Would You Rather 13

Well the Super Bowl is Sunday...and I must say it's definitely not as fun with the Steelers being absent from the big game. But at least I can relax while watching. Last year, I watched with my Dad, sipping IC Light nervously and putting my head under a blanket whenever Ben would pass the ball...

Anyways, a Super Bowl question is in order...so

Would you rather see Peyton Manning finally get a Super Bowl victory OR see the Chicago Bears win their first Super Bowl since 1985?

...You heard it hear first--Colts by 10.

Sometimes

I think I have seasonal affective disorder. Or some form of the mid-winter blahs. Today I woke up cold, huddled under the covers in my bed wishing it was actually Sunday morning and I could sleep for another few hours. Usually, I have no problem waking up, but when it's cold, I just beg and long for a few more minutes in my warm bed. Scarves, gloves, and hats are cute accessories...I just wish I didn't NEED them so much right now!

I am so routine oriented, and it feels exaggerated in the winter. Today, I just wanted to break free of it. Wake up, work out, shower, work, lunch, work, dinner, walk the dog, housework/errands, relax/chill time, and bed. This is my work week (and the next 10 days will be 8 hour meetings daily at work, which means the internet can't even entertain me!) Usually, I love order, I love knowing what's coming next. But, sometimes, something's got to give. I need to change things up, be crazy/bold, and not let what has to get done stand in the way of why I am here and what I am called to do. Today I got antsy...for something more than the "good" life...

My brain was in deep thought mode all day (perhaps because the meetings were so stimulating). I came home and wrote in this journal I have. I read this poem that's in the journal...and it's exactly how I felt today (and a lot of days)...the feeling that sometimes we long for the spontaneous, other times we seek comfort in the routine, that we often feel courageous or powerful and an hour can later feel weak or fearful...that sometimes I know exactly what I want, and then again I don't...(and maybe this is just women ;-) )

Sometimes I surge with power.
Sometimes I am unable to buckle down my euphoria.

Sometimes I feel really terrible.
Sometimes I want to go home.
Sometimes I hate my body.

Sometimes I want someone to love all my faults.
Sometimes I don't want anyone to look at me.

Sometimes I don't say what I feel.
Sometimes I regret what I did.

Sometimes I wish I was six.

-Sabrina Ward Harrison

But, hey...at least I got my taxes done! :-)

Good Luck Jana

Tomorrow my good friend Jana will complete her Praxis 3. From what I understand, this is an evaluation by the state of Ohio on her teaching skills to make sure she is competent and such. A few of us went to her adorable classroom and helped her clean stuff up (Extreme Makeover, school classroom edition-as Sarah put it) and get psyched up for the big day:) (note the organized books, Sarah and I had an incredible time sorting through literally 500+ books;) ) Here are some pics of the finished classroom...





So, GOOD LUCK MISS ORWIG:) I hope your students behave like angels and you wow that evaluator with your teaching skills!!

finally

TGIF!!

it's been that kind of week...and getting drenched fixing my toilet when the hose burst open in the tank tonight was the just the tip of the iceberg... BRING ON the weekend!

Doubt It

I think it’s hard sometimes to forge ahead during times of doubt and questioning in our lives. Life feels great when I’m cruising through good times and making good decisions and when I feel close to God. Often, though, I go through periods of doubt where I literally question everything about my faith. I get frustrated, I try to wrap my mind around all the questions I have.

I believe doubt is healthy. Doubt can be great. But, doubt can also be debilitating. Doubt is useful when it challenges me to seek answers, go deeper, ask questions of smart people, and move forward. If when I am questioning, I am not also seeking answers, then I just stay in the same place. I'm not pursuing knowledge or understanding. In my personal experience, doubt has led to enormous growth. But, doubt can't be where we stay forever. A stagnant faith goes nowhere.

I am currently rereading The Life of Pi for this book club I am in. I read it about 3 years ago. It really makes you think. I came across this passage yesterday and it says exactly what I’m trying to say:):


“Doubt is useful for a while. We must all pass through the garden of Gethsemane. If Christ played with doubt, so must we. If Christ spent an anguished night in prayer, if He burst out from the Cross, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" then surely we are also permitted to doubt. But we must move on. To choose doubt as a philosophy of life is akin to choosing immobility as a means of transportation.” (P. 28)

Would You Rather 12

In May it will be nearly a year since I have gone on a date. This isn't necessarily a conscious choice, but after a long period of making some, shall we say, interesting dating/relationship choices I have decided to be more selective/careful about who(m)? I go out with. (and three months studying for the bar exam is in there, so that doesn't count;) ) But, it begs the question, are no dates better than many dates that lead nowhere?

