Monday, December 31, 2007

A Few Ideas

If you are looking to make a resolution, but can't put your finger on which one to choose, here are a few extras to think about keeping for the year.

New Year's Resolutions

Make a New Year's resolution about giving. Do one small act of kindness every month, whether it is mowing your neighbor's lawn or paying toll for the person behind you or smiling a little extra at a stranger. Make a monthly ten dollar donation to a nonprofit organization that is doing work in your local community. Express gratitude in the most unexpected places by taking time to say 'nice landing' to a pilot after a safe landing or leaving a big tip for your favorite restaurant waiter. Teach a child about giving by taking them on trips to a local homeless shelter or a senior center.

Sorry

Sorry, just don't feel like blogging today (and I am swamped at work). I guess I will leave you all with this little photo:
See you all in the "New Year", well at least in the 'blog-o-sphere'. Have a safe and happy New Years Eve tonight!!

Friday, December 28, 2007

Bowl Game

Check out the full article on the Capital One Bowl that Michigan will face the Florida Gators in here.

Orlando, FL - 1:00 PM ET
The defending national champion Gators and the Wolverines have met only one other time, with Michigan winning 38-30 in the Outback Bowl after the 2002 season. The Gators are led by Heisman Trophy hopeful Tim Tebow, who has run for 22 touchdowns and passed for 29. The Wolverines opened and closed the season with consecutive losses.

The article doesn't talk much about what they are expecting to see in the game (i.e. who they think will win or lose), but focuses more on Tebow and also Carr leaving after the season is over.

Resolutions

The History of New Year's Resolutions

The tradition of the New Year's Resolutions goes all the way back to 153 B.C. Janus, a mythical king of early Rome was placed at the head of the calendar.

With two faces, Janus could look back on past events and forward to the future. Janus became the ancient symbol for resolutions and many Romans looked for forgiveness from their enemies and also exchanged gifts before the beginning of each year.

The New Year has not always begun on January 1, and it doesn't begin on that date everywhere today. It begins on that date only for cultures that use a 365-day solar calendar. January 1 became the beginning of the New Year in 46 B.C., when Julius Caesar developed a calendar that would more accurately reflect the seasons than previous calendars had.

The Romans named the first month of the year after Janus, the god of beginnings and the guardian of doors and entrances. He was always depicted with two faces, one on the front of his head and one on the back. Thus he could look backward and forward at the same time. At midnight on December 31, the Romans imagined Janus looking back at the old year and forward to the new. The Romans began a tradition of exchanging gifts on New Year's Eve by giving one another branches from sacred trees for good fortune. Later, nuts or coins imprinted with the god Janus became more common New Year's gifts.

In the Middle Ages, Christians changed New Year's Day to December 25, the birth of Jesus. Then they changed it to March 25, a holiday called the Annunciation. In the sixteenth century, Pope Gregory XIII revised the Julian calendar, and the celebration of the New Year was returned to January 1.

The Julian and Gregorian calendars are solar calendars. Some cultures have lunar calendars, however. A year in a lunar calendar is less than 365 days because the months are based on the phases of the moon. The Chinese use a lunar calendar. Their new year begins at the time of the first full moon (over the Far East) after the sun enters Aquarius- sometime between January 19 and February 21.

Although the date for New Year's Day is not the same in every culture, it is always a time for celebration and for customs to ensure good luck in the coming year.

Sweeney Todd

I think Ryan and I are going to see Sweeney Todd this weekend. I am quite excited about it, and I am sure I will 'review' after I see it. Here is a short story line in case you haven't heard about it.

Before Jack the Ripper, there existed a (probably fictional) 19th century London serial killer named Sweeney Todd (Johnny Depp). But Todd was once Benjamin Barker, a normal British lad whose life was filled with love where it is now filled with hate. That was 15 years ago, when he and his wife (Laura Michelle Kelly) were taking a leisurely stroll with their newborn daughter and happened to catch the prying eye of Judge Turpin (Alan Rickman). Jealous and omnipotent, Turpin steals away the girls and falsely imprisons Barker--who is now back in town after escaping jail. Upon his return, Barker is immediately taken in by Mrs. Lovett (Helena Bonham Carter), a lovelorn pie maker who has preserved Barker's beloved razors over the past decade and a half. They soon form the most grisly of partnerships: He, now Sweeney Todd, poses as the hottest new barber around, inviting men up for what turns out to be their fatal shaves; she, in turn, makes culinary use of the victims' remains, seamlessly churning out the tastiest "meat" pies in the whole town. Mrs. Barker's business is now thriving. But just what does Mr. T, as she calls him, stand to gain from all this? A twofold reward: an outlet for his soul-consuming misanthropy, and practice--for when Judge Turpin becomes his patron.

