Writing Prompt: Cold

Ok so I haven't had much to say in about, oh ...2 years on this blog. But today I received the following writing prompt:

6:03 AM (9 hours ago)Today's Writing Prompt: Coldfrom One Minute Writer by C. Beth
Parts of America have been experiencing record-breaking low temperatures. Think of a product you could invent to help people stay warm.

I've thought up many ideas but it seems they have all been done in some way or another. What do we not have to keep us warm?

Hats (check), scarves (check), gloves (check), thermals (check) boots (check), coats (check) etc. etc. and the list goes on and on.

These things all make it somewhat bareable to withstand what seems to be subzero degree weather at times. However, I have experienced one too many days where the wind overpowered my twice and thrice layered clothing and got me right to the bone.



So if I could create anything, I'd love to invent cold activated accessories that warm up and maintain your desired body tempature. My gloves, hat or boots would simply remain at a warm but mild 72 degrees when 40-50 mph wind swooped in from no where. This doesn't mean this creation does not exist right now. I'm just not aware of it. If you have info on this please post a link or something.

What's been up ...

I can't believe I took a four month break from here. WOW!

Anyway, too much has happened since then and there is no way I can create entries to cover all of that. So here is the short cut:

Activities ...
Signed up for the Team In Training ZOOMA Half Marathon;
Started training for ZOOMA;
Changed my mind for multiple reasons (see below) and decided not to continue training or the race.

Started training to take my PMP ceritification test;
Planned to take it by the end of June but at this point I don't want to rush it so we shall see.

Health and Well being ...
Stressed the hell out from work;
Damn near lost my mind;
Finally came to the conclusion that if it had to be me or work, it wouldn't be me;
Started reading about stress, diet, negative energy and other barriers to happiness;
Result = I am a much happier and more pleasant person to be around (People have actually come up to me and asked mw what I've been doing to make a 180!)

Travel ...
I've been to:
Denver, Colorodo
Phoenix, Arizona
Trenton, New Jersey
Miami, Florida
and I will be headed to Philidelphia, Pennsylvania

I really need to head to someone's island this year for a major vacation. Kinda like the cruise in 2007 *sigh*

Shopping ...
I'm still working on my shopping addiction LOL. But I haven't bought a bag since November (gasp!)
I don't remember the last pair of shoes I purchased but it's been a while;
I've been donating and giving away many of the extra crap that I own and either don't use or need;

Relationships, Friends and Family ...
All is well with the family;
I have the greatest support system through my fam and friends;
Things are looking up in the relationship department (don't be nosey thats all I'm saying about that).

So with all that said, All is well, or at least getting better and I have NO complaints!

Get Out!

Today is absolutely beautiful! If you haven't been out yet I'd suggest you get out and enjoy this rare 'warm' day in February. I believe the recent subpar temps froze my ability to put thought to keys and enter a single entry since I don't know when. As tired as I was, I managed to get a little beautified for tonights Superbowl events.

I am a bit pissed though. I just bought a cute new coat to replace my relatively new (only had it for a year) winter coat. The newld (my new word for new and old) coat was purchased last year for all of about $30 at Burlington. Now yall know my taste can be a bit expensive at times. However, I try to get things on sale. The London Fog should have never been purchased nor should have those no name frames a while back. The cheap frame on my glasses began to chip and the lining in my cheap coat is now shredded. There was no fix for my frames so I've since purchased new ones. I thought of taking it to the cleaners and having it mended but I was told the amount it would cost to do that was comperable to buying a new one. So now I have this $80 coat marked down from $300 and no where to wear it :(

Its all good though. I suspect bone chilling temps will return and ill get a cance to break my coat in. Either way, I'm amped up for tonight's game/party. It will top off a pretty damn good weekend.

Are you ready?

Yes it's almost time to Celebrate. I've been conducting my own little countdown to what may be the most historic moment of my lifetime for months now. The closer January 20th gets, the more unreal, yet expected the Inaugural chaos becomes. I'm not sure if I want to be out in the bitterly cold air on the National Mall with everyone else, experiencing they day with all of my senses, or if I should just stay secluded and warm, witnessing the day's events from the comfort of my living room. Either way, I can't wait!

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Butterfly Effect

About a month ago, with the encouragement and almost force of a coworker I joined Facebook. Like most of my friends, I had reservations. The first thought was, Facebook = mini me MySpace, uhhh No Thanks. To my surprise, that isn’t really the case. Yes they are both social networks and yes they have a similar format with the whole profile and friend request business. But for some reason Facebook turned into the ultimate online reunion experience. During my first week I caught up with friends from high school which was pretty amazing. Then it turned into a Six Degrees of Separation game. I’d catch up with one friend and find about 10 others. Then I’d find out that this friend knows that friend. Now my friends list consists of people as far back as elementary school.