So, from your perspective...

Would you rather go on a date with anyone who asks OR take the risk of having no dates at all?

No Pain No Gain

I'm really not sure what happened to me. I woke up Sunday to 3 inches of snow on the ground, no streets plowed, and no chance of driving my car out of my neighborhood. (well that is until I got a little phone call from someone stranded at a McDonald's;) )

In light of the snow, I decided that running outside was out of the question and driving to my gym was definitely not going to happen considering how well I drive in snow. (In case you can't tell, I kind of freak out if I can't work out) So I decided to do something I haven't done since college, and even then only one time. Tae Bo. Now if you know me at all, you should know I don't do aerobics classes, and to be honest it's a stretch for me to go to a spinning class. Anyway, I opted for the advanced DVD, because, well, apparently I thought I was an advanced kick boxer. I thought wrong.

I woke up on Monday barely able to move. My back is incredibly stiff. My right shoulder is killing me (I'm pretty sure Billy Blanks didn't figure out equal repetitions on each side or else I got my right and left mixed up). It was nearly impossible for me to make my bed. I'm not sure what I did on Sunday, but I am nearly positive I wasn't doing it right.

So I went on a run Monday morning thinking I would losen my body up. Wrong again. By 10:30 at work I thought I was going to have to go down and schedule a chair massage over in another building. I spent the rest of the day sitting back on my fist placed in various places on my back. It was not pleasant. You never realize how much you use your back until it is sore!
I learned a few valuable lessons Sunday:

1. I will no longer make fun of kick boxing classes. They are hard. Clearly I am not coordinated enough to do it correctly.
2. The Tae Bo DVDs I have make nice frisbees for my dog.
3. Flinging your arms and legs about super fast isn't a good workout. It's a good recipe for back strain.
4. I can't kick very high.
5. If you've only ever done kickboxing once, you are not advanced. Not at all.
6. Just because Billy can leap and kick his legs parallel to the ground does not mean you can. Don't try.
7. I will stick with running. One foot in front of the other, I can handle that.
8. It is time to start harrassing Katy to buy a hot tub. My muscles need it.

So, if anybody wants some Tae Bo advanced DVDs, let me know...they are yours:) In the meantime, a hot bath will hopefully do the trick!

Il faut chercher avec le coeur

When I was in high school, I read Le Petit Prince (The Little Prince) in my AP French class. It's basically a children's book, but it is quite profound. I came across my old copy when I was organizing/re-doing my room this weekend. I flipped through it and recalled the passages I loved (mostly because they were underlined in red with English translations penciled in). It's a story about a man (the author) stranded in the Sahara desert who comes across a prince (who if I remember correctly is from another galaxy). The author/narrator explains to the prince how ridiculous mankind is, and how adults often miss the point that children so easily understand. The prince offers his own advice/thoughts--and those passages are just beautiful. (and way more beautiful spoken in French, rather than English)

Perhaps the most famous passage, said by the Little Prince:

"On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur, l'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux"
(It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye).

I really love this one, though:

"Quand on a terminé sa toilette du matin, il faut faire soigneusement la toilette de la planète."
(When you've finished getting yourself ready in the morning, you must go get the planet ready.)

But, my personal favorite:

"Ce qui embellit le désert, dit le petit prince, c'est qu'il cache un puits quelque part..."
(What makes the desert beautiful," says the little prince, "is that somewhere it hides a well.)

Even in a place as dry and void of life as a desert, there is hope. In the book, the desert is where the narrator encounters the Little Prince. There, the narrator has this deep, contemplative discussions about love, life, and hypocrisy of the world. In the desert, and after his encounter with the Little Prince, the narrator gains hope.

Sometimes I think it takes removing ourselves from the crazy distractions of day to day life to remind ourselves of the great hope we have. Sometimes being in the "desert" is what it takes to remember hope, because when we're in the desert, we are forced to search for the well. We have no choice. We have nothing else to rely on or substitute.

