  Obviously other people have memories linked to it like me.

1. So many memories from my childhood come from TV.  When I wasn't outside building forts, having dirt bomb wars, playing with fireworks, riding my bike or hanging with friends, I was on the couch watching TV. This commercial sticks out in my mind all the time - LAZY DAYS.... Summer breeze...
2. Boo-yah!  I sold a bracelet to someone in London. I guess the economy is picking up. :0)
3. I made chicken chili tonight.. it's tasty but that recipe needed a little tweaking.
4. I love that Adele kicked ass at the Grammys.  She's had an amazing year! I remember hearing Rolling in the Deep at a bar in DC and I was like.. WHOA!  This song is awesome!  Here we are a year and a half since I've heard it and it's won a ton of awards.
5. Still sad to know that Whitney Houston has passed away. I loved her music. I remember when she started.  VEVO Music has put together a nice collection of her music videos.  Check them out and reminisce. Video Collection

News from the Metropolis

Picture it - a sunny day. New tires on my car, a full gas tank and a mind full of determination as I drove into DC. The goal for the day was to visit the Newseum and to go out in the city.  I achieved both.  Prior to going out, I got a message saying Whitney Houston had died.  WHAAAAAAAAAT?  I thought it was a rumor.  You know, in the sense that reporters sometimes misreport things.  So I asked my friend to look it up on his computer and see what the news feeds said. Every couple of minutes that passed solidified the fact that what was hoped to be a rumor was actual truth.  An American Pop Icon has passed away.  On the radio, DJs played her songs to honor her.  Such great music. 

Ahh... at any rate, there are still things I loved about today..

1. I have new tires and all I can say is WOW.. the car drives so much nicer! It was expensive but well worth it even if it is only for the safety reasons!
2. The Newseum was a great time.  There is so much information though.  Because it's about news, there's lots of reading. I highly recommend a visit - just be sure to have at LEAST 3 hours set aside for it.
3. As many times as I have been to DC - it's about time that I know how to navigate my way around a huge chunk of the city.  I love that I was able to maneuver the mean streets with ease today because my GPS was NOT cooperating.
4. I met some new folks tonight.  One person in the group actually lived in Huntington, West Virginia at the same time I did. He even claimed to remember me.  Well, I can't say the same.. but hey, it was still a fun night out.  
5. There was somethin' cool about hanging out in the mall at Starbucks and having a coffee and just catching up on life with one of my friends. It was very metropolitan.

Frontal Lobe Friday

I was thinking about my future - my future in my career path.  Right now I don't have any aspirations to be anything other than happy.  I used to think that it was ridiculous to stay in a role for "X" amount of years.  Now I'm starting to think about it differently.  I just want to be happy and love what I do. Simple enough, right? hahaha I think that's the bohemian artist in me speaking right now.  Ahh oh well... let's get on with the list before I get too cerebral!

1. I love these pictures... The Carters are keeping it classy! http://helloblueivycarter.tumblr.com/
2. A friend of mine needed a favor and I am glad that I was in a place where I could help him out.  I know how much that meant for him.
3. Today, since I was home from work, I made a couple of new bracelets that I had thought about creating. I can't wait to post them on the site to see what type of response I get.
4. Facebook Parenting: For the troubled teen. I saw this video today and was kind of in shock by what the dad did.  Then I thought about it and I believe that it's important that parents put their foot down with their kids.  It's too often that children aren't held accountable for their actions or parents are afraid to be harsh, etc.  I love how this dad kept it old school and took that laptop and blasted bullets into it.  Yeah, it was dramatic but he's the dad!  I'm sure his daughter won't forget who's the boss. That's for damn sure!
5. I love that I have made it almost to pay day and I still have money on my Suze Orman "The Approved" Card. hahaha AWESOME!!

Sick and Tired . . .

Cough! Cough!  Ewww.. sickness.  Yep, the bug is going around and it made a visit to my body.  I have been under the weather for a couple of days.  Hopefully it'll pass by Saturday. I have things to do! hahaha  The worst part is that it zaps all of the energy out of me. If I weren't typing this, I'd be asleep!  But before I sleep, you know what time it is... it's list time!

