Mensa has created a list of the top 10 smartest tv shows of all time.
Guess who made the list?
All time Leah faves: M*A*S*H and The West Wing.
Wanna know the rest of them? Click here.
Friday, February 22, 2008
The No Nap Plan
You know how babies go from two naps a day to one? And there's a little adjustment process.
And then eventually, they head toward preschool and ultimately give up the nap altogether? But then there's a backlash... You find them 1. cranky and 2. needing extra sleep at night?
Just hold that image in your mind as you continue to read.
Sunday afternoon, I came down sick. Since then, I've been alternating between sitting in my bed and laying in my bed. That's pretty much the extent of my activity. Sometimes I even get up and go get a Diet Coke from the frig. It's been a terribly exciting life...
For several days, I said that I had either a bad cold or a light flu. Now, as I'm starting to see the light at the end of the illness track, I have to admit it: Truly, if I've been in bed for five days, barely even talking on the phone, too sick to sit up to type - that maybe has to count as a bad flu, not just a light flu.
A light flu might have had me slowed down a day or two.
A bad flu has made me blow through (pun intended) two and a half boxes of Puffs, take daily naps, talk softly and refrain from laughing so as not to spark coughing fits, reschedule appointments, talk quietly through other appointments, and most significantly, miss my new niece's entrance into this world.
I have learned valuable lessons - such as the fact that it is possible to brush your teeth even with a throat lozenge tucked away in your cheek. When lozenges keep you from coughing fits that leave you with sore rib muscles, you will try most anything to keep the lozenge in position.
And then eventually, they head toward preschool and ultimately give up the nap altogether? But then there's a backlash... You find them 1. cranky and 2. needing extra sleep at night?
Just hold that image in your mind as you continue to read.
Sunday afternoon, I came down sick. Since then, I've been alternating between sitting in my bed and laying in my bed. That's pretty much the extent of my activity. Sometimes I even get up and go get a Diet Coke from the frig. It's been a terribly exciting life...
For several days, I said that I had either a bad cold or a light flu. Now, as I'm starting to see the light at the end of the illness track, I have to admit it: Truly, if I've been in bed for five days, barely even talking on the phone, too sick to sit up to type - that maybe has to count as a bad flu, not just a light flu.
A light flu might have had me slowed down a day or two.
A bad flu has made me blow through (pun intended) two and a half boxes of Puffs, take daily naps, talk softly and refrain from laughing so as not to spark coughing fits, reschedule appointments, talk quietly through other appointments, and most significantly, miss my new niece's entrance into this world.
I have learned valuable lessons - such as the fact that it is possible to brush your teeth even with a throat lozenge tucked away in your cheek. When lozenges keep you from coughing fits that leave you with sore rib muscles, you will try most anything to keep the lozenge in position.
On Thursday, I managed to get my contacts in and put make up on. It was quite an accomplishment. I went to a meeting and went home to lay down. Then I had another meeting. I lasted the entire day without a nap. But just like any new "no nap plan" toddler, I experienced rebound exhaustion and slept 10 1/2 hours that night.
I put myself back on the nap plan, Friday was just a short nap. But today, I've had two relatively long naps. I'm planning my naps for Sunday in hopes of resting enough to be close to fully functional on Monday.
You may be thinking - Why does this matter? Well, dear reader, I tell you my tale of woe to illustrate two primary points:
1. This flu is a bear. If you get it, just roll with it.
2. Perhaps it's easier for some people than others to let go of control. I definitely hate to let go of control - and this week has been an exercise in letting go, relaxing my grip on my life, and letting myself rely on people. And, if I have learned to take assistance from others, then perhaps it was not all for naught.
and - maybe there's a third point, especially for the mothers reading...
3. My illness has been an opportunity for my kids. My 11 year old didn't want to make me Ramen noodles on Wednesday. So, my 9 year old took it on herself to make them. I was able to instruct her from afar - and she was so proud of herself. She was so proud of herself that the following day, she made another batch of Ramen noodles - in the same, as yet unwashed pan... but that's a tale for another day...
