look at this photograph...

i love pictures. there is something about a great picture that makes me enormously happy. when people ask the question...if your house were on fire, what would you grab while running out the door? my answer would be...my photo albums.

i took a photography class in school and this only perpetuated my love for a well taken picture. it is also where i fell in love with the dark room and development process. in fact, i resisted the digital era for a long time, i was loyal to film. until i realized that digital allows you to do all of your editing right there, in an instant. because, you can take hundreds of pictures, instead of 32.

over the years i have had the opportunity to work for two different professional photographer's. from the first i learned that Cannon is the best "point and shoot" camera around. from the second i learned that no picture should leave your hands without some kind of digital retouching. and, i adhere to both of these philosophies. i will only buy a camera if it's a cannon and i don't post, print or share a picture if it hasn't been touched by photoshop first.

a couple of weeks ago i stumbled upon some "actions" in photoshop that were shared here. i've been messing with some of my pictures and i absolutely love the outcome.

the original (taken in rhodes, greece)

with just a little boost of color.

simple black & white.


using the "colorized" action in photoshop.

it also works great with people. this is a picture of me and my friend Andrea.

the same picture using the "colorized" action.


but, this might be my favorite....

the original, taken in lindos greece, is a pretty spectacular picture on it's own.

but, with the "colorized" action, it looks like it's from another time period. like it's taken from an old movie. i love it!

it's not a fairy tale...

in the spring i was watching an episode of ugly betty (don't judge) and i can't even remember what the episode was about, but there was a scene that has stuck with me. in the scene, betty and her sister, hilda, were sitting on the couch in their living room. betty was telling hilda that she felt like her life was taking one step forward and two steps back and everywhere she turned it felt like she was reminded that she was just a dork. i loved hilda's response..."somehow you've got it in your head...that this is your story. but, you gotta let that go. it's time for you to come up with a whole new story for yourself."

i've been learning a lot about stories recently, about the stories we tell with our lives. i think that sometimes, like betty, we don't realize that we can change our story, if we really want to. and, i think that sometimes it takes seeing ourselves through the eyes of somebody else for us to realize it. in donald miller's book, a million miles in a thousand years, he says that "the story you are telling yourself is typically not the same story you're telling the world." in that one statement i find utter relief and immense fear. what story am i telling the world?

i can blame this thought process on donald miller's book, but if i'm honest with myself it came up long before i read it. in my new years post in january of this year i talked about taking risks and living without fear. and, that's where it started. because i believe that fear and risk are central to living a good story. i realize in my own life that i try to avoid risk. i try to avoid fear and conflict. i go looking for an easier story. one that is safe and secure.

i look for this easier story because when i dream of the possibilities, of what could be, i am plagued with this small voice that says..."you can't do it. if you try, you will fail."

it's the voice of fear. it's a voice that encourages mediocrity and safety. it's a voice that i listen to far too easily.

donald miller says that "the great stories go to those who don't give in to fear." and, this is what i want...to live a great story.

where love and hate collide...

this year i am working at the clark county fair, selling tickets for parking. i am doing this in the evenings, directly after my "day" job. so, from aug. 6-15 i will be working about 15 hour days, which means very little sleep. sounds crazy, i know. but, if you survive the 10 days you have some extra cash, which is always welcome, not to mention some great stories.

my job is basically to stop the cars as they enter the fair grounds and charge them $6 for parking. generally speaking, they do not like this...at all. but, among the grumpy people there are also the nice, the positive and even the funny. it's an exhausting week and i have to deal with some mean people, which i don't like. but, i get to work with some fun people and have great stories and extra money at the end, which i do like.

i'm exactly half way through the ten days and to give you a little taste of what my experience has been like so far, i have written some letters. this is how i would respond to these people if i was given the time during our brief interaction.

1. dear teenage boys in the gray dodge magnum...i know you were just having a good time, but offering to kiss me in exchange for free parking was only slightly funny and mostly gross. BTW...there is a fine line between confidence and arrogance and you are tap dancing all over it.