1. I love Nyquil.  That is all. 
2. Sick Days - Use them. I used mine today and I will use it tomorrow. I'm love that I have them. Hell, I love that I have a job that offers me a lot of time off. I learned that my brother only gets 6 sick days a year.  WOW!
3. The wrap up meeting today was pretty productive. Lots of great ideas to be excited about.
4. Vietnamese soup - AKA Pho Hoa.  I bought some today for lunch and didn't finish it so I also had it for dinner.  I hope it helps this sickness. 
5. Lately I've been playing those scratch off lottery tickets.  I'm hoping to become a big winner.  Part of me even believes that it'll happen. Today I bought two $1 tickets - scratched them off.  I won $5.  Woo hoo! 

That's So Ratchet!

What a Wednesday!  Full of laughs, intrigue, deception, athleticism, and gossip! LOL  Just another night at the bowling alley. But hey, it was pretty fun!  With all of the fun I had today, I nearly forgot that I'm not feeling well. I do believe some Nyquil is in my near future. However, I am recommitted to my daily blogging - it keeps the spirits up. The power of positive thinking!

1. I wore an awesome outfit today apparently because I got several compliments.  Well, actually I knew the outfit looked sharp! hahaha  A nice pair of chocolate brown pants - by the way, why do we feel the need to say chocolate brown instead of just chocolate or just brown? I paired that with a chartreuse sweater and wore my fancy wingtip shoes. I did a presentation to a class this morning and a student slyly said under his breath, "Snazzy shoes." as I was leaving the room.  That made me grin. 
2. While in my office today, Corrine and I took care of a project that had been lingering over our heads for a while. Once we finished we started joking about making our own, "Shit Students Say to Student Affairs Professionals".  We were DYING laughing.  I think I may actually make a script up and film it!
3. WOO HOO!  Day three of not having to buy lunch.  BOO-YAH!
4. Line of the day, "I'm gonna need you to do better." And why did I just learn what "Ratchet" means in slang terms?  CRAZY!  I thought it meant good - as in you "ratchet something up" as if you're cranking it up.  I love how we learn new things every day.
5. I had a blast at the bowling alley.  It was so much fun!  Shout out to Travis, Steven, David, and Herb! Y'all are SO NOT ratchet!

What Do You Love About Today?

I'm just curious - What do you love about today?  I list things every day.  Some days are harder to list things while others are a piece of cake. No matter the case, I always list 5 things by the end of the day.  It keeps me in a good state of mind. 

I keep myself from listing the following:

• Anything related to living to see another day
• Anything about God/religion
• Having a job
• Having food on the table

The reason I leave those off is because when listing 5 things each day, on the slowest days I could easily fall back on these. Besides that, those are things to be grateful for.  I mean, if you were worried about losing your job and you were told there was no need to worry - then YES!  LOVE THAT! If you were visiting the doctor for a diagnosis and you were prepared for the worst and it's not the worst - I would LOVE hearing that news.

I like to list things during the day that make me smile, laugh, feel good, or tasted good. I also like to list kind gestures by people that made me feel really good or saving money on something.  Who doesn't love a good deal? It's all about spreading the positivity of life and leaving behind all of the negative.

So, what is it about TODAY that you loved?  Start with just one item and list as many as you can.  It's a great daily exercise.

Routines

I did it! I posted in the same day that every thing listed in my blog occurred!!!  HA! I guess I still feel a little off since last week.  It's all about finding routine again. Having a routine brings us comfort in a lot of ways. Here's getting back to routines. Viva la routine!

1. I love "Some E Cards"! They are so on point with their message and almost always give a good laugh. 
2. While I was at work today I thought it would be cool to entice students to come into the office and take a short survey.  I posted on Facebook that if they came into the office and did the survey they'd get a free fleece blanket.  Those students FLOCKED into the office!  The power of social media is amazing.
3. I have to say that the more I drink my coffee with the International Coffee's York Peppermint Patty flavor, the more I realize I'm glad I didn't spend nearly $5 on a Starbuck's Mocha Latte with Mint. 
4. My friend Jake contacted me about possibly biking part of the C&O Canal Towpath again in March with some students of his.. I think I might be up for it!  It'll be a great way to kick off the biking season again.
5. I received a, "You're looking like you've lost some more weight" compliment today.  I mean.. I don't think I have.. but it felt nice to hear. LOL

FAIL!

The best part of waking up is... Waking up and going to the gym and actually completing your run as planned! It was a good workout but I definitely felt tired the rest of the day.  I find myself completing yesterday's blog tonight at 7:30PM the next day.  Wow.. I'm off my routine.  I need to get it together! hahaha  I can't even think about what I was happy about or loved yesterday.  Double Wow!

