I had this terrible dream.
I was sitting at work and all of sudden my coworkers started making fun of me and my blog. My blog? What kind of a nerd has a blog? Oh, wait a minute. I do.
I'm not sure why it threw me off, I mean, I do write embarrassing stuff but its not that bad, and I don't write about all the horrible work K**** C**** *shoutout* gives me.
....Then I realized it wasn't a dream. It was for real.
More shoutouts to all my co-workers who get my RSS feeds. Y'all really should be more open about being creepy.
I'm blaming Hannah. She made me get a blog, and she made me get Twitter, but I never really use that either. I seriously thought it was just Hannah, my mom and granddad (and sometimes Liz) who read it.
Now I can't be as funny and embarrassing now that I know people who judge me *another Kevin shoutout* read it.
Wednesday, June 1
Tuesday, April 19
Gulp of (not so) fresh....water?
Solution? 2 hours at the gym. Well...maybe 2 hours. Some elliptical, some weights, some more elliptical and then a few laps topped off with a little yoga when I got home.
I didn't think the pool would be crowded at 9:30, but it was so, I hung out in the hot tub (I'd only do that if it was empty and luckily it was!) After about 15 minutes, a lane opened, so I grabbed it. It was me and 3 guys about my age in the pool. They weren't hard core- no swim caps or goggles. They didn't even swim 2 consecutive laps.
I could tell they were watching me. I look like I'm legit because I do wear a swim cap and goggles. I let them think what they want, but if they watch me too long, they'll figure out I'm not headed for the Olympics anytime soon.
I ignored the boys and kept swimming. They went into the sauna and I could tell they were still watching me through the steamy glass. I pulled out the big guns- the butterfly. (Let's be clear... I'm going for tough workout b/c I felt disgusting, I'm not trying to show off for these guys....please, I'm wearing a 1 piece swimsuit and a swim cap. I'm sure my mascara was all over my face and I looked utterly adorable).
Anyway, I do my lap of the butterfly towards the sauna, making sure to pull out of the water like all the really cool pictures of the awesome swimmers. I saw one of the guys in the sauna come stand at the glass as if he'd never seen anyone do the butterfly as gracefully as me (uh...yeah Hayley....that's it).
I could see a wave in front of me carving out a path for me as I made my way to the other end. There was the wall...one last stroke...come up for air....OH NO, the wave had hit the wall and it came crashing straight into my mouth. I coughed up a TON of water but then I still had about a pint lodged in my windpipe. Great finale. Now they all know you're not awesome.
I played it off with an easy breaststroke back...ya know, just in case I died from choking on water, I'd die doing an easy stroke. Needless to say, that was my last lap of the night.
Saturday, April 9
More to Live For
Last night I went to a film festival where they showed "More to Live For" that was held in honor of a coworker's 18-month old baby niece, Winslet.
Winslet was born premature at 4 pounds, 8 ounces, was resuscitated in the delivery room, was critically ill with only 33% of the blood volume she should have had, and her vital organs were shutting down. She fought her way back to health during a seven week stay in the NICU, but there was one major lingering problem — Winslet was not making blood. After months of blood tests, dozens of transfusions, three bone marrow biopsies, and consulting with leading hematologists around the world, doctors were at a loss for a diagnosis and now refer to her condition as Winslet’s Disease.
Winslet's only chance for a cure was a life-saving bone marrow transplant. She was lucky — doctors quickly found a 6/6 match from the National Marrow Donor Program cord blood bank. Winslet endured eight days of around-the-clock intensive chemotherapy in preparation for her bone marrow transplant, which took place February 3, 2011. After 54 days in Medical City Dallas, Winslet faces two years of recovery before it will be known if the transplant was a success.
The documentary "More to Live For" is shown by a non-profit called Love Hope Strength, which is an international, music-centric cancer charity dedicated to saving lives, one concert at a time. Right now, they're raising funds to build cancer centers around the world (Peru, Nepal, Tanzania...), build awareness of global cancer needs, and build an international bone marrow registry.
Before I saw this documentary last night, I really didn't know much about bone marrow transplants. I didn't realize there are thousands of people waiting to find a match today. I thought bone marrow donors had to be from the patient's family and there wasn't a need to "join a registry" because (thank the Lord) everyone in my family is healthy. Heck, I actually didn't know there was a registry.