2. dear driver of the mini van...there is a spider building a pretty righteous web in your passenger side window. in fact, the spider is so large that i can't imagine that it has escaped your notice and therefore have to assume it is some kind of pet.

3. dear sir and madame...getting out of the car to yell at me did not intimidate me. in fact, you only succeeded in making me want to charge you more than $6. P.S. if it wasn't advertised that you would need to pay for parking, than every person in the line behind you with their exact change sticking out the window just waiting for you to get back into your car and drive away clearly must be clairvoyant.

4. dear fellow ticket seller...your lesson on how to tell if someone is russian by the type of car they drive was kind of weird and slightly offensive until you explained that you were russian and fit into this stereotype as well.

5. dear guys in the giant pickup...thank you for your positive attitude about paying the $6, it was refreshing. and, telling me i had a great smile made my night. if you had started with that line i may have let you in for free.

6. dear parking attendants on break...thanks for rushing to help when the big van started going the wrong way and was heading straight toward us. your assistance was not needed, but it felt very chivalrous and i like to see the hustle.

7. dear man who gave me the nasty, sticky, slimy twenty dollar bill...i don't ever want to know what was on that twenty and sincerely hope that the hand sanitizer i used killed whatever it was until i had time to wash it off properly. if your sole purpose was to disgust me out of revenge for having to pay me, then i say "well done, sir."

8. dear little boy in the back seat...when you yelled "thank you" at the top of your lungs as your car pulled away it made me extremely happy. not only was it adorable but it was filled with such joy and excitement that i couldn't help but smile for a long time after you left.

9. dear kid driving the Bentley...you are extremely lucky that you happened to come down the lane of a car enthusiast, because i was so enamored with your car that i didn't even listen to your story about how you had already paid for parking once today and could you pretty please not have to pay for it again. i just said, "your car is fantastic" and sent you on your merry way with a goofy grin on my face. it didn't even occur to me to mind that you are about 12 years old and driving a freakin' Bentley.

10. dear parking lot attendants...we sincerely apologize for passing all the crazies with their incessant questions on to you, but there's only so much one person can take and we thought we would share the love. your friends, the ticket sellers.

i remember it all very well, looking back...

it was the summer of 2008, shortly after the summer olympics. i was sitting on the deck of a pool with my sisters, watching my niece and nephew swim. we were discussing swimming, naturally as it had taken over the world thanks to michael phelps. we were also discussing the possibility of cassadie joining a swim team. my sister had been considering it, but wasn’t sure. neither of the kids had any swim lessons up till this point, other than what they’re grandma (my mom) had taught them in the local pool. but, we all saw some natural talent, at least we thought we did. it’s hard to push aside the bias when it’s someone so important to you.

shortly after that discussion, my sister did put cassadie on a swim team. and, amazingly enough, the coach saw the same talent we did. about a year later that same coach saw cassadie’s brother for the first time and began the campaign for my sister to get jarod swimming as well (he’s tall and strong…good for a swimmer).

two years after that first conversation, they are both swimming on a year round swim team and doing extremely well. they are both naturals at the breast stroke, even my untrained eye can see that it’s by far their best stroke. cassadie just took 3^rd in the 200 meter breast stroke and 4^th in the 100 at her age group championships this past weekend. she is just 7 seconds off the high school qualifying time (she’s 2 months shy of 14). i am amazed by her progression.

there is nothing i enjoy more than watching them swim. because not only do they put in the time and hard work, but they LOVE swimming. at a swim meet in january jarod had finished all his races and asked if he could get in the warm up pool and swim laps. a 10 year old who has been swimming all weekend wants to get back in the pool and swim some more…if that isn’t pure joy of the sport than i don’t know what is.

here are some pictures i captured at a swim meet in june...

cassadie has a whole warm up routine where she swings her arms and stretches. it's really cute.

(cassadie is on the right.) i remember the first time i saw her leave the blocks, it looked nothing like this. two years and hard work has definitely paid off.