With such an unexpected but positive experience, I soon spread the word to other friends who reacted the same way I did “Nah I’m not interested; I don’t want to be found; It reminds me of MySpace and who wants that?” Of course, all of them within less than a week signed up and are just as addicted as anyone else I know.
So today I started thinking about the butterfly effect. If certain decisions had been different, how different would my life be right now? When I graduated from 6th grade I assumed I would attend Alice Deal Junior High School. When I found out my parents went out of their way to get me into Hardy Middle School instead I cried (BTW, our web site is wayyyyyy better than yalls LOL). I remember thinking how could they do this to me? I won’t know anyone because all my friends were going to Deal. Remember I was a kid. This was a huge deal for me at that age. As far as I was concerned my life was over. I held a grudge against them during my first few weeks at Hardy. After that I found myself with a new best friend and a new outlook on everything. Life goes on.

When it was time to graduate from Hardy to Wilson Senior High school, my best friend and I decided to join JROTC. Who would have guessed that this one decision would impact my life as much as it did? Once again I found myself with another group of great friends and a completely different high school experience than the one I could imagine if I had not joined JROTC. I also met up with some of my old buddies from elementary school and of course we were still cool but by then we all moved in our own circles. Fast forward to now, almost 20 years later.

I have to say that connecting back with all these people, the ones that knew you when you weren’t as refined as you may be now, makes you appreciate them more. Most of us have grown up, some of us have kids, spouses and in some cases ex-spouses (wow! at that). I’ve also played the “I wonder if we did this instead of that” game with a few folks. I’m getting know people that I spent 4 – 10 years in school with but didn’t really know back then. At times I’ve wondered why we didn’t hang out back then but who knows? maybe we would have hated each other now if we did then. Then there are the people that I wonder, why the hell DID I hang with you then? LOL!

Either way, anyone you have met on the way to were you are now has impacted the path you are on now. Even those that may not have left you with warm and fuzzy feelings about them have possibly introduced you to people that you couldn’t imagine your life without. They may have introduced you to a life altering experience or great once in a life time opportunity.

The point is, if it weren’t for the decisions we have made or been forced into, how different would our lives be? I know I wouldn’t be who I am now and I love the person I am today so thanks to everyone that helped.

I will always love this song ...the original.

New Years Resolutions has always seemed to be a pointless tradition and I've never participated in this annual activity. The tradition usually starts around somewhere between Halloween and Thanksgiving where someone inevitably makes note of how the left over candy or upcoming holiday feasts will ruin their year long diets. Then there is the vow to get back on track after each gorgefest. THEN right around Xmas there's the "oh I'll start off the year right with working out and dieting" rationale for having eaten three or four dinners in one setting.

Although dieting is the most popular of all resolutions, it isnt the only one. There are the going back to school, spending more time with family, working less and following your lifelong dream of whatever-it-is-you-do declarations as well. As a self-designated commitment-phobe, I just refuse to say that I will do X, Y, or Z in the upcoming year. Instead, why not have these thoughts all year around and do what you need to do at any time of the year? What is it about the New Year that folks decide to take chances with it and make huge steps to meet their goals? I encourage everyone to make a list of their long term goals and then a list of their short term goals or baby steps to successfully achieve your goals. BUT try doing this at any point of the year, not just today because its the first day of the year.

Right about this time each year coworkers around the nation spend a week or two planning for the politically correctly labeled "Holiday" Party potluck style. I try to do my part and cooperate with the powers that be (the party planners). I volunteer to bring something, go with the flow and not cause problems. However, there are always those that for some reason there are always a few "participants" that either don't know or don't care about the proper potluck etiquette. Here we go:

1. If you participate, bring enough to serve the amount of people attending. Don't offer to bring chicken wings, knowing there will be about 20 hungry folks showing up and you show up with 6 wing dings for you and your office boo. Also, If you decide to bring something like, ohh I don't know, Brownies, don't eat half of them the night before and show up with a serving for 2. Comethafuckonman!

2. Either participate or don't. If you don't want to cook that's cool. This isn't a competition. We all get it. Some of us can't cook and some just don't want to put in the time. But damnit DO NOT sign up to bring Mustard. If you bring A condiment you must bring all of them. And wtf would you bring mustard to a Holiday Party for anyways? Did you expect to eat a pretzel or hot dog? Common Sense ...

3. For those that don't want to cook or chip in a few bucks, don't show up and grab a plate like someone owes you somethin. If you decide to donate money, keep your parking garage machine dollar coins to yourself. Stop playin!


4. If you don't eat meat, pork, beef, whatever, just relax. With 20 plus people bringing something I'm sure there will be something for you to eat. There is no need for you to squat out or hover over the foods you can eat and give people ugly looks for coming near.

5. Everyone cannot donate money. Again, if you can't cook, pick something up. But geeze, do something! It's a POTLUCK!

6. You and your fam, boo, whoever may like it extra spicy, extra salty, extra diabetically *ding* bland at home but keep in mind that you should cook for the group and not your own likings. Be sensitive to your coworker's ability to tolerate the extras.

7. This is the last one. Please know that if you appear to be filthy, you will be placed on the X list. Nuff said ..

Happy Holidays and eat well my friends!