James Chippendale, the co-founder of Love Hope Strength, was blessed to find his match- a German man who has never left his small village outside of Berlin. A complete stranger on the other side of the world gave his bone marrow to save the life of a stranger- no questions asked. That's the way this world should be.
James was at the film screening last night and he was describing how he was laying on his death bed, losing a battle with leukemia, when he found his match. Once he began recovering, he had to transition back into the real world. He said there was a pre-cancer James and a post-cancer James and everything in life was completely different. He said, "All of a sudden, I didn't understand why this person was yelling at the traffic, and that person was honking...." He is so grateful to be alive, he doesn't let the petty stressors get to him- why should anyone!?
I joined the bone marrow registry after the movie. All it took was a simple 10 second cotton swab in my cheek and I could be someone's match. They can't get that swab to a lab fast enough- I want to get the call NOW that I can save someone. Isn't that so cool that we can save lives just with the blood that's pumping through our veins?! It doesn't get much cooler than that.
Winslet's only chance for a cure was a life-saving bone marrow transplant. She was lucky — doctors quickly found a 6/6 match from the National Marrow Donor Program cord blood bank. Winslet endured eight days of around-the-clock intensive chemotherapy in preparation for her bone marrow transplant, which took place February 3, 2011. After 54 days in Medical City Dallas, Winslet faces two years of recovery before it will be known if the transplant was a success.
The documentary "More to Live For" is shown by a non-profit called Love Hope Strength, which is an international, music-centric cancer charity dedicated to saving lives, one concert at a time. Right now, they're raising funds to build cancer centers around the world (Peru, Nepal, Tanzania...), build awareness of global cancer needs, and build an international bone marrow registry.Before I saw this documentary last night, I really didn't know much about bone marrow transplants. I didn't realize there are thousands of people waiting to find a match today. I thought bone marrow donors had to be from the patient's family and there wasn't a need to "join a registry" because (thank the Lord) everyone in my family is healthy. Heck, I actually didn't know there was a registry.
James Chippendale, the co-founder of Love Hope Strength, was blessed to find his match- a German man who has never left his small village outside of Berlin. A complete stranger on the other side of the world gave his bone marrow to save the life of a stranger- no questions asked. That's the way this world should be.
James was at the film screening last night and he was describing how he was laying on his death bed, losing a battle with leukemia, when he found his match. Once he began recovering, he had to transition back into the real world. He said there was a pre-cancer James and a post-cancer James and everything in life was completely different. He said, "All of a sudden, I didn't understand why this person was yelling at the traffic, and that person was honking...." He is so grateful to be alive, he doesn't let the petty stressors get to him- why should anyone!?
I joined the bone marrow registry after the movie. All it took was a simple 10 second cotton swab in my cheek and I could be someone's match. They can't get that swab to a lab fast enough- I want to get the call NOW that I can save someone. Isn't that so cool that we can save lives just with the blood that's pumping through our veins?! It doesn't get much cooler than that.
Tuesday, April 5
Arachnophobia
I'm not a very "phobic" person. I used to be claustrophobic as a child. I was DEATHLY afraid of elevators- particularly the idea of getting stuck in an elevator. I could only ride alone in a glass elevator, and even then, I didn't trust that strangers watching me panic inside a stuck elevator would have the heart to help me.
But this blog post isn't about the claustrophobia I've grown out of- it's about the arachnophobia I'll NEVER grow out of.
I hate spiders. They have more legs, and probably more eyes, than I do. Most of them can outrun me too (ha). Well...today I was walking down the hall and something fell from the ceiling down my shirt. Eh...surely it's just dust, right? It's never just dust.
I made it about 50 yards to my BFF's desk:
"OMG...something fell down my shirt!"
"What was it?"
"I don't know"....I look...*GASP* "A spider!"
No kidding, she jumped at least 3 feet back from me!
Suddenly people looked at me more like a leper in that moment than they did when I had a cough last week. I had a spider in my shirt and I had no intention of reaching in it to get it out or stripping in front of my coworkers!