Pictures up!


Pictures are up from this past weekend when I was back in Michigan. Check them out here. Pictures from around the house (puppies, of course), Pistons game, Toledo Zoo, opening presentos, etc. Check 'em out if you get a minute.

Lists

An Unforgettable Classroom Exercise

One day, a teacher asked her students to list the names of the other students in the room on two sheets of paper, leaving a space between each name.

Then she told them to think of the nicest thing they could say about each of their classmates and write it down. It took the remainder of the class period to finish their assignment, and as the students left the room, each one handed in the papers.

That Saturday, the teacher wrote down the name of each student on a separate sheet of paper, and listed what everyone else had said about that individual.

On Monday she gave each student his or her list.

Before long, the entire class was smiling. "Really?" she heard whispered. "I never knew that I meant anything to anyone!" and, "I didn't know others liked me so much," were most of the comments.

No one ever mentioned those papers in class again. The teacher never found out if they discussed them after class or with their parents, but it didn't matter. The exercise had accomplished its purpose. The students were happy with themselves and one another. That group of students moved on.

Several years later, one of the students was killed in Vietnam and his teacher attended the funeral of that special student. She had never seen a serviceman in a military coffin before. He looked so handsome, so mature. The church was packed with his friends. One by one those who loved him took a last walk by the coffin. The teacher was the last one to bless the coffin.

As she stood there, one of the soldiers who acted as pallbearer came up to her. "Were you Mark's math teacher?" he asked. She nodded: "Yes." Then he said: "Mark talked about you a lot."

After the funeral, most of Mark's former classmates went together to a luncheon. Mark's mother and father were also there, wanting to speak with his teacher.

"We want to show you something," his father said, taking a wallet out of his pocket. "They found this on Mark when he was killed. We thought you might recognize it."

Opening the billfold, he carefully removed two worn pieces of notebook paper that had obviously been taped, folded and refolded many times. The teacher knew without looking that the papers were the ones on which she had listed all the good things each of Mark's classmates had said about him.

"Thank you so much for doing that," Mark's mother said. "As you can see, Mark treasured it."

All of Mark's former classmates started to gather around. Charlie smiled rather sheepishly and said, "I still have my list. It's in the top drawer of my desk at home." Chuck's wife said, "Chuck asked me to put his in our wedding album." "I have mine too," Marilyn said. "It's in my diary"

Then Vicki, another classmate, reached into her pocketbook, took out her wallet and showed her worn and frazzled list to the group. "I carry this with me at all times," Vicki said. Without batting an eyelash, she continued, "I think we all saved our lists."

Tears rolled down the eyes of the humble teacher. We encounter so many people in our lives, and it's a precious joy to see the good in all those journeys.

Thursday, December 27, 2007

Lights At The Zoo

My mom, dad and I went to the Toledo Zoo this past Saturday to walk around and look at all the Christmas Lights. It was crazy there. It was in the high 40s so EVERYONE AND THEIR MOM showed up. There was traffic for miles to get into the lots and there were herds of people all over the zoo, but it was GREAT!! Check out the pictures I posted (there are a lot from the lights). Here are 2 videos of the lights. We went back to this area twice (because it was where we parked, so when we came in and then left), but they had the music synced with the lights so we stopped to watch it and I taped some of it. Enjoy.



Deeeeetroit Basketball

Friday night my family went up to the Pistons game. We had a blast and it was an added bonus that the Pistons kicked some Grizzly butt!! I recorded when the guys came into the arena and then when they were being introduced and dancing around. Sorry it isn't the best quality, but when there is a lot of movement my camera has a problem focusing... You still get the point - GO STONES!!! PS The low voice yelling during the introductions is Kyle :).