(cassadie is closest in the frame) this is her breast stroke. and, this picture is of her winning her heat as you can see she is ahead of all the other girls.

jarod getting ready for one of his races.

jarod does not like the butterfly, it's awkward and really hard on the legs. i've heard him several times heading to swim a fly race saying..."i'm gonna die." he might not like swimming these races, but he has never once died, and i really like how the pictures turn out.

i would title this "lookie lou jarod". i'm sure he's just sizing up the competition, but he sure looks around a lot.

matchmaker, matchmaker, make me a match...

i'm going to put the stories about my trip on pause for a minute to share something that happened at the boys and girls club a while back. i spend two hours each week at the club, usually in the art room since that's kind of my thing. i help the teacher pass out supplies and i wander around and help the kids if they need it. the first hour is usually insane. i'm not sure why, but it's loud and it's crazy and we very rarely get the project completed. the kids are all hopped up on something. the second hour is my favorite. it's the exact opposite of the first, it's calm and it's quiet. and, because it's a little more sedate i'm able to sit down at a table and hang out with the kids.

when i chat with the kids i try to ask them questions about themselves...school, friends, brothers, sisters. and most of the time they will ask me questions about my life. which generally consist of...do you have kids? are you married? do you go to school? do you have a roommate? my favorite...if you're not still in school and you're not married, then why do you have a roommate?

so, one day a little girl, in the second grade, is asking me these questions. i'm answering them and everything is normal, until...she asks my age. this is not a question the kids usually ask. here is what happened next (names are changed)...

sophie: how old are you?
me: 32
sophie: (very emphatically) 32! and you're not married? what are you waiting for? go out there and pick someone already (points outside for extra emphasis).
me: well, it's not that easy. it's hard to find a good man.
sophie: oh, you want a gooooood man? what about jason (B & G club staff)? he's a good man.
me: i'm sure he is, but i don't really know jason.
sophie: what about tim? you know him. he's standing right outside. (she gets up and runs outside).

i follow her in some kind of daze, out of morbid curiosity, surely this isn't happening. this is the conversation i overhear...

sophie: do you have a girlfriend?
tim: no
sophie: do you want to go out on a date?
tim: um, sure. i guess we could go get ice cream or something.
sophie: no, not with me, with her. (turns and points at me).

and, i know what my face looked like at that exact moment because it was mirrored in tim's. it was a deer in the headlights, yeah, that just happened, kind of look. what happened next? sophie yelled "you need to take beckie on a date because she's not married" and then skipped off.

well, folks, that's the story of how i got set up by an 8 year old. i'm amazed at the thought processes of children sometimes. i often find myself thinking, "wow, how did you get there from here." in this case i knew exactly how sophie got there....to an 8 year old, 32 is old. and, 32 and single is unheard of.

i've thought a lot about sophie's question...what are you waiting for? the only response i can come up with...i don't know, something amazing i guess!

my life in ruins...

when you imagine greece, what picture comes to mind? is it this?
i think for many of us it is. and, i believe that the movie "sisterhood of the travelling pants" only perpetuated this stereotype. this is what i imagined all of greece to look like...white washed walls, beautiful blue water. so, imagine my surprise when athens actually looked like this...athens is big, it's loud, it's busy and it's extremely diverse. i should not have been surprised that it looks nothing like the iconic image in my mind. after all, it's a major city, it hosted the olympics. i shouldn't have been surprised...but i was.

the day we docked in athens found us in the middle of a transportation strike. there were much larger strikes and rioting going on in the week following our departure, but for our one day it was just the transportation. if we had been on tours this wouldn't have been an issue. but, since we are cheap and relied on public transportation, this posed an interesting problem. we found ourselves running for trains and buses, miraculously making it on the last one running in the morning and the first one running in the evening. this was the only port where we very narrowly made it back to the ship on time...with about 5 minutes to spare. (FYI...the ship will leave you behind if you're not back for the "all aboard" time).

our first stop in athens...the acropolis (with about 3,000 of the other tourists from our ship). it kind of became a game of where's waldo as we tried to stay together.
second stop...gyro's for lunch!
after lunch we wandered around down town. these guys guard one of the government buildings. i don't know about you, but don't they instill fear? i mean, with their white tights and pom pom shoes? if i had a video of this moment it would show the guy on the right teetering precariously on his one leg, which gives further proof that these soldiers are not at all scary.
next stop...dessert! greek baklava...yummmm!
if there were any lingering thoughts that i might see the white washed buildings in athens, this image erased them completely. (notice the KFC)

leave the gun...take the cannoli...