Stay well. And, hold the vision that eventually I will return to the grown up no nap plan.
Hot Lips, Hawkeye, and BJ
Apparently I don’t spend nearly enough time flipping remote control channels between 5 and 7 pm. If I had spent an adequate amount of time in channel surfing I might have realized long ago that the Hallmark Channel plays M*A*S*H every day – four episodes in a row.
M*A*S*H was a staple of my childhood. The final episode aired when I was in high school. While having nothing to do with a realistic portrayal of war, M*A*S*H was a profound portrayal of relationships, humanity, and the power of connection to see us through pain.
Within 5 minutes of finding Hawkeye building a replica of the Washington Monument, I was back. Back in the memories. Back in the lessons.
Tonight I clicked in midway through the show to find Colonel Potter sending for Sidney Freedman because Hawkeye can’t stop itching. I remember the episode. I remember the story and the emotion. I remember the dialogue and the Freudian that triggers Hawkeye’s memory. And, I remember the relief – the relief of awareness, of understanding. This is what life and growth is all about – connecting the dots from the past through today so that things make sense. Integrating and reintegrating our experiences.
And, isn’t it interesting how easy it is to place some events in time? I thought that I was 13 when I first saw this episode. I hunted online and found this site - and sure enough, it aired March 16, 1981. I was 13.
Now, the only trick will be for me to learn to look at the clock and flip to M*A*S*H at 5 pm instead of 6:40...
M*A*S*H was a staple of my childhood. The final episode aired when I was in high school. While having nothing to do with a realistic portrayal of war, M*A*S*H was a profound portrayal of relationships, humanity, and the power of connection to see us through pain.
Within 5 minutes of finding Hawkeye building a replica of the Washington Monument, I was back. Back in the memories. Back in the lessons.
Tonight I clicked in midway through the show to find Colonel Potter sending for Sidney Freedman because Hawkeye can’t stop itching. I remember the episode. I remember the story and the emotion. I remember the dialogue and the Freudian that triggers Hawkeye’s memory. And, I remember the relief – the relief of awareness, of understanding. This is what life and growth is all about – connecting the dots from the past through today so that things make sense. Integrating and reintegrating our experiences.
And, isn’t it interesting how easy it is to place some events in time? I thought that I was 13 when I first saw this episode. I hunted online and found this site - and sure enough, it aired March 16, 1981. I was 13.
Now, the only trick will be for me to learn to look at the clock and flip to M*A*S*H at 5 pm instead of 6:40...
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Lunar Eclipse
Total Lunar Eclipse tonight. Click if you need more info. Looks like it should be a good one.
Barack Obama
My friend, John L. Roberts, of Roberts IP Law, watched Barack Obama’s wife on C-SPAN last night and sent me this email today in support of Obama.
“I saw Obama's wife, Michelle, speak for some time late last night on C-SPAN. Both of them grew up pretty much blue-collar and basic middle class, then attended Harvard Law School. He was the head of Law Review. That's impressive and all, but what really impressed me was what they did with that. Coming out at the top of Harvard Law School, they could have gone to any firm and made big dollars forever. But instead, they went to Chicago. He joined a boutique firm arguing Constitutional law on behalf of poor people (housing issues, civil rights, etc.). They made little and kept working for those who couldn't help themselves, even though they had huge student loans (that they just paid off 3 years ago, with his book sales). People noticed his work, and he was elected to the Illinois congress, where he continued to work for non-corporate interests and make little money. So, I support him.”
I encourage you to look at the Obama campaign. Here’s how you can get involved in supporting Obama. Click here.
There are several anti-Obama emails (full of falsehoods and half truths) that keep finding their way around the internet and into my in box. If you want to know the full story about the supposed facts in those emails, visit snopes.com or click here or here for full analysis.