I might be stretching this...but I LOVE this book. Get a copy, read it. And if you don't know French, well they certainly publish translated versions...so no excuses! :)

It's Time

I love laying at the beach. I love swimming in the ocean. I love sandals, sun-kissed skin, swimming pools, sunglasses, and everything summer. I love the challenge of eating ice cream before it melts because it's so hot outside. So what I'm about to write next may come as a surprise.
I want to learn how to ski. I have heard all the hype about how fun it is. I remember when my sister went in high school and got tricked into going on one of the steepest slopes. I can't believe my sister has done something I haven't! That's reason enough :) It's one of those things people always put on the "pro" list for winter. I want to go out there and give it a try. I'm super clutzy, always cold, and not the most coordinated person ever, but I think I can do it:) My friend Holly has offered me lessons. (I think mostly it's because she knows I will provide entertainment with my falls!) And I can't wait!
So now all we need is some snow...

i'll be seeing you

"I am nothing special; just a common man with common thoughts, and I've led a common life. There are no monuments dedicated to me and my name will soon be forgotten. But in one respect I have succeeded as gloriously as anyone who's ever lived: I've loved another with all my heart and soul; and to me, this has always been enough."
-Noah, The Notebook

There is this couple that comes to my gym. They are probably in their mid to late 70s. On their way in, he carries his wife's bag and water bottle in, and still manages to keep his arm around her. They do their own thing at the gym--she swims and he walks on the treadmill. But when they leave, once again he's holding her things and getting her door for her. They smile at each other constantly. It's adorable. It reminded me of my grandparents on my Dad's side. My grandma and grandpa were completely in love until the day he died. Always holding hands, singing together, they really complimented each other.

Anyway...The Notebook is definitely pretty high up there on my favorite movies list. (Especially when I'm feeling like I need a good cry--I have seen it at least 6 times and each time, I can't stop myself from literally sobbing) I popped the DVD in tonight and had myself a good 2 hour cry. (puffy eyes will look good at work tomorrow) I love that they adore each other till they die. I love their passion and that it doesn't end after 3 years apart. I think it's so beautiful how dedicated Noah is to Allie, no matter what. I know it's a movie...but couples like the one at my gym, and my grandparents, they give me hope that love like that exists somewhere.

Would You Rather 11

There are some long days I can't wait to come home, stretch out on the couch and not move until I go to bed, except maybe to get the remote. I have some friends who have "those" kind of days and need a Marion's pizza and beer (I will NEVER pass that offer up, fyi:) ). But what happens when things REALLY go bad? I remember a few years back when my heart was completely broken (crushed to bits). I lost 10 lbs in like 10 days. I would lay awake and watch the clock and wait for it to be time for the gym to be open. Working out was the only thing that kept me going. Whenever I am super stressed, I have to run or do something. Talking with friends is great, and I definitely think that's important....but I have to have my own time to sort things out first.

So, when your world crashes in...


Would you rather eat a huge bowl of Graeter's ice cream (or other comfort food of choice) and talk it out with friends OR go for a long run/other mind cleansing exercise of your choice and kind of keep to yourself for a bit?

Won't You Be My Neighbor?

“I think there’s just one kind of folks. Folks.”
-Harper Lee, To Kill a Mockingbird, Chapter 23, spoken by Scout

To Kill a Mockingbird is my favorite fiction book of all time. I don’t really see it losing it’s #1 spot ever. I nearly lost it last spring when I was coaching track and these students told me how boring they thought the book was. It made me feel really old.

I often find myself classifying people immediately after I meet them. (And I’m sure people do the same to me.) Some people I think are outgoing, or maybe reserved, some are very including, others are not. I make judgments quickly, often without even getting a clue into a person’s story. I think I have people figured out, and even if I am right a lot of the time, I think people are much more than that. I mean, really, aren’t we all confident and insecure, fearful and brave, selfish and gracious?

More times than not, I am too quick to place a person in a box and fail to really understand that person’s story. I was perusing The World According to Mister Rogers (ok, seriously, how do you underline in blog world?), a book of quotations by Mr. Rogers gathered together by his wife after his death. In the foreword, his wife writes:
"A quote he loved especially – and carried around with him – was from Mary Lou Kownacki: “There isn’t anyone you couldn’t love once you’ve heard their story.” There were many times I wanted to be angry at someone, and Fred would say, “But I wonder what was going on in that person’s day.” His capacity for understanding always amazed me. "

I love that. It makes complete sense. Unless we are void of compassion or empathy, I really think even just knowing a smidge more about somebody’s circumstances helps us to understand/love them more.

People are people. I think if I want to relate to people and have more meaningful relationships, I have to be more understanding—of where they are coming from, of where they’ve been. And I really believe the way to do that is to spend time listening, asking questions, and being open.

I can’t believe I just referenced Mr. Rogers…

Who Knew?

