The Day that Hurricane Sandy Paid a Visit

Hurricane Sandy got PLENTY of coverage today on the local new channels.  While it wasn't much to report in terms of damage where I live - I hope I can say the same for people I know in affected areas when I wake up in the morning.

I've said this before on this blog and I'll say it again.  It is harder to come up with a list when you don't leave the house - but I have a list!  I HAVE A LIST!

1. It's nice to have family and friends that care enough to check on my well being during the storm.  There are still a few hours left to be totally in the clear but I never once saw a light flicker nor lost my internet or TV.  If you didn't know, I don't have cable - so I watch everything via an outdoor antenna.  That antenna never budged. 
2. We were notified of having Tuesday off from work.  Campus is CLOSED! WOO HOO!
3. My friend Myra, sent me a text to ask me if I still wanted a headlamp for when I go biking.  I said I did.  She bought one for me and her. How amazingly nice was that?
4. Tonight I made my first Hot Tottie.  They are tasty!  I think I may make more of these in the winter months.  
5. I lit my fireplace for the first time in over a year.  I love having a wood burning fireplace. I need to use it more. 

Oprah Made Me Do It.

Today I decided to read through my "O Magazine" that I recently got.  When I say, "recently", I really mean, it arrived early last week and I just decided to pick it up and read it.  My favorite part to start with is the "Things I know for Sure".  Why?  Cause I want to know what Oprah really knows for sure.  I mean... I looooooooooooooooove me some Oprah. God knows I do!

In the article, Oprah talks about how she would keep her gratitude journal and did it consistently for 10 years and then over more time, she because less consistent to the point where she rarely did it.  All due to being busy with life.  So busy with life that she wasn't making time to acknowledge the great things that happen in life.  This brings me back to my list of 5 things that I love about today.

It is important to acknowledge the things in life that make it special.  It took my reading of an article to remember the importance it holds in keeping my life in perspective and helping others do so as well.  So, with that said - I. AM. BACK.

1. Today I did something great. I opened up my second Etsy shop. This shop is specifically for LGBT Pride items and that's something I'm proud of. http://pridefulthings.etsy.com 
2. What a great day for working in the yard. The weather was AMAZING.  
3. I love that I have friends that I share special moments with and I am happy that I can be there for them.
4. The chili I made for dinner was delicious.  It'll continue to be delicious for the next couple of days, too :0)
5. I bought a new jacket at Target for only $6.88.  The jacket has George Mason University's school colors on it.  That's a twofer! Heeeeeeey!

Way of Thinking #127

Haaaaaaa-Choo!  Yup.... It's that time of year.  Allergy Season has hit me.  It's near misery but it can always be worse. I think that's a good way of thinking about things.  When something seems awful to you - think of a way that it can be worse and be grateful that what you're dealing with isn't that horrible thing or things that you thought of. Dennis' way of thinking #127.

1. I ventured off to South Riding, VA today.  It was a pretty drive - drove past Cox Farm. I need to check that out again and look at buying some plants.  
2. Visited with the new president of the bowling league and shared info with him that he needs to think about.  It was a nice chat. 
3. Today I was on a roll making bracelets! I came up with a new signature style of survival bracelets.  I'm excited to debut them!
4. Speaking of bracelets, someone bought the new "Rasta Style" bracelet. How awesome!  That inspired a new idea in itself!
5.  I am catching up on The Cleveland Show. This show is HILARIOUS!!  I love Seth McFarlane! hahaha

It's the Little Things

Since I don't try to post daily there's a lot less pressure. Whew! Now I'm posting when I really feel like there's something great to post.  It doesn't mean things that I love haven't happened each day... it just means these are the noteworthy ones.

1. Man, one of the worst small ailments a person can have is gout. On a scale from 1 - 10... 10 being the worst of all small ailments (and don't ask me what that is but just imagine what would really suck for you), gout is about a 6.  When gout settles into your foot you can't walk.  You can't really do anything but work on treating it.  I've become an pro at treating my ailment when I have a flare up and I love that I had some gout medicine left over to help treat it.  I was back to walking (albeit with a limp) without crutches by the early evening.
2. I may have only been in the car with her for a short time as I gave her a ride home but I enjoyed hanging out with Wendy. It's been a long time since we did hang out.
3. Butterfinger makes these chocolate Easter eggs.  Delicious! Oh... and they were 3 for a $1.  Perfecto!
4. We did nominations for officers for the bowling league.  It's very exciting that we have at least one candidate for each officer position the week before elections.  That's a first in the three years I've been a member of the league.
5. I am LOVING the show, The Chew.  Since I've been on vacation I've gotten used to watching it.  They showed a pizza casserole on the show that I was like WHAT!!?!?!  That looked delicious!

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!!

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.

Who Are the People in Your Neighborhood?

WHOA!! I almost missed a day cause I was out WAY too late.. but here I am... completing my list for Saturday. Today I interacted with a TON of people. Folks whom I am familiar with and folks who are brand new.

1. This evening I saw the movie "Pariah".  A very well done film about a high school girl dealing with her own sexuality. Powerful messages.
2. One of the things I love to do is meet people.  Tonight I met a lot and even though I was drinking I still managed to remember their names: Bartender Mike, Don, Jonathan, and Laurel and Josh - they were on their second date and met on E Harmony. I had to ask Laurel why she felt the need to bring her date to a gay bar and she replied, because she loves it there. I replied, well at least you can see that he's pretty much willing to do what it takes to win you over - including singing karaoke songs that you pick out for him!  She in particular was a lot of fun. hahaha
3. At the gym I was able to increase my weights on the pull down to 100 pounds.  I think all the protein I'm eating in the yogurt is increasing my strength exponentially. 
4. I loved how I was able to park my car in the Ballston Commons Mall's parking deck for practically all night and still only pay $1. Great deal!
5. I got some sort of strange satisfaction of being at that bowling meeting today and saw some folks that don't speak to me anymore.  I talked about our league and what we're doing to the board and kept it moving.  Kept it classy cause that's how I roll.