You also may want to check out Obama's own answers to the critics.
And, then, if you decide that you want to join me in support of Barack Obama and his campaign, then click here to sign up for emails and information about Barack Obama’s campaign.
I hope you join the campaign!
“I saw Obama's wife, Michelle, speak for some time late last night on C-SPAN. Both of them grew up pretty much blue-collar and basic middle class, then attended Harvard Law School. He was the head of Law Review. That's impressive and all, but what really impressed me was what they did with that. Coming out at the top of Harvard Law School, they could have gone to any firm and made big dollars forever. But instead, they went to Chicago. He joined a boutique firm arguing Constitutional law on behalf of poor people (housing issues, civil rights, etc.). They made little and kept working for those who couldn't help themselves, even though they had huge student loans (that they just paid off 3 years ago, with his book sales). People noticed his work, and he was elected to the Illinois congress, where he continued to work for non-corporate interests and make little money. So, I support him.”
I encourage you to look at the Obama campaign. Here’s how you can get involved in supporting Obama. Click here.
There are several anti-Obama emails (full of falsehoods and half truths) that keep finding their way around the internet and into my in box. If you want to know the full story about the supposed facts in those emails, visit snopes.com or click here or here for full analysis.
You also may want to check out Obama's own answers to the critics.
And, then, if you decide that you want to join me in support of Barack Obama and his campaign, then click here to sign up for emails and information about Barack Obama’s campaign.
I hope you join the campaign!
For the record
Junior came in 9th on Sunday.
I was sick and slept through much of the race.
At least it was an exciting finish...
I was sick and slept through much of the race.
At least it was an exciting finish...
Who do you need to be?
Who do you need to be?
Who do you need to become?
Honestly - are you living the life you believe you could or should? Most people probably aren't, so at least you're not alone if you aren't. But each of us could be living more of our innate purpose.
If you died tomorrow, what would you want people to say about you? What impact would you want to have made? I realize that 1. the question has been asked before and is perhaps cliche and 2. it is a little morbid to think about it.
Regardless of whether I'm just being morbid or whether I'm being banal, answering the question makes a difference.
Examining the question makes you look at your own life differently. Actually answering it makes you live your life (and relationships) differently.
I am sure you have a story about someone you love who you wish you could have told something specific to or someone who died and you had just had that conversation - so they knew what you felt. Those experiences change us. The challenge is to let ourselves live there, in that moment, in that painful reality long enough to be transformed.
When I die I want people to say things like - She changed my life. She saw the best of who I was. She knew more about me than I knew about myself. She understood me.
It's hard to write it down. But go ahead and write it. Email it to me if you want - I'd be honored to read it (leah a t confidencebook d o t com). Or hide it away in a shoe box. Or write it down then rip up the paper. It doesn't matter what you do, so much as it matters that you write it down.
What do you want people to say about you when you die?
Who do you need to become?
Honestly - are you living the life you believe you could or should? Most people probably aren't, so at least you're not alone if you aren't. But each of us could be living more of our innate purpose.
If you died tomorrow, what would you want people to say about you? What impact would you want to have made? I realize that 1. the question has been asked before and is perhaps cliche and 2. it is a little morbid to think about it.
Regardless of whether I'm just being morbid or whether I'm being banal, answering the question makes a difference.
Examining the question makes you look at your own life differently. Actually answering it makes you live your life (and relationships) differently.
I am sure you have a story about someone you love who you wish you could have told something specific to or someone who died and you had just had that conversation - so they knew what you felt. Those experiences change us. The challenge is to let ourselves live there, in that moment, in that painful reality long enough to be transformed.
When I die I want people to say things like - She changed my life. She saw the best of who I was. She knew more about me than I knew about myself. She understood me.
It's hard to write it down. But go ahead and write it. Email it to me if you want - I'd be honored to read it (leah a t confidencebook d o t com). Or hide it away in a shoe box. Or write it down then rip up the paper. It doesn't matter what you do, so much as it matters that you write it down.
What do you want people to say about you when you die?
Sunday, February 17, 2008
Well...
OK - Wouldn't it be nice if we had a nice green finish for the start of the Nascar Season? I guess you pay your money and you take your choice - Casey Mears went for the block and got tapped by my hometown guy, Tony Stewart. Tony and Dale Jr. were on the move and looking good.
Green-White-Checker really isn't that long to let folks get going (in my humble estimation.)
Four regular laps to go.
Green-White-Checker really isn't that long to let folks get going (in my humble estimation.)
Four regular laps to go.
Balloon Dresses and Duct Tape Prom
Have you seen this blog? Splendid Photos Around the Net
Look at the balloon photos. How cool are the dresses?
It reminds me of the Duct Tape Prom outfits I saw last year.
Look at the balloon photos. How cool are the dresses?
It reminds me of the Duct Tape Prom outfits I saw last year.
Friday, February 15, 2008
Daytona 500
In case you forgot to watch qualifying today -
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is starting 3rd in Sunday's Daytona 500.
Just in case you were wondering...
Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is starting 3rd in Sunday's Daytona 500.
Just in case you were wondering...
Thursday, February 14, 2008
Pablo Neruda
In My Sky At Twilight
In my sky at twilight you are like a cloud
and your form and colour are the way I love them.
You are mine, mine, woman with sweet lips
and in your life my infinite dreams live.
The lamp of my soul dyes your feet,
the sour wine is sweeter on your lips,
oh reaper of my evening song,
how solitary dreams believe you to be mine!
You are mine, mine, I go shouting it to the afternoon's
wind, and the wind hauls on my widowed voice.
Huntress of the depth of my eyes, your plunder
stills your nocturnal regard as though it were water.
You are taken in the net of my music, my love,
and my nets of music are wide as the sky.
My soul is born on the shore of your eyes of mourning.
In your eyes of mourning the land of dreams begin.
Pablo Neruda
In my sky at twilight you are like a cloud
and your form and colour are the way I love them.
You are mine, mine, woman with sweet lips
and in your life my infinite dreams live.
The lamp of my soul dyes your feet,
the sour wine is sweeter on your lips,
oh reaper of my evening song,
how solitary dreams believe you to be mine!
You are mine, mine, I go shouting it to the afternoon's
wind, and the wind hauls on my widowed voice.
Huntress of the depth of my eyes, your plunder
stills your nocturnal regard as though it were water.
You are taken in the net of my music, my love,
and my nets of music are wide as the sky.
My soul is born on the shore of your eyes of mourning.
In your eyes of mourning the land of dreams begin.
Pablo Neruda
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
How well do you know the people you love?
Last month, I was in Indy for the Rainmakers Main Event and took the opportunity to go to Barnes and Noble afterward.
I adore bookstores and love nothing more than to spend 4-5 hours just sitting, looking at books. (For Mother's Day, in 2002 or so, my gift was to spend 8 hours in the bookstore by myself.)
The town I live in is not sizable enough for a big bookstore like a Barnes and Noble or Borders. So, when I'm in Indy, I enjoy browsing.
Looking at the Valentine's display, I found an incredible book of poetry - with my new favorite poet, Pablo Neruda. One of Neruda's poems is posted below.
And then, I found these books:
I think I know my husband pretty well. And, there are plenty of times that he knows things about me that I don't know about myself. (The first time I remember realizing that he could predict my preferences we were at the Ohio State Fair looking at wedding cakes. He knew which one would be my favorite before I had decided for myself what my favorite was.)
So, these books caught my eye. No matter how well you know someone there is always more to know. The only problem with the books is that I don't even know what some of my answers are. One of the questions in the Do You Know Your Wife book is what is her favorite music group. Well, honestly, I don't know what my favorite music group is anymore... maybe Jeff knows...
Two Love Poems and a Lost Love Poem for you:
i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,
my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
ee cummings
somewhere i have never travelled
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands
ee cummings
Tonight I can write the saddest lines
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example,'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her void. Her bright body. Her inifinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
Pablo Neruda
I adore bookstores and love nothing more than to spend 4-5 hours just sitting, looking at books. (For Mother's Day, in 2002 or so, my gift was to spend 8 hours in the bookstore by myself.)
The town I live in is not sizable enough for a big bookstore like a Barnes and Noble or Borders. So, when I'm in Indy, I enjoy browsing.
Looking at the Valentine's display, I found an incredible book of poetry - with my new favorite poet, Pablo Neruda. One of Neruda's poems is posted below.
And then, I found these books:
I think I know my husband pretty well. And, there are plenty of times that he knows things about me that I don't know about myself. (The first time I remember realizing that he could predict my preferences we were at the Ohio State Fair looking at wedding cakes. He knew which one would be my favorite before I had decided for myself what my favorite was.)
So, these books caught my eye. No matter how well you know someone there is always more to know. The only problem with the books is that I don't even know what some of my answers are. One of the questions in the Do You Know Your Wife book is what is her favorite music group. Well, honestly, I don't know what my favorite music group is anymore... maybe Jeff knows...
Two Love Poems and a Lost Love Poem for you:
i carry your heart with me
i carry your heart with me(i carry it in
my heart)i am never without it(anywhere
i go you go,my dear; and whatever is done
by only me is your doing,my darling)
i fear
no fate(for you are my fate,my sweet)i want
no world(for beautiful you are my world,
my true)and it's you are whatever a moon has always meant
and whatever a sun will always sing is you
here is the deepest secret nobody knows
(here is the root of the root and the bud of the bud
and the sky of the sky of a tree called life;
which grows higher than the soul can hope or mind can hide)
and this is the wonder that's keeping the stars apart
i carry your heart(i carry it in my heart)
ee cummings
somewhere i have never travelled
somewhere i have never travelled, gladly beyond
any experience,your eyes have their silence:
in your most frail gesture are things which enclose me,
or which i cannot touch because they are too near
your slightest look easily will unclose me
though i have closed myself as fingers,
you open always petal by petal myself as Spring opens
(touching skilfully,mysteriously)her first rose
or if your wish be to close me,i and
my life will shut very beautifully,suddenly,
as when the heart of this flower imagines
the snow carefully everywhere descending;
nothing which we are to perceive in this world equals
the power of your intense fragility:whose texture
compels me with the color of its countries,
rendering death and forever with each breathing
(i do not know what it is about you that closes
and opens;only something in me understands
the voice of your eyes is deeper than all roses)
nobody,not even the rain,has such small hands
ee cummings
Tonight I can write the saddest lines
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
Write, for example,'The night is shattered
and the blue stars shiver in the distance.'
The night wind revolves in the sky and sings.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
I loved her, and sometimes she loved me too.
Through nights like this one I held her in my arms
I kissed her again and again under the endless sky.
She loved me sometimes, and I loved her too.
How could one not have loved her great still eyes.
Tonight I can write the saddest lines.
To think that I do not have her. To feel that I have lost her.
To hear the immense night, still more immense without her.
And the verse falls to the soul like dew to the pasture.
What does it matter that my love could not keep her.
The night is shattered and she is not with me.
This is all. In the distance someone is singing. In the distance.
My soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
My sight searches for her as though to go to her.
My heart looks for her, and she is not with me.
The same night whitening the same trees.
We, of that time, are no longer the same.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but how I loved her.
My voice tried to find the wind to touch her hearing.
Another's. She will be another's. Like my kisses before.
Her void. Her bright body. Her inifinite eyes.
I no longer love her, that's certain, but maybe I love her.
Love is so short, forgetting is so long.