Lists are awesome. My desk at work is covered with lists. I just got a new planner and I love that it has a "to do" list section. I think it's fun to fill it up with tasks, and even more fun to check them off! So here's a list for you all to enjoy...

25 Things That You May Not Know About Me:

1. I sing in the car, nonstop.
2. I have to have my pillows arranged a certain way before I can fall asleep (and they are refluffed and repositionedevery night)
3. I have fallen off a treadmill 4 times while running at full speed (on a cruise ship someone asked me if I was part of the entertainment)
4. I had my picture taken and took a class with Justice Scalia in Rhodes, Greece.
5. I used to be terrified of dogs. (a good way to overcome your fear is to buy one! it worked for me :) )
6. I have hit 6 parked cars (but 3 times were in my driveway at home hitting my dad's car--if that makes it better)
7. To go along with number 6, it took me 3 times to pass my driving test. The third time WAS the charm.
8. I am slightly obsessed with working out. Ok, neurotic.
9. I push snooze twice every morning. And I set my alarm 20 minutes early so I have enough time to have 2 snoozes.
10. I am afraid of the dark. When I take the trash out at night I sprint it out to the curb and sprint back to the house. If I am home alone at night, I leave a light on so the robbers know somebody is home:)
11. I get nervous going to the eye doctor. Well, all doctors really.
12. I don't get vegetarians.
13. I hate mushrooms and olives, love black licorice, and am starting to love red wine.
14. I like cleaning out my closet and re-organizing it. Really, I like cleaning in general...I cleaned my soap bottle today...
15. I LOVE that feeling of being really cold and then getting into bed and trying to get warm. It is the best.
16. I compete with people at the gym. If someone is on a treadmill next to me, I am peeking to see how fast they are going. If they are going faster, my speed increases.
17. I love the feeling after you've spent the day swimming in the ocean. Your body still feels like you are in the waves. If you don't know what I am talking about, you NEED to.
18. I cry when I watch tv (and movies). Notable cries--the opening scene in Love Actually; last week's grey's; Oprah's Christmas in Africa show; this new JIF commercial--gets me every time.
19. My roommate in college once made me sign a pact not to kiss a guy we called chin hair while she was abroad for a semester.
20. I sometimes wish I lived in a big city and had to get rid of my car and walk everywhere.
21. I have never dyed my hair. (But I have permed it...c'mon it was the 80s)
22. I have never had a relationship last longer than 2 years. (unless you count "breaks" and "try-agains")
23. I am one minute older than my twin. I think the maturity is self-evident.
24. I really love planting flowers and landscaping. Last summer, my Dad let me do a chunk of our front yard. It was a big deal.
25. When I'm nervous, I grind my teeth in my sleep and wake up with a headache. (This made studying for the bar super fun.)

There. You know me better already, huh?! :)

Go Run :)

I have noticed a lot more people at my gym. It takes longer than ever to get on an eliptical (no idea if I spelled that right) or a treadmill. I am guessing that in about 6 weeks all that will change. New year's resolutions will be forgotten, television will beckon people back to their couches and I won't have to wait for a treadmill.

In light of all the hype surrounding getting in shape in 2007, I say that the absolute BEST way to get in shape is to go running. Running is the ultimate sport. It takes athleticism, endurance, guts, strength (I got in a nasty argument once with someone who suggested running wasn't a sport...). Almost every sport includes running as a fundamental way to get in shape, or way to get the ball down the court/field.

Here's what I don't get--so many people I talk to hate running. I really don't understand that at all. It's something you can get better at even if you have very little talent. You can ALWAYS improve. In basketball for instance, no matter how much I practice, I will only reach a certain level of skill because, well, I am not very cooridnated. But with running (and swimming), you can continue to improve. You can run new courses, beat your time from before, try different distances. I have this theory that the reason people hate running is because every coach uses it as a form of punishment. Late to practice again? Go run 20 laps. Played a bad game? A practice full of running is in store. What if instead of forcing kids to run, coaches forced them to do something else (like throw foul shots!)? Remember being young and running everywhere? It was fun...somewhere along the way it got too hard, too tiring.

But, you say, running is boring. How can running be boring? It's one of the best ways to explore a new city. The first time I went to Europe, I woke up extra early and ran in each city we stopped in. It was AWESOME. (though i was a little afraid of the men I found in the streets of Florence at 630 am). Besides, now you can just get your ipod out and you can have music entertain you during the entire run.