Puppies

My parents had twins back in October. Okay, they didn't have twins but they got 2 puppies. I blogged about it when I got back from Michigan at the end of October and have posted some pictures since then. While I was home I decided to take some video of them playing outside. I don't like that the fight, but mom GUARANTEES that they are just playing and not hurting each other. I recorded it for Ryan to watch them play, but everyone gets it enjoy it when it's on my blog :). PS Tucker is the one with the white face (that looks like a teddy bear) and Quincy is the darker faced pup.



Cell Phone

If you have gotten a new cell phone (like I just did) and would like to donate your old phone to a great cause, check out this website. If you scroll to the bottom it describes the steps and how you can donate your old, used cell phones.

Cell Phone Donation
NCADV has partnered with The Wireless Foundation for over 7 years on the CALL TO PROTECT program. Through the collection of deactivated cell and wireless phones, an important tool has been provided for victims of domestic violence who may encounter emergency situations. The lifeline provided by donated phones has literally saved lives over the course of our partnership.

In addition to phones being distributed for emergency use, proceeds from the sale of phones not utilized for emergency use help fund agencies that work to end violence in the home, such as NCADV.

NCADV would greatly appreciate your old cell phone.

I'm back

31 hours late into San Diego, but I am back... More stories to follow, but just wanted to let everyone know that everything is A-OK with me :) Hope you had a WONDERFUL Christmas!!

Thursday, December 20, 2007

Peace Out!


I'm out! Enjoy your Christmas!

*~*~*~*Peace*~*~*~*

CHRISTmas Story

Matthew 1:18-2:23
Matthew 1
The Birth of Jesus Christ
18 This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19 Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly. 20 But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21 She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins." 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23 "The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" - which means, "God with us." 24 When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25 But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.
Matthew 2
The Visit of the Magi
1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him." 3 When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. 4 When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 5 "In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written: 6 " 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler
who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'" 7 Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. 8 He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him." 9 After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10 When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11 On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh. 12 And having been warned in a dream not to go back to Herod, they returned to their country by another route.
The Escape to Egypt
13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him." 14 So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, 15 where he stayed until the death of Herod. And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: "Out of Egypt I called my son." 16 When Herod realized that he had been outwitted by the Magi, he was furious, and he gave orders to kill all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity who were two years old and under, in accordance with the time he had learned from the Magi. 17 Then what was said through the prophet Jeremiah was fulfilled: 18 "A voice is heard in Ramah, weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children and refusing to be comforted, because they are no more."
The Return to Nazareth
19 After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt 20 and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead." 21 So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel. 22 But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning in Judea in place of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. Having been warned in a dream, he withdrew to the district of Galilee, 23 and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets: "He will be called a Nazarene."

Fun Run

I will already be at the airport, but make sure you tune in for the FUN RUN episode tonight. It is on at 10 tonight, instead of 9... Sorry but you'll have to stay up an extra hour tonight!!

THE RUN FOR THE CURE
10/9c TV-PG
12.20.2007


A freak accident causes Michael (Golden Globe winner Steve Carell) to feel the office is cursed. He explores the religious beliefs of his employees before deciding to hold a charity 5K fun run. Meanwhile, further developments in the romances of Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Jim (John Krasinski), and Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Angela (Angela Kinsey) are explored.

SMILE :)

I just got a picture emailed to me from one of the gals I work with. She had left the table at the Christmas Party last weekend, so we thought we would leave her a surprise on her camera... A PHOTO OF US! :)



Merry Christmas (weekend!)!!

CHRISTMAS

Got this from Glenn's blog and really liked it :)

C-H-R-I-S-T-M-A-S

"C" is for the Christ child, born upon this day,
"H" for herald angels in the night,
"R" means our Redeemer,
"I" means Israel,
"S" is for the star that shone so bright,
"T" is for three wise men, they who traveled far,
"M" is for the manger where he lay,
"A"'s for all He stands for,
"S" means shepherds came,
And that's why there's a Christmas day,
And that's why there's a Christmas day

Tonight

I AM FLYING BACK TO MICHIGAN TONIGHT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOOOOO HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!! Get pumped!! BECAUSE I KNOW I SURE AM!!!

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

What about Sunday?