one thing i learned about myself while travelling is that i’m not very good at geography or history. i’m sure the knowledge was there at some point, i just lost it somewhere along the way. i won’t bore you with stories that prove this fact like how i didn’t realize that egypt is on the continent of africa or that pineapple and coffee can come from costa rica. i fully admit that in some ways i am the typical egocentric american, not paying attention to things outside my sphere. but, i am also an american that loves learning how other cultures live. one piece of advice i would give to someone visiting another country…don’t be afraid to eat where they eat, ride public transportation and just roam the streets. i firmly believe that this is how you fully SEE the culture.

on the morning of April 25^th i woke up in naples, italy.

which is coincidentally one of my favorite things about cruise life…waking up in a completely different country. i admit that I didn’t do a lot of research before this trip. i wish i had. i left the ship knowing very few things about the city i was entering. i wish i had known more.i really only knew what my tour book and/or someone told me such as...naples (napoli to the locals) is where pizza was invented. our goal for this day was to eat pizza, a margherita pizza (sauce, cheese and a bay leaf) to be exact. and we did. and it was fantastic!

the people living in napoli are called neopolitans.i actually learned this fun fact after returning to the states. i wish i had known it while i was there, because i love it!

napoli is the home of mt. vesuvius and pompeii, the town that vesuvius buried in 79 AD. pompeii was accidentally rediscovered by a british guy in 1592.

some of my favorite memories from my time in napoli…

as we were wandering the streets we stumbled upon this mall. yes, you read that correctly, this is a mall.

in a corner of the mall we found this pastry shop, where we found cannoli's. a cannoli is a pastry filled with a mixture including ricotta cheese and they are wonderful!

i just love this picture...just a vender hangin' out with his stroller full of goodies. i think the colors are fantastic?

a cruise ship life for me...

cruise ship life is the life for me. i loved almost every aspect of it. i loved the diversity of the crew. i loved the food…it was amazing! i loved that once you were on the ship you never had to spend another dime if you didn’t want to. and, i loved that you could be as busy or relaxed as you wanted to be. there was something going on every moment of every day and it was up to you to choose if you joined in or not.

every night there was a big production show. these shows generally consisted of singers, magicians, dancers, a comedian, etc. there were also lots of lounge singers and a variety of live music around the ship throughout the day. so, for a music lover like myself it was pure heaven. the very first show was “The Jersey Boys”, four boys singing the songs of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons. and, they were fantastic!

i firmly believe, and this is only my opinion, that there is a proper and improper use of falsetto. in fact, as much as i have been and always will be a fan of new kids on the block…Jordan Night abuses the falsetto on a pretty regular basis. just because you CAN do it, doesn’t always mean that you should. with that said, the guy portraying Frankie Valli in this quartet has what i consider to be the most proper use of falsetto i’ve heard in a long time. in the middle of the performance Jessica leaned over to me and said, “his falsetto is SICK.” and, i agreed.

since we all have the right to our own opinions, i’ll let you decide for yourself…

here are some of the other happenings on the ship…
this was my home for 12 days...royal caribbean's navigator of the seas.
the village people showed up for disco inferno night and the policeman started a conga line.
as i said, the food was fantastic. this was a dessert sampler...amazing!
they really do make animals out of the towels they leave for you. and, if you leave your sunglasses laying around, sometimes they'll accessorize.

when in Rome...

i just returned from the vacation of a lifetime. at least, that’s what one of my co-workers calls it and i’m of a mind to agree. i spent twelve days on a cruise ship, with three friends and about 4,000 other people, touring several ports in the mediterranean. i set out for the airport early the morning of the 22nd with two prayers…please, God don’t let eyjafjallajökull, the icelandic volcano, trap me at the JFK airport. and, please, let me find Jess easily in the rome airport. i learned something about myself that day while sitting and waiting for a connecting flight. i had secretly, somewhere in the back of my mind, been expecting something to keep me from this trip. i would double check my tickets, sure that i somehow had the date wrong or the wrong destination. surely i wasn’t really going to rome, italy to board a cruise ship. i somehow expected for someone along the way to say, “nope, not you Beckie. you don’t get to have experiences like this.” surreal, that’s the only way i can describe it.

and, it’s still surreal, even now, after the fact. i’ve been back home for about four days and it now feels slightly like a dream. if i didn’t have the pictures to prove it, i might think i wasn’t really there at all. i’m trying desperately to keep it fresh in my mind and to process what i’ve seen and experienced. it will probably come in patches and out of order, but i’m going to do my best to share my adventures, starting in rome…

three things i love about rome…one…gelato, which is much more than ice cream ever could be. my favorite was cappuccino, which somehow tasted like chocolate and caramel with the tiniest hint of caffe. it was like a creamy frappuccino that you eat with a spoon. i would buy it from the lady in the termini train station because it was the cheapest (2.60 euros for two scoops) and the best. although, it might have been the price that made it the best because i can’t say i had any bad gelato, just expensive.

and, two…the way italians say “Ciao Bella.” (translation: hello/goodbye beautiful). i firmly believe that every woman should have an italian man say this to her at some point in her life. in fact, if i could get a recording that i could play on repeat i would be in heaven. there’s a reason italian is referred to as the language of love…it’s beautiful.

three…the buildings. i have hundreds of pictures of random buildings. i can’t even tell you what they are, i just liked the look of them. maybe i missed my calling as an architect. i don’t know, but i loved looking at those buildings with their little green shutters. so, i chose a few of my favorites to share. some i’m sure will be very familiar…

the colosseum

part of the roman forum (next to the colosseum)

st.peter's basilica in vatican city

one of those cool buildings i was talking about

fontana di trevi (aka...the trevi fountain) and, of course i threw my coin in and made a wish along side the other tourists. fun fact...the coins in the fountain are collected every day to help feed rome's homeless.

rome has several bridges that cross the Tiber river. this one was my favorite...the statues along the side represent the stations of the cross. and, they're beautiful.

my own personal business...

as i said in an earlier post, i am working on starting my own freelance design/etsy business. my family has been telling me for years that i should do this and for years i've come up with reasons and excuses as to why it's not a good idea. mostly just plain fear. well, enough excuses.

my first task, aside from the name that is, was to do research. see what else is out there, learn what i can from people who have gone before me. and, since i'm an avid reader...i hit the book store. what i found is this...


it has encouraged me, inspired me and scared me to death. ironically, the fears and excuses i've been telling my family for years...this book has completely squelched. which would be great except that it simultaneously has brought up so many more questions and anxieties like...business licenses, taxes, bookkeeping, marketing, etc. so many things that i have never even considered. the only thing keeping me moving forward on this endeavor is that this book explains how to do all of those things. it is the nuts and bolts of starting a "crafting" business.

so, i will keep you updated as this journey unfolds. it's exciting and a tiny bit scary, but...i'm ready for a little bit of risk.

smarter than a fifth grader?

i've been volunteering once a week at the Boys and Girls Club of America for about two months. my experience so far has been really good and has proven that kids really do say the "darndest" things. and on weeks where i find it a challenge to go after a long day at work, i find that generally something happens to make me extremely thankful that i did. here is a little example of just that...

keagan: (singing) "i fell in to a burnin' ring of fire."
me: wow, johnny cash, impressive!
angelica: i just saw that movie about johnny cash, walk the line, i loved it!
dustin: (directed towards me) isn't there an ocean that is called the ring of fire?
me: um....
keagan: no, you're thinking of a ring of volcano's and the lava is the fire.
dustin: no, i'm pretty sure there is an ocean that is called the ring of fire because of the plates or fault line it sits on. (again directed at me, i guess assuming that as an adult i should have this information) is it the pacific?
me: i'm not sure. i really don't know
dustin: you don't know? c'mon, it's geography. (thus solidifying in my mind that he assumed as an adult that i should have this information).
me: dustin, what grade are you in?
dustin: 5th
me: well, i guess i'm not smarter than a 5th grader.
dustin: (after controlling his laughter and becoming very serious) maybe you should try to learn then.

yes, dustin, maybe i should try to learn. and, since google is my friend...

the pacific ring of fire (or sometimes just the ring of fire) is an area where large numbers of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur in the basin of a pacific ocean.

thanks to wikipedia, it has been proven that dustin, and kind of keagan as well, was right. and....i am in fact...not smarter than a 5th grader.

what's in a name...

for years and years I’ve been trying to come up with a name for a freelance graphic design business. and frankly…i have commitment issues. i have no idea how people name their children…it’s so permanent. there is pressure and i feel it. i want it to be catchy, clever, maybe even witty. but, most of all i want it to instill confidence. i want it to say that i know what I’m doing.

recently i’ve considered going a different route and opening a shop on www.etsy.com, where I could sell other types of artwork as well. while looking into this i stumbled upon an article about choosing the perfect name for your shop. should it have my name in it? should it involve alliteration? and, i find myself with the same problem…commitment issues.

so, i’m going to do something i’ve considered doing for a while now…i’m going to ask for help. what do you think my design business/etsy shop should be called? any thoughts, ideas, strokes of genius...HELP!

gotta' get yourself connected...

today i've been researching and preparing for a technology seminar i'm teaching next week. i have taught this seminar for the past three years at a conference for senior adults. somehow the word has spread and i've been asked to teach it at another conference. my seminar generally covers what's out there on the internet...social media, photo sharing sites, blogs, etc. every time i prepare to lead this class, it begins to seem so basic. i mean, i use these tools on a daily basis, and i quickly begin to lose sight of the fact that not everybody does. plus, i use these tools, but that doesn't make me an expert. so, i find myself questioning, in a typically self-deprecating fashion, why they've asked me to teach and if anyone will even come to my class.

then i read this quote that helped put it into the proper perspective..."whatever technology that's in front of us always challenges us, [for instance] our parents thought that we listened to the radio too much." (Jesse Rice, author of the church of facebook).

that's the truth, isn't it? it is always changing, there is always something new. and sometimes, that newness scares us. it also tends to divide generations. so my task, whether i choose to accept it or not, is to bridge that gap. and, to show my audience what's out there and how it can work for them. it seems a daunting task...wish me luck!

during my research i stumbled upon some videos that i thought were pretty fun and i thought i would share them...



this next one was presented to me as an idea for a new communication tool in my office. i personally thought it was a fabulous idea...

Auto Tuning from Casey Donahue on Vimeo.

this last one really doesn't pertain to my task, i just thought it was adorable. this little boy is an extremely talented ukelele player. any guesses on how old he is? performing "I'm yours" by Jason Mraz...

ran across an old box of letters...

i keep everything. i'm extremely sentimental. this is not a surprise. i've always known this about myself. but, it's a fact that was proven as i sifted through three gift bags full of old letters. FYI...if you've ever sent me an invitation to your wedding and you need a copy for your scrapbook just let me know...i still have it.

i've kind of always thought of this as a negative thing...keeping everything. the term pack rat comes to mind and that always has a negative connotation. but, i'm not sure that it is bad, unless it gets to the point of having to wander through a maze of junk just to get to my kitchen. what i found as i looked through those bags is...life. my life. there were letters, birth announcements, wedding invitations, graduation announcements, notes of encouragement and much much more. of course, some of it was junk and i did throw things away. but, most of it was priceless. here's an example...

my bebo norman autographs...

i am a bebo fan! there was a time in my life where his was my music of choice. i love his folksy sound. i was even willing to look past the acrylic nails on his strumming hand and the fact that he spelled my name wrong because, well let's be honest, just look at him.

my postcard collection...

i'm not sure at what point i thought it would be a good idea to start a collection of postcards. it might not have even been a conscious decision. but, somehow, on some level, i think it's kind of romantic.