Because through nights like this one I held her in my arms
my soul is not satisfied that it has lost her.
Though this be the last pain that she makes me suffer
and these the last verses that I write for her.
Pablo Neruda
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
Survival Tips for Multitaskers
Today I spoke to the Columbus Young Professionals (Thanks for having me, Andrea, Val, Amber, and Kami!) about Survival Tips for Multitaskers.
The most interesting piece of research that I found was that people have greater difficulty multitasking in the early morning and late at night. That is consistent with 1. the general advice that people give about doing high focus tasks early in the morning and 2. my frequent ability to be highly focused late at night. Most times when I write, I write late at night.
It's icy here - a wonderful day to stay inside and curl up with a good book.
The most interesting piece of research that I found was that people have greater difficulty multitasking in the early morning and late at night. That is consistent with 1. the general advice that people give about doing high focus tasks early in the morning and 2. my frequent ability to be highly focused late at night. Most times when I write, I write late at night.
It's icy here - a wonderful day to stay inside and curl up with a good book.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Friendship multiplies...
I don't know how many more posts I'll "need" to make today. Apparently, I'm in a talkative mode. Perhaps I have "Diarya" (a word coined by my friend, Dan Myers of the Blue Monster blog).
Friendship multiplies blessings and … soothes the soul. Baltasar Gracian
Have you ever noticed how many types of friends you need? I used to have one general type of person with whom I associated. Maybe my friends didn't all like each other, but I wanted them to. And, I usually found a coherence within my relationships with each of those people.
Lately I've noticed how many different types of friends I have. Many of my current friends would not be naturally drawn to being together. But they mix well at my parties.
Recent emails with grad school colleagues Alexandra Corning and Dan Myers; hours spent with my dear friend, Angela Burton of Guardian Kung Fu; new networking meetings, for instance with Patric Welch of Noobie, Inc.; an anchoring dinner out with Vickie Hildreth; and a 5 minute conversation with Monta Frazier all remind me of who I am.
Regardless of the differences between my friends nowadays - there is one thing that remains - the person who I am when I am with these various people is constant. We may talk about different topics. My friends may disagree on Obama vs. Clinton or daylight savings time in Indiana (don't even get me started on daylight savings time issues...) But they all create space for me to be the best of who I am - and that soothes my soul.
Friendship multiplies blessings and … soothes the soul. Baltasar Gracian
Have you ever noticed how many types of friends you need? I used to have one general type of person with whom I associated. Maybe my friends didn't all like each other, but I wanted them to. And, I usually found a coherence within my relationships with each of those people.
Lately I've noticed how many different types of friends I have. Many of my current friends would not be naturally drawn to being together. But they mix well at my parties.
Recent emails with grad school colleagues Alexandra Corning and Dan Myers; hours spent with my dear friend, Angela Burton of Guardian Kung Fu; new networking meetings, for instance with Patric Welch of Noobie, Inc.; an anchoring dinner out with Vickie Hildreth; and a 5 minute conversation with Monta Frazier all remind me of who I am.
Regardless of the differences between my friends nowadays - there is one thing that remains - the person who I am when I am with these various people is constant. We may talk about different topics. My friends may disagree on Obama vs. Clinton or daylight savings time in Indiana (don't even get me started on daylight savings time issues...) But they all create space for me to be the best of who I am - and that soothes my soul.
Dale Jr.
Junior is back. Did you watch the Bud Shootout last night? Neither did I actually… I came home at the end of it after painting pottery with my oldest daughter. I have become a Nascar fan since getting married. I guess when you choose your spouse, you choose your sports. OK – being honest, it took me several years of marriage to really get the strategy to Nascar and auto-racing in general.
I have a soft spot for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died two weeks before my father-in-law. There was something about that accident and where it fell in our family’s life that combined with Earnhardt, Sr.’s Intimidator persona that drew me in.
So Earnhardt, Jr. is my favorite. I like the image of him carrying on the legacy. His style seems to fit his dad’s Intimidator image.