Note to self: Be sure to do these the day of or in the very least, the next morning.

1. 
    
2. 
    
3. 
    
4. 
    
5.  

So Fresh

Today marks the start of a new week.  Man, am I glad!  Last week was a bit much but I subscribe to the idea that no matter how difficult things may seem, everything is manageable. I managed to get through all kinds of malarkey (and malarkey isn't a word that you hear very often - I like that!). I feel so much fresher moving into this week.

1. Oh man.  It felt amazing to sleep in.  I slept until 10AM.  I needed to decompress from the week. I even went back to bed for an hour in the afternoon. I love being able to just rest.
2. Had a nice time out with a friend. It's always good to see him and find a new Asian restaurant on the fly!
3. About a week ago I met a girl in a bar and told her that I make bracelets and other little artsy things. Today she placed an order for a bracelet!  She's pretty awesome! Thanks, Rachel!
4. While browsing in Walmart tonight I saw a new coffee creamer.  York Peppermint Patty flavor!!!! LOVE IT!
5. I love that I was able to see Madonna perform the half time show at the restaurant.  That was perfect timing! By the way, I feel like I'm one of the few people that likes her new song. I am stating it RIGHT NOW - I think this song will grow on people and will become pretty popular.  It's such a catchy song. Check out the video!

My Momma Used to Say...

All the preparation has paid off.  Another great year for the homecoming block party.  Now, tomorrow will be the true test - seeing whether the contractors will remove the tents, port-a-potties and clean up the garbage. I sure hope so.  I can now rest and reflect.

1. What a day! I love how everyone in my office were in good spirits at the block party and were extra helpful. It made for a very successful event. 
2. Every single element of today just seemed to fall into place. When things seemed a little off - I remained calm and it all worked out. That's a testament about life.  Keep calm - it'll all work out.  Someone today said it's about weathering the storm.
3. Having a busy day like today, I can appreciate coming home to an empty house. 
4. "Many hands make for light work". My mother always said this statement.  It's sooooo true and I have tons of gratitude for staff members outside of my office who helped with the set-up and tear down of today's event. 
5. I didn't have to pay for a single meal today. "You can't beat that with a stick!" That's another saying my mother would say. Ahhh, the memories.

T.G.I.F.

It's FRIDAY!  You know what that means?  Well, you probably don't actually... but what it means for me is that one of my most difficult weeks ever - riddled with grieving, accusations, annoyances, being thrown under buses, and learning moments. Aahhh - so very exhausting.

One of the good things is that I'm back to posting the daily 5 things I loved/liked about the day.

1. I like when things just kind of fall into place - like with the delivery of the port-a-potties and the tents.  They arrived at roughly the same time which made my life easier.
2. When I was loading up the truck with supplies for tomorrow's event, several staff members offered to help me without my asking. That was so awesome!
3. I loved that the staff member leading tonight's event sent me and another co-worker home. She didn't feel like she needed our help.  That was sooooooo amazingly helpful. Thanks, Michelle!
4. The dance tonight started off slow but it certainly picked up the momentum after about an hour.  Very excited to see that happen!
5. I was walking across campus with Sara and saw that the Psychology Department decorated for homecoming. That in itself, is AMAZING!  Over 15 departments participated in the Homecoming Office Decoration Contest. This is awesome, too!  We've never had this many participants - let alone Academic Departments!

Bouncing Back

I had to take a day off from blogging. This week has been TOUGH. I can't even get my mind right. I go to work and I'm just "there".  I keep saying to myself, "Once Saturday is over it will all be wiped clean." I sure as hell hope so.  At least I have fun plans for after Saturday's events.  With that said, I may also just take a weekend where I don't go anywhere or do anything.

1. I saw this on my Facebook feed - it's very cool and this guy has a lot of videos!  Check out his cover of the Simpson's theme.
2. This little picture sums up my week - but alas, I'm not Betty White either. 
3. I'm glad that I'm starting to get back into a routine again.  Living in the blues is no fun.
4. Wendy got me a birthday card and folks gave me hugs today at the bowling alley.  I love having thoughtful, caring friends.
5. I have some very thoughtful co-workers. Barbara brought in some Chai Latte mix for me to try and she's always giving me tea samples.  She also brought in a plant clipping from home for me to grow and remember Big Mac.