I saw this article on AOL and just had to chuckle. Check it out here. This couple named their son 'Friday', and then the Italian courts forced them to change it. The clerk brought the matter to the attention of a tribunal, which decided the name fell into the category of "ridiculous or shameful." Claiming the name would hinder the boy from developing "serene interpersonal relationships", the tribunal moved to protect this child from a lifetime of days-of-the-week jokes. Check out the rest of the article.

Fuel Fad?

I found this article off AOL.com and thought it was an interesting one about BioDiesel so thought I would pass it along.

Some of the info from the article:

Biodiesel Basics
But ethanol isn't the answer for the near future. Right now, industry divining rods are coming together over the next most probable big thing: bio-diesel, a vegetable-based fuel that can power any diesel engine with little or no modification.

First things first: forget most everything you know about diesel engines ... and the fact that they used to be noisy, clattering, dirty, smelly and black-cloud belching. Today, diesels are as quiet as gasoline engines, smooth running, powerful, and nearly soot-less in terms of exhaust emissions. Simply put, modern diesels are not dirty anymore. Even that objectionable "eau d'diesel" that makes diesels so unpleasant to tail in traffic is pure history. However, if you recall that diesel engines are efficient, do keep that in mind because today's modern oil burners are exceptionally fuel-efficient. This efficiency is why over half of all vehicles in western Europe are diesel powered.

Now imagine the benefits of being able to run a modern diesel engine on a non-petroleum diesel fuel. Wouldn't that be fantastic? It would be even better if the fuel were made from something other than what we directly or indirectly eat, like corn. Rising prices for milk, beef, and tortillas as a result of corn now being used to make ethanol.

Currently, biodiesel in the US is made from rapeseed (canola) and soy oils. These oils are plentiful and cheap, and turning them into usable fuel is not too complex provided you understand transesterification and don't mind working with methanol (a toxic substance). Lucky for us, there are plenty of people who do understand how to safely turn these plant oils into fuel, and US biodiesel production has increased from a mere 500,000 gallons in 2000 to over 75 million gallons in 2006 according to figures published at biodieselnow.com. Additional high-capacity plants are said to be coming on-line so biodiesel will continue to become more available. See bio-diesel stations around the country here.


Check out the rest of it to learn more about BioDiesel.

Track Santa

If you would like to Track Santa, check out this site. Also, you can check out the activity in the North Pole!! YAY!!

About Santa:

Santa maintains a huge list of children who have been good throughout the year. The list even includes addresses, ZIP codes and postal codes. The list, of course, gets bigger each year by virtue of the world's increasing population. This year's population right now is 6,634,570,959!

Santa has had to adapt over the years to having less and less time to deliver his toys. If one were to assume he works in the realm of standard time, as we know it, clearly he would have perhaps two to three ten-thousandths of a second to deliver his toys to each child's home he visits!

The fact that Santa Claus is more than 15 centuries old and does not appear to age is our biggest clue that he does not work within time, as we know it. His Christmas Eve trip may seem to take around 24 hours, but to Santa it could be that it lasts days, weeks or months in standard time. Santa would not want to rush the important job of bringing Christmas happiness to a child, so the only logical conclusion is that Santa somehow functions on a different time and space continuum.

Online Resource for Suicide Survivors

Suicide hurts. According to the Center for Disease Control, there are approximately 30,000 suicides annually in the United States. It is estimated that for every suicide, there are approximately six Survivors of Suicide, the loved ones who are left behind.

Survivors of Suicide will be able to access a new website, called Sunday Morning, which will provide educational information, links to national organizations, and helpful tips to assist them in their healing process. The website www.sunday-am.org will be launched on November 17, which is with the Ninth Annual National Survivors of Suicide Day, sponsored by the American Foundation of Suicide Prevention (www.afsp.org).

The Sunday Morning website will also feature a special section that focuses on suicide and mental health in the African American community.

Currently, suicide is the 11th leading cause of death in the United States, but suicide is the third leading cause of death among black youth, after homicides and accidents, according to the American Association of Suicidology. In addition, while Caucasians are twice as likely as African Americans to complete suicide, the rate of suicide is growing faster among African American youth than among Caucasians.