Junior has just switched racing teams as you may know. He’s now driving for Hendrick Motorsports – and maybe, just maybe Junior’s back.
Have you ever noticed how your environment shifts your mood? I just have to wonder – how much did Junior’s win last night have to do with shifting environments?
I have a soft spot for Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
Dale Earnhardt, Sr. died two weeks before my father-in-law. There was something about that accident and where it fell in our family’s life that combined with Earnhardt, Sr.’s Intimidator persona that drew me in.
So Earnhardt, Jr. is my favorite. I like the image of him carrying on the legacy. His style seems to fit his dad’s Intimidator image.
Junior has just switched racing teams as you may know. He’s now driving for Hendrick Motorsports – and maybe, just maybe Junior’s back.
Have you ever noticed how your environment shifts your mood? I just have to wonder – how much did Junior’s win last night have to do with shifting environments?
The perfect haircut
February 10, 2008
Sometimes you learn new things about yourself – things that you think that you would have known about yourself. Last summer, I discovered that my hair is wavy, not really curly but rather wavy.
Now, one might wonder how a 40 year old person doesn’t know that her hair is wavy. Apparently hair might actually be wavy but not look like it. My mom always said that my hair had a natural wave in it. But I could never see it. As far as I was concerned, my hair was fine, straight and had no body to it.
I started getting perms and body waves when I was 12. They never worked out the way that I wanted. My hair got frizzy and poofy, rather than having the great wavy spirals that I wanted. I still don’t know why even the “perfect” products didn’t make my hair do what my friends’ hair did. (But I’m not still bitter, in case you were starting to wonder.)
Then last summer, I discover the unimaginable… when it’s cut a certain way, my hair is wavy – really almost curly. And, when I have the right products and I scrunch it just right – it looks exactly like I have always wanted.
I’m one of those navel gazer people. I’m pretty self-aware. But still, there are things that I learn about myself. From the simple, like the fact that my hair is wavy, to the profound, like my friend telling me this week that I really need to stop putting everyone else before myself – we are always learning about ourselves.
The amusement in the hair revelation becomes a deepening of my understanding of myself.
I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within. ~Lillian Smith
As much as we grow outside, we need to grow within ourselves. The more we stretch to the sky, the more we need grounding. Our own growth is the anchor that connects us so that we can become who we want to be and live into our destiny.
Sometimes you learn new things about yourself – things that you think that you would have known about yourself. Last summer, I discovered that my hair is wavy, not really curly but rather wavy.
Now, one might wonder how a 40 year old person doesn’t know that her hair is wavy. Apparently hair might actually be wavy but not look like it. My mom always said that my hair had a natural wave in it. But I could never see it. As far as I was concerned, my hair was fine, straight and had no body to it.
I started getting perms and body waves when I was 12. They never worked out the way that I wanted. My hair got frizzy and poofy, rather than having the great wavy spirals that I wanted. I still don’t know why even the “perfect” products didn’t make my hair do what my friends’ hair did. (But I’m not still bitter, in case you were starting to wonder.)
Then last summer, I discover the unimaginable… when it’s cut a certain way, my hair is wavy – really almost curly. And, when I have the right products and I scrunch it just right – it looks exactly like I have always wanted.
I’m one of those navel gazer people. I’m pretty self-aware. But still, there are things that I learn about myself. From the simple, like the fact that my hair is wavy, to the profound, like my friend telling me this week that I really need to stop putting everyone else before myself – we are always learning about ourselves.
The amusement in the hair revelation becomes a deepening of my understanding of myself.
I soon realized that no journey carries one far unless, as it extends into the world around us, it goes an equal distance into the world within. ~Lillian Smith
As much as we grow outside, we need to grow within ourselves. The more we stretch to the sky, the more we need grounding. Our own growth is the anchor that connects us so that we can become who we want to be and live into our destiny.
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