I Lift Things Up and Put Them Down

It's the last day of the 3 day weekend.  Am I ready to go back? Hell no! But you got to do these things, ya know? Before I get back to the grind, I have these awesomely fun/great things that happened!

1. There aren't many commercials that really make me laugh out loud.  One of the new Bounce Fabric Softener commercials did that this morning.  HILARIOUS! Rawr! Check it out! 
2. Gym time!  I did 90 pounds on the pull down bar! That's pretty good considering a month ago I was only doing 55 pounds. WOOT WOOT!
3. I got an awesome message from a customer of mine regarding the bracelet she purchased. Read her message:
   

   Today at work. A customer of mine admired my bracelet and asked where I got it. I gave her your name and your website to check it out :) also, soon I will be asking you for two orders of size 8 bracelets of the same kind. I'll keep in touch with you about that. Are you able to make more??

4. A meal with friends is always good. Great discussions.
5. With my Google+ Account, I offered a free gift to the first 5 people to add my shop. Within a matter of 45 minutes, I had 5 people! I love how quickly it all happened and I'm happy to send out the gifts.

Get the Max for the Minimum

Ooh It's so cold outside!  I guess it could always be more cold though so I supposed I should really be happy that it's not. Isn't that a great way to think about things?  Just be grateful for what you have. Today I felt like I got maximum satisfaction out of the day with minimum amount of effort.  As Martha Stewart would say, "It's a good thing". 

1. "Though you may not drive a great big Cadillac.  Gangsta white walls. TV antennas in the back.  You may not have a car at all.  But remember brothers and sisters. You can still stand tall.  Just be thankful for what you got." I LOVE THIS SONG! Check it out here!
2. Today I went to Myra to see the movie, War Horse. Let me just say that this was an amazingly moving movie.  I really enjoyed it and yes - I cried a little.  It was very touching. I highly recommend it.
3. TJ Maxx is the place where you can be a Maxxinista.  I was that for sure tonight.  With Myra's help in picking it out, I bought a nice new shirt.  I can't wait to wear it. I love the color - a nice thin lime green stripe on a white shirt.  
4. The best part of waking up is Starbucks in my cup while being in an empty house and reconnecting with my friend in Greece whom I haven't spoken to in months.  It was great to spend time with him and catch up.  We even used Face Time on our iPhones to chat.  Very nice! 
5. I loved spending time with Myra today. We had a good time at the movies and having dinner.  I love how we just talk about pretty much anything - including a discussion on religion. That was interesting considering she's a pastor and I am a non-religious person.

Things That Make You Go Moo

What a great night of bowling.  I actually had a good time AND bowled well.  That's such a good thing.  Work wasn't too shabby either but bowling was much more fun. The rain today isn't even bad.  Why complain about it when others would be just as happy to have it?  The Rolling Stones has a lyric that says, "You can't always get what you want - but you get what you need".  That's a good statement to live by and a good reason to be thankful for what you have.  Just a thought I had today.

1. I bowled 50 pins over average. That's so awesome! Yay for a 191!
2. I talked to a vendor today and clearly she and I have built some sort of friendship.  I think that's pretty cool.  For whatever reason, we began talking about my Etsy site and the next thing you know she was perusing my site and asking questions about selling some of her art on that site.  Amazing how these connections just happen.
3. Hahaha the Shit People Say clips keep coming.  This one is. "Shit Nobody Says". Good stuff!
4. I came home to two packages. One box contained my new boots and the other contained  my new Facebook Cards I got from Moo.comhttp://us.moo.com/. The best thing about the Facebook Cards is that they were COMPLETELY free because of a sale the company was doing.
5. Someone commented on how trim I looked tonight and I really appreciated that. It's good to know that my exercising is making a difference. :0)

T'was the Night Before Christmas

It's Christmas Eve and I've been doing things all day.  Staying busy and finally slowing down this evening caused me to think about how, in the last five years I have kept myself occupied with a laundry list of tasks.  I remember the time when the weekend would roll around and I would be bored - just waiting on the night to arrive so that I could have a night out on the town. The only problem with that is that I would sometimes "do the most" and be out until dawn and recuperating the rest of the day.

Staying busy also helps to pass the time.  With it being Christmastime I find myself missing some of the traditional things that used to happen when I was younger that hadn't really happened in over 10 years.  Wrapping gifts. Giving gifts. Being around family.  Seeing friends.  It all sounds a bit sad in some regard - and it is on some level. LOL However, I'm not going to be a Debbie Downer any longer. :0)

1. Tonight I'm visiting one of my friends who is having a get together. There's nothing like food, fun, and friends - oh and a little wine and other libations!
2. Wow, someone made a purchase from my Etsy Shop on Christmas Eve.  That's awesome!  I hope customers do the same thing when the clearance sale starts on Monday. hahahaha
3. I went to the gym. I was determined.  Determination got me to run for 28 minutes continuously. I should also add that I did some weight training, too! Boo-Yaaaaah!
4. Pinot Grigio - I heart you.
5. I met three new friends tonight. Gotta love that.  I talked to them about what their passion is.  One girl bakes for fun and taught me a new type of frosting - ROYAL FROSTING!  I encouraged her to look into selling them.  Her cookies and brownies looked and were amazing.  She has a knack for it.