I would have loved to scream, but I heard with tarantulas, it's better to stay calm because they attack when they sense fear. I know this dime-sized spider wasn't a tarantula, but I wasn't sure if the rules applied across the board, and I'm at work...gotta maintain a sense of professionalism so the VP of Marketing doesn't see you running down the hall tearing your shirt off to get a spider out. I don't really see a promotion coming from that scenario (at least not in my line of work).
I drug my 2 nearest female coworkers to the bathroom with me...I couldn't face this beast alone. I was shaking and starting to sweat. The 2 bathroom stalls in the closest bathroom were full. We went into the executive suite...I was ready to pop into my boss' office (luckily he wasn't in there) and dig the spider out there, but we made it another 30 yards to the bathroom where I ripped off my jacket and shook out my shirt. The spider plopped on the ground and in true girl-fashion we sprung back. I threw a paper towel on the floor over it but it ran. My brave coworker stomped it with her stiletto several times till it was unrecognizable.
I'm safe. I survived, and I feel like I did so with professional poise. Now I'm just wearing turtlenecks to work!
But this blog post isn't about the claustrophobia I've grown out of- it's about the arachnophobia I'll NEVER grow out of.
I hate spiders. They have more legs, and probably more eyes, than I do. Most of them can outrun me too (ha). Well...today I was walking down the hall and something fell from the ceiling down my shirt. Eh...surely it's just dust, right? It's never just dust.
I made it about 50 yards to my BFF's desk:
"OMG...something fell down my shirt!"
"What was it?"
"I don't know"....I look...*GASP* "A spider!"
No kidding, she jumped at least 3 feet back from me!
Suddenly people looked at me more like a leper in that moment than they did when I had a cough last week. I had a spider in my shirt and I had no intention of reaching in it to get it out or stripping in front of my coworkers!
I would have loved to scream, but I heard with tarantulas, it's better to stay calm because they attack when they sense fear. I know this dime-sized spider wasn't a tarantula, but I wasn't sure if the rules applied across the board, and I'm at work...gotta maintain a sense of professionalism so the VP of Marketing doesn't see you running down the hall tearing your shirt off to get a spider out. I don't really see a promotion coming from that scenario (at least not in my line of work).
I drug my 2 nearest female coworkers to the bathroom with me...I couldn't face this beast alone. I was shaking and starting to sweat. The 2 bathroom stalls in the closest bathroom were full. We went into the executive suite...I was ready to pop into my boss' office (luckily he wasn't in there) and dig the spider out there, but we made it another 30 yards to the bathroom where I ripped off my jacket and shook out my shirt. The spider plopped on the ground and in true girl-fashion we sprung back. I threw a paper towel on the floor over it but it ran. My brave coworker stomped it with her stiletto several times till it was unrecognizable.
I'm safe. I survived, and I feel like I did so with professional poise. Now I'm just wearing turtlenecks to work!
Sunday, March 6
Faith & Opportunism
I tend to think I need a plan. I need to have everything mapped out and figured out. Basically up until graduating from college, I did. The plan was 1. Graduate high school, 2. Graduate college, 3. Be financially independent, 4. Get married sometime after that.
I'm currently working on #3. At some point, I want to lapse back into #2 and get a Master's degree in something. It helps to know what that something is before studying for whatever test I'll need to take and applying to whatever schools I need to apply to. I'll need to apply for loans, decide to work and take classes at the same time or go full time. I'll need to think about how much debt I'm willing to take on, what kind of doors an advanced degree might open and what I'd be leaving behind to pursue something else.
When I start thinking about my future (even as near as this summer or next year) I start spiraling into confusion. Most 20-something year olds get it. They're in my boat, but there is no use talking about my future plans with real adults (i.e. my parents or coworkers) because it just shows them I'm lost, unstable and unprepared to take on the world.
BUT, I'm coming to terms with the fact that I don't need to have my life mapped out. I actually had a thought this morning that some of the people who will most influence me in my life are not even alive yet...like my children and grandchildren. Somewhere we get the idea that by the age of 20, we need to have the next 60+ years mapped out.
I heard a great statement about faith today. When you're driving at night, you can only see a few hundred feet in front of you, but you still know the road is there. As long as you follow the little bit of the road you can see, you'll get where you're going. It's such a simple concept, but I need to apply it to my life. I'm not big on cliche quotes, but I like this one by Martin Luther King Jr., "Faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase."