About Sunday Morning

Dr. Martin King Skala died by suicide on March 7, 2007 at the age of 36. After much prayer, research and many in-depth conversations with other Survivors, his wife, Nepherterra Skala, launched the Sunday Morning website www.sunday-am.org on National Survivors of Suicide Day, November 17, 2007. The purpose of the website is to provide an online community where survivors of suicide can arm themselves with information, access helpful resources and share best practices for healing.

Emailed Funnies

One day, when a seamstress was sewing while sitting close to a river, her thimble fell into the river. When she cried out, the Lord appeared and asked, "My dear child, why are you crying?" The seamstress replied that her thimble had fallen into the water and that she needed it to help her husband in making a living for their family. The Lord dipped His hand into the water and pulled up a golden thimble set with sapphires.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked The seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord again dipped into the river. He held out a golden thimble studded with rubies.

"Is this your thimble?" the Lord asked. Again, the seamstress replied, "No."

The Lord reached down again and came up with a leather thimble.

"Is this your thimble ?" the Lord asked. The seamstress replied, "Yes." The Lord was pleased with the woman's honesty and gave her all three thimbles to keep, and the seamstress went home happy.

Some years later, the seamstress was walking with her husband along the riverbank, and her husband fell into the river and disappeared under the water. When she cried out, the Lord again appeared and asked her, "Why are you crying?" "Oh Lord, my husband has fallen into the river!"

The Lord went down into the water and came up with George Clooney. "Is this your husband?" the Lord asked.

"Yes," cried the seamstress. The Lord was furious. "You lied! That is an untruth!" The seamstress replied, "Oh, forgive me, my Lord. It is a misunderstanding. You see, if I had said 'no' to George Clooney, you would have come up with Brad Pitt.

Then if I said 'no' to him, you would have come up with my husband. Had I then said 'yes,' you would have given me all three. Lord, I'm not in the best of health and would not be able to take care of all three husbands, so THAT'S why I said 'yes' to George Clooney.

And so the Lord let her keep him.

The moral of this story is:
Whenever a woman lies, it's for a good and honorable reason, and in the best interest of others. That's our story, and we're sticking to it.

Signed,
All Women

Tuesday, December 18, 2007

Mistletoe

Kissing under the mistletoe :
Kissing under the mistletoe is first found associated with the Greek festival of Saturnalia and later with primitive marriage rites. They probably originated from two beliefs. One belief was that it has power to bestow fertility. It was also believed that the dung from which the mistletoe would also possess "life-giving" power. In Scandinavia, mistletoe was considered a plant of peace, under which enemies could declare a truce or warring spouses kiss and make-up. Later, the eighteenth-century English credited with a certain magical appeal called a kissing ball. At Christmas time a young lady standing under a ball of mistletoe, brightly trimmed with evergreens, ribbons, and ornaments, cannot refuse to be kissed. Such a kiss could mean deep romance or lasting friendship and goodwill. If the girl remained unkissed, she cannot expect not to marry the following year. In some parts of England the Christmas mistletoe is burned on the twelfth night lest all the boys and girls who have kissed under it never marry. Whether we believe it or not, it always makes for fun and frolic at Christmas celebrations. Even if the pagan significance has been long forgotten, the custom of exchanging a kiss under the mistletoe can still be found in many European countries as well as in Canada. Thus if a couple in love exchanges a kiss under the mistletoe, it is interpreted as a promise to marry, as well as a prediction of happiness and long life. In France, the custom linked to mistletoe was reserved for New Year's Day: "Au gui l'An neuf" (Mistletoe for the New Year). Today, kisses can be exchanged under the mistletoe any time during the holiday season.

Rodriguez

Michigan Hires Rodriguez as New Head Football Coach

The University of Michigan officially introduced Rich Rodriguez to the public today (Monday, Dec. 17) as the 18th head coach in the history of Wolverine football. Terms of his contract will be announced at a later date.

Rodriguez, 44, comes to Ann Arbor after spending seven years as head coach at West Virginia University, where he led the Mountaineers to a 60-26 record, four Big East Conference titles and six consecutive bowl game bids.

Read the rest of the article here.



Ryan thinks this could be a good switch for us, a spread offense. We will see. Honestly, I don't know much about the Mountaineers football team and therefore don't know much about Rodriguez, other than what I have read. I guess we will just have to see. What are your thoughts on the new Wolverine Head Coach?