You never need special equipment to go running. Do you have legs? A pair of shoes? Some sweat pants? Then you can go running. I propose it's the best lifetime sport there is. I sure am glad I was born to a track coach :)

Love It

This may be my favorite love song of all time. At the very least it is in the top 5. (Think High Fidelity, this would definitely make my list.) Everybody should dowload it, listen to it and love it. Sometimes songs can capture exactly what we dream of. This one does just that for me. I think I'm ending a pretty highly cynical/bitter period of my life regarding my attitude toward men. In fact, I listened to this song tonight without thinking to myself, "riiiiight." This is progress for me, believe me! I was kind of shocked. Anyway, I hope someday I can meet someone who has even slightly this much passion....that'd be great.

To Make You Feel My Love

When the rain is blowing in your face
And the whole world is on your case
I could offer you a warm embrace
To make you feel my love

When the evening shadows and the stars appear
And there is no one there to dry your tears
I could hold you for a million years
To make you feel my love

I know you haven't made your mind up yet
But I would never do you wrong
I've known it from the moment that we met
No doubt in my mind where you belong

I'd go hungry, I'd go black and blue
I'd go crawling down the avenue
There's nothing that I wouldn't do
To make you feel my love

The storms are raging on the rollin' sea
And on the highway of regret
The winds of change are blowing wild and free
You ain't seen nothing like me yet

I could make you happy, make your dreams come true
Nothing that I wouldn't do
Go to the ends of the earth for you
To make you feel my love

-Bob Dylan

Would you Rather 10

I will be cooking dinner tonight. And by cooking I don't mean my usual heating up a lean cuisine or buying takeout chipotle and putting it on a plate or baking a potato and cracking open a diet dr. pepper. I have to cook a REAL MEAL. I have a few ideas. I will let YOU decide...thrilling, I know :)

So, taking into consideration I will be cooking, would you rather eat:

Lasagna (we are talking meat lasagna here, vegetarians prob. won't find much too eat if I am cooking), salad and garlic bread OR filet, green beans, and twice baked potatoes???

Let's Kill all the Lawyers

I am taking this post to educate everybody (ok, the three people who read my blog) about perhaps one of the most often quoted lawyer jokes. In Shakespeare's Henry VI a character (Dick the butcher) says "The first thing we do, let's kill all the lawyers."

Contrary to popular belief, Shakespeare was ACTUALLY paying a compliment to lawyers! Lawyers stood in the way of tyranny and protected society.The surest way to chaos was to get rid of those important persons who guard free thought.

So now you know. Killing all the lawyers is actually a compliment:) Next time you are ready to pull out a lawyer joke, use something else, like this:
How can you tell when a lawyer is lying?
-His lips are moving.

SHOW UP

I had the chance to catch up with one of my greatest friends this weekend. We have both been through our share of junk, as has everyone I suppose. I think it sucks sometimes how all that junk brings with it a lot of emotional consequences that you never thought you bargained for. We become fearful, insecure, and frustrated with ourselves. I really think there is great power in acknowledging the mistakes, the bad decisions, the whatever else--and then moving on. It takes courage, for sure, and time, certainly...and a constant reminder of GRACE.


"Life is a growing expedition through the tangled and unfilled in parts. What happens after age nine? Because of the fear we don't trust our own life? Our story? Our colors? To be afraid and leap regardless there is such a pwer in that. To live into the questions of our lives--when nothing feels clear. We have this chance to do absolutely anything, to reach out to another, vulnerable and true. To dance on the roof in euphoria. To pray into the ocean and let go. We have this chance every moment to be alive and give to this world, which needs each one of us. We must show up for our own life. Be brave. Be messy. Be loud. Be strong. Trust yourself."
--Sabrina Ward Harrison ( I kind of love her stuff)

So long Coach

Whatever the reasons for his resigning, Bill Cowher will be missed by Pittsburgh fans. In a sport where players and coaches are constantly changing teams, Cowher (and well the Pittsburgh franchise all together) is an example of how coaching continuity will breed success. Hopefully he will be replaced by someone with as much passion, arrogance (c'mon it's necessary to win), and love for the city of Pittsburgh as Cowher.



"Now he has that championship, you have to consider him one of the best coaches ever. We're a tough-minded, physical, hard-nosed team - we reflect our coach's character."
-Jerome Bettis (on Bill Cowher, after winning the Super Bowl)

Read It

I came across this at work yesterday (while I was working hard, dang it's hard being a lawyer!) and thought it was interesting...

Have a good weekend everybody. I'll be spending it babysitting the two most adorable kids :)