Now, you're probably expecting some big announcement that I'm taking some grand big step on my grand staircase of life- I don't have a big announcement other than I'm going to go to work tomorrow and keep living my life.
My aunt gave me a little pep talk about being opportunistic today. After thinking about it, some really great and exciting things have happened to me when I chose to be opportunistic instead of chickening out. My sophomore year of college, an opportunity to study abroad with Baylor University for 19 days in Southeast Asia fell in my lap. I'm not quite sure how- I wasn't looking for it. I had never dreamt of going to Asia, and I honestly didn't have a strong desire to go. I felt pressured by the Baylor professor, and before I gave my final "yes," the professor reserved a plane ticket with my name on it and my mom made a deposit.
On January 1, 2008 I found myself bawling in the airport parking lot with my family all around me (I don't like crying in front of people- even my family). I was scared. I was going to spend 19 days on the other side of the world with 13 strangers- kids I had never met from a different school. It was actually a bigger deal than just that. A week after I was to get back from Asia, I was spending an entire semester in London with a group of girls I had met a few times- I had a few acquaintances in the group, but they might as well have been strangers too. I felt the close friends I had made in my first 3 semesters at school drifting away and I knew when I got back the next Fall, everything would be different. My parents told me I didn't have to go if I didn't want to. What? We've paid for this trip, I've packed, I'm here at the airport and you're telling me I don't have to go?
I went anyway. Both study abroad experiences were life changing. I went to 10 new countries, shook the hand of a Thai prince, went paragliding in Switzerland, climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, and St. Peter's Basilica, laid on a Spanish beach and hiked through the English countryside. I learned a great deal about myself and the strangers I was afraid of became some of my best friends. I am thankful for the lessons learned, the experiences I gained and the people I met. I trust life continues to hand me wonderful and unexpected opportunities.
I can't stress about my future. I know as long as I'm patient and have faith, my future will unfold without me trying. I think if I try to map out the next 60 years of my life, I'll screw it up. God knows what He's doing. He has a plan, and He isn't willing to unveil it all right now, but that's probably for the best. I'd be far too excited about my entire future to fold my laundry tonight and go into work in the morning.
"Your life is defined by opportunities. Even the ones you miss." Benjamin Button
I'm currently working on #3. At some point, I want to lapse back into #2 and get a Master's degree in something. It helps to know what that something is before studying for whatever test I'll need to take and applying to whatever schools I need to apply to. I'll need to apply for loans, decide to work and take classes at the same time or go full time. I'll need to think about how much debt I'm willing to take on, what kind of doors an advanced degree might open and what I'd be leaving behind to pursue something else.
When I start thinking about my future (even as near as this summer or next year) I start spiraling into confusion. Most 20-something year olds get it. They're in my boat, but there is no use talking about my future plans with real adults (i.e. my parents or coworkers) because it just shows them I'm lost, unstable and unprepared to take on the world.
BUT, I'm coming to terms with the fact that I don't need to have my life mapped out. I actually had a thought this morning that some of the people who will most influence me in my life are not even alive yet...like my children and grandchildren. Somewhere we get the idea that by the age of 20, we need to have the next 60+ years mapped out.
I heard a great statement about faith today. When you're driving at night, you can only see a few hundred feet in front of you, but you still know the road is there. As long as you follow the little bit of the road you can see, you'll get where you're going. It's such a simple concept, but I need to apply it to my life. I'm not big on cliche quotes, but I like this one by Martin Luther King Jr., "Faith is taking the first step when you don't see the whole staircase."
Now, you're probably expecting some big announcement that I'm taking some grand big step on my grand staircase of life- I don't have a big announcement other than I'm going to go to work tomorrow and keep living my life.
My aunt gave me a little pep talk about being opportunistic today. After thinking about it, some really great and exciting things have happened to me when I chose to be opportunistic instead of chickening out. My sophomore year of college, an opportunity to study abroad with Baylor University for 19 days in Southeast Asia fell in my lap. I'm not quite sure how- I wasn't looking for it. I had never dreamt of going to Asia, and I honestly didn't have a strong desire to go. I felt pressured by the Baylor professor, and before I gave my final "yes," the professor reserved a plane ticket with my name on it and my mom made a deposit.
On January 1, 2008 I found myself bawling in the airport parking lot with my family all around me (I don't like crying in front of people- even my family). I was scared. I was going to spend 19 days on the other side of the world with 13 strangers- kids I had never met from a different school. It was actually a bigger deal than just that. A week after I was to get back from Asia, I was spending an entire semester in London with a group of girls I had met a few times- I had a few acquaintances in the group, but they might as well have been strangers too. I felt the close friends I had made in my first 3 semesters at school drifting away and I knew when I got back the next Fall, everything would be different. My parents told me I didn't have to go if I didn't want to. What? We've paid for this trip, I've packed, I'm here at the airport and you're telling me I don't have to go?
I went anyway. Both study abroad experiences were life changing. I went to 10 new countries, shook the hand of a Thai prince, went paragliding in Switzerland, climbed to the top of the Eiffel Tower, St. Paul's Cathedral, and St. Peter's Basilica, laid on a Spanish beach and hiked through the English countryside. I learned a great deal about myself and the strangers I was afraid of became some of my best friends. I am thankful for the lessons learned, the experiences I gained and the people I met. I trust life continues to hand me wonderful and unexpected opportunities.
I can't stress about my future. I know as long as I'm patient and have faith, my future will unfold without me trying. I think if I try to map out the next 60 years of my life, I'll screw it up. God knows what He's doing. He has a plan, and He isn't willing to unveil it all right now, but that's probably for the best. I'd be far too excited about my entire future to fold my laundry tonight and go into work in the morning.
"Your life is defined by opportunities. Even the ones you miss." Benjamin Button
Saturday, March 5
My Oscar Debut
I know I'm way behind the times, but last night I finally saw The King's Speech. Just to show how out of the loop I am, I was excited to see Colin Firth was in it....didn't even know he was the Oscar-winning star!
I think that is the all time best ever movie....ever.
I love the acting- Colin is unbelievable! I love the filming too. Every shot was deliberate. I love the colors and decor in every scene.
I could never pick a favorite scene, but I do love this one. The character development is great- you see a this hostile relationship between a therapist and royalty turn into a true friendship.
I could own this movie. I don't like owning movies because I don't normally like seeing movies more than once. Most movies that are out there are just mediocre and who wants to see a mediocre movie over and over and over? The King's Speech is actually a movie worth memorizing the lines to.
The real reason I love this movie is because I'm in it. Kind of....
In this clip at 1:20 and 2:15 there are clips of people hanging on a gate outside of Buckingham Palace. I was in London last January and one day I took a walk...right past Buckingham Palace and I saw them filming something. I had no idea what it was and I asked someone else watching and they didn't know. The camera crew was set up outside the palace gate filming people right up on the gate and then about 30 yards back there was a group of people sitting up on the statue in front of Buckingham Palace.
They actually let us walk between the people hanging on the gate and the people on the statue because the people on the gate cover all the tourists in the background. I was walking in the middle of that scene while they were filming! I was in a movie that won 3 Oscars!!!
During the movie, I leaned over to my friend and said, "When I was in London I saw them filming a movie that looked like it was set in the 1940s. I wonder if this is it!" Then during the big huge final speech, it showed this scene for 3 seconds and I freaked out and said, "I was there! I was there!!!!" So embarrassing....but I'm so proud of my big Hollywood breakthrough!
I think that is the all time best ever movie....ever.
I love the acting- Colin is unbelievable! I love the filming too. Every shot was deliberate. I love the colors and decor in every scene.
I could never pick a favorite scene, but I do love this one. The character development is great- you see a this hostile relationship between a therapist and royalty turn into a true friendship.
I could own this movie. I don't like owning movies because I don't normally like seeing movies more than once. Most movies that are out there are just mediocre and who wants to see a mediocre movie over and over and over? The King's Speech is actually a movie worth memorizing the lines to.
The real reason I love this movie is because I'm in it. Kind of....
 |
| Camera crew for The Kings Speech |
They actually let us walk between the people hanging on the gate and the people on the statue because the people on the gate cover all the tourists in the background. I was walking in the middle of that scene while they were filming! I was in a movie that won 3 Oscars!!!
 |
| @ 1:20 in the movie trailer, there's a clip of people hanging on a gate- this is the filming of that clip! |
 |
| @ 2:15 in the trailer, you see a group of people standing on a statue- I walked right past them while they were filming! |
Thursday, March 3
The Verdict is In
I won the creative award. Most people were a little apprehensive to try the "tie-dyed" cupcakes. One co-worker (who.shall.not.be.named) was worried the dye wouldn't make it through the digestive system well (if you know what I mean...). They're just hating on my creativity. They were delicious! And I think they looked good for an amateur if I may say so myself. I think I have a sugar high headache just from smelling sugar all day.
Ok, now to travel back in time. Back when we had Super Storm MMXI, my mom called me to tell me I got a jury summons in the mail. Great....I had to miss work for jury duty on top of having to miss 4 days of work for Super Winter Storm MMXI and then 1 day of work for Mini Winter Storm MMXI the next week, and then after a full week of work I was out an entire week for Super Flu MMXI (that wasn't really the flu but I don't really know what it was so I call it the flu).
I had mixed feelings going into jury duty. On the one hand I have way too much work to do to miss any days, but on the other, I'm a huge fan of the justice system. I think its brilliant that our country allows us to have a free and fair trial by our peers. I'm grateful for that and therefore (as strange as it might be) I'm grateful for the chance to serve on a jury.
I don't really know how to write about this experience. When I got home from the trail (after the case was closed of course) I talked my parents' ears off. Completely. I just kept talking and talking and talking about all the details. Cases fascinate me, and this wasn't even a good case. I got a civil trial.
I'll go ahead and condense the case and ruin the surprise. This woman was turning left, waiting on oncoming traffic to clear when a man driving behind her took his eyes off the road to pick up a water bottle he dropped on the floorboard and when he looked up, saw the stopped car, slammed on the brakes and swerved. Unfortunately for him, he did hit her a little- barely. The lady complained of back problems when she had chronic back problems and multiple sclerosis to begin with. There wasn't a "guilty/not guilty" sentence. We had to decide if the injuries claimed were solely caused by this accident. We said no. And we gave her no money.
Highlights of jury duty:
- When all the jurors of the day were sitting in one big room (like 1,000 people), I was sitting up front by the judge and got to hear everyone's great excuses for trying to get out of jury duty. One of the requirements is you have to be a citizen and you have to be able to read and write (in English). There were quite a few...well, I'm from Texas...you know. They tried to get out of jury duty by saying they didn't know English well. The judge said, "Did you fill out your summons card by yourself?" "Yes" "Well this is wonderful! You did so well! Sit down, you're still in!" HAHAHA
- 2 of the 36 jurors on my jury panel fell asleep during voire dire (where they question the jurors to see if you'll be biased)
- I see no strategy in actually picking the jury. Two people who admitted that they would probably be biased in one way or another during voire dire were chosen for the jury. I was number 21 and they only needed 12. Tell me how I got picked as #12?
- This lady had the world's worst (or most selective) memory and the worst hearing. She actually put her ear up to the microphone like it would help her hear. Interestingly, she could understand her own attorney pretty well, but not the defending council. He did have a southern accent, but it wasn't that bad.
- I loved the nonverbal communication in the courtroom. I actually think that's how all cases are decided. The plaintiff's refusal to respond to the defending council's questions and her awful memory ruined her credibility. I get it if you don't remember much about the accident, but if you don't remember multiple car accidents, your medications, your doctors, or even if you took your mom the loaf of bread after the accident....come on! What DO you remember about the past 5 years?
- I loved how the attorneys made strategic eye contact with the jury. During one of the painful moments of silence when the plaintiff refused to answer (but she was really just pretending like she didn't hear), the defending council saw me make a face. I think he saw me make several faces (I'm a really easy person to read). I think I actually became his "go to girl" for a reaction. Never let me play poker- at least not for money.
- During one recess I got to watch a bunch of 50 year olds on the jury play Angry Birds. Definite highlight of my day.
- It's funny how the smartphone has replaced the endless trail of photos of kids and grandkids people used to keep in their wallets. Why yes...I'd love to see your entire family and all their birthday cakes.
- We had a fun jury. How often does a group of 12 strangers from a wide age range and a variety of education levels and jobs get along as well as we do? We spent maybe 20 minutes deliberating. We probably only needed 7- it was an easy case.
- If jury duty paid better, I'd want to be a professional juror. I like to listen and observe.
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