Santa! I KNOW HIM!

Weekend Pics

I forgot to tell everyone, I have posted a couple pictures from this past weekend. Check them out here. I did have to rub it in a little... I was out on the beach Saturday morning watching Mr. Ryan do his surf thang and ENJOYING the SUN and SURF!! :) If the beach pictures will make you envious, I would suggest not looking at the pics :). Don't worry I will have plenty of snow pictures when I get back next week.

The Bolts!

You must have thought that the BUTT WHOOPIN' that the Chargers served up to the Lions slipped my mind since I didn't blog about it yesterday... NEVER!! I just wanted to find a great article on the game! Check out one of the many articles that I found about the AFC West CHAMPS (two years in a row now). I'm looking forward to the Christmas Eve game against the Broncos... I just hope they show it in Michigan :). GO CHARGERS GO!!

Monday, December 17, 2007

Christmas Cartoons












Christmas Gifts

Ryan and I did our Christmas gift exchange Sunday morning (since he will be in Florida for Christmas and I will be in chilly Michigan). Here are a couple pictures of the exchange. Ryan got me the rest of my Gilmore Girls DVDs. I got Ryan some books, movies (some of the movies are from my rents in the picture as well), Panda toys, and calendar.

Grrrrrr

I sure hope this week is better than last week with our computer system. There was not a single day last week that we were on the server all day, Friday being the worst (our computers were only working for about the first 2 hours of the day, and then from 10am on we couldn't do anything on them, including listening to music or anything). All that to say, cross your fingers, because I am working from 7-5 this week with 1/2 hour lunch to make up for the time I will be missing Friday in MICHIGAN! (Also, the lack of computer usage cut back my blogging last week :) )

Friday, December 14, 2007

Easier said than done...

But I'm gonna say it anyway:

Don't Worry, Be Happy

Here is a little song I wrote
You might want to sing it note for note
Don't worry be happy
In every life we have some trouble
When you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy......

Ain't got no place to lay your head
Somebody came and took your bed
Don't worry, be happy
The land lord say your rent is late
He may have to litigate
Don't worry, be happy
Lood at me I am happy
Don't worry, be happy
Here I give you my phone number
When you worry call me
I make you happy
Don't worry, be happy
Ain't got no cash, ain't got no style
Ain't got not girl to make you smile
But don't worry be happy
Cause when you worry
Your face will frown
And that will bring everybody down
So don't worry, be happy (now).....

There is this little song I wrote
I hope you learn it note for note
Like good little children
Don't worry, be happy
Listen to what I say
In your life expect some trouble
But when you worry
You make it double
Don't worry, be happy......
Don't worry don't do it, be happy
Put a smile on your face
Don't bring everybody down like this
Don't worry, it will soon past
Whatever it is
Don't worry, be happy

Thursday, December 13, 2007

Count Down!

Today is 1 week until I fly back to Michigan!! WHOO HOO!!! I get to hang out with my family, see the puppies, go to a Pistons game, see the Lights before Christmas at the zoo, and so much more (including but not limited to enjoying lots of Diet Sodas, getting small quantities of sleep and smiling A LOT). My flight, unless United changes it again, is one week from today (plus about 8 hours). I hope everyone else is as excited about the holiday season as I am!! If you aren't, THE BEST WAY TO SPREAD CHRISTMAS CHEER IS SINGING LOUD FOR ALL TO HEAR... So sing some Christmas carols and drink some Egg Nog and SMILE!!

Oops

So this morning I have been working on my new 'business' website (or at least trying to set up a website for it) and have totally forgotten about blogging here... OOOPSY! I don't have much new news today, other than I hope to get the site up and running for my new endeavor around the first of the year. I have chosen a name and hopefully Ryan will be able to help me with photographing the pieces and possibly coming up with a logo so I can post that on the site as well. I will keep the updates a-comin' I promise :).

Holiday Re-runs

Another The Office Re-run tonight, but who can be mad at the "A BENIHANA CHRISTMAS" episode. Enjoy it! I know I will!! PS. It is on one-hour earlier tonight, so set your Tivo (or just watch it) at 8pm on NBC.