my cards from jess collection...

jess and i have a similar love for great cards. it's one of the many things that make us such great friends. looking through these cards made me realize that she did an amazing job of keeping in touch. there are birthday cards, valentine's cards, easter cards, and postcards. Some are store bought and some are homemade. i can only hope that i kept in touch half as well as she did.

the card standing up in the picture is one of my favorites. in case you can't read it, it says..."so, you will not go to omaha with paco? paco can show you many things, but paco will not beg." the inside says..."birthday or not, don't go with paco." it makes me chuckle every time!

the best birthday card in the world...
if you don't have a child in your life to send you amazing things, then i recommend you go out and find one. this homemade card and envelope are from my niece. i love it! my favorite part is this..."you may be getting older but your my aunt and your still beautiful." awww, priceless! she also says "i hope you like your card" several times. yes, cass, i love my card!

the best letter in the whole world...

again, if you don't have a child in your life to send you amazing things...well you know how i feel about that. this letter is from my nephew. i wish i knew how old he was at the time. it is adorable...

i have no idea what it was i helped him with or what a "starcraft" is. however, i do remember the necklace and still have it somewhere (of course). i remember that the beads were things like basketballs and soccer balls, real manly beads. and, as he said, it WAS a real nice necklace.

so, what i learned from this little trip down memory lane is...that it's not a bad thing to keep stuff (as long as it's in moderation). it reminded me that i have had, and still do have, some amazing people in my life. looking through those cards, i laughed, i cried and i remembered that i am loved. and, i think that is ALWAYS a good thing!

real men of genius...part three

Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris...real men of genius!

old long since...

have you ever wondered what the song auld lang syne (AKA the new years eve song) means? if you're anything like me, probably not. in fact, like me, you probably can't sing any of the song past "should old acquaintance be forgot." well, if you're reading this blog and you're dying to know...it translates to "old long since", it's the idea of casting off the old...looking toward the new. (if we thought hard enough we probably could have all figured that out, but what's the fun in that?)

and, as always, since the new year began there's the dreaded question...what's your resolution? i don't generally make resolutions. i'm sure the reasoning behind that has something to do with my lack of self discipline or something else equally as self deprecating, but i just don't usually make them. However, this year i did...by accident. it wasn't a conscious decision, it just happened. it really started happening last fall. i began to realize that i lead a very small life. not that i think my life isn't valuable, it is. i mean that my world, my social circle, how i spend my time, is very small. i began to see some areas where i was being asked to grow, to stretch myself out of my comfort zone, to take some risks (as long as those risks don't involve picking up hitch hikers, per my parent's request).

so, here is my inadvertent new year's resolution for 2010...to put myself out there more, broaden my scope, meet new people, impact lives and take some risks. here are three goals i gave myself that i believe will steer me in the right direction. 1) find, commit and get involved in a church home. 2)volunteer at a homeless shelter, soup kitchen and/or food bank (if you've never read "under the overpass" by mike yankoski i highly recommend it, it is life changing. 3) hang out with/mentor kids. so, there it is, out there for the world to see! this is how i want to actively change my life in the coming months.

resolution update...here it is january 11th and last week i began the process of becoming a volunteer with the boys and girls club of america. one goal down, two to go. i'm not telling you this to toot my own horn. i tell you this because i believe accountability is the key to success. i'm hoping that as the year progresses i will find other valuable ways to spend my time that i can share with everyone. right now, i'm just looking forward to hanging out with some kids!

speechless...

lady gaga is crazy. last year i was at a concert and the opening act was this unknown artist...lady gaga. the performance was insane, and a little bit painful. a couple of months later, this "unknown" artist starts poppin' out singles left and right. i tried to not like her. i tried really hard. but, her songs are so catchy.

i stand behind my opening statement...lady gaga is crazy. but, she is also extremely talented and maybe a little bit of a genius. after all, her bizarre behavior has us all talking about her. whether we love her, hate her, or just don't know what to think about her, we talk about her.

you might question my sanity for calling her talented. but, i will leave this video to speak for itself...



no, lady gaga, you've left ME speechless!