In a special one-hour holiday episode directed by Harold Ramis, strife on the party planning committee results in two competing Christmas parties, while Michael is dumped for the holidays. Michael (Golden Globe Winner Steve Carell) sends out an inappropriate photoshopped Christmas card and gets his heart broken for the holidays by girlfriend Carol (guest star Nancy Walls). Andy (Ed Helms) takes Michael out drinking, with Dwight (Rainn Wilson) and Jim (John Krasinski), while tensions on the party planning committee between Angela (Angela Kinsey), Pam (Jenna Fischer) and Karen (guest star Rashida Jones) cause rival parties to form.

Wednesday, December 12, 2007

Frustration Station

So this morning I went on United.com so that I could print off my itinerary so that I could hang it on my fridge (my flight out is in 1 week and 1 day). I noticed at the top of my itinerary it said something along the lines of "There has been a schedule change that has effected your reservation. If you have made the reservation with a travel agent, please check with them to verify and if you have made the reservation through United or united.com, please call 1-800-United-1." I noticed that this 'new' itinerary that had popped up had me now transferring planes in Washington DC instead of Chicago, which pushes back my arrival time into Detroit on the morning of the 21st by an hour or 2. I then notice that my flight out on Christmas was pushed forward by 2 and a half hours. Instead of being able to hang out with my family and have Christmas dinner with everyone, seeing as my original flight was supposed to leave at 6:50, I will now have to be on a flight that leaves at 4:15. GRRRRRRRRR. I was a little ticked, and decided I would call United to see if I can make it on a later flight. They told me that the flight that I was originally booked on was no longer flying to Chicago and then San Diego, and that the 4 o'clock plane was the last one of the day. They did book me a aisle seat, similar to my original seat, WOW, great (sense the sarcasm). I have now simmered my nerves and decided that at least I get to fly back to Michigan for Christmas in the first place. There are plenty of people that would love to have the opportunity to be with their families for the holidays, even if it isn't exactly how I originally planned it. Who knows, maybe this is God's way of saving me from sitting in the O'Hare Airport for the whole weekend by having me get on a plane that now goes through DC. Honestly, I am more upset for my family, because now they will have to change our Christmas plans so that we can eat earlier (since we will need to leave for the airport by about 2:30 and you can't eat dinner by then, maybe a lunch?). And we all get cheated out of time we can hang out (2 hours on the way there and 3 hours on the way back... Maybe I should ask United to reimburse me with 5 hours of family time :) ). Oh well, I guess we will all just have to deal.

Home for the Holidays!

Title: Home For The Holidays
Artist: Perry Como


Oh, there’s no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
When you pine for the sunshine of a friendly gaze,
For the holidays, you can’t beat home, sweet home.

I met a man who lives in Tennessee,
He was headin’ for,
Pennsylvania, and some home made pumpkin pie.
From Pennsylvania, folks are travelin’
Down to Dixie’s sunny shore,
From Atlantic to Pacific,
Gee, the traffic is terrific.

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays,
You can’t beat home, sweet home.

Take a bus, take a train
Go and hop an aeroplane
Put the wife and kiddies in the family car
For the pleasure that you bring
When you make that doorbell ring
No trip could be too far

I met a man who lives in Tennessee,
He was headin’ for,
Pennsylvania, and some home made pumpkin pie.
From Pennsylvania, folks are travelin’
Down to Dixie’s sunny shore,
From Atlantic to Pacific,
Gee, the traffic is terrific.

Oh there's no place like home for the holidays,
‘Cause no matter how far away you roam,
If you want to be happy in a million ways,
For the holidays,
You can’t beat home, sweet home.
For the holidays,
You can’t beat home, sweet home.

Painted Pot CONTEST

When Ryan's parents were out for Thanksgiving, we all went and painted pots one afternoon. I mentioned in an earlier blog that I would post the 'after' pictures when I got them, so here they are:

Charlene's before and after of her little blue dish:



Jamie's before and after of his "Spanish inspired" cross:



AND HERE COMES THE CONTEST, BETWEEN Ryan and I. PLEASE VOTE AND VOTE OFTEN, WHICH YOU FEEL IS THE BETTER PAINTED MUG.

Carlee's before and after of her mug (first is the outside photo, which is blue with green sponged on it and then is the inside, which is green with blue sponged on it):





Ryan's before and after of his mug: